A video shared on YouTube shows what crew cabins are like on the world's second-largest cruise ship.
Bryan James, an entertainer for Royal Caribbean, has worked on numerous ships in the fleet, including Wonder of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas. Currently, he's at the shipyard in France gearing up for the launch of their newest ship, Utopia of the Seas.
When he isn't singing, you can find him playing video games or making videos for his social media channels. On Instagram, he's amassed nearly 200,000 followers, while his TikTok has over 800,000.
In his most recent YouTube video, he gives viewers a look into the crew accommodations on Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class ship. Despite the small quarters—particularly the shared bathroom—, the video has received positive comments thanking James for sharing.
@Disneyobsessed23 wrote, "Omg this is so cool man! I am now thinking about working on a cruise ship now!"
"Downside: tiny room. Upside: it's not shared with another random crew member (like most crew cabins on most ships)," commented @pileofstuff.
Let's look at his single crew cabin onboard Utopia of the Seas.
Read more: 7 new things coming to Utopia of the Seas, including a giant slide and train restaurant
"I think...the strangest part about being on a ship is the tiny, tiny rooms we have to live in"
Before showing viewers his stateroom, James tries to explain just how small the room is: "Imagine your adult walk-in closet and then cut it in half, and then cut it in half two more times...that's about the size of our rooms."
Cabins aboard Icon of the Seas were redesigned to maximize limited floor space; however, those on Utopia don't appear to be as modernized. While James doesn't have to share his stateroom with another crew member, the available space is minimal.
What you see when you enter is pretty much what you get. The single twin-sized bed is directly across from the personal sink and closet. There's not even a nightstand to store the cabin's phone, so it's hung on the wall. The television is affixed to the wall at the foot of the bed, too.
James' friend and fellow performer Jeff, who is about 6'4" or 6'5", laid in the bed to show just how small it is. To comfortably fit, he says he curls up when he sleeps.
The Jack-and-Jill bathroom means he shares it with another crew member
Despite sharing the washroom, there's just barely enough space for a toilet and shower. Both crew members have their own sinks in their stateroom, eliminating the need to work one into the bathroom's floor plan.
Jeff once again serves as a model to showcase the overall size of the shower: "If I just barely go up on my tiptoes, there's the ceiling."
"You can never get the shower head actually over your head; you have to kneel down," says James.
Since there's not a ton of floor space, he has to store the stool in his wardrobe
According to James, the only stressor of his crew cabin on Utopia of the Seas is trying to effectively manage the space: "That's why I try to only bring one bag of stuff because if you have anything more than one bag,...there's no room."
Above the bed, he shows two cabinets and one open-face shelf for more personal items. The latter is where James keeps water bottles, while the cabinets are where he stores his laundry bag. Jeff has a different approach, as he claims he keeps his clean clothes in the concealed cabinets.
Beside the stateroom's door, there's a small built-in shelving unit that houses the safe, and there are a few hooks on the wall. Since cruise ship cabins have magnetic walls, James could bring more hooks to hang items like hats, lanyards, small bags, etc.
You can follow along on James' journey on Royal Caribbean's newest party ship on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. According to his Instagram, he'll be onboard Utopia of the Seas until September 9, 2024.
