Updated July 13, 2016 .
Planning a cruise vacation involves many decisions. One of the most difficult is how to choose the best cabin type and location for your budget and lifestyle interests. When looking at cruise ship layouts and decks either online or in brochures, those planning a cruise will quickly notice the many different cabin categories. Sometimes there are over 20 different categories on a ship! Travel agents and journalists often get two questions :
This article provides information on the different types of cruise accommodations in order for cruise travelers to pick the best cabin for them on a ship.
What Is the Best Cruise Ship Cabin?
Choosing the best cabin on a cruise ship is definitely a matter of personal choice, with cost and location being the primary decisions.
The cabin on my first cruise in 1967 was perfectly suited for four teenage girls on a high school graduation cruise. The stateroom on this 3-day cruise to Nassau was about the size of a walk-in closet and had no windows, a tiny bath, and two bunk beds. I'm still not sure how we got all of our "stuff" in there. We barely had room to turn around, and the hum (or was it a roar?) of the engines was evident at all times. We thought we were well below the water line, but who was to know--we certainly couldn't see whether it was day or night without going up several decks. However, it was better than the primitive tent camping I had done with my family--we had indoor plumbing and electricity. In spite of these somewhat Spartan accommodations, we had a wonderful time, and I was hooked on cruising.
Over 45 years later, I still love to cruise and can have a great time in an inside cabin on the lowest level. However, I found a long time ago that having an outside cabin with a window. or better yet a balcony. makes the cruise experience much better and more enjoyable. Sitting on the balcony with a good book or just being able to step outside and breathe in the sea air helps differentiate cruising from a resort vacation.
Having a cabin as a retreat after a busy day ashore has become more important as I've gotten older.
Although many people recommend to new cruisers that they book the cheapest inside cabin since "they won't be spending much time in there anyway", that's not really true for everyone. If you are on a 7-day or longer cruise, you will have days at sea that you might want to spend relaxing in your room, watching a TV-movie, or taking a nap. On a cruise ship, your cabin is the one place you can get away from everything and everybody. I think selecting a cabin type is as personal as deciding where to cruise and which ship to cruise on. Everyone is different, and what is not important to one person might well be important to you.
Is Cabin Price Important?
Of course. Price is certainly a consideration, but if your vacation time is limited, you might be willing to pay more to get a cabin better suited to your lifestyle. The best advice is to be informed about cruise ship cabins and make the right decision for you.
A balcony (veranda) cabin will cost you from 25 percent more to almost double the price of an inside cabin. Some cruisers would prefer to go twice as often and stay in an inside cabin. Others with more limited time might prefer to splurge on a balcony or a suite. Although I love a balcony cabin, these cabins are sometimes smaller than those with just a window since the balcony is replacing the inside space. Be sure to check when booking your cruise if size is more important to you than a balcony. This is a decision each person has to make on their own.
What Are the Different Types of Cruise Ship Cabins?
The price of a cruise ship cabin or stateroom (the terms are interchangeable) is dependent on its size, layout, and location. Cabins on large mainstream cruise ships are often advertised as standard inside. ocean view, balconied, or suite. The smallest cabins on luxury lines are sometimes much larger than those on mainstream lines and are either ocean view or balconied, making the quality of accommodations one of the biggest differences between cruise lines. Cabin and balcony size and cabin location can vary significantly within the same price range on any ship. Let's take a look at some different types of cabins on cruise ships.
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For most vacationers, a cruise is all about sun, sand, sights and relaxation. But for those for whom the night is always young, many cruise ships also provide a big nighttime party scene.
Discos operate into the wee hours, slot machines clang in the casino, live musicians and DJs provide a beat – whether you want it mellow or pulsating. You can catch a show, laugh along to comedians or snuggle under a blanket outdoors for the cruise ship equivalent of a drive-in movie.
Here are the top cruise ships for nightlife.
Royal Caribbean : The line's ships all provide a non-stop nighttime scene, but the action is on steroids on the world's largest ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Watch a real Broadway show (on select ships) or head to the comedy club for laughs or the karaoke bar to show your skills. Try your luck at the Vegas-style Casino Royale or dance the night away with salsa at Boleros or in a multi-level disco, where celebrity scratch DJs host dance parties. The ships collectively also have ice skating shows, high-diving shows and nighttime parades featuring DreamWorks characters. On Quantum of the Seas, debuting in November, robots join the scene — as both performers and bartenders.
Carnival Cruise Lines: The idea is something for everyone (except maybe people who like things quiet). Live musical acts are everywhere, clubs and bars in clusters so you can wander easily from one to another. The casinos have a glitzy decor (including a Hanging Gardens of Babylon theme on Carnival Freedom). Discos feature scratch-n-spin masters trained by DJ IRIE, official DJ for the Miami Heat. Funnyman George Lopez has a hand in choosing talent for the popular Punchliner Comedy Club, with multiple shows each night.
Celebrity Cruises: The nighttime scene on the line's stylish ships is being beefed up with new parties and the addition of Sin City, combining comedy and burlesque (on select ships). The non-smoking Fortunes Casino offers a good selection of table play and slots. Elsewhere, acrobats appear out of nowhere, including in atriums, and there are nightly shows in the main theater. The disco scene includes, on Solstice-class ships, opportunity to swing in a hanging bubble chair when you're not out on the dance floor.
Norwegian Cruise Line: With the best cruise ship casinos, according to Casino Player magazine, Norwegian also delights the nighttime crowd with some of the best parties at sea – including the popular White Hot Party. A big variety of clubs and bars include the sexy, outdoor Spice H20 and the cool Bliss Ultra Lounge, complete with bowling lanes on some ships. There are venues for comedy and jazz and blues, and the newest ships have the best singalong piano act at sea, "Howl at the Moon." You'll also find Broadway shows or musical reviews and such fun absurdities as Svedka Ice Bars (on select ships).
Princess Cruises: This is the line that invented Movies Under the Stars, shown outdoors on giant screens (now a feature on a lot of ships). On Royal Princess and Regal Princess, additional outdoor fun takes place around the main pool, equipped with fountains for nighttime water and light shows. A new, South Beach-style Night Sky Lounge is debuting this fall – it's outdoors at the Retreat Pool on Regal in the Caribbean. The casinos offer an array of slots and tables, and production shows, comedians, nighttime game shows, discos and live music keep the entertainment scene hopping.
Cunard: Yes there are shows in the wonderful Royal Court Theatre, comedians, live musicians and classy Monte Carlo-style casinos that see plenty of action. But the real nighttime scene involves dancing. Don't miss the real themed balls, where you can trip the light fantastic on the dance floor or just listen to the big band. For the late-night crowd, head from the ball to the disco – on Queen Mary 2 the surprisingly hip, two-level G32.
Crystal: Under the chandeliers of the sophisticated Crystal Casino on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, gamblers will find plenty of amusements. The flow is easy from there to the disco or a bar for a nightcap. The nighttime scene also includes ballroom-style dancing, production shows and entertainment provided by comedians, magicians and musicians. There's a karaoke scene on the luxury line too.
Disney: Disney ships have a surprisingly lively nighttime scene for adults. There are no casinos, but there are adults-only nighttime districts with a variety of clubs and bars. Discos are popular hangout spots and carefully themed – such as the London-inspired The Tube on Disney Fantasy. Other clubs feature blues singers, piano players and late-night comedy acts and, thanks to Disney's ESPN connection, sports fans will find live broadcasts at the popular O'Gills Irish pub/sports bars.
Costa: One word: Toga. The Italian line does toga parties and they are a blast (the crew tells you how to properly tie your sheet). Costa ships also have lively casinos and the kind of late-night disco scene you'd expect from an Italian line – the party doesn't get started until midnight. Entertainment is geared towards a multi-national crowd and includes live music. On the new Costa Delioza, the "ship of pleasure," which debuts in November, a new feature is a Country Rock Club.