One of the most important decisions when booking a sailing cruise is which cruise cabin to reserve.
Your choice of cruise ship staterooms can make or break your vacation.
To make the best choice, the first thing you'll want to do is find the layout of the vessel - either online or in a brochure.
There you'll see an overview of the ship's decks, the location of the cruise ship's staterooms along with diagrams of the interior floor plans.
There will also be a list of the different categories of cruise cabins.
On a very large cruise line ship there can be over 20 categories.
The quality and cost of your cruise cabin are determined by three things - its location, size, and type.
How you will feel about your cruise will mostly be determined by the location of your cruise cabin.
Higher Deck Cruise Cabins Pros

The views are nice.

Cons

Because these cruise ship staterooms are closer to the sundeck and the pool deck they'll usually cost more.

Make believe you're sitting on top of a pendulum and that it's swaying back and forth.
This is how an upper deck cruise experience can feel, especially in rough water.
The higher your deck the more you'll feel the motion of the ocean.

Lower Deck Cruise Cabins Pros

You'll have a smoother ride in rough seas.

They're the most affordable cruise cabins.
Book one and you will save hundreds of dollars.

Cons

You'll be the furthest from most of the activities so you'll have to climb more stairs and ride more elevators.

You could also hear the anchor noise and engine noise.
This is especially true on an older cruise line ship.
These noises can be very grating on your nerves.

Bow Cruise Cabins Pros

Great views.

Cons

If you want to feel like a real sailor, especially during rough seas, book a forward cruise cabin.

Aft Cruise Cabins Pros

You'll feel less motion in the cruise ship staterooms at the rear of the ship.

You'll have a beautiful view of where you've been.

Cons

You'll often give up your privacy because the restaurants and lounges usually overlook these cabin's balconies.
People will look down on you while you're sunbathing.

Midship Cruise Cabins Pros

These cruise ship staterooms tend to have less motion.

Cons

They often go for a premium.

If you book a midship cabin make sure you're not near the lifeboats or tenders because they'll block your view.
The tenders are quite loud when they're being raised and lowered.
Look at what's above, below, and next to your cabin.
Generally, you want to be surrounded by other staterooms.
No matter the deck you're on, or if you're fore or aft - or somewhere in between - unless you like staying up through the night there are some locations you definitely want to avoid.
Do not book a cruise cabin that's near (or under):

a dance floor

the pool

a kitchen area

a restaurant that's open all night

the gym

a service elevator - you'll hear plenty of noise.

the doctor's office and housekeeping areas - your corridor will be crowded with people or supplies.

And if you want privacy, stay away from an ocean view stateroom on a promenade deck.
Passers-by always look into these cruise cabins.