Are you booking your first cruise and don’t know where to start, or are overwhelmed by all the options? Did you take a previous cruise and were disappointed with the room? I will walk you through how to pick the perfect stateroom for your cruise, wiping away the overwhelming feelings and concern that you may have.
If you have already chosen your cruise line you would like to travel with and your dates of travel, picking the right room is next. If you have yet to choose who to cruise with, hop over to this page where I share the tips to choosing the cruise line that is right for you!
Picking a stateroom is important as this will be your home-base for the extent of the trip and is your place of solace on the “at-sea” days when the boat is the most crowded. The big things you want to decide on are: a budget, how much time you plan to spend in the room, do you need personal space from your travel companions, and are windows and balconies important to you?
Deciding on a budget is first and foremost as the rooms can vary greatly in cost, but that will significantly affect your included amenities and the room size. You do not want to splurge on a large room you will not use or choose a room too small for you are your travel companions. Keep in mind though, the larger the budget, the more options available.
Next, you need to look at your itinerary and decide if you will spend much time in your room. The best way to know this is if you have more than one day at sea, you will want a bit more space. Also, if you are an extrovert and plan on going to the restaurants, pools, and clubs during the majority of your time on board, this may not be important to you as most of your time will be spent exploring the ship. If you prefer to spend time in the room reading, watching tv, or relaxing, a larger space may be preferred to avoid feeling claustrophobic.
Once your room size and budget are decided, the next two things to decide is how much personal space is important to you and if windows and balconies are a necessity.
If you and your travel companion do not need much personal space, nor do you need a balcony, you should opt for an interior room or a porthole room. This will be smaller in size but still have king, queen, or twin beds and the same size bathroom. If you are a solo traveler, many new ships have been disembarked with solo staterooms available. The benefit to these rooms is that you will pay a lower rate for your trip.
If you do need personal space or a balcony, suites are the right choice for you. Most suits have a couch with a television across from it and can be divided from the bed by a curtain and a balcony that can be closed off from the room with a sliding-glass door and blinds. This allows for more privacy and provides the illusion of a larger room.
Rooms will vary from cruise line to cruise line and ship to ship, but they can generally be categorized into 5 groups: solo rooms, interior rooms, porthole view rooms, balcony rooms, and penthouse/exclusive rooms. These can then also be divided down further into standard and suite rooms. We will go through what you can expect from each category so you can decide which option suits your needs best.
Solo Staterooms
The solo stateroom is a newer concept that is geared to solo travelers. In the past, cruise lines have expected solo guests to pay for both portions of the room leading many solo travelers to choose not to cruise. As solo traveling has increased post-COVID, many cruise lines are including these in their new boats.
These rooms are ordinarily porthole, or interior room style and include minimal to no amenities. They are on the smaller size, but great for someone wanting to experience a cruise without having to find a travel companion to split the cost with.
Interior Staterooms
Interior staterooms will typically be the smallest room on board with the exception of the solo room. These rooms have two layouts. One is a single queen bed in the center of the room, while the other is 2-4 twin size beds.
For the 2-4 bed layout, the two twin beds will be side by side separated by a shared nightstand and a walking path to access both beds. If your room is a 3 or 4 bed option, there will be one or two beds mounted to the wall that fold up during the day and dropped down at evening by the steward. These are accessed by a ladder that can be placed on the side of the bed, and mimic built-in bunkbeds. This is a great option for college students, groups of friends traveling on a budget, or families with multiple children who are old enough to stay on their own. (4 bed layout in the image on the left).
For the 1 bed lay out, this is perfect for couples, it resembles any small hotel room with a build in desk and closets for luggage storage, and a bathroom big enough to shower or get ready in, but not share.
If you are someone who needs a very dark room to sleep well or are not concerned about having a view in your room, this is a fantastic budget-friendly option. If you are someone who needs natural light to walk up in the morning, this will not be the right choice for you, as the rooms are extremely dark unless lights are on.
Porthole View Staterooms
For the travelers who are on a budget but would still like some natural light and a view, the porthole stateroom will be your best bet. For the first time cruiser, a porthole is a circular window located in the middle of the wall, allowing you to see outside and allowing for natural light. This window is commonly inoperable, so do not expect to be able to open it up to enjoy the ocean breeze if your ship does not specifically state that you can open them.
The layout of the room is consistent with the one bed interior room option but are often larger in size. These rooms will still have the same storage space, bed, and bathroom but will have larger walking paths around the sides of the bed.
Balcony Staterooms
Balcony staterooms are not to be confused with balcony suites. Balcony rooms are oriented in a similar manner to the porthole rooms with the exception of more free space and a balcony that you can sit out on. On some ships, there are also 2 bed options, which most often constitute two double beds that can accommodated up to 4 travelers. This will not include a sitting area such as a couch, which you will find in the suites.
This room will be much brighter than the interior and porthole rooms as balcony rooms are floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors that can be opened to experience the fresh air and sunlight. Since the doors are fully transparent, they come equipped with heavy blackout curtains that allow you to make the room dark for sleeping or for privacy when docked on the port-side.
The storage space, and possibly the bathroom, are larger than the average porthole room, but not significantly. These rooms may also include more amenities such as afternoon canapes and turndown service.
These rooms are great for couples or families with smaller children.
Balcony Suites
The Balcony suite is where you can see a larger jump in room size and amenities. These rooms come in a single king bed orientation. What makes these rooms a “suite” is the significantly larger free space that is accompanied with a seating area. This seating area in most cruise lines is a couch that can be converted into a queen or double bed in the evening by your steward during turndown service. This allows you to have more space to move around but the flexibility to have more travelers stay in one room.
This is perfect for families whose children are 7-12 years old are not old enough to stay in their own cabin but are active enough to make a standard balcony room feel cramped.
What is great about these rooms is that the bathrooms are significantly larger and two people to utilize the bathroom space at once instead of fighting for mirror and sink space, plus the increased built-in storage provides a tucked-in home for the luggage during your stay.
For families with children, the thought of a balcony can be of concern, but most cruise lines have a guardrail that is around 4 feet high and not particularly easy to climb on. Additionally, the floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors come with multiple safety locks that are high enough out of most children’s reach.
If you are someone who likes to spend more time relaxing in the room instead of exploring the ship, this is perfect for you. The rooms typically include a partition curtain between the bed and the seating area to allow for more privacy, making it feel like a separate space to enjoy.
The Penthouse & Exclusive Suites
This section is a fun one that has more unique features and amenities included. A large majority of cruise ships have a separate exclusive section with larger rooms and significantly more amenities included in the stay. This is where you go when you are looking for luxurious unique way to cruise without spending as much on a luxury cruise line. Now I lump the penthouse in this, as the penthouse will most often be located in this exclusive section if your ship has this option.
These rooms are all include a seating area but can vary greatly. Many rooms in this section will encompass multiple bedrooms with one or more balconies and a dedicated siting area. Some are large enough to have multiple floors and their own plunge pools or hot tubs on the balcony.
When booking in the exclusive section, 24-hour butlers, personal escort service at ports, and exclusive separate dining, pools, bars, and relaxation areas are all part of the package. The view is also key to booking here. This section of rooms are located towards the top few levels of the ship, so you will have the best view of the port cities right from the comfort of your own balcony. In the morning these views can be enjoyed with complementary afternoon canapes, your morning room service or a bottle of bubbly on the balcony.
These rooms are great for most travelers who can accommodate the cost into their budget. The price tag may be high, but the increased space and detail-focused service make it worth the cost.
Now with a better understanding of what each room entails and what you can expect to board, you have all the tools you need to book your stateroom confidently!
If you are ready to book your cruise and are looking for more tips to plan your best vacation yet, hop over to my ultimate guide to booking cruises to get the top tips for making the most of your travels!
