Laundry and Ironing Onboard

[3Sisters]

Does anyone have tips for keeping their clothes from getting wrinkled and cleaned while cruising? I have seen the ironing services on board, but it takes time for the clothes to come back and isn't cheap. I wish I could iron my own clothes on the ship, but I know it's a fire hazard. Recently I have cruised with MSC Cruises, and I was unable to locate a laundry facility. Years ago I cruised with CCL, and I remember being able to do a load of laundry in a communal laundry spot. I'm assuming not all cruise ships offer a location where guests can wash their clothes. Since I exercise onboard, I prefer to wash my exercise clothes relatively quickly, even while on vacation.

[Emrys]

I find the best thing to do is just plan what you will wear and hang them up in the bathroom while you shower. Usually works well. Could also do it without showing and just leaving the water on, but wouldn't want to waste all that water!

[FJB]

I’ve never been the iron guy type - just don’t see what the fuss is about.  I had a friend who ironed his underwear!  Why would you unless you are a pole dancer, and even then people aren’t looking at your wrinkle free undies.  

[3Sisters]

@Emrys Thanks for the tip! I will try that on my upcoming cruise. It's essentially a little steam room. I love the idea!

@FJB I'm not big into ironing, but I do like my clothes to look wrinkle-free. After they sit in a suitcase for a long time they tend to get creased in all the wrong places. Winkle-free clothes are the best for traveling, but not all of my favorite dresses are wrinkle-free. Ironing underwear is such a waste, of money and time. I'm not sure pole dancers wear underwear that often, but I haven't seen one on active duty before.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@FJB You could always use a garment bag to keep your clothes flat. The downside to that is you have to carry it around and keep those garments on a hanger. How do you typically keep your shirts from getting wrinkled? Even a simple cotton shirt can get pretty wrinkled in a duffle bag. I usually find that folding in half and then rolling works best to keep the creases out. This technique's effectiveness all depends on the fabric type.