If you are considering a cruise with Royal Caribbean, you might be wondering about the types of laundry services that they offer onboard.
I’ve cruised with Royal Caribbean many times and have used a variety of laundry options.
Does Royal Caribbean Line Have Self-Serve Laundries?
Royal Caribbean provides laundry services for a charge, which can be purchased onboard or pre-purchased before the cruise. They do not have self-serve laundries on any of their cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean Laundries offer washing, pressing and dry cleaning services
How Much Does Laundry Cost on a Royal Caribbean Cruise?
Washing, ironing, and laundering a pair of jeans with Royal Caribbean averages around $5.49. A T-shirt costs $3.49. Shorts also cost $4.49. A dress costs around $8.99, and underwear costs as little as $1.99.
This is cheaper than laundry services on some other similar cruise lines.
These are the prices being charged on my cruise onboard Anthem of the Seas in June 2024. This will give you a rough idea of how much things cost, and should not be taken as being exact. Prices are subject to change.
| Wash and Press | Press Only | Steam Only | Dry Clean and Press | |
| T-shirt/Blouse | $3.49 | $1.99 | $1.99 | $4.99 |
| Short-Sleeved Shirt | $3.99 | $2.99 | $2.49 | $5.99 |
| Pants/Trousers | $5.49 | $3.99 | $3.49 | $6.99 |
| Underwear/Socks | $1.99 | – | – | – |
| Dress | $8.99 | $6.99 | $6.49 | $13.99 |
| Skirt | $4.99 | $3.99 | $3.49 | $6.99 |
| Suit | – | $9.99 | $8.99 | $14.99 |
| Shorts | $4.49 | $2.99 | $2.49 | $6.49 |
| Pullover/sweater | $4.99 | $3.99 | $2.99 | $6.99 |
| Jacket | – | $7.49 | $6.99 | $8.99 |
| Long Sleeved Shirt | $4.99 | $3.99 | $3.49 | $6.99 |
| Pyjamas | $3.99 | $2.99 | $2.49 | – |
| Tie/scarf | $2.99 | $2.49 | $1.99 | $3.99 |
| Swimsuit | $3.49 | – | $2.49 | – |
| Evening Gown | – | $14.99 | $12.99 | – |
Laundry Deals Available With Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean ships usually offer a “Wash & Fold” offer. For a fixed cost, you can have as many clothes washed and folded as you can squeeze into one bag.
Guests can now send smaller clothing items to be washed and folded for the fixed amount of $34.99 per bag. Fit as much as you can into the bag provided for you and we’ll take care of the rest.
Royal Caribbean International
How to use this promotion:
- Fill out the same laundry slip that you would if you were paying per item. This is so that the laundry knows how many items you have put in the bag.
- They will also add little tags to your clothes with your cabin number. These tags are quite sticky, and I’ve had a few that have stayed on for months after I got home.
- Place the full bag on the bed with the label.
- Your cabin steward will pick up your laundry bag for you and take it to the laundry.
- The laundry will be returned washed and folded the next day.
If you want the items returned to you faster, you can pay for “same-day” service.
The express service is collected by 11 am and returned the same day by 5.30 pm. To have your clothes laundered at the express rate will cost you an extra 50%.
Royal Caribbean Line Laundry Terms:
Royal Caribbean will not launder fine or delicate items, such as wedding dresses, ball gowns, or Quinceanera attire.
Royal Caribbean doesn’t accept responsibility for your clothes if they shrink or become discoloured.
If your item is lost or damaged the liability for the item is limited to 7 times the price that you paid to have the item laundered.
If you have a particularly expensive dress or suit I would recommend that you don’t have this laundered by the cruise line.
Any claims against damage during laundering must be made within 24 hours of receiving the item back.
How to get free laundry on Royal Caribbean
One of the best “Crown and Anchor Society” perks is that you may get a discount on your laundry. Guests with Diamond Plus loyalty and above get free laundry once per cruise.
Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club loyalty tier guests are entitled to a free wash and fold laundry bag on 5+ night cruises.
Free Alternatives to Cruise Line Laundry Services
If at all possible I do try to avoid paying for laundry when I cruise. I wash small items myself if necessary.
I use travel wash to wash things like t-shirts and socks in the cabin sink. It’s easy to do and almost free!
How to Use Travel Wash:
Using travel wash is really easy and doesn’t take long at all. Start by filling the sink with warm water then add a very small amount of the travel wash.
Move your clothes around in the water and then put them to the side. I like to wash all clothes in the same bubbly water before moving on to rinsing them off. Rinsing some clothes in the sink can be a bit tricky but rinsing them in the shower is always a good option.
Once you’ve washed your clothes try to wring out as much of the water as possible so that they can dry faster.
There is usually a clothesline for hanging your clothes in the shower, so I do this. Cruise lines do try to dissuade guests from hanging clothes on their balconies to dry because they can blow away and become a danger
Can You Borrow an Iron From Royal Caribbean?
No, Royal Caribbean does not allow irons in the staterooms as they constitute a fire hazard.
Can You Bring an Iron on a Cruise?
You cannot bring an iron on a cruise. Irons are banned on cruises because they pose a safety risk and if you do try to bring one on board with you this will be confiscated.
All luggage is scanned before being taken on to cruise ships. They are looking for banned items like alcohol or dangerous items.
Find out about the top confiscated items people try to bring onboard cruise ships here:
These Are The 5 Items Most Regularly Confiscated by Cruise Lines
How to ‘Iron’ Your Clothes Without Using an Iron
Use gravity to drop out the creases
There is not a lot more annoying than carefully picking out your outfit and realizing that you look like you need a good iron! Keeping clothes wrinkle-free when they’ve been packed into a suitcase is quite a challenge.
To get rid of the worst wrinkles, I like to take a hot shower and then hang the clothes in the bathroom.
This can be tricky if the coat hangers in your closet are attached to the closet, but generally speaking, it’s quite easy to remove a coat hanger and hang your clothes on the inside of the bathroom door.
The creases mostly drop out as the bathroom dries out. It isn’t perfect, but it is a lot better than just wearing your freshly creased clothes!
If you are worried about wrinkles in your clothes it may be worth buying something like this:
To maximise the effect, spray this onto your clothes before taking a shower and leaving the creases to drop.
Is It Worth Paying For Laundry On A Royal Caribbean Cruise?
If you are going to wash more than four items I’d recommend that you wait for the “fill a bag promotion” as it’s much better value. If you do only want to wash one or two items it could be worth just doing this on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Make sure you take advantage of any discounts offered to you through the Crown and Anchor Loyalty Program.
If you only want to wash a few T-shirts, maybe some gym clothes, socks, etc, I’d strongly recommend that you do your own laundry in the cabin sink. It’s cheap and easy.
Before You Go
Find out about six things that used to be allowed on cruise ships, but are now banned here:
6 Things Once Allowed on Cruise Ships But Are Now Banned (For Good Reason!)
Find out how Royal Caribbean differ from other cruise lines. Me and my parents took two different cruises to Norway at the same time – mine with Royal Caribbean and theirs with MSC. Find out how they compared here:
We Took The Same Cruise With MSC and Royal Caribbean: Differences and Comparison
Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide
Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.
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