Don & Kully's World Cruise on Viking Neptune

One of the biggest questions we’ve been asked, and that I’ve heard people who are planning a world cruise ask, is how do you pack for such a long trip. The best answer I’ve heard and now that we’re three weeks in, is first, don’t over pack and second, pack like you’re going on a two-week vacation. The other suggestion that I would add is bring clothing that can be layered to accommodate for climatic change. The bulk of our cruise will be in warm weather ports, but we will have our share of cooler ports later in the voyage. Also keep in mind that the temperature in the public areas of the ship is kept very low, so many people are wearing sweaters, or light jackets around the ship.

What really makes reasonably light packing possible is the laundry services available on the ship. The ship has both self-service laundry and traditional dry cleaning/laundry services. Kully has soap allergies, so self-service laundry is a must for us.

There is a laundry room on each state room deck of the Viking Neptune. Each laundry room has four washers and dryers available at no additional charge, and Viking provides the laundry detergent as well. Also, each laundry room has two ironing stations and laundry baskets are provided for guest to use.

The laundry detergent is liquid and is automatically dispersed in the appropriate amount for each load. After starting the washer, you simply push the soap dispenser start button for your machine and the soap is dispensed into the wash machine.

Instructions for operating the machines are conveniently posted on the outside of the machines.

Viking does provide the detergent; however, we recommend that you bring you own dryer sheets. We have been using Bounce Wrinkle Guard and have found they work very well. Also, we strongly recommend that you bring your own stain remover’s.

A few helpful hints. With only four sets of washers and dryers on each floor demand for use is high. The laundry room is open 24 hours a day, but we have found the best times to do laundry is very early in the morning, later in the evening, or at dinner time. It also seems to work better to do laundry in small batches, one load at a time. We have found that doing a single load every three or four days works best. The odds of going to the laundry room and finding all four machines open at one time are pretty slim. We also brought a foldable laundry bag that helps us stay organized.

The Viking Neptune also has a full-service laundry and dry-cleaning service. Here is the price list for those services.