Family of 5 - Balcony vs connecting oceanview room

Hi First time, family cruiser-

Me, wife and our boys 11, 9, 7 are doing a 7 day cruise to in Alaska.

We are deciding between

1) a balcony room that sleeps 5. Probably 210 sqft (40 of which is balcony) or

2) 2 oceanview rooms of about 130 sqft each.

Pros of Balcony

1) better location

2) get a balcony (though I hear no one uses it)

3) about $700 cheaper

Pros of connecting rooms

1) 2 bathrooms

2) more space

3) a little privacy when the kids go to bed.

Cons of Connecting room

1) lowest level of ship close to engine

2) right below a dining room

If we get the 1 balcony room, I am more concerned with having room for our suitcases/clothes and only 1 bathroom (what if someone gets sick) then the actual sleeping area.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you suggest.

Thanks so much

The lowest PASSENGER level is NOT the lowest level! You will be NOWHERE near engines!! There are crew decks below the bottom passenger level, and then storage below that....THEN the engines! You will not hear motor noises!

I would go with the 2 connecting rooms...privacy is a good thing on vacation...and 2 baths...priceless!!!

Some ships do have balconies that connect to an inside cabin. (RCI's Freedom and Voyager class)...yes you WILL use a balcony!!! The kids do not need a balcony, as they simply don't care for scenery viewing!

I would say the 2 rooms without a doubt, but I hear a balcony is a must on Alaska cruises.

If you don't ever plan on cruising Alaska again, I'd probably get the balcony. If you think you'll make it back sometime, I'd probably go with the two rooms.

FYI, we've just came back from a cruise with an ocean view on deck 1, we had no issues at all. I would be slightly concerned about dining room noise. We had staterooms above us.

We too are a cruising family, kids are 12,9,7. We went to Alaska and had one balcony room. We used the balcony quite a bit and enjoyed being outside to enjoy the view (in our pajamas). The space is tight, but that was a Disney cruise and the kids were not in the room at all except for sleeping and dressing. I do prefer to have two bathrooms, but if it's a choice between balcony and bathroom for Alaska, I pick balcony.

I can give you no information about kids since I don't have any, but I have been to Alaska and I HIGHLY recommend a balcony. The scenery is amazing and there's so much of it to see. Usually balconies are luxuries and there's not a whole lot to see other than ocean (which is nothing to sneeze at), but with Alaska you're always looking at something.

It depends on your family, girls who never leave bathrooms for primping, mirrors are in the room as well as hair blowers. Or boys who like to sit an take their time! If you are late sleepers in the AM or early to bed it is a problem with chairs moving. Not as bad as below an outdoor deck, as there is carpet. Balconies are great but if you have busy kids you will always be up on deck unless they do their thing and you and hubby do your own. That is why I say it depends on the family. I have been on 23 cruises with teens and without, this year we are traveling with ajoyning rooms with balcony in the Caribbean because a toddler is coming and it is great to sit on a balcony while they nap and let the adult kids have some special time.

Welcome to CC

Balcony can be over rated, we enjoyed our balcony on our last two cruises but if budget is tight two inside can work too. It ain't the tropics so as nice as you think you'll be using it for hours it is cold enough that you won't be spending extended time there IMHO. Also during scenic cruising the most fun is on deck in my opinion, get out smell and feel the air with the crowds!

For best value we've done one balcony ( book an adult and child ), one inside triple on the same floor hopefully right across with 3 people. The per person for the additional child in the inside is far cheaper than putting them in the more expensive balcony. This is what we did on our last cruise, it was cheaper to have two rooms ( one being inside ) than squeeze 4 of us in our outside cabin.

Then once on board swap keys and the three kids can share the inside triple, they will like the darkness anyway to sleep in ;)

I haven't done the across the hall room thing yet the poster above me mentioned yet, I am not comfortable with the thought of my youngest being in there alone...her sisters are quite a bit older (13 and 8 years older) and are always out until the teen curfew, long after DH and I have gone to bed lol. If our room was able to sleep 3, I may have considered it. Weve always done 2 connecting rooms, usually balcony if available because I'm a balcony snob, even in Alaska lol...blankets and hot cocoa go a long ways to warming you up. :D. We also discovered the partitions between room out there do help to cut a bit of the wind, so it's not always as cold as out on the open decks. For us having the second bath is totally worth it, not just for showers but that other use also. Having a second tv, and I know some will say its vacation and you won't watch it, is a blessing during down times when daddy wants CNN and the kids would rather have something of their choosing. The second room also gives you space to move around a bit...ship cabins are notoriously small, and when the 5 of us are in one hotel room on other vacations I alays feel like I'm tripping over a kid or 3! It's a good feeling when you can tell the kids to "go to your room!" on vacation. :p

Hi First time, family cruiser-

Me, wife and our boys 11, 9, 7 are doing a 7 day cruise to in Alaska.

We are deciding between

1) a balcony room that sleeps 5. Probably 210 sqft (40 of which is balcony) or

2) 2 oceanview rooms of about 130 sqft each.

 

Pros of Balcony

1) better location

2) get a balcony (though I hear no one uses it)

3) about $700 cheaper

 

Pros of connecting rooms

1) 2 bathrooms

2) more space

3) a little privacy when the kids go to bed.

 

Cons of Connecting room

1) lowest level of ship close to engine

2) right below a dining room

 

If we get the 1 balcony room, I am more concerned with having room for our suitcases/clothes and only 1 bathroom (what if someone gets sick) then the actual sleeping area.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you suggest.

Thanks so much

I would go with two cabins with 5 people for the second bathroom. We prefer a balcony cabin, especially on a colder cruise, because we use it more. Sitting out, snuggled under a blanket, watching the stars is wonderful but I would give that up just for the convenience of the second bathroom.