Cruise ship design creates long hallways lined
on each side with identical stateroom doors; you might find
the visual consistency soothing, or you may feel the urge to do a
little decorating that makes your door stand out.
Stateroom doors are clearly numbered and carefully keyed,
so there’s little chance that you would actually step into the wrong
one. Still, decorating your door is a fun chance for some
self-expression. Stateroom door décor often reflects a
holiday or a special occasion being celebrated
by the occupants, such as a
birthday, wedding, anniversary, graduation, or a reunion of
family or friends.
However, before you
make any door decorating plans or buy supplies, check
out the guidelines for door decorations on your ship – your professional travel
advisor can help. Some cruise lines ban door decorations completely, on
the basis that they could pose a safety hazard or simply cause a
mess. Other lines ask passengers to follow common-sense
guidelines, like these:
·
Decorations must not
extend beyond the door frame into the hallway.
·
Decorations must not
damage or leave marks on the door. Don’t plan
to use paint, glue, tape or gel adhesives, thumbtacks,
or anything else that would leave residue, scratch the
door or make a hole in it. Stateroom doors are usually made
of metal, so you can often use magnets to hold decorations up (if
the metal is covered with a veneer of wood or another material, you may
need rather strong magnets). Easy-release
adhesive strips or poster
putty are sometimes acceptable, too.
·
Decorations must
be made of fire-retardant materials.
·
Decorations cannot
include string lights (which are generally not allowed in staterooms, either).
·
Decorations must not
be offensive, rude, or inappropriate in any way.
Fun ideas for
decorating include using wrapping paper and ribbon
to make the whole door look like a big holiday, wedding,
birthday, or graduation gift. Banners and cutout characters can
let your neighbors know you’re celebrating a special event. Old
family photos can be fun décor for a reunion. If you’re not celebrating a
special event but simply want to dress up your door, cutouts of sea
creatures or tropical flowers can help set a carefree cruise mood.
Finally, be sure to completely remove your door decorations
before you disembark at the end of the cruise. If you leave decorations in
place or damage the door – even accidentally – you’ll make more work for your
room steward and may have to pay a fine.
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