Scenic Spirit Cabins

Cabins on Scenic Spirit are roomy, comfortable and well-designed with more than enough storage and sitting space for two people. Decor is minimalist without being stark with light wooden flooring, furniture in darker woods and grays and, in most rooms, a single paining by a Vietnamese artist bought at a gallery in Ho Chi Minh City.

All rooms have a bedroom, living space, walk-in closet, spacious bathroom and at least one flat-screen TV. On the TV, you'll find Animal Planet, National Geographic, Discovery, CNN, BBC World, TLC, HBO, two sports channels and a movie menu with current hits, classic films and movies about or set in Southeast Asian countries (think The Killing Fields, Apocalypse Now, Platoon and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Good Morning Vietnam, among others). Amenities provided include a fully stocked mini-fridge (you can customize the contents to your preferences), individual temperature controls in both the living room and bedroom, umbrellas and walking sticks, multiple 220-voltage outlets and two USB ports on one side of the bed.

All cabins are true suites with the bedroom separated from the living room by sliding wooden doors. Bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling, wall-length windows that can be opened halfway; there's no screen so be careful about keeping the window open once the sun goes down as any lights will attract bugs. Beds, which can be configurable as two twins or a queen, are adjustable, meaning you can raise and lower the top and/or bottom part of the beds to fit your liking with both sleepers able to adjust their side of the bed separately. There is also a pillow menu with several options, including soft or firm pillows, anti-aging pillows and more.

In the living room, which has a couch and desk with chair, you'll also find a convertible balcony, which can be separated from the rest of the room by an accordion-style sliding-glass door. With the door closed and the floor-to-ceiling, wall-length window opened half way it serves as an actual balcony; with the sliding-glass door opened all the way, it serves as a nice sunroom (the line calls these Scenic Sun Lounges).

One of our favorite things about the rooms on Scenic Spirit is their storage capacity; there's lots of drawer space including in the closet, under the couch, next to the beds and in the bathroom. And we loved the pullout shoe racks in the closet, as finding an out of the way place for all our shoes is usually a challenge on any ship.

Bathrooms, which are right off the bedroom, feature showers with handheld and overhead options, as well as a body jet -- and lots of buttons. (We heard from several people who had to call their butlers to ask for directions on how to use the shower, so be sure to get instructions on day one.) Amenities include L'Occitane shampoo and shower gel, plus a conditioner from a Cambodian company called Bodia Nature. There's plenty of storage space underneath the sink including a long shelf, a cubby hole and four drawers. In one of the drawers, you'll find a hair dryer. Bathrooms also have an automatic night-light that some passengers asked to have disconnected as it's quite bright, sensitive to movement and stays on for about 15 minutes after being triggered. We didn't know it could be turned off until near the end of our cruise so slept with our bathroom door closed every night so as not to be disturbed by the light.

You'll also find two bottles of water (replenished daily) in the bathrooms for use when brushing your teeth. Although we were told repeatedly that the water onboard is treated to the highest standards, we were still asked not to drink it and to use bottled water for brushing our teeth as well.

Though we never experienced any noise, we heard from a handful of passengers that their windows rattled when the ship was sailing.

Deluxe Suite: There are 24 344-square-foot Deluxe Suites spread across three decks on Scenic Spirit. The two Deluxe Suites that are located on Deck 4 (Diamond Deck) receive free pressing of two pieces of clothing per day, as well as an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner.

Grand Deluxe Suite: You'll find eight 430-square-feet Grand Deluxe Suites on Deck 4 (Diamond Deck). Other than their larger size, Grand Deluxe Suites differ from their smaller counterparts by having a second TV in the sitting room, an oversized walk-in closet and a small entry hall with desk, chair, makeup mirror, extra drawers and floating shelves. Passengers in Grand Deluxe Suites receive free pressing of two pieces of clothing per day, as well as an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner.

Royal Panorama Suite: The two 861-square-foot Royal Panorama Suites on Deck 4 are the largest cabins on the ship and come with the most perks. In addition to a larger walk-in closet and living room with separate lounge and dining areas, they also feature an oversized outdoor terrace with the same table and chairs as other balconies, but also have loungers, a hot tub and a daybed; the large bathroom has his and her sinks with a freestanding crisp white ceramic bathtub set against a floor-to-ceiling window and separate toilet and shower. Passengers staying in the Royal Panorama Suites receive free washing and pressing service, an invitation to a six-course Captain's Dinner and $110 per cabin in onboard credit to be used in the spa.