I recently disembarked a 4-night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. During the short trip, I called a tiny, windowless inside cabin my home away from home.
Although inside cabins are extremely basic, they’re the most budget-friendly option on cruise ships. There’s no natural light in the room, but you’ll still find essentials like a bed, vanity, and private bathroom.
For my short itinerary, I paid $1,260 for the inside room. The price included the cruise fare, taxes, and prepaid gratuities for two adults. At $157 per person, per night, I found the price fair for a cruise on one of Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships.
Let’s take a look inside my interior cabin on Allure of the Seas to see what the cheapest cabin option is really like.
Allure of the Seas just completed a $100M renovation, but cabins were not updated
Allure of the Seas launched in 2009, but she recently completed a major amplification to modernize the vessel.
New restaurants, bars, and activities were added, and minor aesthetic changes were made to existing venues around the ship.
Read more: A look inside Allure of the Seas' $100M amplification
One aspect of Allure of the Seas that was not updated, though, were the cabins.
Royal Caribbean rarely updates cabins when renovating cruise ships in its fleet. With thousands of cabins onboard, the cruise line forgoes this massive undertaking in favor of updating other areas.
Therefore, cabins on Allure of the Seas appear slightly outdated. There are fewer power outlets compared to Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, for example, and passengers should expect more wear and tear throughout the stateroom.
I loved my cabin’s location on deck 11
After boarding Allure of the Seas, I headed to my cabin to drop off my carry-on and check out my stateroom for the first time.
When I booked my cruise nine months before departure, I selected an interior guarantee cabin. This was the cheapest option, and it meant Royal Caribbean would assign me a stateroom location closer to the sail date.
Read more: Royal Caribbean cabins to avoid
I was assigned room 11273, located near the aft of deck 11 on Allure of the Seas. The room was conveniently located just steps from the aft elevator lobby and stairwell.
Some passengers may be wary of cabins near the elevators, but I didn’t encounter any noise issues during my cruise. Plus, I loved the easy access from my stateroom to anywhere else onboard.
The tiny room felt surprisingly spacious
Interior cabins aren’t winning any awards for their size—most inside rooms on Allure of the Seas measure between 150 and 180 square feet.
That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with the size and layout of my interior cabin.
The bed was pushed against the back wall, so I never had to walk around it to reach other areas of the room.
There was a couch, too, which is always a nice perk. Many interior cabins on cruise ships have a small chair in lieu of a couch, so I appreciated the expanded seating area.
The couch’s upholstery was definitely showing its age, however, and I thought it was in need of a refresh.
A full-length mirror was next to the couch, which both reflected light in the cabin and made it appear more spacious.
My inside stateroom was packed with storage
Storage is an important feature in cruise ship cabins. Given their compact size, it’s helpful to have an abundance of storage throughout the room, whether closets, drawers, or shelves.
My Allure of the Seas cabin had a surprising amount of storage space.
First, there were three drawers next to the mini fridge. These drawers were easy to access, and they were convenient for storing smaller items like socks and shorts.
There were also two additional shelves under the desk as well as a narrow column of shelves above it.
Additionally, a closet provided extra shelving and hanging space.
Most older cruise ships lack significant storage, so I was nervous my room wouldn't have enough space to unpack my belongings. Luckily, this was not the case, and I was pleased with the number of closets, shelves, drawers.
The storage variety made it easy to unpack and stay organized for the duration of my cruise.
Storage was abundant, but outlets were not
One thing I wish I could have changed about my Allure of the Seas cabin were the number of electrical outlets.
Outlet availability was extremely limited, with just three outlets on the desk and one in the bathroom. I traveled with a laptop, wireless headphones, my phone, a Kindle, and camera, among other electronics. It was a hassle to charge everything with just three outlets.
I also missed having a USB charging port by the bedside.
The lack of outlets was another area where my cabin showed its age. I regretted not packing a USB hub, which would have increased the room's charging capacity.
Lastly, I was impressed with the cabin’s bathroom
Tiny cruise ship bathrooms aren’t glamorous by any means, but I thought my Allure of the Seas bathroom had nice features and a calming color scheme.
Everything in the bathroom seemed to be in great condition, from the vinyl floor to the backsplash and storage shelves. I loved the blue tile, which gave a clean aesthetic to the small space.
Next to the sink were shelves and a drawer. This was extremely useful for storing my toiletries, and a metal bar kept items from falling off the shelf due to ship movement.
Read more: 7 bathroom hacks to use in your cruise ship cabin
I also liked how the bathroom had a glass shower door.
This is far preferable to the cloth curtains used on older ships.
If I cruised on Allure of the Seas again, I’d pick one of the new cabins added during amplification
My short stay in cabin 11273 was comfortable, but I’d pick a different room next time.
During Allure of the Seas’ amplification, a number of new cabins were added to the ship. These include interior rooms on decks 6, 11, and 12 along with the Ultimate Panoramic Suites above the ship’s bridge.
Presumably, the new cabins feature more updated furnishing and decor. When Liberty of the Seas was refreshed in 2016, for instance, Royal Caribbean added 86 cabins to the ship. These rooms look more modern compared to other cabins on the vessel.
Read more: We tried 4 cabins on Liberty of the Seas: here's how they compared
The next time I cruise on Allure of the Seas, I would specifically book one of these new cabin locations. Although cruising in a cabin built in 2009 wasn’t a dealbreaker, I’d certainly prefer sailing in a 2025-style stateroom on the same ship.
