Save Some Money On Your Next Cruise With These Clever Laundry Tricks
Cruises are a great way to travel if you want minimal fuss over planning and logistics. But while many cruise packages boast an all-inclusive experience, some hidden costs might catch you off guard once you set sail. Internet access, for example, usually comes with a fee, and dining at specialty restaurants requires spending extra. More often than not, gratuities are not automatically included in the cruise fare, and neither are room service orders. Oh, and if you wish to have your clothes laundered, you'll also have to shell out extra, just as is the case with hotels.
The bad news? Laundry service on cruise ships often costs a premium. The good news? You can always do laundry on your own if your cruise line has self-service laundry rooms on board. Obviously, it's always wise to pack a sufficient amount of clothes to cover your entire cruise trip, but we all know that certain situations call for a laundry day at sea. Whether it's a coffee mishap on your favorite dress or a suitcase-creased shirt that needs a new lease on life, you can tackle clothing-related crises with self-service laundry rooms without breaking the bank.
Instead of paying upwards of $3 to have a single item cleaned, self-serve launderettes let you do a whole load for way less. Not only will doing so save you the money you otherwise could have spent on other amenities, but it also ensures your favorite outfits are ready to wear in a few hours.
DIY is key to saving money
While the availability of self-service laundry facilities varies across cruise lines, those ships equipped with them offer a cost-effective solution to keeping your wardrobe fresh without succumbing to the exorbitant price tags of valet laundry. For instance, on many Carnival cruise ships, it only costs $3.50 per load in the washer and dryer and another $2 for a box of detergent and softener. Depending on the ship, you may be asked to either swipe your cruise card or deposit coins, old-school style. Disney Cruises also has self-service launderettes across their entire fleet available pretty much round-the-clock, with each load costing $3 and detergent costing only $1 a pop. If you're looking to pinch pennies even further, consider packing your own detergent, softener, and dryer sheets.
Alternatively, if you're on a cruise ship without a self-service laundry room, like those of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, the humble sink is your friend. This method is much more labor-intensive, of course, but only a couple of detergent sink packets and wrinkle spray are needed to get the job done. You can then either let your clothes air dry (plus points if you have a balcony room and can hang them outside) or turn the shower rod into a makeshift drying rack.
Watch out for membership perks and passenger discounts
If you don't like the idea of doing your own laundry (seriously, who does?), some cruise lines offer free full-service laundry service perks to some members of their respective loyalty programs. If you reach Elite status in Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club, you get to enjoy a complimentary bag of laundry (and another bag for Elite Plus members). Carnival's Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) Club program nets you unlimited wash-and-fold laundry service if you reach Diamond status. Achieving the Elite tier in Princess Cruises' Captain Circle lets you enjoy free laundry services, with free shoe polishing to boot. Don't worry if you don't go on cruises enough to reach these levels, though. More often than not, cruise lines still offer discounts on laundry service to many members of other tiers. For example, Windstar Cruises offers 5% off the unlimited laundry package to One Star-level members of its Yacht Club program.
Regardless of your loyalty status, keep an eye out for mid-cruise laundry deals. Some cruise ships offer discounts on their laundry services, normally around the middle to the tail end of the trip. As Reddit user @Mamm0nn pointed out, Royal Caribbean offers a discount in day 3 or 4 of the 7-day cruise. "All you can fit in the bag for ~$35 ... if you know how to ranger roll and pack you can fit a CRAPTON into that bag," they wrote. "We got 2 peoples worth for 3days in it and I'm a big guy 300lbs/6ft."