Laundry – all cruisers have it, but do you bring it home, do it onboard yourself, or send it out for laundry service onboard before the voyage ends?
A lot of travelers don’t enjoy putting dirty clothing back into the luggage. Not all cruise ships are equipped with self-service laundry areas, however, and some guests just don’t want to spend time on their vacation tending to laundry – whether hand-washing items or using available machines.
In that case, taking advantage of a cruise line’s laundry service can be a great option for clean clothes on the way home. But how does such a laundry service work with thousands of guests onboard?
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has answered several laundry-related questions recently. His answers have offered insight into the laundry process that can ease guests’ concerns about how their laundry is handled.
“When sending laundry out to be washed and folded is it true our clothes [are] washed with multiple other peoples’ laundry?” one guest asked.
“Can you tell me about the laundry please. If I place my delicates in a mesh bag that I bring on board, will the laundry count it as one item? I hate to give my delicates to the Jubilee cruise laundry without it. I do not want to have my laundry mixed with others,” another guest asked.
Heald answered both questions with similar responses, describing how the laundry process works.
“No, it’s in a different mesh bag,” he confirmed. “Each guest sends a bag of laundry, has their own laundry washed in a mesh bag. Those bags are in the same machine, obviously it would be impossible to do it otherwise, but they are not mixed freely with other peoples’ laundry.”
One of the guests also inquired about whether or not loyalty status impacted how laundry is processed.
“I have Diamond status laundry privileges now so would like to know how this works,” the guest noted, explaining that they did not want their laundry mixed.
The privileges the guest is referring to is the loyalty program benefit Carnival Cruise Line provides to top tier guests.
At the Diamond level, when a guest has accumulated 200 or more points in Carnival’s “Very Important Fun Person” program, guests are provided with unlimited complimentary wash and fold laundry service.
For comparison, at the Platinum level (75-199 VIFP points), guests receive a limited number of bags of wash and fold laundry depending on the length of the cruise. No free laundry services are provided at lower loyalty tiers.
Heald used his characteristic wit to explain that all laundry is processed equally, regardless of a guest’s individual loyalty status.
“We do not in fact have a special washing machine for diamond guests’ laundry,” he said. “Sorry but your Victoria’s Secret and Calvin Kleins are in the same washing machine as Blue Card holders Fruit of the Looms.”
The “Blue Card” is Carnival Cruise Line’s first level of VIFP loyalty, brand new cruisers on their very first sailing.
Should You Use Carnival’s Laundry Service?
Other guests chimed in with a variety of suggestions about Carnival’s laundry services.
Some guests noted that it might not be a good idea to send out one’s best garments for the wash and fold service. All the laundry is done in industrial machines and will not necessarily get the most “delicate” treatment, even for one’s “delicates.”
Read Also: Cruise Ship Laundry – What You Need to Know
To be fair, however, many guests noted that their laundry is always done promptly and with great care, coming back cleaner than they might even do at home.
Some travelers also highly recommend the cruise line’s pressing service, a great option to ensure formal attire may look its very best for elegant evening.
Another guest expressed concern that their laundry doesn’t always smell “clean” when it comes back from Carnival’s service. Others promptly joined in noting that the cruise line does not use the same detergents as guests may use at home, and perfumes aren’t present for that “fresh” smell.
“We try not to use biological detergent because some people may have allergies, but clean it most certainly is,” Heald explained.
If guests have extreme allergies to detergents, soaps, or perfumes, it may be best to avoid any potentially unknown laundry service and instead take care of such matters at home.
