Diplomacy

An interior cabin on a cruise ship is typically the cheapest option when choosing a stateroom category.  But saving money is not the only reason to consider choosing a windowless accommodation for your next cruise.

While I love to enjoy the view of a balcony cabin on my cruises, there are many times that I will go for an interior stateroom instead.   Some veteran cruisers will tell you that an inside cabin is the best place to sleep and will only consider an interior cabin.

Here are a few reasons why this cabin category is often the first to sell out on many cruises, even ahead of balcony cabins.

In this article you’ll discover that those 4 windowless walls aren’t so bad after all.  But the “best cruise ship cabin” for you depends largely on why you’re going on a cruise in the first place.
*This article has been updated since its original publishing date.

1. You can save a ton of money

Let’s start with the obvious.  Interior cabins get you the lowest price.   In fact, I recently did a deep dive into the price difference between balcony and interior cabins and found that interior cabins are usually 64.5% cheaper.

And once you’re on the ship you have mostly the same amenities as everyone else.  You still get to eat the same food as everyone else, swim in the same pools, and enjoy the same entertainment. Except for the passengers who booked a suite or are part of a spa membership, almost all of the available amenities are the same. And ships that are not sold out will often offer upgrades.  Interior cruise cabins are looking better already.

2. You can go on more cruises because you spent less

If you want to be able to go on as many cruises as possible, you will want to book inside cabins. You can basically go on twice as many cruises for the same price if you stay in an interior cabin instead of a balcony.   Being a more frequent cruiser means more loyalty perks as well.

Sometimes it’s nice to be able to try out a cruise line or cruise ship you have never been on before.  But since you’ve never sailed with this new cruise line you don’t necessarily want to spend a “boat load” of cash on a veranda stateroom.   Try out an interior cruise cabin instead for a fraction of the cost.  This way you can see if you like the ship before going on a more extravagant vacation.

3. You end up enjoying more of the ship

An interior stateroom is basically a box. A box with no view. So, it’s pretty much just a place where you sleep, which means you will spend more time out and about on the ship. While it’s nice to hang out on your own personal balcony, you can get your money’s worth when you’re enjoying all the ship has to offer.

Whenever I have an interior stateroom, I always spend much more time doing things around the ship, whether it’s playing trivia or watching a movie by the pool deck.  Of course you can enjoy the different amenities of the ship with any other type of cabin as well.  It just tends to happen more often when your cabin is just a sleeping quarters.

4. You can sleep in complete darkness

Yes, in a balcony room you can close those big curtains to block out most of the light, although a little sunlight will still creep in.

But for those who like to sleep in complete darkness and not have the morning sun waking them up, an interior cabin is the way to go. This can also be a negative as it can be hard to determine what time of day it is when you’re sleeping in an inside cabin, but cruising is all about losing track of time anyway, right?

Ocean view rooms usually have very cloudy windows because of the salt water anyway, so there’s not much of a view there. It’s more for letting in light than anything else.

5. You can still enjoy great views and portable privacy

Don’t get me wrong. I love being able to wake up to a wonderful view from my own personal balcony. But even if you have an inside stateroom you can enjoy these views. You just have to walk up a few decks and join the general public to see it.

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Occasionally, even with a balcony stateroom you will have loud or obnoxious neighbors that make spending time on the balcony less appealing. On a recent cruise my balcony was right over a public pool.  So that limited the amount of time I wanted to spend out there anyway.

At least on deck you can move to a more quiet place. You just don’t have the convenience of your room being a few steps away. And the views on deck are better anyway since you have a more panoramic vantage point.

View Cruise Deals on Inside Staterooms

6. Less movement of the ship

This is especially true if you have a lower stateroom in the middle of the ship. Since interior cabins are away from the sides of the ship and closer to the center mass you should feel less movement in stormy weather or turbulent seas. If sea sickness is an issue just make sure your cabin is not in the very front or back (forward/aft) of the ship.

Admittedly, there is not a drastic difference here.  So, this shouldn’t be the deciding factor. But many cruisers who book interior cabins like to point this out as there’s at least a slight difference for the seasick prone travelers.

7. You save money. Yes, I said it twice.

There are many different reasons to go on a cruise. But if you really love cruising and money is a factor in how many cruises you can go on, then this can’t be over emphasized. Cheaper cruises means more cruises and more money left over for excursions, specialty dining, or anything else you want to splurge on.

If you are a cruiser who only uses the stateroom to change clothes or sleep then an interior cabin is a no-brainer.

Bottom Line

Interior cabins are not for everyone.  And if you hate the idea of having no view, not knowing what time of day it is, and feeling boxed in, by all means go for that balcony cabin or suite.  But if the cost difference of a balcony and inside cabin is keeping you from taking that cruise, hopefully this will help in the decision process.  It’s not as bad as some make it out to be.  Cruising is all about taking new and exciting adventures, so why not try out this low-cost cabin category to see if it’s for you?

Photo credit: Princess Cruises – Royal Princess

Viking discovered a new chinstrap penguin colony on a recent expedition cruise to Antarctica on Viking Octantis.

The new colony, which was previously unknown to science, was discovered on Diaz Rock near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica. Astrolabe Island is a three mile long island in the Bransfield Straight of the Trinity Peninsula.

During the visit, Viking’s scientific partner, Oceanites, the leading field research entity in Antarctic penguin monitoring, conducted a visual and thermal aerial survey. The fieldwork documented the first survey in nearly 40 years of the known chinstrap penguin colony of Astrolabe Island and in the process, discovered the additional colony on Diaz Rock.

“With our third season in Antarctica underway, we are pleased to have supported another significant scientific development that will allow for further understanding of the region,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “From the thoughtful design of our expedition vessels, each with a well-appointed Science Lab, to our partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, our intention has always been to provide our guests and scientists with opportunities for meaningful discovery during each voyage. We look forward to supporting other critical research opportunities on future voyages.”

Viking has two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, that support scientific discovery as they cruise around the world.

“The Antarctic peninsula is well-traveled and explored, and it is not often we find a new penguin colony,” said Dr. Grant Humphries, Director of Science at Oceanites. “Our partnership with Viking opened a new opportunity to not only count the chinstrap penguins on Astrolabe Island for the first time since the 1980s, but it also allowed us to locate and map a colony of chinstrap penguins previously unknown to us. This work will allow us to get a better understanding of how Antarctic penguin population dynamics are shifting in an ever-changing world.”

During each expedition voyage on Viking, a 36 person expedition team lead guests through meaningful scientific research, providing guiding and interpretation during shore excursions and delivering world-class lectures. The team is comprised of visiting researchers from partner institutions.

“Viking’s expedition vessels continue to showcase the potential of reimagined ‘ships of opportunity’ and the research capabilities available for scientific efforts,” said Dr. Damon Stanwell-Smith, Head of Science and Sustainability at Viking. “With scientists from our partner organizations on board, like Oceanites, we can conduct real, meaningful research in the regions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Oceanites and other science partners to bring more findings forward in the future.”

Viking two expedition ships offers voyages to Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Great Lakes.

The 378 guest ships were specifically built to sail to some of the remote parts of the earth. They also offer comfort, safety, and unrivalled range of activities in remote destinations.

Holland America Line has opened new cruises in 2025-2026 for bookings that include trips through the Panama Canal and new Hawaii sailings.

In 2025-2026, Holland America will sail cruises through the Panama Canal on Eurodam, Zuiderdam, and Koningsdam. A total of six Panama Canal cruises will be offered and the cruise line has added a new port (Acajutla, El Salvador) on most Panama Canal voyages. The cruises will range from 15 to 22 days in length.

This will also mark the first time where a Pinnacle class ship, the largest in Holland America’s fleet, transits the Panama Canal.

Cruises through the Panama Canal will either start or end in:

• Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Seattle, Washington
• San Diego, California
• Miami, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida

As the cruise ships transit the Panama Canal, they will receive audio commentary on the open decks detailing the historic feats of the canal.

A few of the Panama Canal cruises will stop at the cruise line’s award winning private island in The Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.

Cruise fares start at $1,779 per person, based on double occupancy for these new sailings through the Panama Canal.

“We know a Panama Canal transit is a once-in-a-lifetime experience many of our guests are seeking, and by adding Acajutla to select voyages, we’re making it even more memorable. Guests can discover the ‘Pompeii of the Americas’ with a shore excursion to Joya de Cerén archaeological site, where they’ll explore a Mayan farming village remarkably preserved under volcanic ash,” said Beth Bodensteiner, Holland America Line’s chief commercial officer. “With four different departure cities, there are so many different ways to experience the Panama Canal aboard one of our ships.

In addition the Panama Canal cruises, Holland America Line will offer sailings to Hawaii in 2025-2026 on Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Zaandam.

The Hawaii sailings will range from 17-18 days and depart from either San Diego or Vancouver.

Fares start at $1,579 per person, based on double occupancy.

All of these new cruises from Holland America Line are now open for bookings.

Holland America Line’s Have It All premium package adds shore excursions, WiFi, a Signature Beverage Package, specialty dining, and more to cruise fares.

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