Cruisers either love or hate windowless, inside cabins. I fall somewhere in between—they aren't my favorite stateroom category, but if I find a good enough deal, I won't consider upgrading to a cabin with a view.
Recently, I sailed in an interior stateroom on one of Royal Caribbean's oldest ships. My 5-night voyage on Vision of the Seas departed from Baltimore, Maryland, and took us to Bermuda for an overnight stay.
As Bermuda was a new-to-me port, I wasn't concerned with the ship's condition or stateroom, and when I found a deal for just $698.38, including port fees and gratuities, I didn't hesitate to book the sailing, despite cruising in a room with no windows.
While there were some obvious signs of wear and tear, which was expected on a 26-year-old ship, I was surprised by how comfortable my interior cabin was. My stateroom, 3542, measured just 132 square feet but felt surprisingly spacious. I attribute this to the fact that we had the beds separated. Had we kept them together, I assume the space would have felt more cramped.
The stateroom was designed to maximize efficiency, with a small loveseat, cozy twin-sized beds, ample storage, and a compact but functional bathroom—though I wasn't a fan of the clingy shower curtain.
While I missed natural light illuminating the room each morning, the tiny inside cabin had perks. In addition to saving money on my cruise fare, my stateroom's location at the forward of the ship on Deck 3 meant I had easy access to the Centrum and its surrounding amenities, including Cafe Latte-tudes, the Main Dining Room, Masquerade Theater, and Casino.
The highlight of the trip, of course, was Bermuda. The island's colorful buildings, friendly residents, and opportune snorkeling made up for my windowless accommodation. Instead of spending time in my little cave, I explored Hamilton's pastel buildings, ate local cuisine, and saw two shipwrecks during a snorkeling excursion.
Even on sea days, I limited time spent in my cabin. Instead of staying hidden away, I opted to lounge in the adults-only Solarium, just steps away from Park Cafe and the complimentary sauna and steam room.
After long days spent taking advantage of the ship's amenities or venturing around Bermuda, returning to my snug cabin was comforting.
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No issues with storage
For our 5-night cruise, my friend and I were pleasantly surprised with the allocated storage space. Between the nightstand's drawers, dresser, and closet, there was enough room for our clothes, toiletries, shoes, and other miscellaneous items. It was easy to stay organized, too!
By the second day, the loveseat acted as our catch-all space, collecting everything from beach bags to towels, dirty clothing, and more. We also appreciated the space on the nightstands, where we kept water bottles, books, and sunglasses to help clear the vanity of clutter.
In terms of wear and tear, it was disappointing to discover one of the nightstand's drawers was missing a back panel.
As such, it remained empty throughout the cruise out of fear that something may tumble out unexpectedly. Still, there was enough space to neatly organize and store our belongings despite this minor inconvenience.
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Absent mini-fridge and lack of outlets
Perhaps the most frustrating part of my cabin experience, other than the bathroom's shower curtain, was the lack of outlets and noticeably missing mini-fridge. Most cruise ship cabins have a mini-fridge, so I was taken aback by its absence. While we could have asked our cabin steward for an ice bucket to help chill our wine, it didn't occur to me until we had almost finished our beverages.
The lack of outlets was another minor headache—though I had anticipated this knowing that older cruise ships typically have very few plugs. Thankfully, I had brought a few European adapters, so we took advantage of all four available outlets (two American and two European) by the vanity. I also remembered to bring a portable charger, which was our saving grace when it came to charging our phones bedside at night.
Royal Caribbean doesn't invest much money in updating older staterooms, whereas other cruise lines, like Carnival and Norwegian, typically refresh their older cabins. Consequently, though I much preferred my interior stateroom on Vision of the Seas, my cabin on Carnival Elation, one of Carnival's oldest ships at sea, had more outlets, including USB ports beside the bed.
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Clean bathroom
While the bathroom wasn't as modern as other ships I've sailed on—namely Carnival Celebration, Celebrity Ascent, and Symphony of the Seas—it was functional and served its purpose during our short getaway.
The shower had plenty of hot water, and the pressure was surprisingly good. The showerhead looked like it had been recently replaced, which was a welcome surprise after dealing with a grimy showerhead on Carnival Elation earlier this year. And though I hate shower curtains, it was a minor inconvenience compared to the overall cleanliness of the space. I'd much rather deal with a clingy curtain than a dirty cruise ship bathroom.
The sink area was outfitted with built-in shelving for toiletries, and I appreciated the extra storage underneath the sink for stashing away other misc. items.
However, because I brought a hanging toiletry organizer, most of the bathroom's storage went unused. Since receiving my organizer for Christmas last year, it has become one of my favorite must-have travel products, helping me keep all my toiletries easily accessible and organized.
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Vision of the Seas' onboard experience was surprising
Having sailed on some of the newest cruise ships at sea, I've started exploring older vessels to uncover why they're so popular.
Unfortunately, my overall experience on Carnival Elation was disappointing and made me weary about sailing on Vision of the Seas, as the ships are the same age. After spending 5 nights onboard, however, I was pleasantly surprised by everything Vision offers.
While the cabin wasn't nearly as modern as some of the newer ships at sea, it was comfortable and well-maintained. The room was cleverly designed, with enough storage space for our belongings. Not only that, but I appreciated other thoughtful touches, like the small loveseat and cozy personal reading lights above each bed.
For the price, I wasn't disappointed. Outside of the stateroom, I enjoyed the quality of the food in the Main Dining Room and specialty restaurant Izumi. Plus, the activities were entertaining and engaging. I loved Boogie Wonderland in the main theater, and it's hard not to get competitive during Royal Caribbean's adult-only game show, The Quest.
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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.
