Trying to Find a Cruise for Family

I am trying to find a cruise that will allow me to book for a family of 8 (all adults over 21). I need to know how to go about doing this, and what cruise ship has a room that sleeps 8 or where I can book 4 rooms near each other. We would like to go around or in January of 2019.

why would you want to stick 8 people in the same room, unless it's the Presidential Suite or something.

other than that, I'd book 4 rooms with 2 ppl in each, or 2 rooms with 4 people in it - maybe, a minisuite? INside rooms are tiny and 4 adult size humans in one inside room is quite bad.

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I am trying to find a cruise that will allow me to book for a family of 8 (all adults over 21). I need to know how to go about doing this, and what cruise ship has a room that sleeps 8 or where I can book 4 rooms near each other. We would like to go around or in January of 2019.

Hi there

Welcome to cruise critic.

If you don't want to go the TA route, you will have some extra planning to do, but it is one thing at a time.

You have the general time frame decided. That's a start. The more "control" you have the easier it is. Just think, with 8 adults getting consensus is difficult, unless the deal is that everyone is just going on the trip as you plan it. That would be nice. :)

Typically,once you decide when you are travelling the next step would be the "where". Once agreement is made on "where", you would be able to narrow down the date more specifically, because not all ships would be going where you want to go when you want to go.

Now you will need to make a decision on the cruise line. There likely will be a few options in that regard. If there are choices for you, this site would allow you to ask about each, on the dedicated threads for each cruise line. Apart from the price differences between each cruise line, the main concern might be the demographics of each. Again, once you have narrowed down your choices, ask about these on the cruise line threads.

Most of the concern for any group travel planning is finding something that suits everyone. Of course a large component of this is "costs". Different accommodations will have different pricing, so, will everyone be able to manage their portion (or is everybody going to be taken care of). Deciding on how people will be housed will affect pricing. There are many additional "packages" or "inclusions" offered by some cruise line as incentives. So understanding the wants of most of the group would be very helpful. Will everyone be paying their own way? It is important to understand that if someone were to cancel for instance that it could affect the costs for someone else in the same cabin. Suitable insurance would be vital.

No matter what you decide, it is not too soon to start looking at your options. Get some ideas right away so you can talk with the other people involved.

Once you have started you just work through your list of things to do. You can always come back here and ask questions, "before" you commit to something you cannot change later.

good luck

this should get you started

There are some multi-bedroom suites on ships, but you will pay a premium for these apartments. I agree with the previous poster who said to decide where you want to go first.

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You will want your own spaces....ship cabins are NOT as large as hotel rooms...not by ANY means! And the bathrooms....think about a "portapotty" with a shower in it...that's not far from the size!

Go to a local travel agency and pick up some brochures...that will give you a good feel for what you're getting into! You don't say where you want to go...so tell the travel agent that info, so they can get you all the lines that cruise in that area!

Then..get a guidebook on your ports...the more you know about where you're going, the better time you will have...and you may find things that interest you do NOT require pricey excursions...that's a big ticket item...and almost never necessary! Info is key, though!

Enjoy the planning process! Anticipation is part of the fun!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

You really so very much need a Travel Agent specializing in cruising to help you out!;)

I am trying to find a cruise that will allow me to book for a family of 8 (all adults over 21). I need to know how to go about doing this, and what cruise ship has a room that sleeps 8 or where I can book 4 rooms near each other. We would like to go around or in January of 2019.

It depends on if it is 4 couples or 6 siblings & their parents. The more couples, the more privacy is that is needed. Another other variable is if you want to be budget conscious or are looking to be pampered. Do you want to go to the Caribbean? 5, 7, 10+ days?

There are a lot of options; adjoining state rooms, multi-bedroom suites, adjoining suites. The earlier you book, the easier it will be to get the cabins you prefer in your preferred location. Be aware, a regular room connected to a suite does not necessarily get the same perks as the suite.

I am a RCCL fan, we have cruised as a family & with extended family several times on the Oasis Class ships. I find the larger ships better for groups. There is something to make everyone happy. Even though it is kind of a pain to make all your show reservations etc in advance, it makes it convenient once you are on board. The shows & times are already decided so you don't have to spend 1/2 your day trying to coordinate with everyone. You make the reservations in advance, your party knows when & where they are supposed to be if they want to attend the show with the rest of the family. They can show up or not. For me, all the preplanning adds to the excitement of the vacation. It also gets others interested too.

I usually start by looking at some online travel cites, like one that ends with "ocity". This helps me to narrow down my options. The online sites don't let you book more than 4 in a room, they also don't always show all the suite inventory. After I get some idea of what I want, I call my local TA.

Good luck!

Vickie

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As mentioned your best bet is to start with a TA who specializes in cruises.

We are not allowed to give recommendations.

I would ask friends who you know who cruise if they have a recommendation.

A few cruise lines have suites that you can book that might work for you.

Again I would enlist a TA to do the leg work for you.

Keith

a reputable travel agent can guide you on your cruise info needs

+1.

We are a family of 7, it is always cheaper to book connecting or adjoining cabins (balcony) than getting a suite that fits us all. We do 2 cabins, but we are a close family, 8 adults in 4 cabins is very tight. Very.

I booked six staterooms for our family of eleven. They were three pairs of adjoining cabins on the same floor very near to one another and it worked out great! They also happened to be balcony cabins and you can open them to one another too on the Oasis class Royal Caribbean ships.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic, Christy Miller! I believe you have some good advice already but I did want to mention one thing to you. If your group is made up primarily of adults, do yourself a favor and before you book anything, come to some kind of agreement that everyone does not have to do the same thing all the time! There are so many different experiences offered, both on board and at the various ports, that some may really want to do "x" while some might like "y" and others may even not like either "x or Y"! You will enjoy your adventure more if you agree that the evening meal is the best time for everyone to come together and relate experiences from the day. If there is something you all want to do, that is great! Just allow for doing things separately as well.

8 adults in 4 cabins is very tight. Very.

Usually there are 2 adults in a cabin anyway so how is this very tight ??

Usually there are 2 adults in a cabin anyway so how is this very tight ??

Oops, I meant 4 adults in 1 cabin is tight! This year, it was DH and I, dd14, ds14, dd16, ds19 (6'2"), and dd20. And I didn't realize how long it takes my dds' to get ready! We went back to the cabins in shifts.

@Christy

For January of 2019, you should not have too much trouble finding 4 staterooms near or adjoining (not necessarily connecting with a door between) one another. The problem is finding the itinerary and ship, deciding what type or types of cabins wanted, THEN choosing between locations with four rooms closeby. You talk about the line "allowing you" to book... as if you did think there was a way to put that many people in a smaller space than the deckplan specifies -- there is no way for that, those things are controlled by lifeboat capacity.

I do not think you would even want to put 4 adults each in 2 quad cabins. There would only be 2 bathrooms! At least one person would probably be sleeping in a pullman (bunk) that dropped down from the ceiling or wall! However, if money is tight, there are ships that have balconies & oceanview (and even insides) that honestly fit 3 adults comfortably. The ones I have experience with are the older Holland America ships: Maasdam, Veendam, Amsterdam (NOT Nieuw Amsterdam), Rotterdam, Volendam, Zaandam. The sofa flips end-to-end rather than pulling out with those awful bars crosswise! The room steward(s) will make it up as a sofa in the morning and back to a bed while you're at dinner. There is a curtain to pull between the sleeping/living quarters and the closet/hall/bathroom for dressing privacy.

As far as being "allowed" to book for others, I booked 4 rooms for 8 adults for June 2016, and 5 for 10 for August 2018. If you have the credit line, there is no problem there!

@Christy

I just happened to notice that the Vision class of ships (Royal Caribbean line) have 8-person suites (Grand-Suite-2-bedroom that is a living area with sofa bed PLUS two bedrooms) -- but two are bunks that drop from the ceiling over two twins, in one of the "2-bdr". There are two bathrooms and the balcony is quite small, 55sqft, with either 2 or 3 chairs and a small side table. They also have 4-person Grand-Suite-1-bedroom, that is really just one room (not a living area and a separate bedroom) BUT it appears that the fourth person either shares a double sofa bed OR the two sofas made two single beds with their 'feet' meeting in the corner. The balcony is large (100+sqft) with two chairs, a taller table you could actually eat at, and two chaises.

I would not be surprised if two GS-1bdr cost more than four Balcony cabins, though!

Good luck in your search! There is no reason you will not be successful, having re-read that you are open to four staterooms close together. If this is your first cruise, using a travel agent is not a bad idea, even the one at that big box store...

Just to chime in here. We have done the TA route and the book on your own route for large family groups before- 10 all together. Not a problem this far out getting close to each other stateroom wise. One thing to consider is do you want to be the TA and book all the rooms and get payment from them, or all get together one night and call the line and each book your rooms or do you want the TA to book rooms and handle all payments? Each have advantages/disadvantages. If this is your first ever cruise you may want to work with someone who specializes in cruises and can help you decide which line is right for you. This may depend on where you want to go as well. We have picked the line because of where we wanted to go (HAL, to Alaska) and usually consider the itinerary instead of the the ship first. Each line will be a bit different and have a different feel on board.

I will second the suggestion that everyone can do their own thing on the ship and not be tied together at the hip. Our only rule traveling as a group is that we all must have dinner together. That way we see each other once a day, we can hear what everyone has been up too and sometimes we even make plans for the next day. We don't try to go to breakfast together or lunch together. We may only book one excursion together or none at all together. Makes for a nicer trip. Had a friend who will never ever cruise again because her in-laws made her and her family go to breakfast, lunch and dinner together as well as every excursion together. She said she felt like she was trapped on a big floating prison! This was a trip to Alaska and was to be a highlight. We did a 10 person family trip to Alaska, but were not joined at the hip and had so much fun at dinner telling each other about what we did during the day and did only one excursion together as a family that was perfect for all ages.

Assuming this isn't a gift to the others, you may need to agree on the cost/level of the staterooms you want to book. If everyone is on the same budget then no problems. If not, then you may need to rethink being near/next to each other if some can only afford interiors on the lowest decks, or ocean view (window) and others want balcony staterooms on the upper decks. What we have done to help with cost is interiors across the hall from those in balcony staterooms. Sail away and happy hours in the balcony rooms.

8 adults, 1 bathroom the size of a medium closet . . . . to me does not equate to any kind of a holiday. Go for 4 cabins near each other, after you've decided where and when you want to go.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)