I used to think all rooms on a cruise ship were the same until I stayed in the worst cruise ship cabin I ever had.
It was on Freedom of the Seas and the room was all the way forward near the ship's anchor. Anytime we docked, it felt like a major earthquake and would always wake us up from sleep in the early morning.
Being in a cabin all the way forward also meant we felt more of a sensation of movement, and that lead to seasickness on top of it. It was a valuable lesson in paying closer attention to which cabin I choose.
Picking the perfect cabin location on a cruise ship is critical because it is where you will spend the most time during the voyage. Everyone has different preferences, as some people want a cabin with better views on a high deck, while others want to be near the kids club or buffet for the convenience factor.
With a little bit of extra research, there are important things to know about which cabins you should avoid.
Not looking what is above or below your room
Perhaps the biggest concern is picking a room that experiences "noise bleed", where noise from another venue can be heard in the room.
Royal Caribbean's staterooms do a pretty good job at muffling nearby noise, but no cabin is soundproof.
Before you book a room, look at the ship's deck plans and look what is above and below your stateroom. Ideally, you want other staterooms on either deck and not public venues like pools, restaurants or other public venues.
Keep in mind that is not the worst thing if there is a public venue on a deck above or below your room, but it is a best practice if you can avoid it.
Room location if you are worried about getting seasick
The sensation of movement affects everyone differently, but it is a mistake to book a stateroom all the way forward or all the way aft if you are prone to motion sickness.
Getting seasick on a cruise is something a lot of first time cruisers worry about, and while there are a lot of easy remedies in case it occurs, picking the right room can greatly help as well.
Ideally, you want to book a stateroom that is on a low deck and centrally located to lessen the feeling of movement. While balcony rooms are a good idea, you want to be on the lowest deck, with a room that is the most midship available.
Try to avoid higher decks, as well as cabins at the very front or back of the ship.
Distance to walk
On the bigger Royal Caribbean ships, where your room is in relation to the rest of the ship is a consideration to account for as well.
The proximity of your room to elevators, pools, Royal Promenade, and other popular areas can play a factor in picking the right room for you.
If you think you might spend a lot of time at the pool deck, picking a room on a deck closer to the pool deck might make more sense to avoid the hassle of going back and forth to your room across the ship.
Similarly, if you have mobility concerns, picking a stateroom closer to the elevator banks would be a good idea.
Trying to put everyone in one room
Families going on a cruise often try to book a room that can accommodate everyone in one room. This may seem like the logical solution, but you should consider booking two (or more) smaller rooms instead.
While there are lot of cabins that can fit 4 people in one room, it may not be the most comfortable situation (plus the fact you are all sharing one bathroom).
Instead, consider booking two connecting rooms that have a common inside door between them. Not only will this provide more room, physical separation and an extra bathroom, it may not be that much more money than trying to book one of the larger rooms.
Looking at only the price
We all have a limited vacation budget, but looking only at the price when choosing a cruise ship cabin is a big mistake.
You will want to look at more than just the price when choosing a cabin, including where it is located and what is (or is not) included with the room.
Your cabin is one part of the vacation where paying a little bit more for a higher category or better location can make a huge difference in your cruise enjoyment.
Read more: The epic Royal Caribbean suites
Rooms that have noise bleed
Certain staterooms can have more than normal noise from public venues nearby, and that might be an issue if you're someone that goes to bed early or is a very light sleeper.
Royal Promenade View cabins are available on Freedom Class, Voyager Class and Oasis Class ships and they have cabins that face inward towards the Royal Promenade. Each of these rooms has a large bay window that looks out to the Promenade, but this window is not soundproof.
In the evenings especially, there can be noise emanating from the bars and parties below to your room.
In addition, these windows mean people can see into your cabin, so it's important to always keep the blinds drawn if you want privacy. This is another reason Promenade view rooms may not be desirable.
On the Vision & Radiance Class ships, the first few cabins from the Centrum can also deal with noise bleed, as the Centrum is home to loud music in the evening.
Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship
Cabins below the pool deck
A good rule of thumb is to try to avoid a cabin that is one deck below the pool deck.
Music isn't the issue with these cabins, rather, noise from chairs being arranged tends to be heard in the room. In the early morning, crew members re-arrange deck chairs for the coming day. Unfortunately, the noise created by dragging heavy lounge chairs across a deck tends to be heard in the rooms below the deck.
Light sleepers or anyone that enjoys sleeping in could have a problem with rooms in this location, so try to book a cabin with another stateroom above your cabin.
Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabins and suites
Obstructed view cabins
It may be tempting to save money by booking an obstructed view cabin, but buyer's remorse sets in quickly.
Obstructed view cabins are rooms that have some physical structure blocking at least part of your balcony or porthole window view. Usually, these are lifeboats.
On Voyager and Freedom Class ships, aft balcony rooms have an obstructed view due to the metal structure on the back of the ship. You can still see the ocean, but it's not completely open either.
Read more: 6 reasons to reject a cruise ship cabin upgrade
Connecting cabins (if you don't also book the connecting room on the other side)
Connecting cabins are a fantastic option for families, but if you aren't booking both rooms on either side of the common door, you're making a mistake.
The issue is the common door between the two staterooms is not soundproof and is actually quite easy for noise to pass through.
While the door will remain locked if you don't know the person in the other room, you're going to hear a lot of what's happening in their room and they'll hear what you're up to as well.
Look at a deck plan before booking any cabin, and avoid booking connecting rooms if you aren't going to book both cabins.
