Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Here are the details: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner
Good, solid advice! The best tip I can give anyone regardless of what type of a stateroom they are in, is to keep the clutter at bay. Clutter will make your room feel smaller and more cramped. We opt for an inside stateroom on the majority of our cruises. The difference in the cost of an inside vs. balcony stateroom can often be significant. The savings allows us to do excursions or book more cruises. I actually don't mind an inside stateroom. They are typically quiet, and you feel less motion. For napping or sleeping they are great.
Good that you mention the bridge cam on your tv .For those who are prone to sea sickness , you can see the waves coming and anticipate the ship rocking. Helps a bit.
+/- 15 Cruises here. MAGNETS MAGNETS MAGNETS!!! I discovered this trick 2 cruises ago, and it is amazing how we ever got onto a steel ship without them. A caveat: They come in different strengths/power. More is better, even if you need a crowbar to remove them when you disembark. Those hanging bags become very heavy, and even though I got the medium strength from Amazon, I needed more. My gym bag hangs on a wall in the closet, it gets heavy, it sinks. When in doubt, you are better off with a more powerful magnet. Next, hanging shoe bags are a god send. They collapse into nothing for your suitcase, they weigh next to nothing, and when in use, take up very little volume, as opposed to a large amount of floor space. Last, the ubiquitous zip lock bags. Don't leave home without them. You don't need a box worth, and don't pack a BOX worth. 4-5, especially the gallon size slip into that front compartment of your suitcase that holds next to nothing. Anything leakable goes in a bag. Soggy bathing suits go into a bag. Illana, I found your site about 2 weeks ago. I'm falling in love with you! We just scheduled a Princess cruise, our first, and you've been a godsend regarding the ships, the line, and cruising in general. Thank you!
I was wondering this exact thing, how strong the magnet hooks should be. The “sag” is no good. Obviously, the magnets get much more expensive as you go up in power.
@@LifeWellCruised , thank you for specifying to go for the 75 lb magnets. You saved the day. Also, Ilana I’m so impressed by how responsive you are to comments on your videos ❤️
Btw. I really liked the Princess cruise line. We have also been on Royal, but I prefer Princess. We will be trying other cruise lines to see which one we like better. I think Celebrity comes highly recommended due to food. But will find out next time.
Wow I’m early and this is the exact video I needed to see. I’m going on my first cruise Saturday! I didn’t know much when booking it and got an inside cabin. Also your videos have helped me so much, I feel very prepared!! 💗
We have taken over 50 cruises, mostly in an indoor cabin. Have not found it to be a problem. We mainly sail on Celebrity; their inside cabins are 170 - 200 sq. feet. We go up on deck and have a 360 degree view of the ocean. We did enjoy a balcony on a river cruise in Europe because you see beautiful sights along the river: vineyards, castles, quaint homes, etc.
Hi, Ilana! I used some of your suggestions in my last cruises and I also told my customers. All agreed on how much of a life saver the packing cubes were. One of my customers told me “I have never had a suitcase so organized”. We were 3 women in a balcony cabin and all three got cubes in different colors. Oh boy, it was so easy to get our clothes every day and the pack/unpack process was faster and smoother. Also the non-power surge cube was a life sever as well as the magnetic cubes and clips. Thanks for all the tips!!
Over the door organizers are great! The only problem is that you can't put it on the bathroom door because it won't close and there usually is a couple of hangers on the door. I recommend that you put it along the wall. The magnets that you recommended I also recommend! Use these magnets to hold the door organizer except put the magnets on the ceiling, which will give the magnets a greater holding strength and they won't slide down the wall. Your motion sensor night light is awesome! I recommend it also! You can also use door magnets on your door to spruce it up. There are so many to chose from and what's also something to remember is that you can get extra magnet clings and you can spruce up your walls in your cabin! Give your cabin a special touch to make it yours!
We have found packing cubes are great; not only for packing but putting a lot of clothes in a small space. With airline flights being a nightmare, cross pack your clothes. Put several days worth of clothes in your spouse’s suitcase and some of theirs in yours. That way if a case gets lost you can get by.
Just got off Symphony. I used so many of your tips, hacks and recommended products. I used the Ultimate Cruise Planner and it made my life so much easier. We used the magnetic hooks on the ceiling to hang a cloth shower curtain to separate the cabin into 2 areas for our teenage daughter. It gave her some space of her own. We had it pulled back during the day and down at night. It was great!!!
That’s a really smart tip to separate the cabin!! Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad the tips and the cruise planner were helpful. Thanks for your purchase :)
A group of friends, my son, and I will be going on our first cruise in January. We are just getting interiors to make sure everyone likes being on a cruise before investing in an Alaskan cruisetour. This video was exactly what we needed. Your videos have been invaluable and a great stress reducer as we plan.
Great idea. Honestly an inside cabin still gives you every bit of the cruise experience (minus the outdoor balcony of course). I’m so glad to hear my videos have been helpful as you plan :)
I purchased my small folding cube from a sewing store and was even able to get a foldable divider for it. I also noticed that several office stores are now carrying them as well. I like to keep a small flashlight lantern combo in my cube as well. Sometimes we take a motion sensor night light.
On my first cruise this Friday on an inside cabin, thank you for all your videos, you have been a blessing to be well prepared for everything. I feel like you gave me all the information needed for this trip!!! So excited and again thank you for sharing 🎉
We found the over the door shoe organizer overkill for just the two of us. I found a six compartment mesh “shower” organizer at my local dollar store. I took three of them with us and only used two. Gifted the cabin attendant with the extra one.
Storing the luggage UNDER the bed is such a great tip. I will definitely be trying that next time because we were storing our luggage IN the closest. And we were lucky that we had that room, since we didn’t have much stuff hanging. We like to bring tshirts/tanks, shorts/leggings so none of that stuff would look bad if wrinkled. We only hung our formal wear items. We also stored shoes that we weren’t wearing at the bottom of the closet as well. But I have to say, having the over the door (pocket organizer) was very useful because we stored our Nick/Nack items in that (Ie. sewing kit, medicines, hats, sunglasses, sunblock, after sun, laundry and dish detergents, ziplock bags, … etc.) in those pockets, which we hung over the closet door. So we had plenty of surface space to house our electronic items and chargers. I also brought a cheap dollar tree over the door hanger and hung that over the door of the bathroom and hung our coats.
I accidently ran into one of your cruising informational videos and have not stopped watching your other videos. I am not a new cruiser but I also have not looked at cruising as you have educated me in your videos. I am going on a cruise soon and have taken many of your cruising suggestions. I especially like your suggestions of the magnetic hooks to help minimize clutter and maximize the small space.
We've never been in an inside cabin, but we did an Oceanview on a Princess cruise in Alaska. That was the right decision. We saw the big views, which were fabulous. We didn't want to watch those views from a cold balcony. Smart decision. Incidentally, we saw zero pool swimmers on that cruise.
So glad I found your channel. I’m in the middle of my first cruise and followed so many of your hacks. It made a big difference in keeping things neat and organized.
Folding storage boxes are awesome. Dollar store. They pack flat and for someone with ocd I hate visual clutter. For laundry i use those XL plastic bags that can be rolled up to get all the air out, space bags I think. Also there are those push lights that are battery operated for a night light at the dollar store as well as battery operated tea lights you can place around the cabin to give an ambient glow. We love balcony cabins but use these tips. Oh and we have actually used those extra tables on the balcony as footstools because they give you 1 table and both of us want to put our feet up.
Our attendant prob knew I did my homework by watching your vids… and gave us extra hangers as soon as he saw us unpacking😂 He was intuitive! Thanks for your tips
We bring quite a few things on hangers. Put 2 - 3 pairs of pants or capri pants on one hanger. Also have 2 shirts on one hanger. We use both felt hangers and plastic hangers. The plastic hangers are good for hanging damp or wet clothes in the bathroom or on the magnetic hooks in the cabin. It’s easier and quicker for us to unload our hanging items into the closet. Love the packing cubes for drawers (underwear, T shirts, shorts, sleepwear, etc.)
thanks for so many tips that I have been applying. I found the cabin steward will replace the small/narrow chairs on the balcony for larger deck chairs that fit my plus size. I was going to buy magnetic clips but I have a lot of those black clamps. Then Instead of applying superglue, I found some craft magnet buttons, which had adhesive on the back that I already had.. trued to see how it held up so used a few to put packing and other pages on the fridge to see if they held up. yay! made do with what I had.
Just what I needed, I have shopping to do 😬. Our first cruise is in December and it’s 14 days AND we are booked in an inside cabin 👍. Cannot wait!! Oh, I love the idea about putting the tv on to the channel for the front of the ship 👍 no need for alarms
We take inside cabins in our b2b2b2b Caribbean cruises. Now retired I do not get up at 4:00😉 I really like the led alarm clock and night light. Thanx for the outline.
Hi this is Astrid I don’t know if this is the right one. I should say this song but I’m gonna say it anyway I really like to bring reversible dresses at saves on packing. The dresses are a little bit more expensive. Sometimes you can find them at a good price when they have sales, but to be honest, that is a great way to go. Also, I take a little shower mat and a little rug for outside the shower because I’m a senior citizen and I don’t want to fall so those are some things that I do and I really appreciate you and I enjoy watching you thank you have a blessed one
Hi Ilana! My family & I just got back from our first cruise yesterday! We sailed on the Norwegian Joy to Bermuda and we enjoyed it very much! Your videos were so informative and helped us to be prepared on and off the ship (almost as if we weren't first time cruisers!). Thank you so much for your invaluable cruise tips & tricks!! 😊😊😊
Love the magnet idea. Thanks. I use the sunrise alarm clock & love it. Listening to this video I realized how "low maintenance" I am! No makeup & I let my hair air dry. All I bring is my Young Living (YL) Essential Oil skin care, YL bar of soap & I fill up my travel bottles with YL shampoo & conditioner & lotion. I also bring a diffuser & multiple oils. Room smells so good.
Inside is a tight fit, dark is very accurate. For the dirties, we use 13gal bags. Smaller might be better, they tuck and fill crevices. Anything to reduce clutter will help, under the bed, find it. Magnets are nice, check the vertical test for lbs on your fridge, in cabin might be less. Over the doors hangers work, check for clearance. Just a thought. Have fun! fun! fun! I'm partial to strawberry daqueries. I'm with Yogi at the pool bar.
Ilana, this was great advice! I have been on over 100 cruises but haven't cruised since March 2020, I will feel like a "newbie" after all this time! We haven't booked an inside cabin in years & years, but our first jump into cruising again will be an inside cabin.
Some may not like this but here goes. What do you do with the dirty clothes. I bring a mesh laundry bag and hang out up on the bathroom door (I have no use for the shoe organizer). When it's time to pack up, I can throw the whole thing in the suitcase, squish it all down and close up. We only sail carnival and there has always been a hook on the bathroom door. If not, shove it under the bed. Febreeze is handy.
I went on a cruise with people with learning disabilty and I had no control what room I was in we had no windows Too dark I was upset no balcony Thank you Also I was upset with staff I I was with I feel cruse staff are wonderful Thank you for nice video
Just when I thought I knew what a small cabin was - I watched a video on the "La Lido Loca" YT channel, where he stayed in a 99 square foot inside cabin for single travelers! Shower and sink IS IN THE sleeping room. Although it does come with shared access to a private lounge.
Great advice. My 2 biggest tips are don't over pack and be kind to your room steward and keep your room tidy. Also for the ladies, please be respectful with your feminine supplies. You can purchase nice wrappers from Amazon.
Hi Ilana, on both the Celebrity Millennium and Summit the night time bathroom night light is just enough coming below the bathroom door to allow one to find their way. We're doing Ocean View Deck 3 in December for our next 10 night cruise on the Constellation. Figure we spend very little time in the cabin so no need for veranda. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut
Our cabin had a motion-activated light just above the floor between the bed area and the bathroom. It lit up the floor perfectly and wasn't too bright otherwise. Coolest thing since sliced bread and I want one for my house!
Some of these certainly work for a non-inside cabin also. Our first cruise was supposed to be inside, but the cruise got cancelled and we had a balcony on the replacement cruise. Then I tried to get an inside for our Med cruise, but the ocean view was cheaper, and with all the price breaks we wound up in a two room suite....I think I'm not meant to be in an inside cabin.
our first cruise we had the tiniest inside cabin, you could hardly move in there. we tried to put our suicases under the bed but there was some big white metal contraption under there, so we ended up having to put one suitcase between the beds (we had to seperate the beds as there was no room to get into bed and walk past the wardrobe otherwise) and the other suitcase in front of the bathroom door and then everytime we wanted to go to the bathroom or go to bed we had to move the suitcases, the cabin was crazily small
Thank you Ilana.....I absolutely LOVE your videos...... the information you provide is so helpful ! I have your planner too which is so well set out and I can't wait to use it for our cruise . Just a quick question......are the walls in the bathrooms magnetic ? I will be travelling on a Princess cruise . Thank you once again !
Great question. They were on my last cruise on Celebrity, so my guess is yes on Princess (the walls were). Thanks for your purchase and I’m so glad the cruise planner is helpful:)
Hi Ilana....just returned from a Coral Princess cruise (mini suite).....just to give you feedback .....the only thing magnetic in the bathroom was the door....which is great if you need to add more magnetic hooks for hanging things 🙂
Great info as always! I've a question about magnets. I purchased the ones you recommended and I still have them in the box they came in. I would like to take only half, but I'm wondering if there's a "correct" way to transport them. I don't want to accidentally demagnetize credit cards. Thank you!
That’s a good question. Mine are set up and ready, and I just place them in an “essentials “ bag with other items. I haven’t had an issue, but would not keep credit cards in the same area
When using a suitcase as a hamper during the cruise, I find it easier to place it upright (wheels on the floor) in the closet and have the top unzipped so I can just stuff clothes into it. Seems like too much of a hassle to pull it out from under the bed repeatedly.
I always ask for the beds to be split. I definitely think it creates an optical illusion of extra space. Love the dryer sheet in the dirty laundry bag. Definitely going to try that.
First cruise we went on back in 2008 was an inside cabin since then it's been a balcony for us. Will never go back inside, like being able to see and smell the ocean when I wake up.
Love your tips and your channel. Thank you❣️ I tried the tip of asking for the small table to be removed, it really is in our way, and Princess wouldn't remove it. Said it was part of the set. 😕
Years ago we sailed on an older Royal Caribbean ship and the inside cabin was so small. Every day you would see another piece of cabin furniture out in the hall. People moved small tables and chairs into the hall so that they would have more room in their cabin.
Thank you so much for your great content. We just got back from a cruise on Summit to Bermuda. Concierge balcony. 8079. So nice...highly recommend. We booked a cruise in Sept. on Oasis out of Bayonne. An inside room. I LOVE where you talk about removing unnecessary furniture from the room. But upon reading blogs, often the attendants say they have no where to store it. Have you had consistent luck having that accommodated? Is it only on certain cruise lines that they would do that? Thanks!!!
@LifeWellCruised, for inside cabins, I also have taken inside cabins and was able to get a discount. There needs to be a perk on how to get a discount from adding a third person. Even with a person being 55 plus, I still cant get a discount. I have been on cruises where I paid a big disocunt for being the last add on person whether it was sleeping on a fold up bed in the middle of the room or sleeping on the couch pull out bed. Now on an RC it is MORE expensive and not less to add a third person when dividing the cost than if it was only two people. What can be done about this for any future bookings or changes?
our very first cruise was on P&O pacific explorer and we had an inside cabin, it was tiny. i went to put our suitcases under the bed but there was a white metal contapration under there that took up the entire space. i do not know what it was. there was no room in the wardrobe to store them either so we had to out them in the small space in front of the bathroom door and move them every time we wanted to go into the bathroom. it was horrible :( i also could not get into bed as there was no space to walk beside the bed, so myself and my fiance had to sleep in seperate beds as had to get the cabin steward to change the bed to twin beds. not the best introductury o our cruising life
I typically get 50 lb min. & recommend this. I actually have 100 lb ones but they are actually hard to get off the wall or even if they stick together.
Thank you for the tips Ilena.💕 I'm looking forward to your Summit ship tour but I have a question about the parking at Port Liberty that you mentioned in your embarkation video of the Summit. Could you tell me how much it was daily and I believe you said it was a short walk to the ship?
As a single guy, they best way to organize things is...don't bring them :). 1 toiletry bag for toiletries, 1 for gear, then clothes. That's it. Sometimes I feel like I get more stuff from the cruise line than I bring.
Having never been on a cruise, but wanting to go, you talk about needing a light for getting up in the middle of the night. Are there not lights to turn on in the cabin? Also, cabins don't come with a clock in the room like hotels do? Thanks
Links to all the items she recommends are included in the video description. Click the down arrow symbol to the right of the video title to open the description.
I know it can be confusing and not obvious. To find the description box, you need to tap the arrow down on the side of the video title (if you are on mobile). It looks like an upside down v. To open the description box on your computer or ipad, tap “see more” or “read more” under the title and couple of lines of a description
We tried asking our room attendant to remove the coffee table on our last cruise and he told us they didn’t do that. Just a tip you may not be able to do that.
Can you tell me if your allowed to take an extention cord? The last cruise we were in a junior suite and the fan we brought didn't go from the outlet to the other side of the cabin where the bed was. My husband asked the cleaning lady in the hallway and she gave him one to use. Just wondering so we can bring our on ?
On our “Dashboard” on our Celebrity account, there is a list of items the cruise line can provide you with, for free, if you call to request them 30 days ahead. Example being: extension cord, and distilled water for CPAP machines.
Just my opinion - That's a difficult one. Do you have difficulty on an airplane? Can you ride a large elevator? If not, then I too would be nervous about an inside cabin, since they are pitch dark, unless you bring a light to leave on (think tea lights). During the day you can leave the television set to the bridge channel for some light from outside, or you could try an ocean view cabin which has a window as a happy medium for a first time. So sorry you have to go through this, but if it works out, you will have a wonderful time.
Great opinions and thoughts in the other comments. I would not do inside if I was claustrophobic. In particular, some inside cabins (on some ships) are “worse” than others so you need to be careful
Maybe try an ocean view cabin. Similar to an interior but with a window and less expensive than a balcony. I’m not claustrophobic but not having a natural source of light can panic me.
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Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Here are the details: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner
So glad we got the Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's been super helpful!
Good, solid advice! The best tip I can give anyone regardless of what type of a stateroom they are in, is to keep the clutter at bay. Clutter will make your room feel smaller and more cramped. We opt for an inside stateroom on the majority of our cruises. The difference in the cost of an inside vs. balcony stateroom can often be significant. The savings allows us to do excursions or book more cruises. I actually don't mind an inside stateroom. They are typically quiet, and you feel less motion. For napping or sleeping they are great.
Great points!!
Good that you mention the bridge cam on your tv .For those who are prone to sea sickness , you can see the waves coming and anticipate the ship rocking. Helps a bit.
hmm, turning the TV on to Ship Cam is a terrific idea for waking up in the morning!
+/- 15 Cruises here. MAGNETS MAGNETS MAGNETS!!! I discovered this trick 2 cruises ago, and it is amazing how we ever got onto a steel ship without them. A caveat: They come in different strengths/power. More is better, even if you need a crowbar to remove them when you disembark. Those hanging bags become very heavy, and even though I got the medium strength from Amazon, I needed more. My gym bag hangs on a wall in the closet, it gets heavy, it sinks. When in doubt, you are better off with a more powerful magnet. Next, hanging shoe bags are a god send. They collapse into nothing for your suitcase, they weigh next to nothing, and when in use, take up very little volume, as opposed to a large amount of floor space. Last, the ubiquitous zip lock bags. Don't leave home without them. You don't need a box worth, and don't pack a BOX worth. 4-5, especially the gallon size slip into that front compartment of your suitcase that holds next to nothing. Anything leakable goes in a bag. Soggy bathing suits go into a bag. Illana, I found your site about 2 weeks ago. I'm falling in love with you! We just scheduled a Princess cruise, our first, and you've been a godsend regarding the ships, the line, and cruising in general. Thank you!
You’re so right! I think mine are the 50 pound, but I would even consider the 75 😂. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I was wondering this exact thing, how strong the magnet hooks should be. The “sag” is no good. Obviously, the magnets get much more expensive as you go up in power.
@@LifeWellCruised , thank you for specifying to go for the 75 lb magnets. You saved the day. Also, Ilana I’m so impressed by how responsive you are to comments on your videos ❤️
Agree. We purchased some really heavy duty magnetic clips so it was used to hold bags, lanyards and even paperwork/itineraries.
Btw. I really liked the Princess cruise line. We have also been on Royal, but I prefer Princess. We will be trying other cruise lines to see which one we like better. I think Celebrity comes highly recommended due to food. But will find out next time.
Wow I’m early and this is the exact video I needed to see. I’m going on my first cruise Saturday! I didn’t know much when booking it and got an inside cabin. Also your videos have helped me so much, I feel very prepared!! 💗
That’s amazing!! There is so much to do onboard and I’m sure you’ll have a great cruise. So glad the videos have been helpful:)
Not too late to upgrade your room to a balcony....Vacation.
We have taken over 50 cruises, mostly in an indoor cabin. Have not found it to be a problem. We mainly sail on Celebrity; their inside cabins are 170 - 200 sq. feet. We go up on deck and have a 360 degree view of the ocean. We did enjoy a balcony on a river cruise in Europe because you see beautiful sights along the river: vineyards, castles, quaint homes, etc.
Hi, Ilana! I used some of your suggestions in my last cruises and I also told my customers. All agreed on how much of a life saver the packing cubes were. One of my customers told me “I have never had a suitcase so organized”. We were 3 women in a balcony cabin and all three got cubes in different colors. Oh boy, it was so easy to get our clothes every day and the pack/unpack process was faster and smoother. Also the non-power surge cube was a life sever as well as the magnetic cubes and clips. Thanks for all the tips!!
I’m so glad to hear!! Sounds like you had an amazing cruise 👏🎉
Over the door organizers are great! The only problem is that you can't put it on the bathroom door because it won't close and there usually is a couple of hangers on the door. I recommend that you put it along the wall. The magnets that you recommended I also recommend! Use these magnets to hold the door organizer except put the magnets on the ceiling, which will give the magnets a greater holding strength and they won't slide down the wall. Your motion sensor night light is awesome! I recommend it also! You can also use door magnets on your door to spruce it up. There are so many to chose from and what's also something to remember is that you can get extra magnet clings and you can spruce up your walls in your cabin! Give your cabin a special touch to make it yours!
We have found packing cubes are great; not only for packing but putting a lot of clothes in a small space.
With airline flights being a nightmare, cross pack your clothes. Put several days worth of clothes in your spouse’s suitcase and some of theirs in yours. That way if a case gets lost you can get by.
That’s super smart. Thanks for sharing
Just got off Symphony. I used so many of your tips, hacks and recommended products. I used the Ultimate Cruise Planner and it made my life so much easier. We used the magnetic hooks on the ceiling to hang a cloth shower curtain to separate the cabin into 2 areas for our teenage daughter. It gave her some space of her own. We had it pulled back during the day and down at night. It was great!!!
That’s a really smart tip to separate the cabin!! Thanks for sharing. I’m so glad the tips and the cruise planner were helpful. Thanks for your purchase :)
A group of friends, my son, and I will be going on our first cruise in January. We are just getting interiors to make sure everyone likes being on a cruise before investing in an Alaskan cruisetour. This video was exactly what we needed. Your videos have been invaluable and a great stress reducer as we plan.
Great idea. Honestly an inside cabin still gives you every bit of the cruise experience (minus the outdoor balcony of course). I’m so glad to hear my videos have been helpful as you plan :)
How was your trip? Any other recommendations? I'm going with kids
I purchased my small folding cube from a sewing store and was even able to get a foldable divider for it. I also noticed that several office stores are now carrying them as well. I like to keep a small flashlight lantern combo in my cube as well. Sometimes we take a motion sensor night light.
On my first cruise this Friday on an inside cabin, thank you for all your videos, you have been a blessing to be well prepared for everything. I feel like you gave me all the information needed for this trip!!! So excited and again thank you for sharing 🎉
I’m so excited for you! Have an amazing cruise 🛳🎉
We found the over the door shoe organizer overkill for just the two of us. I found a six compartment mesh “shower” organizer at my local dollar store. I took three of them with us and only used two. Gifted the cabin attendant with the extra one.
Sounds perfect! Personally I use only the hanging toiletry bag, but this shower organizer sounds good
I love the dryer sheet idea!!! Thank you for always making such informative and helpful videos!!!
Thanks so much! Really appreciate you taking time to comment:)
We bring the dollar tree battery tea lights and use them as a night light in the bathroom as there's no outlet to plug in a regular night light.
Storing the luggage UNDER the bed is such a great tip. I will definitely be trying that next time because we were storing our luggage IN the closest. And we were lucky that we had that room, since we didn’t have much stuff hanging. We like to bring tshirts/tanks, shorts/leggings so none of that stuff would look bad if wrinkled. We only hung our formal wear items. We also stored shoes that we weren’t wearing at the bottom of the closet as well. But I have to say, having the over the door (pocket organizer) was very useful because we stored our Nick/Nack items in that (Ie. sewing kit, medicines, hats, sunglasses, sunblock, after sun, laundry and dish detergents, ziplock bags, … etc.) in those pockets, which we hung over the closet door. So we had plenty of surface space to house our electronic items and chargers. I also brought a cheap dollar tree over the door hanger and hung that over the door of the bathroom and hung our coats.
I accidently ran into one of your cruising informational videos and have not stopped watching your other videos. I am not a new cruiser but I also have not looked at cruising as you have educated me in your videos. I am going on a cruise soon and have taken many of your cruising suggestions. I especially like your suggestions of the magnetic hooks to help minimize clutter and maximize the small space.
We've never been in an inside cabin, but we did an Oceanview on a Princess cruise in Alaska. That was the right decision. We saw the big views, which were fabulous. We didn't want to watch those views from a cold balcony. Smart decision. Incidentally, we saw zero pool swimmers on that cruise.
That’s something a lot of people don’t talk about, you’re right ocean view window cabins are a great option
However, we did enjoy a balcony cabin on our following cruise, in the Mediterranean.
So glad I found your channel. I’m in the middle of my first cruise and followed so many of your hacks. It made a big difference in keeping things neat and organized.
I’m so glad to hear!! Enjoy your cruise 🛳🎉👏
Folding storage boxes are awesome. Dollar store. They pack flat and for someone with ocd I hate visual clutter. For laundry i use those XL plastic bags that can be rolled up to get all the air out, space bags I think. Also there are those push lights that are battery operated for a night light at the dollar store as well as battery operated tea lights you can place around the cabin to give an ambient glow. We love balcony cabins but use these tips. Oh and we have actually used those extra tables on the balcony as footstools because they give you 1 table and both of us want to put our feet up.
Very smart! Thanks for sharing your tips
Our attendant prob knew I did my homework by watching your vids… and gave us extra hangers as soon as he saw us unpacking😂
He was intuitive! Thanks for your tips
Haha. Great cabin attendant 👏👏👏
We bring quite a few things on hangers. Put 2 - 3 pairs of pants or capri pants on one hanger. Also have 2 shirts on one hanger. We use both felt hangers and plastic hangers. The plastic hangers are good for hanging damp or wet clothes in the bathroom or on the magnetic hooks in the cabin. It’s easier and quicker for us to unload our hanging items into the closet. Love the packing cubes for drawers (underwear, T shirts, shorts, sleepwear, etc.)
Im going on my first cruse in an inside cabin. I appreciate all the tips and hacks!
the glass in the safe is an amazing tip, will be using that on my next cruise
We purchased the hanging toiletry bag you provided with Amazon link. It's great, thank you.
So glad it’s useful!! Thanks so much :)
I use the glass cups or disposable cups to put my makeup brushes in its a perfect holder to stay organized
thanks for so many tips that I have been applying. I found the cabin steward will replace the small/narrow chairs on the balcony for larger deck chairs that fit my plus size. I was going to buy magnetic clips but I have a lot of those black clamps. Then Instead of applying superglue, I found some craft magnet buttons, which had adhesive on the back that I already had.. trued to see how it held up so used a few to put packing and other pages on the fridge to see if they held up. yay! made do with what I had.
That’s awesome! I didn’t know about the chairs on the balcony - I wonder if other people do. Thanks so much for sharing. Very crafty on the magnets 👏
Just what I needed, I have shopping to do 😬. Our first cruise is in December and it’s 14 days AND we are booked in an inside cabin 👍. Cannot wait!! Oh, I love the idea about putting the tv on to the channel for the front of the ship 👍 no need for alarms
That’s great. Just have an alarm as a back up, trust me 😂
I bring European plug converters so I can use the European plugs in the cabin --- super handy!
I am going to my first cruise on Monday. I have enjoyed your videos! They have given me so much information and tips!
Thanks Illana!
One thing though is some cruise lines don't like the over the door shoe organizers. Disney is one.
You’re right. I’ve heard of people using magnet hooks on the ceiling instead so as not to damage the bathroom door
We take inside cabins in our b2b2b2b Caribbean cruises. Now retired I do not get up at 4:00😉 I really like the led alarm clock and night light. Thanx for the outline.
Haha no 4:00 am!! Good for you for a B2B2B2B wow 🤩
We got packing cubes and we love them!! Best investment!!
Hi this is Astrid I don’t know if this is the right one. I should say this song but I’m gonna say it anyway I really like to bring reversible dresses at saves on packing. The dresses are a little bit more expensive. Sometimes you can find them at a good price when they have sales, but to be honest, that is a great way to go. Also, I take a little shower mat and a little rug for outside the shower because I’m a senior citizen and I don’t want to fall so those are some things that I do and I really appreciate you and I enjoy watching you thank you have a blessed one
Some great general travel ideas here that I had never thought of. Thank you.
The sunrise alarm clock is a great tip. On my first ever cruise, my traveling partner and I slept in until 10:00 am. No light to wake us up!
Wow! Lol I can totally relate 😂
Hi Ilana! My family & I just got back from our first cruise yesterday! We sailed on the Norwegian Joy to Bermuda and we enjoyed it very much! Your videos were so informative and helped us to be prepared on and off the ship (almost as if we weren't first time cruisers!). Thank you so much for your invaluable cruise tips & tricks!! 😊😊😊
So glad you enjoyed your cruise and my videos helped you to be prepared 😊
Love the magnet idea. Thanks. I use the sunrise alarm clock & love it. Listening to this video I realized how "low maintenance" I am! No makeup & I let my hair air dry. All I bring is my Young Living (YL) Essential Oil skin care, YL bar of soap & I fill up my travel bottles with YL shampoo & conditioner & lotion. I also bring a diffuser & multiple oils. Room smells so good.
That’s awesome!! I think the most important thing is to make our cabin feel good for us. Sounds like your absolutely doing that 👏
Inside is a tight fit, dark is very accurate. For the dirties, we use 13gal bags. Smaller might be better, they tuck and fill crevices. Anything to reduce clutter will help, under the bed, find it. Magnets are nice, check the vertical test for lbs on your fridge, in cabin might be less. Over the doors hangers work, check for clearance. Just a thought. Have fun! fun! fun! I'm partial to strawberry daqueries.
I'm with Yogi at the pool bar.
Great! Thanks for sharing your tips and experiences
Ilana, this was great advice! I have been on over 100 cruises but haven't cruised since March 2020, I will feel like a "newbie" after all this time! We haven't booked an inside cabin in years & years, but our first jump into cruising again will be an inside cabin.
It does feel a bit different since 2020, can’t lie, but more is the same than different. It’s good to “get back on the bike” when you are ready :)
For our dirty clothes I brought a laundry bag with a drawstring and used a magnetic hook to attach it to the closet wall.
Smart 👏
Some may not like this but here goes. What do you do with the dirty clothes. I bring a mesh laundry bag and hang out up on the bathroom door (I have no use for the shoe organizer). When it's time to pack up, I can throw the whole thing in the suitcase, squish it all down and close up. We only sail carnival and there has always been a hook on the bathroom door. If not, shove it under the bed. Febreeze is handy.
TY! My 1st inside cabin doing a BtB and the motion light is perfect for my needs.
That’s great!
DW will likely never agree to go with an inside but your tips work for all cabins .
Lol they do, definitely choose the cabin you’ll both be happiest in :)
I went on a cruise with people with learning disabilty and I had no control what room I was in we had no windows Too dark I was upset no balcony Thank you Also I was upset with staff I I was with I feel cruse staff are wonderful Thank you for nice video
Just when I thought I knew what a small cabin was - I watched a video on the "La Lido Loca" YT channel, where he stayed in a 99 square foot inside cabin for single travelers! Shower and sink IS IN THE sleeping room. Although it does come with shared access to a private lounge.
Great tips! We always bring dimmable LED night lights bc turning the bathroom light on at 3am is too bright.
Smart 👏
Great advice. My 2 biggest tips are don't over pack and be kind to your room steward and keep your room tidy. Also for the ladies, please be respectful with your feminine supplies. You can purchase nice wrappers from Amazon.
Thank you, I’ll be in an inside cabin and this tips are very useful. 🙂
So glad this was helpful!
Hi Ilana, on both the Celebrity Millennium and Summit the night time bathroom night light is just enough coming below the bathroom door to allow one to find their way. We're doing Ocean View Deck 3 in December for our next 10 night cruise on the Constellation. Figure we spend very little time in the cabin so no need for veranda. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut
Great to hear your evaluation of the veranda vs oceanview. Makes sense
Our cabin had a motion-activated light just above the floor between the bed area and the bathroom. It lit up the floor perfectly and wasn't too bright otherwise. Coolest thing since sliced bread and I want one for my house!
Good tips for any cabin. We won’t be doing an inside cabin next cruise as don’t want to get Covid and be locked up in an inside cabin!
I can understand. I’m not sure it’s likely, but u totally get it, and have myself been booking balcony cabins lately
If you get Covid you wil be transfered to another cabin (veranda) at an Covid isolation area. I get Covid in a Celebrity cruise last june.
Awesome suggestions!
This is great for families
Some of these certainly work for a non-inside cabin also. Our first cruise was supposed to be inside, but the cruise got cancelled and we had a balcony on the replacement cruise. Then I tried to get an inside for our Med cruise, but the ocean view was cheaper, and with all the price breaks we wound up in a two room suite....I think I'm not meant to be in an inside cabin.
Haha maybe it’s not meant to be 😉😂
The luck of the Irish! 🍀😊
Thanks I am going on a world cruise in inside cabin so very handy
That’s wonderful! What an incredible cruise - a dream 👌
Great video, we love inside cabins. Also, are you going to do any more videos about your Summit experience? Would love to see it!
Yes coming up next week :)
We started using magnet hooks upon your suggestion. The carnival Radiance, to my shock, didn't bhave wall we could use magnetic hooks.
I heard some carnival ships don’t have metal walls, or maybe they are highly coated? 😢
Getting ready for our first cruise in less than eight weeks. We’ve been binging your videos for the last few weeks. Great info.
our first cruise we had the tiniest inside cabin, you could hardly move in there. we tried to put our suicases under the bed but there was some big white metal contraption under there, so we ended up having to put one suitcase between the beds (we had to seperate the beds as there was no room to get into bed and walk past the wardrobe otherwise) and the other suitcase in front of the bathroom door and then everytime we wanted to go to the bathroom or go to bed we had to move the suitcases, the cabin was crazily small
Thank you for these tips . 😀
My pleasure! Thanks for watching
booked a lousy Oceanview cabin for 900 14 day cruise uprated to extended cabin for 150 dollars saved 1200 a person. on RCCL
Wow good deal
Great video 💐🌸💐🌸
Thank you Ilana.....I absolutely LOVE your videos...... the information you provide is so helpful ! I have your planner too which is so well set out and I can't wait to use it for our cruise . Just a quick question......are the walls in the bathrooms magnetic ? I will be travelling on a Princess cruise . Thank you once again !
Great question. They were on my last cruise on Celebrity, so my guess is yes on Princess (the walls were). Thanks for your purchase and I’m so glad the cruise planner is helpful:)
@@LifeWellCruised Thank you ! I will let you know if they are.....take care !!
Hi Ilana....just returned from a Coral Princess cruise (mini suite).....just to give you feedback .....the only thing magnetic in the bathroom was the door....which is great if you need to add more magnetic hooks for hanging things 🙂
Great info as always! I've a question about magnets. I purchased the ones you recommended and I still have them in the box they came in. I would like to take only half, but I'm wondering if there's a "correct" way to transport them. I don't want to accidentally demagnetize credit cards. Thank you!
That’s a good question. Mine are set up and ready, and I just place them in an “essentials
“ bag with other items. I haven’t had an issue, but would not keep credit cards in the same area
When using a suitcase as a hamper during the cruise, I find it easier to place it upright (wheels on the floor) in the closet and have the top unzipped so I can just stuff clothes into it.
Seems like too much of a hassle to pull it out from under the bed repeatedly.
Yes good idea if you have the room
I always bring a nightlight. :)
Good idea
I always ask for the beds to be split. I definitely think it creates an optical illusion of extra space. Love the dryer sheet in the dirty laundry bag. Definitely going to try that.
Interesting. I think you’re right it does look bigger for sure
First cruise we went on back in 2008 was an inside cabin since then it's been a balcony for us. Will never go back inside, like being able to see and smell the ocean when I wake up.
I can understand. Balcony cabins are pretty nice
great video
Love your tips and your channel. Thank you❣️
I tried the tip of asking for the small table to be removed, it really is in our way, and Princess wouldn't remove it. Said it was part of the set. 😕
Years ago we sailed on an older Royal Caribbean ship and the inside cabin was so small. Every day you would see another piece of cabin furniture out in the hall. People moved small tables and chairs into the hall so that they would have more room in their cabin.
What cruise lines allow curling irons?
Thank you for your helpful video. I want to ask you if you brought your passport on your port call day. Can you just bring photocopy instead? Thanks
We bring a clock that projects the time on the ceiling, like we have at home.
Smart 👏
Thank you so much for your great content. We just got back from a cruise on Summit to Bermuda. Concierge balcony. 8079. So nice...highly recommend. We booked a cruise in Sept. on Oasis out of Bayonne. An inside room. I LOVE where you talk about removing unnecessary furniture from the room. But upon reading blogs, often the attendants say they have no where to store it. Have you had consistent luck having that accommodated? Is it only on certain cruise lines that they would do that? Thanks!!!
That’s interesting. I haven’t had the issue, but don’t usually ask for much to be removed :). So glad you enjoyed the Summit 👏
I really missed that top shelf in the closet on my most recent cruise. Celebrity Eclipse didn't have it!!
Oh no!!
@LifeWellCruised, for inside cabins, I also have taken inside cabins and was able to get a discount. There needs to be a perk on how to get a discount from adding a third person. Even with a person being 55 plus, I still cant get a discount. I have been on cruises where I paid a big disocunt for being the last add on person whether it was sleeping on a fold up bed in the middle of the room or sleeping on the couch pull out bed. Now on an RC it is MORE expensive and not less to add a third person when dividing the cost than if it was only two people. What can be done about this for any future bookings or changes?
Wow - ultimate cruise planner is 47 pages. Damn. Do you have a briefer version for the short attention span cruiser like me?
our very first cruise was on P&O pacific explorer and we had an inside cabin, it was tiny. i went to put our suitcases under the bed but there was a white metal contapration under there that took up the entire space. i do not know what it was. there was no room in the wardrobe to store them either so we had to out them in the small space in front of the bathroom door and move them every time we wanted to go into the bathroom. it was horrible :( i also could not get into bed as there was no space to walk beside the bed, so myself and my fiance had to sleep in seperate beds as had to get the cabin steward to change the bed to twin beds. not the best introductury o our cruising life
what is the minimum hold weight should we get for the magnet hooks. there are a lot to choose from. I don't think 25lb is enough. What do you suggest?
I typically get 50 lb min. & recommend this. I actually have 100 lb ones but they are actually hard to get off the wall or even if they stick together.
can you bring a fan with you to circulate the air for an inside cabin
I always stay packed. It's easier to keep clutter down
Thank you for the tips Ilena.💕 I'm looking forward to your Summit ship tour but I have a question about the parking at Port Liberty that you mentioned in your embarkation video of the Summit. Could you tell me how much it was daily and I believe you said it was a short walk to the ship?
I believe it was $25 USD per day. Yes very short walk to the ship
Take a shot every time she says ‘packing cube’ or ‘magnet’!
As a single guy, they best way to organize things is...don't bring them :). 1 toiletry bag for toiletries, 1 for gear, then clothes. That's it. Sometimes I feel like I get more stuff from the cruise line than I bring.
Lol, I am not minimalist at all and neither is anyone in my family. But I get you 😂
I always take a line with clothes pegs attached to hang in the shower dry swim costumes and hand washing.
Great idea
Having never been on a cruise, but wanting to go, you talk about needing a light for getting up in the middle of the night. Are there not lights to turn on in the cabin? Also, cabins don't come with a clock in the room like hotels do? Thanks
Yes they have a ceiling light and lamp. No usually not a clock
We tried interior cabins and found that many are just too small (~160sf). We would consider an oceanview cabin though (220+ sf).
Yes they can be small
Celebrity’s inside cabins are 170 - 200 sq. feet. Sailing on The Beyond in January 2024. Inside cabin is 200 sq. feet.
How many people leave the video as soon as she mentions the cruse planner.
I have a USB powered LED clock. Easily see the time in the dark
Lol our luggage didn't fit under the bed. Almost, but not quite 😅
Hehe maybe bigger than mine 😂
No checked baggage so can I take magnet hooks in my carry-on?
Yes, no problem.
Hello there
Can you please send me a link to the outlet
Links to all the items she recommends are included in the video description. Click the down arrow symbol to the right of the video title to open the description.
I can't find the links to the things u suggested. We are first time cruisers in December on the Carnival Breeze!!
The links are all in the description of the video.
I know it can be confusing and not obvious. To find the description box, you need to tap the arrow down on the side of the video title (if you are on mobile). It looks like an upside down v. To open the description box on your computer or ipad, tap “see more” or “read more” under the title and couple of lines of a description
scented tall kitchen trash bag for dirty clothes
That’s brilliant- super smart tip!!
We tried asking our room attendant to remove the coffee table on our last cruise and he told us they didn’t do that. Just a tip you may not be able to do that.
Can you tell me if your allowed to take an extention cord? The last cruise we were in a junior suite and the fan we brought didn't go from the outlet to the other side of the cabin where the bed was. My husband asked the cleaning lady in the hallway and she gave him one to use. Just wondering so we can bring our on ?
On our “Dashboard” on our Celebrity account, there is a list of items the cruise line can provide you with, for free, if you call to request them 30 days ahead. Example being: extension cord, and distilled water for CPAP machines.
Thanks Alise, I will check with Royal Caribbean tomorrow.
Not usually but you can call the cruise line to see if there is a specific one they allow. My cabin attendant gave us one as well for my last cabin
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great advice. But those suitcases on the bed😱🤢
I’m claustrophobic and am nervous about an inside cabin. Your thoughts
Just my opinion - That's a difficult one. Do you have difficulty on an airplane? Can you ride a large elevator? If not, then I too would be nervous about an inside cabin, since they are pitch dark, unless you bring a light to leave on (think tea lights). During the day you can leave the television set to the bridge channel for some light from outside, or you could try an ocean view cabin which has a window as a happy medium for a first time. So sorry you have to go through this, but if it works out, you will have a wonderful time.
Claustrophobia and an inside cabin don't mix. I think you'd have a panic attack there in the "belly" of the ship. Just my opinion. :D
Great opinions and thoughts in the other comments. I would not do inside if I was claustrophobic. In particular, some inside cabins (on some ships) are “worse” than others so you need to be careful
Maybe try an ocean view cabin. Similar to an interior but with a window and less expensive than a balcony. I’m not claustrophobic but not having a natural source of light can panic me.
@@keawarren thanks for the idea.
Number one hack…..get a balcony
Love your show
Otherwise you are referred as mole one or mole two by your partners
Hahaha