MSC Divina

Like all cruise ships, the MSC Divina has a range of staterooms for passengers to choose from.  Prices vary from the lowest category inside cabins to the highest category of Yacht Club suites.  Also like most ships not all cabins within the same category are created equally, so it pays to know what you will get for your money before you book if booking into a specific cabin rather than a category guarantee.  Sizes of the cabins vary within a given category and here and there some rooms have oversized balconies so it really helps to check out the deck plans before choosing your cruise ship cabin.  Bring the family and save money sailing with MSC where kids under 18 can sail for free or at a reduced fare.  Or take a longer vacation and get a 10% discount when booking two back to back cruises of 7 to 11 nights each.

Disabled Accessible Deluxe Yacht Club Suite

Disabled accessible cabins are the top of the size range for any given category, allowing for wider doorways and more maneuvering space for wheelchairs.  As with other cruise ships, the same room on a higher floor is often listed as a higher category.  Closer to the middle of the ship also tends to raise a room’s category rank, though on the Divina the highest ranked balcony cabins are at the bow end of decks 12 and 13.

Inside Room

Inside rooms cost the least, therefore allowing passengers to spend less on their vacation or have more money available for things like shore excursions.  On the Divina, inside stateroom sizes vary from 12 to 29 sq.m (139 – 258 square feet.)   Passengers per cabin varies from two to four depending on whether a given room has a sofa bed or bunks that descend from the ceiling to accommodate more than the standard two guests.

Oceanview cabin with porthole window and drop down bunks

Oceanview rooms cost more than inside and less than balcony cabins.  The cost is closer to inside than to balcony, so oceanview rooms are a nice way to save on the vacation dollars while still having a room with a view.  The Divina has some really nice oceanview rooms, but check the location carefully before booking one because some of the rooms on deck 8 in the area just behind the atrium where there are also inside cabins are smaller than the very nice rooms on deck 5.  The oceanview cabins on deck 5 and the larger ones on deck 8 have pull-down bunks in the ceiling and could sleep 4 people quite comfortably with plenty of floor space for a family since the bunks don’t take up any extra space on the ground.  Oceanview cabin sizes range from 12 to 29 sq.m (129 – 312 square feet.)

Balcony Cabin

Divina standard balcony

Balcony cabins offer passengers some private outdoor space of their own.  Some are  standard size compared to the balcony cabins on some of the other ships I’ve sailed on while others are larger, but the Divina has tiny balcony cabins too.

check the deck plans before choosing your cruise ship cabin

Watch out for the staterooms in the same area behind the atrium with small oceanview and inside rooms though because the Divina has some particularly small balcony cabins in that section on every deck from 9 up.  If you can get the room cheap because of the small size it’s fine, but try to avoid booking a tiny room for the same price you could get a larger one elsewhere on the ship.

Cabin 9145 has a double balcony and inside seems almost like a two-room suite

The Divina has some particularly nice balcony cabins ranked the same as those around them.  We had cabin #9145, which sits with the long side to the outside of the ship rather than the short side like most cabins. This cabin had a double sized balcony, and inside the room was more like two rooms than one.  There are only 4 cabins like it on the entire ship.  Look near corners where the ship has contours to find other cabins with larger than normal balconies.

Balcony cabin with double couch bed

standard shower with doors inward to make more bathroom space

Balcony cabins sleep from 2 to 4 passengers and range in size from 17 sq.m to 42 sq.m (183 – 451 square feet.)  A unique feature of this ship (also offered on the MSC Preziosa) is the Superfamily cabin, which sleeps up to 6 people.  This is comprised of two connecting 3-person balcony cabins and is priced for the cabin rather than the amount of passengers using it.

The space-saving bathrooms in the regular rooms have showers in which the doors can open in or out and when not in use can stay inward to give the rest of the room more space.  When in use, the showers do not offer a lot of area for large people to move about.

Auria Suite

disabled accessible suite has a larger shower than regular rooms

suite bathroom with tub

Passengers who like nicer rooms and are willing to pay the price can book suites.  For those who just want a nicer room, the Divina offers the Auria suites.  Suites on  the Divina have walk-in closets and except for disabled accessible suites they have bathtubs.  All of the Auria suites are at the bow of the ship on decks 9, 10, and 11.  Some have balconies and others picture windows.  They range in size from 21 to 47 sq.m (226 – 505 square feet.)

Balcony on Yacht Club suite at the bow

Guests of the Divina who want the privileges of an exclusive club can book MSC Yacht Club suites.  These suites come with a lot more than just a nice room.  Priority check-in, concierge, and butler service are just the start of it.  MSC Yacht club suite keys open the door to a whole private area.

Swarovski crystal staircase in the MSC Yacht Club private area

Drinks are on the house at the MSC Yacht Club bar

The MSC Yacht Club area includes a golden Swarovski crystal staircase, a private bar where drinks don’t cost extra, indoor and outdoor buffet areas, an exclusive dining room with great views overlooking the infinity pool at the stern of the ship, and a private outdoor deck with pool,  hot tub, and views over the bow.

Le Muse, the MSC Yacht Club private dining room

Hot tubs in the Yacht Club pool area

The Yacht Club lounge sports the best views at the front of the ship.  The indoor space in the Yacht Club private area even includes a posh library with lots of books and places to sit and read them.

MSC Yacht Club Library

Deluxe Yacht Club Suite

All the perks are mainly what Yacht Club deluxe suite guests pay for since these suites run from 26 to 39 sq.m (280 – 420 square feet) with the only large ones in the row across the bow on deck 16.

Sophia Loren Royal Suite

The Executive and Family suites at 45 to 53 sq.m (484 – 570 square feet) and Royal Suites at 52 sq.m (560 square feet) have considerably more space than regular rooms in addition to the yacht club perks.

Accommodations on other ships: Breeze, Legend, Liberty, Pearl, Splendor, Westerdam, Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2014

Carnival Splendor

Accommodations on Carnival Splendor

Like all cruise major cruise ships, Carnival Splendor has a range of passenger cabins to choose from depending on how much space people want vs. how much they want to pay.  Some passengers choose small interior cabins to save money while others would rather pay more for a bigger cabin with a private balcony or a spacious suite.  Officially they are called staterooms, but most cruise ship guests refer to their room on the ship as a cabin.

People who are sensitive to cigarette smoke may want to avoid booking deck 6, particularly midship where smoke from the casino on deck 5 sometimes wafts up the stairwell.  Aft rooms above a couple of the deck 5 lounges where smoking is allowed could be problematic as well.  Smoking is no longer allowed on balconies and other than the casino, the Cool Lounge, and the Red Carpet Nightclub it is only allowed outside on decks 10 and 11 starboard.

standard shower with shampoo and bath gel

All cabins have shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower and bars of soap and a few product samples in a bowl on the counter.  What is in the sample bowls changes over time so the only things you can really count on having are the shampoo, shower gel, and soap.  Be sure to bring everything else you will need for the cruise.

The hallways around the guest rooms have paintings of people that look to be from the 1930’s or so

If you want to decorate your cabin or door, or just want to keep paperwork organized, it’s good to know that cruise ship cabins are magnetic.  The walls, door, and ceiling are all magnetic.  We used magnets to keep our sail and sign cards handy on the wall next to the door so we didn’t have to look for them when we wanted to leave the room.

Inside Cabins

standard interior cabin

If you want to save money, book low.  An inside cabin on deck 1 may be the exact same size as an inside cabin on deck 9, but lower decks are in lower categories so it costs less.  Not all cabins in the same category are the same size though.  It pays to check the deck plans before booking not only to find the best staterooms in a particular category, but also to see if anything noisy that you want to avoid is above or below the room you want to book.  It’s also nice to room in the same area of the ship as the places you go to most.  Stairs and elevators are handy for the ups and downs, but it is a long walk from bow to stern.  Or pick a room far away from the things you like so you get more exercise.   If you have the option to choose category guarantee rather than a specific room you pay less, but take the room assigned to you which will be at least the category you selected, possibly higher depending on what rooms other people booked.

Staterooms at the bow of the ship on decks 6, 7, & 9 book as interior, but have windows.

Interior rooms are always at the low end of the price scale, but if you look carefully you can find rooms with a view that book as interior.  They won’t be in the lowest category of interior rooms, but will cost less than one listed as ocean view.  On the Splendor there are a few rooms with portholes on decks 1 and 2 and a row of rooms with windows across the bow on decks 6, 7, and 9 that book as interior rooms.  We spent a week in a cabin at the center of the bow on deck 7 where the panoramic view more than made up for the lack of space even if it could only be seen when standing due to the front wall of the outside deck blocking the lower half of the window.

not much space in the interior room with drop down bunks

If you just have two people cruising on a budget, an interior room is a great way to save money.  When staying in an interior cabin I tend to put the TV on the bow cam channel and use it like an electronic window.  For the most part the interior rooms are the smallest cabins on the ship so if you have more than two people in a room they can become quite crowded.  The interior cabin with drop down bunks has very little room to move around so unless you plan to do nothing but sleep in your cabin or just can’t afford the cruise any other way, with 3 or 4 people you would be much more comfortable in the more spacious ocean view cabin.

Ocean View Cabins

Ocean View cabin sleeps 4 comfortably

People tend to look down on cabins on low decks as inferior.  We stayed in an ocean view cabin on deck 1 with 4 people in the room on an 8 day cruise and loved it.  The ocean view cabin had quite a lot of space with a drop down bunk over a couch that converted to a bed.  We never felt crowded.  From deck 1 it is just 1 deck down to the gangway at port stops and just 2 decks up to the dining room at mealtimes so it is easy to avoid elevators at their most crowded times and just take the stairs.  The room had a good sized window with a nice close-up view of the water.  When the sea got a bit rough the lower deck had noticeably less movement than those higher up.

Balcony Cabins

Decorated Balcony Cabin – when cruising for special occasions you can arrange to have the cabin decorated prior to boarding

Balcony staterooms normally have a significant price jump from ocean view.  You get a great view and your own small outdoor space with a balcony cabin.  They also tend to have significantly more interior space than the typical inside room.  Most cruise ship passengers are quite comfortable in a balcony room.  For even more extra space without going up to suite price there are some staterooms with extended balconies and some premium balcony rooms.  The outer ends of the aft extended balconies on the stern can be seen from higher decks, so keep that in mind if you don’t want other passengers looking down on your balcony.  Then again the bridge crew can see down the rows of balconies along the sides of the ship from their docking wings so those aren’t entirely unobserved either.

wrap-around balcony on stern corner cabin 6450

If you want a really fantastic balcony, there are corner cabins at the stern on decks 6, 7,  & 8 with wrap-around balconies.  In some places you can book one of those and the room next door which has a double balcony as adjoining cabins and have an even bigger balcony with the partition between the two removed.

door into small alcove with separate doors to corner and next door cabins

Suites

Ocean Suite bathroom has double sinks

For those who want more luxury in a spacious cabin that has amenities like a dressing area, walk-in closet, and jetted tub, the ship has several categories of suites available ranging from the smallest junior suites to ocean suites to the largest of all, the grand suites.  Of course the price increases with each jump in category.  Suites come with added perks like VIP check-in.

Ocean Suite

Grand Suite

the balcony on the grand suite has fancy furniture

Spa Cabins

Spa Balcony Cabin

At the high end of each category we find the Spa cabins.  These cost more because in addition to being on a very high deck, they come with extra perks.

spa products come with the spa room

Each spa cabin has a number of little bottles of spa products on the counter, which are replenished throughout the cruise.  If you go to buy these products at the spa they are quite pricey.  Spa cabins also have different bathrobes and towels from the other cabins.  These cabins are mainly for spa enthusiasts since they also come with priority spa appointments and (in my opinion the best thing about them) free access to the mineral pool and thermal suite, which includes the heated ceramic chairs.

If you’ve never tried a heated ceramic chair, you have no idea what you are missing. Pure Bliss.

People who enjoy spas would love these cabins, but those who are not really into spas may not find the rooms worth the extra money.  If you’ve never sat on a heated ceramic chair, take the free spa tour on your next boarding day and try one out!

Wheelchair Accessible Cabins

view into accessible room from bathroom shows low set hook on bathroom door

Wheelchair accessible cabins are often larger than other cabins in the same category to allow space for a wheelchair to move about the cabin.

shower in wheelchair accessible stateroom

They also include things like grab bars, shower seats, and accessible height furnishings and accessories.

wheelchair accessible rooms have wider doors – and note the low placement of the mailbox

At just over three feet, the doors into wheelchair accessible staterooms are significantly wider than those into regular cabins which are under two feet wide.

double clotheslines – and longer too since the shower is bigger

Showers in the wheelchair accessible units are larger than normal and minus the lip to the shower stall found in regular cabins.  One of the best features of these showers is the clotheslines.  While normal cabins have small showers and one short clothesline, the accessible cabins have a much longer clothesline since the shower is bigger, plus it has one at the normal height and another lower down where a sitting person can reach it, giving about quadruple the space to hang things like wet swimming suits.

Click here for an in-depth look at an ocean view cabin.

To view cabins on other ships click the links below:

Breeze   Divina  Legend  Liberty   Pearl   Westerdam  Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Carnival Legend in Sydney, Australia

Carnival Legend spends a good part of the year cruising out of Australia, where you can book a cruise at Carnival Australia.  In the northern hemisphere’s summer, when it is winter in the southern hemisphere, the Legend moves to America where it cruises to Alaska through Carnival America.  While transitioning across the Pacific Ocean it cruises to (or from) Hawaii.  At least for now.  Ships do change homeports sometimes.

inside cabin 6-205

Like all cruise ships, the Legend has a variety of rooms to choose from.  Cruise ship accommodations vary from basic inside rooms to fancy suites.  Budget travelers can save money by booking an inside room.  Not all rooms in the same category are of equal size or have the furnishings arranged the same.

Inside room 7-278 has a different arrangement.

Inside rooms are the smallest rooms on the ship and of course have no outside view, but they cost significantly less and provide a place to sleep with plenty of storage space for two and most people don’t spend a significant amount of time in their cabin anyway.  Some do have bunks so those on a really tight budget could put 3 or 4 people in an inside room, but they would not have a lot of floor space for small children’s toys or much room to move around when everyone is in the room.  Some people like inside rooms because they can have total darkness for sleeping at any time of the day.

window room 1-233 with the couch made into a third bed

The rooms with a window have significantly more space than the inside rooms.  These rooms are quite comfortable for 3 or 4 people and cost significantly less than a balcony room.  The windows provide a nice view and a lot of the window rooms are located on deck 1, convenient to the gangway at ports and to the shops, theater, casino, and dining room while onboard.

balcony cabin 6-143 with drop-down bunk

Balcony rooms give passengers their own little bit of outside space.  It’s nice to have a balcony if you like to sit outside in private, or for easy photo access to outside from the cabin.  Some cabins have bunks that fold into the ceiling if they are not needed and drop down when more people use the room.

open connecting door between balcony cabins 6-135 and 6-137

Some of the balcony cabins on the Legend have connecting doors between rooms, making them a good choice for a family needing more space than one room provides.  All of the standard size rooms (inside, window, and balcony) have private bathrooms with a shower, sink, and toilet.  The shower has shampoo and body wash dispensers and bars of soap are provided for the sink.

Ocean Suite

Ocean Suite with bunk down

People who want a little luxury with their cruise can book an Ocean Suite, which has more floorspace than the balcony cabins and the addition of double sinks and a whirlpool bathtub in the head (bathroom on a ship.)

Grand Suite with bunk

The Grand Suites are great for honeymooners or anyone else who wants to make their cruise really special.

dressing room in the grand suite

The grand suite has more square footage and a separate dressing area.  It also has a bidet, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on personal opinion.

bathroom in the grand suite

Grand Suites have an extra-large balcony.  This one has loungers as well as chairs.

balcony on the grand suite

The Legend also has two more suite categories.   Junior Suites have a standard size balcony and suite amenities like a walk-in closet and whirlpool bath.  The Vista Suites include a wrap-around balcony and a wall of windows.  Ocean, Grand, and Vista Suites come with VIP check-in.

deck plan to deck 6 where most of the photos are from

When booking your stateroom it’s a good idea to check the deck plans.  Find the type and location of the cabin you want.  Sometimes certain cabins are smaller or larger than others of the same category.  It’s also a good idea to check the plans for the decks above and below your chosen deck for potentially noisy places if you are a light sleeper.

If you would like to see photos showing the inside of Carnival spa cabins, wheelchair accessible cabins, or an inside room with bunks please view my blog about the accommodations on the Carnival Splendor.

Accommodations on other cruise ships:

Breeze    Divina   Liberty    Pearl   Splendor    Westerdam    Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Holland America Veendam

Although the Veendam is one of the smaller ships from a major cruiseline that I have sailed on, you would not know it from the size of the cabins. I stayed in an ocean-view cabin and it felt quite spacious. Having the beds separated with one against each wall and open space between them extending the floorspace all the way to the window definitely made the room feel bigger than when the beds were pushed together with a small aisle on each side, but ship had some pretty good-sized rooms anyway. We were down on deck 4 (which is the A deck on this ship, and the lowest passenger deck. On most ships deck 1 is the lowest passenger deck and the A deck is a different deck below that). Our room was very nice. I had expected a smaller than average room on the smaller ship, so was quite pleasantly surprised with all our space. There’s still just the usual one outlet so a power strip comes in handy. The doors are magnetic, but the cabin walls on that ship are not.

Pinnacle Suite Balcony

Consult the deck plans for your cabin location before boarding the Veendam because neither deck numbering nor room numbering follow the usual sequences so without the ever-helpful crew to guide them a lot of bewildered passengers would wander aimlessly about the ship looking in vain for their cabin on the wrong deck on embarkation day. Which explains the crew stationed by the stairs and elevators on each deck throughout the boarding process.

dining room in the Pinnacle Suite

All staterooms include amenities such as bathrobes, hairdryer, flatscreen TV, spa shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand lotion, ice buckets, and a fruit basket which you can have filled upon request.

Pinnacle Suite Living Room

The Veendam has just one Pinnacle Suite, but it’s a good one. The numbering system starts there, room 001, the number one room on the ship. It has everything from two bathrooms to a butler’s pantry. It’s the only stateroom on board with the bed on the diagonal. The master bedroom area has black-out drapes so the occupants can sleep in total darkness any time of day.

fold-down spare bed in the Pinnacle Suite

The suite also has another bed that folds out from cabinets below a large flatscreen TV. The master bathroom has a jetted tub and the bedroom area includes a walk-in closet and dressing room.

Veendam Neptune Suite

Neptune suites start at 002 for room numbers and go up from there.  Since the suites are on the highest passenger deck the room numbers get higher as the decks get lower, opposite what you find on most ships. Usually the first number of the room is the deck it is on.  Neptune Suites have great amenities including black-out drapes at the windows, (though the space under them could let in a crack of light.) They too have jetted tubs and the Neptune suites as well as the Pinnacle Suite have use of the private Neptune Lounge, VIP boarding and priority tender service, concierge, complementary laundry service, and extra touches like binoculars and umbrellas available for use during the cruise.

Veendam Vista Suite

Vista suites have oversized balconies and a variety of pillows of varying firmness to choose from.  They include a mini-bar, concierge service, fresh flowers and a DVD library.  The Veendam has some spa cabins which add yoga mats, ipod docking stations and exclusive spa treatments to their list of amenities.

Veendam Lanai Cabin.  From the inside you get a clear view through the sliding door.

Lanai cabins give passengers their own doorway to an outside deck without paying suite prices. A full glass sliding door offers more view area than a window, with private access to the promenade deck and reserved deck chairs outside the door.

From the outside you can’t see in through the Lanai sliding door.  In the photo it reflects like a mirror.

A special room card opens the slider from the outside giving the only the occupant access to their room. These rooms are much like a verandah cabin on a larger ship except that the sliding door opens onto the promenade deck rather than a private balcony. In the event of an emergency the lanai guests would have quick access to their muster stations.

Veendam Ocean-View Cabin

The Veendam has some ocean-view cabins on the promenade deck as well as on the two decks below. Some of the window cabins on the promenade deck are located behind the metal structure of the ship and listed as obstructed view cabins as they have views only to the walkway and not to the sea beyond. These of course cost less than a cabin with an ocean view. Ocean-view cabins include a couch and bathtub. Some have a full sized couch that folds into a bed and others have a smaller couch with an end table. These rooms do not have refrigerators, but they do have a hairdryer in a drawer and it has its own special plug and outlet so that is one less thing needing the one outlet in the room.

Veendam Porthole Cabin

Porthole cabins have the same things as other ocean-view cabins other than smaller windows and bigger ledges in front of the window. The porthole cabin would be a dream come true for my youngest grandkids (3 and 5) who loved playing on the window ledge when it was just a wide area at the window itself. For those without kids the ledge would make a nice space to keep computers and things out of the way.

Veendam Inside Cabin

Even the Veendam’s inside cabins have a good amount of space. Their bathrooms have showers rather than tubs, but the dispensers on the wall still are filled with spa shampoo, conditioner and body wash so passengers get to try out expensive spa products for free.  You can pack light when sailing on the Veendam because it has several self service launderetts with washers, dryers, and ironing boards for guests to use.

Cabins on Other Cruise Ships

Breeze  Divina  Legend  Liberty  Pearl  Splendor  Westerdam  Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Infinity in Cabo

The infinity has several classes of suites. All suites include personal butler service, priority check-in, debarkation and tender, access to the Suites-only Michael’s Club Lounge and Luminae dining room, and ipod docking stations.

Foyer at the penthouse makes a grand entry into the suite – room 6147

At 1432 square feet, the penthouse suite is bigger than my house, which would pretty much fit on the 1098 foot veranda. This suite has all the comforts of home and then some. It comes with a baby grand piano, full-sized refrigerator, and the option of in-suite meals and afternoon tea served in the suite’s very own dining room as well as unlimited access to the ship’s specialty restaurants.

Royal Suite balcony has comfy furniture and private whirlpool – room 6141

The 538 square foot Royal Suite comes with many of the same amenities as the penthouse suite including private whirlpool tubs both in the bathroom and on the veranda as well as complimentary in-suite cappuccino, espresso and internet.

The spacious Celebrity Suite has separate living area and bedroom – room 8104

The 467 square foot Celebrity suites come with many of the privileges of the bigger suites like a bottle of wine and daily fresh fruit platters. Guests in these suites get one or two complimentary dinners in the ship’s specialty restaurants depending the length of the cruise.

Sky Suite comes with extra perks for suite guests – room 6132

The 251 square foot Sky Suites may not have as much space as the Celebrity suites, but they come with about the same amenities. Some Sky Suites are accessible with roll-in showers rather than tubs.

Aqua Class room comes with spa privledges – room 9100

195 square foot Aqua Class staterooms have private verandas, free access to the Persian Garden aromatherapy in the spa, extra bathroom amenities, priority check-in, and their own restaurant, Blu, which serves lighter and healthier food than the regular cruise ship fare.

Blu Restaurant for the Aqua Class Guests

191 foot Concierge Class staterooms also have priority check in. These rooms include concierge service, seating time preferences for the dining room and specialty restaurants, expanded room service menu, and afternoon savories delivered to the room. Accessible Concierge Class rooms are 334 square feet and equipped with roll-in showers.

Veranda Stateroom 7172

Veranda Staterooms come in three styles – Family, accessible, and regular. The 271 foot family cabin has a 242 square foot balcony and a divider between the bedroom and living room areas. The 272 foot accessible veranda cabins have roll-in showers and a 38 square foot balcony. The regular veranda rooms are 170 square feet with a 38 square foot balcony.

Ocean View Stateroom

Ocean View staterooms have 170 square feet of space and a view of the sea. Accessible ocean view cabins are 381 square feet with roll-in showers.

Inside Stateroom 3042

Inside rooms are pretty spacious.  At 170 square feet these have just as much room as the regular ocean view or veranda cabins. Accessible inside rooms are 240 square feet with roll-in showers.  Some staterooms have drop-down bunks in the ceiling which are lowered when more than 2 guests share a room.  Cribs are available on request.

Inside cabin with one bunk down

The stateroom stewards came by to introduce themselves on the first day and when they said if there is anything you need just ask they meant it because a request for more hangers had them at my door within minutes.

bathroom in Celebrity suite

The doors and walls in the cabin are magnetic. Room amenities include shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion, soap, shower cap, and a box labeled essential vanity pack with a couple packets containing a couple cotton balls and q-tips and a tiny nail file.

the two bars at the back of the closet near the bottom of the picture pull down for more hanging space

The closet has a set of pull-down bars for a second hanging space, one on each side so either one or both people can have double rows to hang their things if desired.

penthouse has full sized refrigerator

We received a surprise email shortly before the cruise saying that the upper decks boarded first and the lower ones didn’t get on until close to the end of boarding time. As this was our first cruise with Celebrity I don’t know if this is their general practice or if it was specific to that cruise or that port.

Bedroom in Celebrity Suite

Staterooms on other cruise ships:  Breeze, Breeze odd cabins, Divina, Ecstasy, Legend, Liberty, Pearl, Splendor, Veendam, Westerdam, Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Ecstasy in Key West

Carnival Ecstasy has several different stateroom categories ranging from spacious suites to money-saving inside cabins.  The showers have dispensers with shampoo and shower gel and bars of soap are provided. Beds in most staterooms can be set apart as twins or together as one bed. The ship has a couple launderettes which come in handy for anyone with clothes they want to wash, dry, or iron. Some cabins are wheelchair accessible with wider doors and lower placement of things people need to reach like the mailbox and clothesline.

Suites

Suites are larger than other cabins and come with VIP check-in.

Grand Suite room U94

Grand Suites are the biggest staterooms on board.  Some have extended balconies.  Some grand suites are available with connecting rooms or space to sleep 5.  There is even a wheelchair accessible grand suite in room #U69.

Junior Suite room V18

Junior suites sleep up to 3 people.  These suites have balconies and more interior space than regular staterooms.  Some have obstructed views from the balcony, which means a lower price for the room.

Balcony Cabins

Balcony staterooms have glass doors out onto a veranda for a sea view and a bit of private outdoor space.

Extended balcony from the Grand Suite

Aft View Extended Balcony cabins sleep up to 3 people.  These rooms across the stern of the ship offer a view of the wake and of where the ship has been from their extra-large balconies. Balcony cabins each have a private veranda.  Some balcony cabins sleep up to 4 people.  Some have connecting rooms or accessible features.

Ocean View Cabins

Ocean View Cabin M60

Ocean view staterooms have picture windows for a view of the sea. Some sleep up to 5 guests. For bigger families some have connecting doors to the next room. These doors remain locked unless the same party has booked both rooms and wants to have passage between them. You can also find wheelchair accessible rooms in the ocean view category.

Interior Cabins

Inside cabins are the most affordable accommodations on the ship.  Many people book them for the cost savings, but some book them for the convenience of darkness for sleeping at any time of day.

Porthole Cabin M22

Porthole cabins book as interior, but have two portholes to provide daylight in the room and a bit of a view giving guests the advantage of the economy of an inside room while still having small windows.  These fully functional portholes have covers which the stewards can close in stormy weather.  Although many of the porthole cabins are as big or bigger than ocean view cabins they sleep just two guests.

Interior stateroom has a curtain with a light over it, but no window behind the curtain

Interior Staterooms sleep anywhere from 2 to 5 guests. Some inside rooms have connecting cabins and some are wheelchair accessible.

Interior Upper/Lower Room R52

Interior Upper/Lower staterooms are the smallest and most economical rooms on the ship.  These cabins are great for singles and can sleep up to 2 people.  These rooms have one twin bed and either a fold-down bunk or sofa bed.

One bunk is down, but the bulky frame of the other bunk over the bed takes up a lot of space

The majority of passengers sail two to a cabin, but sometimes more people share the same space. Many cabins only hold two people, but some have bunks and/or trundle beds or couches that convert to beds.  Some of the Ecstasy’s cabins hold up to 5 people with two bunks and a trundle bed. If you are traveling with just two people look for a room that only holds two. The bunks on the Ecstasy are in a bulky wooden frame along the wall rather than dropping from the ceiling as they do on newer ships so if you don’t need them they are just taking up space in the room.

portable crib for the youngest cruise ship passengers

While there are no permanent beds for babies in any cabin, the ship is equipped with portable cribs that can be set up in a cabin as needed for very young cruisers.

Click links below to see cabins on other cruise ships:

Breeze,  Breeze odd cabins,  Divina,  Infinity,  Legend,  Liberty,  Pearl,  Splendor,  Veendam,  Westerdam,  Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Carnival Breeze

All the big cruise ships have a variety of stateroom categories. The basic divisions include suites, veranda, ocean view and interior cabins. Each category has their starting level price for particular rooms and then differing levels within each category where the rooms get more expensive as they are deemed better for one reason or another. Suite prices go up as the rooms get bigger and bigger. Other staterooms vary more in price within their base category due to location on the ship than size. Rooms on the lowest passenger decks and farthest from the middle usually cost the least, with prices increasing as you get higher in the ship and closer to the center of each deck.

Accessible Interior Cabin 7342. Notice the extra-wide door and low mailbox placement

Carnival Breeze has plenty of ordinary staterooms, but it also has its share of odd and unusual cabins. To see the usual array of rooms click here. For the out-of-the ordinary cabins, keep reading.

Deck 2 – note larger cabins at the stern same color as those around them

Checking out the deck plans before booking your cruise can help you not only to find that one special cabin, but also to make sure you choose one in a location you prefer whether that means a quiet area or close to the action.

L-shaped aft Deluxe Ocean View Cabin 2485 is bigger than other cabins in the same category

Here and there you find special rooms, some in a category of their own like the spa cabins, which cost more than regular cabins of their type because of the perks that come with them. Others just happen to be the odd room at the end of the row or along a curve of the ship that has more space, a bigger balcony, or some other feature that sets it apart from all the other rooms that cost the same.

Special Spa Products come with Spa Cabins

Spa cabins differ from others partly in their location near the spa, but mostly because of the amenities and perks that come with them.  Guests in spa cabins have slippers, spa products, and special robes and towels provided for them.  They get unlimited use of the thermal suite and both priority on spa appointments and exclusive deals on spa treatments.

Accessible Ocean Suite 7270

Grand suites are bigger than the other suites. Other categories include ocean and junior suites.  Breeze has just one accessible ocean suite so it’s a very unique room.

balcony of aft premium vista balcony room 7458

In the back corners of the ship a few wrap-around balcony cabins delight the lucky occupant with extra large verandas and views in more than one direction. While these rooms have a category of their own and cost extra, the ones right next door at the end of the long side of the hallway have a different configuration of the room giving them extra large balconies with the same stateroom classification as the ordinary balcony room on their other side.

Junior Suite 9206, bow corner deck 9

Another room type with a category of their own for just a couple rooms is the junior suites at the corners of the bow of deck 9.

accessible inside room with window 7208, bow deck 7

Decks 6, 7, 9, and 10 have a row of rooms across the bow that book as inside rooms though they each have a window. While at the top of the price levels for interior rooms, they cost less than ocean view and yet are practically balcony cabins with access at either end of the hallway to a door to the outside deck in front of these rooms. These are public decks, but seldom used so there aren’t hordes of people outside the window. Usually none at all except when the ship leaves port or has something else of particular interest to see. The railing on the bow area obscures the view from the lower half of the window, but the upper half has a panoramic view. These rooms are no bigger than other inside cabins.

Porthole Stateroom 1219

Portholes make another way to get a view at inside cabin prices. Again not the cheapest of interior rooms, but a bargain compared to ocean view. These cabins have two fully-functional portholes with covers the steward may close in excessively stormy weather. It’s not the sweeping view you get through a full-sized window, but enough to let light in the room and to have a peek at what’s outside – which can be spray from the waves at times.

ledge in front of the portholes with 2 weeks of towel animals

The biggest bonus in these rooms is the size as they are about as big as ocean view rooms.  The biggest drawback is that in rough waters you can both feel and hear the ship pounding through the waves.  Sometimes it sounds and feels like bouncing over drifting logs. I’ve had porthole rooms twice and would still book them again in spite of a couple rough nights on the last one. Some ships have a lot of porthole rooms, but on the Breeze they are in short supply. One more added bonus, the ledge in front of the porthole adds an extra space to put things.

Cove Balcony from cabin 2285

Breeze has cove balcony cabins on deck 2. These close to the water balconies have a metal framework around them and a storm proof door that seals the room off from the balcony in rough weather. The view is through a large opening in the metal rather than fully open across the outside like verandas on higher level rooms.

bathroom from wheelchair accessible room

Wheelchair accessible rooms are scattered about the ship and can be found somewhere in each of the major room types. These tend to be at the bigger end of room size for their category. They have wider doors than other rooms and lower placement of things like the mailbox and clothesline. Bigger bathrooms containing big showers with flat entries, handrails, and a fold down shower seat make for easier use by the intended occupants.

deluxe ocean view cabin 1393 sleeps 5

If traveling with a family or other group of people it’s nice to know the Breeze has a few 5-person rooms.  These deluxe ocean view cabins have two drop-down bunks and a couch that converts to a bed as well as the usual two beds that can be apart or together.  Having five people in a room could be a problem with just one bathroom, but these cabins have two.

extra bathroom in the deluxe ocean view cabins

One bathroom has a toilet, sink, and shower while the other contains a small bathtub and a sink. All the deluxe ocean view cabins have the extra bathroom regardless of the amount of people they hold. While this feature is an awesome addition when traveling with extra people, for rooms that hold just two most people would probably rather have left the spare bathroom out and had more floor space and a lower price as regular (not deluxe) ocean view cabins on the Breeze are rare.

connecting cabins 7382 and 7384

Connecting rooms make another helpful room configuration for families.  Some staterooms have connecting doors to the cabin next door.  Each side has a door which remains locked when separate parties stay in each room, and can be unlocked when parties traveling together want direct access from one room to the other.

interior upper lower room 2203 has a couch that converts to a bed instead of a bunk

Solo cruisers or passengers on a tight budget might like the interior upper/lower rooms since these are the lowest priced cabins on the ship. Most have one bed and a drop-down bunk, but there are some at the bow of deck 2 with one bed and a couch that converts to a bed instead.

ships have portable cribs for the youngest cruisers

Sometimes it isn’t a special room you need so much as a special accessory. When traveling with infants or toddlers it’s nice to know that cruise ships have portable cribs.

ocean view cabin 2493 is one of the odd shaped rooms at the stern corner

Staterooms on other cruise ships:

Breeze (regular rooms),  Divina,  Ecstasy,  Infinity,   Legend, Liberty, Pearl, Splendor, Veendam, Westerdam, Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016

P&O Cruise Line

P&O Arcadia

For those of you who have never heard of P&O, it is a British cruise line. The name P&O comes from the line’s origins as the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company which began as a shipping company. It is the world’s oldest cruise line having started running passenger ships in the 1840’s. It has a sister company, P&O Australia. P&O bought Princess in the 1970’s and merged with Carnival in 2003. Carnival Cruise Line is one of many besides P&O and Princess owned by Carnival Corporation. Each cruise line operates independently.

P&O Arcadia Cruise Ship Cabins

Arcadia has the usual array of cabins from money-saving interior to luxurious suites. It also has something I’ve never seen on any of the lines I’ve sailed previously. Each cabin has a teapot and a little wooden box full of tea, coffee, biscuits (cookies) and little sealed packets of milk because that is what the British use instead of cream. Each room also had a little dish of hard candies on boarding day, but they did not refill that daily as they did the tea service. The bathtub had a body wash dispenser and we found containers of shampoo, conditioner, moisturizing lotion and soap on the bathroom counter.

tea tray in the cabin

With just two people our balcony room seemed quite spacious with a small couch and table between the bed and sliding door. The mini-bar (which is nice as a refrigerator even if you never buy whatever is in it) held 2 complimentary bottles of water. Additional bottles of water would have a charge. The max capacity for our room was just 2 passengers. It had a painting hanging on the wall above the couch. Some cabins have a couch that folds out into a bed. A couple we met on board said their room, which had the fold-down couch, had cupboards over the bed instead of a painting. That extra storage space would come in handy when a third person stayed in the room. With a third person it could seem a bit crowded at night when the couch folds out into the third bed, but in the daytime it folds back up into a couch and you get your floorspace back.

interior cabin D165

Interior cabins can run a bit on the small side, but they make an economical way to take a cruise and the ship has plenty of public spaces both inside and out where people can go so hanging around in the cabin is not necessary if people don’t want to. This ship has more outside cabins than inside. Some people like inside cabins because they can have darkness for a nap at any time of the day.

binoculars from the cabin

All of the cabins have some amenities for passenger use like bathrobes, hairdryers, and a pair of binoculars. There are not a lot of ocean view cabins on the Arcadia, but it does have some. Those behind the lifeboats have an obstructed view, but a lower price than those with a full view. They are an excellent compromise between saving money and having space since these cabins run larger than inside cabins and have some natural light. Ocean view cabins on the lower deck have a full view window and a cost saving over balcony cabins.

Balcony Cabin D166

Balcony cabins are fairly standard on the Arcadia, being the type of cabin most plentiful in supply. If you study the deck plans while booking you can find some cabins that are bigger than most other cabins in the same category, or that have bigger balconies. If you can find one of those available when you do your booking you get a bit more space for your money. There are a variety of categories within the balcony cabins, as with any cabin type. Often the difference is just in the location on the ship. Higher decks and cabins near the center of each deck often cost more so you can have just as nice a room and save money by going with the lower category. The most money saving of all is to pick a category guarantee when offered, where you just are guaranteed a balcony cabin, but not a specific one. You get your cabin number shortly before sailing and often will have a room a category or two above the minimum you paid for.

Mini-Suite Room B80

Arcadia has suites too, both large suites and mini suites. Even the mini suite had a bigger tea box than the ordinary rooms, though only the bigger suite had a selection of flavored teas. That’s not a problem though because anyone can go up to the Lido deck and make their own selections of tea flavors to bring down and add to those in their room.

Rio de Janeiro Suite

The larger suites are each named after a place and come with butler service. They had coffee makers, but just instant coffee in the tea box selection. They could probably get better coffee from their butler, who will also do their packing and unpacking if they wish him to. The bigger suites had a pressing machine for wrinkle free clothes. Suite guests are given a tour of their room upon arrival which includes instructions on how to use all the extras in the room.

door to accessible cabin at the end of the hallway is much larger than regular door on the side

Arcadia has some wheelchair accessible cabins. These have larger doors than the regular cabins, space for wheelchairs to maneuver, and accessible showers. Suites also have larger than normal doors.

Arcadia launderette

Arcadia has launderettes on 3 decks. It’s free to use the washers and dryers as well as the iron. For those who prefer not to join the queue waiting for a machine, the crew can do passenger’s laundry for a fee. They do not have laundry soap vending machines in the launderettes, but anyone who did not bring their own detergent can buy some at the ship’s shops.

Balcony on the Rio de Janeiro Suite

Finding your way around the ship is aided by each of the three stairways having a different carpet color and a different sort of artwork hanging on the wall between each level. There’s also deck plans and ship diagrams at each elevator bay so you can see at a glance what floor you need to go to and where things are on the deck you are on. The deck numbers on those signs are too small for anyone without eagle eyes to see from the stairs, but you can tell at a glance if you are on the right deck for your cabin if you remember what the picture in the elevator bay for that deck looks like.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016

Splendor in St. Croix

Some of Carnival‘s ships, such as the Breeze and the Splendor, have a row of rooms across the bow on some decks. The Splendor has 6 of these rooms each on decks 6 and 7. These rooms all have a secret. If you want to book them, you find them under the category of interior rooms. They are at the top level of the interior rooms so they do cost more than other rooms classified as interior, but they are a great bargain because they are not dark and windowless. These rooms each have a full picture window. They book as interior because the deck in front of them has a solid wall which blocks the view from the lower portion of the window. The upper portion of the window however offers quite a nice view. The end rooms look more or less to one side of the ship and partly forward, but the ones at the center offer a panoramic view of where the ship is going. Other cruise lines often book this type of room as Ocean View Obstructed meaning that you pay the lower end of ocean view rates rather than the upper end of inside rates and that can make quite a difference in the price, which makes them an even better bargain on Carnival.

view through the secret room window cabin 7202

While standing in the room, especially at the window, you have a better view than from most other cabins with windows, portholes, or balconies. Since the deck wall blocks the lower half of the view when sitting you mostly see deck and sky, which is a lot more than you would see from an interior room with no window. You also have the advantage of having natural light to know night from day inside the cabin.

deck in front of the secret rooms

To make these rooms even more special, at each end of the short hallway across the bow where these rooms are located sits a set of doors to the outside. After passing through two doors, you are on the little-used deck in front of these rooms, which makes them nearly balcony cabins. This is where the two end rooms have their advantage since they are located closest to the doors, though the few more steps to the door from rooms closer to the center is worth the bigger view.

deck at the bow of the Splendor

Once out on the deck you can see all across the front and to either side, which makes photographing things like sunrise or sunset easier than the average balcony room. If you like to see the stars at night these decks are good for viewing them since they are under the bridge so they have no lights where most outside passenger decks are lit up at night. On the Breeze these decks had deck chairs and stairway access down to the public walkway around the outside of deck 5. On the Splendor the stairs were gated off and tagged crew only except than the one between decks 6 and 7 because deck 5 is a crew deck the bow.

room 7202 from the window side of the room with the window in the mirror

The disadvantage of these cabins is that the windows are not completely private because people can walk by them out on the deck area, but other than when the ship first left port they are not normally too populated. We rarely saw anyone out there when we were in our cabin. People can see into the room as it is not one-way glass so keeping the curtains shut at night or when changing clothes is a good idea.

accessible cabin from the Breeze

Another drawback of these cabins is that interior cabins tend towards the small side, and these are no exception. The hallway into the room with closet doors on one side and the bathroom door on the other is quite narrow. The front closet is shallow due to making space for the door to open, so clothes in that closet hang front to back rather than side to side as in normal closets. The cabin interior has just enough space for the bed/s, two nightstands, a chair, table, and the stool under the desk area by the mirror. Wheelchair accessible cabins in this row are a bit bigger and don’t have such narrow entries.

looking down to the bow from the secret deck

Since there are no public smoking areas nearby it would seem this area would be smoke free, however on the Splendor the crew decks below allow smoking for the crew and sometimes smoke wafts up to the passenger deck. If you are very sensitive to smoke you may want to room elsewhere.

secret room 7202

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016

balcony to R749, aft facing premium balcony cabin

Like all the major cruise ships, Ruby Princess has an array of staterooms to choose from ranging from the smallest, least expensive inside cabins to the biggest fanciest suites and everything in between. There’s something for everyone whether it means cruising in luxury or cruising for the lowest possible price.

entrance to penthouse suite R411

Besides the extra space suites come with perks including priority boarding, a special line at guest services, and nicer amenities in the room.

Suites have better balcony furniture and bigger balconies. room R402

While some ships have all sorts of oddly-shaped rooms of varying sizes near corners, most rooms on the Ruby Princess are standard size for their category, with the accessible rooms running at the large end of the size range.

balcony to cabin R747 is bigger than normal with lots of sheltered space

If you scout the deck plans thoroughly you can find a few larger than average oceanview rooms near the bow on the plaza deck and a small row of oceanview obstructed rooms at the bow of the Lido deck that vary quite a bit in size. Some decks have larger verandas than others. A couple rooms near the stern of the Rivera deck have particularly large balconies.

Rotated interior cabin R507 has open space on the other side of the shelves from where the picture was taken – and Captain Stubing from the Love Boat TV show on the TV in the mirror

There are also a few larger than average interior rooms that are rotated the opposite direction of most cabins, mainly on the Rivera deck.

ADA cabin bathroom has large roll-in shower

Standard rooms have showers and most suites have tubs. Hand soap and hand lotion are provided and the showers have dispensers with bodywash and a combo shampoo/conditioner. Accessible rooms of all types have larger than average bathrooms with roll-in showers that have handrails and fold-down seats. Standard room amenities include a refrigerator, television with satellite TV, hair dryer, safe, phone, and daily cleaning and turn-down service with a chocolate for each person in the room every night. Rather than the usual single outlet found on a lot of ships, our cabin had 3.

ADA cabin A312 is more spacious than the average interior cabin allowing room to maneuver wheelchairs or scooters

Interior cabins provide all the basics a passenger needs. A place to sleep, somewhere to keep your things, and of course a bathroom.

ocean view obstructed room E520 has peek-a-boo view between life boats

If you want some natural light, a bit bigger room, and yet would like to keep the cost down try an oceanview room. The lowest in the price range are in the obstructed view category.

ocean view cabin P230 has a full window view

The staterooms with a full view still cost considerably less than balcony cabins. Ocean view rooms are often found on decks too low for balconies which means great close-up views of the water. Rooming on the lower decks also makes a good way to avoid crowds since you are often going down when the majority of other passengers are going up and are usually close to the exit deck in ports.

balcony cabin R306

Balcony cabins provide a bit of private outdoor space. If your cruise takes you somewhere scenic it’s nice to have a place to go where you can see the scenery without jostling for space among the crowd in public areas. The sliding door also provides a larger view area than the windows in the oceanview rooms.

mini suite D302

Mini-suites with their larger rooms and bigger balconies are a step up from balcony cabins without paying the price of a full suit.

premium suite room L106

Those who really want to cruise in luxury will find it in the suites. Ruby Princess has quite a variety of different suites.

ADA penthouse suite room R415

Although all the suites are larger than other cabins, there are still some ADA suites with the extra-wide doors and ADA bathrooms with the roll-in shower rather than the tub that comes standard in other suites.

Family Suite D106 is quite a large room on its own

connecting door between family suite D106 and extra bedroom D102

Ruby Princess has a couple family suites which have a full suite with sitting and sleeping areas plus a connecting door into an extra bedroom with beds, bunks, and another bathroom.

ocean view obstructed cabin E520 with one bunk in use and one not

Try not to book a room that holds more people than you actually have in your group because the bunks are of the old style that fold down from the wall rather than the newer sort that fold down out of the ceiling so they stick out into the room somewhat even when folded up.

self-serve laundry on Ruby Princess

Decks with cabins all have launderettes, which cost $3 each for the washer and dryer. You can iron your clothes for free. Carpets running down the halls between passenger cabins have red boarders on the port side where all the even numbered cabins are and blue boarders on the starboard side with odd numbered cabins so knowing which way to turn from the elevator or stairs is quite easy.

ADA suite on right has significantly wider door then standard suite on left

ADA (Americans with disabilities) cabins are available in all the basic categories – inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite. These cabins are usually the largest among each room type and feature wider doors and specially equipped bathrooms.

Cabin R402, the Princess Cays Penthouse Suite

Within the basic categories, some split into more divisions – ocean view obstructed and ocean view, balcony and premium balcony, and numerous suite categories including mini suite, vista suite, penthouse suite, premium suite, family suite and owner’s suite. There are also sub categories within each category division where the price varies a bit due to the location of that particular room on the ship. In general on all ships and cruise lines, rooms on higher decks usually cost more, as do rooms toward the center of each deck. So usually the best price within each type of room is found near the bow or stern on the lowest deck where that type of room is available. Except of course the rooms actually on the stern, which are often premium balcony rooms with extra large balconies and a view of the ship’s wake.

Accommodations on other ships: Arcadia, Breeze, Breeze odd rooms, Divina, Ecstasy, Infinity, Legend, Liberty, Pearl, Splendor, Veendam, Westerdam, Wilderness Adventurer

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016

Vista in Malta

Carnival Vista has all the usual cabin categories – inside, oceanview, balcony, suites, and spa cabins. It also has two brand new categories not available on any of Carnival’s previous ships – Family Harbor and Havana.

Low budget cruising – inside cabin that sleeps 4

The most affordable cabins are the regular inside cabins. Inside cabins are also the least expensive way to upgrade yourself to special locations on the ship. You can find inside cabins in the spa, Havana, and Family Harbor areas so they are the cheapest option to book there and take advantage of the unique perks each of those locations have to offer.

this porthole cabin is called upper lower because it has one real bed and one couch bed

There are even some cabins that book as inside but have a view – the porthole cabins and the obstructed view cabins at the bow. There aren’t many of those though so you have to book early to get one. Inside cabins with just one regular bed are called upper lower whether the second bed is a bunk or a couch bed and are the lowest priced cabins on the ship even though some have portholes.

spa oceanview cabin

Oceanview cabins provide more space and a view without breaking the bank. These cabins are found on exterior areas of the ship in places where balconies can’t go, mainly on lower decks. Some of the ocean view cabins are among the largest cabins on the ship other than suites. Vista doesn’t have very many regular ocean view cabins though. Most are deluxe ocean view which have an extra bathroom with tub and sink and of course cost more.

Family Harbor oceanview cabin sleeps 5

Ocean view cabins are also available in the Family Harbor and Spa areas. Some ocean view cabins in the Family Harbor area hold 5 people.

spa balcony cabin is the same as a regular one except the colors and the perks

Balcony cabins give the occupants their own little bit of private outdoor space. Vista has some cove balconies on deck 2 as well as the regular balconies higher up.

cove balcony from Family Harbor suite is 1 1/2 times the size of a regular cove balcony

Cove balconies have a close to the water view from a metal surround with watertight doors that lock down in stormy weather and can be found both as ordinary rooms and in the Family Harbor area. Regular balconies on higher decks have a view through the plexiglass fully across the verenda. Balcony staterooms are also available in the Havana and Spa areas.

Grand Suites are the biggest accommodations on the ship

The most luxurious accommodations are found in the suites. The ocean suites start the suite category, and for ever increasing prices passengers can move up to Family Harbor, Cloud 9 Spa, Havana, or the extra spacious grand suite. Besides bigger rooms most suites have larger balconies, whirlpool tubs, and come with extra perks like VIP boarding.

spa suite

Spa cabins and suites are decorated in soothing colors and come with spa products for use on board, special spa bathrobes and slippers, unlimited use of the thermal suite, priority spa reservations, free fitness classes, and exclusive spa discounts.

Family Harbor inside cabin

Family Harbor cabins are decorated in a nautical theme. They come with access to the exclusive Family Harbor lounge which is open 24 hours. The lounge has board games, video games, concierge service, breakfast and snacks. Kids from Family Harbor rooms eat free in the specialty restaurants and get one night of free Night Owls babysitting at Camp Ocean.

Havana Cabana Suite

Havana cabins have their own Cuban style decor specific to those cabins and are all located at the back of the ship on decks 5, 6, and 7 near the Havana Bar and the Havana pool. Havana cabins have exclusive use of the Havana pool at the back of deck 5 during daytime hours.

Havana Cabana

Havana Cabana rooms have a large lanai on the promenade deck and private access to an exclusive area of the promenade deck from their cabanas. Havana Cabana suites feature rainshowers instead of the whirlpool tubs found in other suites. All guests in Havana cabins must be at least 12 years old.

Havana Cabanas have a walkway on the promenade deck gated off for just those cabins

Some staterooms throughout the ship have connecting doors so families or other guests traveling together can book more than one room and have access to both rooms from within. Wheelchair accessible rooms are also found in a variety of categories although it may be necessary to call or book through an agent to get one because they aren’t always offered online.

launderette on the Vista

Like all Carnival ships, the Vista has self-serve passenger laundries.

inside cabin 6328 is more square than the average cabin and accessed from a third hallway

To view staterooms on other ships, see the Ships and Cabins page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016

Magic in Puerto Rico

Like all large cruise ships, Carnival Magic has an array of staterooms to choose from when booking a cruise on the ship. Major categories include inside, oceanview, or balcony cabins as well as suites. There’s also a number of subcategories within each of these divisions. Prices on identical cabins can range by where the cabin is located since some locations are given higher category designations than others. In general cabins on higher decks or closer to the middle of the ship cost more than the same cabin on a lower deck or closer to the bow or stern.

Premium Balcony cabin in aft corner has wraparound balcony and unusual shape

While most cabins are of standard size and shape for their category designation, there’s always exceptions with odd shaped rooms sometimes found near corners or tucked into odd hallways.

the extra-large curved accessible ocean view spa cabin sits in a front corner of the ship

More space is usually allotted to the accessible rooms of any category in order for people in wheelchairs to have space to navigate about the room.

inside upper lower cabin – top bunk drops down from ceiling

For budget cruisers, inside cabins have the lowest price. Not all inside cabins are equal though for even there the accessible cabins are bigger and the ones designated as upper lower may be smaller as well as cheaper.

inside cabin sleeps 4

Some inside cabins hold just two people and others with drop-down bunks up to 4. Some cabins designated as inside have portholes or partially obstructed windows. This adds a bit to the cost, but they are still lower priced than cabins designated as oceanview. For those who would like spa services or the thermal suite, an interior spa cabin may cost more than other interior cabins, but it’s still the lowest priced option in the spa cabin area and comes with the same amenities that other spa cabins do.

standard ocean view cabins are rare on the Magic

Oceanview cabins are a great way to have a view without paying balcony prices. These are often larger cabins since the space otherwise occupied by a balcony is interior space in the cabin. Most oceanview cabins are on decks too low for balconies, but some are found tucked into spaces in other areas of the ship where balconies can’t go.

deluxe ocean view cabin sleeps 4

According to the pricing scale cruise lines consider lower decks less desirable, but they have their advantages. Lower deck rooms are closer to things like the gangway and the dining room. When in a crowd leaving places like the theater most other people go up while those on the lower decks go down thus avoiding the crowd on the stairway.

deluxe ocean view cabin for 5 has two bunks in a row

The Magic has just a few standard oceanview cabins and a lot of deluxe oceanview. Besides coming with a higher price, the deluxe oceanview cabins have an extra bathroom containing a tub/shower and a sink. Some of these cabins sleep up to 5 passengers.

balcony cabin

Balcony cabins provide a bit of private outdoor space. Deck 2 has some cabins with cove balconies, which besides costing a bit less than balconies on higher decks, also have a view closer to the waterline.

the cove balcony has a metal surround

These balconies are surrounded in metal with a large window-like opening and have water-tight doors that may be sealed in stormy weather just as the portholes in the porthole rooms are.

just part of the premium wrap-around balcony

For extra money passengers can choose aft extended balconies, spa balconies or the premium vista wrap-around balconies in the aft corners.

ocean suite

Suites come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. Besides more space, suites also come with VIP check-in. People who are high enough in Carnival’s loyalty program get VIP check-in too, so this is an advantage only to newer cruisers booking suites since long-time Carnival cruisers would get the VIP check-in anyway. The basic suite price covers the ocean suite, which has a whirlpool tub, walk-in closet, and larger balcony than a regular balcony room as well as the room itself being bigger.

bathroom in the grand suite has double sinks and whirlpool tub

Spa suites add the same advantages as other spa cabins, which includes discounts on spa services and use of the thermal suite as well as spa products in the room. Grand suites are the biggest and most expensive rooms on the ship with extra-large balconies and a dressing area sectioned off from the rest of the room.

grand suites are the biggest staterooms on the ship

All cabins have a diagram of the ship on inside of the door which gives the location of the muster station for that room as well as primary and secondary routes for getting there. The muster station is where people would go in case of emergency. They also go there for the muster drill, which takes place shortly before the ship leaves the dock so people know where to go and how to get there should an emergency happen during their cruise.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2017

Family Harbor on the Vista

Carnival’s newest ship, the Vista, has two new stateroom categories not found on any of their previous ships. The Havana cabins are for passengers 12 and older and include exclusive daytime use of a pool and deck area. Family Harbor has some cabins that hold up to 5 people and comes with entry to the exclusive Family Harbor lounge, concierge service, and other perks beneficial to families with young children such as a night of free babysitting at Night Owls and free meals for kids at the premium restaurants.

nautical flag themed bedding

Family Harbor is found at the back of deck 2. Cabins and hallways in the Family Harbor area have a nautical decor exclusive to that area of the ship.

nautical flag letter chart

Pillows and bedding have nautical flag letter symbols. In addition to letters of the alphabet, nautical flags also have other meanings. Some, like diver down, signal what you are doing. Others like yes or no are used for communication with passing vessels. Some are signals for help.

inside cabin 2423 holds just 2 passengers, but some have drop-down bunks and hold up to 4

Like any area of the ship, the least expensive way to get into Family Harbor is with an inside cabin. Inside cabins hold two to four passengers, with the majority accommodating 3 or 4. All cabins in the Family Harbor area include the perks exclusive to that area, which means they cost more than similar cabins without extra perks.

Deck Plans Carnival Vista Deck 2 (click photo for larger image)

There are a couple fully accessible interior cabins that hold up to 3 passengers and some interior cabins have connecting doors to the cabin next to them. There are two sets of connecting cabins that hold 3 passengers each and two sets that hold 2 passengers each. Interior cabins don’t have a lot of space so passengers booking these for a family will likely appreciate the use of the Family Harbor Lounge.

deluxe oceanview cabin 2420 holds a maximum of 4 passengers

For more space and a view, Family Harbor has oceanview rooms that hold two to four passengers and deluxe oceanview cabins for three to five. Two beds are standard in each room. The extra beds come in the form of drop down bunks that fold out of the ceiling and a couch that converts into a bed.

deluxe oceanview cabin 2418 holds 5 passengers

The majority of the oceanview cabins hold 3 people, though there are several – mostly accessible – cabins that hold just two and one that holds 4. The deluxe oceanview cabins mostly hold 4 or 5 people, but there are a couple just for 3. You can put less people in a cabin than the maximum that it holds, but not more.

deluxe ocean view cabins and Family Harbor suites have an extra partial bathroom with tub and sink

The deluxe oceanview cabins have an extra partial bathroom with a tub and sink, which comes in handy when you have four or five passengers staying in the same room.

cove balcony cabin 2419 sleeps 4

There are just 4 balcony cabins in the Family Harbor area. These are all cove balconies, hold 4 passengers, and have a connecting door to a suite. The connecting suites hold 5 people each so a total of 9 could book into these pairs of cabins. The interior space of the cove balcony cabins is less than in the oceanview cabins because the balcony occupies part of the space allotted to that cabin. Cove balconies are wrapped in a metal shell with watertight doors into the cabin and an open windowlike view from the balcony to the sea, which is fairly near since these cabins are located on deck 2. Balconies on higher decks are more open with just a plexiglass barrier across the seaside edge.

look up from this suite cove balcony to see the lifeboats, down to see the water

Connecting doors stay locked between cabins if unrelated parties book the two that connect, but if families or other people traveling together have booked both cabins the doors are unlocked so they have inside access from one cabin to the next without going out into the hallway. Cabins without connecting doors are preferable if available when you are not sailing with the people next door because you can hear your neighbors more through the door than through a solid wall.

people can order cabin decorations like these in suite 2417

Suites in the Family Harbor area have balconies half again as long as the cove balcony cabins, and the cabin itself is also that much wider making it more spacious. The suites also have the extra partial bathroom with a tub like the deluxe oceanview rooms. Each suite has a maximum passenger limit of 4 or 5 people.

Family Harbor Lounge

Maximum passenger limits per cabin are the same with or without a portable crib because even though a crib means extra bed space could be available, the baby counts as a person for lifeboat space. Maximum passengers allowed on board is limited by the lifeboat capacity so not all rooms on the ship can be booked up to the maximum allowable capacity of people for that room at the same time and extra people over the stated limit for that room are not allowed. A ship could be booked full and still have a few empty cabins if the lifeboat capacity is reached before all the cabins are full.

snacks area in the Family Harbor Lounge

The Family Harbor Lounge is only open to passengers booked into Family Harbor cabins. It is open 24 hours a day. The lounge has breakfast and snacks available daily.

tables in the Family Harbor Lounge

It has concierge service, computers, video games, and family movies as well as a selection of board games to keep kids and families entertained.

sitting area in the Family Harbor Lounge

For more blogs about cabins on the Vista see Vista Cabins or Havana Cabins.

hallway decor in the Family Harbor area

For a complete list of blogs about cabins on other ships see My Cruise Stories Ships and Cabins page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2017

Royal Princess in San Diego

Cabin categories are pretty much the same from ship to ship. Except when they’re not. Most ships have inside cabins, oceanview cabins, balcony cabins, and suites. Of course there are usually further divisions within some or all of those categories, but those 4 basic cabin types can normally be found on all major cruise ships. Royal Princess on the other hand is missing an entire cabin category. There are no oceanview passenger cabins anywhere on the ship. None. While most ships have a deck or two of oceanview cabins below the public decks, on Royal Princess there are only crew decks under the public areas. A lot of ships also have some obstructed view oceanview cabins behind the lifeboats, but Royal Princess has none of those either. So options there are limited to inside, balcony, suite, and the sub categories thereof. Cabins on this ship sleep 2-4 people.

typical closet in Royal Princess staterooms

Closets on Princess ships tend to be open rather than having doors, and more spacious than what a lot of other lines provide.

self-serve passenger laundry

Princess ships have nice big self-serve passenger laundries which is quite nice, especially when taking a long cruise, or a cruise as one part of a longer vacation. Wheelchair Accessible cabins are available in different categories and come equipped with full wheelchair-turning space, a roll-in shower equipped with grab bars and a fold-down bench seat, an easy access closet and accessible writing desk. Accessible cabins are usually the largest cabins available in any given category.

interior cabin (photo courtesy of Princess cruises)

As with any cruise ship, interior cabins are the smallest and lowest priced. These range from 158-162 square feet. Even in the inside cabins amenities include a small refrigerator as well as standard items like a hairdryer, safe, and TV.

cabin A203, interior with bunk

Some rooms are equipped with drop-down bunks and will sleep up to 4 people.

Standard Balcony cabin with beds set as 1 (photo courtesy of Princess cruises)

Standard balcony cabins are 214-222 square feet in size (including the balcony) and feature floor to ceiling windows at the sliding door to the balcony on the ocean side of the room. Balconies have 2 chairs and a table.

cabin A111, standard balcony with beds set separately. This was our cabin, and it did not have the extra table and chair shown in the photo from Princess of the same cabin category

Regardless of cabin category, all staterooms have the standard 2 beds that can be set together as a queen size bed or apart as twin beds depending on if guests want one bed or two.

balcony cabin A111 with 1 bunk down

Rooms with drop down bunks do not get any extra furniture on the balcony. There’s a chair at the desk so we brought that outside if we all wanted to sit out there. There is no other inside seating other than the beds. At least in our cabin there wasn’t, though the photo from Princess shows a second chair with a small table.

cabin A201 deluxe balcony

Deluxe Balcony rooms are 233-279 square feet including the balcony, and add a sofa bed to the room’s furnishings. So for the increased cost over a standard balcony cabin you get somewhere else to sit as well as the extra square footage. The list also includes upgraded amenities, which I would hope means separate shampoo and conditioner because in the standard balcony cabin we had it was the nasty all in one sort. I can’t say what the upgrades actually are though since I did not stay in that cabin. The gym showers also had the crappy all-in-one shampoo and conditioner.

cabin A205 mini suite

Mini Suites are styled like an extra-large balcony cabin. These have about 323 square feet including the balcony, and the bathroom includes a bathtub rather than just a shower. It also has a massaging showerhead, and the balconies have an ottoman as well as chairs -some of these balconies have 4 chairs. The sitting area in these rooms includes a coffee table. Some mini-suites book as club class. Those rooms are in prime locations and include some suite amenities like the princess luxury bed, priority embarkation and disembarkation, and special dining privileges. For a larger pricetag than the regular mini-suite of course.

suite (photo courtesy of Princess cruises)

Suites come in either premium at about 554 square feet and located at the bow end corners of various decks, or the slightly pricier penthouse ranging from 440-682 feet depending on location in the ship with the larger ones at the stern corners of various decks and the smaller ones toward the rear of deck 14. Square footage includes the balcony. Balcony furniture includes 4 chairs as well as an ottoman and 2 loungers.

Suite Bathroom (photo courtesy of Princess cruises)

The bathroom has a shower separate from the tub. Other additional perks beyond what the mini-suites offer include priority tender disembarkation at tender ports, complimentary laundry service, complimentary dinner in a specialty restaurant on boarding day, and priority reservations for specialty dining and shore excursions.

Princess Luxury Bed in Suites (photo courtesy of Princess cruises)

This ship has lots of good options for staterooms as long as you’re not looking for oceanview (my usual preferred category because they are bigger than interior and have a view, at a price less than what you pay for a balcony cabin.)

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2019

Lirica in Split, Croatia

MSC Lirica has the same standard cabin types as most cruise ships with suites as well as balcony, oceanview, and interior cabins. These cabins come with varying degrees of service, with the higher service levels going to the suites or staterooms considered most desirable and therefore higher in price and the lowest level of service in the least expensive cabins. Desirability is based on location within the ship as well as on the type of room. Their most basic or Bella service only goes to interior cabins at the bow and stern of deck 7, the lowest level of the ship with passenger cabins, as well as interior cabins to the stern of deck 8 and extreme stern of deck 9.

Some cabins labeled obstructed view actually do have a view – like this one.

Ocean view cabins with obstructed views on deck 7 also have the Bella service. All other interior rooms as well as non-obstructed ocean view cabins, and the lowest priced balcony staterooms and suites have Fantastica service, which is their mid-level service and similar to the standard service on most other lines. This level includes a free room service breakfast menu, which is not available to Bella cabins. The highest service level called Aurea, is available only in premium balcony cabins and suites. This is the only level that has access to their My Choice dining program where you can go to the dining room anytime during its open hours rather than a specific set time and table. Aurea service also includes some free drinks and massages, a private sun deck, and priority boarding. These service levels relate more to amenities than to actual service to the stateroom. They all get cleaned daily with nightly turndown service.

balcony cabin

Balcony cabins are generally toward the center of the ship, with the rooms out near the ends falling into the oceanview category having just a window. There are no rear facing or corner wraparound balcony rooms as both forward and rear balcony areas are public spaces, though only the rear ones have deck chairs. There are some ocean view cabins with windows facing those decks.

oceanview cabin

Oceanview cabins are found at both ends of the decks with passenger cabins on them. Interior cabins sit across the hallway from the oceanview and balcony cabins. In some of the wider areas of the ship there are also additional short hallways leading to more interior cabins. Also a row at the front of deck 7.

interior cabin

Inside cabins are generally the same as oceanview without the window, although the arrangement of the furniture varies from one cabin to another and there are both smaller and larger cabins. The biggest ones are the accessible cabins, as is usually the case with the largest cabins in any category.

when more sleeping space is needed, the bunk folds down from the wall

Balcony, oceanview, and inside cabins are all close to the same size and furnished with 2 beds that can be set separately or together, 2 nightstands with cupboards, a minibar/refrigerator in a cupboard with a shelf over the refrigerator and a TV on top the cabinet, a corner desk with tall narrow cupboards on each end, and a closet with 2 doors leading to hanging space and the third door leading to drawers and shelves. The beds have enough space underneath to store even a large suitcase, and there are 2 shelves in the bathroom to hold toiletries and things so there is quite a lot of storage space.

suite

Suites on the Lirica are definitely bigger than the other cabins and have more furniture, but they are not as fancy or oversized as those found on some ships. Somewhat like what would be an extra-large mini-suite compared to ships that have really big fancy suites.

a bunk not used for sleeping works for laundry hanging space

While the standard cabins sleep 2, there are cabins with space for additional guests. Some of them have bunks. The Lirica has the old-style bunks that fold down from the wall, which are not recessed into it at all. They stick out into the room when not in use, although we found the one in our cabin useful as a place to hang not-quite-dry laundry when we needed to either take down the clothesline in order to use the shower, or use it for wetter clothes. Newer ships have bunks that completely fold up into the ceiling without protruding into the room at all when not in use. Lirica has no self-serve passenger laundries so on a long cruise options are to send laundry out for the crew to wash or handwash in your cabin.

standard bathroom on MSC Lirica

The shower is quite small which means not much hanging space for laundry as well as not a lot of room for a person between the shower curtain and the wall. I felt cramped in the shower and I’m a small person. It didn’t help that our shower curtain was missing a couple key hooks that would have kept it out at the bends of the track rather than going straight across so that the standing area in the shower behind the curtain did not extend all the way to the edge of the shower floor as it would have if the curtain had stayed out at the track. The space we ended up with was about half what it should have been. Crazy what a difference a couple shower curtain hooks would have made.

There are 4 outlets over the desk. Two are 220V European style and 2 are 110V American style. Having the appropriate adapters makes using all of them possible as long as you are careful what you plug into the ones with the adapters – things that can handle other voltage than your standard like phones or computers. We also had a travel plug with 3 outlets upping our space for american style plugs to 4 without taking up much luggage space.

view through the window of an ocean view cabin

For some reason Europeans don’t use washcloths. Traveling through Europe, only one of the hotels we stayed in had any, and when we first boarded the ship our cabin did not have any either. We asked the steward for some and then he kept our room supplied, but they are not a standard item so you only get them if you ask. Kind of like extra hangers. Cruise ship closets don’t often have enough, but if you ask the steward for some they always have more. Or at least they have so far every time we’ve asked on a variety of cruise lines.

The bathroom came supplied with a liquid soap dispenser at the sink, and a shampoo and body wash dispenser in the shower. No conditioner. It had a kleenex holder in the side of the bathroom counter, but there was nothing in it so we had to ask for a box of kleenex. No idea if this is a per request item on this ship or if the steward had just not noticed there was nothing there.

Balcony cabin with bunk

Items in the mini-bar cost a fortune, and you are not allowed to bring any water or alcohol on board on boarding day, but on our cruise they never cared if people brought in things like bottles of water or even beer or wine from port stops.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2020

Symphony of the Seas

Most cruise ships have interior, oceanview, and balcony staterooms as well as suites. There’s often some variety in amount of people a room accommodates, and a bit of variance in shape or size due to the location of some of the rooms. Suites often come in small, medium, and large varieties. Symphony of the Seas goes well beyond the usual choices, especially when it comes to suites and interior cabins – some of which aren’t closed in by 4 walls the way interior cabins are expected to be. Like on most cruise ships, there are accessible cabins, which are generally larger than the square footage given for standard cabins of that designation.

grand suite

Suites

Suites on Symphony of the Seas come in three Royal Suite Classes – Sea, Sky, and Star. Sea is the lowest suite class with the least amenities, and is the classification for the Junior Suites, their smallest suites. Sky class is the standard suite classification used for the majority of the types of available suites. Star class is for the highest level premium suites like the Ultimate Family Suite and AquaTheater Suites. Some suites have one or more separate bedrooms. All suite level rooms have bathrooms with bathtubs. Some suites have more than one bathroom.

Exclusive suite class services

Sea –dinner at Coastal Kitchen (exclusive suite only restaurant), bathrobes, luxury pillow top mattress, luxury bathroom amenities

Sky – concierge service, all day access to Coastal Kitchen, specialty bottled water on arrival, complimentary internet, priority boarding & departure

Star – exclusive access to Royal Genie (concierge service), all day access to coastal kitchen, complimentary specialty restaurants, complimentary beverage package, complimentary gratuities, complimentary internet, priority boarding & departure

Types of Suites

royal loft suite

Royal Loft Suite – The largest suite on the ship. Two level suite with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining and living room areas, and private jacuzzi on the balcony. 1524 sq ft, with a 843 sq ft balcony, sleeps 6.

4 bedroom villa

Villa Suite – 1142 sq ft, balcony 476 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, up to 14 guests. Veranda with private jacuzzi. Sleeps the most people of any cabin on the ship.

ultimate family suite

Ultimate Family Suite – top level two story suite with slide, jacuzzi, air hockey, ping pong, cinema & video game room, 1134 sq ft, balcony 212 sq ft, up to 8 guests. Most colorful suite and most family fun.

Star Loft Suite – Two deck high stateroom with master bedroom and 2 bathrooms, living and dining areas. 722 sq ft, balcony 410, sleeps 4

AquaTheater suite

AquaTheater Suites are available with one or two bedrooms. These are star class with the 2 bedroom suites ranging from 673 – 823 sq ft, with balconies of 610 – 772 sq ft. They sleep up to 8 guests. Besides the 2 bedrooms, they have 2 bathrooms, living room & dining areas, and the wraparound balcony has views of both the ocean and the AquaTheater.

The one-bedroom AquaTheater suites have 1 bathroom, are 604 – 606 sq ft with balconies from 589-631 square feet and sleep up to 4 guests.

owner’s suite

Owner’s Suite – 556 sq ft, balcony 243 sq ft with living room and bedroom areas, 1 bathroom with tub and 2 sinks.

grand suite

Grand Suite comes in 1 or 2 bedroom options.  2 bedroom – 580 sq ft, balcony 238 sq ft up to 8 guests, 2 bathrooms, marble entry, living room area. 1 bedroom – 371 sq feet balcony 105 sq ft, double sink in bathroom, up to 4 guests

crown loft suite

Crown Loft Suite – 2 level urban contemporary style loft suite 545 sq ft, balcony 114 sq ft up to 4 guests, living and dining areas and bathroom on main level, master suite with bathroom with tub on upper level.

junior suite

Junior Suite – glorified balcony room, 284 square feet with 80 sq foot balcony sleeps up to 5.

balcony cabin

Staterooms

Staterooms come as balcony, ocean view, or interior. These cabins all have one bathroom with a shower. Rooms with balconies in the central park and boardwalk areas are on the interior side of the ship, but their balconies are open air because those portions of the ship are open to the outside, Accessible cabins are larger than the square footage listed.

Balcony Staterooms

ocean view balcony

Ocean view balcony cabins come standard or with large balcony. Rooms are  182 sq ft, large balcony is 80 sq ft and standard balcony is 50-52 sq ft. These rooms are located on the outsides of the ship with balconies overlooking the sea. Up to 4 guests.

central park balconies

Central Park View – the balcony overlooks the central park area of the ship, which is open to the sky. 182 sq ft, balcony 52 sq ft

boardwalk balconies

Boardwalk View – although on the interior of the ship, the boardwalk area is open to the sky and at the stern of the ship beyond the AquaTheater. Cabins in this area may be noisy, especially during AquaTheater performances. 182 sq ft, balcony 52 sq ft

Ocean View Staterooms

ocean view

Ocean view staterooms are located on the exterior of the ship and have windows with views of the sea.

Ultra spacious ocean view 271 sq ft up to 6 guests

Ocean View 179 sq ft, up to 4 guests

promenade view interior

Interior Staterooms

There are numerous interior cabin choices on Symphony of the Seas, some with views.

Spacious interior – 260 sq ft, up to 6 guests, bunkroom area, one bathroom. No window, but it is an extra-large cabin.

Central park view interior – 199 sq ft, up to 4 guests, window with view of central park

windows with a view of the Royal Promenade

Promenade View Interior – 194 sq ft, up to 4 guests, bowed windows overlooking the promenade.

interior cabin with virtual balcony

Interior with virtual balcony – 172 sq ft, max 2 guests, no actual window, but real time views of the ocean and destinations on a nearly floor to ceiling high definition screen could make it feel as if there is one.

interior cabin

Interior – 149 sq ft, up to 4 guests, good for cruisers on a budget or day sleepers who want a room without any natural light.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2022

Celebrity Constellation

Cabin choices on Celebrity Constellation include the usual selection of inside cabins, ocean view cabins, balcony cabins, and suites. Among those major categories there are some variations, especially in the suites. Each category has some accessible cabins, which tend to be the largest ones in any given type. Fully accessible cabins also have lowered vanity, raised toilet, roll-in shower, grab bars, and if they are balcony cabins, an accessible balcony. When booking sometimes there is a category guarantee option, which costs less than choosing a specific cabin and also has the possibility of getting an upgrade if the category you chose books full. The downside of that is since you aren’t choosing your own cabin it may not end up in your preferred location.

inside cabin

Inside cabins are the least expensive so they are always popular with budget conscious cruisers. People who like to sleep in the daytime without being bothered by outside light prefer these cabins too since there is no outside light other than a bit of hallway lighting from the crack under the door. The inside cabin we had on the Infinity felt bigger than the balcony cabin we had on Constellation, possibly because the mirrored backwall made it seem larger than it actually was. These cabins are generally 170 square feet, but if you look over the deck plans some are larger. Especially accessible ones which are up to 347 square feet.

oceanview cabin

Ocean View cabins have a standard size of 170 square feet, though some are larger. They sleep from 2-5 people. Most are located on lower decks with round porthole type windows. There are a few on upper decks, at the front of decks 6, 8, & 9. Some of these are the deluxe ocean view cabins with larger rooms.

family veranda cabin

Veranda cabins come in a variety of options. Family veranda staterooms are the biggest at 382-461 square feet and sleep up to 5 people. These cabins have extra-large balconies. The regular veranda sleep 2-4 people.

deluxe balcony cabin with oversized balcony

There are a few deluxe veranda cabins toward the bow of deck 6 that have oversized balconies. There are some deluxe and sunset veranda staterooms at the back of decks 7, 8, & 9 that also have extra large balconies. Standard balcony cabin size is 170 – 208 square feet.

concierge class

Concierge class accommodations come with access to concierges who can help guests with their vacation plans whether that is booking things onboard like spa treatments or specialty restaurants, or excursions for the port stops. Rooms are 251 square feet and have verandas. There’s a special embarkation day lunch just for people booking these rooms.

AquaClass

AquaClass guests have their own private dining room, Blu, which serves healthy style meals. AquaClass accommodations come with access to the Persian Garden thermal suite and a spa concierge in case they want to set up any spa appointments.

aquaclass sky suite

Aquaclass cabins are 271 square feet and all have verandas. These rooms include premium bath products, massaging showerheads, and complimentary fitness classes. Aquaclass sky suites receive both aquaclass and suite amenities.

Celebrity suite

The top tier of rooms is the suite class, called The Retreat, although that name is for the amenities that are included with suites rather than an actual place on the ship. Suite guests have their own restaurant called Luminae, serving upscale food. They also have a private lounge called Michael’s Club, and a private sundeck.

royal suite

There’s a retreat host and concierges as well as stateroom stewards to tend to their every need. The rooms include premium bath products and other amenities. Sky suites are 311 square feet (accessible 423), with a large veranda. Celebrity suites are 587 square feet with separate bedroom and a dining table for 4. The royal suites are bigger yet and have fancy doors.

penthouse suite

The largest suites of all are the penthouse suites at 1432 square feet with a back deck wraparound balcony of 1098 square feet.

door to a penthouse suite

The whole back of deck 6 is taken up by just two penthouse suites. The floors in the hallways by these suites look like marble rather than the usual carpet, though the doors are not as fancy as the ones on the nearby royal suites. Guests in these suites have private butlers. Amenities include complimentary premium beverage packages, unlimited premium dining, complimentary mini-bar stocked daily, and many other things. Furnishings include a baby grand piano.

royal suite door

On our cruise the front section of cabins on deck 7 was closed off with authorized personnel only sign on the door barring entry from the elevator and stairway landing, something new that wasn’t needed in the past but is now – the covid isolation ward! Luckily there were very few covid cases on our cruise so most of those cabins sat empty. Most of the cases onboard are asymptomatic crew who only know they have it because of routine testing rather than people who are feeling sick, though they do ask that anyone who does have symptoms get tested right away so they can be isolated too.

covid isolation ward – do not enter

Whatever cabin guests choose, they are all clean, comfortable, and attended to daily by a stateroom steward who cleans the cabin and replaces used towels twice daily.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2022