My 12-day cruise cost me about $109 a day. See inside my 160-square-foot cabin, the most economical option on the ship.

My 12-day cruise cost me about $109 a day. See inside my 160-square-foot cabin, the most economical option on the ship.

Author Lauren Mack in cruise ship room

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One of the best values on my cruise was my room, an interior cabin.

Lauren Mack



  • I went on a 12-day Holland America Line cruise and paid a little over $1,300 for my interior cabin.
  • The cabin was an incredible value and I especially liked the storage and spacious shower.
  • I’d book this room again — my cruise was so fun and busy that I barely spent time in it anyway. 
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In a time of high inflation and stretched budgets, cruises reign supreme. Since most packages are pretty all-inclusive, you can pay for a week or more on a ship and then not spend another dime until you return.

I definitely had value in mind when I booked my recent 12-day cruise on the Holland America Line Rotterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to the Panama Canal. I selected an interior cabin, the most economical option on the ship.

I booked directly with Holland America Line and paid $849 plus $460 for taxes, fees, and port charges — about $109 a day. The rate came with a $25 onboard credit and didn’t include gratuities or add-ons like drink packages, specialty dining, WiFi, or excursions.

Overall, my room was one of the best values of the trip. Here’s what it was like.

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I booked an interior room on deck seven.

Holland America Line Rotterdam ship in water

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Eight decks on Holland America Line Rotterdam have cabins.

Lauren Mack



On this ship, interior rooms can range from 143 to 225 square feet. I chose a cabin on deck seven that was 160 square feet.

The location of my stateroom was convenient and quiet. My cabin was a quick two decks up to the areas I frequented most, the spa and its thermal suite, and the fitness center.

My cabin was generously sized.

Hallway entrance in Holland Line Rotterdam Room

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The door opened up to a small hallway.

Lauren Mack



The stateroom featured a small hallway with a bathroom on the right, and two wardrobes and a cabinet on the left.

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The main area of my room contained the bed.

Bed in cruise room with TV across from it

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My room had a queen bed.

Lauren Mack



The hallway opened to a small rectangular space with a queen bed on the right flanked by two small nightstands, each with two drawers and a tall bottom shelf.

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I had a vanity that could also be used as a desk.

inside stateroom on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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The vanity/desk had a light-up mirror.

Lauren Mack



To the right of the bed was a large desk/vanity with an ottoman that doubled as a seat and storage space for the bed’s decorative throw pillows.

This area had even more storage: The desk had three spacious drawers.

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My bed was across from a mounted TV and bar area.

TV next to bar area inside stateroom on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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The bar area was stocked with alcohol.

Lauren Mack



At the foot of the bed was a wall-mounted interactive television with on-demand movies, programming, and multi-channel music.

Next to it, I had a fully stocked minibar area, including a cabinet with things like red wine, white wine, rocks glasses, a stainless steel ice bucket, and tongs.

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There was so much storage space in the room.

inside stateroom on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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I also got an umbrella to use during my stay if needed.

Lauren Mack



The full-height wardrobe had 26 hangers, including 13 pant and 13 skirt hangers, two bottom shelves, and a full-length mirror on one door.

The second half-height wardrobe closet had 12 hangers, including four pant and eight skirt hangers, four bottom shelves, and a tie rack.

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One closet contained a mini fridge.

Mini fridge and safe in stateroom on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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The hall closet contained a small fridge plus a safe, robes, and beach towels.

Lauren Mack



The cabinet featured three compartments: the top where robes, beach towels, and a safe were stowed, the middle with the mini fridge, and the bottom with three deep drawers.

The safe was roomy, accommodating my 13.6-inch MacBook Air plus all of my other valuables and important travel documents.

The bathroom felt spacious and well-designed.

Cruise ship bathroom

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The bathroom had shelves next to the mirror where I could store extra toiletries.

Lauren Mack



The bathroom layout was thoughtfully designed with three glass shelves for toiletries and a large-size vanity with an underneath storage ledge.

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A roomy shower was the highlight of the bathroom.

White marble Shower in cruise ship bathroom

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The shower had toiletries inside.

Lauren Mack



The walk-in shower was complete with a shaving foot bar, a retractable clothesline, Elemis bath products, and an adjustable handheld shower.

There were also two grab bars for stepping into and out of the shower.

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There were plenty of electrical outlets in the room, too.

Lamp and outlets next to bed in cruise ship room on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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I could easily charge all of my devices.

Lauren Mack



The room had an abundance of power outlets where I could charge my gear.

On both sides of the bed were a type-B plug, mainly used in the US, Mexico, and Canada, and a USB port. The desk had a USB port, three type-B plugs, and two type-C plugs, mainly used in Europe, South America, and Asia.

The bathroom had one electrical outlet that could accommodate a US or European two-pronged plug.

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The room service was impeccable, too.

Bed with different pillows inside stateroom on Holland America Line Rotterdam

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I was able to get extra pillows.

Lauren Mack



There were two cabin stewards assigned to my room. They worked together to fully service my stateroom twice daily.

On embarkation day, I was able to request extra pillows and towels plus other preferences like turn-down service, which included a towel animal and Astor Chocolates on most nights.

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Overall, I had such a fun experience on my cruise I didn’t even spend much time in my stateroom.

Towel animal on bed in Holland America Line interior room

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I didn’t spend much time in my cabin — the mark of a good cruise.

Lauren Mack



There was so much to do on the Rotterdam that I barely spent time in my stateroom.

I spent many of my days relaxing in the expansive multiroom thermal suite, singing along at B.B. King’s Blues Club, or sunbathing by the Lido Pool with a retractable roof.

The room was an excellent value, and I was glad I hadn’t splurged on a balcony room or one with a window.

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This post was originally published on Insider

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