Cruise ship cabins are small and most are between 165 and 185 square feet (15.3 to 17.2 square meters).
That's dramatically smaller than the average budget hotel room, which averages 325 square feet.
Most cruise lines, especially on the newer ships, have become very smart when it comes to designing their rooms. from the royal caribbean (RCL) The new flagship, Icon of the Seas, takes advantage of every inch of space in its cabins.
Related: Carnival and Royal Caribbean fail to offer a popular activity
There are drawers above the bed and cleverly hidden storage spaces throughout the room. The ship, the first of its kind, also has a redesigned bathroom where the shower swaps out the cruise line's round design for one that is more rectangular. It doesn't take up more space, but somehow it feels bigger.
When building a ship from scratch, Royal Caribbean considered how every inch would be used. That's why Icon's cabins have more plugs and USB ports in more places than any ship in the fleet. Some of those ports are located near the beds, so passengers can charge their phones while they sleep.
Generally, the newer the boat, the better it will make use of the space. This is true for all cruise lines as they have learned from each other and from guest feedback.
Still, no matter how smart cruise lines are, the 185 feet can't be put to good use. That's why passengers themselves have found clever ways to make the most of that space.
Carnival Cruise Line. (CCL) Brand ambassador John Heald recently shared a popular space-saving hack and his many followers contributed some ideas of their own.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Carnival shares a trick in the cabin of a cruise ship
Most cruise ship cabins have adequate space between a large closet and several drawers to store your things. That's easier when two people share a room and becomes more challenging with each person you add.
It's also a challenge to keep clean clothes separate from dirty ones. Heald shared a solution to that problem from a Carnival passenger.
“John Heald Why haven't you told everyone that when they put their suitcase under the bed they should do it open and flat so they can use it as a drawer to leave dirty things?” wrote the passenger.
The brand ambassador, who usually travels alone, was surprised by this trick.
“Wow, I never thought about that. But then again, you're more likely to find Princess Kate under my bed than you are to bag my tips,” he added.
Carnival passengers share their own tricks
Many of Heald's followers had their own methods of handling dirty laundry.
“We have a pop-up hamper that we put in the corner of our stateroom and put our dirty clothes in there like we do at home. We put all of our travel gear inside the suitcase so it's not empty when we put it under the bed,” he wrote Chastity Spurrier Rosebrock.
One passenger uses that method but added an additional tip.
“I've always done that. I have common sense… I also put dryer sheets in a little baggie with a few drops of detergent to keep it smelling fresh,” Theresa Lauren shared.
Tina Smith said she used a variation of the method Heald shared.
“I put my carry-on at the bottom of the closet, upright on the wheels, and unzipped the top. I use it as a hamper for my trip,” she wrote.
Judy Morris had a low-tech solution to the question of what to do with dirty laundry.
“I bring a garbage bag from the kitchen that I keep in the closet to store dirty clothes,” she suggested.
Sara White offered a different way to create more space in a cabin.
“We leave the things we don't need daily in the suitcase. Then we slide the suitcase under the bed without closing it for easy access. We keep a laundry bag in the closet,” she posted.
