Sometimes a cabin can make your whole cruise experience. People often say, “I’m just going to sleep in the cabin, so it doesn’t matter where it’s located.” That may be the case, but you’re still in your cabin more than you think.
Here are 6 cruise ship cabin mistakes:
1. Booking the Wrong Stateroom
You always want to study the deck plans of the ship to make sure your cabin is in a prime spot. Also know that one interior cabin can cost more than another interior cabin. It all depends on location on the ship and what deck you’re on. Typically the lower the deck, the least expensive the cabin is. And no, deck 1 is not below the water line. This is where a good travel agent comes into play.
2. Drinking the Bottled Water
Those bottled waters that are in your stateroom come with a price. Expect to pay around $5 per bottle. Some cruise lines like Carnival let you pre-order cases of water at a discount or give you a free bottle of water as part of the loyalty program. The bottled water is “purified water” and not spring water so you don’t be surprised if the water doesn’t taste like the refreshing spring water you may purchase from your local grocery store.
3. Packing an Iron
If you’re thinking of packing an iron you may want to reconsider. Fire is the number one threat to a ship and items like irons and candles are forbidden onboard. If you accidentally pack an iron, they will flag your bag and make you remove it. For your convenience, the cruise line usually provides irons in the laundry rooms on board. Depending on the ship, there may be a laundry room on each deck, or just one or two laundry rooms on the entire ship. You can ask for the location at the guest services desk, or check your daily planner which is delivered to your cabin each day.
4. Booking by the Elevator or Stairs
I can only speak on the cruise ships I’ve been on, but the constant ding-ding-ding of the elevator opening to your floor could be enough to drive a man insane. But it’s just not the noise, it’s where people can also be the loudest, especially after a few cocktails late at night.
5. Not Studying the Deck Plan
Do yourself a favor and download an app like ShipMate App or at least go to the cruise line’s website and make sure you know your ship. Location of the cabin is key. You do not want to be on top of a night club, next to a kitchen, or underneath the lido deck (to hear the crew dragging and setting up deck chairs). You’ll want to be nestled in a quiet spot, and you might want quick access to the places you’ll spend the most time as well.
6. Not Monitoring the Cabin Cost
There are a few good websites out there that will monitor the cost of your cruise and email you if the price drops. The one that I always use is the price drop feature on cruiseline.com. When you log onto their site you can set price alerts on the right-hand column.
Have you made a big cabin mistake before?
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