Cruise ship cabins offer very little space. A traditional cabin is 50-60 square meters of space, half the size of a traditional hotel room, which can be shared by up to four people.
Because space is at a premium, cruise ship passengers have adopted a variety of different space hacks. Some people swear by using magnetic hooks to hold a few items on the wall.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line quietly brings back a popular food
Cruise ship cabins are metal, so magnets stick, and magnetic hooks can help keep hats, T-shirts and other items handy while freeing up storage space. In other cases, passengers use shoe bags, which can be hung on the front door of the cabin.
That storage method can be used for shoes, as well as other items like sunscreen and other loose items that can clutter up the room. In all cases, the challenge is how to find a place for everything when two (or more) people share a space that typically has a closet with a hanging rod, a handful of drawers, and maybe some hidden storage space (look above the beds).
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald recently answered a question on his facebook page that will help passengers on major cruise lines find more space.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or first) cruise.
Image source: Dan Kline/Come Cruise With Me
Carnival shares a trick for storing things in the cabin
Heald shares his questions publicly, rather than answering them directly, when he thinks his answer will help more people. He recently answered a question about cabin storage.
“We are trying to get ready for our next cruise. No one will help us with the answer to our question. We would like to store our suitcases under the bed and since we have several sets of luggage to choose from, knowing how high that space is will help us choose the best pieces to take. We will be in a cabin in Havana on the Panorama ship, if that makes any difference,” the next passenger asked.
Heald was clear with his answer.
“Thanks, and the simple answer is that if you have a normal-sized suitcase and not a case like the one a roadie for the rock band Throbbing Gristle would use, it will probably fit under your bed,” he wrote.
Placing luggage under the bed means you won't have to leave it outside or take up valuable closet space. However, for many passengers, this trick goes beyond simply storing luggage.
Your luggage can be stored in the cabin.
Heald posted another comment on some of the responses she received to her original post about storing luggage under the bed.
“Some of you have been telling me that you don't unpack, but instead you put clothes in the suitcase, you put the suitcase under the bed but take it out when you need something so it acts as a drawer,” she wrote.
This is something that more than 1,800 of his followers had an opinion on.
“I keep mine under the bed, but I hang up the dressy clothes. My everyday clothes are in Ziploc bags ready to grab every day and stored in drawers,” Jaime Riddle shared.
Other respondents shared that they don't use their luggage once they unpack it.
“We completely unpacked and put those suitcases under the bed. I have to have a neat and organized cabin, otherwise I want to clean up and that's not what I have in mind for vacation,” shared Debbie Brygider Range.
Many reported using their luggage to store dirty clothes.
“I unpack everything, put things in drawers, hang up what I can. I don't want to live out of a suitcase. I put the biggest suitcase as a laundry basket and the rest under the bed,” added Trisha Napper.
READ ALSO: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
Many passengers use a suitcase to store dirty clothes.
“We unpack everything and then put the suitcases under the bed for storage. We usually take out one suitcase a day to put in the laundry basket and then put it back under the bed,” posted Shaun Renee Paulsen.
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals and news from our cruise experts.
