Staterooms to Avoid

I often tell the story of an uninformed traveler many years who booked the worst stateroom imaginable on a ship (they did not use a travel professional).  This trip involved a pregnant wife who had no sleep for seven days due to the sounds of DING DING DING going strong till 3AM from the casino above the stateroom.   Needless to say ‘Happy Wife – Happy Life’ did not apply for that trip!

If you have not guessed by now that was me who booked that disaster on one of our first cruises many years ago.  Even if you don't plan to spend much time in your stateroom, it should be a restful and a private place so you can maintain that much-needed vacation energy.  To help you do so, we've compiled a list of staterooms you’ll want to avoid if closet-like dimensions or loud casino sounds overhead don't sound appealing to you.

Tiny Interior Cruise Ship Cabin

Sure, price is a major factor when booking your cabin, but give yourself the benefit of the doubt: Would you want your "home away from home" to be smaller than your own bedroom? To give you an example of square footage, the average master bedroom in an American household runs about 200 square feet. Carnival's standard inside cabins begin at a healthy 185 square feet, but beware of the line's Category 1A cabins, which are oddly shaped and feature pull-out or bunk beds.  In comparison, Royal Caribbean's inside cabins on Majesty of the Seas (soon to be retired) run 114 square feet.

It's important to note that cabins on newer ships seem to be smaller than those found on their older siblings. For example, Haven suites on Norwegian's Breakaway and Getaway are smaller than the suites on its Gem-class ships. Even if you've sailed a line before, don't assume each ship will offer similar cabin sizes.

What a Lovely View? Obstructed View Cruise Ship Cabin

If a view is important to you, we make sure you know what you're getting a view of. An obstructed-view cabin category might cost less, but the quality of the vista varies from room to room. One view might be only partially obstructed, leaving most of the window occupied by sunsets over waves, while others artfully frame a length of lifeboats.



Ear Plugs Required Loud Noises 

It might seem obsessive to a first-timer, but locating loud and late-night venues could be a lifesaver when picking a place to have a restful night’s sleep.  Anything near a dance club, sports venue, lido deck or all-night eatery could mean throbbing bass, bouncing basketballs and the sweet sound of deck chairs scraping at 3 a.m. Even worse is the galley: bumping, rolling, shouting and stomping around the clock. Just because a venue shuts down at a certain hour doesn't mean there won't be commotion as it's being cleaned.

It's widely agreed that the best passenger deck to choose is one sandwiched between other passenger decks -- you might run into noisy neighbors, but it's unlikely they'll have access to pots, pans or an industrial sound system. Additionally, a cruise line will be more equipped to handle a passenger noise complaint rather than a request to move your cabin on what could be a fully booked ship.
If we can, we identify where crew service entrances are located -- stories of slamming doors day and night are enough for us to check twice.  And if the sound of footsteps keeps you up at night, don't book a cabin nearby major promenades or staircases.

And don't forget the cruise ship engine. While humming noises put some to sleep, the loud buzz of machinery might drive you batty.  Passengers on the lowest deck are most likely to hear engine or even anchor sounds.

Privacy out the Window 

A view is always preferable to no view, but be wary: Cabins that open onto a promenade deck offer little privacy, even with curtains closed. This was the complaint of one cruiser in an oceanview cabin on the lower promenade deck of Holland America's Volendam. The line's Lanai cabins boast sliding-glass doors with one-way views offering total concealment, but don't forget to shut them if you're planning a private moment; this isn't your back yard.

Other cabins providing questionable seclusion include the mini-suites beneath the SeaWalk on Royal Princess and Regal Princess and cabins facing the Boardwalk and Central Park areas on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. A passenger who stayed on the lowest level of the Central Park cabins reported having to keep their curtains closed for the length of the cruise because other passengers strolling through the park could see straight in.

Motion of the Ocean

If you know you have a history of motion sickness or even if you're not sure, err on the side of booking a more stable cabin. By "stable," we mean midship, closer to the interior and on a lower deck, where rocking motion is less likely to be felt. A balcony room might seem enticing for the fresh air, but a location on the outer edges of the ship could make it more susceptible to movement. That said, visual contact with the horizon line is said to aid in reducing nausea as you bob up and down.

Rough waters can be anticipated by itinerary and the time of year you're sailing. Generally, in the winter months, seas are rougher especially in the Atlantic. If you don't have a stomach of steel, consider skipping cabins that could make you queasy. A deluxe suite at the front of the ship might come with nice amenities, but you won't be able to enjoy them if you are ill.

What Kind of Guarantee?

Not saying that guarantee cabins aren't worth the gamble for an upgrade, but if you want assurance that you won't be in a pitching, noisy cabin, these cabins aren't the way to go. A guarantee cabin isn't actually a type of cabin but, rather, a method of booking a cabin. You pick a minimum cabin level you'd be comfortable in, and the cruise line assigns you a cabin close to sailing date based on availability.

The potential for an upgrade is appealing, and if you're cruising on a budget and don't have a particular issue with any of the cabin dilemmas listed above, then it could be worth your while to see what a guarantee might deliver. But your guarantee also could place you squarely above the anchor, next to a crew entrance or below the theater. With guarantee cabins, you lose your ability to complain about what you end up with.

Happy Cruising!