Jane Austen Cabins

An instant win for the ship's cabins is that they all come with a view. There are 74 elegantly appointed outside cabins in total, laid out over three decks -- Emerald Deck (Lower), Ruby Deck (Middle) and Diamond Deck (Upper). The glass elevator, located in the lobby by the staircase, makes all decks easily accessible (although it doesn't go to the sun deck).

Cabin types include standard, mini and master suites, which range in size from 161 to 242 square feet. Cabins, like the public areas of the ship, have a premium feel, featuring a lavish champagne and royal blue color palate. Even the smallest of the ship's cabins feel roomy thanks to a clever color scheme and large windows on the upper decks, which allow light to flood in.

There are no real balcony cabins onboard Jane Austen. Emerald Deck cabins contain small windows, while Ruby and Diamond Deck cabins contain large floor-to-ceiling windows with a French balcony -- a clever design feature that creates the feeling of extra space.

All cabins contain a standard double bed or two single beds pushed together, bedside tables with drawer and lamp, an upholstered chair, a table, a mini-bar, telephone, tea and coffee-making facilities (PG Tips tea bags included, nonetheless!), safe, double wardrobe, a hair dryer and a large flat-screen Samsung TV showing a mix of TV channels, including all of the regular international news channels. There's one movie channel, which typically features one movie on loop per day.

Bathrobes and slippers aren't included in standard cabins and although passengers can request robes from reception, we feel that for a line that markets itself as luxury they should be included in all cabins. Another mark against cabins, especially for passengers who like to wallow in a hot bubble bath: There are no baths onboard the ship.

All cabin bathrooms feature a toilet, sink and wall-mounted shower. There are also two glasses in cup-holders; a large wall-mounted mirror, providing excellent lighting; and a shaving mirror. Bathrooms contain premium Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries, including a body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. There's also a line to hang items of clothing. Standard cabin bathrooms feel small, but they're well designed, with clever shower doors -- which means no clingy shower curtain -- that fold into the shower. There's limited storage space inside the bathroom, so if you travel with a lot of toiletries, you might want to consider packing some storage solutions. We also experienced low water pressure in the bathroom showers.

The electrical power supply onboard is 220V with sockets conveniently located next to the bed and by the cabin table. Sockets cater to European two-pin plugs, so remember to pack an adaptor.

Evening turndown service is provided in all cabins, which includes a thoughtfully placed chocolate left on your pillow.

Standard cabins: The smallest cabins onboard, at 161 square feet, make up the bulk of the ship's accommodations. They're well laid out with a design that maximizes space, including a double wardrobe located in the entrance, opposite the bathroom, before you reach the main bedroom area. That said, we found some of the cabin amenities, such as the mini-bar, wineglasses and hair dryer, take up some of this valuable storage space inside the wardrobe.

Passengers with a lot of luggage might struggle for space inside Standard cabin bathrooms and may find they use some of the wardrobe space to store toiletries or cosmetics. There is some storage space around the small sink, but no shelves. The shower space features a small shelf to store toiletries.

Standard cabins are elegant and while they might not be the largest on Europe's rivers, they're a good size and the large French balcony windows, offering unimpeded views, are a big plus.

Mini Suites: The difference between Standard cabins and the six Mini Suites is the size and layout. The 199-square-feet Mini Suites feel spacious, with the double bed angled toward the window. Bathrooms are bigger, too, offering that extra storage space that standard cabins lack.

Master Suites: The four generously proportioned -- 242 square feet -- Master Suites feel especially roomy, including a double French balcony with the bed positioned facing the windows and plenty of room for movement on both sides of the bed -- top marks for feng shui!

Master Suites also feature a dark hardwood table and two upholstered chairs. Robes are included, too, which saves you having to request them. There's also an iPhone docking station, which features an alarm clock; a fruit basket upon arrival; and bathrooms that feel exceptionally luxurious, including the addition of an overhead rainforest shower, as well as the wall-mounted shower, and extra storage space.

One qualm we have with the Master Suites is the size of the bed. There's space for a king-sized bed, but instead passengers get the same size beds as standard cabins.

Jane Austen doesn't have any interconnecting cabins, but it does have one accessible cabin located on the Diamond Deck closest to reception.