It’s not as bad as you think: 6 reasons I’m happy to book a windowless ‘inside’ cabin on a cruise ship
Editor’s Note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
As regular readers know, I’m a big fan of cabins with balconies. Like me explained in a recent storyThere’s nothing like stepping onto the ship’s balcony to breathe in the fresh ocean air.
But that doesn’t mean I’m against the idea of staying in a cabin without a balcony. In fact, sometimes, I will even book a cabin without windows — or, as they are known in the yachting world, an “inside” cabin.
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If you’ve never been on a cruise before, you might not even know there’s such a thing as a windowless cabin. But yes, and they are actually quite common. Many ships operated by major lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line there are hundreds of cabins without windows.
That seems unthinkable to those who are used to staying at hotels on the mainland. After all, not many hotels have hundreds of rooms without windows. If they were, we guess they wouldn’t be big sellers.
But it’s fair to say that cruise ship accommodation has its own quirks.
The reverse side of an inside
The lack of windows isn’t the only reason to dismiss the idea of staying in the interior cabin.
In addition to providing a glimpse of the world, the interior cabins — so named because they’re usually located in the center of the ship, away from the outer walls — are also often the smallest cabins on any cruise ship. any. Many people are very small. That second point can be a major turning point for some cruisers.
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But inside the cabin there are advantages too. For starters, interior cabins are often significantly cheaper than ocean-view cabins. They also offer a kind of “less is more” minimalism that can appeal to the simplicity-loving crowd.
Related: Why you might not want to accept that cabin upgrade
For me, at least, there are times when a cheap and modestly sized cabin is fine, even if it doesn’t obstruct the view.
After all, for the most part, I don’t go on cruises to spend a lot of time in the cabin. Like most cruisers, I got on board to enjoy all they have in public spaces and explore all the wonderful places they sail.
Against that backdrop, wouldn’t the room that I would sleep in every night be big and gorgeous?
Related: The 5 most attractive cabin positions on any cruise ship
To steal a quote from Arthur Frommer, legendary guidebook author and guidebook company founder, “Most of the time you’re in your room on vacation, your eyes are closed.”
Frommer told me that years ago in an interview about his favorite hotel rooms. He thinks that spending large sums of money on fancy excavations is a waste. His words have stuck with me for many years and now, I see their wisdom.
Here are six reasons you might want to seriously consider the least expensive interior cabins on any cruise ship.
You will save money
This is certainly the great appeal of an interior cabin. They can be an incredible deal.
At the time of publishing this story, for example, fares for cabins inside Royal Caribbean’s seven-day cruises out of Fort Lauderdale in October 2024 are about 40% lower than fares for original cabins labour. Fares for the cabins inside are less than half the price of the cheapest suites.
Specifically, you can board the airline’s fully-equipped Freedom of the Seas vessel departing Galveston on October 11, 2024 with a departure price of just $526 per person, excluding taxes and fees, if you’re willing to stay. in the inner compartment. Worked out for only $75 a day.
Related: Everything you want to know about Royal Caribbean cabins
The thing to remember here is that all of Freedom of the Seas’ major attractions, from the massive water park on the deck to the indoor skating rink and giant theater with Broadway-style shows, are on open to everyone on board, whoever they are. are in the smallest or largest cabin. So are nearly all the restaurants, bars and lounges on the train.
Aside from having to sleep in a smaller, windowless room, you’ll get much of the same in-flight experience as someone paying more for a luxury cabin, at a fraction of the price.
You will sleep like a baby
There is no darkness in the world like the darkness of the cabin inside. When you turn off the lights, it’s pitch black – the kind of darkness that’s almost terrifying to contemplate.
This can be a bit disorienting for those who are used to at least some moonlight entering their bedroom at home. But if you’re the type of person who has trouble sleeping with any kind of light interruption, the interior cabin can be pure bliss. You’ll go to sleep without worrying about the morning sunlight creeping in through the curtains to wake you up early. And moonlight is definitely not the problem.
Related: 8 cabin locations on certain cruise ships you should avoid
The cabins inside can be especially appealing if you’re traveling far north around the summer solstice when the sun rises for most (or all day) of the day. We’re talking about places like Alaska, the Norwegian coast, around Iceland and Greenland. Same if you travel far south during winter to places like Antarctica or southern parts of South America.
You will spend more time enjoying the train
The secret to having a blast on a cruise ship is to dive into anything and everything it has to offer. If it has a rock wall, you need to climb it. Karaoke? Get ready to sing. leave no waterslide or inexperienced late-night comedy. To do this, of course, you need to get out of your room. And there is no better motivation to get out of your room than having a room that lacks a lot of space or even a window.
When I put in the cabin, I found that I woke up early. Instead of ordering room service for breakfast, I would go to a restaurant with a nice view and then explore the ship more than usual in the morning. I would spend hours of the day playing on deck and hours of the evening in bars, lounges and galleries.
Related: 7 reasons you should splurge on a set on a cruise ship
By providing you with little more than a small, dark place to lay your head at night, the cabins inside can be just the boost you need to make the most of your cruise vacation.
You can be less seasick
Worry about receiving seasick on your next journey?
The most stable position on any cruise ship is at the bottom of the ship near its equilibrium point, usually near its center. Since interior cabins are closer to the center of the ship than cabins with balconies and “outside” ocean views, they can be more stable in rough seas. The trick is to find an interior cabin towards the center of the ship in both directions – vertically and horizontally.
The opposite of this, for the record, is that you can’t look at the horizon while you’re inside the cabin – a common tip for people with seasickness. And you will not be able to breathe fresh air like in the balcony cabin.
If you go alone, you can avoid additional fees
Nearly all cruise ship cabins are designed for two travelers, each paying their own fare, and solo travelers often have to pay extra to stay alone. But some ships have special inner cabins specially designed for solo travelers. If you’re traveling alone and staying in one of these special cabins, you can avoid the additional solo travel fee, known in the industry as the “single surcharge”.
Norway, which has been at the forefront of the solo cabin trend, now has hundreds of solo cabins spread over half a dozen ships.
Related: 15 ways cruisers waste money on cruises
While Norwegian single cabins have windows, they open to the hallway, not the outside of the ship. They are also unusually small, about 100 square feet. However, they are also wonderfully designed to maximize storage space, and they are clustered around dedicated lounges where soloists can mingle at happy hour gatherings. organized daily.
Royal Caribbean, Cunard and Netherlands USA among others that have also added single cabins to some ships — many of which are in cabins.
There are a number of ocean-view cabins designed for solo travelers in the industry, but these are rare.
You can still get an ocean view (with a twist)
On some innovative cruise ships, there are windowless interior cabins that offer views of the outside world, thanks to the magic of technology.
Above Disney’s Two Latest Movies ship, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, some of the cabins have “magic windows” that display real-time views of the outside. They are actually screens built into the walls of the cabin to create the illusion of a window view.
Royal Caribbean has gone a step further, adding large “virtual balconies” to the interior of cabins on some ships. These are floor-to-ceiling LED screens displaying real-time views of the outside, integrated into the cabin walls in such a way that they give the illusion of a balcony.
If this idea sounds a bit silly, it is. But I’ve been in these chalets and the illusion is surprisingly real. The addition of screens really changes the feel of the rooms. Disney cabins are especially interesting, as Disney characters sometimes appear in magical windows. If you have small children with you, they will love it.
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