Roald Amundsen Cabins

Roomy, comfortable and stylish, cabins aboard MS Roald Amundsen are a highlight of the ship. They border on luxurious, with spacious showers, heated bathroom floors, plenty of storage space and two double-wardrobes. There are 256 cabins in total across three categories (Polar Outside, Arctic Superior and Expedition Suite), ranging from 160 to 515 square feet. All cabins onboard MS Roald Amundsen are outside-facing and half of them have balconies. The oceanview cabins without balconies are located on decks 4 and 5, while most of the cabins and suites with balconies take up decks 7, 8 and 9. There are five wheelchair-accessible rooms aboard MS Roald Amundsen but no solo cabins.

What to Expect in Cabins on MS Roald Amundsen

With all outside-facing cabins, MS Roald Amundsen's rooms are built for enjoying the outside scenery. But inside, the cabins are also a sight to behold, boasting a cozy and stylish Scandinavian décor in shades of cream, mocha and gray, with pale birchwood accents.

All rooms feature double beds; a wall-mounted TV with multiple language channels; a sofa and fleecy Hurtigruten blanket; bathroom with shower and reasonable storage; two double wardrobes; and five drawers. There's a small coffee table and a storage shelf under the TV, as well as two narrow bedside cabinets with a single drawer.

All cabins have at least six outlets with European voltage of 220w/50hz, and three also have USB ports. Each cabin also comes with a hairdryer and there's a large waste basket, with three separate compartments for waste separation.

Cabins are cleaned daily, but you have the option to "stay green" and skip a cleaning. Each time you do this, €0.50 is donated to the Hurtigruten foundation. If you forego this option, your cabin will be cleaned in the morning and turndown service will take place in the evening.

Although cabins on MS Roald Amundsen tend to be smaller than land-based accommodations, they never feel cramped. We particularly enjoyed the generous amount of storage space and the bathrooms in even the smallest room category are adequately sized.

Suites and Balcony Cabins on MS Roald Amundsen

Half of the cabins aboard MS Roald Amundsen feature balconies, and 53 are suites. In line with MS Roald Amundsen's focus on expedition, all suites are named after Scandinavian (primarily Norwegian) explorers. On our Alaska voyage, we stayed in the Paul Kristian Knutsen Suite, a Norse explorer that went missing during a Russian expedition in 1919.

There are six levels of suites on MS Roald Amundsen. With 41 units, the most common suite subcategory is the ME grade suite on Decks 8 and 9. These rooms range from 215 to 300 square feet, and all come with balcony, generous living space, mini-bar and espresso machine.

The ship's two MF subcategory suites in the forward corners of Deck 7 are sized at 236 square feet. They lack balconies, but instead feature big windows and unique touches like a day bed facing the window and two soft chairs by a water vapor "fire" in a glass box. There is also one wheelchair accessible, MD subcategory suite on Deck .

There are six aft corner suites, dubbed MC-grade subcategory, spread out on decks 7, 8 and 9. They vary in size from 215 to 323 square feet (excluding the balcony) and each features a hot tub on the wraparound aft-facing balcony.

MS Roald Amundsen also features two MB subcategory suites, located aft on Deck 5. Measuring 473 square feet, these rooms don't have balconies, but instead feature aft-facing windows as well as a large entertaining space with separate lounge and dining areas.

Measuring 495 and 516 square feet, the largest cabins on MS Roald Amundsen are the two MA subcategory suites. Located forward on Deck 9, they both feature a forward-facing large window with sweeping views as well as balconies to one side, separate living and dining space, a large bathroom with tub and shower and a half bathroom.

Beyond the additional in-room perks, sailing on one of MS Roald Amundsen's suites elevates your experience a notch or two closer to all-inclusive bliss. The most notable perk of sailing aboard a suite is the included access to Lindstrøm, the ship's elegant restaurant on Deck 9. Although the restaurant is open to other passengers for dinner (commanding a €25 fee per person), only suite passengers can access it for breakfast and lunch. And although in theory reservations are required for each meal, during our sailing it was fine to show up and request a table on the spot (reservations were still kindly encouraged).

Another convenient perk available to suite passengers is the inclusion of one free bag of laundry per day, a great option for travelers who'd rather pack light. Your suite will also come with a mini bar filled with soft drinks and beer, four bottles of wine and a bottle of sparkling wine. The first round is on the house; every subsequent refill comes with a fee.

Cabin Bathrooms on MS Roald Amundsen

Heated bathroom floors are a standard feature among all cabins (even crew cabins). Soap, moisturizer, conditioner and shampoo/shower gel are custom made for Hurtigruten by Norwegian brand Arctic Pure. They come in oversized, fixed containers, which are refilled as part of the line's no single-use plastic policy. Even in the smallest cabins, showers are generous in size, and all feature glass doors; tubs are only available in the ship's two largest suites. With the exception of the ship's five wheelchair-accessible rooms, all cabin bathrooms have a step up.

Cabins to Avoid on MS Roald Amundsen

While all cabins aboard MS Roald Amundsen offer plenty of comfort, there are notable size differences among subcategories. The 12 RS Polar Outside cabins on decks 4 and 5 are about 20% smaller than other oceanview cabins.

Cruisers prone to seasickness should stick to cabins in the middle of the ship, especially when sailing rougher waters like the Drake Passage (though this was hardly an issue during our Southeast Alaska sailing). Alternatively, check out our favorite cabins below.

Cruise Critic Cabin Picks on MS Roald Amundsen

Budget: For best value, choose the entry-level RR subcategory Polar Outside cabin on decks 4 and 5. At 250 square feet, they are very generously sized for a low-level cabin.

Splash: Expedition suites with balconies are ideal to elevate your experience, but also to take advantage of the added perks of traveling on a suite, like access to Lindstrøm restaurant and free laundry.

Splurge: Nothing beats MS Roald Amundsen's two MA category suites on Deck 7. The forward-facing view alone from the large window is worth the splurge.