Choosing A Cabin On A Cruise Ship

Planning a cruise vacation involves many decisions. One of the most difficult is choosing your cabin type and location. Looking at cruise ship layouts and decks online or in brochures, one of the first things I always notice is the many different cabin categories. Sometimes there are over 20 different categories on a ship! How does one go about choosing the perfect cabin for their budget and lifestyle?

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 with 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.

Almost 40 years later, I still love to cruise and can have a wonderful 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. 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.

Types of Cruise Ship Cabins
Gary Winnick
Car insurance -Car Insurance from Virgin Money. Quick, easy UK car insurance quotes online - Apply now for car insurance 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 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.