I booked two 185-square-foot rooms on the Carnival Legend for my family of five. My husband and I shared a windowless accommodation, and my three kids stayed in an ocean-view room.

On the Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Joey slept in a mid-tier, ocean-view room. Monica, on the other hand, spent seven nights in an entry-level standard interior room.

This time, I reserved two 185-square-foot staterooms on the Carnival Legend's Riviera deck for more space and privacy. My husband and I stayed in a windowless interior cabin that had a king-size bed.