Laundry Room Lockout - polluting the seas

[DTAATD]

Antarctica is another region that is considered environmentally sensitive. When we cruised the area we were told of the restrictions not only by our cabin steward well in advance, in the Patter and on a special handout sent to our rooms. Passengers were told not to leave anything on their balconies that might blow away, not to wear any loose items of clothing on deck(hats, etc) that might blow away, and not to smoke outside in addition to the laundry facility being shut down. It seemed to me there was plenty of time to plan for it and we were on a seventeen day voyage.

[RickEk]

I wonder of Princess has this policy fleet wide when doing Alaska cruises??? I am on the Coral in August and need to rethinking packing or bite the bullet and send out laundry. We are on a 4 day land tour prior to the cruise so will need to do a bit of laundry after that.

 

I believe that Princess has no choice in the matter. It's state law that governs if their laundries will be open while the ship is in Alaskan or Washington waters.

[Kellie in Texas]

So, on a cruise from Seattle to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay NP, Ketchikan, and Victoria, on what days or locations might the laundromats be closed?

 

I've been chanting to myself for months: "Don't overpack . . . don't overpack" so this laundry news has me pulling out another suitcase!

[RickEk]

So, on a cruise from Seattle to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay NP, Ketchikan, and Victoria, on what days or locations might the laundromats be closed?

 

I've been chanting to myself for months: "Don't overpack . . . don't overpack" so this laundry news has me pulling out another suitcase!

 

I am extrapolating this from what I've been reading... so maybe it is wrong. ;)(Hopefully someone who is actually on this itinerary can illuminate the actual circumstances for us.) If you're on the Sapphire Princess, I would think that the laundry will be open your first day at sea and then the last day into Victoria.

[kruisey]

If the grey water is environmentally friendly. Why would they have to close the laundry in Washington State and in Alaska.?

Well I have written to Canadian Government today so maybe they will be closed also in BC waters soon.I hope so....:)

Edited May 13, 2011 by kruisey

[Kenswing]

Glad I saw this.. We leave for Alaska next week.. I guess I'll pack enough clothes for the entire trip. Or at least do some laundry at one of the lodges before we get on the ship.

 

With all the radiation coming out of Japan I can't believe they're worried about our dirty water.. :(

[Cafabi]

We are doing the northbound Voyage of the Glaciers, so we won't need to do laundry yet while in Canadian waters. Does any portion of that itinerary sail in international waters, or is all of the non-Canada part subject to Alaska law? Maybe it is just my exhausted brain, but I've read this thread twice and I can't seem to figure out which days of the cruise the laundromat will be open/closed. This is my parents' first cruise and they were planning on doing laundry and have even bought the Purex sheets.

[Pam in CA]

If the grey water is environmentally friendly. Why would they have to close the laundry in Washington State and in Alaska.?

Because there isn't a one-size-fits-all environmentally friendly. Plus, some localities have stricter standards.

 

Just because some localities pass certain standards doesn't mean they are significantly better than other standards or even achieveable. Several years ago, Alaska passed environmental laws pertaining to cruise ships that were based on technology that hadn't even been created yet. In some cases, environmental laws are passed based more on political correctness than reality. Alaskans were shocked when after passing their law, the cruise lines said, "Fine. We'll cruise elsewhere because we cannot meet your standards because the technology doesn't exist." It never occured to them that cruise lines could, and would, move their ships to other regions. They then modified the law to be more realistic. If you buy bottled water, the implication is that it's as pure as spring-fed water from the source. In reality, most bottled water comes from municipal systems' treated water. The point is that this isn't strictly a black and white issue but rather one of shades of gray.

Edited May 14, 2011 by Pam in CA

[ready2travel54]

Yes it is an enviromental one to me personally.

Since reading this thread I have sent an e-mail to Prime Minister of Canada with my corncerns regarding Grey Water.

I always use enviromentally friendly washing suds to do my laundry.

Maybe it would help to education the general public into using these products even when traveling.

Then even when the unprocessed result is put into the sea it will not cause the damage that the regular products would do.

It would be super if the cruise line sold the proper products to use while doing laundry on the ship. I too will pack more clothes to avoid doing laundry. I certainly would not want to contribute to polluting this incredible area.

[Pam in CA]

It would be super if the cruise line sold the proper products to use while doing laundry on the ship. I too will pack more clothes to avoid doing laundry. I certainly would not want to contribute to polluting this incredible area.

HAL's Prinsendam provides environmentally-friendly "soap" for free that is low-sudsing, and there are notices and warnings posted throughout the laundry room to use just this soap. That doesn't stop passengers from using their own brought from home. It would appear to me that some people are so self-absorbed and clueless that they don't give a damn.

[Loonbeam]

Yep. There's no way of guaranteeing that idiots will not foul up the exhaust because they like their laundry to smell like African Violets, so they have to shut them all down.

 

HAL's Prinsendam provides environmentally-friendly "soap" for free that is low-sudsing, and there are notices and warnings posted throughout the laundry room to use just this soap. That doesn't stop passengers from using their own brought from home. It would appear to me that some people are so self-absorbed and clueless that they don't give a damn.

[DesertDaisy]

We have not done Alaska in at least 8 years, this was not in effect at that time. Suggestion Princess, having been on the the smaller ships also, maybe Princess should provide the right laundry soap for the area. The little ships we have been on, the soap is dispenced when you put your quarters in. That seems to be an easy solution to the problem.

[itzmered]

Excellent information. Thank you. The impression being given is that grey water is somehow polluted water or unfit for the environment. It isn't. It's probably as pure as your local tap water. I bet it's purer than mine as there are all sorts of minerals and it's very hard, leaving a crust on everything.

 

Sorry but if your grey water is as pure as your tap water then your tap water is disgusting :eek:

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I don't know where you got the information about Princess polluting the seas, because it doesn't. Saying it does is giving misleading information that isn't correct. It adheres to very strict environmental standards.

 

There are several factors here that you haven't mentioned (or are unaware of): One is that some regions have stricter standards than others to protect the environment; another is that the ship's laundry doesn't use soap plus the water is treated before being released. In the self-serve laundries, people use any kind of soap, including high-sudsing, that is harder to treat than the ship's laundry. Thus, it's closed in the regions with the stricter standards.

 

The upshot? Send your laundry out or find a laundramat in port. Problem solved. Don't blame the ship because that's not the source of your problem. It's that soap is allowed in the self-serve laundry and passengers often use the wrong type of soap.

And mix two soaps together

[Loonbeam]

Those machines are both expensive and a PITA to maintain, they clog a lot. On a small ship with one laundry it would be doable probably, but multiples might not be practical.

 

And there is still nothing stopping an idiot from trying to add their own detergent because they didn't read and suds lock the machine.

 

 

We have not done Alaska in at least 8 years, this was not in effect at that time. Suggestion Princess, having been on the the smaller ships also, maybe Princess should provide the right laundry soap for the area. The little ships we have been on, the soap is dispenced when you put your quarters in. That seems to be an easy solution to the problem.

[Cruisin Sal]

Last year on the Sea the laundramat was closed at least 2 days - Skagway and Tracy Arm. There was no notifcation in the Patter.

[RickEk]

Last year on the Sea the laundramat was closed at least 2 days - Skagway and Tracy Arm. There was no notifcation in the Patter.

 

Hmmm... well, I'll have to dig up my Patters, but last year on the Sea Princess on our voyage, there was clear notification in the Patter. :)

[nobog]

Definition (from Wikipedia):

 

Greywater gets its name from its cloudy appearance and from its status as being between fresh, potable water (known as "white water") and sewage water ("black water"). In a household context, greywater is the leftover water from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines only. Some definitions of greywater include water from the kitchen sink. Any water containing human waste is considered black water

[i_heart_cruzin]

As a Pacific NW resident, I have no idea if this applies (see web link) -- though it would only explain the shut down, not the possible lack of communication. I have heard that the algae growth in Puget Sound is almost out of control.

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/phosphorus/law.html

I am glad to know of the potential for a self-laundry closure as I am trying to avoid checking luggage in the future and I can plan even more carefully for a hoped-for future AK cruise. :)

[New York Nana]

In response to my inquiry, my TA called Princess regarding laundry room availability onboard the Island. She said they told her that there would be NO laundry service available (either self-serve or valet) while in Alaskan waters, but that laundry service will be available on our final day 'at sea' prior to disembarking in Vancouver.

Now - back to the suitcases to reconfigure our tour bags and cruise bags!

UGH!

[DMorris]

In response to my inquiry, my TA called Princess regarding laundry room availability onboard the Island. She said they told her that there would be NO laundry service available (either self-serve or valet) while in Alaskan waters, but that laundry service will be available on our final day 'at sea' prior to disembarking in Vancouver.

Now - back to the suitcases to reconfigure our tour bags and cruise bags!

UGH!

 

So now there is NO valet laundry???? I thought it was just self-serve that was closed.

[DMorris]

Glad I saw this.. We leave for Alaska next week.. I guess I'll pack enough clothes for the entire trip. Or at least do some laundry at one of the lodges before we get on the ship.

 

With all the radiation coming out of Japan I can't believe they're worried about our dirty water.. :(

 

Can you please let us know when you get back about the laundry open or closed?

[jewopaho]

I just got off the phone with a Princess rep. She checked with the "help desk," and found nothing about this issue ... so essentially, I know less than I did before I called.

 

What I noticed about the '09 violation report was that not every ship was cited. It appears as if the older and/or non-refitted ones are the culprits. The Sapphire and Diamond are sisters (the only ones in this class of vessel), and have not yet undergone any major drydock. The others noted are smaller and older ... this may have something to do with it. We sailed the Star in '09 ... I don't see it on the list (but then again I'm close to 70, and have had cataract surgery). We're scheduled on the Golden leaving this Saturday ... it underwent a major transformation in '09 (there's that year again).

 

This could come down to a ship-by-ship basis. I'll post the results when I get back next week ... if the underwear walks off by itself, you'll know that the laundry facilities were unavailable. I really don't like the idea of dumping our waste in Canada ... they've got Randy Quaid; that should be enough.

Edited May 18, 2011 by jewopaho

[Loonbeam]

That's not correct. We sent clothes in for laundry on Glacier bay day.

 

So now there is NO valet laundry???? I thought it was just self-serve that was closed.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Interesting thread

 

First sorry the OP has got stuck with a load of stuff they can not wash.

 

Next good for Alaska set standards high cruise ships will meet them if they want to cruise there.

 

OPPs Canada you need to follow Alaska's lead.

 

Princess says it operates to the highest standards, time for Princess to say that folks can not use what they want in the self washers, and require eco friendly stuff be used.

 

yours Shogun