Cruise ship cabins are notoriously small, so unless you splurge for a suite or balcony, personal space may be at a premium in your stateroom.
If you’d like to save your money but still enjoy your cabin experience, it’s time to get creative. Many cruisers have created innovative hacks for optimizing the tiny cabin space on a cruise ship.
Read more: 30 Cruise cabin hacks that cruisers love
A quick search on social media apps such as TikTok will show you thousands of ideas for making your cruise cabin experience more enjoyable.
Many cruisers try to make the most of their small cabin experience. Therefore, these clever cruise hacks tend to go viral and can help you enjoy your cruise.
One particular cabin hack, posted by user HappyGoLiving, has gained millions of views and thousands of likes on TikTok.
This hack only requires magnetic hooks and a blackout curtain to turn any cruise cabin into a more private, secluded area.
HappyGoLiving shares that she recently went on a Holland America cruise. She traveled with a friend who prefers to get up early in the morning while on vacation, while HappyGoLiving likes to sleep in.
To solve their differences, HappyGoLiving decided to use magnetic hooks and blackout curtains to build a secluded fort in the cruise cabin.
Creating a dark space can be perfect for light sleepers or those sharing a cabin with cruisers who use a different sleep schedule.
Here’s what you need to do this cruise hack and whether we think the strategy is too much trouble or worth it.
Read more: 30 Cruise cabin hacks that cruisers love
Start by buying magnetic hooks and blackout curtains before your cruise
While preparing and packing for your cruise, you will first want to purchase magnetic hooks to bring onboard.
Magnetic hooks will cling to the stateroom’s walls, typically made of steel.
If you’re a frequent cruiser, these magnetic hooks will be a helpful investment.
Small magnetic hooks can optimize your cabin space by allowing you to hang items on your walls.
Cruisers love to bring magnetic hooks because you can place them directly on the wall to hang up jackets, bags, hearts, and umbrellas.
If you are a frequent cruiser and would like to organize your cabin space, it is a good idea to invest in magnetic hooks.
To make this cruise hack happen, HappyGoLiving purchased magnetic hooks with swivel carabiners, which allowed her to clip the magnets onto the loops of the blackout curtains. This ensured that she could hang them while the hooks clung to the metal walls.
HappyGoLiving explained that she purchased blackout curtains to serve as temporary walls for the second part of the cruise hack.
To complete this hack, you want to make sure you have curtains that are long enough to fall from the floor to the ceiling of the stateroom. Most cruise cabins have a height of 7’6”, so keep this in mind while choosing your curtain length.
If you already have blackout curtains at home, feel free to bring those along on your cruise and save money. If you don’t, try to purchase ones that are around 90” long, such as these blackout curtains from Amazon.
Next, loop the magnetic hooks through the blackout curtains to hang from the cabin ceiling
In her viral TikTok, HappyGoLiving shows how she looped each magnet hook through the curtain holes.
Since she purchased carabiner hooks, HappyGoLiving could clip each one into the blackout curtain loops.
After clipping each curtain hole with a magnetic hook, she stuck each magnet to the cabin ceiling.
HappyGoLiving also wrote that the magnets were strong enough for her to hook every other hole in the curtain, so you may only need a few hooks to complete this.
As she hung the curtains, she worked on one side of the bed and made her way to the other, hanging each hook one by one.
If you want to create a cocoon around your bed, you will want the curtains to loop around it for privacy.
After all of the hooks are on the ceiling, HappyGoLivingshows shows the end result of an enclosed private space around the cruise bed.
She commented that she packed three curtains but would have been better off with five. Consider bringing at least four curtain panels to cover the entire space around your bed.
You’ll be able to sleep soundly in your cabin by hanging the curtains around your bed, thanks to the blackout quality.
The curtains will block any light from your window or balcony and any disturbances from your travel partner if they go to bed later or wake up earlier than you.
This also allows you to have your own space to get ready in the morning and change without using the bathroom.
It is important to note that this cruise hack works best if you select to split your bed into two twin beds.
You can request separate beds by filling out the Google Form Royal Caribbean will email out a few days before your cruise.
Read more: 15 Things To Do As Soon as You Get to Your Cruise Cabin
Some TikTok users thought this hack wasn’t worth the trouble, but others said it was a genius idea
Many users in the comment section of the viral TikTok praised this clever cruise hack.
One Tiktok user, Taylor, commented: “I worked on a ship for 7 months. WHY did I not think of this.”
Another user, Stephy Lynn, thought this cruise hack was clever: “I love this for privacy for changing clothes without having to steal the washroom from everyone.”
Some even pointed out this could be an excellent hack for families traveling with babies or small children. Another parent shared that having a private space like this would work well for her upcoming cruise, as she plans to travel with her teenage son, who prefers his own space.
Some commenters even pointed out that this hack is a great idea for families traveling with babies, small children, or just a large group.
TikTok user Mel commented, “This is genius for a sleeping baby/toddler on a cruise.”
Another parent shared that having a private space like this works well for an upcoming cruise with her teenage son, who prefers his own space.
However, some users felt purchasing and packing the supplies would be too much of a hassle.
One of the top comments on the Tiktok is from user Meredith Roberts, who states: “I typically just go with an eye mask.”
Some agreed with her comment, while others responded they could not sleep with eye masks. Users said they can't sleep with eye masks on: it feels uncomfortable, crushes their lashes, or doesn’t stay on while they are sleeping.
Some commenters responded that this hack takes up too much luggage space.
“Who has room in their suitcase for grommet curtains?” user7318110758522 wrote.
This is a fair point since you would need to pack magnetic hooks and at least two long curtains—or five, according to the Tiktok creator.
Cruisers with limited luggage space may struggle to find room to pack the supplies needed for this hack.
Creator HappyGoLiving clarified that she lives in Miami, so she is able to pack heavily for the short drive to the nearby cruise port.
One user also questioned why someone would want to make their small cabin feel smaller by spacing off areas with this hack.
Another commenter pointed out that this hack could confuse the cabin cleaning staff when they enter the room.
HappyGoLiving shared that she took down the hooks and folded up the curtains each morning, only implementing this hack when it was time for bed.
Is this viral cruise hack worth it?
Ultimately, you might still wonder whether this hack is worth the money, space, and preparation necessary to pack the supplies for your upcoming cruise.
Several aspects should come into consideration as you’re deciding this.
Are you driving or flying to your cruise port?
If you’re driving to your port, like the creator of this TikTok hack, you may have more luggage space available. You won’t be limited to airline luggage restrictions, so you can pack a larger suitcase and fit in those magnetic hooks and blackout curtains.
However, if you’re flying, you may want to reconsider. You will have to keep to specific airline requirements and may have to pay extra for that larger checked bag and any overweight bags.
You should also decide how much you want to spend to make this hack happen. If you already own blackout curtains, you will only need to purchase the carabiner hooks, which will only cost $10-$20, depending on how many you buy.
However, if you need extra blackout curtains, you might spend $40-$50, depending on which type you choose and how many panels you need.
Is spending up to $80 for extra privacy in your cruise cabin? That’s up to you to determine.
Another consideration is the type of cabin you choose for your cruise. If you’re a light sleeper and easily woken up by natural light, a windowless inside cabin is the best (and cheapest!) option for you and also negates the need for blackout curtains to block any natural light.
If you don’t opt for a windowless cabin, you could try an eye mask to block the light.
However, some people don’t like the feeling of an eye mask, and you won’t have a private area in your cabin if you skip this hack.
However, if you prefer to sleep in while others in your cabin get up early—or if you stay up late while they try, this cruise hack might still be worth a try.
Also, those traveling with small children might find this hack particularly useful. With the hooks and curtains, you can section off a portion of the cabin for babies and toddlers.
Having a dark, private space for the children to sleep in helps everyone get some peace and quiet!
Whether or not it’s something you decide to try out, you have to admit that this is an innovative cruising hack for your cabin.
