Laundry - Do It Yourself

Laundry, oh that dreaded word.  You are on vacation and WHAT you have to do laundry!  

Well no worries, Princess is one of the lines that has laundry facilities on board on each floor. Look for them on the map and note that sometimes it is faster to go to the facilities on the deck above or below than all the way to the other end of the ship on your floor.  

I won't get into the games, arguments, lines, quality of the laundry cause well I just don't do that, but rest assured getting a machine can be as hard as wining at trivia. My honey is the one who does it, he loves doing it, he does it often at home too so hey if it makes him happy.  

Each ship and deck can be different with the number of machines and how the room is laid out.  But basically you will find some washing machines, dryers, ironing boards and irons (set on a timer), dispensers for soap and dryer sheets/fabric softener and coin exchanger (note the newer ships now have a machine that will dispense a token and charge it to your on board account. 

We normally bring our own detergent that we buy when we get the port of embarkation or we buy detergent on board.  If the laundry doesn't have a token machine like above or doesn't have coins in the dispenser just take money down to Purser's Desk where they can help you, or even better the Casino can give you a roll of quarters for $10.  

I often will wash items in the sink in the bathroom and just hang in the cabin or on the deck to dry. I bring my laundry clips and hang over the back of the chairs, or put on hangers and hang from chairs, etc. Note Princess policy states that you are not to leave clothing items on balcony when not in the cabin. 

Also please I beg you don't do like the people did in the cabin above us on our last cruise. I don't want to see your underwear/socks/bra etc. If you are going to put your clothes out hang them so that others don't have to look at them. Our other friends had to look down at a large balcony on Dolphin deck that had numerous lines out with drying items. If this is a problem you can contact the Purser's Desk and they will contact the people and have them remove due to fire hazard.

Here are some tips:  

Try to squeeze out as much water as you can from your hand washables. I use the grip bar in the shower to twist my item around to squeeze excess water.  

Make sure you are aware and courteous when using the laundry facilities on board. Show up when your laundry is scheduled to be finished. I find starting a conversation with my fellow passengers is always a great way to ease the awkwardness and then people are more apt to be kind when they have a connection with you. Be patient too.

Follow the hours posted on the laundry facilities door. Note some ships lock the laundry facilities but others don't so to cut down on noise respect the hours. 

We often bring a bottle of detergent with us and we always have more than enough so we often will share with others. Yes sharing is a good thing my Mommy told me.

If the facilities are busy, come back later. Leave it for another time/day. Port days are usually a good time. If you are on a back to back I find turn around day to be the best time to get everything washed.

Our friends bring with them this collapsible laundry basket that they keep in their closet on board. We personally just use a plastic bag, or just the spot beside the plastic bag where the dirty item gets tossed to.  

To learn more about the cleaning services you can pay for on board, or the free elite laundry services click here.