The best advice is to be informed about cabins and pick
right cabin for you among thousands available on a cruise ship. 1. One of most difficult parts of planning for a cruise is choosing right cabin. Everyone has different tastes, and what is not important to one person might well be important to you.
2. Look at cruise ship layout and decks online or in brochures. Know that there are different types of cabins on different cruise ships. The biggest differences between cruise lines--mainstream and luxury--ships are quality of accommodations.
3. Sometimes there are over 20 different categories on a ship! So it is important to know different cabin categories. One reason is that thanks to modern shipbuilding, most inside and outside staterooms are standard in size and amenities. Comparing one vessel's cabins against another is daunting task, so keep your eye on square footage as most important criteria.
4. Know your budget and what you can afford. The price of a cruise ship cabin or stateroom (the terms are interchangeable) is dependent on its size, layout, and location. The cabins on large cruise ships come in standard, ocean view, balcony, and suite. A luxury line's smallest cabins are much larger than those on large cruise lines and are either ocean view or balconied.
5. Know your lifestyle. 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. It's a personal decision, much like deciding where to cruise and which ship to cruise on. How about an outside cabin with a window, or better yet a balcony? How about sitting on balcony with a good book or using it to catch a breathe of sea air?
