DIY room divider

 

Are the ceilings of all ships steel? It's hilarious to think but, in all my cruises, I'm not sure I recall giving much attention to the material the walls were made of?

I got the idea from this article: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1475

And from what I've seen, the ceiling and walls are indeed almost completely steel.

Storing the magnets stuck to each other minimizes the strength of the fields emanating from it, but still be cautious about keeping your credit cards away! And definitely check w/ the airlines about whether you can fly with the magnets in your luggage!

My last cruise was on RCCL Navigator of the Seas and they also had curtains, so didn't have to use my own. But the magnets are also quite handy for holding daily schedules to the wall.

I just ran into this thread via Search and must say that I am impressed!

 

We are travelling with our 2.5yo daughter in 2 weeks. While she is amazingly well behaved and a great sleeper I've been concerned about the close quarters.

 

The thought of a DIY room divider has been swimming around in my head for a while but I've been unsure of how to execute. You have shown me the way.

 

Are the ceilings of all ships steel? It's hilarious to think but, in all my cruises, I'm not sure I recall giving much attention to the material the walls were made of?

Cabin ceilings are painted steel. Cabin walls are steel panels, with a vinyl "wallpaper" applied, with the exception of some "wet module" (bathroom) interior walls, which may be all acrylic panels, but the outside of the bathroom (in your cabin) will be steel. Doors are steel.

Our experience is only with RCI ships but those staterooms we've had that are configured for 3-4 (or more) passengers have curtain dividers that close between the two sleeping areas or - as with family staterooms - also have a separate "bunk room" that is private as well as the curtain in the main room.

In our earlier years we often cruised in the same stateroom with younger children and IMO I just don't see the need for making and bringing a divider from home.

Clever, and a lot of work. I McGyver lots of things, so this got me thinking.

I worry about the magnets affecting the scanners, medical equipment, cell phones, etc.

Would think vinyl shower curtains in a dark color could block much of the light from a reading lamp, but would be concerned about the plastic falling over the child and potentially being dangerous. So, maybe not the best option.

BUT

The sheets used on the beds seem to be pretty tightly woven, maybe just ask the steward for a few extras, and tuck them under the upper mattress to enclose the bottom bed.

If you folded each sheet long ways to get double the opacity, and tucked them firmly under BOTH mattresses, you could probably get away without the bed rail on the bottom bunk, too.

Fold lengthwise, and use as many as you need to enclose the bed. I see an instant fort for any kid, from pre-schooler to teenager, who wants a little privacy.

Thanks for the tip ..

Just an aside from a disinterested solo traveler. I honestly thought this was a joke and smiled when I read the first post. Then I viewed the photos and thought, no, it is serious. Then I saw that it was an old thread revived and read all of the appreciative comments. I am still thinking about it and the need for it and still don't fully understand. But congratulations to the OP for what others find to be a great idea.

I'd like to see a photo from the OP of what it actually looked like.

Just an aside from a disinterested solo traveler. I honestly thought this was a joke and smiled when I read the first post. Then I viewed the photos and thought, no, it is serious. Then I saw that it was an old thread revived and read all of the appreciative comments. I am still thinking about it and the need for it and still don't fully understand. But congratulations to the OP for what others find to be a great idea.

I would've probably been in your same boat until I had a kiddo. It really is amazing how it changes your point of view on almost everything.

We love travelling with our daughter. With no family available, it kind of becomes a necessity to take her with us as well. I'm sure some would dread the thought of cruising with a kiddo but I'm really looking forward to it- she's somewhat of an explorer and everything is fun and new and fresh to her. It brings me great joy and happiness to experience things like this with her.

But one thing that is difficult is sleeping in close quarters. She's a good sleeper but if we're awake and in plain sight, it's going to be very difficult to get her to bed. This will help immensely.

Wow, very creative! And I bet your kids thought it was pretty cool - like having their own tent to sleep in for indoor camping.

I'd like to see a photo from the OP of what it actually looked like.

There are photos attached to the original post (but you have to be signed in to view them...)

If you ever cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas in the Family Ocean View Stateroom here is what the kids' bunk beds look like. And they do have their own curtain to close off the area...

There are photos attached to the original post (but you have to be signed in to view them...)

I was/am signed in but somehow missed the photos, so thanks for the response.

After looking at the photos, this would definitely make me claustrophobic but if it works for others, that's awesome. We've traveled with our DS since he was 2.5 (cruised since he was 3.5) and he's days away from turning 13. We've never had a problem getting him to go to sleep but we are not night owls. After playing in the kids' programs and going to bed later than he normally would, he always just rolled over and went to sleep.

If you ever cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas in the Family Ocean View Stateroom here is what the kids' bunk beds look like. And they do have their own curtain to close off the area...

There is also an FOV stateroom configuration (at least on Radiance class ships) where the bunk room actually is a separate walled room with its entrance at the foot of the beds v. along side with the curtain there instead. The top bunk also is a Pullman bed which folds down from the ceiling. In the main room a curtain can be drawn across the room to separate the main beds from the fold out couch, allowing a total of 6 to sleep comfortably and with privacy.

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

DON

Hello: This may work as I am traveling with a 19 year old son and it is hard to have a spot for changing clothes. I think this may work as a place to hide behind when getting dressed. Thanks for the tips! :)

Hello: This may work as I am traveling with a 19 year old son and it is hard to have a spot for changing clothes. I think this may work as a place to hide behind when getting dressed. Thanks for the tips! :)

You have regurgitated a 4 year old post. Great! BTW - it is extremely easy to handle your "problem" without bringing all that stuff to put up a barrier. We traveled with our granddaughter. Everyone changed in the bathroom. If one of you does not want to change in the bathroom, the the changer changer can stay in the room to change while the rest of you leave the room for a few minutes. Why try to find complicated solutions to simple problems.

DON

Hello: This may work as I am traveling with a 19 year old son and it is hard to have a spot for changing clothes. I think this may work as a place to hide behind when getting dressed. Thanks for the tips! :)

We had three in a cabin last July and dealt with this very simply:

Son 1 got changed in the bathroom

Son 2 got changed by the beds facing in one direction

I got changed by the closets facing in the other direction.

Instead of the rope, couldn't you just hold the drapes on the ceiling with the magnets? They should be strong enough to hold even through the thickness of the cloth.