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.
In This Article…
Do Cruise Ships Have Irons?
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.
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.
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.
Wrinkle Release Spray
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.
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.
Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Provide Towels?
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!
