Is it worth sharing a tiny cruise cabin with three people to save money? I did just that on a recent cruise and it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
Cabins on cruise ships are notorious for their compact size. Fitting thousands of guests on a ship is no small feat, so cabins pack all of the essentials into a small space.
It’s standard for two guests to share a cabin on Royal Caribbean, but many rooms accommodate a third and fourth passenger. These rooms are geared toward families with kids, but adults can share cabins with multiple guests, too.
Last month, my parents and I shared a 150-square-foot interior cabin while cruising to Greece and Croatia. By sharing a cabin instead of booking two separate rooms, we saved over $1,000.
Everyone thought we were crazy to share a room, but it was hard to pass up the savings—here's what it was like.
I booked a cruise to Europe to celebrate my mom’s retirement, and we couldn’t wait for our upcoming trip
Following my mom’s retirement last fall, I began searching for ways to celebrate her newfound freedom. Considering how much fun we had on our mother-daughter cruise to Alaska two years ago, I thought another Royal Caribbean cruise would be the perfect way to celebrate.
To make the occasion even more special, I set my sights on European itineraries. Cruising Europe with my mom? Sign me up!
I found a deal on Explorer of the Seas—a 7-night Greek Isles itinerary for $2,149 total, or $1,074 per person. Considering the price included two adults in an interior room, taxes, gratuities, and port fees, it seemed like a great value on such a dreamy vacation.
We booked the cruise in December for a May departure, and I couldn’t wait to set sail with my mom on such a celebratory trip.
The only downside? My dad now wanted to join, but we didn’t know if it was possible
Come February, our cruise planning process was in full swing. My mom and I booked flights, planned hotel stays before and after the cruise, and began researching shore excursions in our ports of call.
Yet when my dad's schedule opened up and he asked to join, we ran into a major issue.
To book a second cabin for my dad, he would be subject to not only his own cruise fare, but a single supplement fee, too. My mom and I paid just over $1,000 each for the cruise, but he would have to pay over $2,000 for just himself in the room.
Related: How far in advance should I book a cruise?
We didn’t know if paying over $2,000 for a second cabin was worth it, especially when considering additional costs like airfare and hotels in Europe.
Instead, I checked the price to add a third guest to my already-reserved cabin. This was far less expensive—just $681 to add my dad to our room.
The savings were substantial, so we decided to bite the bullet and book the cheaper option.
Initially, I wasn’t entirely concerned about sharing a tiny cruise ship cabin with my parents. Growing up in a family of six, I was accustomed to sharing hotel rooms with my parents and siblings.
How much different would sharing a cruise cabin really be?
When we entered our cabin on embarkation day, I was concerned the room would be too small to share
Embarkation day had finally arrived, and I was already grateful we added my dad to the trip. After two days exploring our departure port of Ravenna, Italy together, we had already made wonderful memories.
I couldn’t wait to explore more of Europe with my parents throughout the week, even if it meant sharing a cabin.
Once onboard, we checked out our room for the first time. Our cabin was #6667, an interior stateroom that can accommodate four guests.
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The first thing I noticed was the cabin’s bed configuration. Although we didn’t request it, the cabin’s main bed had already been split into two twin-sized beds.
We initially considered asking our stateroom attendant to put the beds back together, but ultimately decided that having the beds separated greatly increased the amount of walking space in the room—a plus when sharing a cabin with three people.
As the “kid” in the room, I took one for the team and agreed to sleep in the twin-sized pullman bed that drops from the ceiling.
I had low expectations for this dropdown bed, but definitely didn’t want my parents climbing the rickety ladder to go to sleep.
Aside from the beds, the cabin had a small couch, private bathroom, desk and vanity area, and closet.
All in all, our interior cabin was a standard inside room like on any other Royal Caribbean cruise ship. It had all the basics for a comfortable stay, but even still, I was somewhat concerned how we would fit ourselves (and all of our belongings) in the space.
Luckily, there was a surprising amount of storage
One of the first things I always do when I get to my cruise cabin is unpack. I hate living out of my suitcase during a cruise, but I was worried there wouldn’t be enough storage space for three people in our small cabin.
Related: 15 things you should do as soon as you get in your cruise cabin to make it better
Fortunately, once my parents and I began unpacking, we found there to be more than enough storage.
A spacious closet provided ample room for hanging clothes, and there was also a set of shelves on one side of the closet.
The desk and vanity were also full of storage. In addition to nine drawers, there were shelves behind the mirror and above the TV.
Near the beds were two nightstands with additional storage, too, and the bathroom had shelving behind the mirror.
I was surprised how easily the three of us fit our belongings in the compact room. We stored our suitcases under the bed, and once we had all of our clothes, electronics, and toiletries put away, the room felt more like home.
Throughout the week, we didn’t spend much time in our stateroom
Once we set sail from Italy, the next week was full of adventure.
We toured the ancient Acropolis in Athens, sipped cocktails in Santorini, and strolled the waterfront promenade in Split. Onboard, most of our time was spent watching the ocean from the Promenade Deck or listening to live music from the ship’s various bars and lounges.
As it turned out, we spent almost no time in our stateroom during the day. This helped ease the feeling of being “crammed” into the small room, as we were typically only there to sleep, shower, and change.
Even when we were in the room, the limited space didn't actually feel limited. Most of the time, my parents would relax on their respective beds and I would sit on the couch. With the beds separated, there was more than enough room to walk around the cabin without running into each other.
Sharing a bathroom was annoying, however, and there weren’t enough electrical outlets
One of the biggest downsides to sharing a cabin with three people is sharing one bathroom.
Mornings on cruise ships can be hectic, especially on port days. From showering to grabbing a quick breakfast and making sure you have everything you need to disembark, it’s easy to feel rushed.
Sharing one bathroom with three people made getting ready much slower. This is where having two cabins would have been beneficial.
Related: 7 bathroom hacks to use in your cruise ship cabin
Some cruisers combat this issue by utilizing the showers in the gym’s locker room, but we didn’t find it worth the hassle of lugging our toiletries and clothes across the ship.
Aside from sharing a bathroom, the lack of electrical outlets was another challenge.
Explorer of the Seas launched in 1999, so I knew outlet availability would be limited, but I still found the lack of outlets inconvenient. Between our cellphones, headphones, camera, and laptop, there never seemed to be enough outlet space for the three of us.
I was glad my mom packed a portable charger. This allowed her to charge her phone by the bed each night while my dad and I charged our belongings at the desk.
If I ever shared a cabin with three people again, I’d pack even more portable chargers and USB hubs to maximize charging capacity.
I didn’t love my pullman bed, and it was the worst part of sharing the room
Surprisingly, the worst part of sharing a cabin with my parents had nothing to do with feeling crowded. Instead, it was my pullman bed.
My dropdown bunk bed offered minimal comfort. The mattress was thin, and I found myself sleeping on top of the bed's plush bedding for added comfort.
I'm sure the bed is satisfactory for kids, but it wasn’t ideal for an adult traveler.
Additionally, getting to and from the bed on the ladder was cumbersome. I wished the cabin had a sofa bed instead of the bunk bed, as this would have made getting out of bed easier, especially in the middle of the night.
Despite the downsides, I’m not opposed to sharing a cabin again
When I first planned my mom’s epic retirement cruise, I never expected to be sharing a 150-square-foot cabin with both of my parents, but it really wasn’t that bad.
Next time, though, I’d do a few things differently.
First, I’d book our cruise further in advance. We added my dad to the sailing just three months before departure, which greatly limited our options. Cruise fares were high, and there were limited empty cabins available.
I would also look at booking connecting rooms instead of sharing one cabin. Connecting cabins have a common door between them, which provides double the living space, normal beds, and an additional bathroom for families traveling together.
Sometimes, booking two connecting cabins is priced similarly to putting all guests in one room.
All that being said, my parents and I still had a wonderful week exploring Greece and Croatia on our cruise. Whether indulging in Greek gyros or shopping our way through the markets of Split, the best moments of our vacation took place outside our cabin.
Ultimately, if my dad had to book an entirely separate room, the cost may have prohibited him from joining our trip. At the end of the day, I’ll remember making fun memories with my parents far more than the downsides of sharing one tiny room.
