Cruise Ship Cabins – Inside or Outside, Which Should You Book?

If you are considering booking a cruise, you may be wondering which is better – an inside or outside cabin.

I’ve been on over seventy cruises to date and have cruised in various inside and outside (oceanview) cabins.

In this article, we will look at the differences between the cabin grades so that you can find the best cabin to suit you.

What Is The Difference Between an Inside and Outside Cabin on a Cruise Ship?

Inside cabins are located on the inside of a cruise ship and have no windows.

Outside cabins, often known as oceanview cabins, are almost identical in size and amenities but have either a porthole or picture window.

Balcony cabins are usually slightly bigger than both and provide a small private outside space.

Price is usually the primary factor that makes passengers choose an inside cabin over an outside. That said, there are lots of other benefits to booking an inside cabin.

Below is a video about of my favourite inside cabins onboard P&O’s Iona:

There are some cruise ships, mostly luxury cruise ships, that don’t have any inside or ocean-view cabins at all. This includes lines like Emerald, Oceania, Viking and Saga.

Price Comparison

If you are looking at booking a cruise one of the main things that you will notice is that there is a difference in price between inside and outside cabins.

The price difference of an outside cabin compared to an inside cabin can sometimes be very small – or it can be considerable.

It depends a lot on the design of the cruise ship that you’ll be travelling on. Older cruise ships built in the 90s and earlier tended to be primarily ocean-view cabins with very few balconies.

Modern cruise ships are built with as many balcony cabins as possible because this type of cabin is very popular.

Cheaper Outside Cabins

One way to get an oceanview cabin for a cheaper price is to look for ‘obstructed view’ oceanview cabins.

This means that there is something in the way of the window. It could be a lifeboat, a piece of equipment, or some other part of the ship.

Obstructed view oceanview cabins can be a great way to get an oceanview cabin at a price which is often very similar to an inside cabin.

If you are able to get an obstructed view oceanview cabin this can be a great way to get some daylight in your cabin.

Have a look at real-life examples of obstructed-view cabins in the post below:

The Truth About Obstructed View Cabins – (Photo Examples & How to Find One)

Location Comparison

Inside Cabins

Inside cabins are located on almost every deck of a cruise ship.

You’ll find them on low decks, such as decks 4 or 5, and high decks, such as 15 or 16. The crew stays mostly in inside cabins located on decks below the passenger cabins.

You’ll also find inside cabins right from the front of the cruise ship to the back. The majority of inside cabins go across the ship, meaning that you are lying facing one side rather than the front or back.

There are exceptions to this, of course, but generally speaking, this is how most inside cabins are.

Look at the smallest inside cabins I have stayed in in the video below:

Do Inside Cabins Have Windows?

Inside cabins do not have windows.

They are usually located in the centre of the ship and have no access to natural light. On some cruise ships, you will find a digital screen used as a ‘virtual balcony’, but inside cabins do not have any physical windows. 

Have a look at my “Virtual balcony cabin” on Anthem of the Seas here:

Outside Cabins

The locations of outside cabins are often more limited than inside cabins. Many modern cruise ships will have oceanview cabins lower down on the ship with balconies higher up.

On older ships, you may find that you have more choices of ocean-view cabins.

It’s common for cruise ships to have some cabins with small porthole-sized windows and larger windows on the decks above, which are square-shaped.

The square windows are great to sit by if you are like me and enjoy looking out at the ocean.

Do Outside/Oceanview Cabin Windows Open?

On almost all cruise ships the windows in the outside/oceanview cabins do not open.

On a few small, older cruise ships you may find the odd cabin in a weird location that has a window that opens slightly – but this is far from the norm.

Windows in outside/oceanview cabins do not open for safety reasons and cannot be opened. 

Size Comparison

The actual square footage of inside and outside cabins are almost identical.

You usually find that balcony cabins are bigger, but not by a lot. I wouldn’t choose a cabin grade based completely on the square footage.

If you do need more room a lot of cruise lines offer ‘family’ cabins. You may find that the cruise ship that you’re sailing on has family balcony cabins available as well as standard balconies. These are usually bigger – but more expensive.

Amenities Comparison

You’ll usually find that the things in inside cabins and outside cabins are almost exactly identical.

You’ll usually find the same pieces of furniture, but they may be organised slightly differently. That said, some inside cabins and outside cabins are EXACTLY the same and the only difference is the window!

On some cruise lines, you may find extra perks for booking a higher grade, such as tea and coffee-making facilities in balcony cabins but not inside cabins.

Oceanview cabins very rarely have any extra perks.

One advantage of ocean view cabins is they are often lower down in the ship, meaning that if the sea is rough, you will feel less movement. This helps if you are prone to seasickness.

Find out more about that here:

What is The Best Cabin Location on a Cruise For Avoiding Seasickness? (I’ve Tried Them All!)

How Many People Do Inside and Outside Cabins Hold?

On most cruise ships you’ll be able to have four people in the inside and outside cabins.

The beds may come from the ceiling, as shown below, or a sofa bed may be used.

I’ve stayed in these drop-down beds before and they’re really not too bad. They are probably better suited to children as they are a little short, but I’ve stayed on them without a problem.

The most annoying part is the ladder which seems to be always in the way!

Most cruise ships hold the same number of people whether you choose an inside or outside their cabins. This is definitely worth checking, though. Cruise ships vary a lot.

When I cruised with my parents on P&O’s Iona, three of us shared a cabin. We were upgraded to a conservatory mini-suite. It was very unusual. I slept on a sofa bed, which was remarkably comfortable.

Have a look at that here:

Unusual Examples

On some cruise ships, particularly those owned by Royal Caribbean, you may find ‘interior’ cabins that have a window that looks out into the cruise ship instead of out at the ocean.

These types of cabins are becoming increasingly popular as cruise ships get larger. Some will look into an internal neighbourhood or street where there is no daylight (but artificial lights will be on all of the time).

Others look out onto an area that is open, in which case you will get daylight from this type of cabin.

This cabin type can be a great way to get a discounted window.

I have never stayed in a cabin with a window looking into a central neighbourhood, but I have had an internal balcony cabin on Symphony of the Seas. Have a look at that here:

Benefits of Inside Cabins

There are some really good reasons to book an inside cabin. I often book an inside cabin for the following reasons:

• They are cheap.
  • The saving can often be considerable and I’d prefer to reinvest that saving into an excursion, drinks package, or maybe even another cruise!
• You’ll sleep well.
  • Inside cabins provide the best night’s sleep as they’re SO dark. This can be risky though as without an alarm I think I could sleep for about 16 hours straight!
• You’ll see more of the ship.
  • Booking an inside cabin means you’ll spend more time out and about doing things rather than sitting in your cabin. You’ve paid for the whole ship. You might as well use it.

If you are taking your first cruise, I’d strongly recommend an inside cabin. It’s always better to start with the cheapest cabin – then anything else feels like a treat.

If you start in an outside cabin or a balcony cabin, you might not enjoy returning to being inside so much.

Benefits of Outside (Oceanview) Cabins

I’ve also chosen to cruise in outside cabins on occasion. If the price isn’t much higher than an inside cabin I may decide to treat myself to the upgrade!

• It may not cost much more.
  • You may find that on some ships and itineraries, it’s only a few hundred pounds to upgrade to an ocean-view cabin.
• You’ll have daylight.
  • For me, this is one of the main benefits. Waking up in an inside cabin in the dark means you don’t know if it’s 10 am or 10 pm. It’s very strange!
  • A window means that you’re woken up gently by the daylight instead of the beeping of an alarm.
• A view.
  • You can’t beat waking up and seeing where you are.
  • I wouldn’t recommend watching a sail in/sail away from your cabin though, the windows can get pretty grubby with salt spray so you won’t always have a great view.

In some circumstances outside cabins are definitely a good choice. I choose them primarily for the daylight.

Which is Best/Who Should Book Each Category?

I’d recommend an inside cabin to cruisers on a bargain who don’t mind the lack of daylight.

If your budget allows it, I’d recommend upgrading to an oceanview cabin for those who want daylight and/or a view of where the ship is.

Don’t feel as though you NEED to upgrade, though. Inside cabins are more than fine. They’re a clean place to shower and sleep. That’s really all I need.

I wouldn’t recommend upgrading for any reason other than the window itself. Outside cabins are rarely bigger than inside cabins and don’t normally have any extra perks.

The locations aren’t usually better and everything else is pretty much the same.

Before You Go

Find out about the biggest inside cabin I have ever had, on the older ship P&O Aurora here:

I Paid £50 Extra to Pick my Inside Cabin Because of THIS Feature I’ve Never Seen Before

Find out here about the cheap inside cabin I booked on luxury line Azamara. It had the smallest bathroom I had ever seen!

I Booked The Cheapest Cabin on a LUXURY CRUISE – Azamara Inside Cabin Review