Choosing a Cabin 101

Before delving into a discussion of important aspects to consider when deciding on which cruise cabin to book, the cruise industry uses special cruise lingo in this area that a cruise traveler needs to be familiar with. A stateroom is another word for a cabin, while a berth another word for a bed.

The sides of a cruise ship are referred to Port and Starboard: Port is left side of ship; starboard is right side. A useful tool for remembering the difference is the word “port” has for letters as does the word “left.” The back of the ship of referred to as the aft and the front of the ship is referred to as the forward.  For remembering these, the aft comes after the forward.

Beds – here is a big FYI

Most have at least 2 berths (beds) that are movable to combine into a queen. Norwegian Breakaway has finally answered the need of the single traveler with studios with one berth.  If more than 2 berths important to check to see if they are lower or upper. Lower are sofa beds or rollaway. Royal Caribbean counts 3 & 4 berths as a queen size sofa pull out.

Considerations Prior to Booking                

·        Obstructed vs. partially obstructed vs. not obstructed (such as a lifeboat or other architectural feature of the ship).  Assume not obstructed unless indicated otherwise.   But obstructions can obliterate view full 100%

·        Check the deck plans above and below cabin you consider; extra noisy under pool deck, near anchor, near teen club and above theatre and nightclub

o   Look for obstructions

o   Look for open air cabin (guests above can see into your balcony)

o   Smoking on balcony policies

o   Weather considerations (balcony especially usefully in warm areas but cold/wet not so much)

·        Level of activity on the ship-what do you prefer?

o   Bask in entertainment and on-board activities

o   Stay and enjoy privacy of own room

General Room Types

Interior Staterooms

          At the lowest level tier is the interior or inside stateroom.  As the name suggests, these rooms are located in the inside corridor of the cruise ship and do not have a window.  They typically are the least expensive on the ship and tend to be the smallest in size.  They still contain at least two beds, a full bathroom, closet space, television (TV has limited programming, repeated info about ship, activities and excursions), and a vanity.  Increasingly, cruise lines have installed either a mirror, curtain, and, in the rare case, a wall mounted monitor with a view of the ocean.

While small they are very efficient and comfortable.  Storage space-often hidden under and behind, you will be surprised how much those rooms can hold as you unpack.  But if for some reason you find the bed is too hard request an egg crate from cabin steward or extra pillows.

Sometimes efficient can be too efficient.  “Efficient” = SMALL but all practical needs are met.  We have found that in some cabins the toilette space is limiting and uncomfortable.  Public restrooms are available at all times and are much larger. Same applies for shower in spa area but not open all the time and time limits apply usually. 

Promenade Staterooms

Relatively recently a new category for staterooms has emerged.  Royal Caribbean in their most recent cruise ships have introduced a stateroom on the interior corridor of the ship but has a window overlooking the promenade shopping area located in the middle of the ship, rather than the ocean.  Even though the stateroom is located on the inside of the ship, this type of stateroom is not accurately categorized as an interior because it has a window.  A couple of important considerations unique to this stateroom category is that the promenade staterooms on the lower decks can become a bit noisy from the activity and hustle on the promenade.  Also, these staterooms offer opportunities for cruise travelers who might otherwise feel claustrophobic to enjoy a room with a window view at a lower price point. 

Oceanview

An oceanview stateroom is a stateroom located on the outside sides  of the cruise ship with some sort of window looking out.  The presence of a window to the outside world can open up the stateroom enormously and adds some benefit to those who wish to spend more leisure time in their stateroom.  Note that the window may be a porthole or two or a larger window.  In any event, the window offered in this stateroom does not open, unfortunately. 

Booking these rooms requires some extra due diligence for determining whether an obstruction exists and comparing prices to a balcony.   An obstruction may eliminate any anticipated benefit of having an ocean view window.  Cruise lines are equipping newer ships with fewer and fewer ocean view staterooms, opting instead for balcony staterooms.  As price for the stateroom is a function of supply and demand, with fewer ocean view staterooms, the price of an ocean view may and can at times approach and even surpass that of a balcony. 

               

Balcony

The most popular and accessible splurge for the cruise traveler is the  balcony stateroom.  The balcony stateroom is categorized with a door opening up to a private patio.  A private balcony offers the cruise traveler seemingly infinite space as the stateroom appears to open up to an infinite degree. Usually these staterooms are significantly more expensive than inside or ocean view staterooms, although good deals abound.  In most circumstances the patio door is a sliding door but be aware that some older ships have a traditional door instead.  The typical balcony has a small table and two standard chairs.  The lower level balconies are able to capture more sounds from the ocean than their higher counterparts. 

When booking for a balcony, examine closely for obstructions as they can be significant and if it matters the cruise lines smoking policy on private balconies as more cruise lines are prohibiting smoking.  Additionally, some ships have open air balconies that are uncovered from the above deck, which means less privacy from those above and being more vulnerable to rainy weather.  Finally, consider anticipate weather forecasts for your itinerary as balconies are more useful in warm, dry climate than in wet and cold climate. 

MiniSuites and Master Suites

Similar to balconies but possess more square footage and more amenities than the standard balcony room.  Every suite is different as well as amenities offered vary from a grand piano, to a full dining room table, private Jacuzzis, private butlers, private bars and so on.   Usually shown as unavailable or waitlisted to avoid them being swept up by non-serious agents.