Exploring different countries by ship is a popular way to travel and have fun. However, when you’re plus sized the things that often seem like no big deal can be daunting. If you’re heading out on a fun filled cruise soon, but worried about the obstacles that you may face while cruising, look no further!
This guide on how to navigate a plus size cruise will cover everything, from the best cabins to how to handle the multitude of excursion options. These tips are great whether it's your first cruise, or you're a seasoned cruiser. Keep reading to find out more.
Cruise ship bathrooms
When you’re ready to book your room on a cruise, the worry might start to set in about moving around comfortably in the small cabin bathrooms. Here’s what to do, first view a virtual tour of the type of room you’re going to have either on the company website or on YouTube. Ensure the bathroom has a shower curtain instead of sliding doors as this will make the room more accessible. Not only does this make it easier to shower, but also makes it more comfortable to use the bathroom. Thankfully, many newer ships tend to have shower curtains for this exact reason.
When taking a shower, don’t worry if water gets out. Inside your bathroom, there is a drain in the floor that will remove the water. Also, if you’re worried about not having enough towels to dry yourself off you can request more towels. If you find you need something more accommodating, the showers in the gym and spa areas are typically roomier. These showers may not be ideal, but they can be a doable solution. You also may be able to use accessible bathrooms located throughout the ship as these have more room.
If you can’t find a recent video, call the cruise line’s customer service line. Make sure to do this before booking because once you’re in your room and you feel the bathroom is too small, chances are slim they’ll be able to move you into a different room because cruise ships are usually at 100% capacity, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Tip: In some Disney ship bathrooms, the shower and toilet are in separate rooms. So, this makes everything easier with the added space.
Cabins
Just like bathrooms, you may worry about not having enough room in your cabin. If you’re planning to book an interior stateroom, the average size is 167 square feet. If this is a concern, and money allows, you can book a balcony room (or an even bigger room) and get slightly more square footage. Many balcony rooms are on average 190 square feet. However, this varies across cruise lines and ships. Another thing to keep in mind is a lot of chairs out on the balcony may not be size inclusive and will have arms that don’t rise up.
Muster Drills
Muster drills are necessary while cruising, but I know what you’re thinking, are those life jackets going to fit? Yes, but you don’t necessarily have to put them on. With new health protocols since COVID-19, cruise lines are starting to make these virtual with less need to visit a muster station with a lifejacket. However, if necessary the majority of lifejackets are adjustable and will fit all sizes, you just need to be able to extend the straps for the buckles to slot together.
Cruise Ship Theater Seating
Are you ready to enjoy a relaxing night on the ship? Seeing a show is a popular go-to for many travelers, however when you’re plus sized the theater seating can make you feel you’re not going to fit. But just like the shower curtains, you’ll find that many newer ships have inclusive theater seating. If you want to find out for sure, try to find a recent virtual tour video on their website or on YouTube. If you’re unable to locate one, you can call the cruise line’s customer service line.
If you’re already on the cruise ship, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and address any concerns with cruise staff. Also, if you want to be sure of getting a comfortable seat, walk down to the theater to see if you can check their facilities out beforehand. Finally, it is best to get to the theater early for the better seats. Overall, Carnival ships and Viking Ocean ships and some celebrity cruise ships such as Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Summit, and Celebrity Constellation do a good job when it comes to having bench seating in their main theaters.
Bonus tip: If you’re nervous about the seating while sitting inside the ship, sitting on the deck, and dining on the ship, you will often find seating without arms located throughout the ship. The deck furniture usually has a variety of seating, but at times you will run into the issues as with balcony furniture. In dining areas, a lot of chairs don’t have arms, but if you need to swap out a chair with arms with one without, ask the staff.
Swimming Pools
Maybe instead of a laid-back activity you’re looking to have some fun swimming! If you’re afraid of using the ladder to lift yourself up to get out of the pool, don’t worry, most pools on cruise ships have steps which will allow you to step easily in and out of the pool.
Tendering
At many ports of call on cruises, you will need to use a small boat, called a tender to get to your destination. Why does this need to happen? Tendering occurs when the cruise ship is too large to dock in a port, or if the port is already occupied by another ship. You can find out prior to booking your cruise if a port requires tendering. This is outlined in the itinerary. This can seem scary to plus sized passengers as we worry about the seating arrangement. However, plus sized passengers will find tenders are size inclusive because they almost always have bench seating. And don’t worry, these small boats are very sturdy! In most cases, when it’s your turn to get into the boat, you’ll walk down a ramp and then step down into the tender boat. Along the way, there are trained staff to help people get on and off the boat.
Excursions
Unfortunately, when it comes to excursions provided at ports of call, there will always be some level of unknowns because there isn’t a lot of information provided about weight limitations and provided seating that can make these fun things more of a concern. But here’s what I suggest you do to avoid this, do your own excursions rather than ones planned by the cruise line. You can book excursions with a private tour company. This may allow you to get more information than going through the cruise line. But if you want to do excursions planned by the cruise line try to do as much research as possible, read the fine print, and ask questions.
You may find many excursions will indicate how strenuous the excursion will be in terms of activity levels and some will even detail the walking distances, number of stairs, and how much climbing is involved. Take it slow, take breaks, and bring a mobility aid if applicable. You should be able to read what other travelers have experienced in the past on message boards, customer reviews for the excursions on the company website, or in YouTube videos. For the common excursions like those involving zip lines, ATV rides, helicopter tours, horse riding, and kayaking there are often specific weight limits. Overall, you know your activity and weight limitations better than anybody else so do what’s best for you. On many excursions you will find plus sized people happily snorkeling, swimming, hiking, etc!
Bonus tip: If your excursion requires you to ride in a motorcoach or mini-van and you’re afraid you will bump into people walking down the center aisle, try to get there early so you can locate a seat nearer to the front of the vehicle.
Dining
Eating on a cruise is something everyone looks forward to as there are several different dishes and drinks that you haven’t tried before. For plus sized passengers though, you may be afraid of being shamed and judged for eating unhealthy food on a cruise. However, in my experience people tend to be very nice about this. I know it’s hard to not worry about what other people think of you, but I think you’ll find more compassion than you’d expect.
Bonus tip: If you have any dietary restrictions make sure you let staff know beforehand. Also, on cruise ships you will find stations that provide liquids at no extra cost, so bring a water bottle! You will find liquids such as water, tea, and juice usually free of charge in buffets.
In summary, you shouldn’t face many problems while cruising as most cruise ships are plus sized friendly. Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions. People are there to have fun and you are too!
