The cabin you choose for a cruise is where you'll call home for the entire duration of your voyage, so if there's a problem with it, you'll want to do something about it.
To be fair, most staterooms on a cruise ship are free of noise issues. Over the course of my nearly 100 cruises that I've taken, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had a noise issue in my room.
However, noise issues do happen from time to time, so knowing what to do is helpful in mitigating the problem quickly.
Noise issues could stem from any sort of sources: mechanical, other passengers, wind, just to name a few.
A Royal Caribbean message board user, Couponz, shared an issue in their cabin on Anthem of the Seas that they encountered, "In my stateroom, I hear this loud banging noise that seems to roll with the side-to-side movement of the ship."
If you run into a similar situation, here's what you should know about handling it.
Assessing the source of the noise
The first thing you should do is try to figure out what's causing the noise and where it's coming from.
You'd be surprised how often the source of a noise problem is something you can fix on your own. I believe one of the most common sources of noise in a stateroom are the hangers in the closet.
Royal Caribbean provides hangers in every stateroom closet, and they can rattle quite a bit (especially if the ship is swaying a bit).
Or perhaps its glasses clinging together, or something else you've left out that is making the noise.
You'll want to determine if the noise is coming from outside the cabin, such as in the hallway or a public area. Or, if the noise is from coming within your room, such as from the ventilation, plumbing, or in the walls.
Creaking is a somewhat common noise issue on a cruise, especially from the ceiling. As the ship moves, panels move to, and there's a bit of give between them.
Usually the creaking subsides as movement in the ship does. On some occasions, I've been able to push firmly against the panel to jostle it to a point where it mitigates the noise.
Regardless, figuring out where the noise is coming from helps in diagnosing the cause, and keying crew members into addressing it.
Immediate fixes
Minor noises, creaks, or thuds can happen. Just like a hotel room on land that has a loud car going by or the wind rattling a window, most of it can be subtle and short lived.
Many veteran cruisers recommend packing certain devices and aids to use if there is a small noise issue, especially to help them sleep.
A good pair of ear plugs can be a game-changer for keeping you asleep longer.
The Flents Foam Ear Plugs come highly recommended by our readers because they fit well, muffle noise, and you can still hear your alarm go off in the morning. (This link contains an affiliate link, which costs you absolutely nothing extra to use while supporting this site).
Another idea is to download a white noise app to your smart phone that can play the music on loop (“bedtime fan” from App Store is one that a reader recommended).
The LectroFan white noise machine is one such device, and it could be what you need to sleep peacefully (and it can be powered by USB). (This link contains an affiliate link, which costs you absolutely nothing extra to use while supporting this site).
Asking for help
When the issue is beyond your control and it's impacting your ability to sleep or enjoy your room, there's nothing wrong with reporting the issue and seeking help.
Your best bet is to start with your stateroom attendant. He or she works in your room every week, so they know problem areas as well as being up on what's unusual.
If your stateroom is not available, you could go to the Maintenance department. There's usually an extension on your stateroom phone for maintenance or housekeeping. Either one will result in a technician coming out to check the problem.
That's right, there are a team of technicians on your ship whose job it is to keep up with any maintenance issues. They wear blue uniforms, and they can be by in under an hour to assist.
Once they arrive to the cabin, show them what the issue is and how or when it occurs. It's best if it can be reproduced, so if it's intermittent, I'd recommend taking a video of it to show them so they can understand it without waiting around.
If the noise is from another passenger, you'll need to get Security involved. Once again, I advise taking a video when the noise occurs.
Unfortunately, Security can only truly intervene if they are the ones observing the problem happening. But a video helps and alerts them to a potential issue, and establishes a report that can be acted on if it continues.
How to escalate a problem
Let's assume the noise issue continues, how do you get it resolved?
As I mentioned, it's best to start with your cabin attendant. They'll either know of a quick fix or get maintenance involved. But if it continues being an issue, you'll want to escalate the issue.
Ideally, you'd speak with the deck supervisor next. This crew member is in charge of the upkeep of all of the staterooms on your deck (or at least a section). To be honest, it's difficult to know who this person is or how to contact them other than asking your cabin attendant to have them contact you.
You could also go to Guest Services and explain the issue. I would avoid starting with Guest Services, because they'll just relay the info back to Housekeeping and Maintenance as a first step.
When you speak to Guest Services, explain the issue and what you've done to try to remedy it. Be calm and remember Guest Services isn't causing it. They'll do what they can to assist.
You could request a cabin change if the issue seems habitual, but that's not so simple. Cruise ships sail completely full these days, so it's rare to have open cabins. However, it doesn't hurt to ask if you truly believe that will bypass the problem. Just understand there aren't a block of empty cabins available.
If you truly feel like you're not making any progress, ask to speak to the Hotel Director. Guest Services will be able to get them for you.
The Hotel Director is one of the most highly ranked crew members onboard, and they oversee everything involving the hotel side of the operation, including your cabin.
Asking for compensation
Should you get money back if there's a real noise issue?
Compensation for a problem is a bit of a gray area, and really depends on the exact situation. I've seen onboard credit given out for minor and major problems, and then not again.
As an example, when we didn't have hot water in my cabin on embarkation day during the afternoon, I received onboard credit, but didn't get any when a rain shower partially flooded my cabin floor.
In many cases, a supervisor or manager will authorize onboard credit or a future cruise credit without even asking. I think this has been the most common scenario that I've been compensated for an issue.
Keep in mind a noise problem in your cabin does not automatically qualify you for compensation. If something breaks, there's probably a better argument for it. But noisy neighbors, the weather, and other things out of Royal Caribbean's control may not warrant it.
Nonetheless, there's no reason you can't ask for it if you feel it's warranted. Don't bother asking your stateroom attendant or the maintenance department for it. You'll want to speak with Guest Services or the Hotel Director. Ultimately, it's at their discretion and there's no legal obligation on their part to offer you any, per the Cruise Contract you agreed to when you booked your cruise.
Preventative measures for future cruises
In general, there are certain cabins to avoid on a cruise ship as well as the right cabins to choose for a quiet stay.
Ideally, pick a cabin that is one deck above or below other staterooms. Avoid cabins that are one deck above or below a public area, such as a dining room or pool.
Never book a connecting stateroom unless you know the people on the other side of the connecting door.
Cruise ship cabins are poorly insulated from noise to begin with, but connecting doors are even worse.
It's totally fine to book connecting cabins when you have both cabins, but don't book a connecting cabin if it's just you in one room. Anecdotally, a lot of RoyalUp bids end up with connecting cabins.
Other typically noisy rooms are cabins that face public areas, such as a Promenade view cabin.
Royal Promenade View cabins are available on Freedom Class, Voyager Class and Oasis Class ships and they have cabins that face inward towards the Royal Promenade. Each of these rooms has a large bay window that looks out to the Promenade, but this window is not soundproof.
On the Vision & Radiance Class ships, the first few cabins from the Centrum can also deal with noise bleed, as the Centrum is home to loud music in the evening.
Conclusion
If there's a noise problem in your stateroom, address it early so you can eliminate the problem and enjoy a relaxing rest of your cruise.
I commonly read rants from people that come back from a cruise with noise issues and learn they didn't do anything about it.
A word of warning, be sure to get the issue taken care of onboard. Some people put up with the noise, and then try contacting Royal Caribbean after the cruise is over for some kind of resolution, especially compensation.
In my experience, getting the issue fixed onboard not only gets rid of the noise, but also is the best way to potentially receive compensation since the crew can assess if the problem is indeed warranting it.
It's likely you will never run into this sort of an issue, but now you'll have the right approach to get it solved.
