Part 2: First Time Cruise Shopping Tips: The Ship Deck Plan Guide

Welcome back to the Cruise Shopping Master Class!

When you click on an online booking link, you are instantly confronted by four basic room types: Interior, OceanView, Balcony, and Suite. Here are simplified definitions of the four types.

Interior: A room located in the interior of the ship with no exterior windows.

OceanView: A room against the exterior wall of the ship with a window. The size of the window can vary.

Balcony: A room against the exterior wall of the ship but with a glass door and a small balcony sitting area. The size of the balcony sitting area varies.

Suite: A balcony room with MORE square footage. Some have multiple rooms and added amenities.

Within these categories, the prices swing wildly based on location.

Naturally, most people look at a cheap price tag, assume a room is a room, and click buy. But as architects, Rob and I look at a ship's deck plans like the architectural blueprints that they are. I am telling you right now: your cabin location matters way more than the physical size of the room. Which is why it is an important topic to include in our First Time Cruise Shopping Tips.

A cruise ship is a massive, functioning city. If you don't evaluate what surrounds your living space, your dream vacation can turn into an acoustic nightmare. Just like with any real estate you pay for location, location and location. (WELL almost)

The Golden Sleep Code

This is our number one rule for cabin selection, and we almost never let our clients break it: Your stateroom must have other guest rooms directly above and below it. Why? Because when you want to crawl into bed after a long day exploring a port, you want to make sure actual sleep is happening around you. If your room is positioned directly underneath the pool deck, you will wake up at 5:00 AM to the sound of crew members scraping heavy metal lounge chairs across the floor. If you are directly above a late-night dance lounge, a theater, or the galley, the bass vibration and kitchen noise will drive you crazy.

Furthermore, being too close to the ship's main cooking areas can send some incredibly strange smells through your cabin's ventilation system. We read the reviews, track the ship assets, and map this out so you don't get trapped. Of course - if you always sleep like a rock, perhaps this is a way to save money or upgrade your stateroom type by breaking the location rules.

The Physics of Motion & Vibration

Where your room sits on the ship dictates exactly how your body will feel the ocean:

• Front of the Ship (Forward): This is where you will experience the absolute most movement and pitching if the seas get rough.

• Rear of the Ship (Aft): You will feel the structural engine vibration pulsing through the floor, but you get far less pitching motion than the front.

• Mid-Ship: The absolute sweet spot. It has the least amount of motion and keeps you centrally located—halfway to wherever you want to go in the ship city. Understand that the ship is like a city, so you want to live near the places you will frequent.

• Higher Decks: They cost more because they are "desirable" and keep you closer to the pool and buffet food venues, but they also experience more sway than lower decks.

  
  

The "Obstructed" Trap and the Interior Secret

If you are looking at an OceanView or Balcony, watch out for the word "Obstructed." It means a giant orange or yellow lifeboat is hanging right outside your window. An obstructed view is okay for some because they just really want the daylight and the fresh air. But if you want a pristine, open view, let us help you read the floor plan first.

The Best-Kept Secret at Sea: Most interiors are tiny, but Holland America Line has select interior rooms that are absolutely HUGE (pictured here).

First-time cruisers often think an Interior room is a claustrophobic trap, but it's entirely possible you will only use your room to bathe and sleep. In fact, Rob and I didn't even move into booking balcony staterooms until our 30th cruise, which coincidently was after we cruised the Panama Canal and missed out on the scenery! Now we pay attention and look for a balcony room for a particularly scenic voyage.

📝 Your Masterclass Homework: Study the Deck Plans - Each Cruise has a Tab called "Ship"

Before you book, go check out the deck plans yourself.

1. Head over to our platform at PlanningToCruise.com.

2. Select a cruise brand and open up an itinerary.

3. Look at the room options side-by-side. You will immediately understand how much room type and deck location affect the price.

   
   

The Bottom Line: All of this affects pricing, which is exactly why we can't just spit out a flat price! We always help our clients select a suitable room using the unique resources and reviews we have available to us.

Once you narrow down a ship you like on our site, don't guess on the deck plan. Call us directly at 815-516-0300 and let us check the architectural floor plans for you before you place your deposit!