Tips & Hacks Make The Most Of Your Cruise Cabin
These cruise cabin tips and hacks will help you maximise your cruise cabins space, gain more storage and make the most of your cabin.
So, you are going on a cruise. Great! You have everything packed and ready to go. You get to your cabin and realise your home for the next week is small, lacks storage and any daylight.
Don't worry, with a few weeks, clever packing and small hacks you can transform your cabin experience forever.
1. Create More Hanging Space in your Cruise Cabin
Cruise Cabin Tips
A cruise cabin is essentially a big metal box. This is great, as you can use magnetic hooks to create more hanging space.
It’s a fantastic way to keep your cabin tidy and is handy for hanging jackets, bags or any essential items you need. We like to have a hook next to the door for our cruise lanyards so we can just grab and go.
Look out for strong magnets that hold up-to 9lb of weight.
Another tip is to pack a hanging organiser that hooks over the back of your bathroom door or in your wardrobe. They are great for toiletries, shoes or even clothes.
2. Store Your Suitcase Under The Bed
Wondering what you are going to do with your suitcase once you have unpacked? You can put it under the bed!
There is so much space under the cabin beds which is great for keeping suitcases, bags, dirty laundry or any other large items.
We then like to put all our dirty laundry back in our suitcases to keep them out the way!
3. Search For Hidden Storage in your Cabin
Haven Suite on Norwegian Bliss - © Cruise with Ben & David
Cabins are designed to use every bit of space available. Therefore, you can sometimes find storage in the most unusual places.
We have found storage hidden behind mirrors, in footstools, in the coffee table, behind the sofas and even hidden panels in the wall.
When we first enter a room, we have a good look around to make sure we are not missing any hidden storage.
4. Keep Your Cabin Tidy With a Laundry Bag
Bringing a laundry basket is a great way to keep your dirty clothes organised. A pop-up basket is a good option as it does not take up space in your suitcase and can hold lots of clothes.
Alternatively, we like to take large shopping bags. We find IKEA bags are best. They hold loads of clothes and make carrying your clothes to the ships launderette easy.
For more tips on what to pack see our Cruise Packing List.
5. Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes help you keep your packing organised and by having your luggage organised they also allow you to pack more. You can squeeze a lot into a cube and then it’s like a game of Tetris – you simply re-shuffle your cubes until they fit in your bag.
It makes getting something out of your suitcase easier. You know what in each cube so you can just grab the relevant cube rather than rummaging through your entire case. This is great particularly if you have a pre-cruise stay.
They also make unpacking easier too and can keep your cabin organised. You can leave clothes in the cubes and simply pop them away in a drawer or on a shelf.
You can find packing cubes for as little at £15/$20 on Amazon.
6. Bring The Correct Power Adapters
Photo by Frederick Tubiermont on Unsplash
Before you cruise, make sure you check what power outlets your cabin has. Most ships feature European outlets and one other type such as US or British.
Therefore we always take power adaptors to make the most of all the outlets in the cabin. Even if you are from the USA, packing a simple $5 European adapter gives you an extra outlet.
Even better is a universal adapter. These are great as they work in most plugs around the world.
Cabins, particularly on older ships, don't have many power outlets. So we also like to take an adaptor that has multiple USB outlets. This gives us extra charging points for our phones, tablets and cameras.
Ships are getting better by adding USB outlets. You can find these on the desk and under your bedside light.
A good cruise cabin tip is to check under the bed for extra power outlets. You will usually find these on each side of the bed for the bedside lamps to be plugged in.
7. Pack A Night Light
Spa Cabin on Norwegian Bliss (c)Cruise with Ben & David
Cruise cabins, especially inside cabins, are dark. Finding your way to the toilet during the night can be a challenge. Therefore we like to pack a nightlight that we can leave in the toilet for those night-time bathroom trips.
Alternatively, a small torch left by your bed is also great so you can find your way in the evening.
8. Pack a Portable Speaker
This may not be on everyone's essential list, but we love having music in our cabin. It makes getting ready for an evening so much more enjoyable.
We use our portable speaker while enjoying a night on the balcony. But please remember your neighbours and don't have it too loud.
9. Use A Room Spray
Saga Spirit of Discovery Bathrooms (c)Cruise with Ben & David
Let’s face it, everyone needs to do "business". Cruise cabins are small and unless you have a balcony - don't have fresh air. Therefore, we love to take room freshener.
Even outside the bathroom, we use it to freshen the cabin up each day.
One of the best cruise cabin tips we have been given and we love it. We take a different scent each time so that it reminds us of a particular sailing. Our personal favourite is the Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton.
10. Disinfectant Your Cabin
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
We always get our cruise off to a clean start by disinfecting the cabin when we arrive. While the room stewards do a fantastic job keeping cabins neat and tidy — it is nice not to worry about germs or getting sick.
We recommend packing either disinfectant spray or wipes, such as Clorox wipes. These make cleaning your cabin easy and quick. Key areas we clean are all handles, light switches, TV remote, phone and any other surfaces you will touch.
Another cruise cabin tip is to check the bed for any bed bugs and wash any glassware in the room before you use it. Plus, remember to wash your hands regularly.
More cruise cabin tips
Looking for more cruise cabin tips? Wondering which cabin is best for you? Read our guide to choosing the right cabin.