Picking the Best Cabins on the Golden Princess

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

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

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Golden Princess Best & Worst Staterooms: Summary
Best Cabins on board the Golden Princess: staterooms on Decks 10 and 11 - Caribe Deck and Baja Deck.
Cabins to be wary of on board the Golden Princess: staterooms on Deck 8 - Emerald Deck.

Deck-by-Deck Breakdown of the Best and Worst Cabins on board the Golden Princess

Deck 5 -- Plaza Deck

While some of the inside and outside cabins on Deck 5 of the Golden Princess are located beneath the forward stage area, the rest of the staterooms are under public venues that are not likely to be much of a noise concern.

• Forward on Plaza Deck of the Golden Princess, exterior staterooms P202- P246 port side and P201- P247 starboard are under the lower level of the theater. Noise generated from this area could occur during performances, and staff prep work and tidying up before and after shows. Interior cabins in this area which will be most affected by the theater are P212- P244, P249- P265, and P215- P243.
• Best locations for staterooms on Deck 5 of the Golden Princess are P248- P336 port side and P247- P337 starboard, and inside cabins P318- P331.

Deck 6 -- Fiesta Deck

Fiesta Deck of the Golden Princess has seven Window Suites port side. These are located in a relatively quiet area of this deck, but there could be noise from the casino located directly above.

• The Window Suites on Fiesta Deck of the Golden Princess, F301- F315, typically have 341 sq. ft. of living quarters but have no balcony.
• Of these, F301 is next to a public bathroom.

Deck 8 -- Emerald Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Warning ***
Several cabins on this deck with potential problems.
Along this entire deck, you should be aware that the Promenade Deck of the Golden Princess is right beneath your cabin. Noise could drift up from the theater, and lounges and bars which include the main lounge. Some of these venues feature live music and have dance floors, so there is a likelihood of after hours noise concerns. Also, Princess does offer good bargains for staterooms with obstructed views, and the windows in these exterior cabins do provide ambient light. However, if you are looking for a clear view of the ocean, you may want to confirm your preference when reserving a cabin on this deck!

• On the Golden Princess Deck 8, there are several cabins above the upper level of the theater but none are located directly above the stage. These are exterior cabins E206- E302 port side and E205- E301 starboard. There could be noise generated from performances, and the before and after show when staff are either preparing for a show or cleaning up after one. Noise from the theater is not likely to be much of an after hours concern.
• There are few interior staterooms located on Deck 8 of the Golden, and we suggest that you look for an inside cabin on another, higher deck to avoid noise issues. However, if the Emerald Deck is for you, we suggest E716 and E717 because these cabins are larger than standard.
• On the Golden Princess Deck 8, cabins E308- E732 port side and E301- E733 starboard are above the casino, and lounges and bars including the aft main lounge. All of these venues have the potential for generating noise into the wee hours! 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).
• There are several cabins with potentially obstructed views (E212- E330 and E414- E706 port side and E211- E327 and E415- E705 starboard). Again, if a view of the ocean is important to you we suggest this is clarified when you reserve a stateroom on Deck 8 of the Golden Princess!
• Past guests in E731 have indicated that there are noise concerns in the aft cabins (E730- E733). Regarding E731, the balcony was reported as being 'virtually unusable' due to the noise from the wake and the air handling plant.
• Several of the worst cabins on board the Golden 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

On the Golden Princess, Dolphin Deck staterooms have the advantage of cabin decks above and beneath, so there's a buffer zone from the noise generated from public areas. These accommodations are likely quieter than those on the lower decks! All of the exterior cabins on Dolphin Deck have balconies, but we do caution you that these balconies are not covered, and you can be seen from decks above.

• Forward, Family Balcony Suites D105 and D106 boast up to 335 sq. ft. of interior space and have 92 sq. ft. balconies. However, given their forward location on Deck 9 of the Golden Princess, be prepared for a rather windy view (unless there's a tailwind). Family cabins are in short supply and are very popular given their attractive sleeping arrangements. They sell out very quickly, so, it is best to book early to get a family cabin.
• There are 32 interior cabins on this deck, and this is a great location for most of them. If you are interested in an inside cabin, we do suggest considering one on Deck 9 because these will be quieter than those you can find on lower decks of the Golden Princess. Least recommended are D712 and D711 because these inside cabins are right next to elevators and will likely have resulting noise issues.
• There are several mini-suites with balconies from which to choose on Deck 9 of the Golden Princess (D110- D732 port side and D109- D733 starboard). These have 277 sq. ft. of interior space and 46 sq. ft. balconies.
• Aft, Vista Suites D736 and D737 have on average 383 sq. ft. living space and over-sized balconies. They are the largest suites on Deck 9 of the Golden, and have that beautiful (and less breezy) aft view of the ocean.
• Outside cabins with balconies (D734 and D735) are right next to the Vista Suites on Deck 9, and will have that same highly sought after view of the ocean.

Deck 10 -- Caribe Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Favorite Deck ***
Highly rated by our cruise experts!
The Caribe Deck of the Golden Princess is clearly one of the best decks for a stateroom or suite. Its location between two cabin decks provides a sound buffer from public areas, which is always desirable, and the balcony staterooms and suites here are covered, which gives you more privacy! The best cabins on board the Golden Princess are generally on the Caribe Deck.

• There are over 80 interior staterooms on Deck 10, and all of them have that benefit of decks below and above. Once again, if you are looking for an inside cabin, this deck will be quieter than some of the others to be found on the Golden Princess.
• Of the inside cabins on Caribe Deck of the Golden Princess, C248, and C252 are wheelchair accessible.
• Forward, exterior cabins with balconies, C301- C304, are wheelchair accessible.
• There are 12 luxurious Penthouse Suites on Deck 10 (C402- C424 port side and C401- C425 starboard). Each has over 536 sq. ft. of living space and an over-sized balcony.
• Aft on Deck 10 of the Golden Princess, Premium Suites C750, C748, C749, and C751 are spacious (473 sq. ft.), have large balconies, and afford great views of the ocean.
• Also aft, two outside balcony staterooms, C752 and C753, located beside the Premium Suites have that wonderful (and less breezy) ocean view.

Deck 11 -- Baja Deck

***CruiseAdvice.org Favorite Deck ***
Highly rated by our cruise experts!
While the majority of the accommodations on Baja Deck are outside balcony staterooms and inside cabins, aft on this deck of the Golden Princess is the most luxurious suite all. Given that this is where the high rent district is located, this is also where the best cabin stewards are assigned. Once again, a stateroom or suite on this deck has that advantage of cabins below and above, making this a quieter location for a reservation on the Golden Princess. The best cabins on board the Golden Princess are generally on the Baja Deck.

• Outside exterior cabins B301- B304 are wheelchair accessible.
• Port side and starboard, all exterior staterooms have balconies on Deck 11 of the Golden Princess.
• Aft, the three luxury suites are the most spacious of accommodations on Deck 11 of the Golden and have a beautiful view of the ocean. The Grand Suite, B748, boasts 924 interior sq. ft. and a 390 sq. ft. balcony, and the Owners Suite, B751 has 591 sq. ft. of interior space. Between them is the Premium suite, B749, which offers 473 sq. ft. of living space.
• Outside balcony cabin B744 and inside stateroom B746 are next to the Grand Suite on Deck 11 of the Golden Princess, and exterior cabin B745 and inside cabin B747 are right by the Owners and Premium Suites. These cabins will not have that great aft ocean view, but are in a great area for superb staff service!

Deck 12 -- Aloha Deck

Except for staterooms located forward most on this deck, the majority of cabins on the Aloha Deck of the Golden Princess are under the Lido Deck pools, bar, and casual eateries. Because many travelers enjoy the fun on Lido Deck, during the day there's probably not much of a noise concern.

• Outside cabins with balconies A301- A304 are wheelchair accessible.
• Inside cabins A248 and A252 are wheelchair accessible.
• The best cabins to reserve on this deck are all in the forward section. Exterior cabins A202- A254 port side and A201- A255 starboard, as well as interior cabins A204- A252 and A203- A257 are all located underneath the only section of Lido which has cabins. This will make these staterooms quieter than most of the other accommodations on Aloha Deck of the Golden Princess. If you are looking for an interior stateroom on Deck 12, we suggest reserving one in this area.
• Exterior cabins A314- A412 port side and A311- A419 starboard, as well as interior cabins A312- A344 and A315- A421 are under the Lido pool area where noise could be a concern at night on Deck 12 of the Golden Princess. Staff clean this area after hours, so you could hear the scraping of deck chairs as these are moved around in that process.
• Aft, cabins A414- A742 port side and A423- A743 starboard, and interior cabins A507- A521, A712- A744, and A711- A745 are underneath the Lido Food Court areas, and could have after hours cleaning noises.
• Aft on Aloha Deck of the Golden Princess, outside staterooms A748, A746, A747, and A749 are nearby the Terrace Pool. While these cabins do not have balconies, they have decks around them and a great view of the ocean!

Deck 14 -- Lido Deck

Lido Deck features cabins in the most forward area of this deck on the Golden Princess. While there is a youth center above the staterooms farther aft, we don't think this will present a noise concern, especially during those after hours times when travelers are seeking some sleep!

• The staterooms on the Lido Deck of the Golden Princess are situated away from most of the noise Lido can generate, but if you want to take extra precautions, look for a stateroom farther forward than cabins L311 and L312!
• L202- L312 port side and L201- 311 starboard are all outside cabins with balconies.
  Inside cabins L248 and L252 are more spacious than the others on the Lido Deck of the Golden Princess.