If you are taking a cruise with MSC you may be wondering if they have laundry services onboard. I’ve cruised with MSC 3 times and have used a range of laundry options onboard.
During this post, we will cover all options available.
Do MSC Cruises Have a Self-Serve Laundry?
None of MSC Cruises cruise ships have a self-serve laundry but they do all have laundries. Laundry services can either be purchased by paying a charge per item or laundry packages are available to buy.
There are also a number of free alternatives that are available should you not want to pay for laundry when onboard.
There is no laundry included for free in the MSC cruise fare but there is a lot included. To find out what is included when it comes to food and drink, check out this post: Do MSC Cruises Include Meals? Your Guide To What’s Included
How Much Does Laundry Cost on an MSC Cruise?
The laundry on an MSC Cruises cruise costs around €7.50 to wash and iron a jacket, trousers cost €5.90, a t-shirt €2.90, shorts €3.50, underwear €1.90, and a dress €9.00. Dry cleaning services are also available.
The data on the table below was taken from a number of ships and is designed to provide you with a rough guide as to the costs. The figures below shouldn’t be taken as being exact as they do vary and will change over time.
| Item | Ironing | Wash and Ironing | Dry Cleaning |
| Jacket | $5.00 (€4.60) | $8.00 (€7.50) | $8.60 (€8.00) |
| Trousers | $3.80 (€3.50) | $6.40 (€5.90) | $7.50 (€6.90) |
| T-Shirt | $1.30 (€1.20) | $3.10 (€2.90) | $3.80 (€3.50) |
| Shorts | $2.40 (€2.20) | $3.80 (€3.50) | $4.30 (€4.00) |
| Underwear | – | $2.00 (€1.90) | $2.70 (€2.50) |
| Dress | $5.30 (€4.90) | $10.00 (€9.00) | $11.30 (€10.50) |
By looking at the above prices it should help you to work out if a laundry package would provide better value for money for you. A laundry package is where you pay a set price for a certain number of things to be laundered.
Which Laundry Packages Are Available on an MSC Cruise?
It’s worth noting that it’s usually cheapest to pre-pay for the packages than to purchase them onboard the cruise ship. The saving on my last MSC cruise was 15% if booked online. The below prices in euros include this 15% discount.
€10-€15 Package
(For American cruises this package costs $28)
The basic laundry package costs between €10-€15 and includes the washing and ironing of 10 items. As you can see based on the prices above this is a MASSIVE saving. If you were to wash 10 dresses without the package this would cost €90 but with the package just €10-€15!
€20-€25 Package
(For American cruises this package costs $38)
This package is the same as the basic package but included 20 items instead of 10.
Back Home 40 Package
(For American cruises this package costs $49)
This package allows you to have up to 40 items washed and ironed.
It is possible to buy these packages multiple times so if you did want to launder 80 items you could buy the 40 items package twice.
The following terms apply to all three packages:
Terms (source):
Dry cleaning is excluded from the above prices, both include washing and ironing only.
The package is bought for the cabin rather than an individual so can be shared between guests sharing the same cabin.
The items can be washed at different times or altogether.
Clothes are collected by 10 am and returned by 5 pm the next day.
The package also works on the last day of the cruise if collected before 9 am, these will be returned by 5 pm.
These packages aren’t available with any other offers or discounts.
Refunds are not available for any unused clothes. For example, if you purchased a 20 item laundry package and only washed 15 you wouldn’t be entitled to any refund.
Do MSC Do Baby Laundry?
MSC do have discounted packages for babies/young children’s clothes (aged 0-6). You can either purchase a 10 or 20-piece laundry package and the same terms as the adult packages apply.
The baby laundry isn’t washed with the adult clothes, it’s washed in special gentle cleansers.
For 10 pieces of baby laundry on an American cruise, this will cost around €23 for 20 pieces this costs approximately €35.
How do You Purchase a Laundry Package/Use The Laundry on an MSC Cruise?
Laundry packages can either be purchased pre-cruise or onboard. It is usually cheaper to do this pre-cruise.
There will be a laundry order form in the closet of the cabin which needs to be filled out and left with the laundry in the cabin. Your room steward will collect and return the laundry.
If there are any special offers with regards to laundry during your cruise these will be detailed in the daily schedule.
Free Alternatives to Cruise Ship Laundry
When cruising I often use free alternatives to avoid having to pay for laundry.
My favorite way to do this is to pack a small amount of travel wash and wash a few items of clothing in the sink. I like to use little sachets like this:
Washing clothing in the sink using sachets like this is really really easy and almost free! I wouldn’t recommend washing big items this way as they take longer to dry but if you do run out of t-shirts or socks and need a few more this can be a great option.
How to Use Travel Wash:
All you need to do is put the detergent in the sink with warm water, wash your clothes by hand and then make sure you rinse them with clean water before hanging them up to dry.
All cruise ships have little lines in the bathroom where you can hang your clothes so that they can dry.
These aren’t always obvious because you do have to pull out the line.
They are usually in the shower and the other end of the line clips into a holder on the other side. It isn’t recommended that you put clothing on the balcony to dry as it becomes dangerous if it blows away.
How to ‘Iron’ Clothes Without an Iron
On a lot of cruise lines, you’ll find self-service laundries with irons but this isn’t the case on MSC.
You cannot bring an iron on a cruise. They are banned on all cruise lines due to safety reasons and they will be confiscated from you when you try to board. All cruise ships scan your luggage on embarkation. They’re mostly looking for dangerous things or alcohol but also forbidden items such as irons.
Guests are not allowed to bring any alcohol or soft drinks on board an MSC cruise.
Top Tip: Let The Creases Drop Out
One of the trickiest things about packing for a cruise is keeping your clothes from becoming crinkled and creased. Nobody wants to wear a dress or a shirt that looks like it needs an iron!
My favorite way to iron clothes without iron is to have a hot shower and then hang any clothes that need ‘ironing’ in the bathroom. The steam usually drops out the creases. It isn’t as good as using an iron but it’s definitely better than not doing anything.
I usually leave the clothes in the bathroom overnight for maximum effect.
To improve the efficiency of how well the creases drop out you can purchase crease release spray. I’ve got to be honest and admit that I have no idea how this actually works, but it does! Maybe it’s a little bit of magic.
Is It Worth Paying For Laundry on an MSC Cruise?
If you are only going to need small things washed like t-shirts and socks I’d recommend buying some of the travel wash mentioned above and doing these yourself. It’s very easy and can save you lots of money.
However, if you have one or two items of clothing that you would like washed it might be worth just paying for these to be laundered.
Once you purchase 3/4 items it’s usually cheaper to buy a package so if you are unsure how many items you’d need I’d recommend you buy the package ahead of time.
I personally always prefer to know how much things cost upfront, rather than having a surprise when I open the bill on the last night!
What Else do You Need to Know to Cruise With MSC?
If you’re taking an MSC cruise you’ll probably want to know about the dress codes, formal nights, and what’s included in your cruise fare! This information can be found below:
MSC Cruises Dress Code: Photo Guide With Examples
MSC Cruises Formal Nights: Everything You Need To Know
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