For most people, a cruise is a great opportunity to meet new people, explore new places, use the ship’s facilities and have the best time at sea that you could possibly have.
However, even the most extrovert of people need to have a little down time on occasion and when that happens, your cabin is the perfect place to be.
With a lockable door and space to call your own, your room is your private sanctuary on the ship. Here are eleven times you might want to hang that ‘do not disturb’ sign and retreat into a space of your own…
1. When You’re Sick
If you’re suffering from a bout of sickness – perhaps because you went heavy on the dessert table or had a few too many cocktails last night, the last thing you will want to do is to wander around the ship pretending to be peachy when actully you’re just looking out for the closest loo.
Stay in your cabin, sleep it off and you’ll be feeling shipshape again in no time, or if you’re on a Cunard ship and you think seasickness is making you green around the gills, book an anti-seasickness massage to nurse you back to full health the indulgent way.
2. When You’re Hungover
Many cruises don’t include alcohol in their ‘all-inclusive’ package but that doesn’t mean that they don’t sell it. It’s easy to get carried away on holiday (and one sundowner cocktail can quickly become four).
Fast forward to the morning after the night before and your head may be pounding so much that the light shining through the cabin porthole is enough to make you crawl back underneath the duvet.
Admit defeat at the hands of one too many mojitos and stay in bed until the banging headache goes away…and then don’t even consider going near the kids pool or sports deck.
3. When You Want Some Quiet Time
Being surrounded by so many other happy and chatty holidaymakers 24/7 can become wearing, and even the biggest people-person needs a bit of time to themselves in order to recharge their batteries.
If you need some quiet time, your cabin is a great place to recover from the hectic days and itineraries that a cruise holiday will offer.
The spa is also a great place to escape for some rejuvenation but spending time in your cabin is completely free! Choose which ship has the best spa for you here with our definitive guide to the relaxing havens here…
4. When There’s Something Good on the TV
Staterooms and cabins tend to have wide screen TV’s so that you can catch up on the latest goss, even when you’re in the middle of the ocean.
P&O cruises, for example, have a selection of channels which not only help to you to keep in touch with news back home, but can also bring you some of the latest movies for you to snuggle up and watch.
Sometimes, a stint in front of the gogglebox is needed- even when you’re on holiday…
5. When You’re Trying to Avoid Someone
So, you’ve made friends with some tablemates and now they feel like they should do everything with you?
It’s great to be sociable on holiday and meeting new people is one of the joys of cruising but sometimes you just need a break from your NBFFs (New.Best.Friends.Forever).
If you feel like you’ve reached your maximum tolerance when it comes to entertaining people you barely know, take some time for yourself and relax in your room.
Stick the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door and enjoy forty winks – wake up, feel refreshed and ready to face Mr and Mrs Jones once more. Or hide in their least favourite bar. Whatever works for you.
And before you feel bad for hiding in your room when you’re on a fantastic cruise, take a look here at our reasons why your cabin is better than your bedroom at home, you might be surprised!
6. When You Can’t Put Your Book Down
We know how difficult it can be to put a good book down once you’re really into it, promising yourself that you’ll fold the corner over at the next chapter but then continuing regardless.
Rather than interrupting your imagination, keep reading – you don’t need to be poolside or on a sunlounger somewhere on deck to read. Stay in your cabin, where you can’t be distracted or summoned by the kids and read right through to the epilogue!
And when you’ve finished your book from home, head to the ship’s library for peaceful reading in sophisticated surroundings. Cunard’s QM2 has over 8,000 books and is the largest library at sea!
7. When You’re Just Plain Tired
You may think that you can catch some Z’s on a sunlounger or enjoy a quick snooze on the massage table but nothing is quite like curling up in your bed, especially if you’re in a suite with a pillow choice as standard (Celebrity, Cunard and P&O to name three fleets that offer this service)!
The poolside is fab if you want to doze if you don’t mind being woken up; however, if you need to try and grab some quality beauty sleep in advance of this evening’s gala dinner or amazing show, your cabin is the only place to be.
Eyemask and earplugs will ensure that you’re snoring away in seconds, even during the daytime. And don’t worry if you haven’t picked the best of the bunch and have a standard inside cabin, here’s why something as simple as a chocolate on your pillow is better than a balcony cabin…
8. When You Need To Preen
Maybe a whole week of excursions has really tired you out; after all, your average a week at home doesn’t mean walking for hours everyday in all sorts of weather, rain or shine!
And perhaps you aren’t booked into the spa or salon until tomorrow (or even the next day) and you feel like you should do some makeshift preening and grooming so that you look your best until then. You deserve to feel your best on your cruise, aswell as looking the part.
If you’re feeling particularly unkempt and you want to spend some time trying to rectify that, your cabin is the best place for it. Settle down in your dressing gown and get going on the standard protocol before your evening meal!
After all, your cabin is where your beauty products, GHDs and make-up bag are, plus no-one wants to see any last minute grooming tools by the poolside…
9. If You’ve Booked a Suite
So you’ve splashed out on a suite – make the most of it! Some of them really are amazing, easily rivaling the best hotels on land.
On RCI’s Quantum of the Seas, for example, penthouse suites are on two-levels and boast vast floor to ceiling windows for the best views on the ship.
If you’ve paid for added extras like fantastic views and whirlpool baths, hiding away in your cabin will seem far more appealing and even if a balcony cabin was as far as your budget would stretch, having your own private outdoor space is something well worth savouring on a busy ship.
10. When It’s Time to Meet Mickey…Again
Whether it’s a pirate or princess on Disney cruises, or Shrek and co on Royal Caribbean, if you have kids then they’ll love tracking down the characters onboard.
Playing hunt the giant green ogre can grow old fast though, once you’re past school age, so why not book the kids onto an activity where their favourite cartoon friends will be present and make the most of the peace and quiet in the cabin?
11. When It’s All Just Too Much
Cruise ships are exciting, fun and busy places, especially if you’re booked onto a megaship. On Royal Caribbean Oasis class ships, for example, you can ride flumes, climb a climbing wall, ice skate, surf, workout, run, cook, shop and much much more.
Whilst the never-ending facilities and activities are brilliant, especially if you’re the type who likes to keep active on holiday, there will be times when it’s all just too much and you need to ‘decompress’ (if you’re not a yoga fan that means to calm down and relax).
Your cabin is pretty much the only place onboard that you can absolutely guarantee some quiet alone time – just don’t tell your other half and the kids where you’re headed!
Make the most of your time onboard but don’t feel disheartened if you need to head back to your cabin for some quiet time; revitalizing yourself will mean being able to appreciate so much more on the ship later on! What do you love most about your cabin? Leave us your thoughts!
