Best staterooms on cruise ships: Which cruise lines have the best cabins?

The best cabin location on any given ship might not be the same for everyone.

For instance, the ideal cabin for a light sleeper might be one in the quietest corner of the vessel. But if you care about the view, you might need a completely different spot.

Cruise ship staterooms come in various shapes and sizes and are often spread out all over the place – high, low, to the front, middle and back, to use the, erm, technical terms.

With such a wide variety of cabin locations and types, it is often difficult to narrow down the choices of accommodation on any vessel. Nevertheless, there are some broad categories of cabin locations on cruise ships that are always in high demand due to their locations.

Best stateroom locations on a cruise ship

Midship cabins

These are the cabins you should opt for if you are prone to seasickness.

As the name suggests, midship cabins are located in the centre of the ship. They are at the equivalent of the centre of a teeter-totter, meaning the rocking of the sea wouldn’t get to you as much as it will in a cabin toward the back or the front.

Furthermore, on large ships where activity areas are spread far apart, midship cabins help you be at the centre of everything.

- READ MORE: How to choose the best cabins for your needs -

Cabins at the very back

Think mesmerizing views - that’s what being at the back of the ship is all about. With a cabin at the very back of the ship, you will be guaranteed the best view in the house as you pull away from the port.

Additionally, rear-facing cabins have the best balconies on the ship. The balconies also tend to be larger than on the side-facing cabins.

Another reason why rear-facing balcony cabins make the best cruise ship staterooms is that they feel quiet. As there are fewer balcony cabins at the back of the ship, you don’t hear a lot of noise from your neighbours.

Cabins near the spa

If your ideal holidays include spending hours getting treatments, you might want to get a cabin right near your ship’s spa.

Why? Because walking long distances across a crowded ship in your robe and slippers can be a bit, well, weird.

- READ MORE: The ultimate guide to cruise ship cabins -

Nowadays, cruise lines are increasingly trying to appeal to spa lovers by offering special spa cabins that are not just close to the spa but also come with special spa amenities like upgraded toiletries, plush bathrobes, aromatherapy diffusers, scrub kits, and even yoga mats.

Sometimes, such cabins also offer spa discounts, unlimited spa lounge access and other benefits.

Which cruise lines have the best cabins?

Of course this is a highly subjective question, with some cabins coming tops for some passengers but not for others. We recommend doing thorough research when picking your cruise line if your cabin is of great importance to you.

These are just a few of the advantages of bagging cabins with three of the main cruise lines:

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival ships feature beautiful cabins with longer-than-normal balconies. Spend your time watching flying fish and dolphins in the water if you’re in the right corners of the world. Most cabins have twin beds that can be converted into queen-sized beds, plenty of storage space, a living area, and more. Some staterooms also feature an upper Pullman-style bunk bed to accommodate a third guest.

A few of Carnival’s Australia-based ships have spa cabins that offer private access to the Cloud9 spa, with unlimited use of the thermal suite and thalassotherapy pool.

- READ MORE: World's largest ship Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas sets sail -

Royal Caribbean International

The cabins on Royal Caribbean International ships are very comfortable. Whether you prefer an inside cabin with a view or a room that can fit your whole family, you will find one onboard any Royal Caribbean ship. All rooms feature enough storage, bathroom facilities and a bar fridge.

Celebrity Cruises

While the average size of a cruise ship stateroom of most cruise lines ranges at 13 square metres, Celebrity Cruises has inside cabins that are 17 square metres. They also come with a sitting area, a desk, sofa, alongside other amenities like flat-screen television, mini-bar, private safe, water and wine glasses, etc.