Many cruise passengers insist on sailing with a balcony.
They enjoy the outdoor space and usually talk about having coffee on their balcony in the morning or enjoying a drink there in the evening.
And for many of these cruisers, not being able to see the outside world is a dealbreaker. If they can’t get a balcony, they may settle for an oceanview — a cabin with a window — but they won’t sail in an interior cabin.
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Newer cruise ships have balconies and windows in around 70% of their cabins. Those can include interior-facing balconies like the ones Royal Caribbean offers, which on Oasis-Class ships overlook its Central Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods.
Those cabins do allow light in and have a view, but they’re not giving passengers a view of the ocean.
The remaining cabins are the cheapest ones: interior cabins with no view of the outside. Some cruise passengers appreciate the total darkness, which allows them to nap or to sleep in after a late night without any light telling them it’s a time they should be awake.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared a post extolling the virtues of interior cabins, and his followers responded with their not-always-pleasant thoughts on the subject.
Image source: Dan Kline/Come Cruise With Me
Carnival’s Heald shares the joy of inside cabins
With cruises selling incredibly well, some cruisers might have to consider interior cabins in order to affordably book the cruises of their choice. That could be because balcony and oceanview cabins sell out first or because the prices of those cabins are prohibitive.
“So then, with our bookings for 2025 selling quicker than signed photos of me in a mankini on a pogo stick, I thought I would share a different cabin style each day,” Heald posted on Facebook. “This will help those who are thinking about staying in one before they book see what others think.”
Interior cabins are almost always the cheapest cabin class, although in some cases oceanview pricing can be the same or very close.
“We will start with INTERIOR CABINS. They may not have a window but they feel so cozy and guarantee a good night’s sleep for sure,” Heald shared.
Again, some passengers like the total darkness since the blinds and curtains on most cruise ships allow light in as soon as the sun rises. Heald tried to further push the benefits of interior cabins.
“They can have two single beds or those two beds can be put together,” he added. “They can have bunk beds, beds that come from the celling and that are set up by the state room attendant. They can sleep one person, two people or three [or] four with the bunk bed set up.”
Carnival passengers sound off on interior cabins
Passengers’ feelings about interior cabins are mixed.
“We have stayed in an interior before but prefer natural light from a window so if the cruise is 7 days or longer, we book cabins with a window,” shared Leonia Wallace.
Others seek out interior cabins for one key reason.
“Love them! I can keep my fare costs low for other spending elsewhere and we love how dark the cabins get,” posted April Lopes.
Susan Woods Fox echoed that point.
“When I started cruising I would get oceanview or balcony,” she said. “Now I love inside. I am only in the cabin to sleep and change. Up by 5 a.m. to head to the gym or workout somewhere. I rather cruise more often, and I can do this by saving money on cabin choice. Especially saving money while traveling solo occasionally.”
Many passengers changed their minds on interiors after Covid.
“Great for sleeping but a little small, especially for more than 2 people,” wrote Debbie Flach. “Personally, I like either an oceanview room with that nice big window or even better, a balcony. Ever since Covid, I book a balcony so if we get stranded somewhere like they did before, I will have fresh air and sunshine when need be.”
Karen Stevens Olson shared a common opinion on interiors.
“Oh no not for me .I’m claustrophobic but my kids and grown granddaughters love them,” she wrote. “I think they are vampires because they love how cold and dark they get, haha.
“I want a balcony, preferably a cove, love being closer to the water and I feel like I have an escape route in case of an extreme emergency, you know, zombies or whatever.”
And Joe Vitelli shared a non-zombie opinion why he likes to have a balcony or at least an oceanview:
“We stayed in one once. Way too small for us. Also, you spend more time in your cabin than you think. We don’t like not having at least a window. Also, I always enjoy morning coffee on my balcony as well as watching the ship arrive in various ports without being shoulder to shoulder in a crowd.”
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