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It’s free! But not what I expected….

My friend and I had been traveling through Britain in a heatwave before we boarded the Cunard Queen Mary 2 for a transatlantic back to the US. Because we wanted to pack light, we had planned to do laundry on the ship once we boarded. (And believe me, after sweating that much for a week, we definitely needed to wash our clothes!)

I knew that Cunard had launderettes onboard — a rare thing on cruise ships — but what I hadn’t realized was that they were actually free. They even provide washing detergent sheets!

What I didn’t realize was that these launderettes would be so popular. Maybe it’s because they’re free? I think Cunard also attracts more long-term travelers; we met several folks who had been gone from home for weeks or even months.

We didn’t do it intentionally, but our cabin was directly across the hall from the launderette. When I saw the location on a map, I thought, “oh, that will be convenient!” Well, it was convenient, but there were also people coming and going a lot, and not really bothering to lower their voices when they were talking. It sounded like a party in there on the first day! (Don’t get the cabin across the hall from the launderette, btw. Two or three doors down is convenient enough, and likely to be less loud.)

Speaking of the first day — we originally thought we would be clever and wash our clothes on the first day. Well, that wasn’t happening — the launderette was packed from the moment we got into the cabins.

I learned early on that these laundry machines were in such high demand that people actually camped out for them. (The launderette is locked from 9 pm to 7:30 am, no doubt to prevent midnight laundry-room parties that would disturb your sleep.)

Once we finally got a machine, the washing process was pretty easy, and we had clean clothes again in short order. Cunard even provides washer sheets, though we had bought detergent pods in a shop before leaving Southampton. The launderette stayed busy throughout the week, with travelers washing and ironing clothes. I noticed a bit of a lull during the middle of the cruise, which would be a good option if you were able to wait.

I’d absolutely use Cunard’s free launderettes again — they’re a fantastic perk. Next time, though, I’ll skip the first-day rush and book a cabin that’s a few doors farther away!