Your Royal Caribbean cruise room, or cabin, is probably different than you might expect it to be.
New cruisers might assume their stateroom is just like a hotel room, and while there are indeed many similarities, there are a few things that certainly make the cruise experience different.
To that point, I went through the commonly asked questions from our readers to come up with the things about a cruise cabin that would either surprise you or not be what you'd expect. In some cases, there are tips on how to better utilize your room. I hope all of them prepare you for a great time in the room.
Knowing what to expect in your cruise room is the key to avoiding problems later.
The room is probably going to smaller than you expect
Rooms on cruise ships are generally smaller than hotel rooms because of the constraints of a cruise ship.
They have all the basics you'd expect: a bed, desk with mirror, closet, drawers, and private bathroom. But that's about the extent of the similarities.
Depending on the cabin category you choose, the amount of space comes in all sorts of sizes. In general, the higher the category, the more space you get. So a balcony room would have more living space than an oceanview room, which has more living space than an inside cabin.
The fact the rooms are smaller shouldn't be that much of a problem because in reality, passengers spend less time in their room than expected. There's so much happening around the ship between activities, dining, shore excursions, and shows, that most people treat their cabin as a place to sleep, shower, and change.
So the fact the room is smaller than expected is less important given how little time you'll probably spend in it.
You can split the beds upon request
Any cabin you book comes with a king size bed that can be split apart, if you prefer.
If you're sharing the stateroom with someone you don't want to share a bed with, the beds are able to be split. Likewise, split beds can be combined back into one.
Your travel agent can make that request at the time you book a cruise, but if you arrived to the ship and discovered the beds are still together, you just need to ask your stateroom attendant to make the change.
One other request you might want to make of your stateroom attendant is if you have a couch that converts to a bed, you can ask them to keep the couch bed in "sleep mode" during the day for convenient naps.
The walls are really thin
Another difference between a room on a cruise ship versus hotel is how thin the walls are in terms of noise.
The thin walls mean don't expect every noise coming out of your room to necessarily stay in your room. Be respectful of your neighbors, and understand noise can go both ways between the rooms.
Store luggage beneath your bed
One of my favorite cabin tips is to put your luggage underneath your bed after you unpack.
When I arrive in my room on embarkation day, I'll unpack all my belongings and then take the empty suitcase and shove it underneath my bed. The beds are high enough to allow most suitcases to fit under them.
Putting the luggage under the bed frees up space in the closet, and keeps it out of sight too. Some cabins have more storage space than others, but you'll probably need all the closet space you can get, especially if your cruise is 7-nights or longer.
You can probably open the balcony dividers
If you booked two balcony rooms next to each other, there's a good chance you can open the balcony divider between them.
As long as you know the people in the room next to you, you can ask your stateroom attendant to open the balcony divider. Doing so makes it feel like you have an expansive balcony space and also makes it easier to go back and forth between rooms.
I noted that you can "probably" do this because not all Royal Caribbean ships have balcony dividers that can be opened. All the new cruise ships are able to do this, but certain older ships cannot.
You get to pick when you want your room made up
When you meet your cabin attendant, you'll be given the choice of when you want your room serviced each day.
Guests staying in a balcony or lower have the choice of morning or evening service. In either case, there's a window of time your cabin attendant will attempt to service your cabin and change the sheets, make the bed, vacuum, replace the towels, and more.
There isn't a right or wrong time to pick, it's just up to you and your preference.
My advice is if you like to sleep in, pick the evening service. But if you're an early riser, then morning works.
If you booked a suite, then you get twice a day service in both morning and evening, so there's nothing to decide.
Some people find the mattresses firm
I really like sleeping on Royal Caribbean's beds, but I know some people report them being on the firm side.
When considering what a cruise ship bed is like, there's a top sheet and comforter provided by default.
How "firm" a bed is definitely depends on the person, and while I've always found them comfortable, I've seen enough posts to the contrary to understand we all see it differently.
You can ask your cabin attendant for a mattress topper to help with that. If they run out, they can usually provide another comforter to put under the sheets to help too.
There is a cooler, but it's not a fridge
Every cabin includes a minifridge, but it's not really that cold in there to be considered a true refrigerator.
It's good for keeping food fresh for a little bit longer to enjoy later, so don't stick something in there to eat a few days later because it probably won't make it.
Royal Caribbean used to stock the minifridge with a mini bar, but that practice stopped years ago.
The bathroom is tiny, but functional
No matter what cabin you get, I think the bathrooms on Royal Caribbean are small, but efficient. They'll have exactly what you need, without room for much else.
There's a sink, bar of soap, shower (with combo shampoo/conditioner in a dispenser), outlet for a razor, limited storage space, and the toilet.
You will find a hair dryer you can use in the vanity area of the cabin, not in the bathroom.
Speaking of tiny, the shower is going to be small too. There's enough room for one person, but it's a tight fit.
What you won't find in your cruise cabin
The top surprise about what's not in your room is a clothing iron because they are a fire hazard.
Not only does Royal Caribbean not provide them, but you aren't allowed to bring one onboard. The same goes for clothing steamers and pretty much any appliance.
Other items not included in your cabin include alarm clocks/radios or coffee makers.
While there is a television in your room, there isn't a DVD player included. Newer Royal Caribbean ships have the ability to digitally stream to the TV, but it's very few of the new ships that have that feature.
