Family Cruise 6 cabins what ship??

At our monthly family dinner yesterday I suggested instead of the usual beach vacation (where we rented a house) how about thinking of a family cruise:cool: It seems everyone is in agreement!! There would be 16 of us. The grandkids range from 18-12, there are 5 families! Two couples and three couples both have two children. It would be a first cruise for one adult and several of the grandkids. Since I have time(retired Mom and Grandma) they put me in charge of finding the ship and cruise. The time would be August 4th week. We would have to fly to the port! I started to look at cruises and found one on the Caribbean Princess!! My question is this: What is the opinion of that ship for our "crew"??

What did I get myself into?? Have a good day and thanks in advance for your response.

Make a deposit on rooms you want as soon as possible. As the coordinator I say good luck and have a lot of JD and hand as you will need it. Pay as little as possible out of your own pocket because some will change their minds and back out. The Caribbean Princess should fit your needs. Good Luck.

The Caribbean Princess is the only Princess ship in the Caribbean during the summer months. Right now through November 16th this cruise has the 3 for free promo which includes a stateroom location upgrade, $75/pp OBC and free gratuities for each guest valued for a 7 day cruise at $94.50 to $108.50 depending on your cabin classifications.

The ship just went through dry dock this past spring and added some nice features. For example a higher def. MUTS movie screen, enlarged menus at the Salty Dog Grill and Slices, no charge except for one super burger for $5. Free dining is also available at the buffet and the International Cafe. There is never a shortage of food.They also added two surcharge evening restaurants Planks BBQ and Steamers with a surcharge of $12/pp. These restaurants also serve breakfast and lunch at no extra charge. I have no current information regarding the crew. Crews change all the time and today's crew will not be the same in August 2018. Crews on Princess ships in general are very nice. Of course some individuals are better than others.

If you are looking for rock walls and surf riders you will not find this on a Princess ship. Princess does have a youth program for those 17 and under divided by age groups. There will probably be lots of youth on board. The Caribbean Princess has 5 pools. Two of them, the Terrace pool and the Lap Pool are adults only.

What fun with 16 of you! Not sure if the ship matters, they would all likely work well for you and meet your needs.

If it were me I would do an Owners Suite (or at least a Vista if you can swing it) to have a place to gather before dinner, have lunch etc. Others can get by with a lesser cabin (fewer $$$) because they can hang out with Grandma. With 16 of you it might even make sense to book several aft cabins and open the balconies.

If $$$ is not an issue heck, book the aft Grand, Penthouse and Owners suite on the Aloha deck and have an absolute blast. We have done an aft Vista with our kids (older) in an inside and it worked out great.

The Caribbean Princess has Window Suites for the price of a high end mini suite. If budget is necessary, I'd book the entire section on Plaza Deck near Vines/Art Gallery. If you book the opposite side of the International Cafe (Starboard side) you can have a private hall all to yourself. Some can have ocean view/some will have interiors.

Keep in mind that if anyone books a suite (Window Suite to Owners), they may have to forego eating perks (Sabatini's/Club Class) to eat with the family.

I've booked 5 cabins in a row/Plaza Deck and that was very challenging . Good luck. Patience and lots of communications.

We did a family trip in 2009 and it was great! Sounds like a great trip.

With the 3 for free try to book a few adjoining balcony cabins on deck 10 (caribe). The cabins are normal sized but with huge balcony 9x9 vs 9x5 on a regular. By booking under this promo you may be able to get these at a standard balcony price. Later on they will be classified premium balcony and cost a lot more. Several of those huge balconies with dividers open can act as gathering spot for the whole clan.

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If cruises during your timeframe are limited...

I just wanted to throw out an alternative idea, since flying will be necessary.

A family all-inclusive resort might be an option.

Blasphemy here on CC!!! I know!!!!

If cruises during your timeframe are limited...

I just wanted to throw out an alternative idea, since flying will be necessary.

A family all-inclusive resort might be an option.

 

Blasphemy here on CC!!! I know!!!!

I think they want to go on a cruise... They already have a land based place to go to...

FYI, the Caribbean Princess also has family suites, if you have a larger group (5 or 6) that want to stay in the same cabin. Princess doesn't advertise their prices or availability on the site (you have to call to inquire) but, in my research for the Sapphire, they were charging the same as they would for a balcony stateroom.

I would consider working with a Cruise Travel agent. You can often get some benefits, though a free birth would come with 8 cabins. Even if you don't hit 8 cabins, a travel agent should be able to come up with some good group benefits. The reason I say is work with an agent is that while you can still be a coordinator, you won't have to do all the work!! The TA can take care of payments and questions, etc...

You may want to also look at RCCL as they have more ships in the Caribbean at that time and may be a good choice also.

Good luck and happy planning! Sounds like an amazing time.

I would consider working with a Cruise Travel agent. You can often get some benefits, though a free birth would come with 8 cabins. Even if you don't hit 8 cabins, a travel agent should be able to come up with some good group benefits. The reason I say is work with an agent is that while you can still be a coordinator, you won't have to do all the work!! The TA can take care of payments and questions, etc...

 

You may want to also look at RCCL as they have more ships in the Caribbean at that time and may be a good choice also.

 

Good luck and happy planning! Sounds like an amazing time.

A Good Cruise Specialist TA can block a Group of 8 cabins for you .

Even if only 5 cabins end up booking , you won't earn the 1 Free Guest but will still get the Group Rate , Upgrade and Amenities .