Location, location, location: How to pick the cabin that's right for you

It's one of the most important decisions you'll make when booking a cruise. Your cabin will be your home for the length of your holiday, a luxurious haven or a cramped kennel. Inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, mid-ship, aft or forward. The options can be overwhelming, especially for newbie cruisers. But we're here to help.

If you're prone to seasickness (or are worried about it), look for a midship cabin on a lower deck, says Ken Morgan, managing director of Two's A Crowd, a travel agency specialising in solo trips. "If there are rough seas, you'll feel less movement there," he says.

Morgan recommends seeking out cabins with at least a porthole, referred to as ocean-view cabins or suites. If the budget stretches to a balcony cabin, book one of those to enjoy fresh air and sunset drinks al fresco.

A clever insider hack to save money on your cruise reservation is to book one of the lowest-priced cabins and then place a bid on an upgrade to a higher class. There's no guarantee your bid will be successful, but if it is, the savings can be huge. Norwegian Cruise Line's Upgrade Advantage program invites passengers to place bids from as low as $US75 ($110) per person, based on double occupancy.

While inside cabins are almost always the cheapest accommodations on the ship, they don't have windows, views or breezes. Morgan says having natural light in your cabin is "good for your body clock and your soul".

The one exception may be on voyages to Alaska, Antarctica or the Arctic, when endless summer days mean 24 hours of sunlight. The total darkness of an inside cabin can be a blessed relief for light sleepers.

Another important factor to consider for sleep quality and general ambience is noise and how to avoid it. Pick a cabin that's not too close to the nightclub or stairs if you don't want to hear the constant clomp-clomp of foot traffic, says Justine Frost of Mobile Travel Agents. "A cabin in an adults-only area of the ship is often quieter as well," she says.

Consider how far you're comfortable being from dining, drinking, entertainment, pools and the gangway, especially for less mobile passengers or families travelling with young children. On the largest mega-ships, such as Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, walking distances from some cabins to ship's facilities can be huge.

Many cruise lines are now catering to solo travellers with cabins designed specifically for them. Morgan recommends doing your research. These cabins are often tiny, equipped only with a single bed and not well-positioned in the ship. His tip? It's better to look for waived single supplement offers on a double cabin, regularly offered by various cruise lines.

The significant savings that can be found during these special promotions may be enough to convince solo travellers to upgrade to a higher class. Spa cabins, for example, are positioned close to the wellness facilities and might include rain shower heads, yoga mats, healthier room-service menus and access to the thermal spa.

Prefer to be away from the hungry masses? The other trend worth noting in the cruise world is the increased demand for exclusive "ship within a ship" accommodations. MSC's Yacht Club, NCL's The Haven and Celebrity Cruises' Retreat all offer cruise VIPs their own premium area of the ship. Booking a suite in these special areas offers cruisers upgraded service and exclusive access to elevated dining and facilities, while still being free to enjoy the ship's amenities available to all passengers.

Looking for great value on your next family holiday? Cruising is the way to go. It's possible to squeeze four people into one tiny inside stateroom (yay for bunk beds) for an all-inclusive getaway that costs a lot less than a holiday on land.

However, if space and comfort are important factors, it's smart to consider some of the more creative configurations now available for families. Connecting rooms, separate sleeping areas for kids and split bathrooms are just some of the options on newer ships. Some cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, have introduced dedicated family zones, reserved for families with children.

Do your research and book in advance. Larger suites and connecting cabins are the first to be snapped up on family-friendly voyages, especially during school holidays.

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