The cruise industry hasn’t just bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, but it’s positively booming, and as demand rises, pricing is, as well. Many would-be cruisers experience sticker shock when searching for cruises, even on discounted cruise wholesalers, but there’s one simple way to save money on your cruise—select an interior stateroom.
An interior stateroom is an inside cabin, generally located in the middle of the ship, with no windows and no balcony. Because of this, interior rooms offer no natural light, which is a deal-breaker for some. But if you don’t mind that aspect, interior rooms offer a great way to save money on your next cruise. Plus, these rooms have a few benefits.
1. They’re Cheap
As noted above, interior staterooms are more affordable – sometimes significantly so – than other stateroom types. If you’re willing to book a GTY room, or a “guarantee stateroom”, you have no choice in your cabin location on the ship. Rather, the cruise ship assigns the location. While this can be a risk, as your room may be located in an undesirable location, the benefit is that the fare will be cheaper. You can also possibly get an upgrade as the “guarantee” part of a GTY stateroom is that you’re assured “an interior cabin or higher”.
2. They Get Cold
If you’re the kind of person who’s naturally always cold, this may not be an advantage, but some cruisers dislike the fact that some staterooms, namely balcony rooms, tend to stay warm. Cruise air conditioning is sometimes hit-and-miss, and staterooms with natural light, especially balcony rooms, can be difficult to cool. Interior rooms get and stay much cooler than other stateroom types.
3. They Get Dark
Some people sleep well in extremely dark conditions; if that’s you, you’ll likely get the best sleep in an interior cruise cabin. The ship’s gentle swaying, cool room temperature (if that’s your thing), and pitch dark can make for some ideal sleep conditions, especially after a long day at port.
