Understanding Cruise Deck Plans
Understanding Cruise Deck Plans
If you’ve never cruised before, you’ve probably never really thought about a cruise ship’s deck plans. In fact, there’s a chance you haven’t even heard the term deck plans. But they’re well worth familiarising yourself with, as they’re actually a key part of the booking process and can play a big part in your onboard experience as a whole.
So, let’s talk deck plans then. Here, we’ll walk you through why they can make such a difference, which deck level might be best for you, and a whole host of other deck plan essentials to get you up to speed ahead of your first cruise.
How are decks numbered on a cruise ship?
First things first, it’s a good idea to understand how decks are numbered on a cruise ship. For starters, they’re numbered from bottom to top, starting from Deck 1 all the way up to 20 – or more.
“But how do decks work on a cruise ship?”, you may be asking. It’s a good question. Decks may start at number 1, but on most cruise ships, you’ll board on Deck 4 or Deck 5 – anything lower than these won’t be accessible to passengers for the most part. Along with numbers, a lot of cruise lines name their decks too; on MSC Grandiosa, for example, you’ll find decks named after famous artists like Monet and Van Gogh.
What deck level is best on a cruise ship?
Good question. It depends what you’re looking to get out of your cruise really. Maybe you want to avoid getting seasick, or you want to know where the best views are? And are higher decks better on cruise ships? We’ll break down where to find the best decks for you below…
Find the best deck level for you
The best cruise ship decks for avoiding motion sickness
If you absolutely don’t want to risk motion sickness – and you aren’t fussed about much else – then you’ll want to go for the lowest passenger deck possible. The top of the ship tends to sway more than the bottom, so go for something as close to the waterline as possible.
That said, a balcony room can help – it’s way more pleasant than trying to fight motion sickness by lying down in a windowless inside cabin, in our opinion. However, the lowest cruise ship decks don’t have balconies as they’re too close to the water – of course, you’ll have to decide which one is worth the trade-off.
Which cruise ship decks get the best views?
Fiending for a view to swoon over? Then you’ll want to make way for somewhere on a higher deck – as high as you can go really. You can still get good views from lower decks (providing you have a balcony or window room), but the more you scale the ship, the better the view is going to be.
Best cruise ship decks for avoiding lifts
If you’re prone to a bit of the old claustrophobia (and 12.5% of us are), then you’ll want to avoid having to rely on using lifts as much as possible. In this case, go for a cabin on a mid-level deck; you won’t have too many floors to climb at any one time, whether you’re going up or down.
We’ve more information on cruise cabins that can help with how to choose a cruise cabin right here.
How many decks are below sea level on a cruise ship?
Depending on how big it is, a cruise ship will generally have one or two decks underwater. These decks will typically be for things like staff accommodation, air conditioning units, the engine room, laundry, and – if you can believe it – a jail!
Despite their size, cruise ships don’t actually go that far below sea level, with only around 30 feet (or 9.1 metres) of the ship sitting under water – that’s only about 10% of the ship’s overall height.
What are the best floors to stay on a cruise ship?
Like we said up top, the “best floor” on a cruise ship is often dictated by things like whether you want to keep motion sickness to a minimum, it’s a view you’re after, or you don’t fancy having to get a lift to different floors all the time.
But there are other things to keep in mind too. Perhaps you’re a light sleeper, or you like to have a nice, long lie in? Maybe you’d like a bit more privacy during your trip? These are all important considerations you’ll want to make.
Here are some decks that you might want to avoid at the booking stage…
Below the pool deck
The pool deck is a hive of activity of just about any cruise ship: sunbathers aplenty, late-night deck parties, and other guests moving sun loungers first thing in the morning.
If you’re noise averse, then you’ll want to avoid getting a room below the pool deck. The deck below this one tends to be far quieter.
The landing deck
A cabin on the landing deck can definitely be convenient: you’ll be one of the first to get off the ship when it’s time to explore the city you’re docked in.
But if you’re planning on sleeping in and your cabin is close to the exit, then the last thing you want is people crowding around and making noise as they queue to leave.
The same goes for the return journey too. If you have an overnight stay, then there’s a good chance people will only be calling it a night in the wee hours as you’re trying to sleep.
The promenade deck
Cruise goers love the promenade deck. It’s a chance to go for a stroll in the sun with your loved ones first thing in the morning, after dinner or just before bed. If you like your privacy, however, then a room on the promenade deck can be a bit of a nightmare. For the most part, a promenade deck cabin means people can see straight into your room.
And sometimes, some lines’ promenade decks come with hot tubs in them too, so your view will be obscured by other guests having a bathe – not necessarily what you want to see when looking out of your room.
The deck above an interior promenade
This tends to only be an issue on Royal Caribbean, as some of the line’s ships feature an interior promenade complete with bars and restaurants. This means that cabins on the deck above feature windows looking down onto the promenade. Not only are these cabins subject to noise from below, it means people can easily see you getting changed, brushing your teeth or any number of things you won’t want others watching you do!