I always book rooms near staircases on cruises. If you pick the right part of the ship, your vacation will be way better.

• Booking a cabin near the stairs provides many added benefits that make my cruise even better.
• I avoid long elevator lines and can easily move from my cabin to the main deck and back.

Although I love small cruises, I've recently grown fond of big ships.

And with cruise ships getting bigger to the point where a new world's largest one is crowned almost every year, there are even more rooms to choose from when booking a trip.

It's exciting to see all of the cabin options and upgrades — but when I'm selecting my room on a cruise, I just want to know where the stairs are.

Because I've learned that if my cabin is located near staircases in just the right way, my cruise is way more enjoyable and efficient.

The perks of this placement are so good that I only book cabins near staircases now and will continue to do so for every cruise I take.

Booking a cabin near stairs helps me avoid long elevator lines

My most recent cruise on the Discovery Princess, which has 19 decks, is a great example of how strategic cabin selection can make a trip better.

I stayed on Deck 12, and my cabin was near the aft (rear) of the ship, directly across from an elevator bank and set of stairs.

Since the larger bank of panoramic elevators is farther along the deck, the aft elevators were used less frequently, and noise was not a problem.

The best part, though, was being near the staircase. Since there was technically no Deck 13, I could climb two flights and be right at Deck 16, Discovery Princess' Lido deck.

The Lido deck has a mix of cabins and public areas, and the aft stairs brought me right next to the large buffet area.

When the buffet was crowded, and elevators were cramped and surrounded by crowds waiting to get on them, I could just quickly pop up and down the staircase.

I added built-in exercise to my daily routine by taking the stairs, too.

The convenience of a cabin near stairs is unmatched

Like most cruisers, I spend the majority of my day away from my cabin, but I also don't want to carry a ton of things around with me.

By having a cabin near a set of stairs that's close to the decks I spend the most time on, it's easy for me to run to my cabin for a book, headphones, or sunscreen.

Not having to rely on elevators for mundane tasks keeps my days quick and efficient, which means I can get back to enjoying my vacation faster.

Just make sure you check the ship's map before you book

This placement can have drawbacks if you don't make sure your cabin isn't directly under a buffet or popular spot. I learned this the hard way on the Celebrity Silhouette when I selected a cabin near the stairs but one floor directly below the buffet.

My location was great until the sounds of staff moving carts and chairs around woke me up in the early morning hours every day. I now look for a two-deck buffer between my cabin and any deck with a buffet area.

It's also important to check which staircases go to which floors. For example, on Discovery Princess, not all staircases go through from Deck 12 all the way to Deck 5, where many activities and dining options are located.

To find your ideal cabin, review the ship's deck plans before you book. They're available on most cruise-line websites, and you can use them to look up staterooms and their locations in relation to stairs and highly trafficked areas.