Door Decor 101
As an Amazon Associate I may earn an affiliate commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Going on the Atlantis Harmony 2023 cruise? Check out my complete guide to Harmony 2023 for all the advice you need!
What Is This?
Anything to decorate the outside of your stateroom door, which is so much more than what it seems! It’s your personal billboard, an IRL version of your social media profile: you can put up photos and tidbits of yourself, post status updates, let others leave you messages or their cruise cards, etc. All this will catch the eyes of guys who walk by, and likewise you’ll see what others have decorated their doors with.
Basic Door Decor Ingredients
Photos of yourself. Just like a good social media profile, there should be at least a few good photos of yourself. Scour your camera roll and social media for some good photos to print and put up. Show your creativity but skip the X-rated photos - your stateroom attendant and ship crew does not want to see your junk!
Whiteboard (or anything you can write on). There are a ton of uses for putting up a whiteboard (or anything similar that allows you to leave notes) on your cabin door. Guys can leave you messages and it’s also a way for you to broadcast a message to others. A whiteboard works really well and is the most common, but I’ve seen sticky notes, notepads, chalkboards, etc.
Tape and markers for the above. We’ll cover that in more detail below.
Beyond the Basics
The sky’s the limit beyond photos and a whiteboard! Use your imagination. I’ve see super elaborate decorations on every gay cruise I’ve been on:
Large flags from various countries are a common sight
One time someone stringed up all of their old Truvada bottles and hung them around their door.
Another time someone taped 100s of butterflies in a coordinated pattern
Small Battery-powered LED string lights
I’ve even starting to see QR codes on doors for social media links
Where to Get Them
Photos: Choose sharp, high resolution photos and get them professionally printed onto proper photo paper. In the US, most CVS and Walgreens locations will print photos you upload to their app or website, usually within the same day. There are online photo printing services as well, though you’ll need to plan ahead to make sure they arrive in time. In a pinch, most home or office printers will spit out passable quality photos.
Whiteboard: Most of the walls and doors on cruise ships are metal and magnetic, so I recommend a small magnetic flexible whiteboard like the ones on my Amazon storefront as they’re easy to pack in your luggage.
Markers and erasers: Many magnetic whiteboards come with magnetic dry-erase markers and erasers that will also stick to the wall, so usually you don’t need to get these separately.
Other magnetic items: Since the walls are magnetic, you can get creative with other magnetic accessories like a little basket to put some cruise cards into or magnetic alphabet letters as a fun way to leave messages.
Tape: You’ll need some tape to hang up your photos and any non-magnetic items. For papers and photos (anything super light) I recommend a light-duty removable double sided tape that’ll be easy to take down at the end of the cruise. For anything heavier, I like the 3M Command picture hanging strips - the velcro lets you easily remove and reposition items, they come off easily without damage, and are strong enough for just about anything you’d wanna put up.
How to Use Them
Photos: Get creative with how you arrange your photos! There’s no right or wrong way to do it, your door will be as unique as you :)
Whiteboard: Your whiteboard has lots of different uses, here are some ideas:
Write down your first name (if you don’t have your name somewhere else on your door already)
Put down any social media handles you want to share
Post status updates so others know what you’re up to (i.e. “3pm @ the pool”). This will also make it easier for friends to find you.
Ask a question and let others answer
Leave lots of space for others to leave you notes