How to Do Laundry on a Cruise

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We always travel carry-on only these days and that means that there is a good chance we will need to do laundry at some point on a cruise.

Pay Per bag of Laundry

Every cruise line has laundry options where you can send a bag of laundry out and have it returned washed, pressed, folded and hung for a set rate. This can run from $15-30 per bag (stuff that bag people!).

Different cruise lines may also offer discounts at various loyalty levels with the line.

How to do Laundry on a Cruise — Free Laundry on Princess Cruises

On our 15th anniversary Sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise , we were soo happy to have laundry included in our fare as we were granted elite status on the line.

Sun Princess Deluxe Balcony Tour

Is there a Laundromat Onboard?

Princess and Cunard are among the very few lines to have self-service laundry available to guests.

How to DIY Laundry on a Cruise

Aside from our Sun Princess Cruise (review here), we always do laundry in our stateroom. It’s easy.

The Laundress brush — How to do Laundry on a Cruise — The Laundress Brush & Stain Bar

We always bring this Wash & Stain Bar and brush and wash clothes in the sink!

The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar and brush — How to do wash clothes on a Cruise — The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar and Brush

-> Shop on Amazon: Wash & Stain Bar + The Laundress Brush

You will find that some cruise cabins have a line to dry clothes, but others do not. Therefore we always bring a portable clothes line.

Close Up of Portable Clothes Line — How to do Laundry on a Cruise — Portable Clothes Line — No Clips Needed

This particular one has clips on either end, but can also be tied around an anchoring point as needed. The portable clothes line is durable and braided, so you don’t need clothes pins to hang your clothes. Rather, you pull down on a loop of the braid and feed a piece of your clothing in that way!

This is a very small item to toss in your luggage and it can come in handy if you need to do laundry on your cruise!

Portable Clothes Line in Cruise Bathroom Shower — How to do Laundry on a Cruise — Portable Clothes Line in Cruise Ship Bathroom — Budget Travel Tip In-Room Laundry

If it’s safe in your cabin type, you may wish to leave the shower door open as well as the bathroom door while clothes are drying to help things along.

Do be careful of leaving loose items outside on your balcony as they can fly away when the winds pick up.

What to Do if Your Clothes Aren’t Drying Fast Enough

I hear you, I hear you. You ran out of undies and now you’re in a bit of a situation as the ones you washed earlier are not quite dry and it’s time for formal night dinner. What to do, what to do?!

Easy. Grab the hair dryer, folks!

Rather than blowdrying from the outside of the garment, try to find a way to close off the openings of the garment so the hairdryer can fill the garment with air from the inside and essentially be drying in all directions simultaneously.

A simple example is to put the tip of the hairdryer inside a sock. The sock balloons out and is dry in a really short amount of time.

Try the same trick with other clothing items if possible to reduce dry times in a pinch!

While none of this is exactly a stroke of genius revelation, maybe some of the points above are things you hadn’t thought of before and will help you out on your next cruise!

Happy sailing!