Do you have a tendency to become seasick? If so remember the golden rules. First, avoid cruise cabins either at the back of the ship (aft) or near the front (forward). You may run into some rough weather. Would you rather be gently rocked back and forth or would you rather be thrown up and down?

The closer you are to the middle of a cruise ship, the better. We love the rocking motion and find it aids us in falling asleep. After one storm one of our dinner table mates admitted that they had been tossed from the bed several times during the night because their cabin was way up forward.

Cruise Tip: Always choose a cabin in the middle of a cruise ship to avoid being thrown around.

Unless you’re stone deaf or are incredibly tolerant of noise, you’ll want to book a cruise cabin that has another passenger cabin both above and below it. This can be difficult  to find on some ships.

 

For example, on most Royal Caribbean ships deck five is the major public area. Here is where people walk and also drink and even party. On our first Royal Caribbean cruise we booked a cabin on deck four that just happened to be below the "Champaign Bar". Little did we know that passengers could book the bar for private parties which they did most nights. The banging, music and stomping made it very difficult to sleep.

Cruise Tip: Always choose a cruise cabin that has a passenger cabin above it and below it. Never accept a cabin located over a blank white space as you never know what that space may be used for - maybe something very noisy.

If seasickness is a potential problem, a cabin down low in the ship would be best. On many cruise ships this would put you on deck three. Problem is – deck three can be a problem. Of course you have deck four above you to insulate you from the clatter of the deck 5 crowds; the problem is - you may or may not have a passenger cabin below you.

I talked to one couple whose deck 3 cabin was directly above the trash compactor which burst into a loud growl that shook their cabin with sickening regularity. Before booking a deck three cabin, always check the deck 2 diagram very carefully. Only consider the deck 3 cabins that have passenger cabins below them. The white spaces down on deck 2 are not empty spaces, they contain something and that something may ruin your cruise.

Some cruise lines will offer you a nice discount for what they call a "reserved" cabin. This means they charge you quite a bit less but they then choose your cabin for you which can be a very poor bargain. 

The experienced cruisers snap up the very best cabins and you’re left with – you guessed it – the junk. So here is one of those sad cruise stories. A preacher and his wife saved up for years to take their "dream" cruise. As money was very tight they were forced to take the "reserved" cabin discount.

They ended up with a large cabin with a private veranda for the price of an outside windowed cabin. What they thought was a great deal at first turned into a nightmare when they discovered that their cabin was way up forward right above the theatre stage!

Not only did they have to put up with the two nightly shows, there were numerous other rehearsals and band practices at odd hours, some very early in the morning.

One last suggestion – when your travel agent calls the cruise line to book your cabin, be sure to ask them to request a discount and also ask if there are any special deals in the air. Though you’ll probably come up empty it’s worth the effort. You may be offered a discount for a lesser cabin (One couple was offered a $200 discount for an outside cabin with a partially obscured view (A lifeboat obscured half their view). They snapped it up.

Just be sure you fully understand exactly why the discount or upgrade is being offered. Insist on the details so you can make an intelligent and informed decision. Trust the cruise line and I promise you a problem cabin.

Cruise Tip: Choose your cabin carefully. Then stick to your guns and don’t let the cruise line switch you to any other cabin until you’ve asked what’s wrong with it and have taken the time to check the cabin out on the ship diagram. You may regret any changes.