Most of the large ships also have duty-free shops with items ranging from jewelry and furs to souvenirs from the cruise line. If you seek a special item, you may want to check prices at home before starting your cruise. Purchases at these shops may be signed to your shipboard account or bought directly. The ship will have a laundry service similar to that in a hotel. Not all lines offer a dry-cleaning service.
Some lines have self-service laundry facilities.
There may be a small charge to use the machines or purchase detergent. Most cabins are equipped with a phone, and long-distance calls are charged to your ship account. You may also inquire as to whether the ship can make calls via less costly but poorer quality shortwave radio. A third option is to bring your cellular phone. On a typical Caribbean cruise, you will be in range of a cellular phone about half the time.