Maximing Space in Your Stateroom-Disney Cruise Line

The first thing people bring up about cruising is how small the rooms are. Before their cruise is even booked they're worried about what to wear, how much to pack and where they're going to put everything? With inside and window staterooms being as small as 184 sq. feet I wouldn't say their worries are completely invalid.

Are cruise ship rooms small? Yes. Disney Cruise Line's staterooms offer approximately 20% more space than any other cruise line; so you're already at a good starting point! Another thing to remember is that Disney designs with family in mind. The split bathrooms make it easy for multiple family members to get ready at the same time and the storage space and amenities have improved on the new ships.

So, how do you maximize the space in your stateroom to accommodate everything and everyone?

• Unpack: Living out of your suitcase really isn't a good solution when you're cruising. Plan on unpacking, this is the #1 way to maximize your space.
• The closet-Each stateroom will have a closet with hangers (you can always ask your stateroom host or hostess for additional hangers) and a few shelves in the closet, USE THEM! Hang up your dinner clothes and put shoes on the bottom of the closet. If you stack each pair of shoes to-to-heel and heel-to-toe (think of how they are in a shoe box, but stack them on top of each other) you'll maximize space and can put everyone's shoes in there no problem. There will be life jackets on the top shelf in your stateroom, don't move these-they are there for your safety and need to be easily accessible in case of an emergency. Use the shelves in the closet for folded items such as tops or sweaters or you can even use these spaces for toiletry bags if you have multiple travelers in one room.
• The bathroom-The split bath is a god send for families traveling together. The toilet and a sink are in one bathroom and the shower and a sink in the other. The counter space is virtually non-existent and the tiny glass shelving units in each bathroom don't leave enough space for a whole toiletry bag. The Magic and the Wonder  have a hook for hanging toiletry bags, our stateroom on the Dream did not. Hanging toiletry bags or an over the door shoe organizer are great to keep those little items handy. You can designate different slots for each member of the family or for individual items (hairbrushes, toothbrushes, etc.) NOTE: Suction cups are a great asset for organizing items in the bathroom. Disney Cruise Line does NOT allow adhesives to be used in the staterooms and this includes command hooks. They have been known to stain and you will be charged a fine if damage is done! If you prefer not to travel with hanging toiletry bags I suggest each person keep their bathroom essentials in their own bag, which can be taken with them in the bathroom when it's their turn and taken out when they leave. This will eliminate clutter and will ensure you have everything you need when it's your turn in the shower.
• The bed: Under the bed is prime real estate for suitcases. The Dream and Fantasy have "real" queen sized beds as opposed to the two twin mattresses that were basically tied together. The beds on the Dream and Fantasy have also been raised a few inches and are now the perfect height to store an unpacked suitcases. If you have multiple suitcases to store, nest the smaller ones inside of the larger ones for even more room. Tip: If you have items that you don't want to be accessed by your stateroom host or hostess during turn down you might want to consider locking them in the safe (if they're valuable) or putting them in your suitcase to be stored under the bed. I've found that the stateroom attendants aren't bashful about using items left around the stateroom (even in drawers) for "decoration" during turn down service. Don't be surprised to find sunglasses, etc on your towel animal at night.
• The cabinets-There are upper cabinets as well as drawers in the "living room" part of your stateroom. There is also a desk area. On the Dream and Fantasy the desk is the only place you can plug in the blow dryer so you may want to stash your hair supplies accordingly. On the Magic and Wonder the blow dryer is a built in unit on the wall in the split bath. The small desk drawers can be used to store small clothing items, they're perfect for socks and undies. I recommend using these drawers for the people who are sleeping on that side of the stateroom (on the single convertible sofa or upper berth pull down bed, etc.) Storing everyone's items near their resting place can avoid a lot of conflicting movement within the stateroom. If there is an extra blanket taking up valuable space in one of your upper cupboards pull it down and put it at the foot of your bed or on the sofa and use that space. When it comes to unpacking you may need to think outside the box. You wouldn't normally store your underwear in a desk drawer but on a cruise  it's the perfect spot!
• The ottoman-The Dream and Fantasy have an ottoman that opens to provide a deep, decent sized storage space. This is another good spot to store things for people sleeping on the couch or upper berth. This is also a good thing to leave cleared off because it's normally where your room service tray will be set in the morning. The Magic and Wonder have a chest with a few shelves that stands at the foot of the bed. While it's nice of them to give you extra space the obnoxious unit is right in the way of your path around the bed and causes a traffic problem when you need to open it to get inside. The door blocks the pathway so the only way for someone to get around is to wait until you close the door or to climb over your bed. I'm much happier with the ottoman choice on the newer ships!
• The nightstand-Don't under-estimate the importance of a nightstand. While the top can hold those nighttime essentials like an alarm clock and the phone, the small drawer and shelf unit also come in handy. The nightstand drawer is a great spot for your book, medications you might take before bed, and smaller trinket style items you don't want to fall onto the floor if the ship is rocking.Valuables should be put into the safe but small jewelry items, hair ties and even a few tissues are the perfect size to put in the nightstand drawer.

If you are new to cruising don't let the unknown scare you, I have answers to your questions and there's no limit to how many you can ask! You don't know until you ask and you'll be missing out by not cruising!




It's not too early to start planning your 2013 cruise so contact me for your free quote and let's make some magic!