5 Person Family

[ustasmom]

A party of 5 is just hard to book on RCCL. You can't do it on booking engines. And categories are pretty particular: 2 guests, 3 guests, 4 guests. I can adjoin 2 parties of 2 but not a 3 and a 2. So then we have to split the adults. My husband is thrilled NOT!

 

So as it stands, I booked a balcony and a promenade interior on the Adventure. I'll stick my teens in that promenade room and take my balcony. I only have 1 child left that would qualify for KSF but we get better discounts elsewhere. That 10 year old has been on 4 cruises since Thanksgiving and the one thing that she wants to do is sleep in the upper berth. We haven't gotten one yet. But this time we have it, unless they decide to fix our split family situation.

 

We've been on 3 DCL cruises, twice with a party of 5 and once with a party of 6. We got adjoining OV once and adjoining Verandah twice.

 

It is just harder to do on RCCL (but then again, we book late with a discount so we probably don't have too many choices anyway.)

[dolfan1980]

Took us four months to find the right deal for this winter. Finally booked Jewel out of San Juan leaving tomorrow, 5 of us in a balcony for $2,200 Canadian, so about $1,700 US by a rough calc.

 

 

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[LSKC]

I have 3 kiddos as well. Just booked symphony yesterday for Dec- so excited! First time on Royal after many on Disney. Here is what I was told, the Oasis and Allure have many more rooms that sleep 5 than the Harmony. It was less expensive for us to get two connecting balcony cabins. Our price was around $4600 total. Disney the same week for us was $9700.

My DH is a balcony guy so we didn’t price out any connecting insides but I would imagine they would be less.

The rep I talked to at Royal was so nice!! I did almost everything by email. As you know, Royal has so many more choices than Disney for ships, itineraries, etc and she priced many many different ships for me and always did it within hours of when I would ask her. The only time we talked on the phone was for our deposit. If you want her name and email I will definitely pass it on. I was really impressed with her customer service.

Good luck and whatever line you pick, hope it’s great!! :)

 

 

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Can you send me her name and email? We are a family of 5 also and calling to price out options just never happens as we live very busy lives. Email for most things is much better. Thanks! My email is: llightfoot@xplornet.com

[LSKC]

Took us four months to find the right deal for this winter. Finally booked Jewel out of San Juan leaving tomorrow, 5 of us in a balcony for $2,200 Canadian, so about $1,700 US by a rough calc.

 

 

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Wow, I'd love to find a deal like that. Did you book last minute? How much prior to cruise?

[dolfan1980]

Wow, I'd love to find a deal like that. Did you book last minute? How much prior to cruise?

 

 

 

I booked about 60 days out, just after New Years. Kids Sail free and San Juan combined, I wouldn't expect to find another that good, but there are deals out there. Many of the older ships can easily take 5 in a room.

 

 

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[Minnichilli]

Hmmmmmm, just for fun I priced out connecting ocean view balcony cabins on the 10/6/2018 Harmony sailing. $4124 for 5 people.

 

I have sailed on DCL many times as a family of 5 and no way you could come close to that price.

 

Good luck.

[GalwayGirl03]

We have three upcoming RCCL cruises planned (one on enchantment, one one Freedom, and one on Liberty). We have Ultra Spacious Family rooms for Enchantment and Liberty and a VP Suite (without balcony) on Freedom. All these rooms sleep 6. We are a family of 5 too and always take advantage of the kids free sales too. We stayed in an Ultra Spacious Room on Oasis in December and it was great!. Our kids are 8, 6 and 1 so there is no way I want them in a different cabin from us.

[PrincessBelle39]

Another vote for two cabins. We sailed in June/July 2017. DCL was our first choice but 1 OV balcony cabin for the 4 of us was $9500. We ended up sailing in 2 OV balcony cabins on Oasis for around $4500. You can do connecting rooms and just leave the door open.

[Tapi]

We’ve learned that on Royal, sometimes 2 connecting cabins is not much more than one cabin for the whole family.

 

Looking for staterooms that fit five people, that are a nice size, and affordable? Try Carnival. Their two newest classes of ship (Vista and Dream) both offer nice staterooms that will fit five passengers, and also come with a split bathroom. In addition, on the Vista class ships they’ve added an exclusive family lounge for passengers in designated family staterooms. Nice place for families to gather and enjoy breakfast and special perks like a concierge right down the hallway and away from the crowded buffet. Also, if you stay at one of these Family Harbor staterooms, kids eat for free at specialty restaurants.

 

While I would not recommend the older Fantasy class ships, I would have no issues sailing on one of Carnival’s newest ships.

 

 

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[Kristin7701]

I just booked Allure for our family of 5 this week -- sailing in April. Originally I had an OV cabin for $3300. DH decided it wouldn't be much of a vaca sleeping in the same room as 3 kids, so we switched to 2 interior cabins next to each other. It added $900 to the price but still not bad all in all. Think it's a busy week with Northeast schools on vacation. Checked 3 different ships and there were no adjoining cabins to be had.

[VPIcruiser]

We also have 3 kids. For years we booked the family ocean view staterooms. I often booked them a year in advance. Once when it was kids sail free, we only paid $3000 for all five us on Freedom. For Allure, we paid $5400 one year and $5000 another year. This year, we switched from Adventure to Oasis and none of the family ocean view cabins were available 3 months before the cruise. We ended up getting two side by side balaconies. It took a few phone calls. One of the agents was a lot less helpful and knowledgeable. DCL is cost prohibitive for us as it is usually twice the price.

[MrsPete]

Another vote for connecting cabins (I would never book an across-the-hall cabin for children; I don't want locked doors and a corridor with strangers walking between us). Benefits of connecting cabins:

- Two bathrooms

- Two closets

- Privacy for parents

- Kids can make a mess on their side, and you can close the door on it

- Two TVs

- Have the cabin steward open the balcony divider, and you'll have an extra-long balcony

 

Some ways you could combat high prices:

- Book at a less expensive time of year

- Book two inside cabins

- Book a port to which you can drive

[payitforward]

No need to spend a ton of time on the phone or searching different booking engines. Contact a TA, tell them what you want, and let them do the leg work for you. Someone mentioned not being able to find connecting cabins as some sleep two and some sleep three. TAs know this, and know how to search for them. Stop spinning your wheels and let somebody else find the deals for you.

[heath7767]

I just booked Oasis for my family of 5 with the Kids Sale Free promo for Sept 2018. I agree that it's annoying to have to call, especially when it's easy to see online which rooms have availability for five. It was a fabulous deal for my family! We have a Central Park view interior that holds five, and it's around $1700 including taxes and fees for all of us.

[smalltowngirl504]

Hmmmmmm, just for fun I priced out connecting ocean view balcony cabins on the 10/6/2018 Harmony sailing. $4124 for 5 people.

 

I have sailed on DCL many times as a family of 5 and no way you could come close to that price.

 

Good luck.

The Price I was given was actually over the phone by a rep. I am going to contact a

travel agent this evening and see if they can find connecting rooms and also

book the extra adult as an adult so we can take my mom and then still get KSF in

the other room. Hopefully I can find the deal that you did!

[taglovestocruise]

Let a TA do all the work and pick up a few hundred in perks.

[teddybear231]

I also feel your pain being a family of 5! We have to always book 2 rooms, I wish they made more rooms that were more accommodating for large families.

[bobbie0253]

We are 5 also. I just booked the 12/16 sailing on the Allure in a boardwalk balcony for $2075.

 

We are on the 5/11 sailing on the Adventure in an owners suite for $3900.

 

I agree it’s HARD to deal with the Rccl cruise planners :(

 

 

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[ustasmom]

We are 5 also. I just booked the 12/16 sailing on the Allure in a boardwalk balcony for $2075.

 

We are on the 5/11 sailing on the Adventure in an owners suite for $3900.

 

I agree it’s HARD to deal with the Rccl cruise planners :(

 

 

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Those are good prices. We are on the repositioning cruise to Bayonne. I paid $1562 for the 5 nights for 2 in a promenade interior and 3 in balcony. My boys are excited to have a promenade room. My 10 year old is excited to sleep in the ceiling. My husband is less than thrilled to share a room with a kid sleeping in the ceiling. lol

 

I just don't like the inability to actually see a price to put 5 in a room.

[Kfamilycruise]

How old are your kids? Two room connected may work, be less expensive and give you some privacy.

 

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This is what we do as well. I'm curious when you are sailing Disney for a week in a balcony for $6K because I've never seen it that cheap for a one-week sailing in a balcony.

[Jessthemom]

We are also a family of 5, got back today from Navigator, and have done a balcony and interior across the hall 4 times. We split it up for one adult in each room and 2 kids in the interior one in the balcony. We actually let the kids stay alone (they are now 10, 15, and 17) so it makes it easy and like others have said, 2 bathrooms [emoji6] good Luck!!

 

 

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[Aggiebuttercup]

It's not just that you have to call and book a room for 5 over the phone - it's that a single reservation in their systems only holds 4 people, so your 5th person ends up on a second reservation. Which, at least under the older website, made it very very difficult to book shore excursions/etc. (I haven't tried booking shore excursions on the "new" website.)

 

We sailed Freedom class with two families of 5 in 2016. One sailed in what is now a junior family suite. We had room 8200 - I highly, highly, highly recommend this. We didn't have a balcony, but we essentially had three rooms - a master bedroom with a door, a bunk bed room with a door, and a double couch. One bathroom, but windows in every room. It was WONDERFUL and well worth giving up the balcony.

 

I hated their website and booking process so much, that for the next trip, we're booking 2 cabins.

 

In both cases, we booked 18 months out.

[smalltowngirl504]

This is what we do as well. I'm curious when you are sailing Disney for a week in a balcony for $6K because I've never seen it that cheap for a one-week sailing in a balcony.

 

 

You have to book on opening day to see this price. Basically 18 months in advance.

 

We ended up booking a 5 person balcony room on the Oasis for around $3000.

We are happy with our decision and look forward to sailing in November.

 

I did not use a Travel Agent and sort of regret it, the one I did contact

told me that even on the Oasis you couldn't book 5 people in one room

and I knew that to be incorrect so I book through Royal Directly.

 

Thanks for all the advice and help.

[ustasmom]

It's not just that you have to call and book a room for 5 over the phone - it's that a single reservation in their systems only holds 4 people, so your 5th person ends up on a second reservation. Which, at least under the older website, made it very very difficult to book shore excursions/etc. (I haven't tried booking shore excursions on the "new" website.)

 

This is where we are sitting right now. I can't seem to book shore excursions because RCCL put the 10 year old on a reservation by herself. I can't pull her over to our reservation because she is too young.

 

Really all I can say is to complain. It isn't going to change if they don't hear about the issues.

[smalltowngirl504]

This is where we are sitting right now. I can't seem to book shore excursions because RCCL put the 10 year old on a reservation by herself. I can't pull her over to our reservation because she is too young.

 

Really all I can say is to complain. It isn't going to change if they don't hear about the issues.

 

 

I am able to pull my 13 year old over to book excursions with us.

My issue is booking his internet and drink package AND he

has a different last name so it won't let me link them.

Its been a nightmare. But I did just book the Hibachi Experience

and I could add a guest on a different reservation with no issue

on the cruise planner!