30 Cruise Cabin Hacks Every Cruiser Needs to Know
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Hair dryers are standard equipment in all cabins, just like in a hotel room. That means you can leave yours at home and save some space in your bags. The only time you’ll need to bring your own is if you have a special type of hair dryer that you just have to use. The in-cabin hair dryer is one of those small hotel-style ones that isn’t terribly powerful, but is plenty for a week at sea. Are you the sort of person that packs for a month when you’re only going for a week? Good news is the cruise lines don’t have near as stringent baggage policies as the airlines.
Fly in or arrive at your cruise port a day early
50 Best Celebrity Cruises Tips & Tricks (2024) - Royal Caribbean Blog
50 Best Celebrity Cruises Tips & Tricks ( .
Posted: Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Your cruise cabin will not be as spacious as the average hotel room, but a little creativity can help overcome cruise cabin shortfalls. Tiny containers like pill organizers and contact lens cases are handy for packing small things like earrings, necklaces, small dabs of cosmetics or medications. Before you buy special travel organizers for jewelry or cosmetics, consider repurposing items you have at home. Binder clips or magnetic shower weights can help clingy curtains stay in place. Also, bring a pack of aromatic shower steamers for a cheaper version of the aromatherapy showers found in the ship's spa. Consider travel pants with zip-off legs that convert them to shorts.
Use Viator as a Safe Way To Save Money on Ports of Call Tours
You may even find some fellow cruise passengers who want to organize a private tour together, which is common on some cruise itineraries. You just never know, however I’ve seen it happen from time to time. Most cruise lines have a special drink of the day offered at a reduced price. While not free, it will likely be a few dollars less than other similar drinks on the menu.
Travel Hacking Tips for Cruisers
I learned this cruise packing hack from TPG's Ashley Kosciolek, but I learned it the hard way. I initially ignored her advice and found myself roaming the streets of Bonaire in search of duct tape to repair a scuba fin broken by baggage handlers. I've also faced cracked luggage and even sunglasses that could have been salvaged if only I'd had some duct tape. Need a place to stash that extra cookie you brought back from the buffet? Swimsuit didn't dry quickly enough to pack it on your last night?
Cruise lines go to great lengths to sanitize and keep everyone healthy. Even so, definitely use hand sanitizer, which is available all over the ship. Just head down to the dining room whenever you’re ready to eat, and they will find you a place to sit. It likely won’t be with your same waiter, but you’ll definitely get fed. Nearly every ship you sail on will have a place to get free pizza by the slice. This way you get exactly what you want instead of having to eat a slice of whatever is available.
If nothing else, the spa can provide a better place to shower than your stateroom! The showers at the spa tend to be much bigger than the small shower spaces in your cabin. Many ships also have complimentary steam rooms and saunas in the spa. Achieving a free balcony upgrade can be more difficult than ever these days. But we’ve managed to score a free balcony on three of our past four cruises.
Pack eyemasks and earplugs
If you do need to sit down to go over options, make sure to make an appointment with the Future Cruise Desk early in the cruise. Many cruise lines allow you to bring on a case of water bottles or even a small case of soda on embarkation day. Did you know that cruise lines will often charge you a $100 plus per person for the privilege of choosing a cabin. If you aren’t too picky about your stateroom location, a great way to save hundreds per cruise is to opt for a guarantee cabin. While you can put your clothes away on the shelves or in a drawer, you’ll minimize wrinkles on your clothing if you can hang as much as possible.
Hacks for getting started on your cruise packing
The decor is designed to appeal to everyone, no matter their personal tastes, with mellow or nautical colors and nothing too distracting. Storage space is often at a premium, and a cruise ship cabin's bathroom is likely far smaller than yours at home. We went through cruise tips to save money before and during your cruise, and learned many of the secrets that avid cruisers use to cruise as often as they do.
'I'm a former cruise ship employee and I've come up with these top-notch hacks' - Express
'I'm a former cruise ship employee and I've come up with these top-notch hacks'.
Posted: Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Another charger we really like for cruising is this right-priced Travel Flat Power Strip. Specifically designed for cruises, it lays flat and doesn’t take up too much space on your bedside nightstand. Filling out the hotel director questionnaire (if your cruise offers one) on your cruise is always a good idea.
If you can, look for a cabin that sits on the upper decks of the ship. No, it’s not because higher decks offer great views (although that’s a great perk!). We’d suggest everyone download the app before your cruise to use onboard. It’s much faster to download over home wi-fi instead of using your cellular network or the ship’s Internet. From heading into port to what to do with your phone, we have important tips for you to know before you sail. If you want to read the latest report for the ship you’re sailing, the CDC maintains a database of the latest scores.
A little trick is to bring a few packs of those drink flavors (available in every grocery store). Drop a pack into your water to instantly make your favorite beverage for free. It’s also a good way to get the kids to drink something other than soda while on their vacation. Even if you don’t see an entrée on the menu in the dining room, don’t think you can’t get it. You can head down to the restaurant and see if there is any room available. Sometimes people make reservations and then forget about them, freeing up space.
We’ve gotten great beach, restaurant and bar suggestions in the past. Of course the shore excursion desk staff are super helpful, and will often give you a map and some tips and recommendations. Find out info on specific cruise ports by reading reviews on Cruise Critic and other review sites and consider joining facebook groups and roll calls for your sailing.
If you’re in an interior cabin or if you tend to sleep with the black out curtains at night, consider bringing a motion sensor nightlight or battery operated tea lights. This way, if you need to get up to go to the washroom during the night you won’t disturb your partner, nor will you stub your toe. The temperature can be hard to regulate in your cabin, so if you tend to get warm, especially at night, you can bring along a small portable fan. This one is battery operated as well as by USB for convenience. Many cruisers report losing their reading glasses or even their sunglasses. It’s a good idea to bring an inexpensive pair of each of these just in case.
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