Door decorations on the go: How to get creative in your closet hallway
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You’ve probably walked down endless corridors on a ship only to find that every door looks exactly the same. While it can be challenging to remember your room number (I’m one of those people who gets lost in the first few days of a cruise), one way to remember which room is yours is to decorate your door.
If you have ever sailed on a Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, you may have even come across cruise door decorations such as magnets, signs and small banners and thought about doing the same on your next trip. It’s a great idea as decorations are an easy way to know which room is yours, and add a little pizzazz to the vibe in the hallways.
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If you’ve been inspired by the ship’s neighbors and are planning to decorate for your next trip, you should know a few important things before you plan your hallway art. Read on to learn which cruise lines allow decorations, which decorations are best and where to find ideas for decorating cruise doors.
What lines allow cruise door decorations?
Not all cruise lines allow door decorations. Along those lines, here are their basic decorating rules.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line allows door decorations as long as they are made of fire retardant materials. Decorations can only be placed on the cabin door and not on the adjacent hallway walls. Magnets or ribbons are acceptable ways to hang ornaments, but tape and glue are not. String lights are also not allowed.
I like to go with a themed door when I go on a Carnival cruise. I’m trying to think of any upcoming vacations that are close to my cruise or where the cruise is going. For example, if the cruise is going to Mexico, I might try to get taco and margarita magnets to put on my door to bring a little cheer to the aisle.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean allows guests to decorate their doors, but you must ensure that all decorations stay on the doors and do not stray onto the adjacent wall. Decorations should not spoil the door in any way. If you want to decorate your door while on a Royal Caribbean cruise, simple magnets are best.
I try to find decorations that fit the fun party vibe of the Royal Caribbean ships. Party banners that can be hung with magnets are always the best. I also like to find curtain rods and cut them to the size of my door to add a little sparkle and shine to my closet entry.
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Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line passengers can decorate their doors but cannot use glue to attach decorations. Otherwise, Disney is open to all kinds of door decorations. Decorative magnets or hanging signs with magnetic hooks are a popular choice.
Unfortunately, the Concierge rooms on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have wooden doors, so the magnets won’t stick. If you book one of these rooms, you will be limited in how you can decorate.
Many Disney Cruise Line decorations take inspiration from a large collection of Disney characters and movies. In the past, I’ve seen everything from Muppets and “Star Wars” characters to Mickey Mouse and Pixar decorations on doors.
A special Disney custom is attaching a magnetic pin to your door. The sailors will pick up one of your pins and leave theirs. I found some fun pins from international parks this way. On holiday tours, generous travelers will tape small gift bags to their doors and passersby can help themselves to the holiday flavor.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises allows door decorations, and doors are often decorated for celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. Like all other lines, Princess Cruises prohibits decorations that could damage the door, so the use of adhesives to attach decorations to the door is a no-no here.
Princess depends on its connection to “The Love Boat,” so you might want to get some decoration inspiration from the 1970s sitcom. Print images of the characters, the ship and the logo, then glue and attach a magnet to each piece and you are ready to sail.
Holland America
Holland America also allows guests to decorate their doors but does not provide any rules regarding the size or placement of the decorations. The brand asks its guests not to display inappropriate decorations.
The best Holland America cruise decorations are themed around the cruise lifestyle, with magnets that display your favorite cocktail, trivia champion status and any big celebrations you’ll have while on board.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises does not allow door decorations as long as they are family friendly. If I had an upcoming cruise on MSC, I would get decorations to reflect any celebrations such as birthdays or anniversaries I might be celebrating or cute boat magnets or banners.
Celebrity Boats
Decorating cabin doors is less common on Celebrity Cruises than its sister company, Royal Caribbean, but the cruise line still allows decorations. One thing to remember when decorating your celebrity closet door is that nothing should damage the door in any way.
If you’re looking to decorate with something in the theme of a Celebrity cruise, consider decorating with martini magnets, which go well with the brand’s Martini Bar.
Which cruise lines do not allow door decorations?
Norwegian Cruise Line
Leave your cruise door decorations at home when you sail on Norwegian Cruise Line, as they ban door decorations on all ships. The line cites the safety of guests and crew because many cruise ship door decorations can be a fire hazard.
A Girl’s Trip
According to the Virgin Voyages cabin FAQ, “We think our women’s ships look great as they are, and door decorations lead to unwanted damage.” So, no, you cannot use cruise door decorations on any Virgin Voyages ships.
What are the best cruise door trim types?
To make sure you comply with most of the cruise line’s door decoration policies, try to find decorations that are magnetic or that can be hung with magnetic hooks. No decorations should leave a residue on the door. The best decorations are easy to pack, lightweight and won’t get in the way of your roommate as they go into your closet.
What kinds of cruise door decorations should you leave at home?
Leave the string lights, crepe paper, garlands and heavy decorations at home. Cruise door decorations that might distract your roommate or other guests should also be left behind. Do not pack any decorations that are so large that they extend beyond the door or need to be attached to the hallway panels. Most cruise lines only allow decorations on the actual door of your cabin.
What should you remember when packing decorations?
Consider the environment when you pick and pack your cruise door decorations. I like to bring magnets that can lie on the floor of my suitcase but look good on my closet door. If you are flying to your cruise embarkation port, you will need to think about size and weight. You don’t want heavy ornaments that weigh down your bag. For example, large wooden signs or pins that can be mounted on magnets may look good on your door, but they can also weigh on your suitcase.
If you want to decorate your cabin door as soon as you board, you should pack your decorations in your carry-on bag.
Where do you get ideas for decorating the cruise door?
If you’re looking for decor inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to start. You will find thousands of door decoration ideas on the site. You can further refine your selection by entering the name of the cruise line in the search bar. For example, if you’re going on a Carnival cruise, search for “cruise door decorations carnival cruise line” for ship-specific ideas.
I also love getting ideas on Etsy because I can see and buy decorations quickly. Hundreds of Etsy shops sell cruise door decorations, but buy them early so they arrive in time for your vacation. Also, read reviews before placing an order because some stores offer higher quality products than others.
You can also find acceptable door decorations at party stores, dollar stores or the Target Dollar Spot. If you are looking for decorations where you live, you can find beautiful cruise decorations with a tropical vibe during the spring and summer months.
Do cruise lines sell decorations on board or online?
Some cruise lines sell door and cabin decorations online before the cruise begins and once on board. These include Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line. If you plan to buy your decorations online or on board, make sure you have plenty of room in your suitcase to bring them home with you, too. A decoration package may include souvenir pillows, towels and picture frames, as well as easy-to-pack magnets.
Should you decorate your door for a cruise?
No cruise line requires you to decorate your door, but joining in the decorating fun can enhance your cruise experience, especially on certain cruise lines. If you’re sailing with Disney Cruise Line or Carnival Cruise Line, you’ll find that many of the doors in the cabin halls are decorated. Disney cruise door decorations can vary in style from large magnets featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse to smaller decorations that reflect the family’s personalities and interests or themed decorations that match a cruise based vacation, birthday or anniversary celebration.
For Carnival cruise door decorations, most of the options tend to lean heavily towards the fun party vibe on Carnival ships. You’ll find that many of the doors are covered with cocktail glass magnets and have cute signs that say something about the festival or being on vacation.
Start shopping for cruise door decorations
If you’re still wondering where to start shopping for cruise door decorations, we’re sharing a few of our favorite decorations for all lines from Amazon to stores.
Bottom line
Decorating your cruise cabin door can be a fun way to get into the cruising spirit while serving as a useful tool for finding your cabin in a long hallway. Even if you don’t wish to decorate your own door, take a few minutes from your trip to wander the cabin aisles and check out your shipmates’ door decorations. The display of creativity cruisers will brighten your day.
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