The One Cabin Cruise Experts Say You Should Never Book—No Matter the Deal
- Cruise expert advises avoiding cabins in the front of the ship, obstructed view cabins, and cabins near noisy areas.
Not all cruise ship cabins are created equal, and that can be very apparent in the price point of the cabin. While it's definitely obvious that having a balcony versus an interior cabin is considered to be better, not everyone wants to spend the extra money on something like an ocean view. Some people prefer to spend as little money on their cruise ship ticket as possible, and opt to spend much more of their time out enjoying the ship rather than staying inside their cabin.
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As a cruise expert myself, I have been on well over 100 cruise ship voyages. I started out as a cruise ship entertainer , and have worked for larger, popular lines like Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. I also worked for Regent Seven Seas, which has smaller, more luxurious ships. After my crew days were over, I've traveled on many different cruise lines as a guest . Between my own experience with various cruise cabins as well as speaking with guests while I was a crew member–I learned one important thing. There are definitely cabins out there that are way worse than others, and are not worth any money saved whatsoever.
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Avoid Cruise Cabins In The Front Of The Ship Above The Theatre
Cruise expert Them Cultons shared a TikTok about three types of cruise cabins to avoid. Their list starts off with cabins that are on lower decks as well as cabins in the front of the ship. The reasoning for this is because these cabin locations tend to be spots where you can feel the motion of the ship very apparently. I can vouch for this one myself–my crew cabin has been located on deck 1 forward on a few contracts, and even with all of my experience at sea, I could barely get away from the sea sickness.
The second type of cabin they say to avoid are obstructed view cabins, which tend to be less expensive. However, you will most likely have a view of a bright orange lifeboat–and for some, that might not be worth the money saved. Lastly, Cultons shares that cabins near noisy areas should definitely be avoided. Anything near a nightclub, theatre, or elevators may keep you up at night.
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It may look nice, but you don't want your cabin above the cruise ship theatre.
Now, with all of that considered, this narrows down the absolute worst cabin on the ship: the cabins that are above the theatre. 9 times out of 10, the theatre on a cruise ship is at the front of the ship. The cabins that are located above it will experience the extra motion associated with cabins closer to the front, and they will also experience the loud noises coming from the theatre–especially when shows can sometimes run until 11:30 or 12:00 at night. As an entertainer on ships myself, I can't count how many times we've had to cut late night rehearsals short or have had to do shows with quieter sound, simply because the guests staying in the cabins above us couldn't handle the noise. Do yourself a favor, and skip out on those cabins all together.
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What's The Best Cabin Location On A Ship?
I've stayed in both interior cabins and balcony cabins, and I actually think that if you are wanting to save some money, having an interior cabin will not bring down the quality of your cruise at all. Especially if you're sailing on a newer ship, there are so many public spaces where you can sit and relax to enjoy the ocean view. If privacy is important to you, however, then there's nothing wrong with opting for a balcony cabin.
Enjoying my interior studio cabin on the Norwegian Epic
Ultimately, I think the best cabin is a spot that is closer to the middle of the ship–these tend to feel much more stable, and you will barely notice the ship rolling with the ocean. As for which deck to be on, I recommend being a few floors down from the pool deck and buffet, but a few floors above the main atrium and interior shopping areas. This is the sweet spot of the ship where it will be nice and quiet, you will barely notice the ship moving, and it's conveniently located in the middle of everything.
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This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
