Cabin Hacks

[Clarea]

How do you waitlist for a cabin? Through your TA or through RCCL?...

With whoever booked your cruise.

[lourdest]

I purchased a set of packing cubes from ebags and they are worth every penny. With the cubes you can pack more efficiently and your clothes do not wrinkle. I am able to get 5 pair of of my husband's jeans/pants into one bag. The picture of the suitcase is the clothes that we took to Ireland for a 2 week trip.

 

I am an over packer and I love the cubes. :)

 

 

 

[jcross2]

I tried a folder, and it didn't work well for my husband's clothes. He wears large and tall, and the folder just isn't wide enough.

 

Same here; DH's shirts are large, but did you know Eagle Creek makes an extra large folder? Have used their earlier version for years for DH's shirts, and it works like a charm. (They have a new version out, but it is the same size as the one I use, 20 by 14". They call it the "Pack-It™ Garment Folder Large"

 

hth

 

Also for those with Macs, iPods, etc., you can bring along a European adapter (not the whole big converter box, just the inexpensive little plug adapter) and use any euro style outlets available to charge your devices. There is usually at least one of these in the room.

 

This may also work with other electronics. Check the little charger box that plugs in for the phrase "Input 100-240 V" and be sure not to plug other "stuff" in the adapter, as it may fry.:eek:

 

I have charged my iPod, iPad, iPhone and Mac Air this way with no issues.

 

(If there are children in the room, you may not want to bring this adapter as they may plug a hair dryer into it or something.)

 

Jan

[SRV FAN]

How do you waitlist for a cabin? Through your TA or through RCCL?

 

Privacy was of no concern to me but I didn't have any real issues.

 

 

Re: Waitlist... I just asked when I booked 8168, to be waitlisted for the other one... Thru Royal Caribbean.

 

Re: Privacy on the balcony of 1100 was a bit different as there were different people up on the windjammer patio all the time... hanging over the railing. If we were out on ours, they saw us... We could hear them talking. Several said things to us. One lady even asked "hey! How'd y'all get down there??" There wasn't much of a cover over the top... Looks like the lower balconies have more of a covering.. It was BEAUTIFUL at night tho... We put our loungers out & slept there some nites... The windjammer patio closes around 8:30 pm so that was nice... No peering eyes after dark! [emoji33]

[NightOne]

With whoever booked your cruise.

 

So I can call up Royal Caribbean and say that I want to be on a wait list for an exact cabin and they will do that?

 

I ask because I sort of asked them about this before and they said there was not a way to do that. :)

[NightOne]

Re: Waitlist... I just asked when I booked 8168, to be waitlisted for the other one... Thru Royal Caribbean.

 

Re: Privacy on the balcony of 1100 was a bit different as there were different people up on the windjammer patio all the time... hanging over the railing. If we were out on ours, they saw us... We could hear them talking. Several said things to us. One lady even asked "hey! How'd y'all get down there??" There wasn't much of a cover over the top... Looks like the lower balconies have more of a covering.. It was BEAUTIFUL at night tho... We put our loungers out & slept there some nites... The windjammer patio closes around 8:30 pm so that was nice... No peering eyes after dark! [emoji33]

 

We could easily look up and see the Windjammer and people at the rail in 1100 and 9256. We basically could not see anything on 7172 below us except them when they stood right at the rail. We had a few conversations with them because they originally looked up and started up a conversation with the wife.

 

I don't know if you seen my other video but it gives a decent idea of the various things you see from 8168 balcony. We spent about 10-15 minutes at a time on the balcony and only sat down maybe once or twice for 5 minutes the entire cruise. We always went there first thing out of bed and last thing before bed though.

 

Here is the video:

 

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

 

Direct link:

[NightOne]

No peering eyes after dark! [emoji33]

 

Oooooooh...somebody has been bad !!! LOL

[Canugess]

The only thing I have found very useful is something like this that happily handles all our phones, cameras and other electronics with USB connectors from one power outlet and saves taking the mains plug (and adapter as I'm from the UK) for each device:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Sized-Desktop-Charger-Technology-Motorola/dp/B00PK1IIJY

 

It is also worth noting that TV's often have a usb that you can use for charging.

[mumzy1]

Connecting rooms ... Oh, so you have multiple couches to throw stuff on then. :D:D:D

 

 

ok Carl, now that is pretty funny!!!

[joand452]

...Re: Privacy on the balcony of 1100 was a bit different as there were different people up on the windjammer patio all the time... hanging over the railing. If we were out on ours, they saw us... We could hear them talking. Several said things to us. One lady even asked "hey! How'd y'all get down there??" ... [emoji33]

 

So...did you tell her you "got down there" by going through MY cabin???

 

I wonder if she was thinking she could join you ;)

[SRV FAN]

So...did you tell her you "got down there" by going through MY cabin???

 

I wonder if she was thinking she could join you ;)

 

 

Yea... We said "this is OUR balcony"..... She said very dissapointedly... "Oh.".... So yea... I'm guessing she thought she had just found her a new spot on the ship to explore! LOL

[SRV FAN]

Oooooooh...somebody has been bad !!! LOL

 

 

Maaaaybe.... [emoji12]

[SRV FAN]

We could easily look up and see the Windjammer and people at the rail in 1100 and 9256. We basically could not see anything on 7172 below us except them when they stood right at the rail. We had a few conversations with them because they originally looked up and started up a conversation with the wife.

 

I don't know if you seen my other video but it gives a decent idea of the various things you see from 8168 balcony. We spent about 10-15 minutes at a time on the balcony and only sat down maybe once or twice for 5 minutes the entire cruise. We always went there first thing out of bed and last thing before bed though.

 

Here is the video:

 

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

 

Direct link:

 

 

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing!! Looks so much like our view from 1100! The balcony looks almost as big too! Exciting!! We spend a lot of time on our balconies. How about the cabin? Do you have video of it??

[SRV FAN]

So I can call up Royal Caribbean and say that I want to be on a wait list for an exact cabin and they will do that?

 

I ask because I sort of asked them about this before and they said there was not a way to do that. :)

 

 

Yes... Just tell them.... If the specialist you talked to before said they didn't know how to do that.... Call back & try another.

[Rolla4fun]

Cruise & travel tips

 

1.) Invest in hard side luggage to avoid bed bugs. It only takes one infested soft luggage to affect everyone else's luggage on a plane, train, ship etc.

2.) Pill boxes make excellent jewelry holders for traveling.

3.) Buy a cheap (dollar store, walmart) over the door shoe holder with clear pockets. Can hold sunscreen, glasses, hair brush, make up, sprays, hair gel, toothbrush, toothpaste and many other toiletries. Now you can have everything organized on the door and it doesnt take up your drawer and counter space. Works wonders in tiny cruise ship bathrooms!

4.) A travel wallet/organizer keeps all of your important documents together. That way your not constantly digging around for your plane tickets, passports etc.

5.) Bring a travel alarm clock. Cruise staterooms do not have them.

6.) I always travel with Lysol wipes. Airplane/train seats are filthy!

7.) Some Cruise ship stateroom doors are metal and can hold magnets. Just ask anyone that I have cruised with what I put on their door!!

8.) Bring 50% more money and 50% less clothes than you think you need. Credit to Mary for that tip!

9.) Dress for formal nights! It takes just as much effort to put on tux pants as it does to put on jeans. And where else are you going to wear fancy clothes?

10.) Travel with your teddy bear! It makes a great pillow on the plane and also quiets noisy children! (True story!)

11.) Always bring air freshner. Lysol doubles as a disinfectant.

12.) Pack or bring a backpack. It's lightweight and holds a lot. Can be used as a beach bag or a quick carry on if your luggage is over weight.

13.) Get change (small bills) prior to your vacation. You'll be glad you did when you go to a vending machine and when you need to tip the luggage handlers.

14.) Pack medicines, bathing suit and a change of clothes in your carry on.

15.) Two words - Duck tape! Can temporarily fix anything from luggage to hemming a pair of trousers! Makes a great lint "brush" too! My husband wraps duct tape around the travel hairspray bottle so we have some if we need, without packing a big roll of it.

16.) Do not forget your phone/laptop

charger.

17.) The buffet is very crowded on the first day of a cruise. There are other options for dining - do your research prior to boarding!

18.) Make a copy of your passport and e-mail it to yourself. You can access it from any computer or smartphone if it gets lost.

19.) Put a copy of your name, cell phone number and e-mail address INSIDE your luggage, as well as on your luggage tags.

20.) Always pack a "medicine cabinet." Gift shops are not open 24 hours.

21.) Walkie-talkies are a great way to keep in touch with the kids when they want to venture out on their own.

22.) A household extension cord lets you charge a few cell phones and laptops at once. Power strips are bulky and banned from cruise ships.

23.) Gold bond powder is a must if your doing a beach vacation.

24.) Downey Wrinkle Release works wonders! Especially on cruises where travel irons are banned.

25.) Bring water flavor drops (Mio, Kool-Aid etc.) to add to bottled water. Also makes a great drink mixer!

26.) Take photo of your luggage prior to your trip. Comes in handy to identify if your luggage gets misplaced.

27.) Ziplock bags are great for keeping water/sand out of cell phones and other valuables. Larger ones can keep wet bathing suits away from dry clothes.

28.) I always keep a sample size laundry detergent in the inner pocket of my suitcase. Never know when you will need it but you will be glad you won't have to pay a small fortune for laundry soap while traveling. Doesn't take up space either!

29.) Pack belt inside collar of a dress shirt to keep its shape.

30.) Avoid ATM fees on a cruise. Put your room key in a slot machine at the casino. Deposit money on the slot machine and cash out. Money will be deducted from your on board account.

31.) Need free wifi while in port? Follow the crew members! They know where all of the good hot spots are.

32.) Bring a highlighter to mark the great activities in your cruise compass.

33.) Be sure to use a Travel Agent for their expertise cruising knowledge, customer service, same point of contact after booking and to look into special promotions

[NightOne]

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing!! Looks so much like our view from 1100! The balcony looks almost as big too! Exciting!! We spend a lot of time on our balconies. How about the cabin? Do you have video of it??

 

 

For the Radiance class afts I have read that the balcony is 1 foot deeper each deck you move up but I am not sure if that is true or not.

 

I did not take any video of the cabin because it is just the standard balcony cabin except for the location.

[SRV FAN]

For the Radiance class afts I have read that the balcony is 1 foot deeper each deck you move up but I am not sure if that is true or not.

 

I did not take any video of the cabin because it is just the standard balcony cabin except for the location.

 

 

Thank you. Can't wait!

[pinkroses]

Let's use my husband's shirts as an example. He wears a 3xlt shirt, and a size 50 jacket. So his shirts are wide and extra long. The large packing cube weights about 6 oz, but I can fold and get 8-10 of his shirts in one. It sits in the suitcase like a nice flat "platform", keeps his shirts in place with less wrinkles, and I actually have more space to pack other things.

 

I am very conscious of weight, so I will frequently use our handheld luggage scale and weigh our clothes on the hangers, then subtract the weight for the number of hangers, so I know how we are doing with the luggage weight.

 

I am going to try the dress shirts like you do! My husband wears the same size! Thanks. I usually fold them like the drycleaners would and wrap them in plastic bags from the drycleaners. The shirts stay perfect!

[SRV FAN]

Thank you. Can't wait!

 

 

Our balcony on 1100... Which is the top deck for cabins.... Was very deep. We had two loungers facing out toward the sea from the cabin wall.... There was seceral feet between the foot of the loungers & the railing.... We also had two chairs with a small table and had PLENTY of room to walk around. We stayed out on it all the time... It was Heaven.

[spunks]

We have never understood why anyone would bring a pop up clothes hamper. That causes an extra problem on what to do with the suitcase. We simply plop a suitcase up right in the closet with the top zipped open and put the dirty clothes in that. That leaves one less suitcase under the bed.

 

Doug

[Desert Cruizers]

We have placed the hamper under the desk if in a D-1 or less and was never in our way, our suitcases went in under the bed as usual. We did go a JS last year during our Australia trip so the hamper was in the closet at one end. I also bought the double sided one to separate the whites from darks.

[Cruzin-K]

Not really a cabin hack, but take a photo of your name, e-mail & phone number and keep that as the first photo on your camera's memory card. That way, if you lose your camera and an honest person finds it, they'll be able to get it back to you much easier.

[minisuitegian]

I wanted to add our experiences, with regards to over packing being a common first cruise mistake!

 

Yep it happens, Fours of us ... packed and took 11 full sized suitcases and a couple of hand-carry types for the ladies. What a fiasco. We were gone for 3 weeks plus and seriously over-packed. Never again.:)

[chermilo]

I like to pack Columbia (or other brand) fishing shirts to wear during the day. I just need a few, wash them with some laundry soap that I bring from home in the bathroom sink, roll up in a towel to wring out all the moisture and then hang up. They dry quickly and don't weigh much at all and are easy to pack. Friends of mine that I cruise with always wear them and they have nice colors too.

 

I recently bought some of their shorts and they were they same way! Quick to dry.

[Sascol]

Cruise & travel tips

15.) Two words - Duck tape! Can temporarily fix anything from luggage to hemming a pair of trousers! Makes a great lint "brush" too! My husband wraps duct tape around the travel

 

Sorry. This is a peeve of mine. It's DUCT tape, not DUCK tape. . Poor ducks we'd need to use to make tape.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Sascol