One of the most important things on a cruise is your comfort. And it will also depend on the type of cruise cabin you choose and for sure this choice will influence your budget. So you should know what actually you are buying. Shipboard accommodation differs not only from cruise line to cruise line but more often from ship to ship within a single cruise line. All these depend on when the ship was built, the purpose the ship was built for and the economies of scale for that particular ship.

The price will be influenced also by the age, income, lifestyle of the guests the ship will carry.

Staterooms can vary in size from under 100 square feet (including bathroom) to marvelous garden villas on the top deck at over 5,000 square feet.

The most typical are cabins under 150 square feet compact, which are hard to call spacious.

Among the largest cabins are Carnival Cruise Lines that start in the range of 185 square feet.

The staterooms which are above the 200 square foot size usually have mini-suites and suites and private balconies where you can enjoy your the view of the sea.

Your cabin choice also may depend upon the number of people in the cabin. Some cabins house only two people when others being of the same size can accommodate three or four persons. Consider such accommodation as third and or fourth guest in a cabin usually gets a significant discount. But at the same time it can be rather uncomfortable.

Such cabins have upper berths which taken out of the wall or come down from the ceiling. Fitting three or four passengers into a standard size cabin may also be done where a sofa bed is available and/or the cruise line may provide a bunk, which is brought at night and then during the day removed from the room.

The best variant is to look for a cabin size at least 170 square feet or more. Most staterooms vary only by size, leveling, decoration and facilities but if these differences are important to you, ask about them.

Today the lowest accommodation will have private bathroom facilities (a shower but no tub). Telephone service and a color television are in the list too. Some have refrigerators. If these items are important to you, make sure they are on your checklist.

Regardless of the cabin type you are choosing, the position of the cabin may be critical to you!

Choosing a Stateroom >>