Princess laundry-very bleaching

[PescadoAmarillo]

We love our Elite laundry benefits on Princess, but, as others have mentioned, we have learned not to send anything really good to their laundry service. Rarely though, do we have proof positive of the before/after state of our clothing. But last cruise, we did.

 

3 pairs of Hanes socks, at least 4 years old (so, in other words, they had been washed many, many times at home).

 

From left to right, these socks were all taken on the cruise, but L) was not washed by the ship's laundry, M) washed once by the ship's laundry, R) washed twice by the ship's laundry. The photo doesn't even do it justice. The sock on the right has threads pulled out of the blue areas. I think, in an effort to get things clean, they must use one powerful detergent.

 

However, the jeans that I wore on an ATV tour in Cabo and that got really, really dusty with one grease stain were returned looking just as bad. One wash at home had them looking just fine.

 

Again, it's a great service for underwear, socks, pjs, maybe logo shirts, but I don't think I'll be sending any colorful items there anymore. And I'm a long way from thinking (as I used to) that we would have our formal wear cleaned on the ship before we return home. Although I can't comment on the quality of their dry cleaning service, I'm not willing to take a chance.

[Toto2Kansas]

ROFLMAO You took pictures of your socks? Sorry, but that is hilarious. :) :)

[Princess Chatterer]

Now you know why Princess employee uniforms seem so white.

[PescadoAmarillo]

ROFLMAO You took pictures of your socks? Sorry, but that is hilarious. :) :)

Glad to amuse you this morning. Yes, in fact they were on my bathroom counter since last Sunday, until I had chance to photograph them. You know how these boards are...unless you have proof positive to support your statements or can make an apples to apples comparison, any negative comments about Princess are generally attacked ad nauseum by the cheerleaders. I can do both.

[DetroitMark]

lol@Toto

 

That is pretty funny ... but Pesco may have freaked me out of using their laundry service. I'm somewhat of a laundry Obsessive Compulsive. I think I'll just use their convenient self-laundering services.

 

lol

[Toto2Kansas]

Sorry, it just struck me so funny to open the post and see three pairs of socks in that picture.

I do agree, proof is the only way on this board to get your point across. It just tickled me to see three pairs of socks. ;) ;)

[coiran]

It must be the particular ship you were on - we have had laundry and dry cleaning done on the last 6 cruises on different ships with no problems.

 

Ron

[Druke I]

Like COIRAN above, we've not had a problem yet that I recall. Luck of the draw I presume.

[PescadoAmarillo]

And sometimes even WITH proof positive....:rolleyes:

[Toto2Kansas]

And sometimes even WITH proof positive....:rolleyes:

 

You sure have that one right. Even WITH proof some will never believe it. ;)

[ggprincess2004]

Having just gone elite with Princess, we haven't had occasion to take advantage of the free laundry and dry cleaning services to date, but being a laundry compulsive, I had already decided to do the more delicate/colorful items on my own.

My question goes to those with experience using the dry cleaning services onboard - the good, the bad and the ugly - if you would be so kind as to share your experience/opinions.

Thanks!

[ocean.queen]

Same goes for the Dry Cleaning service...be selective of what you send. We sent 6 items to be dry cleaned on the Island and they ruined them!...washed them instead. Others haven't ever had a problem but we sure did.

[coiran]

On the laundry list you fill out there is a checkoff box to state whether it is to be laundered or dry cleaned starched or not starched - make sure you check the right box. We have never had a problem.

 

Ron

[CruisenOne]

Same goes for the Dry Cleaning service...be selective of what you send. We sent 6 items to be dry cleaned on the Island and they ruined them!...washed them instead. Others haven't ever had a problem but we sure did.

 

 

We learnt a long time ago to put Laundry and Dry Cleaning into seperate bags.

[ggprincess2004]

Thanks you for the heads up!!! We will remember to separate carefully and mark slips carefully!

[southwestgal]

This thread reminds me of a very funny incident and a cherished memory from our very first cruise in 1986 aboard the Pacific Princess (yes - the original Love Boat).

 

We were young and on our honeymoon cruise. We sent several items out to be laundered (not dry cleaned). We were in our cabin when they were returned by a very proper British gentleman. At first I didn't recognize the items he returned because the colors of the items were drastically lighter (at least 5 shades lighter) than when they were sent out. We doublechecked the items with the gentleman standing there and we realized that they were indeed our items. I casually mentioned that they were several shades lighter than when they were sent out and the gentleman remarked in a very proper British accent, "Madam, I do believe I prefer this shade". We all started laughing and since everything was uniformly lighter - everything still matched as outfits. Otherwise, the items were perfectly fine, clean and pressed.

 

This is such a great memory of the trip. We still laugh about it to this day.

 

A bit off topic, but does anyone else remember bringing hair dryers on board the older ships and the crew collecting them to shave down the fatter safety prong so that the plugs would fit in the electrical outlet in your cabin? I can still picture our room steward with at least 10 hair dryers vanishing down the hall. I didn't give it one bit of a chance that we would ever see our original hair dryer back since they weren't tagged at all. But sure enough, a couple of hours later there was our hair dryer in the room with the plug nicely shaved and it worked perfectly on the trip and for many years thereafter.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Southwestgal

[joan24]

I have several cotton tee shirts that are machine washed at home. Would I be better off having them dry cleaned on board instead of washed. I picture everything going into the washing machine at a very hot temp. Or is it just not worth having them done during the cruise. This is our first time in a full suite and usually we just bring our clothes home to wash.

Joan

[scamper]

And sometimes even WITH proof positive....:rolleyes:

 

...and that means?

[BJS]

We always put the dry cleaning & laundry in separate bags.

 

Once DHs dry cleaned silk shirt came back with red blotches all over it. :mad: I washed it when we got home and it all washed out. We have had many things dry cleaned including tux and never have had any other problems.:)

 

I do believe they bleach the whites and looking at the OPs picture it appears that since the socks were primarily white they were washed with a white load. We send dark colored socks to the laundry all of the time and they have always come back in perfect condition. Other colored items have also come back just fine.

 

Do not send anything that you can't have ruined should that happen. We do notice that they must use a huge safety pin to pin together things like socks and ladies cotton panties. There doesn't seem to be a problem with the socks but the delicate cotton panties will sometimes result in a large hole that will need to be mended. They don't always put this pin through the elastic waist band and this causes the holes. Some ships are worse about this than others. New cheap cotton panties will be a better choice in the future. Several of DHs hankies have come back shredded but they were old, no holes, so now I make sure they are in good shape to start with.

 

Men's briefs will have a laundry tag inside on the waist band and this is often impossible to remove. These tags are also put on other items and the ink frequently will bleed through onto the fabric but it has never gone all the way through to the outside of the garment. It doesn't wash out and will be there permanently.

 

I would never send any of my tops with decorations or that might shrink to be done by the ship's laundry. I also would not send any delicate things. They have done a nice job on cotton and cotton/polyester slacks and blouses.

 

The service is great but one does have to be aware that it isn't always perfect.

 

.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We do notice that they must use a huge safety pin to pin together things like socks and ladies cotton panties. There doesn't seem to be a problem with the socks but the delicate cotton panties will sometimes result in a large hole that will need to be mended.

Very true. I don't mind showing you a photo that proves I have big feet, but I refuse to show you the photo I could have sent that proves I have a big behind!:D

 

I had a sweater dry cleaned on the ship, placed it in a separate bag, and it came back cleaned just fine but hanging up. Luckily, I rescued it before it had shoulder points.

[cruiselifers]

We were on a Suite on the Emerald and just got back. I used both the dry cleaning and regular laundry service very regularly. We fortunately did not have any issues with it. One of my DH white dress shirts, which already had a stain on it came back with a yellowish haze on it, but it had some paper on it saying something about the laundry master could not get it out after repeated dry cleanings. No sweat for us, we were just hoping they would be able to get out something we could not.

I did notice the laundry tags on everything they sent back though. They were difficult to come off and if you had a delicate fabric I think it would rip it. So I guess next time, I will have to remember that.

I never have to worry about them over bleaching any of my clothes though, because I am such a slob, I try to never wear white! :p

[Murphey]

I believe the laundry/dry cleaning service has deteriorated over the years. I have in the past, sent my ball gowns to the cleaners and they have come back beautifully. However, recently, it seems things come back pressed and that's it! I now do my own laundry that I actually want clean, and the rest that gets sent out, I'm happy if it's just pressed! I wonder if it's because they have so much more to do now????

[Ethel5]

I haven't sent anything delicate to the laundry but I have noticed that tank tops, t-shirts etc. don't get ironed! These are not the white "skivvy" stuff, but ladies colored shirts. Even cotton outerwear shorts don't get ironed!

[BJS]

I haven't sent anything delicate to the laundry but I have noticed that tank tops, t-shirts etc. don't get ironed! These are not the white "skivvy" stuff, but ladies colored shirts. Even cotton outerwear shorts don't get ironed!

 

Interesting because even DH's undershirts and PJ tops get ironed.

 

.

[Ethel5]

Interesting because even DH's undershirts and PJ tops get ironed.

 

I guess it depends on who's running the laundry that day :)