Picking the right location for your cabin on a cruise ship can make a big difference to your cruise experience, this guide explains how a ships movement in rough seas and noise from the engines can be minimised by careful cabin selection...
Some basic facts regarding cruise ship accommodation
The layout of any cruise ship follows a similar pattern when it comes to accommodation. The uppermost decks are reserved for bars, restaurants and leisure facilities like the gym, spas and pool area, these decks enjoy the best overall views due to thier height but also suffer from the most movement when sailing in rougher seas, as you move down the decks the ships movement lessens as do the views from the ship which are not as far reaching and in rough seas the windows on onside cabins can be subject to heavy sea spray.
The cheapest cabins are internal cabins meaning that they are found running along the centre of the deck with no external window, although they often have a curtain on one wall to give the impression that there is a window behind.
On the lowest guest accommodation decks cabins with windows will be porthole windows because these are basically 'sea proof' and can withstand waves hitting them with force. Classically you will find one or two decks with portholes and then on the third deck the outside cabins are fitted with a 'picture' windows, basically much larger normal looking window which is sealed against the sea and all weather but being higher up the ship is never subject to actual waves hitting it.
Above this level you tend to get what is known as the 'promenade deck' which is the deck on which passengers can walk around the whole circumference of the ship. On this deck there will normally be cabins which are set back from the walkway and these cabins often have opening doors onto this deck, these are called 'terrace cabins'. To maintain privacy for the guests of these cabins they are fitted with one way privacy glass (mirrored). Moving up the decks higher again you tend to find what are referred to as 'lounge' decks housing bars, shops and restaurants and above this level (generally above level 5 or 6) you reach the balcony cabins.
These cabins need to be high enough so that under no circumstances could rough seas ever hit them since they are on the outside of the ship and of course have a large opening door into the cabin space.
Rather like in a highrise building on land you will find the cheaper cabins on the lowest decks in a cruise ship.
The layout of any cruise ship follows a similar pattern when it comes to accommodation. The uppermost decks are reserved for bars, restaurants and leisure facilities like the gym, spas and pool area, these decks enjoy the best overall views due to thier height but also suffer from the most movement when sailing in rougher seas, as you move down the decks the ships movement lessens as do the views from the ship which are not as far reaching and in rough seas the windows on onside cabins can be subject to heavy sea spray.
The cheapest cabins are internal cabins meaning that they are found running along the centre of the deck with no external window, although they often have a curtain on one wall to give the impression that there is a window behind.
On the lowest guest accommodation decks cabins with windows will be porthole windows because these are basically 'sea proof' and can withstand waves hitting them with force. Classically you will find one or two decks with portholes and then on the third deck the outside cabins are fitted with a 'picture' windows, basically much larger normal looking window which is sealed against the sea and all weather but being higher up the ship is never subject to actual waves hitting it.
Above this level you tend to get what is known as the 'promenade deck' which is the deck on which passengers can walk around the whole circumference of the ship. On this deck there will normally be cabins which are set back from the walkway and these cabins often have opening doors onto this deck, these are called 'terrace cabins'. To maintain privacy for the guests of these cabins they are fitted with one way privacy glass (mirrored). Moving up the decks higher again you tend to find what are referred to as 'lounge' decks housing bars, shops and restaurants and above this level (generally above level 5 or 6) you reach the balcony cabins.
These cabins need to be high enough so that under no circumstances could rough seas ever hit them since they are on the outside of the ship and of course have a large opening door into the cabin space.
Rather like in a highrise building on land you will find the cheaper cabins on the lowest decks in a cruise ship.
Typical cruise ship cabin, engine room and thruster layout
How to pick the best location for your cabin on a cruise ship..
Things to consider:
In terms to noise it is useful to understand that in most ships the engine room is located towards the back of the ship and in the lower decks below the crew accomodation deck, roughly in the last third of a cruise ship.
Remember that as well as having main engines (most cruise ships will have four or more main engines but normally run on two at anytime) there are also side thrusters located at each side of the ship (port and starboard), front and back. The side thrusters allow the ship to be maneuvered in and out of very tight spots coming in and out of ports.
Because cruise ships generally sail overnight and then dock early in the morning ready for guests to explore after breakfast if your cabin is located a lower deck towards the front or rear of the ship you may well be disturbed early in the morning if the thrusters are in use. Guest cabins are generally only disturbed by the rear (stern) side thrusters because the front (bow) thrusters simply because in most cruise ships guest accommodation is kept well behind the front of the ship (forecastle) with this area being reserved for crew.
Things to consider:
- Access to restaurants, bars and amenities
- Distance to nearest lift
- Proximity to noise from the main engines and side thrusters used when getting into and out of port
- Amount of movement your cabin may experience in rough seas
In terms to noise it is useful to understand that in most ships the engine room is located towards the back of the ship and in the lower decks below the crew accomodation deck, roughly in the last third of a cruise ship.
Remember that as well as having main engines (most cruise ships will have four or more main engines but normally run on two at anytime) there are also side thrusters located at each side of the ship (port and starboard), front and back. The side thrusters allow the ship to be maneuvered in and out of very tight spots coming in and out of ports.
Because cruise ships generally sail overnight and then dock early in the morning ready for guests to explore after breakfast if your cabin is located a lower deck towards the front or rear of the ship you may well be disturbed early in the morning if the thrusters are in use. Guest cabins are generally only disturbed by the rear (stern) side thrusters because the front (bow) thrusters simply because in most cruise ships guest accommodation is kept well behind the front of the ship (forecastle) with this area being reserved for crew.
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Movement:
Modern cruise ships are actually quite stable in rough seas and they are fitted with equipment which helps them minimize movement such as stabiliser fins which can be extended out from both the bow and stern (front and back) on both sides for several metres. These make a significant difference to any unwanted movement out at sea but because they are large they have to be retracted when a ship is coming into port, hence why you might of experienced a sudden increase in a ships movement when it comes into berth. |
Cruise ship stabiliser fin
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Ships actually experience six different types of movement (Surge, Sway, Heave, Roll, Pitch and Yaw) but for simplicity there are only two which we need to consider, they are the 'pitch' which is the up and down of the ship as it moves forward, and the 'roll' which is the sidewards movement.
The most stable position in a ship will be in the centre at its lowest point, however since this is below the waterline and with no windows it would not make a great cabin space! However following this logic the most stable guest cabins will be the interior cabins on the lowest decks (deck one) in midship, this position will experience the lowest amount of both pitch and roll.
As you move away from midship towards either the front or rear of the ship the amount of pitch increases and this peaks at the very back of the ship (note there are not normally any cabins located in the front section of a ship, the area known as the forecastle).
Cabins located on the outside of the ship experience the most roll (of course this includes every cabin with a window or balcony!)
The higher up the ship you go the greater is the effect of both pitch and roll.
So taking all of this into consideration if having a window or balcony is not on your required list then you should go for an interior cabin, midship on the lowest deck possible assuming you wanted the least amount of movement possible.
Assuming like most guests an outside view is essential and ideally outside space with fresh air then again stick to the midship area but you should be fine going up to the higher decks if you wish a more premium cabin/suite.
If you would like to explore the latest cruise deals on sailings from the UK then we would recommend both Fred.Olsen and Ambassador Cruises, both offer fantastic value cruise deals on smaller fully stabilised ships. Ambassador tend to offer the lowest prices for cruising while Fred.Olsen offer a slighter higher quality service but both cruise lines sail with very similar vessels.
Fred Olsen runs a small fleet of just three fully stabilised cruise ships and are consistently voted best for guest experience and recommended by Good Housekeeping in the UK, with most guests returning time and time again they represent one of the best value cruise lines operating out of the UK.
The most stable position in a ship will be in the centre at its lowest point, however since this is below the waterline and with no windows it would not make a great cabin space! However following this logic the most stable guest cabins will be the interior cabins on the lowest decks (deck one) in midship, this position will experience the lowest amount of both pitch and roll.
As you move away from midship towards either the front or rear of the ship the amount of pitch increases and this peaks at the very back of the ship (note there are not normally any cabins located in the front section of a ship, the area known as the forecastle).
Cabins located on the outside of the ship experience the most roll (of course this includes every cabin with a window or balcony!)
The higher up the ship you go the greater is the effect of both pitch and roll.
So taking all of this into consideration if having a window or balcony is not on your required list then you should go for an interior cabin, midship on the lowest deck possible assuming you wanted the least amount of movement possible.
Assuming like most guests an outside view is essential and ideally outside space with fresh air then again stick to the midship area but you should be fine going up to the higher decks if you wish a more premium cabin/suite.
If you would like to explore the latest cruise deals on sailings from the UK then we would recommend both Fred.Olsen and Ambassador Cruises, both offer fantastic value cruise deals on smaller fully stabilised ships. Ambassador tend to offer the lowest prices for cruising while Fred.Olsen offer a slighter higher quality service but both cruise lines sail with very similar vessels.
Fred Olsen runs a small fleet of just three fully stabilised cruise ships and are consistently voted best for guest experience and recommended by Good Housekeeping in the UK, with most guests returning time and time again they represent one of the best value cruise lines operating out of the UK.
When deciding which cabin grade your budget will stretch too it might be helpful to know the average price difference between the different cabin grades...the following table shows the different grades starting with the cheapest interior and windowless cabin and then moving up the decks to the more spacious and luxurious options...
Cabin Type |
Additional % cost above preceding grade |
Deck |
Interior |
cheapest |
decks 1-3 |
Porthole Window |
20% |
deck 1 |
Picture window |
10% |
decks 2-3 |
Terrace |
30% |
deck 4 |
Balcony |
25% |
deck 6 & up |
