Cruise Ship Laundry: List of Cruise Lines with Self-Service Laundry Rooms

Some cruise lines don’t have self-service laundry rooms at all, and some only have them on select ships.  We listed every major cruise line and detailed what you can expect if you need to do a load of wash while at sea.

Doing laundry on a cruise ship is something most people don’t like to think about.  After all, you already have someone cleaning your stateroom every day, washing all those dishes from your meal, and cleaning up any spill or mess you make anywhere on the ship.

So, why even think about washing your own clothes?

Sometimes you just need a fresh set of clothes.  You either didn’t pack enough or you spilled something on your last clean pair of shorts.  If you went through those clean clothes faster than you anticipated, you will want a way to freshen up your wardrobe.

If you’re cruising on a budget and want to pack light, doing your own laundry in the middle of the cruise solves both issues.  I’ve done laundry several times during my cruises.  But much to the surprise of some cruisers, laundry rooms are not on every cruise ship.  In fact, there are only a select number of cruise lines that even have laundry rooms on their ships.

We looked at most of the major cruise lines to see which ones have laundry rooms and which ones don’t.  Then we looked at the cost of laundry and what kind of loyalty perks it takes to get free laundry service.

Wash-and-fold laundry service is one of the usual perks of ranking up your loyalty points with a cruise line, but if you don’t already have these benefits it could cost $30 – $50 per laundry bag.

Related: 10 tips for packing light on your cruise

Carnival Cruise Line Laundry Rooms

Self-service launderettes (the fancy name for laundry rooms on a cruise ship) are available on almost every Carnival ship.  However, the newest Excel-class ships do not have washers and dryers, much to the disappointment of cruisers trying to save money and pack light.

Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and the coming Carnival Jubilee do not have washers and dryers and only have ironing rooms on a few stateroom decks.

A few other Carnival ships that do not have self-service laundry rooms include Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia, and the coming Carnival Firenze.

The rest of the ships in Carnival’s fleet do have launderettes, although not on every deck.  They are often separated by every other deck.

It costs $3.50 per washer load and another $3.50 for a load in the dryer and you can also buy laundry detergent for around $2.  You can usually pay with your cruise card, but some older ships have coin operated machines.

Carnival does also offer valet laundry with wash and fold service for $15 per bag and $50 for 5 laundry bags.

Free wash and fold laundry service is one of the loyalty reward perks after Platinum level is reached at 75 points.

Royal Caribbean Laundry

There are no laundry rooms or launderettes on any Royal Caribbean cruise ships.  So, if you want to wash your clothes while sailing with the cruise line you will have to use a wash-and-fold service or do it yourself in the stateroom sink.

The Q&A page for Royal Caribbean states that the reason for a lack of laundry rooms is due to safety concerns.  They also state that irons are not provided to cabins because they could be a fire hazard.

Discounts are provided to The Crown & Anchor Society members who have reached various tiers.  At Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club levels one free laundry bag is provided on cruises 5 nights or longer.

Each stateroom is provided with a laundry bag that can be sent to the wash-and-fold service for $34.99 per bag.  If you would like individual pieces of clothing to be washed, pressed, steamed or dry cleaned you can pay by the type of clothing.

Here is the current price list for laundry service on Royal Caribbean ships:

Norwegian Cruise Line Laundry

There are no self-service laundry rooms on any Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships.  The company does offer laundry and dry-cleaning services for a fee.  Same-day service is provided for this laundry service.  You just fill out a form, stuff your clothes in a provided bag and your stateroom steward will pick it up and return it washed and folded.

According to information from the cruise line, there are a limited number of irons and ironing boards on Norwegian cruise ships that can be loaned out to guests for a select amount of time.  These can be requested through housekeeping.

At Gold level with the Latitudes Rewards Program guests can get 50% off 1 bag of laundry and a free bag at Platinum level and above.  Typically, a laundry bag will cost $29 for wash-and-fold service.

MSC Cruises Laundry

There are no self-service laundry rooms on any MSC cruise ships.  Instead, the cruise line offers several service packages that allow guests to use the service up to 20 items per cabin.

You can also choose an a la cart sort of laundry method where you pay for each item of clothing, with the price depending on what kind of garment you’d like to be washed.

The MSC rewards program, MSC Voyagers Club, offers some mild discounts on laundry.  At Silver level you get 5% off, 10% at Gold, and 15% at Diamond, which is the highest level.

Princess Cruises Laundry

Unlike many of the cruise lines above, Princess does have self-service launderettes on their ships.   These laundry rooms have a washer, dryer, and detergent that can be purchased.  You can pay for your laundry with your Medallion.  Each load of laundry is typically about $3 per load per machine.

These laundry rooms also have an iron and ironing board as ironing is not allowed in staterooms.

Part of the Captain Circle Loyalty rewards with Princess include laundry perks once Elite Level is reached (15 cruises).   Guests who reach this level will get free laundry and shoe polishing services.

Celebrity Cruises Laundry

You will not find any self-service laundry rooms on a Celebrity cruise ship.    Laundry services are provided, and same-day service is available, although will carry an extra charge for certain services.

For passengers in Royal Suites and any other cabin category above that there is free and unlimited laundry service.

The cost of an article of clothing to be washed and folded by services on board can range from $3 to $20 for each garment.

Celebrity offers wash-and-fold laundry bags that have a set price for whatever you can put into the bag as well.  Depending on the services you want (wash and fold, wash and press, or dry cleaning) the cost can range from $60 a bag to $150 per bag.

Once Elite level is reached through the Captain’s Club reward program guests get a free bag of laundry with wash and fold services.  Elite Plus provides two free bags and unlimited bags with Zenith level, the highest in the program.

Holland America Line Laundry

Only some of Holland America’s cruise ships have a self-service laundry room.   And some of these launderettes are being removed as ships are refurbished, while newer ships are not having them included.

Currently, Holland America ships with a laundry room include Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Veendam, Maasdam and Prinsendam.

Holland America will not allow clothing irons in your stateroom.  Each room does have a laundry bag that can be used for full-service laundry services.

Mariner Society is the rewards program with the cruise line and complimentary laundry services are provided at 4-Star Mariner and above.

Laundry bag prices start at $20 with wash and fold service for anything you can stuff into the bag.

Disney Cruise Line Laundry

Disney offers self-service laundry rooms on every cruise ship in its fleet, with a state-of-the-art facility on Disney Wish that is in one location on deck 2 instead of several around the ship.  Here are the ships and locations for laundry on Disney cruise ships:

• Disney Wonder and Magic: Decks 2, 6, and 7
• Disney Dream and Fantasy: Decks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
• Disney Wish: Deck 2

You will find a great review of the laundry area on Disney Wish here.

These facilities are typically open 24-hours and guests can use their cruise card to pay for the use of a washer or dryer.  The cost is $3 per load for washing and another $3 for the dryer.  You can also buy detergent and fabric softener for about $1 each.

Full-service laundry is also available with laundry bags and forms in each cabin.

Virgin Voyages Laundry

There are no self-service launderettes on board a Virgin vessel, and there probably won’t be on any future ships.

Full-service laundry services are available.  In each stateroom there is a laundry bag with a form you can fill out for any instructions.  You can pay for an entire bag of laundry or for each item individually.    Prices start around $5 for each article of clothing and a bag full of laundry will cost around $30 for wash and fold.  If you need it the same day it will cost $50 at today’s prices.

Other cruise lines with laundry rooms

There are several all-inclusive cruise lines that have self-service laundry facilities on board.  These are almost always complimentary.   Viking, Regent Seven Seas, Azamara, and Cunard have self-serve laundry rooms on board and they are free for guests to use.

Oceania has complimentary self-service laundry facilities and also offers 3 bags of free laundry per cabin for Concierge level staterooms.

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