Can a family of 4 do 14 nights in an inside cabin?!

[akh40]

I have a great opportunity to book a 14 night Hawaii circle cruise (San Diego round trip) for our family of 4 (kids are 9 & 12) on the Radiance in 2006. However, it's in the least expensive inside cabin. We are a family that gets along well together, however, I want some honest opinions, cc'ers. Am I crazy??? Has anyone done this and lived to tell about it??!!!

 

Amanda:)

[VikkiGarcia]

Did 14 night Panama Canal cruise 10/3/04 in an inside quad cabin with 9 yr old daughter and 13 yr old son. Worked out fine for us. We will be spending another 14 days in an inside on Navigator in Sept. Any specific questions feel free to ask.

Vikki

[PrettyLA]

I think it depends on how you think you will like being in a room with no natural light. We've always been in a room with a balcony so I couldn't imagine a room with no light coming in. But if you are fine with an inside cabin, then by all means go for it!

[Annieeee]

OMG ! I love my family, but 14 days in ONE room. Nope, not for me, think someone would definitely be overboard.

 

Good luck to you. It can be done and am sure others have done it and gotten along beautifully. I say go for it. What is the worst that can happen??

 

Annieeee

[CruzinJo]

in a word, NO! it's all personal though, bless you, cuz we'd be 3 family members short by the end of the cruise if it were me. i have never sailed inside though...and i only would if it was a freebie given to me...and then i'd sleep on a deck chair outside! GOOD LUCK!:)

[LisaGoeke]

When I was a teenager we took a 14 day cruise through the Panama Canal. My parents would always get the inside cabins and we did just fine and survived.

[Lamar Cheeks]

how much do you save with four in an inside room, as opposed to a balcony?

 

it depends on how your family gets along, but i'd say no, you need to get a bigger room with some natural light.

[Pasadenadog]

Sounds like it could make for a great reality TV show!

[PhinsAndGills]

I'd say if it's the difference between cruise and no cruise, go for it. If you don't take it, I'm afraid that you'll wish you did! I've been in small interior cabins with 3 other adults on the Majesty, and it all worked out well (now GRANTED, it wasn't for 14 days...) But I'd say GO and spend more time on deck! We don't stay in our rooms much, anyway, so we always book small inside cabins.

[Unassuming-Grace]

I'd say no. Maybe it's because I'm claustrophobic, but four people trying to live comfortably in that space for two weeks seems...scary. It seems especially scary if you have daughters that will inevitably want to access the bathroom mirror and shower at all times. Those bathrooms are teensy.

[akh40]

how much do you save with four in an inside room, as opposed to a balcony?

 

it depends on how your family gets along, but i'd say no, you need to get a bigger room with some natural light.

 

The difference is over $1200 between the inside and the least expensive balcony. I'm really tempted to do it...I appreciate all the honest responses!:) The no natural light thing doesn't bother me. Like some of you, we won't be spending that much time in the cabin anyway...again, thanks. p.s. Grace, the 12 year old is a boy and the 9 year old is a girl.:)

 

Amanda:)

[worldsbestcandles]

I say go for it! First, what a great way to see Hawaii! Second, if you don't do it now, you won't be able to later because then you'll have a teenage girl in the bathroom, which will make it close to impossible! :)

[Guest OBAYbee]

Not me!! No Way Jose. I would jump overboard before day 14 ;)

[sixthree]

That's going to be tough. The rooms aren't that big, and to be in an inside cabin, that is going to be very intersting.

[nosnobunny]

It depends. How many ports days do you have vs days at sea? If your trip is port intensive, you may not be on the ship for much more than eating and sleeping. If that's the case, I'd say go for it. However, if you have 5 sea days in a row at the start or end you may want to re-think this.

We were on the Brilliance for 11 days in an inside cabin but that was just me and my husband. And I discovered that I suffered from claustrophobia on that cruise. :eek: In hindsight, I think a small fan may have solved that problem because the air in an inside cabin doesn't move a lot.

It's a tough call.

Beth

[PhinsAndGills]

The difference is over $1200 between the inside and the least expensive balcony. I'm really tempted to do it...I appreciate all the honest responses!:) The no natural light thing doesn't bother me. Like some of you, we won't be spending that much time in the cabin anyway...again, thanks. p.s. Grace, the 12 year old is a boy and the 9 year old is a girl.:)

 

Amanda:)

 

$1200? See, to me that's a LOT that could be spent on shore excursions, souvies, etc... but again, that's just my cruise style. LOTS of people will say it's worth it to spend $1200 on the balcony. My parents are like that. On our next cruise, they got a nice balcony. While My husband, father-in-law, and I booked the cheapest room possible. The three of us in the interior have already bought a couple excursions and plan to drink some labadoozies until we snoozie, but Mom and Dad keep saying "we'd like to go on the excursion, but we booked this great balcony room..."

 

So it just depends on your cruise style! :D

[skygator9]

$1200 is a lot of money, but one of my favorite parts of a cruise is leaving the door open all night to hear the ocean. I also love waking up to arriving at a port. You can watch in your pajamas!

[sherry7]

Have the 4 of you ever shared an inside cabin before? If so, then I'd say go for it...especially if inside vs. a balcony means the difference of not taking the cruise at all.

 

Me, DH, and our 15 yr old DS shared an inside cabin on the Mariner this past January. It was tight, but doable. The lack of light really didn't bother us, since we really weren't in the cabin much except for at night to sleep. The hardest part was the bathroom situation, and getting showers. I've read here that some people actually go to the gym to shower. That might be a good idea...your DH and your DS could go down to the gym to get showered and dressed while you and DD get ready in the cabin. I'd bring a small bag for them to take to the gym showers for toiletries and clothes.

 

Me and my DH are actually booked for the 14 day Hawaiian Circle cruise you referred to. We are taking the one in May 2006. Which one are you looking at, May or September? Just as an FYI, the prices on the September one are much lower right now. For some reason, the prices on the May itinerary have skyrocketed since the cruise opened to booking only a month ago. For example, we booked a D1 balcony, and the price is already up $400 per person ($800 total) for that category. So, whether you're going to do May or September, I'd get a deposit in quickly...before the rates go up again. :eek:

 

I hope you get to go, and I'm sure you'll have a blast, regardless of the cabin that you have. Your kids are going to have the vacation of their lifetime! I wish we could take our son with us, but his school policy prohibits it. If he misses that many days unexcused, he'll automatically fail the year. :(

 

Let us know what you end up doing, and be sure to join the M&M thread....both months of this sailing have an active one going on.

[Lamar Cheeks]

would two inside cabins be almost as inexpensive? we've found that it's almost just as cheap to get two interior rooms than to put four in one ... or is that not an option?

[Travelgrrl]

I have no problem with 4 in an inside on a 7 day. But I've never done a 14 day, with any number of companions.

 

But my 16 year old son and I are booked this November on a 14 day Princess trip - and I am worried about us killing each other on day 9 or so, and also that we will be exhausted after this very port intensive itinerary.

 

But we're gonna try!

[cheezwhiz]

I would say look at two inside cabins.......an inside cabin for 4 on a 14 day might be tough for Mom and Dad.

[Tatka]

We are family of 3 (with 13 years old), and we happily survived 7 dayer.. and would've loved to survive even more.

 

We even survived roll-away bed (as I mistakenly booked 3 of us into cabin for 2 on Celebrity).

 

Main question should be: How does your family likes to spend a day?

 

For example my son is never with us (except for dinner , excursions and play on the sports deck), he usually has tons of new friends and hangs out with them until 12 AM - 1 AM..by that time we are sleeping. He doesn't spend any time in cabin , except when he sleeps.

 

If your kids are like that - you won't have any problems!

[Cruising89143]

Anything is possible but for me, no way. Too many people in one cabin for 14 days. No matter how well each other gets along I cannot see doing this. Good luck if you decide to do it.:)

[stillfrantic]

Since there wouldn't be a verandah, at least no one would get thrown overboard! :p The bathroom situation would kill me, but if it was 14 nights in Hawaii in an inside or no nights on a trip and stuck at home, I'd make myself a regular at the spa shower area and have a great trip.

[cruisecrasy]

The inside cabins on the Radiance are 165 sq ft in total - just about 13' x 12.75'. Some of that space is taken up with a bed(s), divider walls, desk, closets etc. so u end up with probably less than 1/2 that space to actually walk in. I suggest, before u book this, that u lay out those dimensions on your largest rooms floor and line it with chairs, boxes etc and then all of u stay within those perims. for at least an hr. Do it at nite with only a few lamps in that area for light just to test it out - it is an inside cabin after all. I did this and passed on the experience with our family. We booked 2 cabins and never regretted it. U may be different but it doesn't hurt to be safe rather than sorry since it is a 14 day trip. One of my reasons was what happens if one of us gets sick.. Hope this suggestion helps..