Cruise passengers have all kinds of tricks to make their cabins appear larger. Some people bring shoe bags for added storage, while others swear by using magnetic clips since the walls of their stateroom are, in fact, metal.
Cruise lines have also been working to make their staterooms as useful as possible. On newer ships, virtually every available area has been converted to storage, and on ships like Royal Caribbean's newest flagship, Icon of the Seas, passengers may not even discover all the storage, USBs and the sockets that the company has cleverly placed even in the most basic cabin.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Ships May Add Key Disney World tech
Cruise lines, however, work with very limited space. The average cruise ship interior cabin is between 160 and 185 square feet. That's about half the size of an average hotel room.
To make a room that size work, companies like Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line put a lot of attention into every inch of their cabin. Sofa beds and Pullman beds (beds that open or fold away from the ceiling or wall) are obvious solutions, but in recent years, cabins have become more useful as cruise lines get smarter. .
Sometimes, however, it seems that such cleverness can lead to problems and cruise passengers may think that something is not what it really is. This can lead to a dangerous situation, according to Carnival Cruise Line. (CCL) Brand ambassador John Heald.
Image Source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival cabins contain a useful item.
Heald was mostly absent from social media on May 25 because he wasn't feeling well. He returned briefly because he learned of a problem he wanted to correct.
“I have risen from my sick bed to post this and help,” he wrote. “It appears that someone on another facebook group page has been informing people that the box in the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee cabins is actually a cooler/cooler.”
The box you are referring to is a freestanding square that has no cord, plug, or any visible means of powering on.
“This has resulted in people complaining that theirs does not cool their drinks and possibly in one case their medications. They are not refrigerators. They are feces and they are storage units,” he shared.
It's actually a smart use of space, but it's certainly not a place designed to keep things cold.
“Flip the top cover over and you have a side table,” he added. “Thank you, I just wanted to help, and a big thank you to our brilliant senior hotel manager, Pierre, for letting me know about this.”
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Carnival passengers share their disbelief
Most cruise ship cabins contain a cooler that can keep items cold and is not a full refrigerator. Passengers who require a refrigerator for medical or other reasons should contact their cruise line before sailing.
Most of the more than 550 comments on Heald's post were surprised that people made that particular mistake.
“Whatever wipes out the human race, I think I've decided we deserve it. I can literally feel my IQ drop every time I read some of the questions, comments, and requests here. I don't know how JH does this every time.” days,” wrote Malcolm Landry.
Others seemed surprised that someone could make this mistake.
“Wow, and how did they think it was supposed to stay cold? No plug, no battery, no ice, so how could it be a cooler?” Missi Brown added.
Many respondents also shared that they liked the stool/storage unit for its intended purposes.
“That was my favorite addition to the cabin… I really hope all the other boats have it… but I hope people don't use them as a refrigerator,” Karen Deviney Racy posted.
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“We put our memories in it! Awesome extra storage space,” added Melinda Murphy Morris.
