Most people booking their staterooms consider the price, then the view, then the access to their favorite areas of the ship. Usually, in that order, but there are many other facts that you might want to consider when you’re booking your stateroom. The level your stateroom is located on, and whether it is toward the front, in the middle, or all the way to the rear, will affect how much you enjoy your cruise.
The High Life
The cruise lines put their best staterooms up high. Probably because from such a high vantage point, cruisers get sweeping views of the ocean, and if they’re on the right side of the ship they get spectacular views of the port and shore. The very top cabins come with some drawbacks.
The first is that because they’re so high up, the rocking of the ship is far more noticeable. The second is that the very top of the ship is the Lido Deck: The main pool area and sun deck on most cruise ships. While these rooms are some of the largest, most spacious and best-appointed rooms on board, with great access to the pool, they are also some of the noisiest and least comfortable for those who are prone to motion sickness.
If you’re looking for a high-class deluxe stateroom with a balcony that is also quiet, then you need to think about a deck below the very top one. On larger mid-sized cruise ships and all the way on up to the largest mega ships, the top deck’s staterooms and amenities are usually repeated on the deck directly below. Booking on the second highest deck will give you the top level luxuries, and spare you the constant noise of scraping deck chairs and pool parties late into the night.
Although it doesn’t guarantee you that won’t end up beneath someone who likes to greet the sunrise with 100 jumping jacks while wearing heavy boots. Cruisers are a varied bunch, and they can be —let’s call it- unique.
Suites in the Spas
A subset of these premium cabins are the spa cabins. Balcony and oceanview staterooms that are located right in the spa. Usually, these cabins come with complimentary access to amenities in the cruise spa, like the sauna and temperature rooms. Whether or not these cabins are as relaxing as they are made out to be really depends on how well the cruise line managed to lay out their ship’s plans. On many ships, the fitness center is directly attached to the spa. A stateroom that shares a bulkhead with the fitness center may not be very relaxing with the clatter of weights and the pounding of feet on a treadmill going on all day.
Low and Level
Down in the lowest decks, things are a little different. In the middle of the ship, and towards the aft, you may hear the noise of the propellers, and experience vibrations from the engine room coming from below. To be fair, this noise is usually a little easier to tune out than whooping and yelling coming from a party.
These low-level rooms tend to be insulated from most noises aboard unless they happen to be located beneath the main dining room. Usually, this is towards at the rear of the ship, and if the ship has two main dining rooms, at the very front. Lower staterooms have the advantage of being less affected by the movement of the water, so if someone tends to get motion sickness, then a cabin on the lower is better. Rooms towards the center of the ship also tend to experience less rocking from side to side, so in general, a room low on the ship and near the centerline will keep you from getting jostled around too much. There is a caveat, however. Often motion sickness is made worse by not having an exterior view. Motion sickness, of which seasickness is a type, is caused by a disagreement between what the inner ear and eyes are telling the brain. An interior room makes that much more likely to happen. An additional thing to consider is that in rough seas the front of the ship is going to experience the most vibration and noise from the waves hitting the bow of the ship.
If excessive motion is your biggest concern then your best bet is to book a stateroom low, towards the middle of the ship, and more towards the centerline of the vessel. If the motion is your primary concern, for instance if you’re cruising with a pair of aging parents or grandparents, you’ll want things to stay nice and steady. If on the other hand, if your major concern is motion sickness then while you’re better off staying low on the ship, you’ll also want an oceanview to avoid the inner ear and eye conflict that is the usual cause in the first place.
Show me Your Aft, Cabins
Some of the most desired cabin onboard a cruise ship are the aft balcony cabins. They’re desired by a very particular type of cruiser. Those that plan to spend the majority of their cruise on their balconies reading, or relaxing in the sun. These staterooms are so loved because they are usually completely out of the wind the ship generates as it’s sailing.
Part of the reason is that aft corner cabins usually have wrap around balconies. These balconies, often having more space than the stateroom they’re attached to, are some of the largest private spaces on the ships. As far as motion and vibration, they are close to the engine so you can hear the noise of the propeller. While these staterooms do experience more movement than those amidships, they also tend to experience it less than those rooms that are far forward.
The far bigger drawback is due to the way that most cruise ships are built. With the lower decks sticking out farther than the ones above, most aft balconies tend to be fully visible to staterooms above, and to the public areas above. This puts a damper on things like sunbathing from your balcony, and you’re well advised to keep your robe on.
Getting the best location for a stateroom is important, getting the best hotel package before you cruise is even more important! Go Port serves the best Port Canaveral hotel and transportation packages exclusively to cruisers. They include everything for everyone. Fly Snooze Cruise packages at The Florida Hotel, Embassy Suites Orlando, and Hilton at Cocoa Beach are a sure way to kickstart any vacation.
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