Launderettes

Does anyone recall or know if there were self-service laundries on the Queen Mary or the original Queen Elizabeth?

Does anyone recall or know if there were self-service laundries on the Queen Mary or the original Queen Elizabeth?

Doubt it. Automatic washers - as opposed to the ringer washers - were not common until about the late 1940s. Same with home type clothes dryers. It would have been very expensive to retrofit plumbing and electricity for launderettes. First class would have considered them déclassé and Cunard would definitely not have spent the money on an amenity for cabin and tourist class passengers.

Does it "lower the tone" to have them on a present day Cunard ship?

Saga Saphire does not have them, but laundry charges are reasonably priced.

Could this be another good revenue earner? Who really enjoys doing the washing while sailing on a top cruise ship?

David.

Does it "lower the tone" to have them on a present day Cunard ship?

 

Saga Saphire does not have them, but laundry charges are reasonably priced.

 

Could this be another good revenue earner? Who really enjoys doing the washing while sailing on a top cruise ship?

 

David.

I doubt they 'lower the tone'. Several lines have them. The older HAL ships and Silversea have them.

On longer voyages and World cruises they are a real necessity

Does it "lower the tone" to have them on a present day Cunard ship?

 

David.

I always meet the nicest people there! It's the best place to hear all the latest goss.

I always meet the nicest people there! It's the best place to hear all the latest goss.

I agree! I actually quite enjoy doing the laundry as I get to meet new people and have a good natter. I also found out about some great books to read. I just wish there was more room to sit, the laundrettes tend to be a bit crowded. The QE2 was better in that respect.

I don't recall there being a laundrette on the Queen Elizabeth - I'm sure my mum would have dispatched me there with the laundry had there been one.

Canny Cruiser - was your trip on the Uganda a school trip?

Also keep in mind that in the day of the original QM and QE the passengers were only on board for a 5-day crossing and not an extended voyage.

Canny Cruiser - was your trip on the Uganda a school trip?

It was indeed! I see you had a few sailings on her.

I met a lady on my recent P&O cruise who had also done the "school cruise" on her, though a different itinerary. We had a good old laugh about our experience. I had no need of a laundrette on the Uganda as my laundry was taken care of by two girls from my class. Unfortunately, they used scented soap!

No small laundries on board the original Queens. In fact, there wasn't even a large laundry on board.

At the end of each crossing in NYCA the Mary or Elizabeth would leave all the ship's dirty laundry (table cloth, towels, etc) to be cleaned on shore and would pick up the clean laundry that had been left dirty by the other ship on its last visit.

Both ships carried more than enough linen in case of soiling.