I booked the wrong room on my first cruise, and it was my biggest regret of the 7-day voyage

"The first night of my first cruise was terrifying. The floor trembled beneath me. I was startled by booming noises coming from the decks above and below mine. Was that furniture falling, sliding, and crashing into walls? I sat stiffly on the couch at midnight, determined to stay awake and prepared for disaster. I read the emergency instructions over and over for what felt like hours until I accidentally fell asleep."

"For $2,000, I spent seven nights in a 179-square-foot ocean-view stateroom at the very front of deck eight. It was a mid-tier room - a step above the windowless interior staterooms, a step below staterooms with a balcony, and two steps below a suite. I unknowingly booked a room where movement on the ship felt the strongest After my first rocky night aboard the ship, I wondered whether everyone had the same experience. So, I talked to some fellow passengers who were seasoned cruisers."

I booked a 179-square-foot ocean-view stateroom at the very front of deck eight on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas and experienced strong, persistent motion. The first night felt terrifying: the floor trembled, booming noises came from other decks, and I read emergency instructions until I fell asleep. Other passengers noted that the front of the ship is one of the worst places for seasickness and that higher decks amidships feel calmer and more stable. Seasickness spoiled many aspects of the seven-night cruise, with some nights rockier than others. I paid $2,000 for the week in a mid-tier room, which made the experience more frustrating.

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