Carnival Cruise guests decorating their stateroom door has become a popular cruise activity and seems to be a growing trend. This post will share some information about Carnival's policy on stateroom door decorations as well as give some ideas for door decorating based on the displays I have seen onboard.
Does Carnival allow decorations of stateroom doors on the ship?
Yes, Carnival Cruise Line does allow guests to decorate stateroom doors. However, there are some restrictions that have to be followed for safety reasons.
Highlights of Carnival's Policy:
Does Carnival allow decorations of stateroom doors on the ship?
Yes, Carnival Cruise Line does allow guests to decorate stateroom doors. However, there are some restrictions that have to be followed for safety reasons.
Highlights of Carnival's Policy:
- The decoration materials have to be fire retardant. Guests cannot spray the decorations with fire retardant spray. If you are making decorations or purchasing something before the cruise, check the packaging to make sure your decoration(s) are fire retardant in order to be acceptable under Carnival's policy.
- You cannot place decorations on the stateroom door frame, walls, or railings.
- Carnival asks guests to use magnets or command strips. Do not use adhesives (Carnival explicitly mentions tape or glue).
- No decorations on the balcony.
- You cannot put decorations over or on the light fittings or fixtures. Carnival's policy mentions this could restrict airflow and cause an item to ignite.
- No string lights of any kind area allowed.
Note About Hanging Organizers: Although not really related to door decorations, I do want to note that Carnival's policy mentions over the door hanging organizers are required to hang inside the stateroom and must be fire retardant. You cannot hang something up that will damage the door.
What Happens If You Break Carnival's Policy? Carnival's website mentions that guests could have the decorations taken away if the decorations do not meet the fire retardant policy or are flammable. Carnival says they will not give compensation for decorations taken away. Make sure you follow Carnival's policy exactly and if unsure check with a crew member before hanging up your decorations. It's better to ask than get your stuff taken away!
Stateroom Door Decoration Ideas For Different Occasions:
Over my past cruises I have seen a variety of stateroom door decorations. Some are extremely elaborate while others are very simple. It is your vacation so the amount of time & effort you put into decorating your stateroom door is up to you. I personally do not decorate my stateroom door, but I do enjoy walking by and seeing the displays of other guests. Some of the holidays that people will decorate for are as follows:
- Birthday - I have commonly seen large letters saying "Happy Birthday". Sometimes people will include the name of the person and the age they will be turning.
- Honeymoon or Anniversary - I've seen many doors on the ship that indicate the guests inside are celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary. A lot of people usually put the number of years of marriage. In a few cases I have seen guests celebrating a milestone anniversary put one of their wedding pictures on the door as a decoration.
- Divorce - Celebrating the opposite of a wedding? In one case I have seen a guest decorate their stateroom door to celebrate a divorce. If this is going to be your situation on a cruise, you could put up a decoration that says "Happy Divorce".
- Graduation - When cruising in the early summer, I have seen people put that they are celebrating a college or high school graduation on their door. In these cases, most of the guests will usually have some sort of "Happy Graduation" decoration and include a reference to the school graduated from.
- Tropical Themed Decorations - The most common door decorations I see each cruise are simply celebrating the fact of being on a cruise. I've seen a huge variety in how people decorate this way, but this includes beach themed decorations, pictures of Carnival ships, and all types of vacation themed décor.
- Christmas - When cruising around Christmas I have seen people decorate their door with Christmas decorations. String lights are not allowed so you cannot decorate your door with Christmas lights.
- Halloween - Around Halloween guests will frequently decorate their stateroom doors with Halloween decorations. Or guests will decorate with a fall (non-spooky) theme. Make sure to keep your decorations appropriate as Carnival does have restrictions related to Halloween costumes.
Keep These Things In Mind About Your Decorations:
- They could get stolen. Do not put out anything of value to you that you are not willing to lose.
- Unfortunately, sometimes there are people who feel the urge to deface property. While rare, your decoration could get vandalized so do not put out anything of value that you are not willing to have damaged.
- Privacy: Do not put something on your door that will give away personal information about you. I personally would be hesitant about putting my picture on the door (some people do this). Putting any type of personal information about you or those you are sailing with is a risk. Personal information could include your picture, name, age, birthday, marriage date, phone number, and so much more.
- Do not block your door's peephole. You may need to use this at some point before opening the door. I am a bit surprised Carnival did not mention this in their policy.
For Carnival's official policy please click here (link will take you to Carnival's website). The policy is subject to change so make sure pre-cruise to verify your decorations are going to still be allowed.
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