Miray Cruises’ Gemini will be used as a temporary shelter for refugees after the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023.
The vessel has a history of relief work and will be docked at the Port of Iskenderun, Turkey, while housing refugees, many of whom are families with children.
Ship to Serve as Emergency Shelter
Gemini is a 19,093-gross-ton vessel with the capacity for 1,074 guests, which will help tremendously with displaced families who lost their homes in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck south-central Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, February 6, 2023, one of the strongest earthquakes to ever impact the region.
Miray Cruises has offered the vessel for emergency relief to welcome refugees. The cruise line will not only furnish housing onboard the ship, but will also furnish all meals and provide 24-hour medical care to those aboard.
Furthermore, a special schedule of activities for the children aboard will be created to help create a sense of normalcy and relieve anxiety for the youngest guests.
Gemini features 400 cabins as well as several bars and restaurants, lounges, duty-free shopping, a main pool, and a spa area. It is not known how many features will be available for the refugees to use, or whether areas may be temporarily repurposed to better serve the refugees’ needs, such as for extra sleeping quarters, storage space, or an onboard schoolroom.
The ship will be housing refugees until March 15, after which it will begin a planned season of short Greek Island cruises including visits to Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Rhodes, and other top destinations.
History of Service
Gemini first entered service in 1992 as Crown Jewel, the largest vessel ever built in Spain, for the now-defunct Crown Cruise Line. The ship has been owned and operated by various lines over the past 30 years, including Cunard Line, Star Cruises, and Celestyal Cruises. Miray Cruises acquired the vessel in 2019.
In addition to welcoming cruise travelers with various lines and sailing to various destinations around the world, Gemini also has a history of alternative service and humanitarian aid.
During the London Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2012, the ship was used as housing for security staff, and she has been used several times as accommodations for workers in various locations for different companies.
In 2017, the ship was chartered by FEMA to hose emergency response crews after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, stationed in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.
Cruise lines often offer vessels for relief support when there is great need. Several ships have been chartered to house Ukrainian refugees, for example, and ships are regularly used after hurricanes and tropical storms.
About the Earthquake
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately 4:17 a.m. local time on February 6, with far-reaching damage and an estimated 47,800 deaths.
This is the strongest recorded earthquake in the region since 1939, which also registered as a 7.8 magnitude. Shaking was felt as far away as Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Cyprus. More than 2,000 aftershocks followed the main pair of quakes, with severe winter weather causing further complications for rescue and relief efforts.
Total damage is estimated to be $84 billion (USD), making this earthquake the fourth-costliest earthquake in recorded history and the deadliest natural disaster modern Turkey has ever seen.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone impacted by this devastating earthquake, including crew members of cruise lines worldwide who have family and friends in Turkey and Syria.
When planning for your next adventure on the high seas, leave an opening in your budget for cruise gratuities. This is an expense that many travelers overlook when tallying the cost of a voyage. Yet, it can add hundreds of dollars to the final numbers and falls into the category of an important item for most passengers.
Cruise gratuities are the tips that each passenger pays during the trip. These are usually calculated on a per person/per day (or night) basis by the cruise lines.
While the exact fees can be determined by the type of cabin you book, they are different than a hotel stay in that every person in the cabin will be assessed the charge. (Children three years old and younger excepted in some instances.)
On your bill, cruise gratuities may be listed in several different ways: tips, service charges, crew appreciation fees, crew incentives and others. These costs are added onto the price of the journey and are often an automatic charge.
The stated reason for the latter (compulsory nature of this fee) is to ensure that all passengers pay their fair share. Although not technically “required,” tips are nonetheless expected.
Charging every passenger an automatic cruise gratuity also assures that crew members who work behind the scenes to deliver an exceptional vacation experience receive a share.
In the years past, cash in envelopes would only benefit the staff who directly interacted with the passengers. This “new” practice of automatic cruise gratuities allows a greater number of the crew to add this important contribution to their income. It is also a simple way for passengers to tip since all the calculations and distributions are handled by the cruise line.
To determine the final total of these costs, simply visit your selected cruise line’s website. All the exact numbers are there to help you plan accordingly for the actual price of your upcoming cruise.
How to Pay Tips on a Cruise Ship
There are three basic ways to pay tips on a cruise vacation. The first is to pre-pay cruise gratuities when you book your reservation. Passengers say that the best benefit to using this method of payment is sticker shock avoidance. While it may not sound like much money when quoted as a per person/per day cost, seeing the total on your final onboard bill can feel expensive.
Additionally, if you pre-pay and the tip amount per person/per day increases before your cruise date, you have saved some money by locking in the lower rates. While raising the tip rates does not often happen, if it did, your cumulative costs for the trip would be higher.
The second option is to allow the charge to be added each day to your onboard account. All expenses accrued (and not included in the price of your trip) will be due at the end of the voyage. For most large lines, cruise gratuities are part of the line items charges along with other “extras” you bought along the way.
Since all purchases on cruise ships are “cashless” (with the possible exception of the casino), it is a good idea to keep an eye on your onboard account. Download the app or check on your cabin’s TV for up-to-date charges.
The third option for tipping is to pay the old-fashioned way – cash. (See below about removing automatic cruise gratuities from your bill.) These cash tips can be given at the time of service or at the conclusion of your trip.
The benefit here is to directly thank specific crew members. However, it is unlikely that you would be able to tip any of the crew members who work out of the public view with this option.
Carnival Cruise Line Crew Members (Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive)
You may also want to create a hybrid method by combining the basic options. For example, you can pre-pay and supplement with cash to those crew members who are above-and-beyond in their service skills.
This is also the suggestion for covering the tips for the personnel who are not in your cruise line’s automatic gratuity group. (See below for who does not get a share.)
NOTE: Most luxury lines fold tips into the price of the cruise. Additionally, some have a “no tipping” policy for their crews. With that said, however, exceptional service may warrant a gratuity offer. On these ships, your offer may be accepted or politely refused.
Who Shares the Automatic Cruise Gratuities
It takes a combined effort of a team of crew members to keep the ship in tip-top shape and create an enjoyable experience for the passengers. While we only interact with certain people in particular positions, they represent dozens of others who work hard at their jobs.
In former times, tips were only given to the crew who had face-to-face interactions with the passengers. This practice favored the front-of-the-house staff while others working behind the scenes had little opportunity to make more money.
Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive
For example, passengers were once assigned a dining table and saw the same wait staff throughout the voyage. Today, we can eat in any number of venues and have a host of different servers.
The newer system of charging cruise gratuities on a per person/per day basis has helped equalize this situation. In addition to the waitstaff and room stewards receiving portions of the fee, the funds are also shared by some cruise lines with crew members in other jobs. For example, food preparation, general housekeeping and maintenance, laundry and other important positions may receive a percentage.
Who Does Not (typically) Get a Share of Cruise Tips
With so many activities and venues to enjoy on a cruise ship, you will interact with a number of other crew members who will most likely not receive a portion of your automatic gratuity fee.
One example of this situation is childcare services. The people working in the areas responsible for the safety and entertainment of your children will (likely) only receive a tip if you offer one!
For some cruise lines, bartenders will have to “earn” their tips during the voyage. If you find a favorite spot at the same bar, chances are quite good that the bartender will learn your name (and maybe even your choice of beverage). Start the cruise with a nice tip upfront, and thank him or her at the end with another.
Cruise Ship Bar (Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin / Shutterstock)
Similarly, if a waiter (or sommelier) is keeping track of your wine bottles, they are also expecting to receive an appropriate gratuity. And, if you enjoy ordering room service, it is still customary to offer a small tip each time the staff appears at your door with delicious food.
If a visit to the spas or salons onboard will be part of your cruise, keep in mind that these crew members may not be part of the tip-sharing program. After receiving good service, leave a nice tip.
Another circumstance where tipping is recommended beyond the automatic cruise gratuities is during shore excursions. If you have booked a tour with your cruise line at a port of call, your guide should receive a tip at the end.
This is also true for any tours booked with local guides. Look for a tip jar at the front of the bus or van; if you are on an extended tour with other shipmates, passing around an envelope to collect tips may be in order.
Also, anytime you hire transportation onshore, gratuities for the driver are appropriate (public transit excepted). This is often an important part of their income stream.
Tip Jar (Photo Credit: yanishevska / Shutterstock)
The last (and first) person you will likely see is the luggage porter or baggage handler. Just as in other travel situations at airports, hotels and so forth, this person should be on your list to tip. This is particularly true if you are a “heavy” packer!
NOTE: When paying the cost of any of these or other services on the ship, check to see whether an automatic tip has already been included in the bill. This can be quite specific to the activity and the cruise line.
For example, some cruise lines have an automatic gratuity charge per drink or drinks package (including “free drink packages,”) and others add a tip percentage to all spa treatments.
So, if it is unclear, it is acceptable to ask if and which tips have been automatically charged to your bill. This will allow you to add an appropriate gratuity AND avoid double tipping.
How to Remove Cruise Gratuities from Your Bill
The debate continues as to the inclusion of “forced” cruise gratuities on board ship. Depending on your customs, culture or country, this will either seem perfectly fair or an unnecessary expense for services that are “part of the job.” Still others feel that tips should be earned and given in recognition of a “job well done.” Regardless of where passengers stand on the issue, this remains a monetary consideration during the next cruise vacation.
Should the occasion occur that you feel the service on your cruise is consistently below standards, you do have the option to remove the gratuities from your bill. Prior to doing so, however, speak with someone at the front desk (purser’s desk or reception desk) to try to resolve the issues.
If this does not solve the problem, then you can request a refund of all or part of the amount; or, reduce the rate. Depending on the cruise line, this may be removed from your bill or issued as a ship credit. This can only be done on the ship prior to the end of the cruise since all funds will have been distributed to the crew after that point.
If this is your course of action, consider offering a cash tip to those individuals who provided good service during your voyage. It is not often the case that all interactions with all crew members are substandard. So, take this opportunity to recognize the folks who worked hard to make your cruise pleasant.
Additionally, make a list of the employees who provided the best service and send a note of appreciation to the cruise line with their names included.
NOTE: If you are opposed to automatic gratuities and have decided to cancel them regardless, it is a good idea to let your room steward and front desk know that you will be tipping throughout the voyage instead. This is a respectful way to advise the crew ahead of time about your plans.
Also, there are certain cruise lines that do not allow cancellation or alteration of this expense. Read the fine print when you make your reservation.
How to Give Extra Appreciation
Whether you opt for pre-paying cruise gratuities, having them added to your charges during the voyage or passing out tips along the way, bring small bills (lots of them!). Waiting in line to exchange large denominations at guest services can be a hassle.
Also, bring along some envelopes or even a pack of small, printed thank you cards. When you have great service (or need to tip those above who are not part of the gratuity pool), hand the cash, envelope or card directly to the person. And, as the time to disembark approaches, make sure you let the crew members whom you have come to know that you appreciate them.
NOTE: With all the folks depending on tips for their income, the captain, officers, directors, executives and performers (piano bar performers excepted) are not. Do not tip them! Instead, write them a note of appreciation or mention them specifically in any positive reviews of your trip.
Final Note on Cruise Gratuities
While planning for your next voyage, search for cruise lines that are bundling onboard items and selling them at a discounted price. For example, you may be able to secure significant savings by purchasing a WiFi, drink and tips bundle when you book your reservation.
This usually requires deciding and paying in advance. And, the crew will still get their regular share even though you have received a discount on the cost.
Celebrity Cruises is one the most famous and innovative cruise lines around. Celebrity Cruises draws in all types of people, from young adults to families, to enjoy a relaxed luxury cruise without luxury prices. But who owns Celebrity Cruises?
In this article, you’ll learn who owns Celebrity Cruises, the history of this popular cruise line, and what to expect if you choose to take one of their luxury cruises.
Celebrity Cruises is owned by Royal Caribbean Group – the second biggest cruise company after Carnival Corporation. The CEO & President of Celebrity Cruises was Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, but in May 2023, she was promoted to Vice Chair, External Affairs for Royal Caribbean Group.
Currently, Laura Hodges Bethge holds the helm at the cruise line after being promoted from her previous role of executive vice president of shared services operations. The President & CEO of Royal Caribbean Group is Jason Liberty.
Celebrity is one of the three cruise brands the global cruise company owns, the other two being Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises. When a cruise company operates more than one cruise line, people often wonder what makes them different. In this case, what makes the Celebrity Cruises line different?
Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
What sets Celebrity Cruises apart from Royal Caribbean Group’s other offerings is it offers a more premium experience. While Celebrity Cruises may be a little more expensive on average, the experience will also be more elevated.
Celebrity Cruises has its headquarters in Miami, along with Royal Caribbean Group’s other brands.
The History of Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by Chandris Group, a former Greece-based cruise line. Chandris Group initially operated cruises to Bermuda and characterized themselves as an option for the lower-end cruise passenger market.
Here’s how Chandris Group created Celebrity Cruises. In 1988, another large cruise line that operated in Bermuda, Home Lines, was bought out by another large cruise line.
They had a contract for two ships with Bermuda. But the company who bought them decided to withdraw their ships from this service.
Chandris Group was interested in these two new contracts up for grabs, but Bermuda would only award these contracts to upmarket cruise lines, which, as mentioned, Chandris Group was not.
SS Meridian (Photo Credit: Svend Raether)
So they created Celebrity Cruises and negotiated with the Government of Bermuda until they were awarded the contract. Once won, Chandris Group marketed the Celebrity Cruises line as a luxury cruise.
Celebrity Cruises started with one cruise ship, the Meridian, until a second cruise ship, the Horizon, entered service in 1990.
Chandris Group operated six cruise ships under Celebrity Cruises by the end of their run. In 1997, Chandris Group sold Celebrity Cruises to Royal Caribbean Group, which has been operating the cruise line ever since. However, you’ll still see hints of the cruise line’s Greek roots, as the logo contains the Greek letter “chi” for Chandris.
Cruises Offered By Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises offers cruises all over the world – to all seven continents. This means that there are no limits to where you can go.
Photo Courtesy: Celebrity Cruises
You can visit up to eight destinations on one cruise, with over 300 possible destinations. Here are some of the top destinations that Celebrity Cruises offers:
The Caribbean
Europe
Western Mediterranean
Alaska
Regarding cruise types, Celebrity Cruises also has various packages to choose from, such as all-inclusive cruises and “bucket-list” cruises that include shore excursions with adventures that are on your bucket list.
What Can You Do on a Celebrity Cruise?
Celebrity Cruises is known for its cruise line’s wide range of activities. They operate 15 ships, including the Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, and Celebrity Summit, each offering unique experiences. Depending on which cruise and destination you’re on, there are a variety of different activities guests can choose from, including:
One activity unique to Celebrity Cruises is its customizable onboard camp – Camp at Sea. This is a great educational activity if you’re traveling with children.
Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz
The activities range from art to culinary and STEM. This is sure to be a memorable experience for your little ones and also allows you to enjoy some alone time enjoying the cruise yourself!
Final Thoughts
Who owns Celebrity Cruises? Royal Caribbean Group, a trusted cruise line company that offers many cruises. That said, Celebrity Cruises offers guests a unique experience you won’t find on any other line.
If you’re looking for relaxed luxury, interesting activities, and over 300 possible destinations, Celebrity Cruises is worth considering.
After their extraordinary lives sailing passengers all over the world for exquisite cultural experiences, decommissioned cruise ships have to say farewell, too. Where do they go to be dismantled?
Before the pandemic, cruise ships stayed in commission for a lot longer. Larger cruise companies sold their older ships to smaller cruise lines. The smaller companies would refurbish them, change their names, and continue to book cruises full of passengers, significantly extending the ships’ lifespans.
However, when the pandemic hit, the cruise industry took a substantial hit. Smaller companies no longer bought older cruise liners from the large companies because no one was cruising, so there was no way to make the money back on the investment. Larger cruise lines started sending their fleets to ship graveyards and selling their parts for scrap, as there would be no voyages for months.
Carnival Fascination Cruise Ship Before Being Scrapped
Luckily, cruise ship travel is back, guests are happy, and the cruise industry is recovering.
Still, modern cruise ships don’t live forever. Once old cruise ships have lived out their magnificence, power tools and heavy machinery in the ship-breaking yard crunch the hotel rooms, elegant restaurants, and terraces into bits and pieces. These pieces are usually composed of electronics, glass, wood, and other repurposable materials. The components then get carted away to be repurposed.
The meticulous detail required to pull these vessels apart is staggering, from the light bulbs and their fixtures to treadmills from the gyms – and even the pianos. Thankfully, the pianos, artwork, furniture, and exercise equipment can go to worthy new homes.
The Process of Taking Apart A Cruise Ship
The process of disassembling cruise ships necessitates thousands of skilled laborers who are familiar with cruise ship anatomy and how to organize parts of the vessel. It’s dangerous work, and with the process taking anywhere from eight months to a year, the workers do an excellent job of ensuring that there’s nothing left after the job is done.
Photo By: Selçuk Ateş
The first pieces of a cruise ship to be dismantled are usually the communications and navigation equipment, as these are the most valuable pieces on board. Then, the guest furniture and beds are brought out, as they can usually be repurposed.
Where everything inside the ship goes is wide and variable, and there’s no real way of determining who collects it all. But environmentally-friendly cruise lines ensure that these materials are duly repurposed for public benefit.
Benefits and Hazards of Shipbreaking
There are several economic benefits to dismantling cruise ships.
One of the main benefits is the amount of steel recovered. A large part of a cruise ship is made of steel, and by recovering and reusing it, the countries where the ship breaking yards are located do not have to import steel.
Because breaking cruise ships apart in this way allows companies to reuse and recycle many parts of the vessels, it provides a lot of raw materials that can be used to build other cruise ships. Various components, like oil, lubricants, and electrical wiring and equipment, can also be reused.
That said, there are many hazards to the death of a cruise ship. According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and a job that not many people in the world are very familiar with. There are also significant environmental costs to consider.
Where Are Cruise Ship Scrap Yards Located?
There are ship scrap yards in various places, mostly in south Asia, but they do not all use the same methods. About half of all cruise ships go to a scrapyard in Alang, India. About 30% are sent to scrap yards in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other scrap yards in India.
The rest go to scrap yards in China and Turkey. In addition to the one in Alang, India, some of the most prominent scrapyards are located in Gadan, Pakistan; Chittagong, Bangladesh; and Aliaga, Turkey.
Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line
It’s worth pointing out that the pandemic caused a considerable uptick in the number of cruise ships sent to these scrap yards. Since the pandemic, business in the Aliaga shipbreaking yard alone is up by 30%.
Ship dismantling is a long and arduous process, done almost entirely by hand with no automation, which is the primary reason shipbreaking yards are located in countries like India, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, and China. Labor costs are lower in these parts of the world, and environmental laws are not as strict.
Conclusion
Decommissioning or breaking a cruise ship requires hundreds or thousands of workers and months of work. For the ship-breaking process, ships head to a shipyard and dock.
Workers take them apart piece by piece, hauling steel and furniture, bottles of decadent liquor, and books about ancient seafaring ways off into the distance where the sun sets on the dunes of ship-going fun, leaving room for new vessels to enter the world to delight thousands more eager guests.
Carnival Cruise Line shared a new video message from its President, Christine Duffy, addressing the issue of inappropriate behavior on board its ships, just in time before Spring Break and the Summer Holidays.
The video highlights the steps the cruise line takes to ensure a safe and enjoyable vacation for guests, including updated security procedures, additional crew training, and enhanced guest communications.
Enforcing Security Measures
Carnival Cruise Line will not accept any unruly behavior anymore. After the cruise line implemented several measures last year and reminded guests again earlier this month through email communication.
The company released a video on February 16 where President Christine Duffy clarifies that illegal and disturbing behavior will be met with swift and severe consequences.
You can watch the full video message in the video below:
Carnival Cruise Line has added more security personnel and introduced narcotics sniffing dogs at home ports to screen luggage on both a routine and random basis. Guests may even see dogs on board at home and destination ports to do random searches.
The use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, on cruise ships and in cruise terminals is prohibited. For guests using medical marijuana, it is advised to consult with a physician about an alternative therapy during the cruise.
Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line President:“Illegal drugs, including marijuana, on cruise ships and in the cruise terminals, is prohibited, and in case there’s any confusion, let me remind guests that while marijuana and cannabis products may be legal in some states, we are required to follow federal law irrespective of the law.”
Guests must acknowledge and commit to the code of conduct during the check-in process, which includes consequences for non-compliance, such as fines, confinement to cabins, or removal from the ship and being banned from future sailings.
In addition, Carnival has implemented a youth curfew to ensure the safety and security of all passengers.
Carnival Asks for Mutual Respect and Responsibility
In addition to new signage that has been placed in the terminals and on the ship, Shaquille O’Neal, the Chief Fun Officer, also appears in a series of video messages on stateroom TVs to remind guests of Carnival’s policies and guests’ collective responsibility to have fun and respect each other and the ocean.
Duffy emphasized the importance of mutual respect and responsibility in ensuring the guests’ vacation is safe, fun, and memorable. Carnival Cruise Line prides itself on providing a great cruise experience for its guests and has successfully maintained its reputation as a family-friendly cruise line.
“We know how to show our guests a great cruise experience, and our ships are full of fun-loving guests. That’s why we’re so successful and why guests keep coming back. So please help us make sure your carnival vacation is safe, fun, and memorable by respecting each other, our crew, and the ocean.”
Video Message Does Not Surprise
Today’s video message by Christine Duffy will come as no surprise to many guests. The cruise line has begun sending “Guest Advisory” guidelines to booked passengers ahead of their upcoming cruises, with detailed reminders about behavior guidelines and safety policies onboard every Fun Ship. This after multiple altercations onboard Carnival’s cruise ships last year.
The email explains and reminds guests of the code of conduct, including policies such as smoking, bringing alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages onboard, and general disruptive behavior.
The email clearly outlines the consequences of unruly or disruptive behavior, including fines of up to $500, additional expenses related to confining or disembarking guests, and even being banned from sailing with Carnival in the future.
The video message and email message serve as a reminder that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated on board Carnival’s ships.
As the world slowly returns to normal, it is important to have a fun and memorable vacation without any incidents. Guests can relax and enjoy their vacation onboard Carnival Cruise Line’s ships by following the rules and regulations.
You want to pack as lightly as possible when packing for a cruise. Although cruise ships have shops where you can purchase the small things you may forget, you may still feel uneasy if you forget something when you’re out at sea.
That’s why it’s crucial to be prepared and know what your cruise ship does and doesn’t provide and what you are and aren’t allowed to bring onboard. Many people preparing for a cruise ask themselves: do cruise ships have irons?
If you’re packing for your upcoming cruise and you have this question in mind, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn whether or not cruise ships have irons or whether you should add one to your packing list. Moreover, you’ll also learn what other miscellaneous items you should pack for your cruise.
It may surprise you, but unlike a hotel room, cruise ships do not have irons in guest cabins for passenger use. This is because clothing irons are considered a fire hazard, and many items considered a high fire hazard are not supplied on cruise ships. For this reason, there usually aren’t ironing boards either.
Not only do cruise ships not supply irons, but you aren’t even allowed to bring your own travel iron onboard, no matter how small and portable it is. The same goes for clothes steamers and dryers as far as most cruise lines are concerned.
However, this doesn’t mean that there’s zero chance of you being able to de-wrinkle your clothes during your stay, nor does this mean that there aren’t any irons onboard cruise ships at all.
Do cruise ships have irons? Yes. While passengers aren’t allowed to bring and possess irons in their cabin onboard during a cruise, you may still be able to find an iron onboard.
Ship Laundry Rooms
Some ships have self-service laundry rooms onboard passenger decks for guests’ use. These laundromats have everything you need to clean and treat your clothes – washers, dryers, detergents, and sometimes even irons.
Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive
Some of these cruises offer complimentary laundry facilities. In others, you might be subject to a small fee. Cruise lines that offer self-service laundry facilities and irons include:
Carnival Cruise Line
Cunard
Princess Cruises
Viking Cruises
Housekeeping Steward
If your cruise ship doesn’t have laundry facilities, or if those laundry facilities don’t have irons, all is not lost. Usually, room stewards have access to irons for their housekeeping duties—for example, Norwegian Cruise Line loans guests irons upon request for a limited amount of time. Guests can use these irons in their stateroom or suite.
Most cruise lines also offer a valet service for a fee. This means guests can leave a small bag of dirty clothes that will be sent off to the laundry facilities at the bottom of the ship. The crew will make sure the clothing is returned cleaned and pressed.
NCL Laundry Pressing (Photo Credit: James R. Martin / Shutterstock)
Now that you know the answer to whether cruise ships have irons, you may reconsider whether wearing wrinkled clothing on vacation is all that bad. Luckily, you don’t have to resort to wrinkled clothing.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of tracking down an iron while you’re trying to enjoy your cruise, there are a few alternatives that you may want to consider to ensure that you do nothing but relax during your vacation. Let’s take a look.
How to Keep Your Clothes From Wrinkling on a Cruise Ship
Wrinkled clothes on vacation are the worst, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. There are various ways to prevent wrinkled clothes on a cruise ship that don’t require you to have an iron at all. With these simple tips, you’ll be able to keep your clothes wrinkle-free throughout your trip.
Pack Your Clothes Wisely
The easiest way to avoid wrinkled clothes on your cruise is to avoid bringing clothes that wrinkle easily. Wrinkle-resistant clothing is hassle-free and worry-free.
Various companies offer travel clothing for this purpose, such as REI Co-op and Anatomie. However, you don’t need to choose travel clothing specifically. Instead, focus on the types of fabric you select and lean towards comfortable materials that don’t wrinkle as easily. These fabrics may include:
Polyester
Nylon
Acrylic
Cotton or linen blends
Pre-prepare Your Clothes
Another way to prevent your clothes from wrinkling on your cruise is to iron or steam them at home beforehand. Make sure your clothes are completely dry before packing if you choose to steam them. You also want to ensure they’re packed correctly so they won’t shift around in your suitcase.
It would be worth packing some wrinkle release spray, which you can use onboard to spray on your clothes. The spray will not just remove the creases, but also have them smelling fresh.
Hang Clothes in the Shower
Another easy way to ensure your clothes are not wrinkled is to hang them in the cabin bathroom while you shower. You can pack some magnetic hooks that will easily stick to the wall.
Consider Your Voyage
When packing your clothes for your cruise, make sure you keep in mind your entire journey. If your cruise’s departing destination is your town of residence, there’s less of a chance that your clothes will wrinkle before your cruise starts.
However, people often must take a flight to their cruise’s departing destination. If this is the case for you, you must keep this in mind when packing. Planes are unforgiving when it comes to luggage, so pack wisely.
Photo Credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock
Choose a hard-shell suitcase to protect your clothes and other belongings. Another thing to remember is not to overpack and risk wrinkling your clothes. Instead, pack your extra clothes in a carry-on if you need one.
If you can pack all of your clothes in a carry-on, you gain much more control over the state of your clothes and can more effectively prevent them from wrinkling before beginning your cruise.
Finally, once you make it on board, you should first unpack and hang your clothes in your cabin! You don’t want to ruin all of your hard work by having your clothes wrinkle throughout your cruise.
Recap: Irons and Ironing Boards on Cruise Ships
To recap, while cruise ships may have clothing irons and ironing boards, you won’t find them in your cabin, as irons are a fire hazard. However, you may be able to borrow one from a housekeeper or locate one in your cruise ship’s laundry facility. You can also take advantage of the laundry service offered on the ship.
So, while you should consider your iron one of the things to leave at home before embarking on your cruise, that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck with wrinkled clothing!
When packing for your first cruise, you might be uncertain about what you can and can’t bring. What is included in your cabin? What is allowed onboard, and what is prohibited? What can you find in the cruise ship’s onboard shops?
One question many first-time cruise passengers have is, do cruise ships provide towels? Towels take up a lot of space in your limited luggage, so you don’t want to pack some just to find that there will be fresh towels in your cabin waiting for you when you embark.
If you’re wondering whether you should pack a towel or gain extra space, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, you’ll learn whether cruise ships provide towels and how you can ensure that you always have a way to dry off during your trip.
In general, cruise ships provide all of the towels you need. This means that you don’t only get bath, hand, and face towels for your cabin, but you’ll also be provided with beach towels for both swimming in the pool and swimming on your beach day excursions offshore.
Photo Credit: vvoe / Shutterstock
Towels will be handed out to you when embarking on a port if requested. However, you are responsible for bringing the towel back onboard; if you don’t, you may be subject to a towel fee. For example, on a Royal Caribbean cruise, this unreturned towel fee is $25. For Carnival Cruise Line, it’s $24.95.
How Often Do You Get Fresh Towels?
Cruise ships provide you with fresh towels as often as you’d like. You can get fresh towels daily by placing your dirty ones in a pile. The housekeepers will replace them when they clean your room.
The same goes for a beach towel. You can hand in your wet or dirty towels for fresh ones as often as you’d like. However, suppose you want to be environmentally conscious and minimize the amount of laundry that needs to be done on the ship. In that case, you might consider using fewer towels and only seeking replacements when necessary.
Can You Purchase Towels On a Cruise Ship?
Sometimes, it’s nice just to have your own towel. So if you don’t want to grab a new towel every day, the question may not be “do cruise ships provide towels,” but whether or not you can buy a towel on your cruise ship.
For the most part, many cruise ships do sell towels in their shops. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, sells towels for $24.95 USD. The only issue is that the towel you purchase on a cruise ship may not be up to your standard.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
If, by chance, your cruise ship does not sell towels, you have other options. One fun idea is to purchase souvenir towels at the different ports your ship stops at, starting with the port of call.
There are several benefits to doing this: You don’t have to worry about packing towels, you get your own towel to use, and you get a fun souvenir to keep!
Other Towel Tips to Know
As mentioned, you must return your beach towels if you bring them ashore on your excursions, or else you may be subject to a towel fee. However, there are a few other essential towel tips to know.
If you do want to save your towel to use again, you’ll want to hang it to dry. However, it is prohibited to hang your towel off of your balcony. Not only will it likely just blow away, but it can also become a fire hazard. Make sure to hang them in your bathroom or cabin.
Chances are you’ll want to hang your towel off your chair while you lounge at the pool. If this is the case, you’ll want to secure it somehow. You can do so with towel clips that will prevent your towel from blowing away.
These clips are a great way to identify your towel, as cruise ship towels are often only one color for everyone, making it easy to lose track of yours.
Towels on Cruise Balcony (Photo Credit: tose / Shutterstock)
While towel clips are a great tool to have, they’re mainly used to identify your towel on your lounge chair, not to keep your lounge chair. You don’t want to get too comfortable with towel clips.
This means that if you plan on being away from your chair for a long time – say, to get lunch – you should remove your towel to allow others to sit. Limited lounge chairs are on the deck, and being a chair hog will not give you a good reputation on your ship.
Conclusion: You Can Leave Your Towel at Home
To conclude, do cruise ships provide towels? Yes, they do. On your cruise, you’ll have access to all the bath towels, washcloths, hand towels, and beach towels you need. You can even bring a beach towel with you on your beach day shore excursion!
So pack light for your cruise vacation, and make sure to use this extra room for souvenirs from the ports you’ll be stopping at!
The popular port of Skagway, Alaska is hoping to have completed the emergency mitigation work to minimize the risk of rockslides near the critical White Pass Railroad Dock by the time the summer sailing season opens in April. This could help ensure cruise ships are able to safely dock, and bring a record number of passengers to the iconic destination.
Skagway Repairs on Schedule for Cruise Season
During the summer of 2022, the White Pass Railroad Dock in Skagway, Alaska – an important dock where the largest cruise ships can safely berth – was damaged by a number of rockslides from the steep adjacent slope. The dock was completely shut down for a time for emergency measures to be put in place, but more permanent slope rehabilitation is necessary to minimize additional rockslide risks.
Now, much of the preliminary work is completed and Skagway mayor Andrew Cremata is expecting a full season with potentially a record-breaking number of cruise passengers, according to the Skagway News.
“Anyone who knows me will tell you, I am not much of an optimist, but I am a realist,”Cremata said.“I firmly believe that we will host a record number of cruise passengers in 2023. If not, we will be close.”
Photo Credit: Mark Mitford
After the first rockslide on June 23, 2022, which caused minor damage to Discovery Princess, an environmental consulting firm was hired to thoroughly examine the slope and recommend mitigation measures and emergency procedures to safeguard cruise ships and guests on other parts of the dock.
Full, long-term measures to improve the slope’s safety are estimated to cost $40 million (USD). The town has has applied for emergency grants from the federal government to help fund these essential projects.
Now, emergency measures are complete, and a plan is in place for ships to safely dock in 2023. Larger vessels, such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakway-class vessels, will dock on the aft portion, but will use buses to move passengers off the pier.
“To achieve this, the rockslide area must meet highway rockfall safety standard,”explained Cremata.“Because the scaling is going so well, engineers believe this standard will be achieved.”
Photo Credit: Tim Mattison
Furthermore, Cremata explained that spotters will monitor the slope while buses are in use for an instant response if rock movement is detected.
“This is an extra safety protocol to ensure that passengers and dock workers aren’t at risk,”he said.
Ships docking on the forward portion of the dock will use tenders to move guests well out of the rockslide zone.
These two measures – buses and tendering – may slow down passenger movements slightly, and guests visiting Skagway should be patient as they move to and from their ships, understanding that these precautions are to ensure everyone’s safety.
Visiting Skagway
Skagway, located 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the state’s capital, Juneau, is typically one of the most popular ports of call on Alaskan itineraries.
Nicknamed “Gateway to the Klondike,” the town of just 1,240 residents often hosts multiple cruise ships daily through the height of the summer cruise season, and is especially favored for the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad excursion and other top tours, stunning vistas, and fantastic wildlife.
The quaint downtown area is also great for souvenir shopping with many local retail outlets, including the famous Klondike Doughboy with delicious cinnamon-sugar dusted “fry bread” that visitors line up for.
Despite lower-than-typical ship occupancy at the beginning of the cruise season, as well as the dock problems that caused several ships to miss Skagway as a port of call, Klondike Doughboy owner Rocky Outcalt said the 2022 season was exceptional, and is looking forward to an even better 2023.
“I’ve hired full staff,”he said.“The ship schedule looks good. I’m sure ships will be full.”
Alaska remains a top summer sailing destination for cruise travelers worldwide, and many cruise lines are planning very busy seasons for 2023 and 2024. Princess Cruises, for example, will deploy nearly half its fleet to Alaska in 2024, and bookings for that year have recently opened.
A wide variety of cruise lines call on Skagway, including Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Cunard Line, and more.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss is scheduled to be the first cruise ship to visit Skagway for the 2023 season, spending a long day in port from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, as part of a 7-night roundtrip sailing from Seattle that will also call on Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, with time cruising through scenic Glacier Bay.
Packing for a cruise can be stressful, especially when you don’t know what to expect. For example, it’s difficult to gauge how many articles of clothing you should bring, and it can be even more confusing if you’re unfamiliar with how cruise ship laundry works.
Well, you’ve come to the right place to eliminate this confusion. This article explains everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry to help you pack and prepare for your upcoming trip.
Many cruise ships have self-service laundry facilities on each deck, including washing machines, dryers, ironing and detergent. Passengers can also use the ship’s valet laundry services for a fee, which includes washing, pressing and dry cleaning. Alternatively, guests can hand wash and dry within their cabin.
Wash and Press Services or Dry Cleaning
The first option is the cruise ship’s wash and press service and dry cleaning. Most cruise ships offer this service for a fee. The prices for this service vary by the cruise line as well as the article of clothing.
How it works is you put your dirty clothes in a laundry bag (that the ship supplies) for housekeeping to take when they clean your stateroom. You can often find the price list for this service hung up in the cabin closet. You should receive your clean clothes either at the end of the day or the next day.
For example, Royal Caribbean charges a fixed price of $34.99 per laundry bag for wash and fold laundry service, allowing you to fit as much as possible into the bag.
Norwegian Cruise Line Valet Laundry Service (Photo Credit: James R. Martin / Shutterstock)
The benefit of this service is that you don’t have to spend any time on vacation doing laundry, which is the last thing most people want to be doing.
However, this can be expensive. For example, Carnival Cruise Line charges $5 to wash and press a single shirt. While some cruise lines offer promotional rates if you’re part of their loyalty program, the service is generally quite pricey and best reserved if you have a formal outfit that you need to be pressed.
There can often be unlimited laundry for guests booked in a suite or at one of the highest loyalty levels. World Cruises can also be found to include these services due to the length of the voyage.
Moreover, cruise ships generally do not assume liability for damaged or lost clothing, so you’ll be using these services at your own risk.
Self-Service Laundry
Self-service laundry is a much more affordable option offered by some cruise ships. The laundry facilities on a cruise ship are similar to a laundromat and work the same way.
On some ships, there can be a laundry facility on each deck. Each one will include several washers, dryers, irons, ironing boards and laundry detergent machines.
Carnival Cruise Line Laundry Room (Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive)
You’ll usually be charged by the load for these laundry rooms, using change or swiping your room card. For example, on Disney Cruise Line, you just swipe your Key to the World card. However, on higher-end luxury lines, self-service laundry is often complementary. Cunard is one of the cruise lines that offer complimentary laundry service.
You have to be careful when using the self-service laundry facilities as thousands of passengers are onboard and the washing machines are limited.
Try not to leave your clothes unattended too long, and if you are planning on returning once the washing is complete, make sure you return on time. When the self-service laundry rooms are busy, you might find another guest has already taken your wet clothes out of the washer and dumped them on the side.
Handwash Clothes in the Cabin
It might be better to stay away from the often busy laundry rooms onboard and, instead, get hands-on in the cabin. Passengers can use the sink in the room to handwash clothes.
With the sink being small, depending on the ship and type of cabin, using the shower to wash the clothes can also be a good option.
When it comes to drying the clothes in the cabin, cruise lines do not allow clothes to be put out on the balcony to dry. Also, many passengers may be in an inside or ocean-view room. Almost all cruise ships have a retractable clothesline in the shower, meaning the wet clothes can be hung on to dry.
There is even a way to get your clothes wrinkle-free in the cabin. You can look at getting a crease release spray, which won’t only take out the wrinkles, but also have your clothes smelling fresh.
And just in case you were thinking about it, cruise lines don’t allow guests to bring a clothes steamer onboard.
Can You Bring Your Own Laundry Detergent on a Cruise Ship?
Cruise ships do not have any restrictions on small liquids so that you can bring your own laundry detergent/washing powder and fabric softener. This is a great option if you’re allergic to specific detergents.
That said, this is an option if you want to wash only a couple of articles of clothing. It isn’t very efficient if you need to do your entire family’s laundry, and you may be better off using a self-service option.
Can You Bring an Iron on a Cruise?
The last thing to note about cruise ship laundry is that cabins do not come with irons, and you’re prohibited from bringing your own iron or steamer onboard. The reason is that irons are a fire hazard, and cruise ships try to minimize fire hazards as much as possible.
The good news is that some cruise lines offer irons in their laundry rooms, such as Cunard. For others, you can request an iron from guest services or housekeeping.
How to Iron Clothes on a Cruise?
There are several ways to iron clothes on a cruise ship, including using the ship’s valet laundry service, the provided self-service facilities and even your own way in the cabin.
the easiest is to get your clothes perfectly pressed using the ship’s laundry service, which will cost a fee unless you’re on a world cruise. You can leave your clothes with the laundry service card for your stateroom attendant to take away. Ships have dedicated staff at the bottom decks of the vessel, that use large pressing machines.
NCL Laundry Pressing (Photo Credit: James R. Martin / Shutterstock)
Another way is using the ship’s self-service facilities, which often include a pull-down ironing board and iron. These rooms are specially built, in case of a fire.
If doing your own clothes washing in the stateroom, you can hang the clothes in the bathroom using magnetic hooks while you take a shower. The steam will help get all those wrinkles out. Another solution is packing anti-crease spray.
Carnival Cruise Line Laundry Services
Each cruise line may offer slightly different options when it comes to cruise ship laundry. Carnival Cruise Line has self-service launderettes and valet service.
The self-service facilities are on each stateroom deck and each room includes two to three washers, two to three dryers and just a single ironing board with iron.
The price for using the self-service laundry is $3.50 per washer load and $3.50 per dryer load. There is also a vending machine where you can purchase detergent and softeners at $2.00 per box.
Carnival Cruise Line Self-Service Laundry
Carnival’s valet service is available on every ship in the fleet. Guests just need to make sure the clothes are handed in by 9:00 AM to make sure they are returned by 5:00 PM the following day. There is an express option with clothes coming back completed at 5:00 PM on the same day.
There can be specials on some sailings depending on the cruise length. For a wash and fold service on the same day, the typical price is $15.00 for one standard bag size of laundry. A press-only service for 12 items can cost $20.00.
It is important to know that the new Excel-class ships, including the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, do not have washers or dryers in the self-service launderettes.
Royal Caribbean Laundry Services
You might be surprised to know that Royal Caribbean does not have any self-service laundry facilities. The cruise line also does not provide any irons.
Instead, passengers will have to use the cruise line’s valet service, which is not included in the price of the cruise. There are special offers when it comes to cruise ship laundry, such as $34.99 for a small bag (provided by Royal Caribbean) of laundry. This will include the clothing being washed and folded.
Royal Caribbean Laundry Valet Price List
The price list per item will be found near the provided laundry bag, in the closet. For a wash and press, typical prices start from $1.99 for underwear and socks, $3.40 for t-shirts, all the way to $8.99 for a dress.
Norwegian Cruise Line Laundry Services
NCL doesn’t have any self-service laundry facilities onboard its ships. However, the cruise line does offer a valet service to guests for a fee. This includes washing, ironing and dry cleaning, starting from approximately $1.95 for small things such as underwear and socks all the way up to $20.00 for more important dress clothing.
Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock
For guests that are part of Norwegian’s Latitudes loyalty program, the valet service is a lot more beneficial. Gold members will get a 50% discount on one laundry bag (paper laundry bag provided by the cruise line). Platinum, Platinum Plus, and Ambassador members can have a free bag of laundry.
Alternatives to Cruise Ship Laundry
As mentioned, if you don’t want to pay to do your laundry on your cruise, you can also bring your own detergent and wash your clothes in your cabin. However, depending on your cruise length, you may want to pack enough clothes not to worry about laundry.
Many guests tend to overpack for their cruise anyway and don’t wear much of what they pack. If you pack with intention and plan out your outfits for each day, you can spend less time worrying about your clothes and more time enjoying your vacation.
Wrap-Up: Several Options for Cruise Ship Laundry
To recap, here are your options when it comes to cruise ship laundry:
Wash and press or dry cleaning service
Self-service laundry
Washing your clothes in your cabin
Packing enough in your suitcase not to have to do laundry
The option you choose depends on several factors, such as how light you want to pack for your vacation or whether or not you want to spend time doing laundry. Either way, check with your specific cruise line to ensure you know what laundry services are available to you if you need them.
