Any Laundry Issues or Suggestions

[thedoc29ca]

Looking to just use carryon luggage for our upcoming Breakaway cruise by sending out laundry on board.  
 

Wondering how common issues with colour mixing, shrinkage, loss or damage.  
 

Any tips to prevent issues would be appreciated.  

[Laszlo]

3 minutes ago, thedoc29ca said:

Looking to just use carryon luggage for our upcoming Breakaway cruise by sending out laundry on board.  
 

Wondering how common issues with colour mixing, shrinkage, loss or damage.  
 

Any tips to prevent issues would be appreciated.  

How long is your cruise? My wife and I have only used the laundry service a few times even though for us we get a free bag. Its taken two days to get it back. If your cruise is only 7 days it might be easier just to wash your clothes in the sink. We had a few things that shrunk 

[schmoopie17]

10 minutes ago, thedoc29ca said:

 

Wondering how common issues with colour mixing, shrinkage, loss or damage.  

Shrinkage is a problem for George Costanza.

[www3traveler]

I would never end anything out that color bleed or shrink.  Was in your bathroom sink and hang on the clothes line across the top of your shower.  Never ever put anything out on your balcony to dry.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, thedoc29ca said:

Any tips to prevent issues would be appreciated.  

Never had any issues.  We send laundry out twice on seven day cruise which minimizes how much we pack and how much laundry wife has to do when we get home.

[herbanrenewal]

I've done carryon only for years, mostly because I often have train travel before and/or after cruising, and handling luggage gettin on a train is a challenge. I wash all but slacks each night - those I send to the laundry. I have a pre-cruise tip - clothes that you plan on packing - do a trial wash in sink at home and see how they handle it. To exterpolate from there - try washing items you think will be ok, and would send to ship laundry. Wash in warm water and dry on medium heat to see if they can take it (better to ruin it at home where you have more clothing choices to wear). Personally I select travel clothing with washing/drying time/ wrinkling/ color fastness. I've travelled as long as 5 weeks with a carryon, and other than being fairly tired of some outfits never had a problem.

[gravitar]

I have visions of the NCL laundry being a big cauldron with a fire below it boiling all the clothes. 😁

[detroitlions]

I have done 5 day work trips for years with a carryon. If I had to use the ship laundry once that would be it. I would not be washing in the sink sounds like work.

That being said I just bring a regular suit case for a cruise . A modern moblie one

 

[Catchum]

We always use our free laundry perk and have never had an issue. Though you will find those little tags years later. 

[tjt52545]

I have used the laundry service with no issues.  I do find the little tags now and then and it makes me smile thinking I got this from being on a cruise.  Nice memory!

[kenzie]

I have had lots of items go missing and also items shrunk, I will only send underwear and items I do not care about in future and we are all Sapphire so get free laundry bags. 

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

We have done LOTS of cruises and have never had a problem.   We do the small underwear in the sink and send the rest to be done on board.   Always excellent service, at most 2 full days.

 

Be careful with the bag you pot it in ;easy to rip.   If you are using the free service from the Latitudes system get as much as you can by rolling all clothes tightly.

 

If you are on a longer cruise and there are two of you and you are both in the free regime put one name and "Latitudes" on the outside of the bag in Bold letters and then use the other name on teh second lot.

[brianz09]

1 hour ago, Catchum said:

We always use our free laundry perk and have never had an issue. Though you will find those little tags years later. 

Yes! Those tags! I found them for months before realizing it was from the laundry I sent out. lol 

[xcal185]

My wife has printed out a large note that she attaches with her laundry tag that reads” Please spin dry only and return wet on hangers”. We have only had one time that the clothes were put in the dryer. We then have lots of extra hangers for the rest of the trip. Most of the clothes is dry in one day. She usually also brings it to the attention of our room steward. 

[socston]

3 hours ago, kenzie said:

I have had lots of items go missing and also items shrunk, I will only send underwear and items I do not care about in future and we are all Sapphire so get free laundry bags. 

 

 

Same. Socks, underwear, jeans, and the junky pajamas that I use for traveling are the only things that I send to the wash after a shirt shrank horribly once. If I need other clothes cleaned I pay for dry cleaning. I haven’t had anything go missing yet so that’s good at least.

[colloctopus]

We used the laundry service for the first time on our Epic cruise in Dec 2023. One bag came free with our cabin type (club balcony). We were pleasantly surprised - clean clothes were folded and organized nicely in a wicker basket deposited on our bed 2 days after sending laundry in. No shrinkage or any other issues. We did not send in any delicates or special fabrics, just basic t-shirts, shorts, socks and underwear. 

At home we use a free and clear detergent, and on the cruise I did notice a faint perfume from the clean clothes - but not at all overpowering. 

Tangentially - We took a behind the scenes tour years ago that took us through the laundry operation on the Epic.The size of the area and giant washers was really quite impressive!

[Travelling2Some]

We always send out laundry and have never had a problem.  Hint:  bring a few small/medium plastic wastebasket bags with you.  Use one to line the flimsy paper bag and then roll your items very tightly and stack them in the now reinforced paper laundry bag.  You will be amazed how much you can get in it.  I bring a little roll of that blue painter's tape to secure the top of the bag when I finish.  (The tape also comes in handy if you have one of those rocky nights with coat hangers banging in the closet or a noisy drawer/cabinet that won't stay closed.)

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, thedoc29ca said:

Looking to just use carryon luggage for our upcoming Breakaway cruise by sending out laundry on board.  
 

Wondering how common issues with colour mixing, shrinkage, loss or damage.  
 

Any tips to prevent issues would be appreciated.  

We cruise 5+ times a year and do a couple of bags of laundry. We have never had a problem. 
 

They do your laundry (and a lot more) in 72 lbs washers and 110 lbs dryers. 

 

[thedoc29ca]

Thanks everyone for the info, tips and tricks.  It’s a seven day cruise and we are inspired by the replies to go carry on only.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, colloctopus said:

We did not send in any delicates or special fabrics

I don't own any of those things.  I'm 100% cotton for everything, and it all comes out of the NCL laundry process in original condition.  I love the NCL laundry perks! 😍

[shoptom]

I was on a Sky 10 day last month and they only offered discount laundry on day 3!  Carry on only was fine for my trip with no laundry.

[jcscv]

I used the laundry service for the first time on my last cruise and had no problems. But as people have said, it takes a minimum of 24 hrs to get it back, so make sure you leave enough clothes out for the current and next day.