When you go on vacation, the last thing you likely want to be doing is chores you would normally be doing at home – such as laundry.
However, sometimes a trip to the laundry room is inevitable – especially for longer itineraries and families sailing with young kids.
But when you make that dreaded trip to the laundromat at sea, what is the proper protocol to be respectful of your fellow passengers? That is something one cruiser took to Reddit to find out.
The unidentified cruise guest specifically wanted to know if she was in the wrong for removing another passenger’s clothes from the washer after their load had finished.
“AITAH for removing someone’s stuff from a completed washer cycle after waiting at least 10 minutes for them to remove their own stuff? (Placed it into a basket.),” she began.
“Or are they the AH for not setting a timer on their phone to remind them when their wash cycle is ending?,” her inquiry continued.
Considering that vacation time is limited, and therefore valuable, it feels acceptable that the cruiser removed the clean clothes so she could use the machine herself after a brief wait.
On most ships, 10 minutes is more than enough time to make it to your destination, especially for someone who knew when their laundry would be ready for the next cycle.
“I say that 10 min is an eternity when you need to start a load and can’t. If people leave the area, they should have the courtesy to come back to check repeatedly. It’s not rocket science,” another Redditor replied.
The original poster was also commended because she was respectful and placed the clean clothing in a basket. She likely would have been met with a different response if she left them on the dirty floor.
“It’s a ship, not a private residence, and laundry is a shared resource. As long as you didn’t chuck it on the floor there’s no reason why you shouldn’t remove it after a few minutes,” someone else concurred.
Laundry machines are not only a shared resource, but they are also limited. There are likely thousands of passengers onboard who may need to share a handful of machines, so proper etiquette is to practice mindfulness when it’s your turn.
Pivoting Away From Self Service Laundry
Brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Oceania Cruises still allow guests to do their own laundry, but many cruise lines have pivoted to only offering laundry packages.
This means guests send their laundry to be handled by crew members for a fee – usually by means of putting their clothes in dedicated bags that are collected by cabin stewards.
The package they select will determine how their clothes are cleaned (i.e. a normal wash and dry or dry cleaning) and how quickly their items will be returned.
“I remember when I was a kid this was a popular thing, but it seems to be less common now. All of the recent ships I have cruised on don’t have self-service laundry machines anymore. I enjoyed having this option, particularly for extremely soiled clothing,” one cruise fan observed on the Cruise Hive Discussion Boards.
MSC Cruises, for example, does not currently offer self service laundry – and the packages can come at a premium.
One YouTuber, who was recently onboard MSC Grandiosa, was surprised to find that the cost to wash a single T-shirt started at $6 – which can certainly add up if you have a lot to wash.
Of course, this is only one example – as the exact packages and pricing varies across the cruise lines.
Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Laundry and Ironing Onboard
In addition to the price, the inability to complete and supervise their own laundry also makes some guests nervous because they have to give up control of some of their more intimate possessions.
Recently, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald had to address concerns that guests’ laundry would be mixed with clothes and undergarments belonging to strangers – which was an idea that many found disgusting and inappropriate.
But while it’s true that laundry does get completed in bigger batches – or else it would be impossible for the crew members to finish – each guest’s order (so to speak) is protected and secured in its own mesh bag.
If your cruise ship doesn’t offer a self service option, and you can’t get behind letting the crew members handle the laundry for you, there is also another option: hand washing.
Simply pack a small amount of soap or detergent (and maybe a small clothesline), wash your clothes in your stateroom’s sink, and hang them up to dry.
