How Big Are Cruise Ship Cabins? Examples Of All Cabin Types

If you’re taking a cruise, you may be wondering about how big cruise ship cabins actually are.

Many first-time cruisers worry about the cabins feeling small and claustrophobic, which is something that I’ve never found to be the case.

I’ve been on multiple cruises, and in this article, we will explore the average sizes of the inside, oceanview, and balcony cabins.

How Big Are Inside Cabins?

The average size of an inside cabin is 167 feet squared (15.7 meters squared).

This varies not only by cruise line but also by ship. Most inside cabins are between 160-180 square feet, with some being as small as 120 ft2 and some as large as 200 ft2.

Below are nine examples of inside cabin sizes. If the cruise ship in question has multiple different grades of inside cabin, an average has been taken.

	Inside Cabin Size (Feet Squared)	Inside Cabin Size (Metres Squared)
Carnival Panorama	185ft²	17m²
Costa Fortuna	185ft²	17m²
Marella Explorer	170ft²	16 m²
MS Westerdam	170-195ft²	17-19m²
Quantum of The Seas	165ft²	15m²
Crown Princess	160ft²	15m²
Adventure of The Seas	150ft²	14m²
Norwegian Bliss	135-200ft²	13-19m²
Norwegian Sky	120ft²	11m²

Find out about the smallest inside cabins I have stayed in in the video below:

How Big Are Outside (Oceanview) Cruise Cabins?

The average size of an outside (oceanview) cabin is 180 feet squared (15 meters squared).

This varies not only by cruise line but also by ship. Most oceanview cabins are between 170-190 square feet, with some being as small as 150 ft² and some as large as 220 ft².

Outside cabin sizes are usually pretty similar to inside cabin sizes. If you are wondering whether you should book an inside or outside cabin, check out this post next:

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

Below are nine examples of oceanview cabin sizes.

	Outside Cabin Size (Feet Squared)	Outside Cabin Size (Metres Squared)
Carnival Panorama	220ft²	20m²
Costa Fortuna	220ft²	21m²
Marella Explorer	185ft²	17m²
MS Westerdam	170-195ft²	17-19m²
Quantum of The Seas	180ft²	17m²
Crown Princess	160-190ft²	15-18m²
Adventure of The Seas	160ft²	15m²
Norwegian Bliss	160ft²	15m²
Norwegian Sky	150ft2	14m2

Find out about the oceanview cabin my parents stayed on on Azamara pursuit here – they loved it:

Azamara Ocean View Cabins – Real Opinions and Review

Oceanview and inside cabins usually have exactly the same amenities, but Oceanview cabins have natural light from the window – either a square window or a porthole.

Find out about my best inside cabin hack if you are booking a cheap inside cabin below. Having no natural light, you can sleep and sleep and sleep in an inside cabin. This handy clock will stop you from doing that:

In An Inside Cabin Or Oceanview, You’ll Typically Find The Following:

• Two single beds which convert into a double bed
  • There are a few ships that have fixed double beds, which cannot be separated, but the majority can be converted.

  • If you get to your cabin and see that the bed isn’t as you’d like, just ask your cabin steward, and they’ll change it for you.

• A sofa bed or Pullman beds. Some inside/oceanview cabins will have a sofa bed but the majority have Pullman beds which come down from the ceiling.

• During the day, Pullman beds are tidied away so that you have more space in the cabin. If you’d like them to be kept down, just ask your cabin steward.

• A bathroom. All cabins have their own private bathrooms, which include, at a minimum, a shower, a toilet, and a sink.
  • The size of bathrooms can vary quite dramatically but they’re usually quite small. They are on a ship after all!

  • That said, as long as they are clean and functional, I think that’s all you need. The bathrooms are located at the corridor end of the cabin. It would be very strange for you to find a window in a cruise ship bathroom.

The only cabin I have stayed in where the beds could not be converted to twins was onboard the Disney Magic. Find out that in the video below:

There is one interesting exception to the standard layout of the cabin bathrooms.

Onboard the Norwegian Epic, you actually have a shower on one side and the toilet on the other, the sink is in the main room, and there’s a curtain to protect your privacy.

This is not typical, but an interesting example. Some people love it. Some hate it!

You’ll also find lots of storage space on most cruise ships.

I stayed in an inside cabin onboard the Marella Explorer, which actually had 16 drawers! I was only on board for three days, so I definitely didn’t need the space, but I appreciated it anyway.

You’ll usually find that you’ll have a wardrobe/closet near the bathroom and usually drawers here, too. On most cruise ships, you’ll find bedside tables and possibly a desk.

One notable exception with very limited storage in the cabin are the Virgin Voyages ships.

Have a look at my “Sea Terrace” cabin onboard Scarlet Lady here:

How Big Are Balcony Cabins on a Cruise Ship?

The average size of a balcony cabin is 197 feet squared (18.2 meters squared).

This varies not only by cruise line but also by ship. The majority of balcony cabins are between 180-200 square feet with some being as small as 150 ft² and some as large as 305 ft².

Below are nine examples of balcony cabin sizes. These are all standard balconies.

	Balcony Cabin Size (Feet Squared)	Balcony Cabin Size (Metres Squared)
Carnival Panorama	185ft²	17m²
Costa Fortuna	185ft²	17m²
Marella Explorer	185ft²	17m²
MS Westerdam	155-305ft²	14-28m²
Quantum of The Seas	200ft²	18m²
Crown Princess	170ft²	16m²
Adventure of The Seas	180ft²	17m²
Norwegian Bliss	175-275ft²	16-26m²
Norwegian Sky	150ft²	14m²

Have a look at my favourite ever standard balcony cabin onboard Norwegian Prima here:

Other Types Of Balcony Cabins

If you do need a balcony cabin with more room a good option is to book what is often called a ‘family’ balcony cabin.

These do cost more than standard balcony cabins but are often much larger and can sometimes hold more passengers.

Another option, if needed, is to book an accessible cabin. Accessible cabins are available for all cabin grades and are considerably larger.

Please only book one if you need it though. It can be difficult for people who need accessible cabins, such as wheelchair users, to book cruises as accessible rooms sell out quickly.

Balcony Cabin Amenities

You’ll find all of the same things that you’ll find in an inside or oceanview cabin in a balcony room.

The decor and style are usually the same. It’ll just be on a slightly larger scale.

In a balcony Cabin, You’ll Find The Following

• A sofa or chairs. Because of the slightly bigger space, you can usually fit in an additional area for sitting.
  • This is great if you want to spend any time in your cabin ordering room service or watching a movie.
• A balcony. The size of the balcony does vary by cruise ship but most usually have room for a couple of chairs and a small table.
  • On some balconies with more space, you may find sun loungers or a hammock, but this isn’t the norm.
• Additional storage space. In balcony cabins, you’ll usually have more storage space than in inside or oceanview cabins. This may be an extra set of drawers or shelves in the wardrobe.

Are Cruise Cabins Claustrophobic?

The majority of people who cruise do not find cruise cabins to be claustrophobic.

If you are prone to claustrophobia, it may be a good idea to book a balcony cabin as having some outside space often makes this better.

Cruise cabins are usually well organised, which makes them feel more spacious. 

Whether you feel claustrophobic in a cabin may depend on how much space you have at home. Below is a comparison to my home, which may explain why I don’t find cabins claustrophobic at all…

How do Cruise Cabin Sizes Compare?

I used to live in a very small apartment, small even by UK standards.

The bedroom was 92ft ², and the bathroom was 36ft ² Adding this together gives me a square footage of 128ft ²

This may explain why I don’t feel claustrophobic in even the smallest inside cabin. If you’re in doubt, consider measuring your bedroom at home.

128ft is smaller than most inside and oceanview cabins. It’s much smaller than your standard balcony – and 32 times smaller than Independence of the Seas Presidential Suite, which comes in at a whopping 4891 ft²

Before You Go

Find out more about those quirky cabins on Norwegian Epic here:

Norwegian Epic – Cabins: Honest Reviews and Cabins to Avoid

I often book “guaranteed cabins” onboard to save some money. Find out more about them, and why they offer great value here:

I Always Book Guaranteed Cabins on Cruise Ships – (Photo Examples, Regrets & More)