Cruise ship beds: what to expect (2023)

FAQs

How can I make my cruise ship bed more comfortable? ›

You want to be as close to the pivot point as possible to feel the least movement. Avoid cabins near the front (bow) or back (stern) and on decks higher than the middle deck of the ship. So, on a ship with fourteen passenger decks, your best options are below deck seven.

Nearly every oceangoing cruise ship is set up with two twin beds or one two-person bed, ranging from a double to a king, depending on cruise line and cabin type. You will not find the two-double-bed setup so common in hotel rooms.

Cruise ship crew life can be intense: long hours, no days off for months, lots of rules, demanding guests, small living quarters and little to no privacy. But working on ships also allows you to travel to places some only dream of while making some amazing connections with fellow seafarers from all over the world.

The areas around elevator banks and stairways on cruise ships can be noisy, just like they can be at land-based resorts and hotels. You'll get people milling around talking as they wait for an elevator car. On some ships, you'll also hear a distinctive chime every time an elevator arrives.

The higher the deck, the better and, often, more panoramic the view. Cabins on top decks aren't always the best on the ship, but many suites and specialty cabin categories are typically located on upper decks.

The nicest and most expensive cabins on any ship are generally on the highest decks. That typically means just below the pool deck. However, the pool deck is often the loudest during the day (and often well into the night).

If you are apt to get seasick during the day, this can make it impossible to sleep at night. In addition to being queasy due to the motion of the ship, your stomach churns and your head aches, thus preventing you from nodding off. It can be a terrifying prospect, but there are ways to prevent this.

Once in the cabin, they clean the sleeping area and the bathroom, change the towels and refill the minibar. Sheets are usually changed every other day, unless otherwise requested by the guest.

What does it feel like to sleep on a cruise ship? ›

It's no different to sleeping in a hotel. Once you're used to the unfamiliar surroundings, you're fine. Very rarely have I felt movement or heard noise. Of course, some cabins are quiter than others and some parts of the ship move a little more, but I've not had a problem in more than a dozen cruises.

It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation. The captain can earn almost $100,000 manually depending on the cruise line and experience.

Do cruise ship employees get free food? A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

1. Oceania Insignia. Oceania Cruises' Insignia is one of the ships that received a failing score, 80 out of 100, due to issues with maintaining proper pH and halogen levels in its drinking water. Inspectors also found that food was kept at unsafe temperatures and was infested with insects.

Balcony cabins are great for giving you that much needed bit of personal space when you're both in the room. If he wants to nap but you're wide awake, a balcony offers you a place to hang out without worrying if you're making too much noise or using too bright lights.

The forward is subject to the most movement out of anywhere on a ship. And the higher the deck, the more pronounced that rolling and swaying motion tends to feel. Movement at the aft is a bit less drastic than the forward, but still isn't the most stable place for those who are prone to seasickness.

On a cruise, most guests bring between $100-$120 in cash per day to be spent on transportation, tips, gifts, food, and shopping. In a survey of 850 cruisers, 71% stated that they took over $100 per person per day when cruising.

Midship cabins

The big allure of a midship cabin is its stability. You won't feel the rocking of the sea in a midship cabin nearly as much as you will in a cabin toward the front or back of a vessel. This is because ships are like teeter-totters. They pitch forward and back around a central axis that barely moves.

What is the safest deck on a cruise ship? ›

More Stable – As mentioned, lower decks are more stable. They experience less motion compared to the upper decks on a ship. Close to Main Lobby – Inquiries can be placed without the need to go very far.

We recommend a dress or nice blouse with slacks for women and khakis with a polo or a short-sleeve button-down shirt for men. But check your cruise line's dress code -- many allow jeans on casual night.

If you're cruising to somewhere with stunning scenery, then it's wise to go for a balcony stateroom on a higher deck. The higher up the ship you go, the better the view. It's not that the view from the lower decks is bad. Far from it.

Storms in August and October have a moderate risk of developing into hurricanes while September has the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise.

A cruise ship will leave passengers behind on shore if they arrive back at the ship too late. But ship staff have procedures in place to help you out.

The truth, though, is this: There's no “better” side of the ship. It doesn't matter where you're going, or what river you're sailing on, or even what ship you're sailing aboard. Both sides of the ship are created equal. The trouble with trying to pick a side of the ship based on something you'd like to see is this.

And while you might be cruising the Caribbean or some other tropical locale, ship decks can get pretty cold at night when the sun goes down and the wind picks up, so it may be smart to bring a shawl or light jacket.

Absolutely not. Your cruise is your own. If you don't want to dress up for the evening, then you certainly don't have to do so. Many people choose to keep it casual.

Is There a Maid for My Cruise Ship Room? On cruise ships, you don't have a maid; you have a "cabin steward." Your steward will clean your cabin and make your bed each morning and turn down your bed each evening.

What happens after you flush the toilet on a cruise ship? ›

When a toilet is flushed on a cruise ship, the sewage travels to the onboard treatment plant. Here the waste is filtered before it enters an aeration chamber. The aeration chamber cleans the waste. It is then sterilized using UV light and released into the ocean when clean enough to do so.

Yes, you may obtain extra pillows for your stateroom. Talk to your stateroom attendant upon arrival.

For evenings, the recommended onboard dress is elegant casual for most ship venues. Suggested attire for men includes trousers and collared shirts (ties and jackets are optional but not required). For women, dresses, or skirts or slacks with sweaters or blouses are recommended.

You may feel the ship move when on a cruise. Most passengers describe the feeling as a vibration instead of defined movements. The degree of movement felt does increase if the cruise ship is traveling through bad weather and you may be able to feel when the cruise ship is docking or pulling away from the port.

After a cruise, most people regain their land legs in a day or two. But for a rare few, the sensation of persistent motion lingers for weeks.

1. Drop your bags in your cabin. Depending on your cruise line, you may be able to access your cabin as soon as you board, at least to drop off your bags. By dropping off your cruise carry-on bag and other items, you can explore the ship and have some lunch, without the hassle of carrying your luggage with you.

Can You Sleep on a Cruise Ship Balcony? There are no rules that say that passengers on cruise ships can't sleep on their balconies. That said, cruise lines do generally advise against it. Despite this many people enjoy sleeping on their balconies and you won't have any problem doing so if you want to.

What Is the Salary of a Cruise Ship Captain? ZipRecruiter reports that the annual pay for 2022 for cruise ship captains is $54,229 per year. It also reports that annual salaries can be as high as $100,000 to as low as $17,500.

There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

Do cruise waiters get paid? ›

The salary range for a Cruise Waiter job is from $28,846 to $38,010 per year in the United States.

Most cruise lines offer their staff free room and board throughout the duration of their contracts. They often cover the costs of basic living expenses, such as water and electricity bills. This allows employees to travel wherever the ship goes, frequently visiting new countries during their free time.

The easiest way for ships to do this is to liquefy the leftover food in an industrial grinder. The food is blended with water until it's a smooth mixture and then either disposed of in port, incinerated, or pumped out to sea when the ship is deep water and away from the coastlines. Simple as that.

Your answer to the "tell me about yourself" question should describe your current situation, your past job experience, the reason you're a good fit for the role, and how you align with the company values. Tell the interviewer about your current position and a recent big accomplishment or positive feedback you received.

The lower and more central you are in a ship, the less roll and sway you will feel. Even if you choose a balcony room, choose a low level and a room closest to the ship's center. The higher decks and cabins at the front (forward) or back (aft) of the ship will rock and roll the most.

“Our partnership with Celebrity Cruises tackles this problem head-on by offering guests luxury mattresses they can easily adjust and customize to meet their specific needs.

Anything from a wheelchair to an adjustable bed. Modern cruise liners have everything a passenger could possibly need and have been designed with accessibility in mind.

The back of the ship tends to be considered the next best cabin position after midships. Whilst the front of the ship gets the most movement the back also does get some. Whilst it's nowhere near as bad as the front of the ship, you may still notice some movement in rough seas.

Flexi is an advanced crossover mattress born out of our high end Pure Air range. Innovative in its design, it's a pressure relieving mattress that combines modern foam technology with our proven 'Figure 8' air cell designs.

How big are cruise ship beds? ›

Most cabins contain two “twin” beds that can be pushed together to form a “queen-sized” bed. However, the mattresses don't always conform to the standard dimensions of twin and queen beds you'd buy for your home.

Bed bugs have long been the bane of hostels and motels, even luxury hotels -- but are they on cruise ships as well? The short answer: Yes, and they're equally content to feed on the blood of both the budget-minded and big spenders. Cruise ship infestations are rare, but they do occur.

upper/lower berth: Most cabins have two berths, or beds, side by side, but some ships still have upper/lower berth cabins, with the layout common to sleeper cars on trains. An upper berth swings down from the wall or ceiling, creating a sort of bunk bed that is stowed away during the day.

Balcony cabins typically sleep two to four people, but sometimes they can accommodate more.