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I stayed in a $2,850-per-person balcony cabin on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship. Here’s what it’s like.

If you have $2,850 to spend, you could buy a Prada Re-Edition Saffiano purse, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, or an Hermès Bearn mini wallet.

Or, if you prefer spending your money on experiences rather than products, you could book yourself a balcony cabin on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the 3,565-guest Norwegian Luna.

Norwegian Luna, the sister vessel of its predecessor, Norwegian Aqua, is outfitted with family-fun amenities like a hybrid rollercoaster-waterslide and a high-tech mini-golf course, as well as grown-up-friendly spaces like an outdoor adults-only lounge and a wine bar.

But at the end of the day, when you need a break from all these activities, your stateroom will be the most important space on board.

For me, that was an aft balcony cabin on the 10th deck, which Norwegian assigned me for the new vessel’s complimentary three-night non-revenue test cruise in late March.

Balcony cabins can be $2,000 more expensive (per person) than the cheapest inside cabins.

Norwegian Luna has a variety of cabins.

Brittany Chang

At the time of writing, the least-expensive inside cabins for Norwegian Luna’s 2026 itineraries start at about $850 per person for a seven-day cruise from Miami to Harvest Caye (the company’s private Belize island); Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatán, Honduras.

On the same itinerary, a balcony cabin starts at $2,850 per person, or about $410 per person per day.

As with any cruise, these costs include meals at onboard restaurants, several amenities, and the opportunity to visit multiple destinations in one voyage.

The balcony felt private and big enough for the basics, but mine wasn’t always quiet.


View of balcony doors in room on Norwegian Luna

The peacefulness of your balcony area may depend on where your cabin is.

Brittany Chang

Balcony cabins range from 231 to 358 square feet, according to Norwegian.

The outdoor area, separated from the room by heavy glass doors, ranges from about 45 to 69 square feet, providing just enough room for two chairs and a small side table, although not much else.

It’s not the most spacious balcony, but it’s great for a morning coffee or a seated afternoon read.

However, depending on where your cabin is located, you shouldn’t expect a quiet atmosphere. My stateroom, 10234, had expansive ocean views but was perched above Ocean Boulevard, the ship’s outdoor wrap-around walkway and lounge.

When I left my sliding door open, I could hear the loud chatter and conversations from the people below.

In terms of the cabin itself, a queen bed is the star of the space.


View of bed, baclony door  in room on Norwegian Luna

The queen bed sits just beyond the glass sliding doors.

Brittany Chang

Past the sliding glass doors, you’ll find a queen bed.

The bed — flanked by nightstands with lights and outlets — is perched across from the television screen, which is preset with a handful of paid and complimentary movies, shows, and television stations (the latter is mostly news channels and Norwegian programming).

If you need to sleep more than two people, you can book a family balcony cabin with a pull-out sofa bed.


Couch with side table with lamp in room on Norwegian Luna

The couch is comfortable, too.

Brittany Chang

Traveling with more than two people? Some of the balcony cabins also have a pull-out sofa bed that can sleep an additional two travelers.

The lounge seating is located next to the bed, separated only by the nightstand. Despite being multipurpose, the sofa is firm with just enough give to feel comfortable.

The sofa is across from the desk area.


Desk/vanity area with tissue box, phone in room on Norwegian Luna

The desk area has lots of lighting and a mirror for those who want to get ready there.

Brittany Chang

There’s no coffee table, but there is a desk with a small backless seat and wall-mounted shelves for additional storage.

For remote workers, there are plenty of outlets and countertop space for a laptop. For vacationers, this desk doubles as a great vanity with a light-up mirror.

It also hides the mini-refrigerator, although you’ll have to pay extra for the drinks inside.

For additional storage, turn to the closets.


Mirrored closet doors with hangers visible inside

I found a few hangers in the closet area.

Brittany Chang

The storage section has two units: a large closet with sliding doors and automatic lights, and a smaller section with vertical space for hanging long dresses and suits.

Both halves have pull-down shelves for storing luggage and bags. If you want to put away smaller clothing items, use the larger closet, which has plenty of built-in shelves and hangers (it’s also where you’ll find the room’s safe).

The adjacent wall has a staggered row of hooks, perfect for hanging grab-and-go essentials like jackets and bags.

The closet is across from the bathroom, which features a large shower.


Bathroomwith large sink, shelving  in room on Norwegian Luna

The bathroom felt like most others I’ve seen on cruises.

Brittany Chang

A narrow walkway separates the closet from the bathroom, which has all the core basics. Expect traditional cruise bathroom amenities: a toilet, a large sink, shelves, drawers, and a shower.

I’ve been in plenty of cramped cruise cabin bathrooms, where a scalp scrub comes with a few elbows to the wall. That wasn’t the case here.

Surprisingly, I had no issue with this shower: It was wide and spacious (for my 5-foot, 4-inch frame), with a retractable pull-out drying line to hang post-pool swimwear.

If you have a strict shower routine, be sure to pack your own toiletries.


Shampoo and soap dispensers in shower

The shower is surprisingly spacious.

Brittany Chang

The bathroom comes with wall-mounted hand soap, body wash, and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner — no body lotion, separate hair conditioner, or dental hygiene products.

As far as two-in-one products go, the joint shampoo and conditioner was fine. Did it leave my hair feeling as smooth as a traditional hair conditioner? No. Did it help with some detangling? Yes.

That said, most mass-market cruise lines don’t provide hair conditioner, anyway, and it’s easy enough to pack your own.

In terms of room decor, the space is very simple.


backlit headboard in room on Norwegian Luna

The room felt pretty simple.

Brittany Chang

The cabin is outfitted with ambient lights that surround the accent wall, modern bedside light fixtures that add a warm glow, and two simple decorative sofa pillows.

Generally, the space’s design is inoffensive, basic, and light, creating a clean, bright ambiance. Expect neutral hues of browns and blues, much like the rest of the ship.

Overall, Luna’s stateroom plays it safe with the minimal decor and comfortable amenities, but that’s not a bad thing.


View of vanity area, couch, doorway in room on Norwegian Luna

Ultimately, this room is worth the cost if you want a private outdoor space and a calm, simple cabin.

Brittany Chang

Is a balcony worth the additional $2,000-per-person cost? If your priority is having access to a private, open-air space with ocean views, then yes.

It’s comparable in size to most mass-market balcony cabins — and it wasn’t as gaudy as Norwegian Prima’s balcony stateroom, thanks in part to the more simplistic wall decor on Luna.

It’s the perfect peaceful retreat from the rest of the ship, so long as you remember to pack your own body lotion and select a cabin overlooking a quieter space.




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I bunked with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on an overnight train in Europe. I’ll never do it again.

  • I spent 11 hours in a shared cabin on an overnight train from Vienna to Venice, Italy.
  • For less than $100, I got a bunk in a room of six beds with three other people.
  • I’ve traveled overnight on Amtrak, but in private rooms. I didn’t adjust well to the shared space.

My ride from Vienna to Venice, Italy, in October 2022 was bumpy, cramped, and awkward.

During a two-week trip through four European countries, I spent 11 hours bunking with three strangers in an overnight sleeper train.

While it was my first time traveling in a sleeper car in Europe, I’d spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains in the 20-square-foot roomette and 45-square-foot bedroom accommodations, where I had private rooms.

I thought an overnight train would be the best way to travel through Europe so that I could explore more during the day. But the rough ride made sleeping hard, and I didn’t feel rested when I got to Venice.

I booked my ride with the Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet.

The OBB Nightjet train as it arrives in Venice in 2022.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

OBB Nightjet — a rail line that operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands — can go as fast as 143 miles per hour.

Nightjet trains have regular assigned seats, couchette cars (seats that fold out into couches in shared cabins), and sleeper cars with bunks of four or six, which is what I booked. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn’t.

This overnight leg of my European train trip, which came with breakfast, cost $44 with a Eurail pass. Without the pass, the ticket would have been about $84.


The author's Eurail pass on a European train.

The reporter’s Eurail pass on a European train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

To travel by train, I bought a Eurail pass for $477, which gives access to most European trains for a set number of days. Some trains require only a Eurail pass, while others, including overnight trains, incur an additional discounted fare.

My journey began in Austria’s Wien Meidling train station.


The station where the Nightjet took off from

Inside the Wien Meidling train station in Austria.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I arrived about an hour and a half before my 9:35 p.m. train so I’d have plenty of time to find the platform.

The departure screens said my train was going to Zurich. At the information desk, I learned that, unlike Amtrak, the train’s cars detach at various stations to go to different locations.


A train car on the Nightjet

Train car number two on the Nightjet.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I’d need to board my assigned train car; each has a number.

I paid $10 to wait for my train in OBB’s lounge.


Inside the OBB Lounge

Inside the OBB Nightjet lounge at Wien Meidling train station.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The lounge is free for OBB first-class passengers traveling during the day and costs about $10 for all other OBB passengers. Since I didn’t see any empty seats in the rest of the station, I paid for it.

I was surprised to find I was the only one inside the lounge since the rest of the station was full of people. There were plenty of tables and chairs available.

The lounge served complimentary refreshments and snacks, from coffee to nuts and seeds.


refreshments in the OBB lounge

Refreshments in the OBB Nightjet lounge at Wien Meidling train station.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

It was a smaller selection than I’ve seen at Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge, which I’ve visited in New York, but I wasn’t hungry, so I just got a water bottle.

I went to the platform about 20 minutes before my train’s 9:35 p.m. departure.


Platform where the train takes off in Austria

The train platform the reporter used at Wien Meidling train station.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When the train arrived, I didn’t have time to check the car number before boarding. I just went to the closest car and asked an attendant for help.

Inside the sleeper cars, I saw narrow, dimly lit corridors full of small cabins with bunk beds.


The corridor inside the Nightjet train

A corridor inside an OBB Nightjet sleeper car.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

An attendant led the way to my shared cabin.

My room had six bunks and a large window with a curtain. During my leg of the journey, one traveler was already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within an hour.


Inside the author's shared Nightjet cabin.

The reporter gets settled inside her shared cabin.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Two got off around 5 a.m., and the other stayed past my stop.

At 74 square feet, it felt like a tight space — especially with everyone’s luggage around. There was space for bags above the beds, but not enough for everyone.

I couldn’t imagine six people squeezing in there.

While my cabin was assigned, the beds were first-come, first-served.


A view of the top bunks from the train's bottom bunk

A view of the top bunks from the reporter’s bottom bunk.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Since I’ve experienced more bumps on higher bunks on Amtrak trains, I chose a bottom bunk.

The train provided bed sheets and a pillow.


Bunks inside the Nightjet train

Sheets for the beds inside the cabin.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Although they weren’t as soft and cozy as the sheets on Amtrak trains, they were better than nothing.

Temperature and shared lighting controls were above the curtained door to enter the room.


The curtains and controls in the Nightjet bunk

The door to the cabin with dials to control temperature and lighting above.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My fellow passengers and I agreed to turn off the lights once everyone was settled into bed.

There was an outlet and a tiny nightstand on the side of each bunk, as well as night lights above the bed. Without curtains around each bunk, I thought I had no privacy.


Lights and outlets on the Nightjet

Lights and outlets in the Nightjet cabin.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I longed for a way to close off my bunk for more personal space.

Other passengers in the room said hello to one another upon arrival, but otherwise, the room was quiet.


Inside the shared cabin.

Inside the shared cabin.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Some of us watched our devices, while others went right to sleep.

Before bed, I used one of the two bathrooms for everyone in my sleeper car. I thought it was a typical train bathroom with a toilet and a sink.


The bathroom inside the Nightjet train

A bathroom inside the sleeper car.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

According to Nightjet’s website, only private sleeper cabins come with a shower.

When I was ready for bed, I watched TV before going to sleep. The bed was stiff and uncomfortable, in my opinion.


The author watches TV at night from her bunk.

The reporter’s view from her bed in the evening.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I woke up several times during the night to other travelers entering and exiting the room, or due to the bumpiness of the train.

An attendant woke me up with breakfast at 8 a.m., about 20 minutes before my stop in Venice. I got two rolls of bread with butter, jam, and coffee to eat in my bunk.


Morning breakfast on the Nightjet train

The reporter’s view with her breakfast in the morning.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

There was no café car or common area on board for passengers.

When I got off the train in Venice, I was exhausted from the lack of sleep. I thought it made my first day in the city less enjoyable.


Outside of the Nightjet train as it arrives in Venice

The OBB Nightjet arrives in Venice.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

“Offering our passengers a high level of travel comfort is an important concern for us,” a representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider. “We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers.”

While sometimes it’s about the journey, not the destination, in this case, I’d rather arrive feeling refreshed so I can enjoy where I’m going. So, a year later, I booked a Nightjet private cabin to get from Venice to Vienna. That ride was far more comfortable, and I slept easily with no strangers in my cabin.




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