Best affordable cruise for family of 5 (kids are 6, 4, & 3)?

We are a family of five with three kids -- aged 6, 4, and 3. We want to bring the littles ones on their first cruise.

My DW and I have been on a 7-day Holland-America cruise and are leaving on a 7-day Celebrity cruise in few weeks -- all without our kids. Now, we want to plan something with the kids.

We live in South Florida, so we'd prefer something out of one of the Florida ports.

I looked at Disney cruises and they just seem to be excessive. During the times we can cruise (Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer), their prices are usually three times the competition. I know the reviews are outstanding, but I'd rather go on three lesser cruises than one Disney cruise.

So, what do you think the best cruise is for little ones if Disney is excluded? What's the best option for rooms with a family of five? Is ajoining rooms the way to go? Does anyone have any experience crusing with little ones like ours?

Check NCL periodically they sometimes have a 3rd person fare for $99. You might also want to look into booking a 2 bedroom suite nice space and beds for everyone with a butler.

I would suggest Carnival or Royal Caribbean, 2 connecting inside cabins would be the least expensive and by opening the door, you can make it into a "suite". You would have 2 bathrooms, more closet space and the kids could nap in 1 room while you and hubby relax in the other.

Have you looked into the Florida residents rates on Disney? Try looking around Labor Day, there are some decent Florida rates then.

NCL, Carnival and Royal Caribbean are great for young kids and have great kid programs. Once our kids got into their teens, we moved up to Princess and Celebrity which they loved.

RCI also has family cabins where all of you could fit easily. Remember, if you book two cabins, two of the kids will by paying the full adult fare, so it's probably cheaper to find a larger cabin where the kids would pay the third person fare. Plus, I'm not sure having kids that young in their own cabin is the best idea.

try 2 cabins on the lowest deck, a port window cabin for wife and girls, and a inside cabin for Dad and boys. Pick ones across the hall from each other.

We are also a family with three kids. Adjoining cabins would be good--then you have two bathrooms! :) It is more expensive, as two of your three kiddos would pay the first person fare. If all five of you share a cabin, all three kids get the reduced cabin fare. We have done an inside cabin for five on Carnival. My kiddos were a bit older than yours(14, 8 and 5 on that cruise cruise), so it was a bit tight for us. We find that we rarely spend any time at all in our cabin, so it was ok.

If yours still nap, either an ocean-view or balcony would be nice. That way you can relax and enjoy the view, rather than just sit in the dark while they are sleeping!

I think you will find a good kids program on any of the big cruise lines. Mine loved Princess' the best!

We booked a Family Promenade Stateroom on Freedom last March. Amazing room, very spacious. Room accommodates 6 people, but can be booked with 5. Walk in closet doubled as a change room for privacy. Bunk beds. Bathtub. It was perfect for little ones!

The Ocean Adventures program was phenomenal. Before boarding, I was leery leaving the kids with them but their professionalism made me relaxed and confident that they were was in good hands while there.

The dining room staff were wonderful in taking care of the kids odd meal requests and treated them like princes and princesses.

The DreamWorks parade and breakfast were also fantastic. We were so happy with our experience, that we booked the exact same room again for 2014.

I highly recommend Freedom Of The Seas for families with children of any ages!

There are very few cabins on a ship that can accommodate 5. And regardless of how young your kids are, they will not let you book 5 people into a cabin meant for 4. So you either have to find a ship with an available family stateroom (generally these hold up to 6, sometimes 8), or get two cabins. To keep the cost down, I'd look at two interior cabins with a connecting door.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have excellent programs for kids.

Unfortunately the prices go up when kids are out of school -- supply and demand. The Oasis or Allure of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale would be the biggest ships, but these are over $1000 per person during the summer for inside cabins. You might look at a 4-day cruise on the Majesty of the Seas. It is a smaller (by comparison) Royal Caribbean ship -- does not have an ice rink. But the price might work for you. I'd go with 2 inside connecting cabins where at least one cabins sleeps 3 (or 4). Some have pulldown pullman beds, others have sofabeds. The 3rd person in the cabin pays a reduced rate. Are you limited to summer, Christmas, and Spring Break? Other times can have significantly lower prices. When is Spring Break for you in 2014? Maybe you could book the Liberty of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale for a 4 or 5 day cruise. Something like cabins 6357/6359 or 7669/7671 would work on the Liberty OTS.

How old are the kids? That can be a reason to have only one cabin.

Carnival will allow a rollaway or trundle (good for those under 4'6") in Quad cabins on ships built before 2000.