Part 1 - How To Choose Cabin

Planning a Mediterranean cruise vacation involves many decisions. One of the most difficult is choosing your cabin type and location. Looking at Mediterranean cruise ship layouts and decks online or in brochures, one of the first things I always notice is the many different cabin categories. Sometimes there are over 20 different categories on a ship! How does one go about choosing the perfect cabin for their budget and lifestyle?

Compared with Mediterranean cruise lines 40 years ago, we can now have a wonderful time in an inside cabin on the lowest level. However, I found a long time ago that having an outside cabin with a window, or better yet a balcony, makes the cruise experience much better and more enjoyable. Sitting on the balcony with a good book or just being able to step outside and breathe in the sea air helps differentiate cruising from a resort vacation.

Although many people recommend to new cruisers that they book the cheapest inside cabin since "they won't be spending much time in there anyway", that's not really true for everyone. If you are on a 7-day or longer cruise, you will have days at sea that you might want to spend relaxing in your room, watching a TV-movie, or taking a nap.

On a Mediterranean cruise ship, your cabin is the one place you can get away from everything and everybody. I think selecting a cabin type is as personal as deciding where to cruise and which ship to cruise on. Everyone is different, and what is not important to one person might well be important to you. Price is certainly a consideration, but if your vacation time is limited, you might be willing to pay more to get a cabin better suited to your lifestyle. The best advice is to be informed about cruise ship cabins and make the right decision for you.

Types of Mediterranean Cruise Ship Cabins

The price of a Mediterranean cruise ship cabin or stateroom (the terms are interchangeable) is dependent on its size, layout, and location. Cabins on large mainstream Mediterranean cruise ships are often advertised as standard inside, ocean view, balconied, or suite. The smallest cabins on luxury lines are much larger than those on mainstream lines and are either ocean view or balconied, making the quality of accommodations one of the biggest differences between cruise lines. Cabin and balcony size and cabin location can vary significantly within the same price range on any ship.

Lets continue our discussion on the next article. Have great cabin and enjoy your Mediterranean cruise!