5 Things Smart Cruisers Do To Keep Their Cabins Organised

Cruise ship cabins are very well designed to make the most of the available space. That said, they often aren’t as large as a hotel room on land, so you have to be quite organised so that you can find everything you need.

If you are sharing a cabin with children, family or friends, this is even more important.

Many cruise cabins can accommodate up to four adults – but that means you have to find room for four adults clothes and toiletries too! It can be a bit of a quite a squeeze!

Here are some ideas to make your life easier when you sail!

#1 Suitcase

It’s always worth seeing if you can fit your suitcases underneath the bed once they are empty.

If you can’t, you might have to keep them in the hanging space area of the wardrobe/closet. This is no where near as good, it takes up precious hanging and shoe storage space.

In the past, when I have shared a room with my family and space is at a premium, the Cabin Steward has offered to take away the cases and bring them back at the end of the cruise. It is always worth asking if you are struggling to store them in your cabin.

If you can put your suitcase under the bed, it is easy to throw your dirty clothes in there at the end of the day. When it comes to packing your things at the end of the cruise, all your dirty laundry will be together. This saves time and effort.

#2 Find A Place For Shoes

Find a place for shoes and keep them there, so you don’t keep falling over them!

Sometimes I keep my shoes under the desk, or under the bed. If there is enough space, I may keep them in the bottom of the wardrobe.

I try not to pack too many pairs of shoes, they are heavy, take up a lot of space in your suitcase, and you probably don’t need multiple pairs.

I tend to pack comfortable walking shoes, trainers/sneakers, and nude-coloured sandals that will go with any dress or outfit.

#3 Use A Large Toiletry Bag

There is often a shortage of space in cruise ship bathrooms, so try not to bring lots of stuff you don’t really need.

Shelf space is often at a premium – or in some cases – non-existent! If you have all of your toiletries in one large bag, you won’t be forever losing stuff.

Cruise Ship Bathroom Examples

I tend to bring one big toiletry bag. My Mia Tui toiletry bag has a hook, and you unfold it and hang it on the back of the door.

I leave all my toiletries in here and use it at home too.

Find out about the smallest ever bathroom I have had on the luxury cruise line Azamara below:

#4 “Bits And Bobs” Drawer

I usually find a “Bits and Bobs” drawer – usually the one in the desk, opposite the bed.

Here I keep the things I like to tidy away when I leave the cabin. I store things like chargers, paperwork, binoculars, and sunglasses in this drawer.

These are things I will need regularly, but I don’t want to leave them on the top, cluttering up the space so that the poor cabin steward can’t tidy the cabin.

Bonus Tip: Consider Packing Cubes

A great hack for keeping things organised is buying a set of packing cubes.

You can pack all of your T-shirts in one cube, all of your underwear in another, etc. When you unpack your case, you can just put a cube in each drawer, and you will know exactly where to find that particular T-shirt you want to wear.

They come in a range of sizes. My Mum always uses the smallest one for essential makeup and jewellery when she travels, rather than bringing every piece of make up she owns.

This fits neatly onto a bathroom shelf or the area beside the sink.

Find out about the packing cubes I use – and why – in the video below:

Before You Go

Find out why the cabin on Norwegian Prima was my favourite balcony cabin ever below:

Inside my Favourite Balcony Cabin I’ve Ever Stayed In (Norwegian Prima)

Find out about the bathroom I had in my cabin on Costa Smeralda, it had one very quirky feature:

Nowhere to Hide! – I Stayed in The Weirdest Cruise Ship Cabin – Costa Smeralda