How to cruise w/ a family of 5

[LC253]

My family and I (DH & 2 kids--10-year-old & 19 months) went on our first cruise this year and loved it. We want to take my mother for her 50th in April on Princess. I'm not seeing room-wise how we could make this work. I was hoping suites would fit more people but guess that's not the case.

At this point, we're kind of planning on leaving DH home....

 

Would love to know how others have cruised "multi-generationally" and with odd numbers. I just don't think we can splurge for a second cabin...

Edited December 25, 2015 by LC253

[Pitzel]

Which cruise lines are you considering? NCL has cabins that will sleep 5, though it might be snug. They also have 2 bedroom and family suites that will fit 5 easily. You could also look into 2 connecting rooms, which could end up being less overall if you get a good rate.

 

NCL also has single studios, which could be an option. Your mother could have her own room without having to pay a single supplement.

[LC253]

Dang, that's really too bad....It will be Princess. They're the only line sailing out of our home port on her birthday in April. Sounds like we may well have to leave hubby home this time but definitely sail NCL w/ the entire family.

[cb at sea]

Most ships, for 5, you'll need a "family suite"...that's just the way it is, if you want everyone in one cabin.

 

Check prices for both...sometimes, 2 cabins is a better option, cost-wise. Call...don't attempt to do this online. Have the deck plans in front of you, and use the phone.

[Essiesmom]

For you future plans...Carnival's Dream class has OV cabins for five with a split bath...Two showers. Celebrity has family cabins for five. Do a search on this board...There have been several threads about cabins for five. EM

[Pitzel]

As a note, some lines (like RCCL) offer family cabins, but these must be booked over the phone and may not even show up in an online search. I am not familiar enough with Princess to know if any of their ships have a similar set up.

[pl281]

As others have stated you can typically get 2 connecting cabins either ocean view or balcony

 

What you would do is 2 adults + 1 child in one room and

1 adult + 1 child in the 2nd room

 

When you are actually on board you can change the sleeping arrangements but you will more than likely find this to be less costly then the mini-suite

[johndeere]

My family of five is booked in one room on a couple of upcoming cruises. One is a Family Prominade stateroom on a Freedom class. The other is a "regular" D3 balcony on a Oasis. Neither of these rooms are suites, but they must be booked from a TA or on the phone. Our kids are young and we prefer to have one room. If you do some research there are some non-suite priced options for a room for five, at least on Royal. I am curious myself to see info on other lines about rooms for five.

[gymbomb]

My family of five is booked in one room on a couple of upcoming cruises. One is a Family Prominade stateroom on a Freedom class. The other is a "regular" D3 balcony on a Oasis. Neither of these rooms are suites, but they must be booked from a TA or on the phone. Our kids are young and we prefer to have one room. If you do some research there are some non-suite priced options for a room for five, at least on Royal. I am curious myself to see info on other lines about rooms for five.

 

 

Some of the newer NCL ships (breakaway and getaway, not sure about escape?) have family ocean views that sleep 5. They have bathtubs and a curtain to separate main bed from couch/bunk sleeping area.

 

They are the largest non suite rooms on the ship. Bigger than the inside space in a mini suite.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited December 27, 2015 by gymbomb

[Essiesmom]

Carnival Dream class, OV cabin for 5:

 

 

Two uppers, and the couch is the fifth. If Grandma can't do an upper, put her on the couch and push the twins to the side and pull the mattress off the bunk and put it on the floor next to the bed for the toddler. In the second two of the Dream class (Magic, Breeze) the twins are on the side wall, not under the window.

 

Cabin for five on Carnival Fantasy class:

 

 

 

In this case, fifth sleeps on a trundle or rollaway (or in a crib). Not ideal, but better than no cruise. EM

[Essiesmom]

Celebrity M class Family verandah for 5:

 

 

One couch folds out for two, and the other couch is made up for one. The door between the two areas slides closed, but then those in the main bed have no access to the balcony, and those on the couches have to open and pass through to access the bathroom.

 

 

 

Balcony on corner Family verandah

 

 

Balcony on non-corner family cabin

[LC253]

Wow! Lots of options! Seems like Princess is the only line that doesn't have as many options, or at least none that anyone has posted about or that comes up in a search.

We only consider cruises that leave out of Seattle & Vancouver & sadly I don't think I've ever seen an RCCL or Carnival ship leave from either. I'm gonna give Princess a call.

[Syrreal]

I think that there are family suites on the princess ships too, but I'm pretty sure you have to call for those as well.

[bubba83]

Wow! Lots of options! Seems like Princess is the only line that doesn't have as many options, or at least none that anyone has posted about or that comes up in a search.

We only consider cruises that leave out of Seattle & Vancouver & sadly I don't think I've ever seen an RCCL or Carnival ship leave from either. I'm gonna give Princess a call.

 

 

I was going to say call them and see what they can do. Usually for more than 4 people you need to call to book anyway.

 

I would recommend two connecting staterooms or rooms across from one another and put one or heck even both of the kiddos in the room with gram and you and hubby in the other room. This way you would have two toilets and two showers to utilize while everyone is getting ready for the morning and then again for dinner.

[Essiesmom]

Unfortunately, there are very few connecting cabins on Princess, and I could not find any on Star. EM

[SadieN]

 

..............

 

Cabin for five on Carnival Fantasy class:

 

 

 

In this case, fifth sleeps on a trundle or rollaway (or in a crib). Not ideal, but better than no cruise. EM

 

 

 

These cabins aren't set up to maximize space. Best to have one lower under the window, another under a bunk. The rollaway, trundle or crib would be under the other bunk.

[johndeere]

We only consider cruises that leave out of Seattle & Vancouver & sadly I don't think I've ever seen an RCCL or Carnival ship leave from either. I'm gonna give Princess a call.

 

Explorer does round trip Sawyer Glacier from Seattle. Whenever booking opens up for 2017, we are going to try to book a Family Oceanview room. There are only a few on the ship. I figure they will book up quick. I wish there was a balcony option, but I don't think there is one on Explorer that is non-suite.

 

Just the DW and I went on Rhapsody of the seas in 2014 out of Seattle. Awesome trip. I am ready to go back with my kiddos!

[luvtheships]

Get 2 connecting ...with a doorway or side by side ..aka adjoining but with no doorway

 

Put grandma with the older kid

 

You dh and baby together

 

Bonus...2 bathrooms

 

Bonus #2 ....2 cabins are frequently the same price or lower than 1 cabin that fits 5

[mjmalino]

I was going to say call them and see what they can do. Usually for more than 4 people you need to call to book anyway.

 

I would recommend two connecting staterooms or rooms across from one another and put one or heck even both of the kiddos in the room with gram and you and hubby in the other room. This way you would have two toilets and two showers to utilize while everyone is getting ready for the morning and then again for dinner.

 

I agree with this. We are 4 and we have been doing this since our second cruise (we mostly cruise Princess). Even when our kids were younger (9 and 10) we would get a balcony and an inside right across the hall. I was listed on the balcony with one kid, my husband in the inside with the other. We would switch rooms once we got there (and get extra keys). We also bought walkie-talkies that had a monitor function so that we could hear what was going on in their room at night. It worked for us as the kids spent most of their time in the kids camp, but it gave us more room while we were there, plus a second bathroom. Also, doing this was actually more cost effective than doing the 4 of us in a mini suite.

[sherryf]

We only consider cruises that leave out of Seattle & Vancouver & sadly I don't think I've ever seen an RCCL or Carnival ship leave from either. I'm gonna give Princess a call.

 

Both RCCL and Carnival sail from these ports! :confused:

[mjkacmom]

Both RCCL and Carnival sail from these ports! :confused:

 

NCL sails out of both cities starting May 2016.

[lolavix]

We've only done one cruise so far, so we are hardly experts. Our first cruise we had booked a suite on NCL as two connecting balconies were more expensive. Our kids were 10, 8 and 6 at the time. As (bad) luck would have it, our 8 year old broke his leg three weeks before the cruise and we had to cancel. We rebooked for later in the summer, and at that point, connecting balconies were cheaper so we went with that option. I know that NCL suites are terrific for the service, but we loved having the extra space and two bathrooms (and we peeked in a suite on debarkation day, and we agreed that the space was better with the connecting rooms). My kids also loved being "grown up" in their own room, although we kept the connecting doors ajar during the night.

 

We have our second cruise this summer and the three kids will be in an interior with us across the hall in an ocean view. (My DH really wanted another balcony but given that we're on a very port-intensive itinerary, we decided to just do ocean view for us.) We figure that they are old enough now (youngest will be 8) that not having us right next door will be OK.

[minidriver29]

We have done exactly the same on Holland America ,when our three were very similer age alothough not directly opposite a few doors up . It was brilliant no problem the room steward was also aware and kept a eye out to. Like you said they loved the independence .

Edited January 30, 2016 by minidriver29