new formal - dry clean or steam before wear?

[mics pics]

Hi all,

I bought some new formal dresses and ordered them online. They arrived via UPS so of course they are wrinkled messes. I have a steamer and can probably get the wrinkles out on my own but would rather get them really crisp before packing them.

When you buy new dresses do you get them dry cleaned before wearing them? Or do you just have them pressed? If something is dry clean only, should I take it to a dry cleaner to get them de-creased? Should they be steamed only or will the dry cleaner iron them to get the wrinkles out?

Quite a few questions, I know. I obviously don't do the dry cleaners often. :o

I don't know if I should bring them in and just ask for pressing or ask for the full dry cleaning.

Thanks for the help!

Michele

[cb at sea]

I would take them to be pressed only--or you can have it done on the ship. I wouldn't clean them unless they were dirty!

[mics pics]

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. Don't want to expose them to chemicals right from the get go. One of the dresses really needs to be pressed no matter what. The other one I think can survive until I get it on the ship. It's only wrinkly in places and once I start moving in it or sitting it will get worse anyway. ;)

Was just trying to get all my ducks in a row...

[Senoj84]

Both my items got wrinkled and I got them steamed on ship. The cost was $19 or $20 for 3 formal items.

[pacarolinagirl]

I plan to get my dress steamed on the ship as well. It would do me no good to do it before I left home.

[mics pics]

Glad to hear getting them steamed on board is an option. When I was looking at the laundry menu all I saw were clean and press.

I guess the sheet in the stateroom will have the option to just have them steamed? I'd rather just get it done on board rather than pay for it twice since I know it will get wrinkled again in my suitcase.

Thanks for the input everyone!

[4cruizers]

If you don't get them steamed on the ship, I would just get them pressed by a dry cleaner before packing. That is what I usually do with new formals. My husband's dress shirts, and my two boys, I always have washed and lightly starched.