DCL Don't: My Expensive Foray into Onboard Laundry

Gentle readers, the Dad With Mouse Ears and I have been married for almost 12 years. And even though I plan large-scale events as part of job, I'll admit that I'm not the greatest when it comes to the super-fine point details around vacation packing and preparation.

It was that lack of in the weeds details that recently led to an entire suitcase of clothes being left behind in Atlanta when we took our cruise. Also, hubby was MUCH better prepared for the HOT weather we encountered. Since I wasn't, there was a lot of laundry to be done - as well as a 5 a.m. trip to the 24-hour Wal Mart in Orlando for socks and underpants.

As you can see from the lovely photo above, there are no fewer than seven (!!!) steps required to do laundry on the ship. The good folks at Disney Cruise Line really HAVE thought of everything - but I'll admit my first thought was "I'm not an idiot, I don't need to read this sign."

Turns out, I am an idiot. After spending $6 dollars on clothes that didn't seem to get dry in the dryer, I figured out that I didn't press the START button. Yep...the dryer took my money, ran down the timer, and my stuff just sat there, soaking wet.

So if you're going to do laundry during your cruise, be prepared. It's at least $4/load and the loads are v. small. My advice would be to pack more and skip the laundry - that's what I'll do next time.