Top 10 reasons I love to cruise... #9 The accommodations are great!

The top 10 reasons I love to cruise-  #9

The accommodations are great!

Who wouldn't love to wake up to this view each morning?!

Cruise ships are floating hotels.  The newer ships that are coming out now are able to hold over 5,000 passengers, and usually have over 1,500 crew members living onboard as well.  The cruise lines want to make you as comfortable as possible, and offer a wide variety of room types to keep everyone happy and comfortable. 

Some cruise lines offer rooms for a solo passenger as well, which helps if you’re traveling and can’t find someone to join you.  They usually have some sort of lounge area where the solo travelers can meet up and plan their day with others. The rooms are the perfect size for one traveler, and don't cost double what a normal room would cost. (If you book on a cruise line that doesn't offer solo travel rates, you would pay what is known as a "Single Supplement". The supplement can be anywhere from 150%-200% of the per person fare depending on which line you are sailing on. Sometimes the cruise lines will run a "no single supplement" offer to get more people on the ship, so if you're a solo traveler, keep your eye out for those offers, as you'll end up with twice the space since you're not sharing your room with someone.)  Here are a few pictures of one of the solo rooms on the Norwegian Epic, along with the Solo Lounge. 

the bed is a double bed, plenty of room for one!

the bathroom area- shower on the right, toilet on the left.

the Studio Lounge on the Norwegian Epic - great place to meet up with other solo guests and plan your day. They have a nightly meet up in there as well, where a Cruise Director staff member hosts games and other activities to get everyone together. They also will make reservations for dinner each night, and you get the VIP treatment!

There are inside state rooms, which are typically the smallest rooms available on the ships. This also means they are the most affordable. If you like total darkness when you sleep, an inside cabin is just what you need.   

If you’re like me, and a bit claustrophobic, you have a few other options. The next category of room you can book is an Ocean View. These rooms are located on the outside of the ship and offer a window to the ocean. Some ships have just a smaller port hole (or two) while others offer a large picture window, sometimes with a window seat built in. These rooms are also quite affordable, and are typically located on the lower floors, close to Sea Level.  If you’re ever caught in a storm, or experiencing “rough” seas, looking out your window could get pretty interesting.  Some Ships do have Ocean View cabins available on the “Promenade” deck, which means there may be an exterior walkway right outside your window. When you’re picking your cabin, make sure to look on the deck plans to see what is nearby! 

This Ocean View on the Carnival Splendor was a large picture window. There was no window seat, but it let in quite a bit of sunlight each day. It was close to the gangway when we were in port, so when we got on and off the ship, it was rather convenient.

our towel animal enjoying the view of the ocean passing by.

If you’d like to “splurge” a bit and have your own private retreat, you can book a balcony room. These rooms are typically located on the mid to higher floors, which means you may be able to feel the “motion of the ocean” a bit more, but unless there is a decent sized storm going on, you don’t even notice it.  The balcony rooms typically have more room to move around, and of course, offer that little slice of Ocean Front right outside your door. 

The Norwegian Getaway Aft balcony room. Behind the curtain was our balcony, which I used every day several times, and would wind down out there every night before bed.

the balcony rooms on the Norwegian Getaway have a seating area, which converts into a bed for a 3rd passenger. I got the pleasure of sleeping on the couch on our first trip on the Getaway and it was actually pretty comfortable.

The Aft balcony on the Norwegian Getaway on floor 9 had plenty of room available for you!  Great place to relax and enjoy the sound of the ocean!

On the Star Princess, in Alaska, the balcony was a great place to watch the amazing scenery go past. You were never far from shore, and always had a different view!

The Star Princess balcony rooms include 2 twin beds, which can be converted to a Queen,  a desk area and a club chair. The balcony also had 2 chairs and a small table 

Most cruise lines have several types of mini-suite/suite rooms as well, which tend to be a bit more room available,  usually have more lavish furnishings and some even come with a Concierge and Butler service.  Some suites have multi bedrooms, and can sleep multiple people,  have their own private balconies and even may have private areas on the ship that you can only access with a suite key card. May Suite guests also get priority embarkation on the first day of the cruise, as well as priority disembarkation on the last day.  If your ship has to use tender boats to get to shore in a port city, if you’re a suite guest, you’ll likely get priority tender tickets as well.  These amenities come with a price though, as many suites (full suites, not usually the mini-suites) can sometimes cost 3 to 4 times what a balcony cabin may cost.  If you’ve got the money to book it, go for it and experience the suite life! 

One of the Haven Aft Balcony rooms on the Norwegian Getaway. The balcony was enormous, and you had a view of both the aft of the ship, as well as the starboard side. Cushions on the loungers and a dining table available.



 So which room would you like to book for your cruise vacation?  Let me know, and I'll find you a great deal!