Cruising with wife an 3 kids...what would be the best cabin option?

Hi. I will be cruising in June with my wife and three kids (3,12,14) and would like to know what you recommend in regard to cabin? Is it better to get 2 connecting cabins or a suite? Or maybe there's an option I don't know about. HELP!!!

Hi. I will be cruising in June with my wife and three kids (3,12,14) and would like to know what you recommend in regard to cabin? Is it better to get 2 connecting cabins or a suite? Or maybe there's an option I don't know about. HELP!!!

Depending on the cruise line , there are family suites that are composed of two cabins combined together. They are normally sold seperate but if a family requests it , they are combines into one.

Which cruise line are you looking at? Which ship?

Royal Caribbean has the Royal Family Suites, which have two bedrooms and two baths. Would be ideal for 5 people, but you will need to call them to get pricing and book. On our first cruise we met a family that had booked two connecting OV rooms for 4 people - two adults and two kids. They got the same two bedrooms and two baths, and I think it was slightly cheaper than the suite.

Anything with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths from connecting OV to connecting balconies to a family suite. All depends on your budget. On Carnival or princess for example you could get 2 balconies for a base price, depending on time of year for $700-750 pp for 1-4 and likely a reduced rate on #5. But I say 2 rooms and 2 baths because you need it for space, particularly with teens and cleaning up for dinner.

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I would do 2 connecting....simply for the extra bathroom, and being able to close the connecting door for a bit of privacy!

In my opinion the best option is NCL's two bedroom suites. Includes two bathrooms and can sleep six. AND - you get NCL's suite benefits which are far above any other line in the mass market.

Some ships have non-suite cabin that can sleep 5.

Disney Dream/Fantasy has OV and Verandah that can sleep 5. These cabins have DCL split bathrooms as well. Their cat 8A OV cabins are especially spacious, but also sold out very fast.

source: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2013621

Royal Caribbean Freedom/Oasis class has several options for Inside, Promenade or OV stateroom can sleep up to 6.

The 327 sq ft Family Promenade Inside on Freedom class:

Oasis class also has the 290 sq ft Family Oceanview Balcony (cat FB) that can sleep 6, but there are only a few of these stateroom.

Navigator/Voyager of the Seas have the 406 sq ft Family Panorama OV that can sleeps 6.

Norwegian Breakaway/Getaway has the 218 sq ft Family OV that can sleep 5.

Full suites are obviously more spacious, some have 2 bathrooms, larger balconies, etc. But of course it is more $$$.

NCL Star/Dawn has the 410 sq ft Family Suite (category SJ) that doesn't have a balcony and only one bathroom but it can sleep 6. Sometimes the price isn't much higher than the highest level mini-suite on the same ship. And this SJ suite has all the suite benefit.

Find a good TA to help you out on different options ... large suite, smaller suite, non-suite large cabin, or two cabins, and decide what's best for you and your family.

Carnival's Dream class ships (Dream, Magic, Breeze) have OV cabins that sleep 5, and have a split bath with two showers.

And yes, you can put the twins together. The couch becomes the bed for the 5th person. EM

I have a family of 5 and I like to travel on a budget. I'm not an expert cruiser at all, but I've priced the Family Oceanview cabins from Royal a few times and they are always about the same price as the cost of 2 connecting rooms. So, I go with the connecting rooms because then I get two bathrooms and more privacy with the ability to open and close the door.

I've also looked at the Norwegian Dawn. They have a Family Suite that can fit families of 5. It only has one bathroom, but it is considered a suite, so you get all three of their 'free' options right now. Their current promotion is that you get the unlimited drink package, the unlimited specialty dining package and onboard credit if you book a suite. I keep thinking about booking it because of all the freebies, but I already have a cruise planned for this year and I'm not ready to make a commitment to 2016 yet.

But, yes.. like everyone else mentioned. If you have a higher budget, then all of the cruise lines have 2 bedroom suites, which look very nice to me.

We just booked a 2 bedroom suite on the Norwegian Dawn for slightly less than the price of 2 balcony rooms. It includes free drinks (alcohol for passengers 1 and 2, soda for the others), free specialty restaurants for everyone, and $300 onboard credit. We never thought we'd be able to afford, or more accurately justify the price of as suite, but this promo made it work for us.

Where you want to go in June will affect the cruise lines available, thus your cabin choices. Celebrity has wonderful family verandah cabins that they hold for five, but they won't be in the Caribbean. And they sell out early. I realize it is only the middle of Feb., but that is not a lot of time if you need special cabin arrangements. And the cost of airfare will affect your total cost. Airfare to Galveston might be reasonable, and to Seattle or Vancouver if you choose to do Alaska. Decide where you want to go, then ask what's available. EM

We just booked a 2 bedroom suite on the Norwegian Dawn for slightly less than the price of 2 balcony rooms. It includes free drinks (alcohol for passengers 1 and 2, soda for the others), free specialty restaurants for everyone, and $300 onboard credit. We never thought we'd be able to afford, or more accurately justify the price of as suite, but this promo made it work for us.

I second this!!! We got the same exact deal!! We are also a family of 5 and booked one the suites! Deal was amazing and too good to pass up :)

I second this!!! We got the same exact deal!! We are also a family of 5 and booked one the suites! Deal was amazing and too good to pass up :)

Looks like we are forming a Dawn SC club here. Booked one of those 2BR for my family of 6 ... "just" 22 more months to go :o

Looks like we are forming a Dawn SC club here. Booked one of those 2BR for my family of 6 ... "just" 22 more months to go :o

Yay!! 16 months for us -- we're sailing with my parents and our son who will be 2 then. Looking forward to spending our anniversary on the ship we got married on :)