It’s not uncommon for cruise ships to completely sell out, but what happens when you book the cheapest and last available cabin?
I did just that on my recent Carnival cruise. After coming across a cheap cruise fare aboard Carnival Firenze just two weeks before departure, I couldn’t pass up the last-minute getaway. At just $846 total, or $423 per person, it was a fantastic deal for a 4-night cruise.
The low fare came with one caveat: I booked one of the last available cabins onboard—an interior guarantee room. Although the cabin promised basics like a bed and private bathroom, I didn’t have the highest expectations.
Plus, the guarantee cabin meant I could not choose my exact stateroom location on the ship; it would be assigned to me from a selection of "leftover" cabins that had not been booked.
In summary, the cards were not in my favor. Not only would my cabin be small and dark with no windows, but I risked being assigned a cabin in an unfavorable location, such as above a loud public area or in the front of the ship.
Let’s take a look inside my basic Carnival cruise cabin to see what it was really like.
Four days before my cruise, I felt nervous without an assigned room
I’ve booked over a dozen guarantee cabins on cruise ships, but I’ve always been assigned a room shortly after booking. As my Carnival Firenze cruise approached, I was nervous without a room number.
While very rare, there have occasionally been instances where cruise lines have overbooked certain sailings. More often than not, passengers with unassigned guarantee cabins are bumped from the cruise.
With less than a week to go before embarkation day, my anxiety about the possibility of this scenario increased. Fortunately, I received my guarantee cabin assignment four days before the sail date.
I was assigned cabin #10209, an ambulatory accessible interior cabin in the front of the ship. Due to the accessibility features, I expected the room to be somewhat larger than a typical inside room.
The cabin's location had me worried, however, and I hoped I wouldn’t feel seasick in the very front of the ship.
Read more: How to avoid cruise motion sickness
My cabin had weird design elements. It appeared dated despite the ship’s recent launch
Boarding Carnival Firenze, I was excited to enter my cabin for the first time. I didn’t expect anything fancy with my windowless room, but I couldn’t wait to unpack my belongings and rest after a busy embarkation process.
Carnival Firenze was originally built for Costa Cruises, Carnival’s Italian brand, but was transferred to Carnival Cruise Line in 2024. Because of this, passengers can expect an Italian theme throughout the ship, including in their cabins.
Despite the promise of Italian style, my initial impression of the cabin was that it appeared dated. The room’s color scheme and design choices, from the bathroom tiles to the funky carpet, felt out of place for a cruise ship that launched in 2021.
Aside from the carpet and tile, the room had a large print of Florence, Italy that covered almost the entire back wall. I appreciated the artwork in the otherwise simple cabin, but I found it quite odd that the picture was off-center.
The design choices didn’t negatively impact my cruise, but I expected the room to look more modern.
There were two twin beds. They were comfortable, but the cabin’s location made it difficult to sleep
Some cruisers may scoff at the idea of cruising in an interior cabin, but you can’t argue with the fact that they lead to a great night’s sleep.
The lack of natural light combined with the gentle rocking of the ship typically leaves me feeling well-rested.
My Carnival Firenze cabin had two twin beds. Although I found my bed comfortable, the cabin’s forward location was prone to movement.
The ship encountered significant waves during our first night onboard, and I could barely sleep with the intense rocking.
This isn’t the fault of Carnival, of course, but cruising in an unfavorable location was a risk I took when booking a cheap guarantee room. Next time, I might pick a more central cabin location.
Storage was limited, making it challenging to unpack
Most modern cruise ships incorporate abundant storage into their cabin designs, but my Carnival Firenze cabin fell short in this regard. I found storage limited throughout the room.
It’s possible the lack of storage was a result of the ambulatory accessibility features in the room, and perhaps a regular interior cabin would have offered better storage. Nonetheless, I was disappointed in the storage options.
First, the two closets were extremely narrow and comprised almost entirely of hanging space.
There were four small drawers in only one of the closets and no shelves in either. With just over a dozen hangers per closet, I found it difficult for my cabinmate and me to adequately unpack all of our clothes.
The desk had little storage, too. Many cruise cabins incorporate spacious drawers and shelves in this area, but my desk had just two shallow drawers, one of which was taken up by the cabin’s hair dryer.
The lack of storage meant I lived out of my suitcase for the majority of the sailing, and I seemed to always be tripping over my belongings.
After taking nearly thirty cruises, this cabin had some of the most lackluster storage options yet.
Read more: Top 25 cruise cabin hacks to improve your stateroom's functionality
One positive of the cabin was the huge bathroom
Because my cabin was an accessible room, the bathroom was drastically larger than those in most interior cabins.
There was no step to enter the bathroom or shower like in a regular interior room, and there were features like grab bars and a shower bench in the bathroom, too.
The spacious bathroom made it easier to get ready and change in the area compared to most interior staterooms.
My cabin wasn’t great, but I didn’t really care
My Carnival Firenze cabin was certainly nothing to write home about. The decor was outdated, storage was limited, and the forward location was prone to movement.
Despite these faults, I don’t regret booking the room. If I came across another last-minute cruise deal with only interior guarantee cabins available, I wouldn’t hesitate to book the cruise.
Most cruise cabins are nothing more than a place to sleep, shower, and change.
On my short cruise, I hardly spent any time in the stateroom. Instead, I attended activities and events around the ship, whether braving the ropes course or participating in a game show, and I explored my itinerary’s two ports of call.
For $423 per person, I didn't mind sacrificing cabin aesthetics and storage for the great deal. Considering the price included my cruise fare, food, entertainment, transportation, port fees, and taxes for a 4-night cruise, it offered an impressive value.
Even though my Carnival Firenze cabin was nothing special, it was still a comfortable place to call home for my fun-filled cruise vacation.
Read more: When is the best time to book a cruise?
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 in port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
