Tips for Choosing a Cruise Ship Cabin

Choosing a cabin on a cruise ship involves many and often competing issues. I have some tips to help you choose a great cabin on your next cruise.

I am on a multi-week trip as I write this column. I’m visiting the ports and seas “Down Under”. The weather here is mixed during summer, although that hasn’t stopped us from doing anything. Our onboard experience has been excellent and our cabin has been a wonderful refuge for us during busy days and nights.

However, for some cruise passengers, their cabin experience is less than ideal, largely because they took a mediocre to poorly located cabin assignment or did not choose their cabin wisely.

Choosing a cruise ship cabin is a decision with many parameters and competing factors. Most travelers know the factors that play an important role in choosing a hotel room. Choosing a cruise cabin involves more than just some of these criteria.

Many cruise ships have 20 or more categories of cabins, but those categories can usually be narrowed down to five main cabin classes

Many cruise ships have 20 or more categories of cabins, but an analysis shows that there are really only five main cabin types: inside, inside view, ocean view, balcony, and suite. Other categories are generally variations of these cabin types, varying by cabin size, views, physical and service features, position between deck, bow and stern of the ship. The price of each cabin depends on all these factors.

Once selected, individual cabins also have options such as twin beds or single queen/king beds, which need to be specified with the cruise line, preferably before departure.

The titles of the cabin categories generally describe them well.

You can save money by choosing cabins with a view inside or out, but make sure that’s what you really want.

inside the cabins are generally the smallest, and have no portholes, windows, or doors to the outside. On newer ships, they are not as tight as before and some have a large screen that shows what the view of the ocean would be like if the cabin had a large door to the outside.

Cabins with large screens showing outdoor views are often called “virtual balcony” cabins. They are commonly found on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and make the inside cabin more palatable for many people. The “virtual balcony” cabin still has no porthole, window or exterior door, but the screen gives some passengers the illusion that they have an exterior cabin. Most have actual curtains installed to make the screen appear more realistic.

Inside view of the cabin Some are on mega-ships. They have windows and may even have balconies, but they look inside the ship rather than out to sea. They face the open external or internal central area of ​​the ship. Often, they face the other interior view cabins on the opposite side of the ship.

Ocean View Cabin Face the outside of the ship, and have a porthole or large window facing the sea, but no door/balcony leading to a private outdoor balcony area outside the cabin for that cabin alone.
Balcony cabins have a balcony (veranda) with access directly from the cabin through a large glass door, allowing passengers to be outside without going into the public area of ​​the ship.

It’s important to understand that not all cruise ship suites have balconies.

suites These are the largest cabins on the ship. They usually have a variety of amenities, such as bedrooms separate from the rest of the cabin, special amenities, and butler service. They may or may not have balconies.

Here are my top seven tips to help you choose your cabin wisely.

Where your cabin is located between the bow and stern is important as there can be noise problems at both ends as well as more ship movement than a cabin located mid-ship.

aft cabin Other ships often have larger balconies than cabins, but they are above the stern thrusters used to power and steer the ships, resulting in the cabins experiencing periodic vibrations, which can be annoying. Could.

some forward cabins On the lower deck directly above the ships’ bow thrusters are located, which are used for critical maneuvers. Late sleepers may be jolted from their sleep by the noise and vibration of the early morning disembarkation and end-of-plane landings.

hallway situation The condition of the cabins can be dire. It may be convenient to live near an elevator bank or stairwell, but it is usually noisy late in the evening, and perhaps even into the early morning. Of course, if you have limited mobility, choosing a cabin near the elevator will reduce the distance needed to get around the ship.

In hotels, noise can be a factor in rooms located near elevators and ice machines. Noise is an important part of choosing the top cruise ship cabin locations due to many more potential issues than hotels.,

outside noise There may be a problem in more than a few cabins. Use your ship’s deck plan to choose a cabin away from noisy public areas such as discos, lounges, casinos, stores, bars and restaurants.

There are two other noisy areas of the ship that you should pay special attention to. On some ships, cabins are located directly beneath the jogging track. Joggers are generally a group of early risers, so if you’re a late sleeper, choose a different cabin. Some ships have self-service laundry rooms. They are often in operation nearly 24×7 on many ships, although recently some cruise lines have restricted their use past normal bedtime. If you’re on a cruise with a lot of families, stay in a cabin far enough away from the self-service laundry room.

confidentiality There may be a problem with the view inside the cabin on mega-ships. Between the banks of cabins on several decks on each side of the ship, there are large outdoor and indoor public areas.

Passengers have little privacy behind open curtain windows and on cabin balconies with views into the interior. They are easily visible by passengers and crew in the central public areas at the front of the cabins, as well as from inside the cabin in the cabin bank in front of them. These staterooms are generally much noisier than the ocean view cabins.

If you are prone to motion sickness, I suggest making this your primary factor when choosing a cruise ship cabin.

If you suffer from motion sicknessIt is important to understand that cruise ship stabilizer systems are effective, reducing the pitching and rolling of ships at sea. Except in bad weather and strong winds, few passengers pay attention to their ship’s movements. However, if you are susceptible to sea sickness, choose a cabin midships (the central area between the ships’ bow and stern) on the lower deck. They have less pronounced mobility.

obstructions As larger lifeboats may eliminate the main advantage of exterior and balcony cabins. If you’re not sure the view of the cabin is unobstructed, ask.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when choosing a cabin. Use your ship’s deck plan and its cabin details to help you use my list of tips. Ask questions when you’re unsure about cabin options. I use a travel agent to help me, even though I am an experienced cruise traveler.

This is where my cabin is located on my current cruise.

By now, you may be asking where my cabin is located on my current cruise. I’m on a ship with less than 800 passengers. I prefer ships with a passenger capacity of less than 1,000. I stay in a suite with a balcony, because I want an ocean view and the ability to go out for fresh air in my own personal space from time to time. I have had breakfast on the balcony many times. I’m on the upper deck to be away from the noisy restaurants, fitness center, casino, shops, etc. that are located on the lower deck, but not so high as to avoid the upper public areas of the ship, which are usually . Noise-free areas such as pool areas, jogging tracks and outdoor play areas.

Next time you travel, choose your cabin wisely.