Annoying options for 4 people on Princess

Already booked on Royal with my family (wife and 2 kids, 9 and 10) but very interested in Princess due to an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Really having a hard time finding a stateroom that works for my family on the Coral or Grand due to:

 

1. Few connecting staterooms

2. Balcony cabins only having "bunk bed" option (twins with upper bunks)

3. Mini-suites would work but only available extreme aft and forward (really prefer mid-ship)

4. Larger suites require 2 roller beds-no upper bunks??

 

Somewhat frustrating for families. Any ideas/thoughts? Am I correct with the above?

 

 

 

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Already booked on Royal with my family (wife and 2 kids, 9 and 10) but very interested in Princess due to an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Really having a hard time finding a stateroom that works for my family on the Coral or Grand due to:

 

1. Few connecting staterooms

2. Balcony cabins only having "bunk bed" option (twins with upper bunks)

3. Mini-suites would work but only available extreme aft and forward (really prefer mid-ship)

4. Larger suites require 2 roller beds-no upper bunks??

 

Somewhat frustrating for families. Any ideas/thoughts? Am I correct with the above?

 

Having done RCCL and Princess in Alaska, Princess is definitely the way to go!

 

 

 

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I really like the mini suites that are towards the aft. Unless your family has issues with sea sickness, this sounds like a great solution.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Coral

The Island/Coral are the only 2 in Alaska that have true connecting staterooms and very few at that.

 

What ships are you looking at?

Both the Grand and the Coral have mini-suites mid-ship. Perhaps they are all sold at this point? Were you planning to sail this summer or in 2015?

 

The mini-suites further aft are the ones we happen to prefer, so if a mini suite would work well for your family, don't hesitate to book one that is further aft.

FYI, mini-suites have a couch that pulls out into a single bed, it's not a double. The 4th passenger sleeps in a bunk bed that comes down from the ceiling.

Yes, we like the minis since they have a single couch and a Pullman. I didn't like the balconies because you cannot put the single beds together into a queen.

 

My understanding is that the mid-ship minis are 2 people only, hence the frustration.

 

 

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Stand corrected, checked the deck plan and the midship minis hold 3 only.

 

I'll have to consider the aft minis, and make sure my family has scopolamine!

 

 

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Edited April 14, 2014 by ckelly14

Is there any way you can go with a second cabin for the kids? Or are they too young?

 

Before our sons were old enough for their own cabin, we were comfortable with a mini-suite or suite (Vista ones have a quad capacity). We were thrilled once they could be in their own balcony cabin. Since then, we always get 2 balcony cabins and open the balcony divider & go between the 2 cabins that way.

 

BTW, those roll-away beds on wheels are really, really uncomfortable. The pullman beds that drop down from the ceiling are a lot more comfortable.

You could also get a Caribe balcony and an inside directly across the hall. The larger balcony on the Caribe deck will accommodate four people much more comfortably for scenic cruising than the smaller balconies on other decks.

Is there any way you can go with a second cabin for the kids? Or are they too young?

 

 

 

Before our sons were old enough for their own cabin, we were comfortable with a mini-suite or suite (Vista ones have a quad capacity). We were thrilled once they could be in their own balcony cabin. Since then, we always get 2 balcony cabins and open the balcony divider & go between the 2 cabins that way.

 

 

 

BTW, those roll-away beds on wheels are really, really uncomfortable. The pullman beds that drop down from the ceiling are a lot more comfortable.

 

 

Interesting idea, but kids are too young (from my standpoint) to be alone just yet. I assume the balcony door would be closed at night...

 

 

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On an Alaskan itinerary I'd tend to say being towards the aft of the ship isn't really a big problem. In fact, most of my cruises have been near the aft, and I've never had a problem myself, I really feel forward has more feel of motion than aft myself. But for the most part, except possibly a day while crossing the Gulf of Alaska, you don't tend to get exposed to much in the way of waves, so tend to make for a pretty smooth sail.

 

Personally I'm pretty happy Princess has so few connecting rooms. Sure, they're good for families, but I absolutely hate getting stuck with hotel rooms with connecting doors. It's pretty much never a good experience.

We just cruised with 2 balconies next to each other. The room steward opened the balcony divider, so we could go back and forth between the two rooms without going into the hallway. The extra room was nice. My kids are 6 and 7, so they didn't sleep alone in one room alone, we had to split ourselves up.

 

We've also sailed with the four of us in a mini-suite and found the extra room with two cabins is very nice. For us, it comes down to price. Unfortunately Princess doesn't discount 3rd and 4th passengers very much (if at all when on sale). Ideally, we'd choose a mini with our kids at this age, but if cheaper and we can get more OBC with two balconies, that's what we'll do.

 

I'm not sure I would attempt 4 in a balcony. It would be very crowded. Three people would probably be my limit.

Edited April 14, 2014 by Melcoug

Interesting idea, but kids are too young (from my standpoint) to be alone just yet. I assume the balcony door would be closed at night...

 

 

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We've never closed the balcony door. Once it's open, it stays locked in place usually. The cabin steward or his supervisor has a key to open it and close it.

On an Alaskan itinerary I'd tend to say being towards the aft of the ship isn't really a big problem.

I agree. The only time I've felt more movement aft was if I was in Skywalkers. I much prefer aft than mid-ship. If you're in a mini on Dolphin or Emerald deck, you're low enough down to have little effect. Plus, you won't be sailing much in open ocean. Most will be close to shore or in the Inland Passage.

Minis are a great way to travel with families, it's lovely to have that extra sitting area and for kids to have their own sleeping area not on top of the adult beds. We had a mini about as far forward as you can go on a 28 day and didn't experience any motion sickness, kids included. (Full disclosure: we never really have on a cruise). We bring seasick meds just in case but haven't had to use them yet.

I'm very susceptible to motion sickness (I can't even read while in a moving vehicle, including trains), but the one cruise that I had absolutely no problem with was our Alaskan cruise. We were even in a far forward cabin on the Sapphire. Of course, you can face motion on any cruise, and that was just one time, but I wanted to point out that if there's an itinerary that might not bother you that much, it probably would be this one.

Look into sailing Disney to Alaska, best staterooms for families in the cruise industry.

Look into sailing Disney to Alaska, best staterooms for families in the cruise industry.

 

I would rather be on a cruise that can go to Glacier Bay.

Look into sailing Disney to Alaska, best staterooms for families in the cruise industry.

The question is, are you sailing to Alaska to see/experience Alaska or are you sailing a ship that could be cruising anywhere? While Disney is a great kids/family experience, it's not the best line for Alaska. For one thing, it doesn't go to Glacier Bay and Disney does not have the same Alaskan infrastructure/experience as Princess or HAL. In other words, Disney is great in the Caribbean but not the best for Alaska. Edited April 14, 2014 by Pam in CA

Take a look at the Ocean Princess......it goes to Glacier Bay and has many connecting cabins.

or NCL, many cabins on the pearl and jewell have quad cabins.

a lot of HAL ships have many interconnecting cabins

NCL quads have a pull out couch that sleeps two. Having my kids sleep together is not an option for all of our collective sanity.

 

I looked closely at HAL, but the ship I was investigating had very few balcony cabins, requiring me to book a larger suite for a quad. This was for 2014. Are Alaska 2015 itineraries out for HAL yet?

 

I do have a Disney cruise already booked (with over a $3000 deposit!), but we are considering a one way cruise based on everything we read here, but yes, Disney has awesome cabins and a number of things for the kids on the boat.

 

 

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I usually travel with three people. In a mini-suite, you're okay, since the couch folds out into a bed. But in the other cabins suitable for three or four people, the drop down bunks are a pain to get in and out of. Princess should have better options for bigger groups.

 

The one time I was on Holland, the three person balcony cabin had a couch/bed - sort of a daybed. It was set up like a couch during the day, but had a twin mattress underneath. It was more comfortable, easy to set up, and much cheaper, since we could be book a balcony instead of a suite.

Connected balconies are a good option. Once opened the door can be locked in the open position for the duration of the cruise. In the event of rain, I would look for covered ones when possible.

 

We have neighbors who do this for their teens. They find a standard balcony next to a mini - the teens share the standard and can hang out in the larger mini (or whatever class of cabin for the ship they are on).

 

The only issue is 2 balcony cabins can be pricey overall especially in Alaska.

 

You can do 4 people in a mini suite if a little cramped.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Loonbeam

We sailed Alaska last year on the Island (sister to Coral) and had the mini on Caribe C226. There were 4 beds, 1 made into a king, 1 sofa bed (single) and 1 bunk (from ceiling). We were forward which I prefer, very close to the secret deck for viewing. Loved it and never felt much movement. Very quiet as well.