3 questions about HAL

[juniper berries]

Have not sailed on HAL. Am Platinum on Princess an am used to being able to do my own laundry and am fussy as to how things are washed.How have you found having your laundry done by HAL did you have any problems. looking at 21 to 28 day cruises so thats alot of underwear and changes of clothes.

The second question is there a meeting for people who knit etc to get together listed in the Patter (Princess daily activity schedule) done on sea days.

One last question have you been bothered by people smoking on there balcony.Next to you. I am a non smoker so the smell really bothers me.

Thanks for any information. :)

[RuthC]

Nine of the current HAL ships have self-service laundries, so you can do your laundry the way you like. Those ships are the S-class, R-class, and the Prinsendam.

The remaining ships have laundry service only.

 

I do send out my day clothes, and undies; I would never send my washable evening clothes, as I just don't trust the laundry that much.

My day wear comes back satisfactory, and promptly.

 

Laundry can be charged by the piece (expensive), by the bag ($20 per bag; $26 in Europe), or on an unlimited basis ($7 per every day of the cruise; $9 in Europe).

You can also hand wash undies in the sink, and hang them in the shower/tub; there's a clothes line there.

[juniper berries]

Thanks for the information. It happens that the cruises I have been looking at are on ships without the self service laundry's. How do you go about paying for laundry by the bag do you do that before you sail or can it be done once you are on board ship.

:)

[sammiedawg]

I've not seen a knitting group on Holland America, some of my Oceania trips have had daily cross stitch get togethers and some people were knitting. Dottie the CD attended on one ship.

 

I would avoid a balcony cabin on HAL due to the smoking. I've personally been bothered by adjacent smoking and was unable to use the balcony for the duration of the cruise. Since then I have booked ocean view on HAL. There is anecdotal information indicating an influx of smokers are now sailing HAL, coming over from other cruise lines.

[RuthC]

Laundry can be arranged after you board. For "By the Bag", and "unlimited" there are check-boxes on the invoice that you complete that lists out what you are sending.

There is also room on the invoice for a little note, if there's something you want to explain.

[SilvertoGold]

There are knitting groups on longer HAL cruises, only, from what I have experienced.

 

Smoke drifting from balcony to balcony is a problem sometimes. It happens.

 

By the bag laundry is really good. I say this as someone who gets it complimentary, but even paying seems to be a good deal. The turn-around is almost always fast, one day max.

Edited February 6, 2015 by SilvertoGold

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- we have seen knitting groups on HAL ships. There is nothing ever put in the daily "On Location" programs about when they meet.

I see only one group of knitters on the Dry Dock / Charter at this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2163138&highlight=dry+docks

Yes -- we have been bothered by smoke on our verandah -- several times.

Laundry -- use to send out DH's golf shirts but after having some ruined on 2 different ships, I no longer send them out. There is a clothes line over the bath tub you can use to hang clothes to dry.

[Hlitner]

We have also seen knitting groups on many of our longer HAL cruises. They would usually meet (informally) only on sea days. As to laundry by the bag, you simply fill up the bag, fill out the form, and leave it on the bed for your steward. Our experience with HAL laundry has been good, but we are not obsessive about laundry. In fact, we love the "hanger" option (which is a box you can check on the form) since all of our shirts (including T-shirts) come back wrinkle-free on hangers.

 

Hank

[oofroggie]

Just got off the Noordam and there was a sit and knit and needlework on the daily program on sea days and early departure days. This was not ship hosted so we just met and did whatever needlework we had brought to the ship.

[0bnxshs]

Just got off the Noordam and there was a sit and knit and needlework on the daily program on sea days and early departure days. This was not ship hosted so we just met and did whatever needlework we had brought to the ship.

 

I too have seen this same thing on longer than 7 day cruises. Knitters and like-minded seem to "find each other" during the course of the cruise, often getting together in the Crow's Nest during sea days.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On my last few cruises we saw the daily program list a sit and knit. If they don't sometimes the CD will add this to the program if you ask....

 

 

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[ithaca gal]

We use the Laundry by the Bag once a week when we go on a seven day cruise. The charge is $20 and you can "stuff" quite a bit into the bag. Counting six pairs of unmentionables, a pair or two of sox and an undershirt, we managed to get 31 (!) items into the small bag -- including a pair of jeans!

 

We have always been satisfied with the laundry service -- especially, as one poster said, the "on hanger" return.

 

On one cruise I sent a silk top for dry cleaning and it came back a dingy grey instead of white (the top was black and white and I wonder if they washed it and the black ran). They reimbursed me for the item. I have not used the dry cleaning since that time but have had no incidents with the laundry service. In fact, we can't wait to be four star mariners later this year so we can have the free laundry service on future cruises.

[take us away]

One way to make the most of laundry by the bag is to roll everything and you will be astonished what you can cram in that bag.

[Stokeset]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their postings. This has been a very informative thread.

[Susie51]

I've never used the laundry service, but have used the clothes line in the tub on many cruises. The self-serve laundry is a nice feature.

[the2ofus]

Just thought I'd mention that the unmentionables, socks and other folded items come back from the laundry wrapped in tissue paper and in a basket.

Nice touch.

 

Also, if you use laundry services the charge will appear on your final bill. You will hardly ever see the laundry delivered, it will just be hanging from the hooks or in the basket on the bed.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

How much does the laundry cost for the all you can stuff in the bag?

 

 

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[RuthC]

How much does the laundry cost for the all you can stuff in the bag?

Post #2 answered that question.

[crystalspin]

@ Pete & Judy

 

$20 except in Europe $26 -- per bag. There was a photo floating around another thread of the bag with something like a standard hanger for size. Rumor has it everything is washed in hot water and dried in hot dryer [NOT the way I launder at home]. I read one post that said something along the line of "I loved the unlimited laundry -- they only ruined a few things."

 

My packing list is extremely honed! Everything is necessary! We travel with carryon only and can't live with "just a few things" ruined, so I will be doing hand-wash and using that clothesline in the shower (and maybe an extra one I bring) on upcoming TransAtlantic!

 

I never saw needlecrafters on the Zaandam last year, but there was a group on a Panama Trip on the Norwegian Star the year before, and it was 'announced' in the Daily... Hope there is one for the TA's numerous sea days!

 

Finally, we had our first HAL balcony on the Zaandam around the Cape Horn, looking at glaciers! Maybe because it was a little nippy out there, or else just lucky, but no smoke was ever smelled. Have surely read of people unable to use their balconies due to smokers... We're going to be in an inside on OUR 26-day cruise, and spending our days reading (and knitting) in some smokefree public place.

 

Edited February 9, 2015 by crystalspin