Cruise Door Decorations: How to Get Creative in Your Cabin Hallway

You’ve probably walked down the endless hallways of cabins on a cruise ship only to find that every door is exactly the same. While it can be hard to remember your stateroom number (I’m one of those people who gets lost in the first few days of a cruise), one way to remember which room you have is to decorate the door.

If you’ve ever traveled on Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival Cruise Line, you may have passed by some cruise door decorations like magnets, signs, and small banners and thought about doing the same for your next cruise. This is a great idea because the decorations are an easy way to know which room you have, plus they add a little zing to the hallways.

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If you’ve been inspired by your cruise ship neighbors and are planning to decorate your next cruise, there are a few key things you should know before designing your hallway masterpiece. Read on to find out which cruise lines allow decorations, which decorations are best, and where to find the best cruise ship doorway decorating ideas.

Which companies allow cruise ship door decoration?

Not all cruise lines allow door decorations. For those that do, here are the basic rules for decorations.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line allows door decorations as long as they are made of fire-resistant materials. Decorations may only be placed on the stateroom door and not on the adjacent aisle walls. Magnets or command strips are acceptable ways to hang decorations, but tape and glue are not. String lights are also not permitted.

I love using a themed door when I cruise with Carnival. I try to think of upcoming vacations that are close to my departure or cruise destination. For example, if I’m cruising to Mexico, I might try finding taco and margarita magnets to put on the door to add a little cheer to the hallway.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean allows guests to decorate their stateroom doors, but you should make sure that all decorations stay on the doors and do not move to a nearby wall. Decorations should not destroy the door in any way. If you want to decorate your door on a Royal Caribbean cruise, plain magnets are the best option.

I try to find decorations that fit the lively party atmosphere of Royal Caribbean ships. Party banners that can be hung with magnets are always a hit. I also love finding fringe curtains and cutting them to the size of my door to add a little sparkle and shine to my stateroom entryway.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line passengers can decorate their doors, but they cannot use adhesive to secure the decorations. Otherwise, Disney is quite open to all types 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’ve booked one of these rooms, you’ll be limited in how you can decorate.

Many Disney Cruise Line decorations draw inspiration from the huge collection of Disney characters and movies. In the past, I’ve seen everything from Muppet and “Star Wars” characters to Mickey Mouse and Pixar door decorations.

A typical Disney trend is to attach a magnetic pin board to the door. Other cruisers will take one of your pins and leave one of their own. I’ve received some really fun pins from international parks this way. On holiday cruises, generous travelers even attach little gift bags to the doors, so passersby can help themselves to a holiday treat.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises allows door decorations, and doors are often decorated for celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. Like all other cruise lines, Princess Cruises prohibits decorations that could damage the door, so using stickers to attach decorations to the door is a no-go here.

Princess leans on its connection to “The Love Boat,” so you might want to find decorating inspiration from the ’70s sitcom. Print out images of the characters, ship, and logo, then laminate and attach a magnet to each piece and you’re ready to set sail.

Holland America

Holland America also allows guests to decorate the doors, but does not offer any rules on the size or placement of the decorations. The brand asks its guests not to display inappropriate decorations.

The best decorations for a Holland America cruise are inspired by the cruising lifestyle, with magnets that showcase your favorite cocktail, trivia champion status, or any other important event you’ll be celebrating on board.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises allows door decorations, as long as they are family friendly. If I were to cruise on MSC next, I would find decorations that showcase celebrations like birthdays or anniversaries that I might be celebrating or some cute cruise magnets or banners.

Celebrity Cruises

Decorating stateroom doors is less common on Celebrity Cruises than its sister company, Royal Caribbean, but the cruise line still allows decorations. One thing to keep in mind if you decorate your stateroom door on Celebrity is that nothing should damage the door in any way.

If you want to decorate your ship in keeping with the theme of a Celebrity cruise, you might try using martini-shaped magnets, in keeping with the brand’s iconic Martini Bar.

Which cruise lines don’t allow door decorations?

Norwegian Cruise Line

Leave your cruise ship door decorations at home if you are traveling on Norwegian Cruise Line, as they have banned door decorations on all ships. The company cites guest and crew safety because many cruise ship door decorations can pose a fire hazard.

Virgin Trips

According to the Virgin Voyages Stateroom FAQ, “We believe our ships are beautiful just the way they are and door decorations can inevitably cause unsightly damage.” So, no, door decorations are not permitted on Virgin Voyages cruise ships.

What are the best types of cruise door decorations?

To ensure you comply with most cruise line door decoration policies, try to find decorations that are magnetic or can be hung with magnetic hooks. None of the decorations should leave residue on the door. The best decorations are easy to pack, lightweight, and will not obstruct your cabin steward when he or she enters your stateroom.

What types of cruise door decorations should you leave at home?

Leave fairy lights, crepe paper, garlands and bulky decorations at home. Cruise door decorations that could get in the way of your cabin steward or other guests should also be left at home. Don’t bring decorations so large that they extend over the door or need to be attached to the aisle panels. Most cruise lines only allow decorations on the actual door to your cabin.

What should you keep in mind when wrapping decorations?

Think about space when choosing and packing your cruise door decorations. I love bringing magnets that can lay flat in my suitcase but look great on my cabin door. If you’re flying into your cruise port, you’ll want to think about size and weight. You don’t want heavy decorations that will weigh down your bag. For example, large wooden signs or noticeboards that could be held up with magnets might look great on your door, but they can also weigh down your suitcase.

If you want to decorate your cabin door immediately after boarding, we recommend that you put the decorations in your carry-on luggage.

Where to find ideas for decorating cruise ship doors?

If you’re looking for decorating inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to start. You’ll find thousands of door decoration ideas on the site. You can further filter 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 “Carnival Cruise Line door decorations” to get ship-specific ideas.

I also love finding ideas on Etsy because I can see and buy decorations right away. Hundreds of Etsy shops sell cruise door decorations, but buy them in advance so they arrive in time for your vacation. Also, read reviews before you order because some shops have higher quality products than others.

You can also find acceptable door decorations at party stores, dollar stores, or Target Dollar Spot. If you are looking for decorations in your area, you can find great 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 stateroom decorations online before your cruise and on board once you’ve boarded. These include Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival Cruise Line. If you plan to purchase your decorations online or on the ship, make sure you have enough room in your suitcase to bring them home with you. Your decoration package may include souvenir pillowcases, towels, and picture frames, as well as magnets that are easier to pack.

Do you need to decorate the door when you are on a cruise?

No cruise line requires you to decorate your door, but joining in the decorating fun can enhance your overall cruise experience, especially on some cruise lines. If you travel with Disney Cruise Line or Carnival Cruise Line, you’ll find that many of the doors in the hallways of your staterooms are decorated. Disney cruise door decorations can range in style, from large Mickey and Minnie Mouse magnets to smaller decorations that showcase a family’s personalities and interests, or even themed decorations to match a holiday, birthday, or anniversary cruise.

For Carnival cruise door decorations, most of the options tend to lean more toward the party and fun atmosphere aboard Carnival ships. You’ll find that many of the doors are covered in cocktail glass magnets and have cute signs that say something about partying or being in vacation mode.

Start shopping for cruise door decorations

If you’re still wondering where to start shopping for cruise door decorations, we’ve got some of our favorite decorations, all available on Amazon.

In conclusion

Decorating your cruise cabin door can be a fun way to get into the cruise spirit and a handy way to find your cabin in a long hallway. Even if you don’t want to decorate your own door, take a few minutes during your cruise to wander the cabin hallways and look at your fellow cruisers’ door decorations. A display of creative cruisers is sure to brighten your day.

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