22 cruise cabin tricks that will change your journey

Add personalization to your cruise cabin

Don’t be afraid to move furniture around

• The standard cabins have 2 single beds that can be converted into a queen bed, next to 2 extra tables. You can also have a sofa or upholstered chair, a vanity or desk, and a coffee table. If you have a balcony, it will be equipped with a pair of chairs or benches and a drinking table. Don’t be afraid to move furniture around — you can ask the staff for help — into a configuration that works for you.
• Ask to remove any objects in your way. For example, if you keep bumping into the coffee table, take it out of the room. Clearing out ice bins, wine glasses, and anything else you don’t use will add more counter space.
• Furniture can also be added; For example, a stool can be replaced with a chair that may be more comfortable for your back. Ask your cabin manager for assistance.
• If the mini-fridge is full of sodas and alcohol that you don’t intend to buy, empty them out. You can use the space for any soda or water you bring from home and for snacks at the Lido buffet (this will also save you any room service fees).

Enhance your cabin bathroom supplies

• Most mainstream ships now come with liquid shampoo, conditioner, and soap that you pump from containers in the shower — a cost-effective and eco-friendly measure that eliminates small plastic bottles. All is well and dandy, but what you get will likely be generic brands and not quite the ones you’re used to at home. The same goes for any hand or body lotion provided. If you are picky about products, bring your own.
• If you’re not a fan of body wash, bring your own bar of soap. If your cabin has a bar of soap, it will probably be a small piece of soap like the ones you buy at motels. On the other hand, if you prefer to use liquid soap to wash your hands, bring a bottle so you don’t have to put your hands in the shower every time you want to wash your hands.

• Another clever travel cabin trick is to attach a makeup or toiletries kit that hangs to the bathroom door. This will allow you to free up space around the sink and more easily keep track of your supplies. The sink may or may not have drawers or shelves.
• The bathroom light switch is usually on the outside of the door, meaning you’ll shine light into the entire cabin when you step into the bathroom in the middle of the night. Bring a plug-in or battery-powered night light to move around the bathroom without waking your roommates.

Improve your cruise cabin with useful gadgets

• You and your family will likely bring along a lot of electronic devices — tablets, phones, cameras, electric shavers, and maybe even curlers or other devices. That’s a lot to plug into a possibly very limited number of outlets. Bring an outlet extender to accommodate all of those wires (though make sure it’s not one with surge arresters, as these are prohibited by shipping lines).
• If you’re a light sleeper, you might want to bring a travel-sized sound generator or get a white noise app on your phone. Cruise ships are full of creaks, creaks and other noises that can wake you up.
• If you plan to sleep indoors, bring some file clips or even paper clips to keep the curtains pulled tight, which is especially helpful in the sunny Caribbean. They’re also useful in Alaska when it’s out in the middle of the night when you’re trying to go to sleep.

Find clever tricks to create more storage space

The cruise ship cabin has a wardrobe with hangers and shelves. May or may not have drawers for clothes. Additional drawers for sundries can be placed on side tables near the bed or in the desk. When you’re packing for a week—and especially if you’re packing for a family for a week—there won’t be enough closet space and drawers for everyone’s clothes and belongings. There are many ways to improve the situation.

• Ask your flight attendants for extra hangers if your closet isn’t enough to hang all your clothes.
• Alternatively, you can fold clothes in half on hangers – such as a blouse or jacket over a flowing dress.
• Your cabin may have several bathrobe hangers. On many ships, the walls are made of metal and magnets will stick to them. Bring some of your own magnetic hooks so you also have room for hats, snorkels, and other hangable items.
• Hanging or hanging on the door can make it easy to store socks and underwear, or put sunscreen and other small items in their own space.
• Laundry bags on the closet floor allow you to collect dirty clothes and prevent them from getting caught in or mixed with your clean, unworn clothes.

Take advantage of the space under the bed

• Your suitcases can be hidden under the bed, so they don’t take up space in your cabin or closet. If you keep a drawer open, you can use it as an additional drawer.
• If you don’t use the bathrobe, slippers, hair dryer, or other items provided — including decorative pillows if they get in your way — these can also get under the bed.

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