A seasoned cruise ship traveller was left astounded after paying for an inside cabin. Emma, who goes by @emmacruises on TikTok, was travelling on the P&O ship Aurora, built in 2000, and paid an extra fee to choose a ‘quirky’ cabin for her journey. The unique feature of Emma’s room was its location in the centre of the cruise ship, meaning it had no windows or access to daylight – or the “outside world”, as she put it.
She forked out an additional £50 to have the option of selecting her own cabin, having heard about this ‘quirky’ cabin prior to her trip. Visiting a friend’s sea-view cabin, Emma described it as: “His room felt spacious and bright, the décor was definitely dated but nothing was worn or damaged, which I always think is the main thing.”
One surprise in her friend’s cabin was that the bathroom came with its own tiny bath. “I hope that my cabin would be as nice as this one, just without that balcony part,” said Emma. Despite lacking windows, Emma’s cabin felt enormous, she shared. “Normally inside cabins are quite a bit smaller,” she added, reports the Express.
The headboards were positioned next to the door, but she explained that it made sense the more she explored. Emma revealed: “What wasn’t normal was that we had a really random extra square of space with a sofa and a kettle. It was like having our own tiny lounge in the room, and there was so much floor space in front of it.”
Despite only being on the cruise ship for a brief three-day trip, the vessel is known for its multiple month-long voyages. “I would probably miss the sun and daylight after three months but… you know,” she remarked.
One downside of her cabin was the presence of just one plug socket, which is less than what modern cruise ships typically offer. Emma added: “I feel as though the value of this extra space would only increase if you were doing a longer cruise, but even still, I would book this quirky cabin again.”
The starting price for Emma’s cruise experience was £299, but since she opted to select her room, the cost rose to £349. This price covered all gratuities, entertainment, and food, based on two people sharing a cabin. In contrast, her friend who stayed in a standard cabin with a balcony shelled out £499.
On TikTok, opinions were divided about the inside cabin; one user commented: “I would rather stay at home than have an inside cabin.”
Meanwhile, HukkaWolf expressed a preference for inside cabins, saying: “I love inside cabins so much more than balconies or windows. It’s so perfectly dark anytime, perfect sleep at any hour.”