I’ve been lucky enough to have embarked on over a dozen sailings and have stayed in nearly every type of accommodation, from interior staterooms to luxury suites.
When choosing their staterooms, cruisers usually orient toward balcony cabins or suites, which are generally seen as the nicer options onboard. However, I tend to deviate from the pack.
While I won’t say no if a balcony cabin magically falls into my lap, I almost always choose an interior stateroom when booking my sailings for seven key reasons.
In This Article:
An (Irrational) Fear of Going Overboard
Let’s start with my arguably dumbest reason for preferring interior cabins. Ever since I was cruising as a little kid, I have had an intense fear of heights and of falling overboard.
As an adult who lives and breathes cruise news, I now know that it is extremely unlikely to fall off a cruise ship unless someone is behaving recklessly or intentionally jumping – which I would never do.
But as a child, I was convinced that I would somehow sleepwalk overboard without my parents noticing and that would be it for me. (For the record, I have never once sleepwalked in my life.)
Even so, I used to set up “booby traps” in the cabins I shared with my parents so they would hear me if I suddenly developed the nighttime habit and made a beeline for our private balcony.
While I no longer have this fear as a rational adult, I still feel better knowing that this isn’t possible.
Interior Cabins Are Cheaper
Much more reasonably, one of the main reasons I started going for interior cabins is because they usually cost less money.
Especially when I first started cruising without my parents as an adult and had to pay my own way, I found it a lot easier to save up for an interior stateroom than it would be for an oceanview or balcony cabin.
For research purposes, I looked at the cost of an 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailing onboard Carnival Celebration that embarks from Miami on August 9, 2025.
At least through our Cruise Hive booking service, interior cabins were $107 per night, while oceanview cabins were $149 per night and balcony cabins were $152.
As an additional example, I looked at a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise onboard Disney Treasure that embarks from Port Canaveral on May 23, 2026.
In this case, the interior cabin cost $434 per night, while the oceanview cabin was $473 and the balcony stateroom was $538.
Even though I pay less for my stateroom, I still got the same experience while “out and about” exploring the cruise ship.
Afterall, where you sleep doesn’t have any impact on the quality of food in the main dining room or the thrill of the water slides on the pool deck.
This also put money back into my pocket that I could actually use to improve my cruising experiences, such as splurging on specialty dining or booking the more expensive shore excursion.
I Don’t Spend Much Time in My Cabin
For people like my parents who will spend hours relaxing on their private balcony taking in the ocean views, it totally makes sense to book a balcony cabin.
But in my case, I am only ever really in my stateroom to change clothes, shower, and sleep.
I am an extremely high energy person who would much rather be exploring everything the cruise ship has to offer, such as onboard thrill rides or production shows and comedy performances.
Even when I sailed to Alaska in the past, which is famous for scenic cruising, I spent more time taking in the sights from the upper decks so that I could interact with other guests at the same time.
Therefore, it just doesn’t make sense for me to pay extra for a balcony cabin since I won’t use this feature enough to make it worth it.
I Don’t Need Much Space
At this stage in my life, I am a married young adult who doesn’t have kids. When I cruise, I am usually only sailing with my husband.
Since it is just the two of us and neither of us normally spend much time in our cabin, we don’t really need a lot of space to be happy while on vacation.
For my bachelorette, which was a weekend cruise onboard Carnival Radiance, I was even content sharing an interior cabin with two other girls (and we did NOT pack light).
Interior Cabins Can Still be Modern and Fun
Especially on the world’s newest cruise ships, the interior cabins are still designed to be modern, fun, and functional.
My all-time favorite interior cabin was onboard Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream. Our stateroom had a “magic porthole,” in which real-time views could be projected and beloved characters would stop by to say hello.
These magic portholes are found on all Disney ships after the original Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.
As another example, Royal Caribbean offers 80-inch virtual balconies that are projected on high definition screens in select inside staterooms.
These can be found onboard Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, and Voyager of the Seas.
I like them because not only are they super cool, but virtual balconies are a great compromise for cruisers who might worry about feeling claustrophobic in a fully enclosed space.
As another example, Virgin Voyages’ Social Insider cabins are a pretty good choice, especially for young adults traveling with friends who may not want to share a bed.
This innovative space is small but functional, with a total of four bunk beds. Two of the bunk beds are hideaways that can also be turned into couches for lounging during the day.
And of course, these are only just a few examples of how cruise ships have made interior spaces inviting, functional, and really quite cool.
I Feel the Motion of the Ocean Less
I very rarely get seasick, but my husband is the type to turn a little green just thinking about the ocean.
Interior cabins generally tend to feel less of the motion because they are closer to the center of the vessel, especially for staterooms that are located midship.
While we still occasionally feel movement, it’s less pronounced in our interior staterooms, which prevents my husband from becoming sick so he can enjoy his time onboard.
Read Also: What NOT to Do When Choosing Your Cruise Cabins
The ship’s movement may also be more pronounced in interior cabins that are closer to the aft or stern of the ship, or if sailing in rough weather.
I Sleep Better at Night
I really do sleep better at night in interior cabins, and it’s not just because of my aforementioned fear of falling overboard.
First, I am someone who really needs complete darkness to stay asleep, and it can be pitch black inside of an interior stateroom pretty much 24/7 if that’s what you like.
In the past, I have actually recommended that my friends and family should pack a night light so they can see when they wake up.
I also have been unlucky in that I’ve had loud neighbors who make lots of noise on their balconies. I’ve found that interior staterooms are a lot quieter, but of course, that is just my unique experience.
Final Thoughts: Are Interior Cabins Right For You?
Every cruise guest is different, so what one person may want from their cruise experience can vary from the next.
If you’re someone who is sailing with a large family or will spend a lot of time in your stateroom, upgrading to a more luxury or spacious cabin may be a worthy investment.
Read Also: What Are the Best Rooms on a Cruise Ship?
But if you’re someone like me who is looking to cruise on a budget and won’t spend much time in your stateroom, then you can save your money or put your funds toward enhancing your vacation in other ways.
Make sure to check out our Cruise Hive booking feature to compare different stateroom categories and prices on a variety of cruise ships the next time you’re looking to set sail.
