MaisonDeBritts

Oh don't you love discovering pages like this!?!?!?!

They inspire you to add to the cruise bucket list! That picture of the Taku Glacier is just outstandingly beautiful.

My contribution to this thread is a photo that was a complete fluke. :eek:

I normally use a Canon 7D with an L series lens - which is quite heavy. However, since we were cruising to Tahiti this time, I bought a nifty little underwater camera (Canon D20).

We arrived in Papeete and we were on the tender going to the port to pick up a tour. My husband and I were in the back row and the back window was open. I knew Millennium was out there so I twisted around and got my arm behind my husband and out the window and pressed the button... hoping to see that my aim was reasonable.

Look what I managed to capture:

Well we are home... we are all still friends... and we had a great time!!

Would we do it again? The answer is an unequivocal YES!! :D

Now everyone said that 3 in a room (when one is the mother-in-law) wouldn't be ideal... and when that number changed to 5 (with the addition of my sister and brother-in-law) everyone said "Don't do it" "You're crazy"!!

I'm here to tell you that (in my experience) it all depends on the people. In our case we all get on incredibly well. Anyone else considering doing this would need that same connection or at least be prepared to be flexible.

So... first things first. I should prove my point that we all survived the trip and that we could still be in each other's company on the last days of the 4 weeks we spent together (8 days in Hawaii and then 18 days on the ship).

Here's a photo of us in Sydney... on the final day...

Here's one in the lift mucking around with the mirrors...

In case you haven't read the whole story... we were in an aft family cabin on Celebrity Millennium (7202). The living room converts into the second bedroom with a sofa bed for 2 and a 3 seater lounge for 1.

We had the extra padding added to these 2 beds to make them more comfortable. Mum said the single bed was REALLY comfortable. My sister and her husband are used to a really soft mattress so they weren't super comfortable in the sofa bed (but they did have lots of afternoon naps too so it wasn't too bad I hope).

Storage for 5 suitcases wasn't a problem either. Three easily went under our bed (could probably have fit 4 if we had to). The other 2 were stood up on the far end of the bench you can see in that last photo on the right hand side.

There was plenty of storage for hanging clothes... lots of cupboards and drawers... but I know what everyone is still wondering.

How did 5 people get on with just 1 bathroom?

Mum likes to swim first thing of a morning... so she was showering in the changeroom down there most mornings. All it took was communication. Just asking if anyone wanted the bathroom before a shower etc... My husband likes to read on the toilet - so he had to skip that. We set a rule that you locked the door when you went in... or be prepared for a visitor. Some showered in the morning... others in the afternoon or before bed. It really wasn't a problem. Thankfully none of us are teenaged girls. THAT would be another story I'm sure!! :eek:

The absolute best part about the family cabin though... is the balcony!!! It's massive and was used like a living room for us. Sitting out there early in the morning... before anyone else was awake was lovely. Or if we weren't tired at night... we just sat out there talking quietly.

So there you have it. We did 5 adults in 1 room successfully and we are all still talking to each other!!! :)

The stairs do not go down to the main dining room! They are for use by maintenance crew.

 

Sue

I hope this person doesn't mind me sharing their link...

The description on the first photo is what I was referring to. It did seem strange but then these are the photos of someone who has stayed in that suite (I'm unable to / can't afford to speak from experience) :D

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211868#cid=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211874

I saw a photo that someone had taken of the penthouse balcony and it showed stairs going down to the main dining room. I've only been on Millennium once and I can't recall seeing any doors right at the back of the ship into the dining room... so where do the stairs lead to? Very curious! :)

Look out!!! Mum has joined Cruise Critic now so once she gets her bearings you can expect to hear from her... :D

My advice would be - don't do it.

 

Those cabins are really only designed for two adults and maybe a young child, not three adults with three suitcase full of clothes. Besides there are only two chairs on the balcony and just about enough room for two out there. What if one of you gets ill? No privacy and no escape.

 

I am sure on paper it looks attractive, but as others have said, you will fall out very quickly in such a confined space.

 

Maybe upgrade to a suite??

Thanks for your post but I'm willing to bet you haven't read the whole story.

Originally we were going to have 3 in a 2C cabin with a triangular balcony.

Then we thought 3 would be a tad better in a CC class - still with the triangular balcony.

Now it's 5 people in an AFT FV cabin with more cabin room and a HUGE balcony.

So while we all know it's going to be snug, it's not quite the image you have in your head... so I'm guessing your skipped a few posts.

I thought you were going on the Silhouette. I guess I'm getting confused on all these different comments. I have never been on an M-Class ship, but I have seen pictures and read reviews. They look very nice.

 

Well whichever ship you are going on, you can't go wrong. I wish you all a fabulous cruise!!!!

I had a 30 minute phone call between starting that last reply and posting it.

Then I saw the confusion had been sorted already. We did talk about the Silhouette... so it's understandable to mix it up.

People have been so confused by my growing list of cabin buddies that they thought it was all a hoax... so don't feel bad... :D

Thanks for your well wishes.

The nice warm air makes everyone walk better. My MIL went with one time and has to use a cane due to double knee replacements. After a couple days of moving in the warmness and special "medicine" called a Margratini which we obtained from the pharmacist's counter at the Martini Bar :D She left the cane in the room the rest of the cruise and proclaimed on more than one occasion that she hadn't felt that good in years!!

 

Let me know if you have any other questions about the room, etc. If you can get one on the 8th floor, you will have a much bigger balcony. 7th floor ones are tiny and claustrophobic to me. Still, the room is so worth it!

I think we all might try some of that special medicine! It might make us forget the small problems that might arise.

We are going on the Millennium and I saw a post on here where someone actually measured the balconies of the FV cabins. The one we are in is the biggest of the lot thankfully.

Here's a picture borrowed from someone on here (forgive me). It doesn't look too small...

Besides showers and sleeping... I think all our cabin time will be spent out there. I can't wait!!!

I have been subscribed to this thread. When I heard you, your husband and your mother in a cabin I was doubtful that you would every speak again. Then when I heard 5, even in an FV, I KNEW you'd never speak again. Having gotten this far, if the rest of your family has half the sense of humor that you have, I think you might just pull this off. Best of luck to you, and keep us posted. Happy New Year to each of you five slightly crazy but wonderful people! I'd say Mum raised you right.

 

Thom

Thanks Thom! ALL the credit for the person I am today goes to my Mum! She raised my sister and I on her own after my father left us when she was just 22. With nowhere to live, no money coming in and a handicapped daughter... the odds were stacked against her successfully raising her family the way she wanted to.

I'll give you just one story that shows her determination.

When it was time for my sister to go to school, public transport from home to school was almost non-existent. The train station near our house had a huge staircase that was impossible for Mum to negotiate with Lynn.

This meant that Lynn had to board in at her school through the week. The school was on the same grounds as a geriatric hospital and that's where the kids had to stay... in a hospital with all the old people. It was far from ideal.

Mum went into battle with the (Australian) government to get them to include Lynn (and one other child) on a taxi run to her school each day so she could live at home with us.

She won!

This woman would have moved heaven and earth for us... even today... so THAT is why we are taking her on this trip.

I can't wait!!!

Oh and Happy New Year to you too Thom!!! :D

I have seen the family cabin on Silhouette and it is huge! Two bedrooms but one had a bunk bed for two children. There was also a foldout couch in the living room. Perfect for two adults and 3 children.

 

It was less expensive for the family that took that on the transatlantic verses two staterooms. They did need 5 people and had to call to book.

If this cruise is a success and we all enjoy travelling together, we might look at trying a different ship.

The Millennium was the ship of choice this time as we wanted to introduce our family to her AND we liked the itinerary.

Our next cruise will be cheaper for us as we'll only be paying for ourselves so this time next year I might be checking out the Silhouette's list of cruises - and possibly the family cabin again.

Bruce and I do plan on doing some land based traveling too (we want to go to the UK) but breaking this addiction to cruising isn't going to be easy!

I wonder if the Silhouette has any cruises that start or end in the UK? :D

Hi Carol, have you or your husband cruised before?

Yep... we set sail on the 1 year anniversary of our first cruise.

So I'm looking at that in a positive light. After this cruise, 50% of our cruising experience will be making 5 people in 1 cabin happy.

Anything after that is going to feel luxuriously spacious! :D

If you read everything... instead of skipping to the end of this thread you will see how it unfolded and appreciate that it isn't a hoax.

Also, I've got too much planning to do to waste time cooking up a story/hoax like this.

Well the big day was Christmas Day. We told Mum and she was absolutely shell shocked.

I presented her with an 8 page "brochure" of sorts, outlining everything... with pictures of the cabin, the balcony, the ship etc... (thank you so much to people that have shared photos of cabins on here... you made this job so much easier)

When it finally sunk in she started to cry. I think she's just so grateful to have 2 daughters and 2 sons-in-law that love her so much they want to travel with her! Sounds so foreign doesn't it? I don't know why we all get on so well... we just do. None of my friends have a relationship with their mothers like I do with mine... so I feel fortunate too.

Anyway... she's on board now (so to speak) and now that she's had time to absorb it all she's excited and thinking ahead to what she has to do between now and then.

I did do a video and I will put it up here soon.

And I do intend to keep everyone updated on how it goes too! So if you are keen to know, subscribe to this thread so you don't miss out.

I'll take photos of the cabin with 5 people's junk in it... to show that it CAN be done without everyone killing each other.

(of course if I never give any updates at the end of November, I suggest you start searching news websites for cruise murder stories!!) :eek:

Thanks to everyone for their input... I hope to report that every bit of it helped.

Carol

I say go and make a coffee now... as you will be here for a while!!

I can’t thank everyone enough for sharing their opinions and experiences! I have taken it all on board… so to speak…

Here’s my reply… in one massive post. Well done if you get to the bottom!!!

WHANSAMI

You said “We looked for the largest room we could afford. We made sure that there was a place for everything, and that we kept the room neat. Each person had a designated "personal space".”

This is probably the most valuable bit of advice given. I’ve seen many many photos of our cabin and have already designated the “drop zones” for everyone’s stuff.

I liked your comment about the Negative Nellies too. I guess if I had done this… and it didn’t work out… I would be negative too. I’m sure others are just wanted to stop me from doing what they consider to be crazy.

However, you last comment about it being a grand pyjama party… that’s exactly what I’m thinking this will be. The 5 of us have grown so close lately… especially since my sister’s breast cancer. I think all of us recognise that this is an opportunity of a lifetime to do something fantastic together. Sure there may be some hiccups along the way… and we might have to pay off a room attendant to make a sofa bed a bit more comfy… but we’ll deal with it.

CRUISE A HOLIC

You said “I think you might consider another more cost effective cruise if you can. Being together is wonderful, but I still think you need a little space. If you cannot consider another cruise that might be more affordable, just bite the bullet as they say, and drink plenty of cocktails!!”

My husband picked the cruise as he liked the number of sea days vs port days. He also liked the idea of going back to Hawaii again. One of the reasons we are married is because we often think the same way and like the same things. So that’s why THIS cruise is the one we picked. It’s also the reason why we are sailing on Celebrity Millennium again. We LOVED it so much! So while there may be more affordable options out there… different cruise line… different cruise… different room set up… this is the best option for us on this cruise. I know Mum is going to LOVE the balcony and will spend a LOT of time out there. My sister and her husband are both on pensions (she has cerebral palsy and her husband is her carer) so this is the best financial option for them. If we could pay for them to come we would… but my brother-in-law is very proud and wouldn’t want to be seen as a charity case. So they are saving their pennies already!!! Oh and the fact that she’s handicapped is NOT an issue when it comes to 5 in a room. She’s very able bodied and just has one weak side and a limp due to that. She is THE MOST EXCITED out of the 5 of us and so even if I said she had to sleep on the floor with no pillow she’d be thrilled just to be on the ship.:D

LOIS R

You said “I agree with the previous poster...only you know your family.......”

I remember you!!! I think you gave me the review on 7049 that convinced me we’d picked the right cabin for our honeymoon!!! And yes, you are right… I do know my family and I’m 99% sure we will all be fine in one room. All 3 of the family coming with us will be so happy to get this cruise at this price (particularly Mum) that I doubt we’ll have any conflict at all. So that 1% is all I’m leaving open to prove me wrong. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

NEILLRR

You said “FORGET IT... I would rather not go...These cabins are relatively small and three is a BIG crowd... If I had my mother or mother-in-law in the cabin with us I would throw myself overboard.”

Yes but if you had MY mother in the cabin, you would not! I’m not saying this just because she’s my Mum… but she is one of the most beautiful, friendly, selfless people I know. She would do anything for anyone. Right now she’s trying to think who she can invite for Christmas dinner so they won’t be home alone.

HAWAIIDAN

I did love your post. You said too much to quote as I have done above… but the comment about the movie/book deal for the neon-lit disaster ahead made me laugh out loud. :D One point you did raise that I will investigate is the onboard account. If we can’t separate based on re-programming the room cards… then I’ll come up with a solution. I don’t see it as a big issue though. Just a detail to sort out beforehand… that’s all. So thank you for the heads up!!

LSIMON

I read your post with interest because I think you have stayed in this very cabin haven’t you (or one very similar)? I’ve seen your photos prior to your post also. Thank you a million for taking so many detailed pictures!!!

My biggest concern is the comfort of the sofa beds. A friend that cruised with us said the single sofa bed was fine (and she’s very discerning). I know from experience that pull out sofa beds aren’t normally known for their comfort. If it turns out they aren’t comfortable we’ll work something out. I think we might pick up a blow up mattress in Hawaii just in case.

I’m not too worried about the size of the bathroom for 5 people. We just need to plan ahead for times where we might all need it at the same time. So if there’s dinner and a show we want to see one night… we will start the shower cycle in the afternoon. Make up can be done anywhere (note to self… pack decent mirrors for doing make up on balcony). At least we won’t have the worry of running out of hot water!!!

The lack of privacy isn’t too much of a worry. I guess I’m thinking that for 18 nights of holiday fun a few sacrifices or inconveniences are acceptable. Once we get into the room we can quickly work out how things will flow. i.e., I’m happy to use pyjamas for 18 nights… :eek:

Switching to 2 inside cabins will cost about $800 more and won’t completely solve the sofa bed problem. Also, it takes away what I think will be the best part… the balcony. I can see us all sitting out there eating breakfast… sunbaking… reading… talking… partying with newfound friends… watching sailaways… etc etc.

FLECKLE

You said “If you really want to have 5 adults in a FV cabin, you would be much, much better off picking one of the S-class ships instead of the Millennium.”

I did look at the S class ships… but my husband thought being at the front of the ship would be too much movement and thought it would be out of our price range. Also, the balcony (which is where we will spend most of our “at home” time) seems to be so much smaller.

NOTHRIVER

I’m sure I’ll read your post again when we get home and think “Wow… she was right”. But it comes down to affordability… and planning… and organisation. Knowing all of this before we go means we’ll be able to be aware of the pitfalls and work to avoid them. From my one cruise worth of experience… I don’t think we’ll be spending too much time in the cabin. The balcony is where we’ll be until we go to bed… and then we’ll just have to be considerate when moving around. There’s plenty to do anywhere you look on the ship so I’m sure we’ll get into a routine after a few days. Either stay out… hit the balcony… or go to bed.

MOYERCLAN

You said “Mom deserves the respect that giving her space and privacy affords her. She'd probably be quite fine in a cheaper interior room to sleep, change, bathe and just not have to talk to anyone. Then she could come enjoy your balcony as desired.”

I know Mum… she will spend 95% of her awake cabin time on the balcony. If she was staying in an inside cabin and borrowing our balcony… she would not. She stayed with me at home once for a few months… and she spent all her free time sitting in our screened BBQ area doing crossword puzzles or reading. She will LOVE LOVE LOVE this balcony and it’s availability to her as it’s in HER cabin. The fact that she’s sharing that cabin with us will not be an issue. It’s not about a lack of respect… it’s about enjoyment of a once in a lifetime opportunity.

PHOENIX DREAM

You said “Personally, I would cancel a cruise before I would put 5 adults into an FV cabin. They are very comfortable for three, but having sailed in them multiple times I cannot imagine cramming 5 adults in there.”

I do hear what you are saying… but the 5 of us do get on exceptionally well. That’s my only defence when I read your post. I hope I’m able to give you a positive review when we come home.

RUNNERANDME

I loved your post. You and I seem to think the same way. I do believe it’s all about how much planning and organisation goes into it beforehand. That will make it a better experience. I loved your comment “I learned to take more money and less clothes”. My husband and I will pack differently next time. We did take way more than we needed (he’s a bit of a “just in case” person). Also, what isn’t likely to be used will be left in the suitcase and stowed under the bed. The private hallway leading to the cabin has room for 2 suitcases I think… so what doesn’t fit under the bed will go there nicely. We’ll be getting the mini bar emptied… and as much as the ice bucket was a nice gesture the last time… we didn’t use it... so it will go too.

CRUISECRASY

You mentioned the word “elderly” and “mobility issues” in one sentence – presumably referring to my mother. I’ll be sure not to show her your post :D She may be 70 but she’s recently lost 50 pounds and swims/walks every day! She ain’t your typical 70 year old… just as she ain’t your typical mother/mother-in-law!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

WOW... you are still reading?!?!

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts with me... good and bad. I've tried to be realistic in my responses. I'm not usually one to shove their head in the sand.

4 more sleeps until we tell her!!! I might have to set up the camera to do some video and share the experience with you all. That might be what I do in the next 4 days... work out how I can do that on here! :confused:

Well the deposit is paid... and we'll be in 7202 - which is one of the much envied corner family aft balcony cabins.

Everything I've read on here suggests they are worth losing an arm or a leg to secure.

We overlook the penthouse balcony... which if I had paid penthouse prices I would NOT be happy about.

Now we are thinking that it's probably best to tell Mum at Christmas instead of her birthday on April 2nd. It will be her Christmas AND 70th birthday present.

It will save us having to worry about anyone slipping up and letting the cat out of the bag.

Securing the perfect cabin and paying the deposit makes it VERY real now.

I'm excited!

I can see my brother-in-law taking his sofa bed mattress out onto the balcony at night... to possibly break one of Celebrity's rules... haha

I'm sure we'll come up with a plan... isn't that what the "do not disturb" signs are for? ;)

Well we visited my sister and brother-in-law today and told them about our plans to take Mum on a cruise.

My sister's face dropped for a split second... then she piped up and said "I wanna come too!" (just as I suspected).

So I told them how much the inside cabin was and then how much it would cost them if we did the family aft cabin.

My brother-in-law isn't into holidays (cause he's never really had a decent one) so he thinks it's too much money. His mate who happened to be there when we told them said "It's a massive opportunity to do it on the cheap... you should go!"

My sister is thinking of ways to save dollars already!

I told them they have until lunchtime Monday to make a decision.

At this point... I'm thinking it WILL happen.

Then we ALL have to keep it a secret until April 2nd! (Mum's birthday) :eek:

So you've gone from three people to five people?

Thinking about it.

I know when I tell my sister she will turn herself inside out to try to come with us. She's been on a P&O cruise before and loved it... so I KNOW she would love to join us on this cruise.

Telling her has been the unspoken worry I've had about doing this... mainly as they wouldn't be able to afford to come too.

But $1500 is a lot better than $4500 - even if you DO have to sleep on a sofa bed.

Seems all the FV cabins are still available too... hmmmm....

Just want to point out that this is a very old thread that was bumped up. I don't recall what the situation was in 2009 - but today, the FV category is below CC and AQ.

 

So if you book a FV Guarantee, you are not "guaranteed" an FV or a Suite. You could be assigned CC or AQ.

 

Mike

I have this on an email from the official travel agent this week "Unfortunately the Family Verandah cabins can only be booked for a minimum of 5-6 people."

If there's a way of getting one for just 2 people I'd love to know how!

OK the deposit isn't paid yet... but for an extra $1500 we can add 2 more people and get a family verandah cabin.

5 in one cabin... albeit a family cabin... does anyone know what that's like?

My first thought goes to cycling 5 people through one bathroom!

I know as soon as I tell my sister what we're doing for Mum... she will want to join us. So I checked on the cheapest inside cabins... and it would be $4500 ish

But then I thought about the family cabin. So to be able to add them to my booking for just an extra $1500 makes this one very difficult decision. My sister has had the worst 12 months of her life lately... with breast cancer... so this would be a huge opportunity for them.

Oh God...

I"m just waiting to find out availability before I do anything else!

Okay, I have to admit, when I first read this, I agreed with the majority of posters.

 

However, when I stopped to think of it, my husband and I took my son (then 20), on a European cruise, in one room. Granted, we were not newlyweds, but, functionally, it was not otherwise much different.

 

To the OP, we looked for the largest room we could afford. We made sure that there was a place for everything, and that we kept the room neat. Each person had a designated "personal space".

 

My son was young, so fortunately it wasn't a problem for him, but I remember sitting on the bed (it was on the Prinsendam) and it, like most pull out couches, was not comfortable. I like the idea of the inflatable bed. Since you would have the mattress underneath, you could get by with a thin one.

Thanks for your input. My Mum and my husband worked together 30 years ago and were the best of friends then. Now they are mother/son-in-law and they both could not be happier. They love each other and respect each other and so that makes my life extremely easy. We ALL get on amazingly well and so I just can't imagine that sharing something as wonderful as this cruise (even in close quarters) will change that.

I might lounge around on the sofa bed for a while on day one to test it out. Mum is unlikely to tell me the truth if she sleeps in it and it's awful.

I'm getting excited all over again about looking forward to another cruise now.

I just have to wait until April 2nd to tell Mum all about it. It's going to be hard to keep the secret until then!!!

my son slept on a pull out couch took the big pillows off and he slept very well and he is 6foot 4in.

Love hearing that... thanks for sharing!!!!!

I'm watching this thread very closely because I too am acting as a "chaperone" to my wife and her mother on their "girls weekend" cruise on the Constellation in a few weeks. My wife feels more comfortable with me along while traveling and I figured "What the heck?". Why should she be able to take a wonderful X cruise! :)

 

We're staying in a concierge class room and I'll be sleeping on the pull out coach. I'm not a huge guy (5' 11") and I can sleep just about anywhere so I'm not too worried about it. Plus we've all stayed together in a very small camper several times so it's nothing new.

... snip ...

I'm happy that this post is helping you too... and would be very happy to hear back from you after your cruise!!

My adult daughter slept on the sofa bed in a Celebrity Suite, and thought it was very comfortable. 3 adults to one bathroom was much more of an issue for us than the beds were. :)

... snip...

One would hope the sofa beds are all the same quality throughout the ship!

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

Thanks Chelly!!!

I certainly didn't think I'd be booking another one just weeks after hopping off the first one!

In the process of checking if I have someone to fill in for me at work now... and that no-one else has holidays planned for the same time.

Scary!!! :eek:

Hello everyone!!! I'm the OP!!

Well I have to say I'm overwhelmed at how many responses I've had to this post.

I don't know where to start with a response/update.

OK first up... I will address the issue of "newly weds in a room with the MIL"

We will be 52 and 53 at the time of the cruise and will have been together for 8 years... so we won't be like restrained rabbits! :D

I do appreciate that 3 in a room will be a test of our relationship... but knowing the other 2 as well as I do I honestly doubt it will be anything that will have us at each others throats by disembarkment.

My biggest concern is the comfort factor of the sofa bed and I've heard varying reports about that.

I have done some research and talked to the travel agent. She confirmed that family balcony cabins are only available for 5-6 people. She suggested moving to Concierge Class C3 (3 people = AU$7,003.81) or a Sky Suite (3 people = AU$9,491.20)

I think the Sky Suite is a bit out of our price range so I'm disregarding that as an option.

Concierge Class is 20 square feet bigger than our old cabin. How much bigger and noticeable that is remains to be seen.

We had 7049 which was a 2A class deluxe oceanview stateroom with verandah. It had a larger, triangular balcony so it was great.

Today I see that Cabin 8045 or 8046 are in a similar position on the ship (right above our old cabin) so they have the same shape balcony and a bigger cabin. So this might be what we end up going with (maybe). It's a C2 class and is worth AU$7,183.81

I do wonder how much the C1 aft cabins are worth. The Celebrity website comes up with an error and won't let me view them. I've just had a reply from the travel agent. All the C1 AFT cabins are already booked!!!

8046 was available so she's holding it for me until tomorrow (husband doesn't know that yet... ;)). Big decision time!!!!

Thank you to EVERYONE and I will keep you updated!!!!!

Carol