Unlocking Cruise Comfort: Cabin Steward Requests You Didn't Know You Could Make

I recently returned from a cruise to Norway and Iceland with my daughter and mother. (Stay tuned for some new blogs about these countries and ports.)

While on the ship, we made a few requests to our cabin steward that significantly enhanced our comfort. This was our first experience cruising in a colder climate, but the views from our balcony were breathtaking.

A simple request for blankets to wrap up in while on the balcony made a huge difference, allowing us to fully enjoy the stunning landscape of the Norwegian Fjords. Many cruisers, whether it's their first or tenth time, may not realize how a simple request can make their cabin stay much more enjoyable.

Your cabin steward aims to make your stay as enjoyable as possible and is usually very accommodating to requests. While it's best to request some medical items in advance, you can still make these requests on the first day when you board and meet your room steward. If you have a request and do not see your room steward to request you can simply leave a note in your room

Items for Room Comfort:

• Extra pillows or blankets - along with the balcony blankets we requested a different blanket for our bed as the one provided was really heavy for our climate controlled room.

• Mattress topper - I would recommend requesting this before travel as there are limited supplies and they will have them already on your bed when you arrive.

• Extra table or chair (if room for your balcony)

• Rearrangement of furniture in the room or converting the beds to two twins or king

• Have the sofa bed made up for the children in the evening (or not) - we actually asked for the sofa to not be made up during the evening service so we could use as a sofa and have more room until bedtime.

Toiletries or Essentials

• Extra towels or face cloths

• Bathrobes and/or slippers (if not already in your room)

• Towel animals (some do these automatically, like Disney, but some will do when requested)

• Sometimes they will have razors, toothpaste or other necessities that you may have forgotten but not on all ships. It never hurts to ask and if not you can buy at the shop on the ship.

• Some ships have anti-nausea and pain medications available at guest services

Housekeeping Items

• You can request certain times for your room to be made up or let your steward know you are leaving for a few hours and this would be a good time to have room made.

• Ice bucket refills - if you like to have drinks on ice or your ice bucket filled daily you can request that day one to have a specific time of the day to have it refilled

• Air fresheners or deodorizers

• Extra clothes hangers or laundry bags

• Request to have the mini fridge emptied of the pre-stocked items so you have room for your own items

Accessibility or Health

• Shower stools or transfer stools if the ship has tubs

• Distilled water and extension cords for CPAP machines

• Sharps containers for needles

For Families

• Crib or pack and plays

• Bed rails

• Step stools for the sink

• Diaper pails

• Baby bathtub

Special Touches

• Celebration decorations - sometimes there are charges for this is the ship is providing but you can bring your own decorations and the room steward will put them up for you. When did this recently when my son's birthday was while on the ship.

• Extra glasses or wine glasses

• Wine bottle opener or corkscrew

• Blender - to make mixed drinks in your room

While not a room steward item, room service breakfast is a convenient option for busy port mornings, allowing you to avoid the breakfast buffet rush and have your meal delivered as you get ready. While there might be a delivery charge, most cruise lines offer some breakfast options included.

As you can see there are many options of items available to make your stay on the ship better. Next time you cruise, which of these items will you try out?