With many river cruise itineraries lasting two weeks or longer, cruisers often prefer to pack light instead of taking a change of clothes for every day.

Some may need to get some laundry on their river cruise done while on holiday.

Take the humble shirt. It can cost a few cents at the laundrette. Or $8 on a luxury ship for the laundry service.

Only three of the river cruise lines we looked at provide self-service laundrettes: Crystal River Cruises, Uniworld, and American Cruise Lines. Luxury lines like APT and Scenic also offer complimentary laundry service at least once per suite per cruise.

We’ve dug deep to ensure the cruise lines come clean about what they’re charging you for their services.

AmaWaterways with APT

AmaWaterways has wash and press services available for passengers onboard. However, there are no options for dry cleaning or self-service laundry. A shirt costs only $2.90 for washing or $5.20 for washing and pressing.

American Cruise Lines

All American Cruise Lines‘ new ships (and most of the fleet) have self-service laundry rooms, including detergent, for complimentary use. There is no send-out wash and press service or dry cleaning available.

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways provides wash and press service; no onboard self-service or dry cleaning is available. The cost to launder and press a shirt is $5.70.

Crystal River Cruises

Wash and press services are available the next day or with a 50% surcharge for same-day delivery on Crystal River Cruises. Dry cleaning can be arranged shoreside, and the onboard self-service launderette, including detergent, is complimentary.

The price for send-out wash and press per shirt runs $7–$7.50, and every suite is entitled to complimentary pressing services upon request.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Uniworld offers send-out laundry service on its European cruises. In addition, complimentary self-service laundry is available on River Countess, River Duchess, River Empress, River Princess, River Queen, S.S. Antoinette, S.S. Beatrice, S.S. Catherine, S.S. Joie de Vivre and S.S. Maria Theresa.

Sending out a shirt to be laundered costs $5.30.

Viking River Cruises

Viking’s river vessels have laundry and press services; no self-service launderettes exist.

Pricing on the European river cruises for a shirt runs $6.50 (laundry and press) or $4.90 (press only).

Scenic

They offer a complimentary laundry service on board, which includes 1 kilo of laundry per suite per cruise with Scenic. A shirt laundered and pressed costs $7.90, and a skirt or trousers costs $12.10.

APT

On APT, self-service laundry facilities are not available. Complimentary laundry service is available for select suites. For passengers travelling in other cabins, the fare includes one bag of laundry per cabin for guests travelling on seven-night cruises and two bags of laundry per cabin for guests travelling on 14-night cruises. This complimentary laundry service is not included on Russia, Douro, or Voyages cruises.

It costs $6.80 for a dress and $3.08 for a shirt to be washed and ironed.

Evergreen Tours

Laundry service is included for the Owner’s, Riverview, and Grand Balcony Suites, up to four laundry items per cabin per day. There are no self-service laundrettes on board Evergreen Tours.

The prices for garments to be washed and pressed are $12.10 for a men’s shirt, $8.40 for a blouse, $12.80 for trousers, and $8.40 for a skirt. There is also the option to have garments washed without pressing.

Riviera Travel

Riviera Travel offers laundry service. The cost to wash and press a dress is $12.90, and to wash and dry a shirt or blouse is $10.50.

Save on laundry with Cruise Passenger

Looking to save on laundry expenses during your river cruise? Cruise Passenger shares insider tips on finding the most budget-friendly options for keeping your clothes clean and fresh while onboard. From self-service laundry facilities to special promotions, we help you make smart choices and maximise your savings.