Cruise passengers heading off on much-anticipated holidays are often left surprised at just how compact cabins can be – but packing experts have revealed how a stateroom can be made to feel much roomier with minimum outlay.
While it can cost hundreds to upgrade to the next bracket of accommodation on a liner – with indoor cabins the cheapest, rising to grand balcony suites that send prices soaring, taking along space-saving devices in your suitcase can make a world of difference, say those in the know.
More traditional cruise liner holidays in particular see passengers bringing their best holiday wardrobes along with them – with gowns and tuxedos for formal nights often taking up vital space in rooms.
Cruise experts Daniel Kline and Dennis Post revealed on a travelhost.com podcast the inexpensive travel hacks that can kill clutter in small cabins – and they cost less than a fiver.
The duo said that while cruise companies have tried to invest in space-saving ideas, adding in a multitude of knobs and hooks to newer staterooms, places to store clothes can still be hard to come by.
However, snapping up a foldable storage organiser – which can cost as little as a £1 – that’s roughly the same size and weight as a simple t-shirt can transform the often tiny bathroom that guests face.
Dennis Post said investing in a hangable roll-up mini-wardrobe means you could replicate a bathroom cupboard without filling up vital space around the sink.
‘Hang it on the bathroom door on the inside, put all the toiletries in it. It clears off the counter space, there isn’t much anyway, but you can have it all organised right there.
A cruise holiday is often a glamorous affair – with formal nights requiring glad rags – but compact cabin sizes can leave passengers with space issues
Taking along your own space saving devices can help to beat a cluttered cabin on a voyage
‘The kids know to get a band-aid there, they know to get the medicine there, toothpaste, toothbrushes, simple…’
It’s worth investing in easy-to-store devices – including foldable shoe racks – if you’re on a budget – because there continues to be bargains aplenty to be had if you can bear to wave goodbye to a seaview.
Major lines including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line offer bargain deals on windowless rooms – which are traditionally in a ship’s interior – because they don’t have the panoramic views that most tourists lust after.
Earlier this week, a cruise fan revealed how’s shed managed to secure a cut-price stay on one of the world’s most lusted after luxury liners.
For just £99, Jenni Fielding – who calls herself ‘Cruise Mummy’ on social media -boarded Cunard’s new Queen Anne ship – and shared her experiences in a YouTube video.
Taking along a plastic space saver that you can hang on the back of a cramped bathroom door is a game changer
Jenni wrote alongside the clip: ‘When I spotted a luxurious cruise on Cunard’s brand new Queen Anne for £99, I couldn’t believe it.
‘You get two nights, all of your food, all of your entertainment… it’s cheaper than one night in a Premier Inn!’
She made the journey from Hamburg to Southampton and shared how the journey played out.
After an hour and a half spent in the check-in queue, Jenni made it on board.
She started with a stop at the buffet and a quick room tour.
‘I love it, it’s so nice,’ she says.
‘It’s an inside cabin, which means no balcony, no windows, but that’s alright.’
She showed the large TV and bed as well as the desk area and all the brochures and info she’s been given.
‘If you want to get fresh flowers in your room, you can,’ she explains, before taking us around the rest of the cabin.
Jenni said: ‘It is actually pretty spacious.’ There’s free sparkling wine which everybody gets, as well as a kettle and biscuits.
She added that the minibar – which looks ‘tempting’ – is not as overpriced as she expected. And the spacious wardrobes and ‘lovely’ stocked up bathroom were great additions.
She concluded: ‘Is Cunard for me? Unfortunately no, I love the lunches but for dinner for a week personally I would struggle. If you’re a meat and two veg person, you’ll love it.
‘This ship is beautiful, stunning. But the main takeaway is just having a little short cruise, a cheap getaway, is lovely.
‘It’s so worth it – especially if you’re the sort of person who’s go, go, go all the time and you just want to chill out for a couple of days.
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