Cruising is a wonderful way to enjoy yourself, relax, recharge, and explore the world.
Unfortunately, cruise cabins have a habit of being small and trying to make the most of the limited space that you have can be a challenge. The cruise lines have to make sure that they have included everything thing that you may need and also include storage space for all that you have brought on your vacation. I feel like the cruise lines do a great job fitting everything in and including storage space. And with a little bit of planning and time you can make your cruise cabin feel like like home or even better since you will not be the one cleansing, cooking and making the beds everyday.
These are some “hacks” that I have learned over the years of cruising that I hope may help you be able to enjoy your travels on the high seas.
Start of with my top tip; PACK LITE!
Think about what your realistically going to do on your trip; what are you going to wear for that activity.
Look I get it I am an avid over packer. But the more I travel the more I realize I don’t really need. I find that during the day I wear a bathing suit or comfortable attire not that pretty little outfit that I saw in the store. If I buy something for this trip it is most likely will not get worn ever again and possibly not even on this trip. Also, remember the tighter the outfit the earlier you should wear in the trip; it might not fit on day 6.
Don’t pack what you can get on the ship.
Why take up space for things that the cruise line already supplies?
It will take up space in your luggage and add weight so leave it at home if you can.
Store your suitcases under the bed.
When you start packing for your cruise think about your suitcases, many times you can stack your case inside of each other making them very compact.
Most cruise ships made the space under the beds open so you could place your cases under there but not all so being able to nest them is a great feature.
Start your cruise off right and unpack on day 1 of the cruise; by doing this you will be able to make sure that everything has a place and is in that place.
I find that with multiple people sharing a cabin, things have a habit of getting lost. If you start the trip off by pulling everything out of your suitcases and organizing things will seem cleaner more organized. I know that less clutter can make me breath a bit easier. Plus then when some says “Mom; where is ___?”
you will know the answer.
Empty out the fridge
Sometimes there are items in the mini fridge in your cabin. It’s a good idea to remove anything that you might not want the kids to take. Like that $20 chocolate bar!
This also make room for the water, soda, or wine that you brought onboard.
Clear up any “extras”
Go through the room before your stuff start coming out and put away any of the “extras” or “unneeded” items that your cruise lime might have laid out for you.
I am talking about the pad of paper, room service book, extra water glasses, cruise member gifts; whatever you deem unnecessary to make you feel at home.
If the cabin seems very tight we will ask the room stew to remove the coffee table or the extra chair to make more room for the wheelchair.
Use the safe
I like to put all of our important paperwork in our safe up I also put anything that I might need there too. So all the event tickets, reservation conformations will go there too. That way I always know where they are.
It’s also a great place to put your car/house keys. This will ensure that you don’t leave them when you get off the ship.
Also be sure to put anything that you need to secure in your safe; jewelry, money, wallets (you wont be needing them while on board).
Pack a pop-up laundry bag.
Pop-up bags are great even if you don’t plan on doing laundry while on board.
You will not have dirty clothes tossed everywhere and at the end of the cruise you can dump all your dirty clothes into one suitcase and know that one goes straight to the laundry room once home.
Bring clothes pins
If you use clothes pins to hang you wet suits up in the bathroom you will be able to fit a lot more and they will dry faster.
Bring a USB wall charger
Most new ships will have enough spaces to plug in your electronics. But I will always pack extra just incase.
Magnetic hooks
One of my best friends in the cabin is magnetic hooks. The walls in cruise cabins are metal and that means that a strong magnetic hook can be your best friend. They work great at holding your lanyards, hats, robes, and everything else.
These one are my go to they are super strong and will stick to everything; including each other. My husband discovered this while putting the hook onto the magnet, let’s just say that we were short 2 hooks that cruise since we could not get them apart. Just make sure that you remember to pack these babies up at the end of the cruise since they are so small they are easy to forget.
Hanging shoe organizers
Hanging organizers work wonders for keeping our shoes in there place but also for holding other small items. I am found of filling it up with sunscreen, medicine bottles, makeup, hair accessories, sunglasses, and any other thing that you would like.
I like this one because it an hang in your closet or from a hook on the back of a door. Keeping it out of the way but still easily accessible. Many cruise lines have banned the over the door shoe holders because of the damage that they can do making this one a great option.
Pack a night light
The inside cabins at night are very dark, while the cabins with portholes or verandahs will have a bit of light. But when you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom once that door is shut you are in complete darkness. Instead of turning on the light and disturbing your cabin mate or blinding yourself use these little lights. They will be a great help to keep you from stubbing your toes or smashing your shin.
I like to have one in the main cabin too since they are soft light they give off just enough glow to figure out where you left that item that you just have to have at 2 am.
I find the bathroom counters are lacking in space and if you have a few people in a cabin they can get very cluttered.
Using the desk as a vanity is a great way to make sure that you are able to access everything that you need even if someone else is in the bathroom for the evening. It will also help keep the bathroom more tidy.
Suction cup tooth brush holders
These little guys will keep your toothbrushes off the counter and out of the way.
I know many use the drinking glasses to hold them up I feel the less on the counter the better. Plus if the seas are a bit rough these will make sure that your toothbrush doesn’t end up on the floor.
Suction cup trays
They also make suction cup trays that you can use on the bathroom mirror or in the shower.
I’ve never used these but do know that some find them handy. Since I am the only makeup wear, moisturizing using person in my family we really don’t need much space. But if you had multiples that use products I could definitely see a use for these.
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