Luxury Cruising Editorial

After a $300 million cruise port renovation at Prince George Wharf, Nassau has shattered its previous records for the most passengers in one year.

The cruise port, which can now accommodate up to six cruise ships at once, welcomed 4,490,802 passengers in 2023, according to a press release.

The 1,2010 cruise ships that brought these passengers into port, helped usher in a 14% increase in passengers compared to 2019.

This surge coincides with the completion of the first phase of the port’s ambitious redevelopment.  The recent changes boasts a new arrivals plaza, a vibrant Junkanoo museum, an amphitheater, and a slew of Bahamian-owned shops and restaurants.

“This monumental achievement wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of the cruise industry, our dedicated team, and the entire Nassau community,” stated Mike Maura, Jr., CEO of Nassau Cruise Port. “We’re thrilled to share our newly revitalized waterfront, bursting with Bahamian culture, exciting entertainment, and culinary delights. And remember, even more surprises are in store for 2024!”

The revitalized port wasn’t just about aesthetics; it proved its operational might throughout the year. In March, it shattered its single-day passenger record with 28,554 visitors, only to surpass it again on December 27th with a staggering 29,316. This surge not only surpassed the projected annual target of 4.2 million guests but also etched a new record of 4,490,802 for the year.

This record-breaking year paints a promising picture for Nassau’s future. With a world-class waterfront experience, coupled with the ongoing second phase of development, Nassau Cruise Port is attempting to become a premier destination in the Caribbean, attracting even more visitors and further boosting the local economy that was crushed in 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, I. Chester Cooper estimated that the surge in cruise traffic generated more than $6 billion in visitor spending, making a tremendous impact on the Bahamian economy.

Encouraged by a successful 2023, the port team is even more ambitious for 2024, anticipating at least 5.6 million passengers.

I compared 141 cruise ships from 8 major cruise lines to see which offered the most space based on passenger capacity and ship volume.

*This post has been updated from its original writing and reflects the latest cruise ships to enter the market, including cruise ships that will debut in the next year.

While many factors can have an impact on how crowded a ship may feel, there is a simple formula for figuring out the passenger space ratio.  Additionally, this allows us to compare different ships by the same metric and see how it compares with out experience on the ship.

Related: What is the best cruise line for you?

How the passenger space ratio was calculated on our chart

The formula for the passenger space ratio is simply the gross tonnage (GT) of a cruise ship divided by the passenger capacity of that vessel  (Gross Tonnage ÷ passenger capacity).  In our list we used the standard double-capacity for each ship.  

It’s important to understand that some lines may more commonly exceed the double-capacity figures especially if it’s more usual for families to travel with that line.  Likewise, since the exact number of passengers on a cruise at any given time will be different it’s important to note that this part of the equation should be somewhat flexible.

Related: Cruise ships with the best passenger to cruise ratio (mainstream lines)

What is gross tonnage anyway?

A common misconception is that the gross tonnage of a cruise ship is a measurement of weight.  However, it has nothing to do with weight at all.  In fact, gross tonnage is a unitless measurement of the volume or space of a cruise ship and includes all of the enclosed spaces of the vessel.  This is an important factor, as some areas of a ship’s open-air decks will not be included in the figure.

How else is gross tonnage used?

Ever wonder why some ship’s have bigger fees than others?  Well, the gross tonnage plays a factor.  The overall GT of a ship determines things like registration fees, regulations, safety rules and port dues, depending on each individual port.

Some of the largest cruise ships in the world belong to Royal Caribbean Cruises and have a gross tonnage of over 200,000. In fact, Utopia of the Seas will have a massive GT of 236,860.

Read more: The true cost difference between a balcony cabin and interior stateroom

Other important factors

While using the passenger space ratio can be a simple way to compare ships and how crowded they may feel, it’s not a perfect measurement.  Factors like the overall flow of a ship’s design, how the programs are spaced out, the times in which various events take place, and the demographic of a ship all play a greater role in the feeling of being crowded on a cruise ship.

Additionally, depending on what you like to do on a cruise you might have a vastly different experience than someone else on the very same cruise simply based on what times you took part in different programs, shows, and meals.

So, this list is just a fun way to compare ships based on space and capacity.

I have sorted each cruise line separately so you can compare ships within a specific line, which I think personally is a more accurate way to compare how crowded a cruise ship may or may not feel.  This is simply because each cruise line handles passenger flow differently. 

Sponsored Links

At the end of the page I have also listed all 141 cruise ships in a chart so you can compare all of them at the same time.  The lists below include the following cruise lines: Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America Cruises.

The larger the number in the right hand column the more spacious a ship may feel. At least that’s the idea. A number in the 20’s would feel crowded and cramped while a number in the high 40’s and above may feel spacious.

 The cruise ships below are sorted by the space/passenger ratio. The higher the number the more space per passenger is available on the ship.

Carnival Cruise Line: ships by passenger space ratio

See our list of every Carnival cruise ship currently in service in order of newest to oldest here.

Royal Caribbean Cruises: ships by passenger space ratio

Royal Caribbean cruise ships in order from newest to oldest.

Norwegian Cruise Line: ships by passenger space ratio

See every Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ship in service from newest to oldest here.

MSC Cruises: ships by passenger space ratio

See all MSC Cruises cruise ships in order from newest to oldest.

Disney Cruise Line ships by passenger space ratio

Note: There are two different numbers for capacity on Disney. The first number is for double capacity and the second is for maximum capacity. I thought it was important to have both since many Disney cruises have families with more than 2 occupants in a cabin.

Princess Cruises: ships by passenger space ratio

See all Princess Cruises ships from newest to oldest.

Celebrity Cruises: ships by passenger space ratio

Sponsored Links

Holland America Cruises: ships by passenger space ratio

The below section is a list of all the above ships in one table. These are again listed in order from least spacious to most spacious based on our passenger space ratio formula.

All 141 Cruise ships by passenger space ratio: sorted least to greatest

Read more: How to avoid crowds on a cruise ship (best tips)

There’s almost a 0% chance you’ll be “bumped” from your cruise.    And even if a cruise line does overbook your cruise, leaving you behind, the likely compensation should definitely ease the pain.

Many people didn’t think this was even possible before news reports out of Brisbane, Australia started circulating last November.

Headlines were made when Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas set sail from Brisbane, leaving behind several passengers with confirmed bookings.  At least 11 cabins that had been booked by potential passengers were given to other cruisers.

The affected customers received a letter from the cruise line outlining their options due to the oversold ship. One option was to wait on standby for a possible stateroom assignment. A couple of waiting families or groups were ultimately allowed to board, but when the ship reached capacity, these 11 remaining parties were left to make other arrangements.

The impacted guests were ultimately offered a full refund, in addition to future cruise credit equivalent to their original cruise fare.  They even received an included beverage package – not a bad consolation prize.

How is a cruise ship overbooked?

Because of the high demand the cruise industry has seen in 2023 and well into 2024, cruise lines allow for a few extra bookings on a ship, knowing that some last-minute cancellations will open up staterooms.

The reality is it’s a high priority for these cruise lines to sail at full capacity, getting the most out of every sailing.

Often a cruise ship will sail at 105% or greater capacity.  This simply means that all of the cabins are occupied, and some have more than two guests in a stateroom, since double-capacity figures are used to reach that 100% figure.

While not common, incidents like the one on Quantum of the Seas are not exclusive to Royal Caribbean. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your risk of being affected by overbooking:

Read more: 7 biggest cruise cabin booking mistakes

How to avoid getting bumped on an overbooked cruise?

The Royal Caribbean customers who were bumped from their ship in November of 2023 had something in common.  They had booked staterooms with a “guaranteed fare”.

Cruise lines will offer these guaranteed prices at a lower rate if you allow them to assign you a cabin at a later time.  You get to choose a cabin category at a lower price, and you’re “guaranteed” that category.

Keep in mind that these are the “leftover” cabins after all the other passengers have chosen their own staterooms.

Most know the risk is getting a location that’s less than ideal, but very few know it could also mean they could get bumped off an oversold ship because of it.    Although again, this is a very rare occurrence.

Sponsored Links

Avoid guaranteed fares

Choosing your own stateroom can keep this from happening to you.  It really shouldn’t happen in the first place, and some cruise lines are trying to address the issue as demand for cruising continues to heat up.

But if you have picked out and paid for your specific stateroom rather than a guaranteed cabin category, you won’t have to worry about being bumped off the list.

Check in early

If you do decide to book a cruise with a guaranteed fare, you should take care of check-in as early as possible.  I always set a reminder on my calendar on the exact date that I can check in online.

The exact number of days before a sailing that you can check in varies by different cruise lines.

With Royal Caribbean you can check in 45 days before a cruise and with Carnival it’s 14 days.  But double-check with your particular cruise line.

The check-in process will expedite the cabin selection process and you will be less likely to get the dreaded cruise bump.

Related: 19 things you should do on cruise embarkation day

Get some travel insurance

And thirdly, always pay the extra money for travel insurance.   It might seem like a waste of money or excess spending at the time, but one incident like this will make it all worth it.

Even though those bumped cruise travelers were given a refund and future cruise credit, they still incurred other travel costs that they were not anticipating.

In addition to trip interruption coverage, cruise travel insurance can give you peace of mind if something comes up at the last minute and you need to cancel your cruise.

Sponsored Links

Read more:  Cruise travel insurance and why you need it

What to do if you do get bumped

It’s unlikely this will ever happen to you, but if it does here are a few pointers.

• Stay calm, be polite and talk it out – While it’s no fun to miss your cruise, keeping your cool and having a friendly conversation with the cruise line can really help. Just tell them clearly what you’d like (maybe a refund, or sailing on another day) and see what they can do. You might be surprised.
• Understand your options – Whether it’s a full refund, future cruise credit, or a rebooking, make sure you know all of your options first.
• Negotiate – While the cruise line will present initial options, you have the right to discuss additional possibilities. Politely present alternative sailings you find suitable or inquire about compensation for non-refundable travel arrangements impacted by the overbooking.

Related:  5 reasons you don’t need a travel agent for your cruise and one big reason you do

Final Thoughts

While overbooking is rare it can happen.  Embracing early booking, strategic cabin selection, and awareness of cruise line policies.  This way you can minimize the risk and maximize your chances of a worry-free cruise.

If these kinds of incidences happened more regularly, it would only incentivize trying to get bumped in order to enjoy some of the make-goods that are often offered by cruise lines.   But with cruise lines trying to take advantage of the strong demand for cruising, it’s likely this could happen again in 2024.

Read more: Skipping ports: 8 reasons your cruise ship might not visit your planned ports of call

A cruise line has added visits to ports that aren’t seldomly visited by cruise ships on new itineraries in 2024 and 2025.

Oceania Cruises, a premium cruise line from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, has announced new cruise itineraries that will visit seldom visited ports in Africa and Asia over the next two years.

These new cruises include a 59 day voyage that visits off-the-beaten path ports. The cruise will take place on Riviera departing from Barcelona, Spain. After a visit to the Canary Islands, the cruise ship will head down the coast of Western Africa visiting ports in Senegal, Gambia, Ghana and Namibia.

After an overnight stay in Cape Town, the ship will head to Madagascar, Tanzania, the Maldives, Thailand, and Malaysia before arriving in Singapore.

These new cruises will range from 27 to 59 nights in length visiting Europe, Asia, and Africa.

All guests sailing on these new cruises benefit from Oceania Cruises’ simply MORE offering. It includes:

• Shore excursion credit of up to $2,600 per stateroom
• Free roundtrip airfare
• Free airport transfers
• free Champagne, wine and more during lunch and dinner
• Free soft drinks and specialty teas and coffees
• Free gourmet specialty dining
• Free unlimited WiFi

Frank A Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises, gave the following statement about the new cruises: “These longer, destination-immersive voyages offer curious, well-traveled guests the chance to explore some of the most off-the-beaten-path ports in the world, all from the elegant surroundings of Riviera. Sailing from Europe to Asia, via both coasts of Africa, is a true bucket list journey, combining iconic cities and unknown gems, with our incredible onboard service and the best value in luxury cruising, these voyages are hard to resist”.

All cabins on Riviera have been reimagined and standard staterooms measure 291 square feet.

Oceania Cruises is one of the world’s leading destination and culinary focused cruise lines.

The cruise line has eight ships in their fleet, with the largest carrying just 1,250 guests.

Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, will arrive in the U.S. for the first time this week. The vessel is the largest cruise ship ever built and is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Wednesday, a few weeks ahead of its inaugural cruise.

Royal Caribbean will be hosting an Icon arrival party at 7 a.m. on Wednesday at PortMiami. There will be games, breakfast bites, live music and giveaways every 15 minutes. The event will take place at the Perez Art Museum Miami.

Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship ever built and the first ever to be over 250,000 gross tons in size. The ship has more than 40 dining and beverage venues and the cruise line is calling it the ultimate vacation.

Icon of the Seas will sail its inaugural cruise from Miami on January 27, a week long cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. The ship will first host a couple three night preview sailings for media and travel agents so they can get a first hand look at the world’s largest cruise ship.

Icon of the Seas will be christened in Miami on January 23 by soccer legend Lionel Messi.

The cruise ship is divided up into eight neighborhoods including a new one that is just for families.

Icon of the Seas has everything from record breaking waterslides to the largest swimming pool at sea. There are more than 28 cabin types to choose from, something for everyone.

One of the most unique features on the cruise ship will be the AquaDome, located on the top front. The AquaDome will feature incredible diving shows in the AquaTheater that will have everything from robots to skateboarders. It also contains the cruise line’s first food hall.

Entertainment is promising to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. Icon of the Seas will be the first to feature The Wizard of Oz that will be one of four signature stage shows.

The ship’s next level AquaDome will feature 75 world class performers. There’s also an ice skating rink and 50 live musicians will perform around the ship.

Royal Caribbean took the best of all their cruise ships and put them into Icon of the Seas.

The cruise line took delivery of the ship in late November and has spent the past month and half preparing the vessel for its inaugural sailings.

Icon of the Seas will homeport in Miami for at least the next two years. The ship will rotate between week long cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. All of the ship’s cruises from Miami will visit CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s insanely popular private island in The Bahamas. View Cruises Offered on Icon of the Seas

Following a year of new debuts in 2023, cruise lines are gearing up for another wave of vessels in 2024.

At least 13 brand new cruise ships are set to embark on their maiden voyages this year, offering various itineraries and homeports.

If you want to explore a certain destination on a brand new ship, this list has you covered.

The list below details these ships, grouped by where they will begin sailing in 2024.

You can also see the highlights of the hottest ships of 2024 here.

Caribbean & Bahamas

Icon of the Seas

While Icon of the Seas was just delivered to Royal Caribbean International at the end of last year, it will officially enter service for the cruise line on January 27^th of this year.

It is the largest cruise ship in the world, beating out the previous title holder, Wonder of the Seas.  The 250,000+ gross ton ship will homeport at PortMiami, offering 7-night sailings to the Caribbean, including Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Utopia of the Seas

The last of the Oasis-class vessels with Royal Caribbean, Utopia of the Seas will enjoy its inaugural cruise on July 22^nd of 2024.

With the addition of Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas in 2024, Royal Caribbean will increase their passenger capacity by 11,278 (at double capacity).

Utopia of the Seas will sail out of Port Canaveral, offering 3- and 4-night sailings to the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Disney Treasure

Sister ship to Disney Wish, Disney Treasure is set to enter service on December 21^st, 2024.  The ship will offer 7-night sailings out of Port Canaveral.  Disney Treasure’s maiden voyage will be in St. Thomas on Christmas Day.

Brilliant Lady

After being delayed on its delivery in 2023, Virgin Voyage’s Brilliant Lady has still postponed bookings for 2024.  Itineraries that were set for sailings out of San Juan have been removed from the cruise line’s website, and it’s unclear if and when they will open again.  Read more on this here.

Mediterranean

The Mediterranean will have the most new ships added to its waters with the new class of 2024, with 5 ships being sent to the popular destination.

Sun Princess

The largest ship Princess Cruises has ever built, the 175,000 gross ton Sun Princess, is set to debut on February 8^th, 2024.

The vessel will sail from Barcelona to Rome on a 10-night inaugural cruise and will offer various itineraries throughout the Mediterranean Sea that are 10 – 31 nights in duration.

Sponsored Links

In the Fall of 2024, Sun Princess will then reposition to Port Everglades with cruises to the Caribbean.

We recently had the chance to visit Sun Princess in the shipyard as it was being built.  You can check out some pictures we took while on the tour here.

Silver Ray

Debuting on June 3^rd, 2024, Silversea’s eco-conscious Silver Ray, sister to the 2023 Silver Nova, sets sail with one of the industry’s greenest profiles. Its inaugural season unfolds in the Mediterranean, offering 728 guests all-suite luxury and immersive exploration, powered by clean LNG.

Silver Ray will offer 7, 12, and 23 night sailings throughout the Mediterranean.  Sailings will start in ports that include Southampton, Lisbon, Rome, Venice and Athens.

Explora II

The luxury line owned by MSC Group will be debuting a second ship with Explora Journeys in 2024.  Explora II will offer its first cruise on August 11, 2024, starting in Barcelona and finalizing in Rome (Civitavecchia).

The 922-capacity luxury cruise ship will offer 6- to 30-night sailings in 2024, with a 39-night sailing in February of 2025 that starts and ends at PortMiami.

Ilma

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will christen Ilma in 2024. The 224-suite superyacht, boasting the highest guest-to-space ratio at sea, embarks on its inaugural Mediterranean season in September.

Ilma, which means “water” in Maltese, begins offering sailings in the Mediterranean.  It will then sail on a Transatlantic from Lisbon to San Juan, Puerto Rico on November 1^st, 2024, offering sailings in the Caribbean.

Viking Vela

Viking Vela will be the 10^th ocean ship to debut with Viking, when it enters service on December 12^th, 2024.    The 988-guest capacity ship will sail from Rome to Barcelona on a 7-night journey.

Shortly after, in January of 2025, Viking Vela will begin offering sailings to Northern Europe, with ports of call in Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, and Iceland.

Sponsored Links

Northern Europe

Mein Schiff 7

TUI Cruises, a cruise line based in Germany, will be adding a 7^th cruise ship to their fleet with Mein Schiff 7 in June of 2024.

The 2,900-guest capacity 110-gross-ton vessel will sail its maiden season in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea before being repositioned to the Canary Islands for the winter cruise season.

United States

American Liberty

Built for sailing rivers and waterways,  the 109-guest capacity American Liberty built for American Cruise Lines will be offering sailings to New England starting on June 27th, 2024.  The ship will homeport in Boston, Massachusetts, providing 7-night cruises to Plymouth, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Newport.

In August, American Liberty will sail out of Providence, where it will offer 7-night sailings before repositioning to Charleston where the ship will offer sailings along the coastlines of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

American Legend

The American Legend, a new 109-guest cruise ship built in the US for American Cruise Lines, sets sail in 2024 on its inaugural cruise. Following its sister ship, the American Glory, it will offer intimate cruises along the Florida Gulf Coast & Keys and Chesapeake Bay.

Multiple Destinations

Queen Anne

Cunard Line will be debuting a brand new ship for the first time in 10 years with the introduction of Queen Anne.

The 113,000 gross ton cruise ship will offer sailings starting on January 11th of 2024. Homeporting in Southampton, the 3,000-guest vessel will visit the Canary Islands, and also offer Mediterranean cruises, transatlantic crossings, and even Caribbean ports of call.

Queen Anne is the cruise line’s 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag.

Cruise ships are often compared to small cities and the newest vessels are so large, there is often too much to uncover in just a week’s time.

However, even the world’s most seasoned cruisers may not be aware of some hidden features onboard these ships.

There are numerous secrets cruise lines won’t tell you, so no matter how many times you set sail on the high seas, you may never uncover them. There are, however, hidden places onboard you never knew existed, cruise lines aren’t advertising, but aren’t exactly keeping secret either.

To really be in the know, we’ve complied a thoughtful list of the 9 places on a cruise ship you never knew existed. Think jail cells, and morgues (yes, you read that correctly!), to private areas for crew members no passenger would ever enter, and more.

Here are the places no passenger would ever embark upon, and until now, would probably never have thought existed.

Read more: 7 cruise cabin booking mistakes that will cost you time and money

1. The Brig (AKA: Jail)

That’s right – you have the ability to be arrested and jailed at sea. Though, it isn’t as commonplace as you might think, so don’t panic yet.

Certainly, most people don’t go on vacation with the thought or even the intention of getting arrested, but unfortunately, it happens, and cruise ships need to be prepared. These cells, or ‘the brig’ as it’s referred to in nautical terms, are located on one of the most bottom decks of the vessel near the security office.

Passengers can find themselves in the brig if they commit a serious offense, such as being belligerent, or violent – minor offenses will not land you here. Should you find yourself in the brig, you can expect to be forcibly removed at the next port of call where you’ll deal with local authorities. Finding your way back home will be up to you.

2. A Morgue

It may come as a (disturbing) surprise to learn that all oceangoing cruise ships are legally required to have a morgue and to carry body bags on board. Most morgues are small with rooms for three to six bodies, depending on the overall size of the vessel.

Cruise lines are in the business of being proactive and this is one of the many ways they go about exercising that protocol. While nobody has a desire to discuss death, especially while on vacation, it is a necessary reality to be prepared for under all circumstances.

Due to the mean demographics of cruise passengers being the elderly, the possibility of death during a cruise is a real potential. Therefore, it is imperative that cruise lines be prepared under these considerations.

3. Hidden Pools

The pool decks are grossly advertised by the cruising industry, as this is where most passengers spend a majority of their cruise vacation. However, there are hidden pools in areas where guests will never experience, as they were never intended to.

Crew members are forbidden from mingling in areas where passengers dwell, so cruise lines had to get creative when carving out spaces just for them. Crew members are often onboard for months at a time, and enjoy similar pleasures like swimming as guests do, which is where hidden swimming pools entered the picture.

Sponsored Links

Surprisingly, there are actually several decks on the lowest levels of the vessel designated just for crew members that guests would never have access to.

Related: 10 things to NEVER do on the pool deck of a cruise ship

4. Hidden Decks

Speaking of these hidden decks, you’ll find a lot more than rows of interior cabins for crew members. As stated, the crew is typically working onboard for months on end and therefore, cruise lines had to provide accommodations.

You’ll often find (online that is, as passengers aren’t permitted in these areas) bars, restaurants, recreation and lounge areas in addition to the aforementioned hidden pools. The crew members refe5r to their bar as the “OB” meaning, “Officer’s Bar”. Rumor is drinks are a lot cheaper below deck.

Next time you’re onboard and see a “Crew Only” sign displayed, you may have a faint idea of what’s behind it.

5. Ultra-Luxe Suites

Have you ever wondered where the rich and famous stay when they cruise? Most cruise lines don’t exactly advertise these rooms to the general public, but they’re definitely on board and often in plain sight.

For example, on Disney Cruise Line’s newest vessel the Wish, there is a Wish Tower suite. You won’t find this room available on the Disney Cruise Line reservations website, but it’s available to make your cruise more magical – and more luxurious.

This mega suite is a nearly 2,000 square foot (so, basically the size of a single-family home) two floor, four bedroom accommodation with Moana theming throughout. If you want to access this room, you’ll have to take the private elevator on the 10^th and 11^th floors, which are purposely hidden.

Read more: See the 10 largest cruise ship suites in the world

6. Access to the Bow

On most vessels, accessing the bow will be a no-go, as it’s a restricted area for guests, however, this isn’t always the case. Though hidden, some ships do have entrances to the bow for passengers to safely access and utilize throughout the duration of their cruise.

Sponsored Links

Princess Cruises is a mainstream cruise line that allows guests to freely roam the bow and enjoy the breathtaking views while the ship is sailing. The best times to do so are when sailing away from different ports, and during sunrise, or sunset.

For ships that do not allow bow access, the TV in your cabin will most likely come equipped with a bow cam. This will give you real time views of the ocean from the comfort of your stateroom.

7. Larger Staterooms in the Same Category (And the Same Price)

All the seasoned cruisers will know the best ways to go about securing a larger stateroom within the same category to avoid paying an upcharge. So, how could two rooms within the same category be different sizes? We’ll give you all the details cruise lines never wanted you to know.

When booking your next cruise, the best way to secure a larger balcony stateroom without digging deeper into your pockets is to look for a ‘hump room.’ These rooms are located in the middle of the ship where the vessel curves and the hull jets out. This means you will secure a larger balcony with panoramic views and therefore, a larger cabin.

Keeping in mind that these rooms sell out quickly, this tip will most likely only come in handy if you’re booking early.

Related: Cabin rules: 10 things you should never do in your stateroom

8. Ways to Save on Your Next Cruise

If you’re onboard and know you’re going to be cruising again, cruise experts recommend booking your next one before disembarking. Why? For the discounts you can only secure onboard.

Cruise ships often have a sales desk located on the main hub level where all the action is. Making a stop here can make all the difference between what you’ll pay for your next cruise by purchasing onboard in advance. The sales offered here are stated to be top-tier and not available anywhere else, to anyone else.

Plus, what a better way to get over the post-cruise blues than by booking another cruise?

Read more: Cruising on a budget: 12 money saving tips

9. Folding Machines

With so many passengers on board (think: thousands) it is imperative that the laundry facilities be paramount to keep up with the influx of dirty linens.

On the lowest decks, there are industrial-sized folding machines that work automatically day and night to press and fold sheets, towels, tablecloths and more!

While it’s not surprising to learn of the efficiency of the laundry system on board, as cruise ships are known to be organized and efficient, it is cool to think of how these operations work behind the scenes.

Final Thoughts

Next time you take a cruise vacation, you’ll likely be overwhelmed at all of the seemingly endless array of things to see, do, eat and experience. When considering all of your options, it’s impossible to consider what’s going on behind the scenes, or below deck.

Now that you’re aware of some of the places on a cruise ship you never knew existed, you can surprise some of your fellow passengers while on board!

Read more: 35 genius cruise items on Amazon for under $15