Dry Cleaning on board

[Tess2mommies]

How much does it cost to dry clean or iron formal attire (gowns) on board the ship?

 

I recently noticed that the bottom of our gowns are a little wrinkled and i'm sure after we unpack it will be even worst. Is it really expensive to get this taken care of on board? Or should we take our clothing to the local cleaners and hope our gowns don't wrinkled in transit?

[Host Caroline]

I don't have much dry cleaned but I know a shirt/blouse can be as much as $3-4. Why don't you take one of those travel steamers??? That and a fews minutes in the bathroom with the shower on hot do wonders!

[98Charlie]

Haven't had a gown dry cleaned on ship, but can say for DH's tux that drycleaning costs are lower than we can get his tux cleaned at home - very reasonable, and laundry services are reasonable as well.

 

Most ships and cruise lines we've been on from NCL to Celebrity, Royal Caribbean to Princess, have shown very reasonable rates for laundry and pressing services. IMHO I'd pack the formas with the wrinkled hems, pack a bottle of wrinkle release and try it on the hems per instructions when you unpack your luggage and hang them in the closet - and if they need ome extra touch up - send them out for a ``touch up'' pressing.

Dianne

[CruiseFever]

We do it at home, leave it in the dry cleaners bags and they come out pretty much wrinkle free.

[Happy ks]

It takes a bit of explaining, I hope I can write this correctly. Hang your gown on a hanger, then cover with a dry cleaners plastic bag, the bottom of the gown will still hang loose below. Take a second hanger and carefully hang the bottom portion of the gown, bringing the second hanger up next to the first. Cover the bottom portion of the gown with a second dry cleaner bag. It's a simple method, kind of hard to explain. I did this for mine and my DDs gowns last cruise, it worked like a charm.

 

I would first test, at home, any wrinkle removing product before taking it along. Some fabrics may stain, I read a funny comment about a guy who glowed in the dark in the disco where the wrinkle release had been sprayed.

 

I pack a travel steamer, simple to use with no offending odors like the wrinkle spray. Some people swear by hanging their clothes in the bathroom to steam out the wrinkles, I haven't tried it because I like to leave the door wide open to avoid a steamy room. Press only is about half the cost of dry cleaning, a pretty good alternative if you don't want to bother packing a steamer. Travel irons don't get hot enough to iron, at least mine does not. Regular irons are forbidden on ships, the wattage is too high and may blow the fuse for yours and others cabins. Some ships provide irons in their laundrettes, don't wait until formal night or you will wait in line for this.

 

To answer the OPs original question, it's hard to give a definite answer, not knowing which cruise line you are on, they all have different price lists. I would venture to say, it would be around the $5 range for press only, more if you want same day service.

[Tess2mommies]

Happy KS,

 

Thank you, I will try that today and let you know how it works out!

[greatam]

I have everything cleaned and pressed before I leave the ship. It is 2/3 the price I pay in Phoenix. $9.00 on the ship for a frilly, chiffon cocktail dress. $14.00 at the regular dry cleaner in Phoenix.

 

Tailoring is also cheaper on the ship. Took all my husband's new pants (even one's he wasn't going to wear) for hemming, instead of taking them to the tailor in Phoenix. $4.00 on the ship, $6.50 in Phoenix. Only one cruise line really messed up. Princess-cut off the pants and MACHINE sewed his new tux pants. They went to the thrift store after he wore them on the cruise.