Can I Take A Clothes Steamer On My Cruise?
You’re going on a cruise, you are taking formal gear that has been screwed up in your suitcase for over 24 hours, you aren’t allowed to take a clothes iron but hey surely you can take a clothes steamer? Sadly most cruise lines do not allow travel irons or steamers to be packed and taken on board. Check out this post to find out the rules for each cruise line and who allows clothes steamers.
Let’s face it, clothes steamers (and irons) are not particularly safe and you are on a cruise ship, the last place you want a fire to break out. Clothes steamers do feel a safer option compared to clothes irons but still most cruise lines still ban them from coming on board. But rules are slowly changing, some cruise lines are becoming more open minded and allowing irons/steamers.
In this post we will talk through each popular cruise lines and the rules around bringing clothing steamers onboard.
| Cruise Line | Allowed? | Clothes Steamer Rules |
|---|---|---|
| AZAMARA | NO | Azamara do not allow travel irons onboard. But each floor has a self service laundry with irons and boards free of charge. |
| CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES | NO | For our guest’s safety we do not allows clothes steamers in staterooms. However each ship has at least 2 self-service launderettes located on the stateroom decks. There are two or three washers and dryers, and one iron and ironing board in each launderette. |
| CELEBRITY CRUISES | NO | Candles, Incense, Coffee Makers, Clothes Irons, Travel Steamers & Hot Plates. (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. |
| COSTA CRUISES | NO | Costa do not actually state a clothes steamer cannot come onboard. However their FAQS do state the following: Power tools, cooking appliances and items containing heating elements e.g. immersion heaters, heating blankets, infrared heaters, flat irons, water heaters, coffee machines etc So I would take this as a firm no. |
| CUNARD | NO | Cunard ask you not to bring a clothes steamer on board. They also state: Irons are available in our laundrettes. Please do not pack your own iron as this will not be permitted on board. |
| DISNEY | NO | Disney Cruise Line prohibits guests from bringing clothes steamers and irons onboard with them for use in their stateroom. But, there are complimentary irons available for Guest use in the onboard laundry rooms. |
| FRED OLSEN | NO | Fred Olsen do not name clothes steamers directly in their FAQS but do include this information. Clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense, kettles and any other item that may create a fire hazard. I would assume this means no. |
| HOLLAND AMERICA LINE | NO | Holland America do not name clothes steamers directly in their FAQS but do include this information. Candles and incense, strike-anywhere matches, clothing irons, heating pads, hot plates, kettles, coffee makers, toasters and other electronic cooking appliances. I would assume this means no. |
| MARELLA/TUI CRUISES | YES | Marella allow travel irons to be taken onboard. So to be sure we emailed TUI who stated travel sized garment steamers can be packed into your luggage for use in the cabin. |
| MSC | NO | MSC state that all devices that generate heat may not be taken on board. |
| NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES | NO | Guests are not permitted to bring and use their own irons or steamers onboard. Norwegian Cruise Line carries a limited number of irons and ironing boards which can be loaned to guests for a few hours at a time. They can be requested through housekeeping or Guest Services Desk. Irons and steamers would both be taken from guests at embarkation and returned at the end of the sailing. |
| P&O CRUISES | NO | P&O Do not allow travel irons or clothing steamers onboard. But each floor has a self service laundry with irons and boards free of charge. |
| PRINCESS CRUISES | NO | Princess do not allow travel irons or heat generating devices to be packed. However there are irons available in the onboard laundry rooms. |
| ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL | NO | Irons and clothes steamers are prohibited items and should not be brought with you on your vacation. RCI do offer a wash and press laundry service, but it can be quite expensive. |
| VIKING CRUISES | NO | Travel irons and clothing streamers are not allowed onboard. Irons are available in the complimentary self-service launderettes |
| VIRGIN VOYAGES | NO | There is no mention of clothes steamers in their FAQS. We have emailed customer services but not had a reply as of yet. I would assume it to be a no for now. |
So in conclusion at the moment (current FEB 2022) the only cruise line that currently allows clothing steamers to come onboard is Marella/TUI. We actually took a travel iron onboard with us and guess what, we didn’t use it once! You may think you will need it but if you pack properly you can avoid it.
