Which Room Should I Book For My Cruise?

Tips for picking out the best room for you.

Since you’ve put a lot of thought into which cruise vacation you’ll take—whether a sunny Caribbean getaway or a scenic Scandinavian adventure exploring the Northern Fjords—your next logical thought is about where exactly you’ll be staying. But which stateroom is right for you?

Cruise accommodations, also known as staterooms, are similar to hotel rooms—a comfortable place to stay while you travel and explore—though you have more control over which one you can choose to stay in. And, depending on where you’re going and how you’re traveling, there are a few things to consider when you do.

Contemplating Your Choice
From size to location to view and beyond, there’s plenty to keep in mind while choosing your stateroom. To start, take into account the size of your party and any special travel needs or preferences to help decide how much room you want. Also, think about what venues on the ship you’d like to be near—back, middle, or front of the ship—and any ways you’d like to elevate your stay, like a balcony or a suite.

The Categories
Accommodations vary in many ways to give our guests choices; from deck number, to occupancy, room size, to location, to types of views. All are designed for comfort though, giving you a place to relax with all the essentials: a flat screen TV, plenty of drawer and closet space, numerous outlets, a vanity, hair dryer, and safe.

Depending on the stateroom or suite category you choose, your room may include other amenities, such as bathrobes, spacious sitting areas, complimentary specialty dining, a whirlpool tub on your balcony—or even your own Royal Genie, a personal event planner, experience crafter and taste tailor. Here’s the breakdown.

Interior
Interior rooms have a range of amenities to enjoy (see above), and instead of facing the ocean, they face the inside of the ship, providing plenty of privacy. Like our other options, interior rooms vary in size, allowing you to choose the best room for your needs.

Even our interior rooms can come with a view though, thanks to the Royal Caribbean innovation, the Virtual Balcony staterooms, which use a live camera and an 80-inch in-room screen to connect you with the sights outside the ship.

Ocean And Unique, Interior View
If you’re keen to see the ocean, the historic builds of a European city or a mountain range as it looms into view, an Ocean View stateroom will ensure you get to have a glimpse of the great outdoors.

That’s not the only view on board though, since many rooms have windows facing the action taking place on the ship. These rooms will give you a peek at the happenings in our unique neighborhoods, like the daytime liveliness of the Royal Promenade’s parades, celebrations, and dance classes, or Central Park‘s open-air walkways filled with natural light and more than 12,000 plants on Oasis–class ships.

Balcony
Guests commonly ask if they should opt for a balcony stateroom, and there are plenty of benefits to consider. If you crave more space, a private balcony will net you more square footage and fresh air. For cruises where views are especially important to you—or if you cherish nothing more than breakfast on your deck—a room with a balcony is ideal. Balconies vary in size as well, so rooms made for three or more people can come with balcony space for all. Like the windows in our rooms, balconies can look out onto the ocean, or on open areas inside of the ship like the Boardwalk neighborhood featuring the high-diving shows of the AquaTheater.

Suites and Deluxe
These accommodations are the most spacious, luxurious and perfect for groups and most definitely families traveling with children. As if they couldn’t get any better, these rooms come with complimentary services and top amenities, like dining at the suites-only Coastal Kitchen, unlimited VOOM internet, and exclusive beach access, and even a personal Royal Genie at your beck and call—if you’re staying in a Star Class suite.

Since Royal Caribbean rooms are designed to accommodate a whole range of travelers, we offer special rooms for solo travelers, and have different room configurations that can suit couples, people traveling with a baby, groups, extended families and more. Each of the 24 Royal Caribbean ships are also designed to welcome travelers with special needs—as will be our upcoming, 25th ship Symphony of the Seas—you can customize your accommodations to meet your needs in advance of your trip with a dedicated team of experts.

When booking your cruise online, you’ll have the chance to select your room, doing side-by-side comparisons of their amenities, occupancy, and configurations before making your decision. If you’d like some guidance, connect with an expert Royal Caribbean vacation planner at 1 (800) 256-6649, website, or your local travel agent.

To meet the fleet and browse the ins-and-outs of every ship, the variety of accommodations, and the places where they’re sailing, head here.