Ahoy there Katrina, and welcome aboard!
It's great to have you here at planDisney as you look forward to embarking on an upcoming ocean adventure with your aunt! After years of roaming the corridors on board living and working at sea for over a decade, it was easy to notice just how much the interest in door decorations has grown to become a key cruising tradition for some families. (Even outside of the
holiday season at sea, some folks really take the idea of "Deck the Halls" to the next level!) After passing by a particularly extravagant door on the
Disney Wish recently whose decorations seemed to grow out towards the adjacent staterooms and up onto the ceiling, I looked into what specific decorating policies are out there and asked a few Crew Members for their insight:
- The official policy regarding door decorations only speaks to what you'll be placing directly on the door, but also mention a prohibition on using any adhesives as well as a caution on potentially damaging the trim of the doorways. The Disney Cruise Line representative I checked with suggested that guests should only be decorating their own stateroom doors and avoid placing things in public areas which include stateroom corridors.
- Did you know that some of the wall spaces between staterooms are actually hidden panels that are used for electrical or plumbing maintenance access or even contain lifesaving equipment? I highly recommend checking with your Stateroom Host - one the crew members in charge of select sections of staterooms on your Deck - before putting up anything that you may be unsure of.
- In addition to this, though you might find that the ceiling outside your stateroom is magnetic, the policy goes on to state that: "seasonal and/or celebratory light bulb strings or other hanging items are not permitted." The crew are frequently trained to be sensitive to things that may pose a hazard at sea and since the hallways and corridors are key escape routes in the event of an emergency, they'll quickly remove anything that would be considered unsafe.
It's important to remember that policies on board Disney Cruise Line are subject to change without prior notice, and may be at the discretion of the Master (Captain) and the Crew on board which can vary between ships and voyages. Even though something may not be specifically listed as a prohibited item online, included in the Terms and Conditions nor written into the official Cruise Contract, it does not mean that guests are entitled to do anything they please. (For example, while it doesn't officially state that you are prohibited from living like Rapunzel and decorating every inch of the ship with painted artwork, the crew can and will likely ask you to refrain from doing so!)
Something that I always recommend is looking into the In-Room Decor offerings that may be available for your sailing; it's such a great feeling to be able to enter your stateroom and see it all decorated for your arrival and also pack it all up to bring home with you!
Here's hoping that you and your Aunt have the best adventures together on board and ashore!
Prince