Cruisin' with THREE kids

B

BroWhite

Guest
Ok...I've heard everything from "Don't even try it," to "It will be your best cruise yet." But DW has decided to try a cruise with our three girls next year. One child will only be three years old, and the twins will be around 18 mos. We cruised with our first daughter at about this age, but let's face it, having three kids will be a lot different than one.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids, and I DO want to take them, even though I know it will keep mom and dad from doing everything they might normally do.

I'm open for advice, but my main question is this:

I know Disney has *some* rooms set aside for families of five, but this seems to be a rarity on a cruise ship. Most of the time, you're looking at a minimum of 2 cabins, or some sort of suite. Is anyone aware of a ship that has cabins for more than four, and if so, how in the world do you go about tracking them down?

Thanks, as always.
 
B

BroWhite

Guest
Ok...I've heard everything from "Don't even try it," to "It will be your best cruise yet." But DW has decided to try a cruise with our three girls next year. One child will only be three years old, and the twins will be around 18 mos. We cruised with our first daughter at about this age, but let's face it, having three kids will be a lot different than one.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids, and I DO want to take them, even though I know it will keep mom and dad from doing everything they might normally do.

I'm open for advice, but my main question is this:

I know Disney has *some* rooms set aside for families of five, but this seems to be a rarity on a cruise ship. Most of the time, you're looking at a minimum of 2 cabins, or some sort of suite. Is anyone aware of a ship that has cabins for more than four, and if so, how in the world do you go about tracking them down?

Thanks, as always.
 
A

AJ coast

Guest
Yes, the family ocaenview/suites on RCCL do accomdate more than 4. You must book them, however, through a travel agent.
 
A

AJ coast

Guest
Yes, the family ocaenview/suites on RCCL do accomdate more than 4. You must book them, however, through a travel agent.
 
C

Cruizer

Guest
Royal Caribbean, as the prior poster noted.

Also, the older ships in the Carnival fleet (Holiday, Celebration, Victory, Triumph, Destiny and all 8 of the Fantasy class ships) have cabins that will handle five.

And as you noted, Disney does also.

If you want to go in style, NCL has suites that hold six. However, they go for $25,000 per week.
 
C

Cruizer

Guest
Royal Caribbean, as the prior poster noted.

Also, the older ships in the Carnival fleet (Holiday, Celebration, Victory, Triumph, Destiny and all 8 of the Fantasy class ships) have cabins that will handle five.

And as you noted, Disney does also.

If you want to go in style, NCL has suites that hold six. However, they go for $25,000 per week.
 
B

BroWhite

Guest
I love to travel in style, but my wallet cringes at the thought!

Thanks for the help. I'm probably going to settle for two rooms.
 
M

Mbandy

Guest
Two regular rooms are usually always less expensive than the family suites. Cruiser is right about the older Carnival ships allowing 5 in a cabin. But that would be WAY to cramped for me :dizzy If you book far enough in advance there is a good chance you could get connecting cabins.
 
D

docbfree

Guest
Obviously, there are many of us with the same 'proble' of three kids. I would throw out one other idea. Family Suites on RCCL. Unlike Princess that charges 4 full fares for their family suite, RCCL charges 2 full (large) fares but then all others are at the lower 3rd passenger fare. Example: If sailing in the off season a Family suite may be about $2000 per passenger for the first 2, but only $299 each for the next 3 (or 4 or 5). Family of 5 therefore goes for about $5000. Sounds like alot-especially with the $2000 per. But.....if you book 2 adjoining cabins you pay full fare for the first FOUR. Thus $1000 times 4 + $299 for the fifth. $4300 for 5. This is just an example, but we loved the family cabin on the Explorer last year (see review). Probably cost us about $900 more for the whole family, but found it to be well worth it, since kids are younger and don't have to split parents. When kids are teenagers, then I would just get a balcony for me and an inside across the hall for them. Good luck.
 
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