Two cabins or one?

[schoolinmy3]

We are sailing to Bermuda on the Veendam in June. Three of us are currently booked in an inside "k", 548, one of the two sideways larger cabins on the main deck. Our friends are in the other sideways cabin. Now our son, age 18 wants to join us on the cruise. The sideways cabin doesn't sleep four but there is one cabin left that does - 536. If we stick with the four of us sharing and move to the other cabin our kids are free. This is a $2000 difference, and if we book an additional cabin we are essentially doubling our cruise fare to $4000 for two rooms. Our daughter is only 11 and she is petite so it really is only 3 adults. There is some argument that the rooms are only for sleeping but I am having a hard time making a decision. The frugal mother in me thinks it is foolish to pass up the deal of traveling at half the cost. What do you think? We briefly toyed with the idea of booking a "s" but have decided that really doesn't make sense. What to do?:o it is funny because our first cruise was in a SY, our second in a VD and my third is a MM guarantee the week before this one. Sort of a backwards progression:rolleyes:

Diane

[RuthC]

I don't care how "petite" a person is, they still take up space. They have things that need to be put away, luggage to store, things on the vanity in the bathroom. Feet to trip over. I don't believe the size of the person really matters all that much.

Four people sharing one bathroom? Not my idea of a good time.

Can it be done? Certainly. Will you all live to tell the tale? Sure. But you will be a lot less comfortable than having two cabins.

Isn't that why your kids had their own cabin on Main Deck last spring?

[schoolinmy3]

Can it be done? Certainly. Will you all live to tell the tale? Sure. But you will be a lot less comfortable than having two cabins.

Isn't that why your kids had their own cabin on Main Deck last spring?

 

True but there were five of us then so that made the decision quite easy. Our oldest and I are going on the Noordam back to the Med in May so he is not invited to Bermuda (he has puppy watching duty) :) With five you have no choice. When four of us are going there are just too many choices :D

Diane

[IRL_Joanie]

True but there were five of us then so that made the decision quite easy. Our oldest and I are going on the Noordam back to the Med in May so he is not invited to Bermuda (he has puppy watching duty) :) With five you have no choice. When four of us are going there are just too many choices :D

Diane

 

Diane, I do not envy you the decisions to come....:eek:

 

Might I suggest a test for 1 weekend at home, or for 2 nights in 1 small hptel room, approximating the same size as the stateroom you are asking about.

 

Try for the one weekend to spend 24/7 together in one room. Sleep there, dress there etc. Just like you would on the cruise.

 

If you can survive the one weekend all cooped up together, then I think you can do it for 1 week.

 

Hope you all survive:D Me, I'd probably be locked up for the rest of my life, because I'd either go crazy or kill someone:D

 

Joanie

[schoolinmy3]

Diane, I do not envy you the decisions to come....:eek:

If you can survive the one weekend all cooped up together, then I think you can do it for 1 week.

 

Hope you all survive:D Me, I'd probably be locked up for the rest of my life, because I'd either go crazy or kill someone:D

 

Joanie

 

Good point! All five of us live in a townhouse. We downsized a year ago. Dh works from home 50% of the time and I have home schooled for 9 years. I feel like I am never by myself and sometimes stay up until 1 am just to have some "alone time":eek:

Maybe a vacation should give us all a much deserved break from each other

Diane

[schoolinmy3]

IF I were to book an additional room should I get the k536, which is an inside in the same category we already have, or should I book a DA ocean view like 546 which is across the hall? Is there any advantage to the ocean view (layout, size, lighting, etc)? Thanks :cool:any opinions welcome:)

Diane

[RuthC]

The two cabins, DA-546 and K-536 are virtually identical. The outside cabin has a window, obviously, and is slightly larger. It has a tub, and a small vanity. The inside has the (large) vanity where the tub would be in the outside, and a shower where the outside vanity would be. In other words, the tub/shower and vanity placements are reversed from inside to outside.

The tub has very high sides, with the floor lower than the bottom of the tub. This can be tricky getting out of the tub, especially in moving seas.

Check the photos of any of the outsides and insides for any S- or R-class ship to get an idea what you would have in DA-546 and K-536.

If money is an object, then the two insides are close to each other, so getting the outside doesn't improve that much.

As a confirmed cave-dweller, I can recommend the insides.

[schoolinmy3]

The two cabins, DA-546 and K-536 are virtually identical.

If money is an object, then the two insides are close to each other, so getting the outside doesn't improve that much.

As a confirmed cave-dweller, I can recommend the insides.

 

Thanks Ruth! We prefer showers anyway so the insides make more sense. Our kids loved the larger vanity in their J main deck inside on the Eurodam. They couldn't understand why our smaller verandah room with its smaller vanity was a "more desirable" thus more expensive room.

Diane

[AZNative2000]

Another vote for TWO rooms.

 

If you try the hotel experiment Joanie mentioned, you should get one room with one double bed and two rollaways that are open all the time.:eek: AND bring 4-8 suitcases with you.:eek: Good luck with four people sharing one bathroom.:eek::):eek:

 

Merry Christmas and a GREAT 2011!

 

Cheers!

[queenofdnile]

Go for the extra Bathroom!!

[Elise17]

Good luck with four people sharing one bathroom.:eek::):eek:

 

This is funny to me because other than an extra toilet in the laundry area, the four of us (and often 1-4 guests) share one bathroom all the time. We don't give it a thought.

 

That said, four of us are sharing one cabin on a cruise next May. Yes, I'd love to book two cabins, but then we'd have no money for excursions. We've decided we'll make it work.

[DizzyDallasDi]

I'm sure that people do this (4 in a room) all the time; otherwise, the ships wouldn't put 4 beds in cabins. The people that book those rooms hopefully know what they're getting into and if they repeatedly do it then they've obviously found a way to live together peacefully and happily.

 

For me, it would never work. If I can't afford to buy the cabin of my choice, I just won't go. No way am I cramming more and more people into a space just a few feet larger than a jail cell in order to go on a cruise. :)

[spacetraveler]

This is funny to me because other than an extra toilet in the laundry area, the four of us (and often 1-4 guests) share one bathroom all the time. We don't give it a thought.

 

That said, four of us are sharing one cabin on a cruise next May. Yes, I'd love to book two cabins, but then we'd have no money for excursions. We've decided we'll make it work.

Some people may consider privacy is an issue. Some people don't change clothes in front of other who is not the spouse. Yet some people are very open mind in privacy issue. Nevertheless, four people stay in a 150 square feet room including bathroom, is not comfortable.

[Krazy Kruizers]

My vote -- 2 cabins -- gives 2 bathrooms -- that's a plus when it comes to getting dressed and bathed.

[Taxguy77]

This is funny to me because other than an extra toilet in the laundry area, the four of us (and often 1-4 guests) share one bathroom all the time. We don't give it a thought.

 

That said, four of us are sharing one cabin on a cruise next May. Yes, I'd love to book two cabins, but then we'd have no money for excursions. We've decided we'll make it work.

 

One bath used to be the norm for homes. A friend of mine and his 8 brothers shared 2 bedrooms and their parents bath when growing up.

ps: He enjoyed staying overnight with me.;)

[Donald2313]

I'm sure I wasn't the only person who was raised in a home with one bathroom. Up until I was 12 we only had one bathroom - and I had 3 brothers. Six of us lived in a 3-bedroom house with one bathroom - and I don't remember issues. When I was a child we did a lot of camping - it was pretty much the only way we could vacation affordably. We had a small 19-foot camper with a very small bathroom. We went up to Canada and down to Florida. We had the best time. I was the oldest - and my last trip in that camper was the summer after I graduated high school.

 

I'm finding it hard to believe that a growing family can't spend a week with one bathroom. If you want to make it work - you will make it work. The memories from taking a trip should be more important than concerns about sharing a bathroom.

 

Enjoy and love your family and all the time you have with them -

[TracieABD]

Our tour guide in Hong Kong was raised in an "H: tennament: 10 people in less than 250 square feet! Kitchen and bathrooms down the hall and shared with many other families-- triple stacked bunk bed with 2 or 3 people per bed, 2 chairs for the elderly...

 

Grateful that I was raised where I was!

I guess 4 people in 200 sq ft would be total luxury to some!

[stag]

The OP's question is not whether it is workable to put 4 people in a room. Of course it will work otherwise the ship would not put 4 beds in a room. She would like to save $2,000.

 

By putting 4 people in a room does not cut the cost in half. The 3rd and 4th persons still need to pay government taxes, gratuities, and the reduced cruise fees. Some ships may not cut a lot on the cruise fare and some ships offer free for the 3rd and 4th person. On the average of 7-day cruise, she may realize a saving of a few hundred dollars.

[schoolinmy3]

Joanie, I noticed on your website with the photos, the interior quad room on the Veendam is positioned so that the beds cannot be pushed together to make a queen when the bunk bed is in use. I am sure once my husband gets wind of that it will be a "no go" for him! I just wanted to thank you for maintaining that website. It is really helpful.:)

In the "J" room the kids had on the Eurodam, main deck, the room was laid out completely differently. I guess I pictured the layout being similar on the Veendam with the bunkbed going across the width of the bed below. But from the picture I saw on your website that is not the case. We will be booking two rooms I am sure. It is our 23rd anniversary and we are not going to celebrate in separate twin beds:eek: Now the only question is which room? My husband is sleeping now but once I show him that picture he will be fully convinced that two rooms is the way to go.:rolleyes:

Diane

[Northshorecruisers]

Personally, we never do more than 2 people per stateroom. Part of it is because our first cruise my then 12 y/o was in the same cabin as us and slept on the sofa bed. Miserable. It was difficult to get to the verandah, and if we just wanted to watch a dvd or tv after dinner, we no longer had a sofa to sit on because it had already been made into a bed. We felt very cramped.

Also, we try to pack as much into a cruise day as possible and I wouldn't want to have to work around a bathroom schedule. It's bad enough that I have to allow my husband 15 min to shower & shave before we head to dinner.

Plus, there are times I want a quiet time or nap, and I don't want to be disturbed with other occupants coming and going. I'm on vacation and want to enjoy myself. I know that trying to share with 4 people would make me burn a short fuse.

Although some people can put 4 people in an inside cabin and be happy, I know I'm not one of them. A friend of hours always gets an inside because he's only there to sleep and shower. He spends almost no time in his cabin, and the money he saves goes towards excursions or shopping on the cruise.