Rooms for 2 children under 3--must it be designated as a 4-person room

[calteacher]

Have been looking for a New England cruise for June 2008 from Montreal to Boston for our family. One room needs to accommodate our grandchildren. One will be 2 1/2 by next summer and one will be 9 mos (due this Oct.) In trying to reserve a room on line, I keep being relegated to rooms which accommodate 4--even though both children would be in cribs and not in a pull-out couch. It seems that the room sizes are identical, so am wondering if there is a way to have them assigned to a room not designated as a 4-person room.

The problem with the four person room is that there only seem to be two available--both at the very front of the ship which is not conducive to smooth sailing. As we will need two additional rooms for two adults each, we'd like to be near one another--and due to a tendency for motion sickness, I need to be in the center of the ship.

It seems amazing to me that this ship is nearly sold out 10 month in advance. Any hints as to what I should do will be greatly appreciated.

[wrp96]

It's an occupancy.capacity issue. The two children count as passenger berths - even if they won't be taking up the bed per se. They can't sell a 2 berth room to 4 people.

They may have better luck talking to a TA instead, who might be able to find them a better room.

[hammybee]

You need to talk to a travel agent. The cabins you see as available online are not the only cabins available but often the cabins the online service wants to sell you.

[calteacher]

Thanks for your help. In looking at the deck plans, it is obvious that most of the 3 and 4 passenger cabins are located at either the very front or very back of the ship. I will talk to my TA and see if she can help. There must be a few rooms in the center of the ship. Perhaps my best plan is to wait until the final payment period and see if any rooms open up. In checking both Celebrity and Princess for the week I need, most of their cabins are also sold out. Hmm, maybe it will just have to be a Hawaiian vacation instead even though I'd rather cruise and leave the cooking and cleaning to someone else.

[coolcat12]

I agree, it is a capacity issue even though the kiddies will be in cribs. Remember that the lifeboats are capacity limited and each person from each cabin needs a berth on the lifeboat too.
I am sure your TA can find some cabins that will fit.

[c-cruise]

We ran into a similar issue for our upcoming Alaska cruise on the Oosterdam with our 5 month old. We wanted to book a balcony guarantee but we couldn't because not all balcony rooms accommodate a 3rd/4th person (even in a crib). We ended having to book a VA category which was quite a bit more than the balcony guarantee. They did offer us a infant rate for our daughter which was ridiculously cheap. Her cruise fare ended up being under $100 plus all the Alaska port charges etc. We were just happy to find that HAL would allow a 5 month old onboard. Princess and NCL both have a 6 month minimum age and we were not interested in the RCCL ship out of Seattle (Vision). We have cruised a bunch, but this will be the first trip with an infant. Should be interesting - we can't wait!

[ekerr19]

You cannot reserve a cabin by having two pax under 21 only in one of the cabins. When we book, my DH must be booked in the cabin with DS & DD and I share the same booking number/cabin.

Try reserving by putting one of each of you in the cabin with one each of the minor children.

Once on board you can change this.

Our TA usually contacts HAL to request a cabin that will allow a 3rd/4th berth even as a rollaway.

[cruznon]

I believe it may be a capcity issue. If extra beds/cribs, etc are brought in, the final capacity goes up.
On the Ryndam last week, there were many young children/babies. The ship was booked ABOVE capacity. We were told cribs, extra beds were brought into cabins. I heard the final head count was 1400-1600 passengers. The ship was extremely crowded.

[Jade13]

[quote=calteacher;11088566]

The problem with the four person room is that there only seem to be two available--both at the very front of the ship which is not conducive to smooth sailing. As we will need two additional rooms for two adults each, we'd like to be near one another--and due to a tendency for motion sickness, I need to be in the center of the ship.

quote]

I just was in a very forward cabin and did not feel any motion at all. This was a Vista class ship. These are all big ships with stabalizers.

[ekerr19]

Jade -

We also booked very forward cabins on the Noordam last summer. I was a bit hesitant, but was very happy to note that we felt no motion.

Of course, it wasn't plowing through Cape Hatteras in winter months, lol (been there, done that - twice!) but even then, the motion was felt most at the top of the ship (Crow's Nest).