Earlier this summer, I cruised to Alaska on the Royal Princess, a 10-year old cruise ship by Princess Cruises. I almost always book a tiny inside cabin when I cruise, and this 7-night sailing was no exception.
I paid $2,294 for my interior stateroom on the Royal Princess. The cost of my cabin was for two adults and included all taxes, fees, and gratuities, bringing it to $1,147 per person, or around $164 per night.
I found the price reasonable for a Princess cruise to Alaska, especially as we set sail in the peak of the summer season. Our sailing left in mid June, making it one of the most popular times to cruise to Alaska.
My cruise to Alaska would be my first time on a Princess cruise, so I had no idea what to expect with the cruise line’s cabins. I hoped my cabin would have modern decor, ample storage space, and a comfortable bed, and I also hoped the small room wouldn’t feel too cramped.
Let’s jump in and take a tour of my inside cabin on the Royal Princess.
My cabin was located on deck 10 of the Royal Princess, which was conveniently located almost halfway between the pool decks at the top of the ship and the atrium in the middle of the ship.
There were three elevator banks on the ship, which made getting to our cabin a breeze, as we were only a twenty second walk away from two of the three elevator lobbies.
As you walk to your cabin on a Princess cruise, your Princess Medallion—the cruise line’s key card system—will automatically unlock your door. The technology in the medallion connects to your cabin in close proximity, making it extremely convenient to access your stateroom.
Related: Princess Cruise Tips & Tricks
My first impression of my Royal Princess cabin was that it was exceptionally spacious for such a small room.
Inside cabins are the smallest type of cruise cabin you can book, and there’s not usually much walking space in the room. On the Royal Princess, however, I found my cabin to have a lot of walking space.
As I was traveling with my sister, our bed was separated into two twin beds, something I was able to request via the Princess app before my cruise. Separating the beds gave us even more walking space in the middle of the room.
The beds were exceptionally comfortable. When you turn the lights off in an inside cabin, the room is pitch black. The darkness combined with comfy beds and the gentle rocking of our ship meant we got a wonderful night of sleep every night of the cruise.
Next to the beds were two nightstands with two storage drawers. The bottom of the nightstands was a motion-activated light that turned on when we would get out of bed or walk around the cabin at night. This helped to avoid running into furniture when walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night, which was a nice touch.
Across from the beds was a large desk and vanity space. Whether you need to browse the internet at the desk or do your makeup in front of the mirror, having a place to sit is helpful, and this space was perfect for what we needed.
At the desk was one European-style outlet and one North American-style outlet. Because this cabin was built in 2013, I expected there to be more outlet space, so I was a little disappointed with the limited outlet availability. I was glad I packed a European outlet adapter so I could take advantage of both outlets.
Related: Cruise Packing List: What to Pack for a Cruise
This area had four drawers which were convenient for storing items I would need easy access to, such as my daypack or electronics.
There was also a mini fridge in the cabin, and although we did not use this much during our cruise, it was occasionally useful for keeping water bottles cool.
Above the desk was a television that offered free movies and live TV. Not all cruise lines offer free movies on the stateroom televisions, so this was a great perk of cruising on Princess. You could also order complimentary room service from the TV, which we took advantage of several times during our week onboard.
Finally, at the edge of the desk are three additional shelves. A full-length mirror is on the adjacent wall.
Separated by the wall behind the desk is a “walk-in” closet with an impressive amount of storage space. In this area are two floor-to-ceiling closets perfect for hanging clothes like dresses and suits.
Across from those closets is more shelving, some of which is located behind a closet door. This is also where you’ll find the cabin's safe where you can store valuables like your passport and wallet.
Compared to many of the interior cabins I’ve stayed in on other cruise ships, the Royal Princess had far more storage. There was almost too much storage in the room—we didn’t even use around half of the closet space!
The cabin’s bathroom was accessed through this closet area, and it was a standard cruise ship bathroom. It was small yet had everything you needed: a shower, toilet, sink, and shelving.
Related: Why an inside cabin is the best choice for a cruise
Inside the shower was a container of body wash and a separate container of shampoo, and next to the sink was liquid hand soap and lotion.
Attached to the wall were three large shelves perfect for storing toiletries, hair products, a toothbrush, and makeup.
Overall, while my tiny inside room on the Royal Princess was not as luxurious as a large suite or even a balcony cabin, I found it to be perfect for my weeklong stay onboard.
While on a cruise vacation, I never spend much time in my cabin anyway, so I prefer allocating my budget elsewhere, whether to shore excursions, drinks, or specialty dining. While onboard, I usually only visited my room to sleep, shower, or change, so I spent the majority of my time elsewhere.
When choosing which type of cabin to book for a Princess cruise to Alaska, many guests will book a balcony cabin so they can enjoy Alaska’s views from the comfort of their own room. While this is certainly a nice way to see Alaska, you shouldn’t be deterred from booking the cheapest inside room.
There are more than enough public places on the ship to watch Alaska’s scenery outside your cabin, whether from the buffet, pool deck, or lounge.
I have no regrets about booking the cheapest cruise cabin to Alaska on the Royal Princess. It was arguably the most well-designed interior cabin I’ve stayed in thus far on a cruise ship, and it had everything I needed for my stay onboard.
Jenna DeLaurentis
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while at port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
