If you love to spend your sea days mesmerised by the lapping waves, then the privacy of your own balcony may seem appealing. However, if price is a consideration and you’re seeking a bargain, you may choose to compromise by selecting an inside-facing cabin. And, with so many activities onboard cruise ships nowadays, time spent in your room is likely to be minimal and therefore not much of a sacrifice anyway.
However, some cruise lines have developed innovative ways to make their inside cabins more appealing, seeking to provide the best possible experience wherever you’re staying. Read on to discover how cruise lines have redesigned their inside cabins, making this option no longer a compromise.
A room with a view
Royal Caribbean Cruises lead the way in many aspects of cruising, and their cabins are just another example of how. On their ships, views don’t just look out to sea. They offer three alternatives: Promenade View, Central Park View and Virtual Balcony.
Promenade View
The Royal Promenade is iconic on many Royal Caribbean ships – a hubbub of activity that includes shops, restaurants and bars. For guests that love to people-watch, the Promenade View staterooms provide the perfect opportunity. The bowed windows, which look out on the ship’s interior, also include a built-in couch, offering an additional place to sit.
However, if you can see out, this means passers-by can also see in (although there are curtains provided), so these rooms do not offer the same privacy as those facing out to the ocean.
Available on: 12 of their 24 ships, including Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Symphony of the Seas
Central Park View
From a balcony class, Central Park View stateroom, guests can enjoy the fresh air and sunlight in the same way as from an ocean balcony, but instead overlooking Royal Caribbean’s oasis known as Central Park. Generally, this is a more peaceful area of the ship than the Royal Promenade, but you’ll still see people taking a stroll and can be overlooked by the cabins opposite.
Available on: Oasis-class ships
Virtual Balcony
Virtual Balcony rooms offer a real-time and highly realistic view of the ocean as seen from a balcony. Created in high definition and featured on a floor-to-ceiling HD television, the ‘windows’ even have real curtains to complete the effect. Historically, these rooms haven’t come with a surcharge, providing a cost-effective way of enjoying the view.
Available on: Navigator of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas
Easy Access
Celebrity Cruises have considered all the aspects of their Accessible Inside Stateroom for ease of movement and relaxation. Well-proportioned and at 245 square feet in size, they come with all the features you’d expect in a standard cabin, as well as wider doorways, bathrooms with a fold-down shower bench and hand-held showerhead, and a lowered vanity and safe.
Available on: Celebrity’s five Solstice-class ships
Making the best of the basics
Carnival Standard Inside
Carnival Cruises’ cabins may not top the list for innovation, but they do ensure the things that really matter are delivered to an excellent standard. Their Standard Inside cabins are very spacious for their class. At 185 square feet on ships such as Panorama, they equal the size of most inside areas of balcony cabins and are larger than some family cabins on other cruise lines.
Carnival also includes certain perks across all of their rooms, including a dedicated room steward, bathrobes on request and plenty of closet space. Therefore, these rooms provide a good, affordable, no-frills, but comfortable option.
Available on: All ships
Family-friendly features
Disney Standard Inside Stateroom
Disney clearly has families in mind when designing their cabins. Their Standard Inside staterooms have more space than the equivalent class on most other cruise ships, allowing for the extra luggage and room needed when travelling with a young family.
Family-friendly features include a heavy privacy curtain to separate the sitting and sleeping areas, allowing adults to relax while their children sleep undisturbed. There’s also a full bathroom with a sink, shower and tub, making bath times less stressful. Of course, in true Disney-style, the cabins also have a Magical Porthole showing real-time views of the ship’s exterior with added ‘special appearances’ by your favourite Disney characters.
There are many great choices for an inside cabin on your cruise, which means you don’t need to compromise comfort for cost on your holiday. The key to getting it right is doing your research first. Review the cabin location on the ship, its layout and size, and any interesting features, such as those we’ve highlighted.
If the options still bewilder you, please get in touch with our cruise specialists, who’ll be happy to help.
