Laundry Woes on the River

Peppy

Since I will probably wash out our undies in our bathroom onboard the riverboat, is there a clothesline in the shower? You know, like some hotels have where you pull out the line and attach it to a hook. This is a long trip and I'm trying to pack light.
Thanks in advance, Peppy

jdurkin

Yes, there is a little pull out clothes line. I'm short so I just left it there! I didn't have any trouble getting things dry, either. The staff is very helpful and I'm sure they'd provide and extra towel. No laundry woes for me!

Peppy

Thanks Jdurkin. I read on the Fodor's site about an automatic portable washing machine which I plan to use. Place laundry soap, water and clothing in a large zip-lock bag and shake it up and out come clean clothes! Beats putting my hands in Tide (found travel packets in Target). Anyhow, glad to know I can easily hang laundry in the shower. Thank you again, Peppy

OzJohnno

Just to add another question here - Can Tauck provide a laundry price list or can someone who has cruised recently provide one? We too will wash our undies and shirts in the bathroom but there will inevitably be a time when we'll need the on-board laundry service and it helps in advance to know the cost.

G

Very good question, do this mean that Viking has NO services for laundry on their ships? We will be on back to back trip for 28 days.

Don P

OzJohnno wrote:

Just to add another question here - Can Tauck provide a laundry price list or can someone who has cruised recently provide one? We too will wash our undies and shirts in the bathroom but there will inevitably be a time when we'll need the on-board laundry service and it helps in advance to know the cost.

This is a very basic question. A Customer Service Representative from Tauck should respond to this kind of question quickly. I have to say that Cruise Critic addresses these types of question within an hour. Don't you wonder why there is so little traffic on the site?. It's because our concerns either go ignored until someone really complains (I.e. old posts deleted and only reinstated after repeated requests).

I'll repeat the question.......can you provide a sample price list for laundry services. This issue is not addressed in the FAQ section.

jdurkin

Sigh. I feel your pain, Don P. I can claim the distinction of being ticked off by the occasional forum monitor. Naughty me! I have come to the conclusion that this is not the place to ask a question of a forum monitor. And we will need to be physic in order to check the old archive for a question that we might need to answer ... in the future ... because the old file is only up till the end of April. Shades of beam me up, Scotty, or what?

In partial answer to the laundry question: I'm a hand washer of long standing, so I didn't use the service on board last September. (Grand European, Amsterdam to Bucharest.) But I can report anecdotally. Our on board accounts were billed in 2 parts: Amsterdam to Budapest and Budapest to Bucharest (the GE is 2 combined cruises..... Amsterdam to Budapest & Budapest to Bucharest.) For what it's worth, I can report overhearing several other passengers commenting on the "stiff" laundry charges. I have no point of reference, as I said, but I thought it a little strange, given the same people weren't stinting themselves at the bar, so I could only conclude that the laundry prices were high in comparison to the bar bill!

I did take a travel iron, but because the weather turned into the very early European winter of last year, I didn't get to wear the cotton over-shirts I took in anticipation of a sunny autumn. I washed (and "smoothed") everything I needed to in the cabin. Underwear is no problem to wash & wear. I took 4 long-sleeved, light-weight woollen tops and alternating them, I lived in them for daily, off-the-boat wear. Being pure wool, I could roll them in a towel, hang to dry & bypass ironing. But I would suggest that if you don't plan to use the laundry service, you take a duel voltage travel iron. Couples can delegate duties to the partner who is more likely to note the cost of laundry! ) If you have booked a top deck suite, you'll have more space than you'll ever need. Plenty spare to ... "keep yourself neat"!

Edited: Why would someone bother to censor a quote from a classic, American TV show!
For information: "Beam me up, Scotty" is a catch phrase that made its way into pop culture from the science fiction television series Star Trek. It comes from the command Captain Kirk gives his chief engineer, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, when he needs to be transported back to the Starship Enterprise. As per Wikipedia.
The defaults on this forum are so silly. If you google ... beam me up ... you'll see the name beginning with an S and ending with a Y and rhyming with totty. Goodness me!

jdurkin

Peppy wrote:

Thanks Jdurkin. I read on the Fodor's site about an automatic portable washing machine which I plan to use. Place laundry soap, water and clothing in a large zip-lock bag and shake it up and out come clean clothes! Beats putting my hands in Tide (found travel packets in Target). Anyhow, glad to know I can easily hang laundry in the shower. Thank you again, Peppy

I used the L'Occitane shampoo provided. If it's good enough for hair it's fine for cotton and pure wool! And you don't need to stuff your suitcase with Tide! The staff is (are helpful....I'm confused, now!) very helpful. They didn't ration my shampoo supplies!

jdurkin

G wrote:

Very good question, do this mean that Viking has NO services for laundry on their ships? We will be on back to back trip for 28 days.

I don't know. But I was told ... and I firmly believe this to be true ... that the Tauck boats are the best on the river/s. A couple on my trip had come directly from a Russian cruise on a Viking boat. They said that ... "there was no comparison".

Peppy

Brought back memories of Australia/New Zealand trip with Tauck last year. A young waitress spilled oily salad dressing all down the back of a light blue (LLBean wrinkle-free) shirt that I wore to dinner. She was upset and wanted to have the shirt cleaned. I assured her that there was no problem (another guest had really been rude and demanding and she was "rattled" and we felt sorry for her before the spill). I washed the shirt using shampoo and the greasy stain came right out. Guess if it cleans oily hair, it cleans oily clothing! Good point. I may leave Tide at home and use the wonderful smelling shampoo. Peppy

Tauck_Tim

Don P wrote:

This is a very basic question. A Customer Service Representative from Tauck should respond to this kind of question quickly. I have to say that Cruise Critic addresses these types of question within an hour. Don't you wonder why there is so little traffic on the site?. It's because our concerns either go ignored until someone really complains (I.e. old posts deleted and only reinstated after repeated requests).

I'll repeat the question.......can you provide a sample price list for laundry services. This issue is not addressed in the FAQ section.

Hi there everyone!

I'm sorry you're all frustrated; I'm happy to answer your question, I'm working on finding out the answer for you. However, if you want an answer to your question more quickly, you may want to email [email protected] in addition to posting your question here. Sort of like scattershot — the more pellets, the more something's likely to hit.

Jdurkin, thank you for telling what you know! I really appreciate it!

I'll get back to you as soon as I have an answer, everyone. I'm sorry for the delay; hang in there.

Best,
Tim

OzJohnno

Since we've not had an answer yet I guess I'll Take Tim's advice and contact Tauck via email. Seems to me that this forum is becoming a waste of time and irrelevant if simple questions are not answered and you have to email head office to get an answer.

Don P

OzJohnno wrote:

Since we've not had an answer yet I guess I'll Take Tim's advice and contact Tauck via email. Seems to me that this forum is becoming a waste of time and irrelevant if simple questions are not answered and you have to email head office to get an answer.

You're right OzJohnno.....the website is poorly supported and not many Tauck cruisers seem to access it. I'm leaving in less than two weeks and I've posted months ago asking if there are any others on this cruise. I got a response on Cruise Critic from one other couple. My suspicion is that Tauck cruisers may be an older generation and not computer savvy.

However I did get a laundry list with prices from a source that wishes to remain anonymous. I wasn't able to determine if the prices shown were euros or dollars.

Ladies dress - 8.00
Ladies jacket (cotton only) 10.00
Dress without sleeves - 7.00
Men's trousers - 7.00
Blouse 6.50
Shorts - 6.00
Skirt - 6.00
Shirt (casual) - 6.00
Pleated skirt - 7.00
Dress shirt - 7.50
Trousers, long, short - 6.00
Ties - 5.00
Shorts - 5.00
Pullover - 6.00
Bra - 2.00
Socks - 2.00
Underpants - 2.75
Nightgown - 6.50
Vest - 2.75
T-shirts - 5.00

At these prices it will be cheaper to buy underwear than to have it cleaned on the cruise! I recall paying something like $25 to have a plastic bag full of laundry washed and folded on an ocean cruise. I can see where someone should make a decent profit but this is just out an out robbery. I'm sure Tauck can find laundry services along their routes that would be interested in having a contractual relationship with them to provide such services at a more reasonable cost. With a little effort someone at Tauck should look into this kind of service.

jdurkin

All on-board ship prices are in Euros. I paid in cash, using pre-bought Euros, but they also take the usual credit cards.

You may not be aware, but the cruise boats are owned and staffed by a Swiss company ..Scylla...(I hope I've spelt that correctly). Tauck takes care of the "inclusive tour elements" and decides the level of service.... wine with dinner included, beer with lunch included, soft drinks throughout the day ... off-boat meals, etc. There are local guides at every stop and the Tauck Directors are knowledgeable and just what you have come to expect of Tauck tour staff. So it all works as a very good partnership.

Scylla runs the boat. The crew is first rate. Absolutely. The food is superb, of the highest European culinary standards. Presentation is faultless. My girth is still getting over the experience!

My advice ... do the hand washing and save the money for the nice little gift shop and nice drinks at the bar. Save the laundry for the times the perfectly poached egg misses the gap between knife and fork and your mouth.

You will have a wonderful, exciting and enlightening trip. The only unknown will be your fellow passengers and as experienced travellers know, like food ... some things you like and some you don't. Like oysters, really.

jdurkin

OzJohnno wrote:

Since we've not had an answer yet I guess I'll Take Tim's advice and contact Tauck via email. Seems to me that this forum is becoming a waste of time and irrelevant if simple questions are not answered and you have to email head office to get an answer.

The value of forums like these is in the accumulated and shared information of past travellers. But this new forum has negated all that by closing the archive.

People aren't joining this new forum because a) they don't realise they have to register all over again and b) it appears that you have to have a current reservation Before you can register. Of course, this means that any marketing value in the forum is lost to new clients or anyone who hasn't made up their mind where to go, yet.

Don P

jdurkin wrote:

The value of forums like these is in the accumulated and shared information of past travellers. But this new forum has negated all that by closing the archive.

People aren't joining this new forum because a) they don't realise they have to register all over again and b) it appears that you have to have a current reservation Before you can register. Of course, this means that any marketing value in the forum is lost to new clients or anyone who hasn't made up their mind where to go, yet.

I have to agree with you. In terms of being self-promoters Tauck is missing the boat (so to speak). Look at the volume of traffic on the Cruise Critic website. My wife and I have made cruise decisions based upon opinions we have read on Cruise Critic. As an extension of the marketing of a brand the cost of website access is relatively inexpensive. But alas, it's not to be. Given all the other things that Tauck is good at I think I'll give them a pass on further criticisms.

Tauck Aaron

You don't have to make a reservation to be able to register on this Forum. Anyone can register. We are in the process of building out our new Online Team and appreciate your patience while we build to appropriate staffing levels.

Traditionally this forum was not used as a customer service tool, but rather a forum where our guests and perspective guests could communicate with one another.

We hear you loud and clear though and realize that this Forum should be evolving into a better tool to communicate with us, and not just guest-to-guest.

Stay tuned. We're on it...

Aaron
Tauck.com

jdurkin wrote:

The value of forums like these is in the accumulated and shared information of past travellers. But this new forum has negated all that by closing the archive.

People aren't joining this new forum because a) they don't realise they have to register all over again and b) it appears that you have to have a current reservation Before you can register. Of course, this means that any marketing value in the forum is lost to new clients or anyone who hasn't made up their mind where to go, yet.

jdurkin

I had to provide a reservation number as part of registration for these forums. If that was not a compulsory field it should be labelled clearly.

OzJohnno

With thanks to the people at Tauck's home office thay sent me the following pricelist via email.

LAUNDRY PRICE LIST FOR RIVERBOATS

(NO DRY CLEANING) Prices are subject to change



Prices are in euros



LADIES GENTLEMEN

Dress 8.00 Jacket (cotton only) 10.00

Dress without sleeves 7.00 Trousers 8.00

Blouse 6.50 Shorts 6.00

Blouse without sleeves 6.00 Shirt 6.50

Skirt 6.00 Shirt (casual) 6.00

Pleated Skirt 7.00 Dress Shirt 7.50

Trousers, long, short 6.00 Ties 5.00

Shorts 5.00 Pullover 6.00

Pullover 6.00 Bathrobe 4.50

Bathrobe 4.50 Swimming Trunk 3.00

Bathing suit, Bikini 3.00 Underpants 2.75

Petticoat, waist slip 2.50 Vest 2.75

Bra 2.00 Socks (pair) 2.00

Underpants 2.75 Nightgown 6.50

Vest 2.75 T-Shirt 5.00

Stockings (pairs) 2.00 Sweaters 5.50

Socks (pair) 2.00 Handkerchief 1.25

Nightdress 5.00

Nightgown 6.00

T-Shirt 5.00

Sweaters 5.50

Handkerchief 1.25

Rod

Barbara

Glad to read all the messages, especially the question by Peppy about the pickup at the Sofitel. We, too, will be in Amsterdam for 2 days prior. i was glad to find out that the pickup is at 2PM on May 27. How much does one usually pack for this cruise. Is one big bag and one carry-one enought or do you need more. I know that Tauck suggests 1 bag only, but I hate to pay those laundering fees. Bobbie

Barbara

Glad to read all the messages, especially the question by Peppy about the pickup at the Sofitel. We, too, will be in Amsterdam for 2 days prior. i was glad to find out that the pickup is at 2PM on May 27. How much does one usually pack for this cruise. Is one big bag and one carry-one enought or do you need more. I know that Tauck suggests 1 bag only, but I hate to pay those laundering fees. Bobbie

Peppy

Hi Bobbie,
Hope to see you in Amsterdam. When we went to Australia/NZ last year, we took one bag that was medium size and a carry-on. We had the smallest bags on the trip. Of course, Tauck had us staying in hotels with a guest laundry, except in the large cities, which was appreciated by everybody. We were okay (I took full advantage of the laundries!). The weather was really warm so clothing could only be worn for a single day before laundering. This trip, we are carrying larger bags with a lot of wrinkle-free clothes. Hope your packing is going well, Peppy
By the way, we are flying Delta out of Atlanta since we are within driving distance to Atlanta and it is a direct flight. We land on Wednesday May 25 about 8:30 am. We are taking a walking tour after lunch so we will avoid sleeping and to get our clocks adjusted.

Barbara

Peppy, we will be landing a day earlier, at 11:10AM on Tuesday. We live in Yorktown, Va, and will connect via Newark NJ to Amsterdam. We haven't booked any tours yet, as we thought the concierge would help us with getting booked. We do have tickets to a concert one night, though, as we heard that the Amsterdam Concert Hall has the most wonderful acoustics. Hope to meet you in Amsterdam.

Peppy

Hi Bobbie,
We scheduled a tour to see the windmills, the Hague, Delft, wooden shoe factory and Madurodam (miniature Amsterdam) on Thursday. Tour is 9.5 hours. We did a small sailboat sail in Sydney Harbor with this tour company (Viator) and it was first class. I'll have my husband's undivided attention this morning to go over packing, maps, and things we want to see. Someone on the old "ask and share" suggested getting the hotel concierge to make reservations at an Indonesian rice table restaurant and reservations for a night canal cruise and we will do that.
I know you will enjoy the concert. It is quite an adventure to be a part of another country if only for a few days.
See you in Amsterdam. Have a safe flight, Peppy

Barbara

Peppy, thanks for sharing the tour information. It's nice to have a recommendation for a specific tour company. Herb and I will probably go different ways on one of the days. I want to see the Anne Frank house and he doesn't. But we will both tour the Red Light District, which is a short tour. I have to sign off as I am going crazy making decisions about what to pack by looking at the average temperature ranges. See you in Amsterdam.

I have a stupid question for Tauck or anyone else who can answer. Does Tauck supply hangers, or do we have to bring them? If I can get an answer by tomorrow night, I would very much appreciate it. Happy traveling to all.

jdurkin

There are plenty of hangers in the wardrobes. Housekeeping on the boats is first rate. If you need more I'm sure they will help. Enjoy your trip.

Barbara

Thanks for all the info. It is really helpful. We're looking forward to a great time.