Are you planning an amazing cruise vacation but wondering how to handle laundry while sailing the high seas? When it comes to having clean clothes on a cruise, there are more solutions than you might think.
Cruise ships offer several options for keeping your wardrobe fresh throughout your voyage. Whether you’re on a short 3-day getaway or embarking on a world cruise, these laundry tips will help you spend less time washing and more time enjoying your cruise adventure.
Here are 10 practical laundry hacks that will improve your cruise experience!
1. Use the Cruise Ship’s Professional Laundry Services
Most cruise lines offer full laundry, pressing, and dry cleaning services right onboard. While there’s a cost, it’s a convenient if you don’t want to deal with laundry yourself during vacation! After all, who wants to spend precious cruise time washing clothes when you could be lounging by the pool?
You’ll typically find a price list and paper laundry bag in your cabin closet. Simply fill out the form, put your dirty clothes in the paper laundry bag, and your stateroom attendant will take care of the rest. Your items will usually be returned within 24-48 hours, though many ships offer same-day or express service for an additional fee.
If you have something specific you need for dinner or an excursion, just let your cabin attendant know, and they can often prioritize that item.
Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Princess Cruises provide valet laundry services. The best part? Some luxury cruise lines even include complimentary laundry services as part of your cruise fare!
Certain stateroom categories on ships like Queen Mary 2 and select Oceania vessels receive free laundry throughout the cruise, which is definitely a perk worth considering when booking!
2. Find Self-Service Laundry Rooms
Many cruise ships feature self-service launderettes where you can wash and dry your own clothes. These facilities are typically equipped with washing machines, dryers, and ironing boards. They’re usually tucked away on various stateroom decks, so check your ship’s deck plans or ask your cabin attendant for the nearest location.
On ships like Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Breeze, and most Princess vessels, you’ll find self-service laundry rooms scattered throughout the accommodation areas. The good news is that using these facilities is usually much cheaper than the valet service! A typical wash and dry cycle might cost around $3-7 total, compared to $2-5 per item with the valet service.
Most self-service laundromats operate using your cruise card for payment, so you won’t need to carry cash or coins. Some ships have vending machines where you can purchase detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets if you didn’t bring your own.
Just be aware that these onboard supplies tend to be pricier than what you’d pay at home, so packing a small amount of your own laundry supplies is a smart money-saving move!
Related: 7 Money Saving Cruise Secrets I Wish I Knew Sooner
3. Take Advantage of Laundry Specials
Keep an eye out for laundry specials during your cruise! Many cruise lines offer special deals, especially on longer cruises. These promotions are usually advertised in the daily newsletter delivered to your cabin or on the cruise line’s app.
Carnival, for example, often has wash and fold specials where you can fill an entire laundry bag for a flat rate – sometimes around $15-20 per bag. This is way more economical than paying per article of clothing! On Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise, and other fleet ships, these specials typically appear mid-cruise and can save you significant money if you’re traveling with family.
Some lines, like Oceania Cruises, offer a free bag of laundry on world cruises or voyages lasting more than two weeks. Viking and luxury lines often include unlimited laundry for suite guests or as part of their loyalty programs.
Check with guest services or watch the daily newsletter for these money-saving laundry offers. Even if a special isn’t advertised, it never hurts to ask your cabin attendant if any promotions are available!
4. Hand Wash Small Items in Your Cabin
Hand washing in your cabin sink is a quick fix for small items like underwear or swimwear. It’s a great option for extending your wardrobe without using laundry services. This method works especially well for swimsuits you might use daily after pool time or visits to the hot tub.
If you didn’t pack detergent, fill your sink with warm water and a bit of shampoo or body wash. Gentle shampoo works surprisingly well for delicate fabrics and won’t damage your clothes. Most cruise ship bathrooms have a retractable clothesline in the shower area, perfect for hanging those hand-washed items! If your cabin doesn’t have one, ask your stateroom attendant—they often have portable ones available.
Be sure to wring out excess water to avoid dripping. No one wants a mini flood in their stateroom bathroom! I like to roll wet items in a towel first and press firmly to remove most of the moisture before hanging them. This speeds up drying time considerably, especially in the air-conditioned cabin environment, where things can take longer to dry than you might expect.
5. Pack Quick-Drying Fabrics
One of the best cruise packing tips is to bring clothes made from quick-drying materials. These fabrics are a lifesaver when doing laundry onboard! They’re perfect for tropical itineraries where you might be sweating more or getting caught in occasional rain showers.
Synthetic materials like nylon and polyester dry much faster than cotton. This means you can wash a shirt or underwear in the evening and have it dry by morning. Brands like ExOfficio, Columbia, and even affordable options from Target offer travel-friendly clothing that dries in just a few hours rather than overnight.
Quick-dry clothing also means you can pack fewer items, leaving more room in your suitcase for souvenirs. Plus, they’re usually wrinkle-resistant – a total win for cruise travel!
Another benefit is that these fabrics tend to be lighter weight, which helps if you’re trying to stay under airline weight restrictions for your flights to and from the cruise port. I’ve found that three quick-dry shirts take up the same space as one regular cotton t-shirt in my luggage.
Related: 31 Cruise Cabin Essentials Every Cruiser Needs
6. Create Extra Drying Space
Cruise cabins are notoriously small, and drying space is limited. Bring a few magnetic hooks to create extra hanging spots for drying clothes. These are especially helpful when sharing a cabin with friends on a girls’ cruise where everyone might have wet swimsuits or exercise clothes.
Since most cruise ship walls are metal, these hooks attach easily and provide additional places to hang damp items. They’re small to pack but provide big benefits when you need to dry multiple items. I’ve used these hooks not just for clothing but also for hanging toiletry bags, lanyards, and even small bags to maximize the limited space in cruise bathrooms.
You can also use the towel roll technique – lay wet clothes on a towel, roll it up, and press firmly to remove excess water. This speeds up drying time dramatically! For very wet items, stand on the rolled towel to extract maximum moisture.
Another handy trick is to use the room’s hairdryer on the cool setting to speed-dry small areas of clothing when you’re really in a pinch and need something dry quickly for an evening event.
7. Know the Laundry Room Etiquette
If you’re using self-service laundry facilities, timing is everything! The best times to do laundry are early morning (before 8 am), during port days when most cruise passengers are off the ship, or during popular activities like the main evening show when most passengers are elsewhere. I’ve found mid-afternoon on sea days to be surprisingly quiet too.
Avoid trying to do laundry on formal night or the last sea day when the laundry rooms become incredibly busy. These are peak times when everyone suddenly realizes they need clean clothes! Set a timer on your phone so you remember to retrieve your clothes promptly. Nothing is more frustrating to fellow cruisers than finding your finished laundry still sitting in the machine when they need to use it.
Remember that laundry day doesn’t have to ruin your cruise fun. Start a load, then head to the pool or grab a bite to eat while your clothes wash! Some laundry rooms even have seating areas with magazines or TVs, making it a surprisingly relaxing break from the constant activity of the ship.
On Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Firenze, some of the laundry rooms are near coffee stations, so you can enjoy a cappuccino while waiting for your clothes.
8. What Not to Do: Cabin Drying Dangers
Never hang wet clothes on your balcony! This is actually prohibited on most cruise ships for safety reasons and because it’s considered both a fire hazard and an eyesore from the outside of the ship. Many passengers have had crew members knock on their door asking them to remove items from railings or balcony furniture.
Also, don’t bring your own iron or travel iron. These are not allowed on Carnival cruises, Royal Caribbean, or most other cruise lines due to fire safety regulations. The same goes for steamers, which might seem like a clever alternative but are equally prohibited. I made this mistake on my first cruise and had my steamer confiscated until debarkation day.
Instead, use the ironing rooms or ironing services provided by the ship. Your cabin attendant can also help with wrinkled formal wear if needed. Many ships like Disney Cruise Line and Princess have dedicated pressing services specifically for formal night attire.
An old cruise tip to get rid of light wrinkles is to hang clothes in the bathroom while showering – the steam often relaxes many fabrics enough to make them presentable!
Related: 10 Things to Never Do on a Cruise Ship Balcony
9. Pack a Mini Laundry Kit
A small laundry kit can be a total game-changer for your cruise. Include travel-sized detergent, a few dryer sheets, and a stain remover pen. Those little Tide-to-Go pens have saved countless outfits from spilled drinks and food splatters that seem inevitable on vacation!
For hand washing, I like to bring a universal sink stopper since some cruise ship sinks don’t hold water well. A small spray bottle with water softener can also help with wrinkles if you don’t have access to an iron. Wrinkle release spray is another miracle product that takes up little space but can make a huge difference, especially for formal night attire.
These items take up minimal space but provide maximum convenience when you need to freshen up clothes during your voyage. I also pack a few clothespins or small binder clips which work great for securing items to the shower clothesline or attaching socks together so pairs don’t get separated in the wash.
If you’re on a longer cruise, consider bringing a few laundry pods in a small plastic container – they’re more compact than liquid detergent and won’t leak in your luggage.
10. Plan Your Wardrobe Strategically
The best laundry strategy starts before your cruise! Plan cruise outfits that can be mixed and matched to create different looks. Choose a color scheme so that most items coordinate, allowing you to create multiple outfits from fewer pieces – navy, white, and red make a perfect cruise palette that feels nautical and fresh.
Pack enough underwear and socks for the entire cruise unless you’re on a longer voyage. Consider bringing clothes that can be worn multiple times before washing, like jeans or certain shirts. Lightweight cardigans or wraps can be worn over different tops to create new looks while taking up minimal suitcase space.
For a 7-day cruise, most people find that doing laundry once mid-cruise is sufficient. On Disney Cruise Line or river cruise lines where laundry facilities might be limited, plan accordingly with a few extra outfits.
I’ve found that planning a “laundry day” around day 4 of a week-long cruise works perfectly – you’ve used enough clothes to make a load worthwhile, but still have plenty of vacation left to enjoy your freshly cleaned favorites!
For formal nights, consider outfits that can be accessorized differently for a second appearance rather than packing multiple formal ensembles.
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Final Thoughts on How to Do Laundry on a Cruise
Managing laundry on a cruise ship doesn’t have to be the last thing you want to deal with on vacation. With these tips and tricks, you’ll have clean clothes throughout your journey without the stress!
Whether you choose the convenience of valet service or save money with self-service options, having a laundry plan makes your cruise experience so much better. After all, the best cruise memories happen when you’re enjoying the ship’s activities and destinations – not worrying about dirty clothes!
Have you tried any of these laundry hacks on a cruise? Do you have other tips to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Cruising!
Ilana
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