Whether cruising for a short break or sailing around the world, you’re living on a ship at sea. So of course that means using bathrooms on the ship.
If you’re a cruise newbie, you might want to know more. How many bathrooms are there? Are they similar to aeroplane bathrooms or more like the ones at home? And are they comfortable?
How many bathrooms are on a cruise ship?
The number of bathrooms on a cruise ship depends on the ship, but most ships will have around 1,000 to 2,000. There will be one private bathroom for every cabin on the ship, plus a number of public bathrooms on each deck.
The largest ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, has 2,854 bathrooms for guests.
Obviously, you can’t access all of those. But that breaks down as 2,805 private bathrooms in staterooms and suites, plus a further 49 bathrooms that I’ve counted on the deck plans for the ship.
That doesn’t include the number of bathrooms on the ship on the crew decks. So overall the ship will definitely have more than 3,000.
Smaller ships will have fewer bathrooms, obviously. They don’t have as many cabins, nor do they have as many decks where you’ll need public bathrooms.
Do all cruise ship rooms have private bathrooms?
Modern cruise ships always have private bathrooms for every single stateroom or cabin. Cruise ships used to have shared bathroom facilities, although first-class guests would have private bathrooms on some ships. But since the 1970s, all cruise ships have en-suite bathrooms.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when cruise ships introduced private bathrooms. But we do know that the Titanic had some, and when the Queen Mary launched for Cunard in 1936, around 60% of her cabins had a private bathroom.
It is believed that her sister ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2, was the first ship to have a private bathroom in every room.
That’s hard to verify, because it wasn’t a record that cruise lines were really shouting about. But it’s certainly one of the first major cruise ships to ensure that all guests had private toilets and shower or bath facilities.
How big are the bathrooms on a cruise ship?
The size of a cruise ship bathroom will vary depending on the ship and the room that you book. You can expect an average of between 25 and 30 square feet (2.3 to 2.8 square metres). Suite bathrooms, or luxury ships, may have larger bathrooms.
In most cases, the bathrooms are pretty small. Don’t expect to be able to swing your toiletry bag around!
For most people, this is not a problem. But you might find it uncomfortable if you’re a larger person, especially if the shower has a door rather than a curtain. Some people struggle to fit inside.
If you’re concerned that might be the case for you, you can do one of three things:
- Upgrade your cruise to a stateroom with a larger bathroom, or a ship that is more luxurious.
- Leave the shower door open and put down extra towels on the floor to soak up the water.
- Check the size of the bathrooms in the fitness suite or spa, and see if they’re more comfortable to use.
What does a split bathroom on a cruise mean?
A split bathroom on a cruise ship is where the stateroom essentially has two bathrooms: one with a shower or bath with a sink, and one with a toilet and sink. They’re designed to make getting ready easier, so one guest can use the toilet while another is showering.
Split bathrooms are not too common, and are typically used for families. After all, how many times has a child suddenly decided they need the toilet, just when it isn’t convenient? Having the toilet elsewhere, so they can use it while you’re showering, is a huge bonus.
Which cruise lines have split bathrooms?
Not many cruise lines have split bathrooms. You’ll find them on Disney Cruise Line ships, and there are some on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, specifically in the Family Infinity Balcony staterooms.
The family river cruise ship, A-Rosa Sena, also has split bathrooms in the family cabins on Deck 1. As you can see below, there are two sinks and a shower in one side, and a toilet and sink in the other.
If you like the idea of a split bathroom, some ships have two full bathrooms in the cabin if you choose the largest suites. But you can expect to pay a premium for these rooms.
How do you shower on a cruise ship?
Most cruise ship bathrooms will have a shower cubicle/stall, although some will have a bathtub with a shower system. Most showers on cruise ships do have a handheld attachment, but check as there some cruise ships may only have a fixed shower head.
Cruise ships have a pressurised water system that works quite well, so complaints about shower pressure are few. In fact, I’ve read some forum posts where people describe returning home and realising how bad their own shower is!
Showering is typically fine on a cruise, but if you’re a larger person then consider upgrading to a room with a larger bathroom if you can.
Are there outlets in cruise ship bathrooms?
It’s not always the case, but most cruise ships have a low-voltage power outlet designed for use with electric shavers, although they will also accept electric toothbrush chargers. They have a low amperage circuit for safety, so often can’t be used with hair dryers or other high-powered devices.
These outlets are the same as you’d find in a typical hotel bathroom. They’re special outlets that you should only use with a shaver or toothbrush. For safety reasons, they’re not powerful enough for most of your other devices.
Do cruise ship bathrooms have hair dryers?
Most cruise cabins will be equipped with a hair dryer, but they are not usually found in cruise ship bathrooms. Instead, they’re located in the main cabin. They will sometimes be hidden in a drawer at the desk area, either plugged into an outlet or hard-wired into the ship’s electrics.
Disney Magic (bathroom pictured below) has a hair dryer in the bathroom. But as it’s over 20 years old, it doesn’t work that well, so you also get a modern hair dryer in a drawer in the bedroom.
These hair dryers aren’t designed to work on low-voltage outlets in the bathroom, so don’t try to move them. But if you need some time to dry your hair, it’s a good excuse to shower first, so you can dry your hair in the main cabin while your partner is showering.
Some older cruise ships might not be equipped with hair dryers. If you need one, check your ship before you sail. You can usually bring your own.
Do cruise ships have toilet paper?
Cruise ships do provide toilet paper in private and public bathrooms, but it’s often thin low-quality paper, designed to ensure there are no blockages in the vacuum system.
Don’t try to bring your own toilet paper with you, unless you’re happy putting it in the waste bin. If you flush thicker toilet paper and it causes a blockage, you could be liable for any costs incurred in repairing it. So while the provided toilet paper isn’t the best, you’ll need to get used to it for the duration of your cruise.
If it’s a serious issue for you, hopefully you’ll enjoy better quality toilet paper when you visit bathrooms on a port of call. But that might not be the case either.
Most cruise ships also provide facial tissues as well as toilet paper. You can use this if you have a particularly sensitive behind.
The toilet paper in your private bathroom will be replenished by your room steward, whenever they attend to your room. If you find that you’re running out more frequently, just ask your steward to leave extra.
What toiletries are provided on a cruise?
Typically in a cruise ship bathroom, you can expect to be provided with shampoo and soap. You may also find shower caps, hair conditioner and some body lotion as well.
You’ll need to bring your own toothpaste, shaving foam and any other basics you need.
On some ships, you may find upgraded toiletries in the suites as a perk of booking a higher class of accommodation. Usually, this only refers to the brand of the toiletries, rather than being provided with a wider range.
You might find that some luxury cruise lines do provide extra touches such as cotton balls, sunscreen and even bath salts, but these are rare.
Do you need to bring bath towels on a cruise?
You don’t need to provide your own bath towels on a cruise ship. The cruise line will provide all towels that you need for your cruise. These include hand towels, bath towels and even pool towels (these will be a different colour to the standard towels, which are usually white).
If you want your towels to be changed, just leave them on the floor of the bathroom. Your cabin steward will then swap them out with a fresh set for you.
If you’re lucky, they might even make a towel animal for you! This usually depends on the ship and whether you’re travelling with family.
Towel animals have become less common in recent years. It’s believed they’re less environmentally friendly, since they usually need more than one fresh towel to be supplied. Also, since the pandemic, some people may not want stewards touching towels more than necessary.
Are there disabled bathrooms on cruise ships?
All cruise ships have disabled bathrooms. These include public bathrooms designed for people with accessibility needs, and a selection of disabled-access staterooms that have special bathroom facilities.
The facilities in a wheelchair-accessible cabin will vary. Some ships will have two types of cabins for disabled people: one which is just a little larger, and one with a proper wet room. Make sure you book the right one for your needs.
Be aware that public disabled bathrooms are also where you’ll tend to find baby-changing stations. So you might have to wait to use a bathroom in a public area, if someone is using it to change a baby’s nappy.
Where do service dogs go to the bathroom on a cruise ship?
Cruise ships will typically have a special relief station for service dogs. This may be on a promenade deck, or in an area reserved for crew only. It will always be in a quieter area of the ship, away from most guests.
Dogs are usually only permitted on a cruise ship if they are a service dog for a registered disability. Guests with service dogs are advised to speak to the crew when they board, to find out where the dog needs to be taken.
What happens when you use the bathroom on a cruise ship?
Cruise ship toilets use a vacuum system to remove your waste from the toilet, rather than forcing water down via a water flush system. The waste is treated and mostly broken down into water, which is treated until considered safe then released into the ocean.
Most toilets at home use water to flush waste down, but to get the right pressure in a ship that is many decks high would be difficult, so vacuum suction is used instead.
The toilet flush is usually behind the toilet lid. That’s because you should always flush it with the lid down, to help with the suction and make sure bacteria isn’t sprayed into the bathroom. Also, it’s really important to make sure sanitary items are disposed of in the bins, not the toilet, or they will clog the system.
Do cruise ship toilets have water in them?
Cruise ship toilets do have water in them, although water isn’t used for the flushing mechanism. It just helps to keep the toilet clean when waste is sucked through the system.
Seawater is not used, because the salt would be corrosive to the plumbing system, but it does start out as seawater. Cruise ships have a desalination plant that takes seawater, removes the salt then turns it into fresh water to use in the plumbing system.
Where does the toilet waste go on a cruise ship?
After you flush the toilet on a cruise ship, the waste is sucked into a treatment facility. It passes through a filter, removing any solids that can’t be broken down. The remaining water is treated for bacteria and sterilised through multiple steps, before being released into the ocean.
Arguably, the wastewater that cruise ships release into the seas – treated from toilets, showers, laundry and more – is typically cleaner than the actual ocean water. There are some hefty regulations in place to make sure ships are properly treating their wastewater.
To learn more, you can watch this video…
Or read this article: Cruise Ship Waste Management Explained
Can you drink water from a cruise ship bathroom?
You can drink water from the taps in your cruise ship bathroom. It will have been treated to make sure it is safe. It may be a little warmer than you’d like, but there are water dispensers around the ship if you want to refill a water bottle instead.
It’s perfectly fine for drinking a glass of water at night if you’re feeling dehydrated. But don’t expect super-cold, super-fresh water from the taps.
Final word
There you have it – everything you need to know about cruise ship bathrooms. Simply put, they’ll have all the basics you need. And there are always public bathrooms on most decks, so you don’t always need to trek back to your room.
They’re not ideal – the shower size in particular can be a little limiting in basic cabins – but you can always upgrade your room if a spacious bathroom is really important to you.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
