The 5 Best Cabin Locations on Any Cruise

What is the best location for a stateroom on a cruise?

like a cruise writer for over 20 yearsI have heard that question many times and it is not easy to answer. On any cruise, the best cabin location for one person may not be the best option for another.

The ideal cabin for a light sleeper on a particular boat, for example, might be a room tucked away in the quietest corner of the boat. But another passenger on the same boat who cares more about the view might be happier with a completely different location.

On a typical cruise ship, cabins are arranged everywhere: high and low, front, middle and rear. Not that that’s always the case.

Some cruise ships, particularly river cruise ships, have cabins clustered in the back and public areas in the front. Other vessels, such as most oceangoing vessels operated by luxury lines. seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Scenic Luxury Cruises, have cabins grouped in the front with public areas in the rear.

Cruise ship cabins also come in all shapes and sizes and with a variety of amenities and benefits. Some lines, like royal caribbean and Norwegian cruise lineoffer a wide variety of room optionsfrom small windowless “indoor” cabins to palatial suites, in all types of locations on their vessels.

In fact, there is such a wide variety of not only stateroom locations but also stateroom types on ships, that the best way to narrow down the accommodation options on any given ship might be to put together a list of staterooms that you definitely No I want to choose.

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As it happens, we’ve already done that here at TPG in our Guide to Cabin Locations You Should Definitely Avoid.

Still, there are some broad categories of cabin locations on cruise ships that are always in high demand due to their prime locations.

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Cabins in the center of the ship

These are the cabins you should look for if you are particularly prone to motion sickness.

The great attraction of a cabin in the middle of the boat is its stability. You won’t feel the roll of the sea in a midship cabin as much as you will in a cabin at the front or back of a boat. This is because ships are like seesaws. They tilt back and forth around a central axis that barely moves.

If you are in the center of a boat, you are in the equivalent of the center of a seesaw. Even in very rough seas, you won’t move as much as the boat goes up and down through the waves as someone at either end of the boat.

Keep in mind that it’s also helpful to be near water if you’re worried about getting dizzy.

On very large ships, where activity areas are widely separated, center cabins also offer the advantage of being in the center of everything. The main pool deck, for example, is probably right above you when you’re in a cabin amidships, not much walking distance. The same goes for the central interior areas.

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Cabins in the background

There is something fascinating about standing at the back of a ship staring at its wake. When you are in the open sea, you can see the long trail of choppy water behind you, stretching seemingly forever like a path in the sea. It is tangible evidence of your journey. When you leave a port, you have the best view in the house.

I admit that I could stand at the back of a boat for hours looking at the water, and I’m a big fan of rear-facing staterooms, as long as they have a balcony. I’m firmly in the camp that says rear-facing balcony staterooms are among the best balcony staterooms on any ship.

The balconies of rear-facing cabins are often larger than the balconies of side cabins and also feel quiet. There are far fewer balcony staterooms in the back of a boat than on the sides, so you don’t hear much noise from your neighbors.

If your cabin is in the back corner of a boat, you may even have a balcony that goes around two sides of the boat. These types of balconies are the ultimate in freshness.

Note that on some ships, all or most of the rear-facing cabins are large, expensive suites, but this is not always the case. Carnival Cruise Line Ships, for example, tend to have quite a few non-suite accommodations behind them.

Related: Everything you want to know about the cabins and suites on Carnival Cruise Line ships

Cabins in front

I admit, I’m not a big fan of forward-facing cockpits. For starters, there is no place on a boat more prone to motion than the front. Forward-facing cabins also typically lack balconies, for reasons I’ll explain later.

All that said, many travelers love forward-facing staterooms. They love them because the view can be spectacular, especially when you arrive at a new port. Plus, some people love the idea of ​​being at the front of a boat and being able to see where they are going.

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Forward-facing staterooms sometimes have additional space as well. This is because they sometimes incorporate the oddly angled interior spaces that exist at the front of the boat, which is often tilted. As mentioned above, forward-facing staterooms often do not have balconies, as the wind over the bow of a boat under sail is such that a balcony is not practical. Instead, they will have large windows, sometimes floor-to-ceiling, that offer stellar views.

Cabins surrounded by other cabins.

For light sleepers, take note: the best place to be if you want the best chance of not being disturbed by noise is a cabin surrounded by other cabins. This means a cabin that has a cabin directly above and a cabin directly below, as well as cabins on either side.

Finding a cabin like this is harder than you think. On a typical ship, the upper deck of the staterooms is directly below the pool and activity decks, which can be noisy during the day and even at night (yes, the noise sometimes reaches the ceiling). The cabin deck just below the cabins upper deck may be a good option.

But go down a couple more floors and you’ll often be right above the indoor entertainment floors that house music halls, theaters and other loud venues.

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If your goal is the ultimate in quiet, you’ll also want to avoid cabins near elevators, passenger laundromats, and other areas that attract foot traffic. It may take some studying of the deck plans, but as experienced sailors know, it’s worth looking for a cabin that’s away from anything that might keep you up at night.

Cabins near the spa

If you’re a big spa fan, the kind where you can spend hours on vacation getting treatments, you’ll want to get a stateroom near your ship’s spa. Trust us. Walking long distances across a bustling ship in a robe and slippers for a spa appointment can be a little, well, strange.

Cruise lines cater to spa lovers with special spa cabins that are close to the spa and feature special spa amenities. These can include plush bathrobes and slippers to wear on the way to the spa, upgraded toiletries, exfoliation kits, aromatherapy diffusers, and even yoga mats. Cabins sometimes also come with spa discounts, unlimited access to the spa salon, and other spa-related benefits.

Lines that have designated spa cabins on some or all ships include Celebrity cruisesCarnival, Holland America, azamara and MSC Cruises.

On Celebrity, the spa cabins, called AquaClass cabins, feature exclusive access to a special spa restaurant called Blu.

If you are interested in a spa cabin, you will need to book well in advance. They often sell out early.

In a nutshell

There is no right answer to the question of the best cabin location on a cruise ship. The perfect location for a cabin for one passenger may not be the perfect location for another.

That being said, there are certain places on cruise ships that are better than others when it comes to cabin placement, including the front and back of the ships. There’s nothing like being able to look forward from your room as a ship approaches a port or watch the ship’s wake from a rear-facing stateroom.

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