I've stayed in 3 types of rooms on cruises, and the cheapest has never been worth it. Here's what to book instead.

On one seven-night cruise with my family, upgrading our accommodation was the best decision of the trip.

Sarah Gilliland

Automatically booking the cheapest room on a cruise ship without doing proper research first can ruin a trip. As someone who's been going on cruises for over a decade, I've learned that the price tag for these vacations can vary based on a number of factors, from cruise line to trip duration to room category.Staying in the most standard-level cabin seems like an obvious way to keep costs down. However, after trying out three different room categories, both with and without my kids, I've found that a ship's least-expensive option is almost never worth it.Based on my experience in three different cruise-room categories, here are the ones I recommend skipping and the ones I suggest splurging on.Interior staterooms are limited in space and privacy

I've stayed in an interior stateroom on a Carnival cruise.

Sarah Gilliland