When planning your cruise, one of the most important decisions you'll have to make is what kind of stateroom category you want to book. The cheapest option is usually a standard interior room. These no-frill cabins have no natural light and are often the smallest rooms onboard. Does that mean that interior cruise rooms are bad, though?
Whether you're cruising on a budget or simply want to stretch your vacation dollars even further, interior staterooms are practical choices for many travelers. At the end of the day, whether you're staying in an interior room or balcony, you will have access to the same amenities across the ship, including the main pool, dining room, entertainment venues, and more.
Plus, they're equipped with the same basic amenities as other standard cabins, including an ensuite bathroom, television, closet, mini-fridge, vanity area with mirror, and safe.
Depending on your personal preferences, you might find that interior cabins aren't suitable for your cruise vacation. On the other hand, they could meet your needs as a traveler who simply wants to board a ship and spend more time out and about!
Read more: 10 reasons you should book an interior room on your next cruise
Cons of staying in an interior room
Those who love natural light might think interior cruise rooms are bad
Interior cabins are windowless, meaning that if all the lights are turned off, your room will be pitch black. Guests staying in an inside stateroom won't be able to wake up and look at the passing ocean or be mesmerized by the beauty of a new port of call from the comfort of their cabin.
A common solution is to purchase a sunrise alarm clock or nightlight. With a sunrise clock, you will be awoken each morning by gradual simulated sunlight, rather than a dark room, at the time of your choosing. Typically, the light increases over the span of around thirty minutes.
One pro to a dark room, however, is that you will sleep like a baby. There will not be any type of light to disrupt your sleep cycle, and you can go to bed without the sun waking you up earlier than you'd like.
Whether you choose to get a sunrise lamp or not, you're never far from fresh air and sunlight. The ship's buffet is full of windows, and some even have al fresco seating. You can enjoy your cup of coffee outdoors each morning while watching the ship sail into port!
Please note that we have linked an Amazon item above, which contains an affiliate link. The affiliate link costs you nothing extra, but Cruise.Blog will make a small commission if you purchase the item through the link.
Interior rooms are usually the smallest rooms onboard
Interior rooms on cruise ships tend to fall somewhere between 145 and 200 square feet; however, the majority are less than 180, even on the newest ships at sea.
On Carnival Celebration, interior rooms are 158 square feet, while ocean view rooms measure a whopping 85 square feet more, totaling 243 square feet. Even inside cabins onboard Wonder of the Seas are relatively tiny, as they come in around 179 square feet.
Balcony staterooms have the most space out of all standard cabins. In addition to interior living space, they have a private verandah. Referring back to Wonder of the Seas, balcony cabins onboard have 182 square feet of interior space, as well as a 50 square foot balcony, meaning that the total square footage is about 232.
Read more: Your really dumb cruise ship cabin questions answered (2024)
If you suffer from motion sickness, you will not be able to have easy access to the horizon or fresh air
While it might seem counterintuitive, when you begin to feel ill on a cruise ship due to seasickness, staring at the horizon can help, as it will help you regain a sense of balance. Another tip is to simply get some fresh air.
Those staying in an interior room will have to leave their stateroom to navigate to a public area, rather than opening their balcony door or staring out of the window.
Of course, even if you splurge on a higher-category cabin, you'll want to ensure that you have other remedies on hand, such as Bonine/Dramamine, an acupressure band, or peppermint tea.
Read more: How to avoid cruise motion sickness
Pros of staying in an interior room
Inside cabins are the cheapest stateroom category
I'm someone who loves saving money whenever I can, so I find myself navigating toward interior staterooms more often than not. Since they provide the same basic amenities, they're no less comfortable than ocean view or balcony cabins.
Plus, I love being able to splurge on cruise add-ons, like drink packages, shore excursions, and Wi-Fi. Personally, I think add-ons can make a cruise far more memorable than the stateroom.
Sometimes, a cheaper room simply means that I'm able to cruise more. The more time I can spend on a ship, the better!
Not all inside cabins lack views
Despite a major con of inside rooms being that there's no view, that is not always the case! Some ships have interior rooms with windows that overlook the ship. Carnival Glory, for instance, has "Interior with Picture Window," as well as those with ocean view portholes that are technically part of the interior category!
Both rooms are more costly than standard interior rooms; however, they're less expensive than ocean view or balcony rooms and may satisfy your need for a little bit of natural light without cutting into your add-on funds.
Select Royal Caribbean ships even have virtual balconies, which are 80-inch LED televisions that stretch from floor to ceiling. They provide live HD views from outside the cruise via cameras that are mounted to the stern and stem of the ship.
Families can save money on multiple staterooms when booking two or more interior rooms versus two or more balconies
While putting a family of four or five in a single cabin will be cheaper than booking two staterooms, it's likely that you'll be frustrated by the end of the week, as standard cabins aren't the most spacious. With everyone's stuff scattered in the room, you will be tripping over someone's shoes, another person's beach bag, etc.
Instead, consider getting two interior cabins. This will not only give you extra living space, but you will also have two bathrooms, which will come in handy when it comes to getting ready each morning and before dinner after spending long days ashore.
A 7-day cruise onboard Carnival Celebration for four in an interior stateroom in July 2025 costs around $4,300, whereas the cost of two interior rooms is $4,600. While you will be giving up a personal verandah, you will gain over 150 square feet of living space to spread out in for the duration of your sailing.
Read more: Balcony cruise ship rooms: are they worth the splurge?
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
