Royal Clipper cabins: every category, and which cabins to avoid

Royal Clipper cabins are small next to a big cruise ship’s, and that’s normal for a sailing ship: the space goes to the decks, the masts and the rigging. The ship has 114 cabins on three decks. Almost all are outside cabins with portholes, and every one has its own marble bathroom. Below: every cabin category with its size and beds, where each one sits on Star Clippers’ deck plan, and which cabins to avoid depending on who you are. All sizes are Star Clippers’ “average cabin size” figures from its Royal Clipper deck plan, so individual cabins vary a little. One honest note: I haven’t slept in any of these cabins yet. We sail her in January 2028, so this is the deck plan and Star Clippers’ own descriptions, read carefully.

Royal Clipper cabin categories at a glance

Category	Deck	Type	Beds	Average size
Owner’s Suite (2)	Clipper, at the stern	Suite, no verandah, sitting area, minibar, whirlpool bath, room service	Two doubles, up to 4 guests	~430 sq ft
Deluxe Suite	Main	Suite with private verandah, sitting area, minibar, whirlpool bath, room service	Twin or double	~280 sq ft
Category 1	Main	Deluxe deck cabin, doors open onto the deck, minibar, whirlpool bath	Double	~156 sq ft
Category 2	Clipper	Superior outside cabin, shower	Twin, double or triple	~145 sq ft
Category 3	Clipper and Commodore	Outside cabin, shower	Twin, double or triple	~145 sq ft
Category 4	Clipper and Commodore	Outside cabin, shower	Twin, double or triple	~145 sq ft
Category 5	Commodore	Outside cabin, shower	Double only	~118 sq ft
Category 6	Clipper	Inside cabin (no window), shower	Double plus third berth	~108 sq ft

Every cabin has air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, radio, hair dryer, phone, safe, closets, under-bed storage, a private bathroom and toiletries. The power is 220 volts, so bring a plug adapter, and a converter for anything that only runs on 110.

Where each cabin is on the deck plan

The Royal Clipper has four decks. From the top:

• Sun Deck. Open deck with the three pools, the bridge, the lifeboats and the masts. No cabins.
• Main Deck. The Deluxe Suites (numbered 301 to 314) sit in the middle of the ship between the Piano Bar and the Observation Lounge. Two Category 1 cabins sit at the back, beside the Library. Also on this deck: the Tropical Bar, the Piano Bar and the top of the atrium.
• Clipper Deck. Most of the Category 2 cabins line both sides of this deck, with Category 3 and 4 cabins near the ends and the two Owner’s Suites at the stern. The Category 6 inside cabins sit in a block in the middle, forward of the atrium. The purser’s office and the gallery are here.
• Commodore Deck. The lowest guest deck. The forward half is cabins: Category 3 nearest the middle, Category 4 further forward and Category 5 at the very bow. The aft half is the dining room, the tender embarkation door and, at the stern, the marina platform. The gym and spa are reached from this deck.

Photo: Star Clippers

The categories, one by one

Owner’s Suites

Two suites at the stern of the Clipper Deck, about 430 sq ft each, with two double beds, a separate sitting area, a minibar, a marble bathroom with a whirlpool bath and room service. They sleep up to four, and Star Clippers says the two can be connected, which suits a family or two couples. No private verandah, though, which surprises people at this price.

Deluxe Suites

The only cabins with a private verandah, about 280 sq ft, on the Main Deck. Twin or double beds, sitting area, minibar, whirlpool bath and room service. Being on the Main Deck puts you one stair from the open deck and the bars.

Category 1: deluxe deck cabins

About 156 sq ft on the Main Deck, with a double bed, minibar and whirlpool bath. The door opens straight onto the deck, not into a corridor. Lovely first thing in the morning. Less lovely if you’re in bed early and the deck’s busy outside your door.

Categories 2, 3 and 4: the standard outside cabins

These make up most of the ship. All are about 145 sq ft with portholes, a marble bathroom with a shower, and twin, double or triple beds. Category 2 is described as “superior” and is all on the Clipper Deck. Categories 3 and 4 are split between the Clipper and Commodore decks. Star Clippers notes that the Category 3 and 4 cabins on the Clipper Deck may be slightly smaller than the same categories on the Commodore Deck.

Photo: Star Clippers

Category 5

About 118 sq ft, on the Commodore Deck at the bow. These are outside cabins with a double bed only. Good value for a couple who don’t mind a smaller room.

Category 6: inside cabins

About 108 sq ft with a double bed and a third berth, on the Clipper Deck. No window. The cheapest way onto the ship, and fine if you only go to your cabin to sleep. (On a ship with a bowsprit net and a bar on deck, that’s most people.)

Royal Clipper cabins to avoid

If you’ve been searching Tripadvisor for “Royal Clipper cabins to avoid,” here’s the short version: no cabin on this ship is a bad cabin. But some are a poor fit for some people. Use the deck plan legend when you choose: Star Clippers marks fixed double beds with a “D,” third berths with a triangle and single berths with an “S.”

If you are…	Think twice about	Why
Two friends sharing	Any cabin marked “D,” including all Category 5	Fixed double bed, no twin option
Prone to seasickness	Category 5 at the bow (cabins 101 to 104)	The bow moves most in a swell. Cabins low and near the middle of a ship move least.
Wanting daylight	Category 6	Inside cabins have no window
A light sleeper	Commodore Deck cabins nearest the dining room; Category 1	Meal-time noise next door; deck traffic outside a deck-level door
Tall or traveling with lots of luggage	Category 5 and 6	The two smallest cabin types
Three sharing	Cabins without a triangle on the plan	Only third-berth cabins take a third guest

Two more practical points:

• Book by cabin number, not just category. Cabins in one category can differ in bed layout and position. Ask for a specific number from the deck plan and get it confirmed in writing.
• Third berths are upper bunks. On the Category 6 photo above you can see the fold-down upper berth. Expect a ladder, and decide now who’s climbing it.

And remember this is a working sailing ship. Sails go up and down, and the anchor goes down most mornings, wherever your cabin is. If you need total silence to sleep, pack earplugs.

Royal Clipper cabins compared with the sister ships

Star Clippers’ two smaller ships, Star Flyer and Star Clipper, have a similar layout on a smaller scale. Their standard outside cabins are about 118 to 129 sq ft and their inside cabins about 86 sq ft with upper and lower berths, against about 145 and 108 sq ft on the Royal Clipper. The Royal Clipper is the only one of the three with suites that have verandahs. Our guide to tall ship cruise lines compares the three ships and other sailing lines. Star Clippers publishes the Star Flyer and Star Clipper deck plans too.

Which cabin should you book?

• Best value with a window: Category 4 or 3 on the Commodore Deck, where Star Clippers says the cabins may be a touch larger.
• Best for two friends: a Category 2, 3 or 4 cabin with twin beds. Check the cabin number has no “D.”
• Lowest price: Category 6, if you don’t need a window.
• For a splurge: a Deluxe Suite for the verandah, or an Owner’s Suite for space.

If it were my money and I wanted a window, I’d look at the Commodore Deck 3s and 4s first. That’s a judgement from the deck plan, not a night’s sleep, so weigh it that way.

Prices step up by category. As of November 2026, Star Clippers’ advance-purchase fares for January 2028 run from $2,620 per person sharing (Category 6) to $3,400 (Category 2), with the suites well above that. Our Royal Clipper cost guide has every category. For the ship herself, start with the main Royal Clipper guide.

Cabins on our January 2028 trip

Our hosted week, Mermaids, Pirates and Poets (Caribbean Sail), uses Category 2, 3 and 4 cabins, all with a window, from $4,550 per person, sharing. We sail round trip from Bridgetown, Barbados, 15 to 22 January 2028. Solo prices go to the waiting list.