We sailed in an interior cabin on Carnival and an ocean-view room on Royal Caribbean. We'd only book one again.

Joey's seven-day cruise was originally priced at $3,000, but she purchased it on sale for $2,000 including gratuities. 

Even at the sale price, it was still $700 more than Monica's cruise, which cost $1,288 including gratuities. 

Joey's higher price was due to two main factors. First, she purchased a mid-tier, ocean-view room. Meanwhile, Monica sailed in the Carnival Vista's cheapest room option: an entry-level interior stateroom.

An interior room on a typical Royal Caribbean ship could be between $25 and $40 cheaper per day than an ocean view room, according to Royal Caribbean Blog. So, even if Joey had booked one, it likely still would have cost more than Monica's stateroom did.

Royal Caribbean also charged Joey a single supplement fee, an extra fee that cruise lines charge single travelers to compensate for the revenue that would have come had there been a second person on board. As a result, Joey's cruise cost double what it would have been per person had she been traveling with a buddy.

Monica was not charged any additional fees for traveling solo, likely because the ship ran at partial capacity during its July 2021 sailing. Carnival does charge a single supplement for solo cruisers but often runs promotions that waive the fee. 

Joey selected her room at the very front of deck eight, and she felt constant motion in her room. It was one of the last oceanview rooms available when she booked, and she soon found out why. According to some of her fellow passengers, the front of the ship is one of the worst places to be if you're often seasick. Higher decks in the middle of the ship will likely feel calmer and more stable, they said.

On the roughest nights, Joey heard and felt thunderous sensations beneath her room every few minutes. Loud thumps and heavy vibrations in her room sounded like large pieces of furniture falling down. 

Meanwhile, Monica was not able to choose her room as that cost extra and was assigned one that was located on deck one — the bottom floor of the 15-deck ship. Her room was quiet each night. While she could feel the movement of the ship, it didn't keep her up. Instead, she thought the gentle rocking helped her fall asleep. 

After boarding the ship, Joey wandered to deck eight and found her room down a long hallway of identical doors. There was a slim pocket between the room number and the wall where attendants left flyers. 

On the first day of the cruise, Monica boarded the ship and was left to find her stateroom by herself. She found her room key outside her stateroom door tucked inside a mailbox. For the rest of the week on the ship, she sometimes would come back to her room and discover a flyer or two waiting for her in the mailbox or on her bed. 

Joey's stateroom was 179 square feet and came with a private bathroom, a king-size bed, and an ocean view. She thought she'd feel cramped in the room, but thanks to plenty of storage space, she felt it had everything she needed and left no space unused.

Monica was also impressed with how large the cheapest room on the Carnival Vista felt. The 185-square-foot cabin had a closet, two nightstands, and plenty of storage space.

Since she booked an ocean-view room, Joey was able to look out over the front of the ship from a window above her bed. An electronic shade over the window could be brought down during the day for some grand views.

Monica had just enough space as a solo traveler in her cruise ship cabin, although she thought a second person might've made the room feel cramped. Without a window, she missed waking up to sunlight each morning. She also thought sunlight would open up the room to create an illusion of more space.

On day one, both Joey and Monica boarded their ships and made their way to their muster stations, where passengers learn about safety procedures for emergencies.

Additionally, both reporters had videos playing in their rooms when they arrived that emphasized these processes. 

The video in Joey's room played safety directions given by a cartoon instructor.

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal led the safety video in Monica's room, detailing where to find her life jacket in the closet and where to go on the ship if there was an emergency alarm.

Joey thought having an additional spot to sit and relax in her room was nice. She also tossed her backpack and laundry on the couch to keep the floors clear.

Meanwhile, Monica's room didn't have any extra space for lounging. If she wanted to relax in her room mid-afternoon, she hopped on the bed.

Cruise lines often use twin-sized beds in their staterooms so passengers can configure their rooms to their liking. For example, if Monica or Joey had been traveling with a friend, they would've been able to have the beds separated, so each passenger had their own bed.

Both Joey and Monica read this in the description of their rooms before boarding, so they weren't surprised. 

Joey found the two beds uncomfortable, as she often found herself waking up in the crevice. 

After long days at sea, Monica thought the beds were comfortable. She enjoyed sprawling each night, and the cruise bed size was an upgrade from her queen-sized bed at home. 

Nightstands hugged each king-sized bed in both rooms.

The Royal Caribbean and Carnival rooms came with amenities that included a hair dryer, mini fridge, and phone. 

Joey thought the desk was useful for eating, as well as storing daily flyers about the day's events. She used the vanity to display photos to make her room feel more like home.

Monica didn't use the desk and vanity much. Each day, she stored towels and her hair straightener on the desk. 

On one side of the room, Joey had a desk with several outlets to charge electronics with USB, American, and European ports. There were more outlets and USB ports on her nightstands. 

Monica's biggest inconvenience was that the only outlet near the bed was behind it. So she couldn't charge and use her phone or laptop from her bed.

Inside each of Joey's two closets, she found a rack of hangers, shelving, and a small safe.

Monica's room had one closet with hangers, drawers, and a safe. It also had two nightstands that could be used for storage. For one person, it was plenty of space. 

Joey noticed three pieces of art hanging above the couch in her room. Each frame showcased a photograph of something in nature. 

There was less decor inside Monica's room. Housekeeping placed a mat so Monica could unpack a suitcase on her bed on the first day. Besides that, Monica thought the walls and beds looked largely unadorned.

Both cabin bathrooms came with multi-use toiletry product dispensers.

Joey used her own toiletries rather than those provided by Royal Caribbean, such as their Salt and Breeze shower gel, because their familiar scents made her feel more at home while at sea.

Monica found a dispenser inside the shower with unbranded shampoo and shower gel.

Each morning, a stateroom attendant cleaned Joey's room. And after she left for dinner, they came back to clean up again. Every evening, Joey got fresh towels — sometimes creatively folded — and a flyer featuring the next day's schedule on the ship with the weather, dress code, and other important information, such as a time zone change. 

Monica had a similar experience on the Carnival Vista. Her stateroom attendant checked in every day to see which times Monica preferred to have her room cleaned and have nightly turndown service. Similar towel animals, along with important trip information, were waiting for her each afternoon. 

Having less than 200 square feet of space for seven nights might not feel like a lot of space for a week, but both reporters said they made it work.

However, Monica was envious of Joey's sunlight and couch and Joey agreed Monica's room was located in a better section of the ship.

For any future sailings, the reporters said they think it's ultimately worth it to pay more to book a room with a window in the heart of the ship for a smoother cruise.