When planning for land-based vacations, you often do not have to think twice about bringing a steamer or whether there'll be an iron available to you or not. Cruises, however, are different.
In addition to simply being more prepared with common household items that won't be readily available while you are on a ship, there's a list of items that cruise lines ban from their ships. Both steamers and irons are on many cruise line's lists of prohibited items due to the fire hazard that they pose.
Other prohibited items include coffee makes, standard extension cords, weapons, and illegal drugs, such as marijuana.
It's not uncommon to want your clothes to be wrinkle-free while on vacation. On cruises, however, you just have to get a little more creative, especially if you're sailing on a ship that does not have any self-service laundry facilities.
You won't find any irons or ironing boards inside of your cruise ship cabin
Because of the risk of fire, cruise lines don't provide irons or ironing boards in their cabins. Depending on the cruise ship you're sailing on, however, you might be able to utilize the ship's self-serve laundry facilities. If they do not have any onboard, housekeeping might have irons that can be loaned out to passengers for a short period of time.
When neither of those options are available, you can consider sending your clothing out to be washed and pressed for an additional fee. On longer cruises, there's typically some sort of special during the latter half of the voyage.
What cruise lines have self-service laundry facilities?
If you're banking on being able to use the ship's laundromat, you'll want to research which lines have them available for guests before booking. You won't, for instance, find any onboard Royal Caribbean ships.
Luxury line Azmara has laundry facilities onboard all of their cruise ships. Plus, they are free of charge between the hours of 7am to 10pm, whereas mainstream cruise line Carnival charges $3.50 per wash and dry, regardless of when you decide you need to do a load. The amount will be charged to guests' Sail & Sign cards. Additionally, Carnival laundromats have small boxes of detergent and softener that can be purchased for $2.00.
Note that certain Carnival ships don't have self-service laundromats, including Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. For those sailing on Carnival Elation or Paradise, you'll have to bring change to use the laundromat.
Cunard cruise ships also have laundromats onboard, and passengers are able to use their washing machines, dryers, irons, and ironing boards for no additional cost. Plus, laundry detergent is complimentary, too.
With Disney Cruise Line catering so heavily to families, it makes sense that they would have self-service laundry rooms onboard their five ships. While not included, the price is only $3.00 per wash and dry, and they have complimentary ironing equipment; however, it cannot be taken to passenger cabins and must be used in the laundry rooms.
Holland America Line is a bit picky with which ships have self-service laundry onboard. You won't find these facilities onboard the majority of their ships; however, if you find yourself sailing onboard Veendam or Amsterdam, you can take advantage of their laundry rooms.
Princess Cruises, another upscale cruise line, have laundry facilities on all of their ships. Tokens can be purchased and billed to your onboard account, which amounts to $3.00 per wash and dry. Irons and ironing boards are available for use, too.
What cruise lines don't have any self-service laundromats?
As mentioned earlier, you won't find any laundry rooms for passenger use onboard Royal Caribbean ships. Similarly, sister line Celebrity Cruises does not have any, either. Relatively new cruise line Virgin Voyages also does not offer self-service laundry facilities to passengers.
Whether you're sailing on a cruise line with or without a laundromat, you have the option to send your clothes out to be washed and pressed. This, however, is more expensive. Most cruise lines charge between $2 and $10 per item. Sometimes, there are special promotions, though. On Royal Caribbean sailings, it is not uncommon to see a deal for a $35 bag, meaning that it'll cost you $35 to wash and press all the items that can fit into a single bag, rather than price each item individually.
Cruise lines may have a deal for formal (or elegant) night, too.
Depending on your loyalty status, you might be eligible for free (or discounted) laundry
Are you a frequent Celebrity cruiser? If so, you'll be delighted to know that once you reach the Elite tier of their Captain's Club, you will become eligible to receive one complimentary bag of laundry (wash, dry, fold) on every sailing. Whether you're on a longer cruise and need your clothing to be refreshed or simply want to return home with clean clothing, this is a great perk!
Similarly, Norwegian's Latitudes Rewards Program begins offering free laundry once you reach the Platinum tier, which requires 75 cruise points.
You should not try and sneak and iron and ironing board on your cruise ship
Smuggling items onboard your ship can get you into trouble, especially if it's something illegal or dangerous. While an iron isn't likely to get you kicked off, you should not be surprised if your luggage arrives and there's a note stating that it was confiscated for the duration of the sailing.
On my friend's first-ever cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, she thought that she would be able to bring her trusty travel steamer; however, it, too, was confiscated by port agents. She had to go out of her way on disembarkation day to pick it up before heading to the airport.
If you're successful at sneaking an iron onboard, just know that you're putting yourself and other passengers, as well as crew members, at risk. Cruise lines take the safety of everyone onboard seriously, and you do not want to be the cause of a fire breaking out during your sailing.
Read more: 17 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise Ship
Instead of relying on steamers and irons, there are other methods to help you de-wrinkle your clothes while on a cruise
While there's no denying the efficiency of steamers and irons, cruisers have to get a little more creative and resourceful while onboard. Below, you'll find a list of methods to help you de-wrinkle your clothing without risking the consequences of smuggling either prohibited items on the ship! Plus, they're cheaper than utilizing the ship's laundry services.
Please note that we have linked Amazon items with an affiliate link below. The affiliate link costs you nothing extra, but Cruise.Blog will make a small commission if you purchase the item through the link.
Wrinkle-release spray
For less than $10 on Amazon, purchasing wrinkle-release spray to bring with you is one way to help get the wrinkles out of your clothes. Plus, some products are multi-purpose, meaning that not only will they help to remove wrinkles, but they'll also freshen the scent and remove static!
Bounce Anti Static Spray is a 3-in-1 instant winkle release, odor eliminator, and fabric refresher spray that costs less than $6. With over 8,200 four- and five-star reviews, you cannot go wrong with this product for your upcoming cruise. In fact, Amazon customer Morgan D said, "Brought this on a cruise to help with the wrinkles from clothes in packed luggage. Works well!"
Read more: 20 best things to bring on a cruise that cost less than $10
Hang your clothes in the bathroom while you shower
Personally, one of my favorite methods to de-wrinkle clothing while on cruise ships is to hang whatever article I am planning on wearing in the bathroom while I shower. Since ensure bathrooms are pretty small, there's typically enough steam produced to get the wrinkles out.
If there isn't enough steam produced while I'm showering, I'll hang the piece inside of the shower and let it run a little bit longer while I do my hair and makeup. Plus, this method is free!
Don't be discouraged because you can't bring an iron or ironing board on your cruise with you
While it's definitely a bit upsetting to learn that both steamers and irons are prohibited on cruise ships, there are other methods that you can turn to that will help make sure your formal attire is wrinkle-free!
Many cruise ships do offer self-service laundry, where you'll find washers, dryers, and even irons to use. If your ship doesn't have a laundromat onboard, it does not hurt to reach out to housekeeping or Guest Services to see if they have any irons on loan. Note, however, that not all ships allow irons to be taken to cabins. If they do, they're typically only available for a short period of time before you have to return them.
If all else fails, you can send your clothing off to be washed and pressed. If you're hoping for same-day service, this will be more costly, so it pays to plan ahead and send your articles off in advance.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
