I sailed in an interior cabin on one of the most scenic 13-day cruises to save money, and I'd happily do it again

As with most cruises, the interior cabin was the cheapest option available to book.

On this sailing, an interior cabin can cost about $600 less per person than an ocean-view room and about $800 less than one with a verandah.

My 160-square-foot cabin was comfortable and had all the essentials for a cruise, from a comfy bed to a decent bathroom. It felt fairly spacious, too.

The cruise lasted 13 days in total. Six of those were spent at ports and five at sea.

This means that exterior-cabin passengers paid extra to see just the open sea for nearly half of the cruise.

Most cruise ships have numerous public spaces where travelers can enjoy the view as they travel. This ship was no exception, and I found a few excellent places from which I could view the Panama Canal.

Some passengers prefer to see the locks from multiple vantage points, which could also be easily achieved from public spaces on the ship.

In my opinion, some of the best views of the locks were at the ship's Crow's Nest lounge on Deck 12.

On the day we entered the Panama Canal, the captain opened the ship's usually-off-limits bow at 6 a.m.

This allowed passengers to assemble on the bow before entering the Agua Clara locks. The line formed hours before the bow opened, and this area remained accessible all day. The crew even set up light refreshments for us to enjoy while waiting for the iconic views.

The bow had some of the best views of the Panama Canal, and I would've missed out on them if I'd been sitting on the balcony of a private cabin.

Cruising solo in any interior stateroom often motivates me to be social, get active, and explore more of the ship.

I found myself leaving my cabin often to enjoy the thermal spa, relax at the dome-covered pool, and get in my steps while enjoying sunset views from the jogging track looped around the Sun Deck.

On most cruises, I spend so little time in my cabin — and this sailing was no exception.

Since I couldn't watch the Panama Canal transit from a private porthole or balcony, I was compelled to get up before sunrise and bond with other passengers as we cruised.

Not only did I maximize my experience, but also I made new friends while enjoying some of the best views at sea.

Plus, by choosing the cheapest cruise room available, I saved money I can put toward other future travels.