Are interior cabins on a cruise only for cheapskates? Are these windowless boxes only for penny-pinching veteran cruisers who cruise 12 times a year and can’t afford an upgrade on each getaway?
I’ve booked just about every type of cabin available on dozens of cruise ships and have had my share of inside cabin experiences.
In some cases, it was not so bad. In others, I felt like I was more of a crew member than a passenger on vacation.
It’s definitely not for everybody. While some cruisers I know will only book an inside cabin, others, after trying it once, swear to never do it again.
Despite the drawbacks of these low-cost cabins, there are three reasons to at least consider it.
Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, recently made a social media post talking about interior cabins and their benefits.
As you can imagine, viewpoints were all over the map on this somewhat controversial topic, with some pointing out that there’s a reason luxury cruise ships don’t even have interior cabins.
1. You want to try out as many ships as possible
While still cheaper than land-based vacations, the cost of cruising can add up if you regularly hop on these floating resorts.
In another Cruise Fever post I analyzed the cost of interior vs. balcony cabins on over 300 cruises. On average, a balcony stateroom carried a 65% premium. The cost difference was even higher with more premium cruise lines compared to mainstream cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
Across these 300 cruises, a balcony stateroom was $450 more expensive than an interior cabin.
If you cruise just once in a while, it’s not such a big deal. Big if you want to take as many cruises as possible, an interior cabin allows you to get on the ship and experience every other part of it.
2. You plan on spending very little time in the cabin
Let’s be honest here, even if you love interior cabins, they aren’t the most inviting spaces.
Sure, I’ve tried the “virtual balcony” cabins before but ended up just annoyed at the flickering screen that I could never quite block out with the curtain.
But if you only use your cabin for sleeping and changing clothes, by all means book inside cabins on every cruise you take.
There’s no point in splurging on a sprawling suite or even balcony stateroom if you’d rather be on the pool deck or in the aft pool enjoying the wake view.
And with the money you save by booking this low-cost cabin you can pay for a specialty dining experience or an excursion.
3. You prefer the sleep benefits of an interior cabin
I know some veteran cruisers that claim this is their number one reason for booking inside cabins. The complete darkness of the room provides the perfect sleeping environment, they say.
This can also lead to sleeping in if you’re used to waking up to natural light, but it’s your vacation so why not grab a few more winks.
On top of that many inside cabins are more centrally located and so feel less movement in rough seas, although the difference is more subtle than the claims.
Being midship and on a lower deck has a bigger impact on movement, but side to side movements can be minimized with a more centrally located cabin.
All these factors can make for some solid shuteye.
One reason NOT to book an interior cabin
While I could list many reasons to avoid these cabins, my biggest reason for opting out of an interior cabin experience is so I can have my own private space to enjoy the views only a cruise ship provides.
This makes an even bigger difference when taking a cruise to Alaska, or around Hawaii, or while seeing the fjords of Norway.
Yes, I can get these same views on the top deck of the ship. But there’s something to be said about your own cozy environment, just feet away from your bed, where you can soak in the natural light of a beautiful world.
And when the hustle and bustle of a busy pool deck on a sea day becomes too much, a retreat of your own to enjoy is well worth the extra cost, in my opinion.
The biggest drawback of an interior cabin is not having easy access to the views and privacy of a balcony.
I have a friend who booked an interior cabin on a cruise. The ship was sailing along the Falkland Islands when the captain announced some of the views in the early morning.
He and his family could not just open the curtains and see it. It was a cold day, so they had to bundle up and head up several decks to see what he described as one of the most picturesque views he had ever seen from a ship.
If your cruise destination has the kinds of views you want to remember forever, an inside cabin might present a few more obstacles to your enjoyment of them.
