Taking a cruise in this day and age is near impossible but that will change at some point. When it does, the ports will open back up and bookings will as well. The first thing you need to decide is where do you want to go, how long you want to stay, and the most important of all choices, what kind of cruise cabin are you going to book?
The where, when, and what liner are easy decisions because we tend to book based on our schedules and destination desires, and our loyalty to a cruise line specifically, most of the time. While each cruise line has its own styles of cabins and pricing, for the most part, they are all relatively the same.
The first choice to making a cabin choice is deciding on the interior and exterior room choices. There are not many variations for interior rooms but we will start here.
The level of your cabin isn’t as important to the location unless the motion is a problem for you and we will get to that shortly.
Whether you are on the interior or the exterior of the ship, staying closer to the stairs can be both good and bad. The good? You’re close to the stairs and therefore less need to walk the corridor of the hall. The bad? It can be noisy for most of the evening. We have noticed this to be less of an issue on an exterior cabin.
Interior cabins
Interior cabins are usually small but some cruise lines have larger cabins and connecting cabins that can accommodate larger families. There are no windows, obviously. Upper decks are closer to some of the more desired locations and can be a little noisy at times but most rooms are relatively quiet unless near the stairs.
While the interior cabins are close-quartered, remember that unless you are booking a suite or grand suite, even the exterior rooms are quite small as well and typically cost quite a bit more.
If staying in a windowless room doesn’t bother you, then by all means target this for your choice and save some money that you can spend onboard the ship or in port.
Sway and motion
If you want to avoid the sway and up and down motions of a cruise ship, you should plan on an interior lower level cabin that is midship or towards the stern. The most motion of a ship will come towards the front or bow, and upper levels as the ship will bob up and down cutting through the water. If motion sickness is a problem, you definitely need to stay midship and further back.
Motion can be felt quite a bit in exterior rooms. Rooms with balconies can make you experience the side-to-side sway so again, if you have to have a window or a balcony, the lower level you choose the less sway and motion you will feel as well as midship and stern. I will say this, I have stayed in an exterior balcony cabin towards the front and while I felt the bobbing up and down a little bit, I did not experience as much side to side motion as I did midship upper level.
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Exterior Cabins
There are a lot of choices when it comes to exterior cabins and they all go up in price as you choose. The outside offers more than just a window. You can get a porthole view, a window view, a balcony, a suite, a grand suite, and some suites with windows that give you forward and side views. While these cabins are more expensive, they offer a more open feel than the interior cabins. A window alone can do wonders for those who may feel claustrophobic without one.
Window Cabins
Porthole cabins have small windows that tend to be round and just big enough to look out onto the water. The lower you are to the water the more chance you have to watch the spray off the ship as it moves. These are the low-end cabins for exterior rooms.
Window cabins have larger views of the ocean but like the porthole rooms, they do not open, and the view is dependant on which level you choose on the ship. While I like window cabins, they can get dirty, and sometimes, if they are not cleaned well, your view can be tainted by foggy edges on the window.
Balcony rooms, for me, is the only way to cruise. I have done many of the options but nothing so far has beat the balcony experience and for those travelers who like a little more privacy while experiencing the open ocean air, this is a great option and in most cases worth the money.
Balconies are pretty much private on most cruises meaning you can’t see the balcony next to you without leaning out to try and see. Usually, you won’t see who is on the next balcony unless the two are at the rail.
Balconies are a great way to start the day with coffee on a chair with the breezes blowing by. It’s a great place to watch the docking procedures and to sit and watch the hustle at the port depending on whether you are on the port or starboard side. Even if you are not on the port side, you typically have a nice view of the water.
Suites are the best that a cruise line can offer but in most cases, the word suite doesn’t compare to what it means for a hotel. You won’t have a kitchenette, you won’t have a coffee maker, but you do have some more space both in the size of the room and the closet. Most balcony cabins have small refrigerators that help keep water cold.
The decision you need to make is whether you need bigger and better or if a balcony will suffice. I will warn you, when choosing a balcony room, don’t just pick one and go. Take the time to pick the right balcony. While you may think you have an open view of the ocean, in my cases you might be looking at a lifeboat or a walkway for other passengers. Your views can be blocked.
The best way to check is to look up your cruise ship online before making your selection if it is offered. For example, look up Carnival Liberty room 135 or whatever and see if anyone has posted a review of it. I have found more and more often cruise passengers are publishing videos of their arrival and most of the time I can see a video of the room before I book. This helps me avoid the prospect of getting a bad view for my money.
Hopefully, all of this COVID stuff will go away and we can all get back on the water and enjoy the cruise industry that many of us rely on for an escape and now, maybe you have a better idea of how to find the room you need.