Cruise cabins are small, most coming in between 165 and 185 square feet (15.3 to 17.2 sq. m.).
That's dramatically smaller than the average budget hotel room, which averages 325 square feet.
Most cruise lines, especially on newer ships, have gotten very clever with how they design their rooms. Royal Caribbean's (RCL) new flagship, Icon of the Seas, makes use of every inch of space in its cabins.
Related: Carnival and Royal Caribbean can't offer a popular activity
There are drawers over the bed, and cleverly hidden storage spaces all over the room. The first-of-its-kind ship also has a redesigned bathroom where the shower drops the cruise line's round design for one that's more of a rectangle. It doesn't take up more space, but it does somehow feel bigger.
In building a ship from a blank slate, Royal Caribbean considered how every inch would be used. That's why Icon's cabins have more outlets and USB ports in more places than any ship in the fleet. Some of those ports are located near the beds, so passengers can charge their phones while they sleep.
Generally, the newer the ship, the better it will use space. That's true for all the cruise lines, as they have learned from each other and from guest feedback.
Still, no matter how clever cruise lines get, 185 feet can be used only so well. That's why passengers themselves have found clever ways to make the best use of that space.
Carnival Cruise Line. (CCL) Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared a popular space-saving hack, and his many followers weighed in with some ideas of their own.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Carnival shares a cruise cabin hack
Most cruise cabins have adequate space between a large closet and various drawers to put your items away. That's easier when two people share a room, and it gets more challenging for every person you add.
It's also challenging to keep clean clothes segregated from dirty ones. Heald shared a solution to that problem he got from a Carnival passenger.
"John Heald Why have you not told everyone that when they put their suitcase under the bed they should do so open laying flat so they can use it like a drawer to drop dirty stuff into," the passenger wrote.
The brand ambassador, who often travels solo, was surprised at that hack.
"Wow, never even thought of that. But then again you are more likely to find Princess Kate under my bed then you will packing tips from me," he added.
Carnival passengers share their own hacks
Many of Heald's followers had their own methods for handling dirty clothes.
"We have a popup hamper we stick in the corner of our stateroom and put our dirties in there like we do at home. We nest all of our travel gear inside the suitcase so it's not empty when we stow it under the bed," wrote Chastity Spurrier Rosebrock.
One passenger uses that method but added a further tip.
"I've always done that. Common sense to me...I also put dryer sheets ir a little sachet with some detergent beads to keep it smelling fresh," shared Theresa Lauren.
Tina Smith said she used a variation of the method Heald shared.
"I put my carry on in the bottom of the closet standing tall on the wheels and unzip the top part. Use that as a hamper for my trip," she wrote.
Judy Morris had a lower-tech solution to the issue of what to do with dirty clothes.
"I bring a kitchen trash bag that I keep in the closet to hold dirty clothes," she suggested.
Sara White offered a different way to create more space in a cabin.
"We leave things in the suitcase that we don't need daily. Then slide the suitcase under the bed unzipped for easy access. We keep a laundry bag in the closet," she posted.
