8 Cruise Cabin Checks Everyone Should Do BEFORE Unpacking

No matter what type of cabin I’m cruising in, I do a series of checks the minute I get in. They’ve unlocked perks, they’ve even got me upgraded, and certainly made the cruise so much better. You should do these too!

ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 94 cruises I have done to date.

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00:00 Start
00:19 Right Cabin Checks
01:06 Bed Checks
02:30 Safety Checks
03:00 Paperwork Checks
04:00 Must-Do Checks
04:27 Loyalty Perk Checks
05:24 Cabin Perk Checks
05:42 Shore Excursion Checks
06:15 Dress Code Checks
06:31 Drink Checks
07:06 Freebies In Cabin Checks
07:49 Air Con Checks
08:35 Storage Checks

[robertw]

What I enjoy about your channel is the " No bullshit" approach. Straight to the point, deliver the message, move on . No fluff, no 3 minute diatribe on why we need to subscribe and hit the like button. Keep going with the informative channel. Great content.

[vincentl]

One comment, if you have a problem, be polite and courteous to the crew. My friend once was checking into a hotel and the customer at the next window was yelling and screaming demanding an upgrade. The clerk gave my friend a free upgrade, and when the manager arrived to help the clerk at the next window, there were no upgrades available, the last one had just been given out.

[aatragon]

As one Gary to another, I must really thank you. My wife and I just came back from an NCL cruise to Alaska (our first). Upon arriving at our cabin, I noticed a faint but distinct odor of cigarette smoke. My first thought was that the previous people in the cabin must have done some covert smoking out on the balcony, but no, the situation was worse. It turns out that our cabin was one floor up and downwind of an outside designated smoking area! I did not know that the ship even had them; they are certainly not labeled on any of the deck plans I'd studied. The only designated smoking area I knew of was a glass-enclosed part of the casino (easily avoided). I endured one night of it, though I really could not even enjoy sitting on our balcony due to the offensive smell. In the morning, emboldened by your advice ("If there is something wrong with the cabin, speak up!"), I went to see Guest Services about it. While we stood in the line, someone approached us and asked what our issue was. By the time we reached the actual desk, they had found us new cabins (one for us, one for my sister traveling with us; nicer ones BTW) on the other side of the ship, and promised us valets to help with the move. (Bravo, NCL!) If I hadn't seen your video on the subject of complaining about the room, I might have just tried to grin and bear it. In any case, I know now to ask upfront about the location of such smoking areas, and choose my cabin accordingly.

[arokh]

I would suggest, with the mini bar, asking your cabin steward if it can be emptied of the items you need to pay for, therefore there is no temptation and no mistakes. I even do this for hotel rooms when booking.

[yvonnetomenga]

@Gary • All great tips. The only thing I would add is to use a highlighter on your daily program once you've made a decision. With so many options it's easy to forget your plans, e.g., changing the specialty dining night to coincide with formal attire night. The highlighter will make it stand out.

[bryantsteury]

We just came back from a cruise on RCL a couple weeks ago and followed your tips to choose a cabin and it worked spectacularly! Neither one of us gets sea sick and it was from Florida to the Bahamas so relatively calm seas anyways, but when looking at the layout and choosing our cabin: nothing above, below, or near any elevators. We were right under the bridge and back a few rooms but ZERO noise, we slept like the dead and had an amazing time. Thanks Gary!

[MichelleWalterdoesArt]

First thing Gary does when he gets to his cabin: sets up his tripod and camera 😄

[neilcharles]

On an Alaskan cruise, i don't even leave my cabin/balcony...all the entertainment and food can't beat the views, and don;t want to miss anything...

[chandie]

Don't forget to check for bed bugs! It's so much easier if they are caught before you unpack and start placing your personal stuff on the bed.

[humanchildofgod]

I love your videos!! No music, no jokes! YOU GET RIGHT TO THE POINT WITH THE FACTS AND INFORMATION!

[KBTCaseyFlynn]

The very first thing I do on entering a cabin, or hotel room for that matter, is pull up the bedsheets to look at the mattress for evidence of bed bugs. They are also the reason I use hard sided, no zipper, suitcases so as to keep the little devils out of my suitcase during transit. Am I just a crazy person? Maybe, but I’ve been in a room with them. Another thing I always do is ask the cabin steward to have the fridge emptied. I don’t drink and have had charges for alcohol taken out of fridge which was a hassle to prove I couldn’t possibly have consumed the alcohol.

[fab]

Love your videos Gary! Business traveler and germophobe here. A few extras - First the Sniff test and bed bugs check. I won't open luggage until after these checks. Ask how often the bedspread/duvet is changed - not sure about all cruise ships but hotels often don't change them between each guest. Shower / bath soap scum check, toilet cleanliness check and wipe down seat and handle with disinfectant wipies as you don't know what water was on the cloth used to clean them. I also disinfectant wipe the sink handles and door handles. I wash drinking glasses before use. TV remotes are often disgusting so worth a good look-over. A flashlight is handy to check all nooks and crannies in drawers, closets and under the bed. I often remove drawers and look inside the cabinet with a flashlight. Beyond bugs, lint, hair and dust I've found some very interesting things inside the cabinet(s) that had fallen out of the drawers or were hidden and forgotten about by previous guests. I'm very polite when bringing up issues and as such have recieved many upgrades and perks over the years.

[crazyelf]

I know this may sound weird, but I don't cruise, but I love watching your videos.

[alisont]

Excellent tips Gary, I had some issues on a recent Azamara cruise as I was delayed getting there so my cabin had been given to another guest so I got upgraded to an ocean suite which was amazing.

[stuartjohnston]

On this subject, one tip I have is, if you need to make a complaint, be as pleasant as possible to the staff. It makes everybody's day better and sometimes they may just go the extra mile to get the problem sorted. We once turned up having booked a mid level cabin to discover, that due to an IT problem the crew had no record of our booking!
We had booked directly and I had all the paperwork printed out and with me. They were very apologetic. We were very understanding and made light of it. After a short wait ( while they phoned head office ) all was sorted, and they had upgraded us to a top level suite with a large private deck area. We had a superb trip.

[caseytcat]

Good tips, thanks. All good to do before settling in. The first thing I do is sanitize the surfaces. That was always my priority, but more so now. 😕

[kimt]

I had stayed in a hotel. The fridge made a loud noise. I came back from running out and the fridge basically died. I reported it right away. At first, they honestly thought I was gonna stick around while they replaced it???? I was like, your kidding.... I then suggested a room change. I shouldn't have to be in the room while they are repairing/replacing the fridge. They upgraded me to a 2 bedroom suite with a view of the water; it was awesome!!!

[ronaldgiles]

Also check for bed bugs. This is the very first thing I do on a ship or hotel. Look at the mattress itself. If there are black spots that look like the mark left from the tip of a ball point pen then it could be bed bugs. Don’t put your suitcase on the bed because most bedbugs actually come from where they store your suitcases on an airplane. You don’t want to be taking bedbugs home, I learned the hard way and it can cost thousands of dollars to deal with because they don’t just stay on the bed.

[rickthibodeau]

I travel with a CPAP machine. I had asked prior to embarkation day for an extension cord, figuring there wouldn't be an outlet by the bed. I was correct in my assumption, but they forgot to put a cord in the room. I let my steward know right away and by the time we got back to the cabin in the evening, not only was there a cord, but it was securely taped to the floor(avoiding a tripping hazard) with the outlet end by the bed and my CPAP was set up and ready. A second tip if traveling with a CPAP, ask for a bottle of distilled water.

[yjobkdl]

Before I unpack and move in, I sanitize all surfaces. I have done this for many years and make sure to do it now.