Picking the Best Cabins on the Island Princess

A deck-by-deck analysis of the Island Princess's best and worst cabins.

Looking for the best cabins on the Island Princess? Want to find the cabin with a little larger balcony than most? And what about staying away from undesirable cabins on the Island Princess? How do you avoid the worst cabins on the Island Princess?

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Island Princess Best & Worst Staterooms: Summary
Best Cabins onboard the Island Princess: staterooms on Decks 9 and 10 - Dolphin Deck and Caribe Deck.
Cabins to be wary of onboard the Island Princess: staterooms on Decks 5 and 8 - Plaza Deck and Emerald Deck.

Deck-by-Deck Breakdown of the Best and Worst Cabins onboard the Island Princess

Deck 5 -- Plaza Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Warning ***
Several cabins on this deck with potential problems.
Generally, most of the Deck 5 cabins on the Island Princess are under the casino and the nightclub, and these venues can be noisy into the wee hours!

• Cabins P506, P512, P516, and P535 are designated as wheelchair accessible on the Plaza Deck of the Island Princess.
• On Deck 5, exterior ocean view staterooms P502- P630 port side and P401- P635 starboard are under the casino and night club areas. This can mean noise issues during times when travelers could be resting. If you are light sleeper, you may prefer to find a cabin elsewhere on the Island Princess, bring earplugs, or invest in a wave machine (a sound device available at a specialty retailer like Brookstone -- produces pleasant sounds that can wipe out the unpleasant sounds).
• Most affected by noise concerns from the casino and the night club will be interior cabins P506- P 540, P517- P535, and P623 and P629. If you are interested in reserving an inside stateroom on the Island Princess, you'll likely be happier on another deck.
• Several of the worst cabins onboard the Island Princess are on the Plaza Deck. While we are not suggesting the cabins on this deck should be completely avoided, there are staterooms on other decks which will be quieter.

Deck 8 -- Emerald Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Warning ***
Several cabins on this deck with potential problems.
Several of the cabins on Deck 8 of the Island Princess are located above Promenade Deck public areas which could generate noise. However, not all of these entertainment venues are open extremely late at night, and there are some sections of Deck 8 which will be relatively quiet. With some careful planning, it is possible to find a nice exterior stateroom on the Emerald Deck of the Island Princess.

• Best staterooms on the Emerald Deck of the Island Princess are outside staterooms with balconies E624- E632 port side and E625- E633 starboard. All of these are over relatively quiet areas of Promenade Deck.
• If the outside view is not important to you, Princess can offer nice deals for staterooms with obstructed views. (The windows still provide ambient light.) On Deck 8, E502- E622 port side and E501- E623 starboard are cabins with obstructed views which are also situated above a fairly quiet section of Promenade Deck on the Island Princess.
• Forward on Deck 8, exterior staterooms E202- E304 port side and E201- E303 starboard are over the second level of the theater. This could mean noise during performances, and some sounds before and after shows when staff may be cleaning. None of these staterooms are directly over the stage area, and we do not think this will be a concern late at night on the Island Princess.
• Heading back from the forward elevators on the Emerald Deck of the Island Princess, exterior staterooms E312- E334 and E311- E335 are over a main bar which does have live music. This could mean noise concerns late at night. Again, if you are light sleeper, you may prefer to find a cabin elsewhere on the ship, bring earplugs, or invest in a wave machine (a sound device available at a specialty retailer like Brookstone -- produces pleasant sounds that can wipe out the unpleasant sounds).
• Staterooms E501- E508 are designated as wheelchair accessible.
• On Deck 8 of the Island Princess, exterior staterooms E702- E736 port side, E701- E737 starboard, as well as interior cabins E716- E733 are all over the second level of the aft theater. Noises during performances as well as before and after when staff are cleaning and arranging could be concerns. As mentioned, we don't think this will be a problem late at night.
• Several of the worst cabins onboard the Island Princess are on the Emerald Deck. While we are not suggesting the cabins on this deck should be completely avoided, there are staterooms on other decks which will be quieter.

Deck 9 -- Dolphin Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Favorite Deck ***
Highly rated by our cruise experts!
Dolphin Deck on the Island Princess is without question one of the a high rent districts. Some of the best cabins on the Island Princess are located on Dolphin Deck! Because some of the most luxurious suites are located on this deck, this will also be where the best cabin stewards are assigned. Because Deck 9 has cabin decks above and beneath to buffer noises from public areas, staterooms and suites here will be quieter than those on other decks.

• Forward on Deck 9, D206- D310 port side and D205- D309 are all outside cabins with balconies.
• There are a few other exterior staterooms with balconies heading more aft on Dolphin Deck of the Island Princess, including D628 and D629 which are located by the most luxurious suites where service is bound to excel.
• Premium Suites, each with 302- 470 sq. ft. of space including the balcony, are D420, D421, D422, and D423 on Deck 9 of the Island Princess.
• Vista Suites, each boasting 470 sq. ft. including the balcony, are the most spacious of the suites available on the Island Princess. These are D630, D631, and D701- D704.
• There are numerous mini-suites on the Dolphin Deck of the Island Princess. Port side, these are D312- D416, D504- D622, and D706- D726. Starboard, these are D311- D417, D503- D623, and D705- D725. Mini-suites, including balcony space, have 285- 300 sq. ft.
• Of the mini-suites, D725 and D726 are situated most aft on Deck 9 of the Island Princess, and will have a great view!

Deck 10 -- Caribe Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Favorite Deck ***
Highly rated by our cruise experts!
The Island Princess features spacious and luxurious suites on Caribe Deck, and this is usually where some of the best cabin stewards are usually assigned. Having cabins above and below also makes this one of the quieter decks on your cruise! Some of the best cabins on the Island Princess are located on Caribe Deck!

• Forward on Deck 10 of the Island Princess, C201- C204 are mini-suites which are a bit roomier than standard because these suites do not have balconies, which is included in the 285- 300 sq. footage.
• There are over 15 inside staterooms on Deck 10 of the Island Princess, and this is going to be a nice, quiet neighborhood! If this is your preference, we do recommend the interior cabins here.
  Caribe Deck of the Island Princess also has several balcony staterooms and balcony suites from which to choose port side and aft.
• Balcony staterooms C618, C620, C627, and C633 are designated as wheelchair accessible on Deck 10 of the Island Princess.
• There are six Premium Suites on Deck 10 (C628, C643, and C701- C704).
• Balcony staterooms C626 and C641 are next to the Premium Suites, and thus in a great area for staff service.

Deck 11 -- Baja Deck

Baja Deck on the Island Princess is the last deck with cabins above and below which advantageously buffer noises from public venues.

• Forward on Deck 11 of the Island Princess, B201- B204 are mini-suites, each with up to 300 sq. ft. of interior space. These do not have balconies, but will have ocean views.
• There are several interior staterooms from which to choose, and we recommend all of them!
  Port side and aft on the Baja Deck of the Island Princess, there are numerous staterooms with balconies, and several mini-suites as well.
• Staterooms B618, B620, B627, and B633 are designated as wheelchair accessible.
• Directly aft, exterior staterooms B728 and B731 do not have balconies on Deck 11 of the Island Princess, but will have lovely views of the ocean!

Deck 12 -- Aloha Deck

Aloha Deck on the Island Princess has Lido pools and eateries just above, so there will be some staterooms who may have noise issues as a result. However, a cabin on this deck might be ideal for those who prefer casual dining and fun in the sun.

• Forward on Deck 12, A214- A308 port side and A209- A307 starboard are under the outside dining area for the casual buffet. We doubt this will cause much of a noise issue, but you might hear the scraping of deck chairs when staff clean after hours on the Island Princess.
• Exterior staterooms A312- A414 and A506- A528 port side, A311- A425 and A505- A535 starboard, and inside cabins A315- A335, A405- A427, and A507, A511, and A517 are underneath a Lido pool. Again, you might hear cleaning noises such as the scraping of deck chairs after hours. Least recommended are inside cabins in this section of Deck 12 of the Island Princess.
• Exterior staterooms A602- A632 port side and A601- A633 are under the spa area, and likely to be quieter than other cabins on this deck of the Island Princess.
• Aft, A632- A722 are under the gym on the Island Princess, but not under the aerobics area. After hours noises are probably not a concern here.
• Aft on Deck 12 of the Island Princess, balcony stateroom A722 is nearby a deck area and small pool, which might be ideal for a beautiful (less breezy) ocean view!