When I cruise, I always try my best to book the best cabin that I can find on the ship within my budget. Over the years, I’ve arrived to find cabins that look completely fine on day one of the cruise, but then a few days into the trip, I realise that I’ve made a massive mistake by booking it.
In this post, I’m going to share with you 13 of the things that I do to avoid booking the worst cabins on the cruise ships that I travel on. These secrets actually help me to find the BEST cabins on the ship, and I’ve recently walked into cabins that have blown my mind. I’ve shared some of these cabins on my YouTube channel, and I’ve been surprised to see that lots of you have been shocked at what I’ve found, too!
Don’t worry - I’m not going to tell you that you need to spend more money in order to secure the best cabins - quite the opposite, in fact. I’m going to tell you about the things that I do to avoid the worst and find the best cabins WITHOUT spending any more money…
If you enjoy this content and find it useful, then please support me by sharing it with anyone that you think might also enjoy it. Also, come over and find me on YouTube - just search ‘Fraser at Sea’, or click here, to find me over there.
If you’d rather watch a video on this topic, why not watch this one? This is the video that I created for YouTube, which covers the same tips that I’m going to share with you on this page.
1. I Search Deck Plans for Interesting Cabins…
If you’re unfamiliar, deck plans for cruise ships are widely available online. I always recommend sourcing the deck plan from your cruise line’s website - that way, you can be sure that you’re looking at the most up-to-date version.
A deck plan shows you where all of the public venues are throughout the ship, and also where all of the cabins and staterooms are. When it comes to cabins, you’ll often find these colour-coded throughout the plan, making it really simple for you to see where each category is located. It’s important to remember that not all cabins within a grade are equal - you can find some really interesting cabins by scouring these plans!
Here’s an example from Queen Anne, a cruise ship operated by Cunard at the point of writing this article - in the below image, look at the maroon coloured cabins. These are known as ‘A1 category staterooms’, but look at those at the left end, directly next door to the first grey cabins. On one side of the ship, it’s clear that you’re going to get a much larger balcony, but the cabin on the other side actually has a larger floor space inside the room, too! Personally, I’d say that these cabins are worth looking at, if you’re planning to cruise on Queen Anne!
Not all cabins are created equal - here’s an example of different cabin sizes within the same grade onboard Cunard’s Queen Anne.
Let’s look at another example before moving on to the next point. Staying on the same ship, let’s look at the deck plan covering deck 8.
In the below image, look at the fuchsia coloured cabins. Most of them look to be identical, but some cabins worth noting would be 8.084, 8.036, 8.041 and 8.117. It looks as though these cabins have either a larger balcony space, a larger in-cabin space, or both!
Another example of differing cabin sizes within the same grade, again from Cunard’s Queen Anne.
I love finding these types of cabin when I’m searching through plans of ships - I really like the fact that you can often secure a unique cabin by booking one that looks different on the plan. For example, some of these balcony doors could be on an angled wall - something that would feel completely different in the cabin during your cruise!
2. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Near High Footfall Areas!
There are many places that I’m keen to avoid booking a cabin in the vicinity of when I book a cruise, many of which I’ll cover as we progress through this post. One of these places is anywhere that experiences high footfall.
When you hear the term ‘high footfall’, you might automatically think of somewhere like the shopping area, or maybe the onboard bars. One area that’s often overlooked in this sense is Guest Services, or the Reception area. This is where passengers will go all through the day and well into the night to ask questions, voice their concerns and also to make any complaints.
This can result in people spending a fair amount of time in the area, with lots of conversations naturally taking place. When I’m in my cabin, I don’t want to hear someone explaining that their toilet won’t flush, or that the air conditioning in their cabin isn’t working properly - I want to enjoy some peace and quiet!
You can find the location of Guest Services on the deck plans for any cruise ships - it’s well worth finding, and then avoiding!
Guest Services is one location that I always avoid booking a cabin close to… © Fraser at Sea.
3. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Close to Public Restrooms!
This is one that’s so often overlooked by cruisers, particularly those who haven’t taken this type of trip before. Toilet systems on cruise ships usually operate in a similar manner to those that you’ll find on an aircraft: using a vacuum system. That means that flushing the toilet will create a lot of noise, and you’re likely to hear that in your cabin if you’re directly next door to a public bathroom.
Again, you can find the location of public bathrooms on ship deck plans, so you’re unlikely to get caught out on this one.
Not all toilet facilities are likely to cause you issues. For example, if you’re close to an accessible facility, the likelihood is that this will be used relatively infrequently. However, if you’re through the wall from the toilets located on the main pool deck, then that’s probably going to be a very different story.
Think about it - do you really want to book a cabin directly beside a public bathroom? © Fraser at Sea.
4. I Find the Gangway Locations, and I Avoid Booking a Cabin Beside them…
Gangways can be noisy and busy places. At the start of a cruise, thousands of people are likely to be using the gangway to embark the ship for the first time, and at the end of a cruise they’re going to use it to leave the ship.
When the ship is docked in port, the gangway will be used by passengers to come and go throughout the day, making them an interesting place to book a cabin close to.
There are some benefits to booking a cabin close to a gangway, but I personally feel that the potential negatives outweigh these. My biggest frustration with being beside a gangway is the noise associated with it. If your cruise ship is due to be in port from 8am - 6pm for example, the security team will often begin setting up the gangway an hour or two before arrival. If you’re trying to sleep in the room next door, then you’d better hope that they’re quiet!
I guess this depends on how light (or heavy) a sleeper you are - I can be quite a light sleeper, so even someone having a conversation outside my cabin door has been known to cause me to stir…
Another issue worth thinking about with being close to a gangway is a reduction in privacy. Passengers are often likely to access the gangway by walking through an air-bridge, similar to those glass walkways that take you from the airport terminal to the aircraft. That could give them a direct view into your cabin, so you’d better make sure you’re behaving!
Here’s the view from my cabin onboard Margaritaville at Sea’s Paradise while we were docked at the Port of Palm Beach, Florida. Note how close those passengers are to my window! © Fraser at Sea.
5. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Beside a Blank Space on a Deck Plan…
As I mentioned earlier, deck plans will show you where all of the public venues are throughout the ship. They won’t show you private areas, or what’s behind those ‘crew only’ doors that you’ll find throughout a ship. For that reason, it’s important that you exercise caution when booking a cabin beside a space that appears blank on a deck plan, as there could be lots going on in there!
When I started cruising, I booked cabins beside blank spaces assuming that this was how people found the really ‘unique’ cabins, but little did I know that I was making such a huge mistake in many cases. I arrived to find that my cabin was beside a room service galley on one occasion, and also have found myself beside so many crew walkways over the years - these can be loud depending on which deck of the ship you’re on!
In the below image from Queen Anne’s deck plan, you can see an example of one such ‘blank space’ if you look at the middle area around the yellow inside cabins on deck 8. On both decks 7 and 9, there are lots of other inside cabins, but not on this deck - I wonder what’s in there…?
Be careful about booking cabins or staterooms beside blank spaces on deck plans - these can be problematic in some cases! © Fraser at Sea.
6. I Aim to Surround my Cabin with Other Cabins!
This tip is an incredibly well-known one, but I couldn’t leave it off of this list. When I opt to select my specific cabin on any cruise, I always aim to surround my cabin with other passengers cabins.
What I mean by this is that I want other cabins on either side of mine, in addition to above and below. This stands the best chance possible of reducing noise in my cabin, as it’ll mean I’m further away from noisy venues.
I’ve taken some cruises in the past where I’ve been directly above the main theatre (we’ll come back to this) or directly underneath a live music venue that operates well into the night, and these can be troublesome. When you compare these types of venues to passenger cabins, the noise coming from the latter should be absolutely minimal in comparison. If there is excessive noise coming from the cabin of another passenger, it’s usually quickly resolved with the help of the ship’s crew - just give Guest Services a call.
When I book my cabin, I want it to be surrounded by other cabins, therefore reducing any noise risks! © Fraser at Sea.
7. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Directly Underneath a Top Deck or a Swimming Pool.
If you’ve never taken a cruise before, it might surprise you that it can be incredibly noisy to find yourself in a cabin or stateroom directly underneath a top deck space. There are a few reasons for this, but primarily due to the furniture that you’ll find up there being set-up in the morning, being moved around during the day, and then being tidied away in the evening.
Very few cruise lines will leave deckchairs and sun loungers lying out overnight - they’ll usually always pack them away. This means that the set-up and take-down noise will exist on almost every day of your cruise, unless you have very inclement weather…
Some cruise lines have turned to things like astroturf or padded flooring on their open decks to minimise the noise that travels through to the deck below, although these are in the minority, with the majority of ships having either wooden decks, or a vinyl alternative.
It’s not just the furniture to be mindful of - you should also consider the location of the onboard swimming pools. Swimming pools come with lots of machinery including filters and pumps to keep them clean and safe for use, and this can create noise and vibrations which can easily pass through to nearby cabins. I’ve taken one cruise in the past where I was directly underneath a swimming pool, and I’m sure that I could hear the water sloshing around all day and all night - a very frustrating noise when you’re trying to get to sleep, trust me…!
I always try to ensure that my cabin isn’t directly underneath a swimming pool - these can be noisy down below… © Fraser at Sea.
8. I Avoid Booking an Adjoining Cabin.
An ‘adjoining cabin’ is exactly the same as an adjoining hotel room - it’s a room that has a door to take you directly into the room next door. These are great if you’re travelling with friends or family, and you’d like to have access to the other room without the need to go out into the hallway to knock the door and wait for it to be answered.
If I’m cruising solo, or with someone that’s in another cabin, I always try to avoid an adjoining cabin. The main reason for this is the lack of sound-proofing. It’s much easier for a cruise line to sound-proof a regular cabin than it is to do so when there’s a door into another cabin in the space.
I’ve been in some adjoining cabins in the past where I’ve been able to hear an entire conversation (at a normal volume) through the adjoining door. I’ve also been able to hear my neighbours snoring during the night in connecting or adjoining cabins - this is noise that I just don’t need when I’m travelling…!
I’ll always opt to book a stand-alone cabin rather than an adjoining one - this gives me far greater privacy! © Fraser at Sea.
9. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Close to Kids Clubs!
This is another facility on the ship that’s often overlooked when people select a cabin. Think about it - kids clubs are fun places for children to spend time. It’s often ‘play time’ in there, with an abundance of toys to be played with. This in itself can create noise that will likely pass through to cabins that are directly beside, above or below.
It’s not just that noise that you might be inconvenienced by - parents might drop their children off early in the day, and pick them up late in the evening, therefore creating noise in the corridor. Additionally, lots of people moving along the corridor to go to and from the kids club facility will be noticeable for you, when compared to if you’d booked accommodation in a quieter corridor.
The final point I’d make here on kids clubs is that many kids clubs on ships now have teen facilities. These are usually hangout spaces that are designed for teenage travellers, in order to give them somewhere to spend time that doesn’t feel like a ‘kids club’, as such. In my experience, being close to these facilities will be noticeable in your cabin, as teenagers are known to sometimes make more noise as they move around the ship than adults, and they often stay out much later in groups…
The interior of a kids club onboard an MSC Cruises ship - this will likely be a noisy environment when it’s filled with children! © Fraser at Sea.
Lots of cruise ships also have dedicated facilities for teenagers, like ‘Entourage’ on the Norwegian Cruise Line ships. I try to avoid booking a cabin near these areas. © Fraser at Sea.
10. I Avoid Booking an Obstructed View Cabin, Unless I can see the Obstruction in Advance…
Cabins or Staterooms that have obstructed views can be a fantastic way to save some money when you cruise. You’ll often find these have views that are interrupted to a degree by things like the lifeboats, or maybe some technical equipment. I’ve stayed in some obstructed view cabins over the years that have a surprisingly clear view of the outside world, but I’ve also stayed in others that allow me a full view of a lifeboat hanging outside.
Did you know that it’s possible to view the obstruction that will be seen from your future cabin before you take the cruise? One way in which to do this is to go to YouTube and type in your cabin number and cruise ship - there’s a chance that a creator might have been onboard and filmed a tour to release on YouTube!
The other way that you can have a look at your future cabin is by checking CruiseDeckPlans.com. This website allows cruisers to submit photos of their cabins, in order to help others decide whether or not that’s a cabin option that would be of benefit to them in the future. Personally, I’ve used this site to my benefit multiple times, in order to prevent any shocks when I arrive in the cabin - it’s well worth taking a look!
Some ‘Obstructed views’ can be worse than others. Here’s my view from my stateroom onboard Norwegian Pearl - what do you think? © Fraser at Sea.
11. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Close to a Smoking Section.
This one’s particularly important if you’re planning to book a balcony cabin for your cruise, but also one to think about if you’re going to be in other cabin types.
On most cruise ships, smoking ship-wide isn’t permitted. Due to the obvious safety risks, smokers are welcome to smoke within designated smoking areas. These areas are usually on the outside decks, and they can be frustrating to find yourself beside regardless of whether or not you’re a smoker yourself.
I cruised on Costa Cruises a few years ago, and I found that my balcony cabin was directly above the main area designated for smoking. During a sea day, I didn’t notice it too much due to the fact that the ship was moving and there was often a wind out on the open decks. On a port day however, it really was noticeable.
I had one day in particular where I didn’t want to open my balcony door due to the fact that smoke would come into the room. It would then take the air conditioning system multiple hours to remove the smell, which just wasn’t worth it in my opinion.
You can usually find the smoking locations on the deck plan of your ship, or by conducting a quick Google search. Don’t get caught out!
This was the view from my balcony, with the smoking area directly underneath. © Fraser at Sea.
12. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Close to Noisy Venues…
You knew that this one was coming - if it’s a noisy venue, I don’t want to be trying to sleep anywhere near it. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve previously cruised in cabins that are really close to the onboard theatre and also some other live music venues, and they didn’t bother me when I would stay up much later.
Nowadays though (maybe it’s because I’m getting older…), I enjoy going to bed much earlier, and I’d struggle to do that if there was a live music venue one deck up that was due to finish at 1am.
When people think about noisy venues, they often think about the bars, the restaurants and the nightclub, but I’d like to specifically call out the theatre, as this one seems to often get overlooked. Having a theatre on a cruise ship is a great luxury - I really enjoy sitting down to have my evening meal followed by a show when I cruise - it’s something that I get a lot of enjoyment from.
In order to bring production shows to the ship, the show cast will be required to practice when the theatre is closed, and the stage technicians will need to set-up the stage (and dismantle following a show) when there are no guests around. This can result in early morning and late night rehearsals, and the same for stage set-up and take-down.
Think carefully before you book a cabin or stateroom close to the theatre - I’ve heard from lots of other people who have really regretted it once they’ve got onto the ship…
Cruise ship theatres can be huge, which means that lots of cabins could be nearby - this is worth remembering when it comes to booking yours for your future cruises… © Fraser at Sea.
13. I Avoid Booking a Cabin Close to Elevators…
This one’s the last one on the list, but it’s one that I feel really strongly about.
It’s not actually the noise of the elevators themselves that have been known to frustrate me on cruises in the past - it’s the noise from those waiting for them to arrive. Think about it - when you press the button and then have to wait for an elevator, you’re likely to have a conversation with the person that you’re travelling with, or with another person who’s also waiting for the same ride.
Personally, I’m my own worst enemy on this point, because it’s incredibly rare that I’d stand in silence while I’m waiting for an elevator to arrive…!
I’ve cruised in cabins directly beside lift lobbies in the past, and I’ve been able to hear full conversations out in the corridor while trying to enjoy a long lie. This can be particularly problematic if you find yourself cruising on a ship with passengers who like to get up really early (note: this isn’t me…), as this can therefore disturb your sleep around sunrise as everyone’s buzzing around the ship heading to breakfast - argh!
Elevators: I always try to avoid booking a cabin close to them when I cruise! © Fraser at Sea.
That’s it - that’s 13 of the things that I check when I select my own cabin on a cruise ship. These checks have led me to find some brilliant cabins over my cruising career, and hopefully they can now help you too!
If you enjoyed this post, why not click into another below?
You’ll also find two YouTube videos below for you to watch - one of these shows you around a HUGE cabin that I discovered onboard Sun Princess (I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I walked into it!), and the other covers exactly what you need to know about cruise ship cabins, because they’re very different to hotel rooms ‘on land’!
