One problem newbie and even experienced cruisers may encounter onboard is disorientation when trying to find their stateroom.
Every corridor can look identical and it can lead to very embarrassing situations if a guest is trying to open a cabin door that isn’t their own. So how to tell them apart and remember your exact stateroom number?
The first clue might be on one’s shipboard card. Depending on the cruise line, the cabin number (but not the deck number, for security concerns) may be printed on the card, or even just a clue with a few numbers, if not the whole stateroom number.
Carnival Cruise Line Sail & Sign cards, however, do not include any such information. All that is printed on a Carnival ship card is the guest’s name, dining room assignment (table, time, and restaurant), ship name and sailing date, folio number, and muster station.
Interestingly, Carnival did put guests’ stateroom number on cards many years ago. On our very first cruise aboard what was then the Fascination in 2003, the old card shows our stateroom as V5!
Removing the stateroom numbers, however, helps ensure better security if a card is lost or stolen. This change was made more than 15 years ago (by 2008, stateroom numbers were no longer printed on Carnival cards).
What tricks, then, have guests used since then to remember their cabin numbers?
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, opened the question up to guests with an informal poll about the most common solutions to this very common problem.
First, some travelers simply “just remember” where their stateroom is, though different commenters note that it can still be challenging to orient themselves as to which way to turn from the stairs or elevator.
Some travelers might write down their cabin number of a post-it note or other piece of paper and carry it with them, at least during the first few days of a sailing, as a convenient reminder.
One of the most popular ways to remember which cabin is which is to use door decorations or easy markers, such as a simple magnet, gift bow, or fun sign.
Of course, some guests go even further with much more elaborate decorations, which can serve as landmarks for nearby staterooms as well.
Of course, very attractive or unique decorations could be at risk of theft, so this might not always be a perfect solution to the lost door dilemma.
While these are the most popular methods Heald listed, various guests responded to his inquiry with even more creative (and super easy!) options.
A popular choice is to take a photo of one’s stateroom number on one’s phone. Especially since Carnival Cruise Line urges guests to use the Carnival Hub app for daily schedules and to scan QR codes for menus, many guests don’t leave their staterooms without their phones – and so their cabin number would be right with them.
Worth Reading: How Many Doors on a Cruise Ship?
Even better are the guests who then set their lock screen or screensaver as the photo of their stateroom or luggage tag, making it super easy to find the number no matter how many other photos they may have taken. This can also make it easy for a lost phone to be returned as soon as possible.
Some guests offer the tip of choosing their stateroom based on a memorable number, such as one’s age, birthday, or other easy-to-remember number.
This solution might not work for guests who have specific stateroom needs, however, such as requiring an accessible cabin.
More Options for Finding Your Cruise Ship Cabin
Some guests use other quick clues to take note of their stateroom location. Colors or patterns of carpets – depending on the cruise line and individual ship – can be helpful.
On Carnival ships, I often find a memorable piece of artwork near the best turn to my stateroom, which helps orient me to either port or starboard as needed.
My husband, on the other hand, uses mathematics to remember our cabin numbers. If we were in stateroom 6612, for example, he’d note that 6+6=12 (though he gets a lot more complicated than I care to do with such memory tricks!).
Read Also: How to Find Your Way Around a Cruise Ship
The last option Heald provides might be the most troublesome of all – “I knock on every cabin door until someone recognizes me.” I might wander around the ship a bit, but I’ve never quite had to resort to that technique!
