• Booking a room at the front of the ship was my biggest regret on my first cruise.
• On Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, I learned that rooms at the front are bumpier than others.
• I booked the front room of deck eight and felt seasick for most of my voyage.

The first night of my first cruise was terrifying. The floor trembled beneath me as I was startled by booming noises that sounded like the crashing of heavy items on decks above and below mine.

Determined to stay awake and prepared for disaster, I sat stiffly on the couch. I read the emergency instructions over and over for what felt like hours until I accidentally fell asleep.

When I woke up, I rushed out the door to ensure everything was all right. As seemingly unfazed cruisers filled the buffet and lined up for the water slides, I realized I'd experienced a normal night at sea.

This was back in April 2022 when I booked a room on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean's 18-deck Wonder of the Seas.

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. They told me that the front of the ship is one of the worst places to be if you're often seasick. They said that higher decks in the middle of the ship feel calmer and more stable.

Since my room on the 18-deck ship was situated at the front of the eighth floor, I felt constant motion in my room. As someone who gets motion sickness from the slightest movement of bathwater, this spoiled many aspects of my first cruise. 

Some nights were rockier than others. On the roughest nights, I heard and felt a similar sensation to thunder beneath me every few minutes. Loud thumps and heavy vibrations in my room sounded like large pieces of furniture falling.

During the days at sea, it was especially challenging for me to eat and participate in activities. And I didn't feel rested for my excursions at port stops, which included hikes in the sun.

Some cabins can be rockier than others, like those situated at the front of the cruise ship

Cruise passengers prone to motion sickness should book a room in the middle of the ship to feel the least amount of rocking.

I wish I'd researched how the location of a cabin can affect the amount of motion you feel while the ship is moving before booking my cruise. Next time, I'd choose a room in the middle of the ship.

• I booked a stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, one of the biggest cruise ships.
• For $2,000 a week, the 179-square-foot ocean-view cabin had a private bathroom and a king-size bed.
• I thought I'd feel cramped in the room, but it had everything I needed and left no space unused.

I took my first cruise in 2022 on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. At the time, it was the world's largest cruise ship, but the title has since been replaced by the same cruise line's Icon of the Seas.

During my seven-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight for $2,000. The cruise was on sale, as it was originally priced at $3,000. Take a look inside the 179-square-foot space.

My room was a mid-tier cabin at the front of deck eight.

My ocean-view stateroom was a step above interior staterooms with no windows, a category below staterooms with a balcony, and two steps below a stateroom suite.

My cabin was on the same deck as Central Park, an outdoor space with 20,000 plants.

I thought Central Park was the most relaxing outdoor deck on the ship — and often, the least crowded. So I enjoyed being close by.

When I stepped inside my stateroom, I was surprised at how big it felt.

Right away, I thought the cabin made great use of a small space.

I inserted my room key into a slot on the wall to operate most of the electricity in the room.

I'm always looking for more sustainable ways to travel, so I appreciated the energy-saving system.

One side of the room was filled with a mirror and a desk with several outlets for charging electronics with USB, American, and European ports.

I used the desk to eat meals and sort daily flyers about the goings-on.

Next to the desk, a set of drawers included a cabinet with a minifridge inside.

The desk drawers were mostly empty, save for a hair dryer, which I didn't use.

Across from the desk, I had a couch positioned in between two closets.

I found a rack of hangers, shelving, and a small safe inside each closet. I thought it was plenty of space for a weeklong journey.

Next to the couch and desk area, a small bathroom used clever storage hacks.

In the bathroom, there were two glasses, a bar of soap, and a two-in-one hair and body wash.

The trash can and toilet paper were situated under the counter to save space.

At the top of the shower, a pullout clothing line was useful for drying my bathing suits.

Each night, my stateroom attendant replenished towels and brought flyers and schedules for the next day.

Sometimes, the towels were folded creatively to look like animals.

I noticed that my king-size bed at the back of the room was actually two twin beds pushed together.

All Royal Caribbean cabins come with this configuration so that they may be separated for additional guests. I often woke up in the crevice.

A large flat-screen TV was mounted across from the bed with storage hooks below.

Skinny nightstands on either side of the bed held lamps, charging ports, and a room phone on one side.

Because I booked an ocean-view room, I could see the front of the ship from a window above my bed.

The window had an electronic shade that could be opened during the day for grand views and closed when I was ready to sleep.

While I thought the room might have been too small for a couple with a lot of luggage or a family, it was just right for me.

And watching the sun rise over the Caribbean Sea from the comfort of my room was the best part.