I took four Royal Caribbean cruises in 2025, and I booked an interior cabin for each and every sailing. Although I knew to expect a windowless cabin on every ship, I was surprised at how much these rooms can vary from one ship to another.
Naturally, interior cabins on older ships will be more outdated than those on Royal Caribbean’s newer vessels. Knowing this, I wrongly assumed that a newer cabin would always be the most well-designed.
After sailing on Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Star of the Seas, I found things I liked and disliked about each cabin. My room on Anthem of the Seas, for example, featured abundant storage options, whereas my Star of the Seas cabin had the most modern aesthetic.
In order to properly rank these cabins, I judged the rooms in four categories: storage, connectivity, layout, and cost. In addition, I allocated three bonus points for positive features in each room, whether for the bathroom or seating areas.
All prices listed are for two adults in a guarantee inside room, including taxes, fees, and gratuities.
So, after spending four cruises in interior cabins this year, here’s how I’d rank them from best to worst.
Anthem of the Seas
- Storage: 10/10
- Connectivity: 8/10
- Layout: 7/10
- Cost: 4/10 ($210 per person, per night)
- Virtual balcony bonus: +3 points
Total Score: 32/40 (29/40 + 3 bonus points)
In June, I spent a week cruising to Alaska on Anthem of the Seas, and my interior cabin was a cozy place to call home during my time onboard.
Anthem of the Seas is a Quantum Class cruise ship. This is my favorite class of vessels in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. I love the modern decor, ship layout, unique itineraries, and innovative cabins found on Quantum Class ships.
I cruised to Alaska in the peak summer season with a June 20th departure, and I paid $2,937 total for the room. Although I loved the additional hours of sunshine and warmer weather, the price reflected that.
Even with the high price, though, it was still my favorite interior cabin of the year.
Pros:
All interior cabins on Anthem of the Seas feature a virtual balcony, which is a large floor-to-ceiling television screen that projects a live feed of the outdoors during the sailing.
I wouldn’t consider this a balcony replacement, but I still enjoyed being able to “see” the scenery from my inside stateroom.
Read more: Virtual balcony cruise cabin review
Connectivity was great in the cabin, too; there was an outlet on one side of the bed along with outlets at the desk.
As far as storage, there was more than enough space to unpack. The room featured a vanity with five drawers, shelves above the desk, storage cabinets above the bed, and a closet with shelving and hanging space.
The layout also offered plenty of walking space. I shared the cabin with my brother, and we never felt cramped in the room.
Cons:
Aside from the high price, I didn’t have many complaints with my interior cabin. If anything, I wish the room featured a couch instead of a small chair so we had extra seating space.
Some interior cabins on Anthem of the Seas do have a couch, but because I booked a guarantee inside the room, I couldn’t choose my exact cabin location.
Read more: A full photo tour of my Anthem of the Seas inside cabin
Allure of the Seas
- Storage: 8/10
- Connectivity: 4/10
- Layout: 7/10
- Cost: 8/10 ($150 per person, per night)
- Couch bonus: +3 points
Total Score: 30/40 (27/40 + 3 bonus points)
I boarded Allure of the Seas for a 4-night cruise following her amplification in April, and I was excited to see all the new changes and upgrades made to the vessel.
Cabins, however, were not upgraded during the amplification. Allure of the Seas launched in 2009, so I expected my cabin to be somewhat outdated.
I paid $1,260 for the 4-night cruise, bringing the cost to $315 per night for two adults, which included taxes and gratuities. At just over $150 per person per night, I thought the price was fair to sail on a renovated cruise ship.
Pros:
As a whole, I found the room layout optimal. Even though it was the smallest room category on the ship, there was ample room to walk around the cabin.
Storage was abundant as well, although not quite to the same standard as Anthem of the Seas. The vanity was packed with shelves and drawers, and the closet had built-in shelves and space for hanging clothes.
The bathroom was modern, and it also had significant storage space next to the sink.
Finally, I appreciated a bigger couch in the room instead of a small chair, and there was even a small coffee table.
Cons:
Connectivity was severely lacking in the cabin. There were just three outlets on the desk and one in the cabin’s bathroom. I missed having outlets by the bedside, as it makes charging my phone at night more convenient.
Aside from connectivity, the furnishings were in need of a refresh. In particular, the couch’s upholstery was stained and well-worn.
Despite a few faults, I was pleased with my cabin on Allure of the Seas. It offered a great value for sailing on a ship with so much to see and do onboard.
Read more: A full photo tour of my Allure of the Seas inside cabin
Explorer of the Seas
- Storage: 7/10
- Connectivity: 4/10
- Layout: 7/10
- Cost: 8/10 ($154 per person, per night)
- Couch bonus: +3 points
Total Score: 29/40 (26/40 + 3 bonus points)
Explorer of the Seas was the oldest Royal Caribbean ship I sailed on in 2025, having launched in 2000. Knowing this, I expected my cabin to feel outdated, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by the room.
I initially booked my 7-night cruise to Greece with my mom, and we paid $2,149 for the room, or $307 per night ($154 per person). A few months later, however, my dad joined the cabin, raising our total cost to $2,830, or $404 total per night ($135 per person).
Given the dreamy Greek Isles itinerary in May, I thought the price was more than reasonable.
Pros:
I shared my small interior cabin with both of my parents, but it felt spacious enough that we never felt too cramped. With the beds separated, there was significant walking space in the main living area, and I appreciated the couch for extra seating.
The amount of storage space was a nice surprise; we all unpacked without much hassle.
The closet had built-in shelves and hanging space, and the desk had plenty of storage. There were nine drawers below the desk in addition to shelving above the TV and behind the mirror. The cabin’s nightstands also had storage space.
Cons:
I didn’t have any major complaints with my cabin. The number of outlets was limited, but this was to be expected on a 25-year-old cruise ship.
In order to share the cabin with both of my parents, one of us had to sleep in the room’s pullman bed. I certainly didn’t love sleeping on the tiny, thin mattress, but most guests won’t need to use this feature of the room.
Read more: A full photo tour of my Explorer of the Seas inside cabin
Star of the Seas
- Storage: 5/10
- Connectivity: 10/10
- Layout: 4/10
- Cost: 3/10 ($276 per person, per night)
- Bathroom bonus: +3 points
Total Score: 25/40 (22/40 + 3 bonus points)
This might come as a shock, but the “worst” interior cabin I sailed in this year was on Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship.
I booked an interior cabin on my 4-night Star of the Seas cruise in August, and paid a whopping $2,210 for two adults. At around $552 per night, it was my most expensive cabin of the year, but still somewhat reasonable for a brand-new cruise ship.
Even though the ship itself was nearly perfect, I found a lot of room for improvement in my cabin.
Pros:
Whereas older cruise ships lack cabin connectivity, Star of the Seas had more than enough outlet options. Strangely enough, there was a charging outlet on only one side of the bed, but there were enough other outlets and USB ports elsewhere in the room.
The room had a clean, sleek aesthetic. Because it was the inaugural sailing, everything was shiny and completely brand new.
I also appreciated the cabin’s extra spacious bathroom, which featured a larger-than-typical shower with a bench seat.
Cons:
Although my cabin was modern in its decor, it lacked storage space, and the layout felt extremely cramped.
The desk lacked the same amount of storage found in my cabins on Allure, Explorer, and Anthem of the Seas. There were just two shallow drawers with an awkward diagonal configuration.
The closet, too, lacked functionality. There were no built-in shelves like I found on other ships, and instead of drawers, the closet had four pullout baskets.
I cruised on Star of the Seas with my mom, and we had trouble unpacking completely with the limited space. She opted to live out of her suitcase in the back corner of the room.
Aside from storage, the cabin’s layout was awkward. A small armchair was crammed between the bed and closet, and the desk’s location was inconvenient, as it was directly in the main walkway at the cabin’s entrance.
My mom and I kept running into each other when going about the cabin.
Read more: A full photo tour of my Star of the Seas inside cabin
Interior cabins differ greatly, so you have to make the cabin work for you
Despite staying in the cheapest, smallest cabins onboard, I enjoyed all of my Royal Caribbean cruises in 2025. The four cabins were far from equal, but I found things to like about each and every one.
If there’s one thing I learned about cabins this year, it’s to always come prepared. Your cabin might have fewer outlets than you expect, so be sure to pack extra USB hubs and long cables to make charging your electronics easier.
Likewise, consider bringing items like magnetic hooks and over-the-door shoe organizers if sailing on a ship with fewer storage options.
Read more: Inside cruise ship cabin hacks you need to try
Overall, even my “worst” interior cabin of the year was still a cozy place to call home during my vacation.
At the end of the day, a cabin is just a small part of your cruise experience, so I wouldn’t necessarily pick one ship over another just because of the cabin features.
Instead, pick a ship or itinerary that interests you the most, and learn to make the cabin work for you and your travel party.
