Gerard Schmitter Cabins

Gerard Schmitter's bright color scheme of pink and purple is repeated throughout the ship, and the cabins are no exception. The pastel palette is softened, however, by the neutral colors in the carpet, wall coverings and faux-wood cabinetry.

In the cabins, this office-style cabinetry makes up the majority of the functional furnishings. A roomy 6'x3' shelving unit sits behind the door and also holds the safe. Next to it, a 6'x2' wardrobe has plenty of room for hanging clothes and a shelf above and below. A thigh-height countertop runs nearly the length of one wall. It has three sections -- a small vanity space with a simple mirror, chair and a drawer concealing the hair dryer on one end; two cabinets with shelves on the other; and a heating and cooling unit and vent in the center. Another small cabinet with shelves is next to the window.

Cabins don't differ greatly in size or layout. All measure 140 square feet, and, of the 88 total cabins, 73 have two movable -- but not interlocking -- twin beds. The rest have double beds. There is one accessible cabin for those with disabilities. The 25 lower-deck cabins are partially below the waterline, with smaller, higher rectangular windows. Second- and third-floor cabins have "French balcony windows" -- eight feet wide, opening halfway and with a railing outside. Small bedside tables are tiny with small lamps. The mattresses and bedding aren't fancy, but they're comfortable.

A small wall-mounted flat-screen television offers 19 channels in French, four in English, three in Spanish and 15 in German. The four English language channels are news channels: BBC America, CNBC, Bloomberg and CNN. The instructions to use the television are less than straightforward (nearly the frustration level of setting up a printer), and with so few channels, it's almost not worth turning on.

The lavatory is big enough, although basic, like the cabins. The whole room is made from fiberglass bathtub material, and the area under the sink and wall-mounted vacuum toilet is overlaid with a non-slip covering. Don't expect extras like complimentary bath products. Apart from a wall-mounted body wash/shampoo all-in-one dispenser, you'll need to provide your own toiletries. Next to the mirror, a separate cabinet behind frosted glass provides storage space.

The biggest drawback in the cabins is that the shower is poorly designed. The water pressure is great, and the water temperature is consistent, but there is no separation between the shower and the rest of the facilities. A slight depression in the floor allows the water to drain, but a single curtain does not protect the rest of the room from getting soaked. Other related issues include a puny extractor fan that leaves the surfaces damp and the odd location of the aforementioned all-in-one soap and shampoo dispenser outside of the shower.