Cabin 5 294Z

Motion on a ship is felt most strongly at the bow and on the upper decks, and it settles toward the middle and lower decks. Cabin 5294Z sits aft on Deck 5, toward the stern, which generally rides easier than the forward end, with a lower deck working in its favor. Helped by the extra stability of a lower deck when seas pick up, it stays comfortable on most itineraries, with real motion only when the seas pick up.

How quiet a cabin feels comes down to what surrounds it — the nearest venues, the busiest elevator banks, and whatever sits directly above or below. Cabin 5294Z sits at the aft end of Deck 5, well clear of the ship's late-night venues and the busy mid-ship elevators. Overall it stays quiet, with only mild sound during the busiest daytime hours. The one thing to know is evening and late-night sound from the venues above, though it rarely amounts to much.

Location really comes down to how far you are from the places you use most — the main dining rooms, the pool deck, and the gangway on port days. Cabin 5294Z sits at the aft end of Deck 5, with quick access to the nearest elevators and being close to dining and entertainment on a lower deck. Keeping the back-of-ship venues close at hand is what earns it a strong location score. The main trade-off is a longer walk to the elevators, plus more distance to the forward theater and dining, but for sailors happy to base themselves aft it is an easy one to accept.