Are you getting ready for a cruise but feeling anxious about staying in a small cabin? Or worse, sharing a cabin with your kids? We all know that cruise ship cabins can be quite compact, but there are ways to make the most of the limited space and increase the storage in your cabin. Keep reading for some cruise tips on how to maximize the storage space of a small cruise cabin and make your vacation more comfortable!
How to Maximize Cruise Ship Cabin Storage
1. Store Your Luggage Under Your Bed
One thing that many new cruisers don’t realize is that there is usually a void at the bottom of your bed where you can store your luggage. Given the limited space available in most cruise cabins, it can quickly become difficult to move around if you have any large bags taking up precious room.
So after unpacking, store your luggage under the bed, to get them out of the way and free up floor space in your cabin.
2. Use Your Luggage as Extra Storage
Instead of leaving your empty luggage under the bed, you can use it as an extra storage space for things that you won’t need to access.
For example, when you buy souvenirs, it’s a good idea to store them in your luggage since you won’t be needing them during your cruise. Also, if you have things that you’ll only need at specific ports, like your snorkel gear, it’s smart to keep them in your empty luggage and get them when you reach the port where you’ll need them.
By using your luggage as storage, you’ll save precious closet space. It’s also a good idea to store big valuable items in your luggage, such as designer bags, to keep them out of sight. But make sure to lock your luggage!
3. Use Packing Cubes
One way to maximize space in your cruise cabin is to pack your clothes in packing cubes. Not only do these packing cubes compress your clothes, but they also keep them organized.
Keeping your clothes in the packing cubes makes it easy to unpack when you arrive at your cabin. You can simply put the cubes directly into the shelves and drawers. This keeps everything tidy and in its place.
I usually buy a set of packing cubes for each family member, and I make sure to get different colors for each person. This way, it’s easy to identify which cube belongs to whom. It’s a good idea to label the cubes to make it easier to identify the contents.
I like these packing cubes, they come in fun colors and different sizes too. The small ones are perfect for keeping items like bathing suits, underwear, and goggles, while the larger ones can store your T-shirts and shorts.
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4. Ask for Extra Hangers
I prefer to hang all my dresses, formal wear, dress shirts, blouses, and pants to keep them wrinkle free. But with four people sharing one cabin, we always run out of hangers.
To avoid this, I always request some extra hangers from my cabin steward. Normally, I do this on the first day, before unpacking, so that I can hang as many clothes as possible with the additional hangers.
5. Double Up on Hangers
We never have enough space on the closet hanging rod. To make the most of the limited space in my cruise cabin closet, I have found that doubling up on hangers can help.
For example, I often hang multiple sundresses on one hanger to optimize space. I also double up on pants in one hanger.
6. Use the Walls
When it comes to maximizing storage space in a small cruise cabin, you need to think vertically. The cruise cabin walls are magnetic so an easy way to use it for storage is to bring magnetic hooks.
I use these magnetic hooks to hang baseball caps, wet bathing suits, belts, cruise lanyards, bags and towels. It keeps things organized and prevent clutter from building up.
I’ve also used these magnetic hooks in my cabin bathroom. I use them to hang clothes in the bathroom.
7. Use Laundry Bags
I always make it a point to pack a couple of laundry bags whenever I go on a cruise. These bags come in handy for storing our dirty clothes. When the bags are full, I put them in my luggage under the bed.
This way, our dirty laundry is out of sight and does not take up any of the limited closet space in our cabin. I like these mesh laundry bags because they air out damp clothes and prevent any unpleasant odors from building up.
8. Find Secret Storage
Did you know that some cruise ship cabins have secret storage compartments? These extra storage space can be difficult to find, but if you poke around, you might discover them.
For example, if you have a coach in your room, you may be able to find a storage area underneath it. Also, some cruise beds have storage at the end of the bed.
To make sure you don’t miss out on any storage, it’s always a good idea to ask your cabin steward to point out any extra space you may have overlooked.
One important thing to keep in mind when using these secret nooks as storage is that it’s very easy to forget about the items you’ve stored there. To avoid leaving anything behind, make a mental note to pack these items before you leave the ship. Double-check before you disembark!
9. Store Life Vests
One trick I use to create extra storage space in my cruise cabin is to move our life vests from the top shelf of the closet to under the bed. Doing so frees up the top shelf of the closet, which comes in handy for storing items we don’t use often, like dress shoes.
Just make sure that the life vests are not placed too deep under the bed, they should be easily accessible in case of an emergency. It’s also a good idea to remember to return the life vests back to the closet before leaving the ship so that the next cruise passenger can locate them easily.
Check out these cruise packing lists with free printables
Alaska cruise packing list
Caribbean cruise packing list
How to Pack Light for a Cruise So You Don’t Have to Check In Luggage (Free Packing List)
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8 Warning Signs You Booked a Bad Cruise
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