Advice & Tips

Cruising is a wonderful way to travel, a fun vacation that offers so much to see and do.

Today’s cruise ships today are like floating cities with tons of activities, venues and non-stop activities, visiting incredible destinations throughout the world. A lot to choose from.

You booked that cheap inside room, but you’d love to sail in a big ol’ balcony cabin. Is it possible to get a cruise ship cabin upgrade for free? 

“Unfortunately there is no secret password or magic wand that will guarantee an upgraded stateroom without actually paying for one,” says Beci Mahnken, president and CEO of MEI-Travel, and a travel agent with the inside scoop. “Complimentary upgrades are not very common in the current cruise climate.”

You’ve heard the stories of cruisers getting amazing last-minute travel deals on unsold cruise cabins. How do they do it? You don’t know how to tell how many cabins are left on a cruise, let alone determine where to look for deals and discounts.

If you care more about price than picking the perfect cabin or sailing, we’ll share some travel agent insight about how to nab a low price or extra perks if a ship isn’t likely to sail full.

Cruise cabins pack a lot into a small space, but sometimes they fall short of meeting all your needs. Keeping your cruise room organized can especially be a challenge. That’s when you need to get creative and employ a few smart cruise cabin hacks.

Cruisers who prefer natural light will typically choose a balcony or oceanview cabin for their sailing. But how do you decide which cruise room is the best for your family or travel group?

We break down the balcony vs. oceanview cabin debate, so you can pick the perfect cabin category.

Balcony cabins on cruise ships

It's no surprise that balcony cabins are the most popular cruise ship cabin type. People love to have a private veranda where they can read, sip a drink, and gaze out to sea, away from the hubbub of the pool deck. But not all cruise ship balconies are the same – and you might be wondering which is the best room to book.

Whether you’re looking for an extra-large balcony or more amenities in the room attached to that balcony, a little research will reveal which veranda cabins stand out as better than average.

Is it better to book a cabin in the front or back of a cruise ship? Will I get better views on the starboard or port side of the ship? Which deck is best on a cruise ship? 

When you’re faced with choosing one specific cabin among the hundreds (or thousands!) of rooms spread across multiple decks on a giant cruise ship, these questions can be overwhelming. You want the best cruise ship location, but how do you know which room that is if you’ve never been on that ship before?

Cruise travelers who sail roundtrip from a U.S. homeport to the Caribbean, Mexico, or Canada have a choice many international travelers do not: They can travel with or without a passport.

The passport exemption is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that allows cruisers on a “closed-loop” sailing (one that begins and ends at the same U.S. port) to substitute alternative forms of identification, such as a driver’s license and birth certificate, for a pricey passport. 

Not all cruise ship cabins are created equally, and there are a few you might want to skip over when booking a cruise.

Staterooms on a cruise come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and different amenities. Most are perfectly fine, but there are some you shouldn't book depending on your preferences or group size.

Read more: Here's How to Choose a Cruise Cabin