The age old question…..what do I pack for my cruise? No one wants to be seen wearing the same clothes over and over! Yet, we are limited by weight and number of bags while traveling, especially if flying to the cruise port. Sure it would be fun to have your entire wardrobe with you, but that just isn’t feasible.
Remaining clean and presentable can be a real problem, especially if you have young children or plan to be gone for a long time The cost of washing, drying and dry cleaning can quickly add up! You don’t want to spend money on laundry and take away from other more enjoyable activities. Fortunately, many cruise ships provide a range of laundry services designed to make your voyage easy. Many ships offer paid for laundry service…usually laundry is returned within 24 hours. If you prefer to do your own laundry, some lines offer self-service laundry rooms that include laundry detergent. Although convenience is important to many travelers, some passengers still prefer to do it themselves especially if they have delicate items or clothing that won’t do well in the industrial machines onboard.
Laundry can be a necessity, especially on longer journeys. Spills happen and it won’t take long to get sweaty at a tropical port. Salt, sauce, ice cream….they all find their way onto your clothing. Here are a few cruise lines that offer the convenience of self serve laundry facilities. Costs are in American dollars.
We found sometimes a quick wash in the bathroom sink is all we need, instead of spending hours waiting for laundry machines. These Tide packets are also useful when staying in hotels.
Another option is to take is few laundry sheets, which are easy to pack and use.
Celebrity does not offer a self-service laundry. Their prices are listed here for individual items.
“Stuff the Bag” Service: Celebrity Cruises offers a laundry service where you can fill a provided bag with clothes and have them washed, dried, and folded.
Cost: The cost for this service is a fixed price of $49.99 for 12 clothing items or less.
Alternative Packages: You can also pre-purchase laundry packages, such as a “Back Home Laundry Bag” (3 bags) or individual laundry wash & fold/press options. Prices will be available in your cruise planner.
Pre-Cruise Purchase: You can often find discounts on laundry packages if you purchase them before your cruise.
Turnaround Time: The turnaround time for the laundry service is generally quick, with some cruisers reporting receiving their laundry within 24 hours.
What to Wash: Cruisers often use the service for items like underwear, socks, and jeans, but you can send any washable items.
On Holland America cruises, you can pay for laundry by the bag (around $30-$35), or opt for unlimited laundry and pressing for a set price per cruise length (e.g., $63 for a 7-day cruise).
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of Holland America laundry options:
Most ships offer self-service launderettes. They are located on staterooms decks. There are 2 or 3 washers, 2 or 3 dryers, and 1 iron and ironing board in each launderette. The cost is $3.50 USD per washer load and $3.50 USD per dryer load. For your convenience, if you have not packed your own, each launderette has a vending machine that dispenses small boxes of detergent and water softener at $2.00 USD per box.
On most ships, the machines are operated using your Sail & Sign card for payment. On the following ships, only coins are accepted to operate the machine; change can be obtained at the Guest Service Desk, if needed: Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise.
You will find 24-hour, self-service Guest laundry facilities equipped with washers and dryers, along with detergent and complimentary ironing equipment. No coins are needed―pay using your Key to the World card.
Each launderette has a kiosk where you can buy electronic tokens that can be used for the washer and dryer or to buy detergent and softener. Tokens for wash and dry are $3.00 each. The detergent and softener are $1.00 per token. The detergent is Tide, and the softener is Snuggle.
The tokens are attached to your Key to the World Card. When purchasing, you can let others in your cabin access the tokens for use. To purchase the tokens, you just tap your Key to the World Card, select the tokens you wish to purchase and confirm the purchase.
For safety reasons, the irons may be used only in the laundry room. Personal irons are prohibited and cannot be brought aboard.
All Princess Cruise ships have self-service laundry facilities. Self-serve is $3 to wash, $3 to dry, $1.50 ea for detergent, Oxy bleach powder or dryer sheets. You buy tokens in the laundry room with your Medallion and they are charged to your shipboard account. A few of the newer ships haven’t had the acceptors installed for tokens so the machines are in free run mode, including Discovery Princess.
All of American Cruise Lines’ new ships (and most of the fleet) have self-service laundry rooms, including detergent, for complimentary use. There is no send-out wash and press service or dry cleaning available.
Every ship on Azamara Club Cruises has self-service laundry rooms on Deck 7 (midship). The facilities are free to use and detergent is provided.
Crystal Cruises offers complimentary self-service laundry facilities, which include detergent, fabric softeners, dryers, washing machines and ironing boards. The launderettes are located on decks 8, 9 and 10 on Crystal Symphony and decks 7 to 11 on Crystal Serenity.
Cunard offer a complete laundry service including washing, ironing and specialist cleaning for a nominal fee. An express ‘same day’ and standard 48 hour service are available. Self-service washing machines, dryers and ironing boards are available in the ship’s launderettes.
The self-service laundry facility includes 4 washers, 4 dryers, 2 irons and ironing boards and free laundry detergent. The use of the available washer and dryer machines are complimentary. The Launderette is open from 7am to 10pm every day. Marina and Riviera- Guest Launderettes will be located on decks 7-11. All doors to the launderettes on each deck are on the port side. There is only once entrance/exit to the launderettes. There are 3 washers and 3 dryers in the launderettes as well as ironing boards and free laundry detergent.
The use of guest launderettes is complimentary to all guests on board all ships.
All guests will now benefit from FREE Valet Laundry Service during their cruise. Enjoy the luxury and convenience of freshly washed, carefully pressed and folded laundry picked up and delivered to your suite throughout your voyage.
Self-service launderettes including irons and ironing boards are located on Decks 3–6 and are free of charge, with detergent available for your use at no additional fee.
Sometimes it’s the little things that count, even on huge cruise ships. Cruise lines are constantly changing what they offer and the charges. Be sure to check with your cruise line to see if changes have been made. All information noted here was accurate August 14, 2023 and was verified with each cruise line.
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