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How to cruise with a family of 5 without breaking the bank?


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Go with Carnival because they offer affordable staterooms that hold 5 pax.

 

 

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I am relatively new to cruising and heard Carnival was the cheapest too but when I started researching 7 day cruises that can fit 5 comfortable to a room RCCL was the best option. I really recommend to go see a travel agent who specializes in cruises. It is not cost to you and they do all the work. Also possible obc to be had too.

 

 

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We are starting to really have a tough time with this now that the kids are older and the littlest is no longer in a crib. I don't mind switching to two cabins, but losing the discounts for the kids because they are only available with two adults in the cabin (and not one adult and two kids) makes me frustrated. I hate when the world seems to be only built for families of four!

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Best bet is to call a travel agent. Both RCCL and Carnival have family staterooms that are larger and fit 5. They are much cheaper than family suites and with younger kids plus discounts for 3,4,5 passenger, they work out cheaper in my experience.

 

 

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I feel your pain, we have 3 kids also! We got a great deal from NCL for a family of five for a cruise in a few weeks. It is a family suite (sj) and sleeps up to six and is around 450 sqft with Windows but no balcony. When I booked it a year ago it was $4200, but that includes $475 obc, free drinks and specialty dining, and free tips for the first two passengers. I'm planning on bringing about $1000 for extras, but really a vacation for a family for $5000 that doesn't involve camping is not bad in my mind.

 

Things I think of when trying to minimize costs -

 

-My kids spring break is late this year, last year when it was with Easter it was a lot more expensive and we didn't cruise. Timing makes a big difference in cost.

 

-Try lines you haven't before, NCL is new to us, but we're giving it a shot because it was a good deal to where we want to go.

 

-Travel agents can be very helpful in family of five situations.

 

-We drive whenever possible, this cruise does mean an overnight drive. Bermuda is a wonderful option if you are in the east.

 

-We prioritize excursions, so Mayan ruins are a must do for this cruise, so we are using the obc for that. But, we don't do an excursion at every stop. We found a well reviewed beach restaurant in Costa maya and will buy about $100 in food, paddle board rental, etc.- not bad for a beach day.

 

I feel like these things help us get a vacation that isn't cheap, but that maximizes the value of our vacation dollars.

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Just for point of reference.

 

We cruised family of 5 in Dec 2014 on RCCL Freedom of the Seas for $2600 Canadian for a family of 5. We stayed in the Family oceanview room which is a 300 sq ft room with separate bunk bed room for kids, room for parents and a pull out sofa bed in living room area.

 

WE booked a cruise on Freedom again for 2017 and it will cost us $3600 Cad this time because of the drop in Canadian $$$ but anyhow, still cheap compared to other vacation options.

We keep in mind that certain months are cheaper and keep looking for promos of OBC or outright sales on prices to make it more affordable.

 

A week on a cruise for us works out to be cheaper than a week a disneyworld.

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  • 1 month later...

I remember my husband and I discussing all of the things that would be harder if we had a third kid... of course we love that we went for it, but the number one hardest thing is traveling. I'm glad to see I'm not alone with these challenges! :)

 

Lots of great tips and ideas here. I might be semi-redundant here, but I will add...

 

- Bringing your own soda, water, etc. You can pour it in your room and bring it with you anywhere on the ship (no glass by the pool). I highly recommend bringing your favorite Tervis tumbler or similar refillable. On our last cruise, we got the beverage package for the kids and it came up with a special insulated tumbler for each of them. They carried it with them everywhere. I was wishing I had brought one for myself, even just to use for water or tea (or wine from my stateroom). Even if you don't get a soda package, having your own cup is a good reminder to stay hydrated.

 

- Disney allows you to bring your own alcohol, or at least they did a few years ago. We flew to FL and the night before embarkation we made a trip to the local liquor store to stock up. We had brought an empty folding rolling duffel bag just for this purpose. We also bought a case of bottled water. As long as your cabin number is on these, you can give them to the cruise line with your luggage when you check in. Don't overstock, though, because you won't be able to take any back with you off the ship. I'm sure our cabin stewards were happy with what we left behind for them.

 

- Many other cruise lines allow you to bring two 750ml bottles of wine. If you like wine, there is no reason not to do this. Bring it from home, or buy it local before you board, but it must be packed in your suitcase. (I recommend some Glad Press'n'Seal and bubble wrap.)

 

- As others have said, definitely check prices on two connecting cabins versus one family-sized cabin. We have traveled both ways and all work well. If you have older kids, I recommend a family cabin that has TWO bathrooms. We always pick two cabins over one family cabin if there is only one bathroom. Many ships have only a handful of the family cabins, so booking early is key. That being said, if you have the deposit money to spare, you could double-book both a family and side-by-side and watch the rates on the side-by-sides to see if they go down below the family cabin rate. I imagine the family cabin price will not go down because they are always in demand.

 

- Get creative with your port visits. This board is a great resource for planning. There are many options besides the SE's offered by the cruise lines. We have done port days both ways and have been happy with our choices. If you do go to the Bahamas and want to go to Atlantis Paradise Island you can save $100-200 a piece by going on your own. I highly recommend this -- we have been there twice and my kids are still talking about how amazing it is (and how we could never spend the money to fly and stay there, so getting to spend the day there is a wonderful treat). I'm sure there are many posts here dedicated to how to do it cheaper. For a family of four, the savings are even more, but alas, we are stuck.

 

- Check the ages on the different activities in port. The cruise lines will have their own age group cut-offs, but going on your own you might find that your 4-year-old is free, etc.

 

We have cruised three times with our kids. The first was a 3-night Disney Wonder cruise -- a good way to find out whether our kids even liked cruising. I don't remember how much we paid, but we got two adjoining OV rooms, used a bungee cord to hold the door open, and it worked great. Kids in one room, us in the other, two bathrooms, plenty of storage space. Our kids were 10, 7, and 3 and we went in October (they missed school).

 

The second was a 7-night Disney Magic cruise. We weren't even planning on cruising again so soon, but I got a promotional flyer in the mail and the deal was good, so we took it. For two adjoining OV cabins it was $4800 for the week for the five of us. (We ended up upgrading to a suite at the port, but that's another story.) The kids were 12, 9, and 5 and we went in February (they missed school).

 

The third was a 5-night RCCL cruise. I think the price was somewhere around $2500 for the week for a Family OV cabin that sleeps six. The price for two adjoining OV was a little bit more and we liked the layout of the family cabin. We were vacationing with another family and we also liked the flexibility so the kids could have "sleepovers" with each other. That particular family cabin had a queen bed in its own alcove with a privacy curtain, two sets of bunk beds, and a pull-out sofa. Lots of storage, and two bathrooms.

 

Hope some of the information helps you with your planning. Not knowing the ages of your kids, it's hard to say specifically which options might be better for you, but if you do have a little one you might want to check on the pool rules for the ships/lines you're looking at. (Most will not allow swim diapers -- potty-trained wee ones only.)

 

If you can drive to a port and take a shorter cruise, that might be a great way to try cruising with the kids without blowing the vacation budget completely. If they're anything like mine, though, they'll be begging for another one as soon as you get off the ship! LOL

Edited by love2driveinct
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I have 5 kids. We are going on our 3rd cruise.

We don't buy ship photos. No drink packages, unless the kids pay for their own. We just drink the included drinks and meals onboard. Most times we don't do expensive excursions. Depending on where you are going we do a hop on hop off bus. Or walk around town on our own. If the kids want souvenir they buy their own. But here is where I usually get criticized. For our last cruise and the one coming up. My kids pay their own way, or most of it. If I have saved extra I pay for some of theirs. My kids ranged from age 14 to 25 on our last cruise. They are old enough to have jobs and have saved their money for the last 4 years for this next trip. They know we can't afford to do this if I am to pay for it all or even me and the two that are at home. It works for us and If I could afford to pay it all I would. But we want to see things and spend time together so this is what we came up with.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 months later...

Just in case you are interested in tips to save money and make a cruise affordable that don't apply directly to the ship, cabin, etc, I thought I'd add these:

*Book far enough ahead to make changes to your current regular spending habits

*Have a garage/yard sale specifically for cruise funds

*Save dimes in a 2 Liter Coke bottle-should have between $500-700 when it's full

*Scale Christmas down just a little; buy for the kids, but draw names between the adults.

*If you are restaurant folks (like me!) have everyone order water instead of tea or Cokes-saves $12-20 per meal you can put in your cruise purse!

 

My kids are so excited to be on the boat with all the activities they are not even really interested in a shore excursion, so we are just going to shop and eat at port, and this will save $ too.

 

We plan on bringing their fave snacks with us because they are three times as much in the shops on board.

 

Hope these ideas help! Happy cruising!(hopefully soon!) :)

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  • 9 months later...

We are also a family of five, but this is out first cruise. Been reading lots and trying to figure this all out. We are Canadian and the dollar has been taken a hit, so not as cheap as it could have been a couple years ago. The kids are 17, 15, 14 there is no way we are getting a single room - need our adult alone time privacy, so the kids get an interior room and we are getting a balcony as the wife wants one.

 

Ways to save money driving instead of flying.

 

No beverage packages will pack soda (I believe we are allowed 12 pack of soda per person and a 750ml bottle of wine for those over 21). Still looking at if we are allowed to bring water bottles on board (carnival splendor Aug 2018)

 

We have never been to Mexico, so the idea is to enjoy the beaches of Cabo. As for Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta the goal is to plan plan plan and then do our own thing without booking the excursions through the ship.

 

Also I hear that only prepackaged snacks are allowed off the ship, so take those instead of buying food in port or maybe even go back onboard to eat. Why spend extra money when you have already paid for the food for the cruise?

 

Also letting the grandparents and relatives know about the cruise so maybe they can give the "bubbles" package as Christmas or birthday gifts.

 

We live close to the US so it is common that we get US coins in our change back from paying cash, so we are looking through our coins and picking out the US ones.

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Depending on the kids ages, I would set the expectations before leaving. There will be a lot of things that look enticing, like inches of gold stations, pets at sea, fancy drinks and additional cost foods. If the kids know that those are REALLY expensive and really overpriced and that you will NOT be purchasing those things it might make it easier . On our first cruises we bought a lot of junk and now buy nearly nothing extra unless we plan ahead for it. You can limit the souvenir purchase to one T shirt each or something that could be useful. Stay away from Del Sol! I have pitched more shirts and hair things from there and Hard Rock Cafe than I like to remember. Steer them toward the fun included things and you'll have less buyers remorse and more enjoyment.

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  • 5 weeks later...
We are also a family of five, but this is out first cruise. Been reading lots and trying to figure this all out. We are Canadian and the dollar has been taken a hit, so not as cheap as it could have been a couple years ago. The kids are 17, 15, 14 there is no way we are getting a single room - need our adult alone time privacy, so the kids get an interior room and we are getting a balcony as the wife wants one.

 

Ways to save money driving instead of flying.

 

No beverage packages will pack soda (I believe we are allowed 12 pack of soda per person and a 750ml bottle of wine for those over 21). Still looking at if we are allowed to bring water bottles on board (carnival splendor Aug 2018)

 

We have never been to Mexico, so the idea is to enjoy the beaches of Cabo. As for Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta the goal is to plan plan plan and then do our own thing without booking the excursions through the ship.

 

Also I hear that only prepackaged snacks are allowed off the ship, so take those instead of buying food in port or maybe even go back onboard to eat. Why spend extra money when you have already paid for the food for the cruise?

 

Also letting the grandparents and relatives know about the cruise so maybe they can give the "bubbles" package as Christmas or birthday gifts.

 

We live close to the US so it is common that we get US coins in our change back from paying cash, so we are looking through our coins and picking out the US ones.

 

 

My only criticism of your suggestions would be in regards to eating in port. If you have an overnight stay at a port, it's probably not a big deal, but if you are only in port for 8-9 hours as most port calls, I don't know that I would personally lose valuable port time to save a few bucks on lunch, particularly in Mexico--lunch likely won't be terribly expensive. But, that is an individual judgement call to make. Or, eat a heavy filling breakfast, and maybe just grab something light on shore to,gold over until,dinner time onboard.

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  • 1 month later...

Another option is to book a shorter cruise because of the smaller price tag. They are still a great experience (maybe more so with younger kids) and you can always book a few nights at your port if you want to make a full week vacation. We just booked 4 nights to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean for 4 children and 2 adults for a little under $2,300 -- including airfare! We booked on our own and got one of the new 'bare bones' airfares that only let you travel with a very small personal item (not even a full carry-on) per flier. We got flights from NY to FL for only $86 person on United all taxes and fees included. We booked with a Frequent Flier Miles card that allows me 2 free checked bags, so we'll share the free big checked bags, pay for just 2 carry-ons ($25 each) and share space. We are booked in two state rooms -- booked as 1 adult and 2 kids in each room, though with tweens we will have the 4 kids in one room, and we will have our own room, right next door. Inside cabins. Make sure you get rooms with bunks if you plan to split up the rooms that way. A big savings is traveling over a one day school break (MLK day) rather than a holiday or longer spring break. Prices are radically less. Yes, they will miss 4 days of school -- we find that pulling them out of school is the only way we can afford these great trips -- we plan far in advance with teachers and guidance counselors, and require the kids to do some studying and make sure homework is done each morning before the day begins. We do not do any cruiseline excursions - beach days - exploring ports on our own is more than enough excitement and we prefer the cultural experience of wandering on our own rather than 'pre-packaged' fun. Traveling inexpensively beyond the "family of four" really can be done!!

Edited by Karilc
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Hi Mhoven! Sounds like a fun trip. I would agree with the poster who suggested not to return to the ship. We have traveled in Mexico many times (including with teens) though not via Cruise ship. The food is delicious, fresh and very inexpensive. Try local food, do not get swept up in needing to be at "Americanized" chain restaurants.... lunch can be as little as $2/3/4 dollars if you find local restaurants and/or street food and it's wonderful!!

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  • 1 month later...

Affordable is relative, I’ve sailed on 4 cruises with my 4 kids. The cruise that’s coming up in april was $2900 for the 6 of us. This is the least I’ve ever paid. I booked it while on a cruise for $3700 and then when the kids sail free promo came out I called and had the price adjusted. I check the rates often since I can’t check the rates myself since we book a family stateroom since royal Caribbean has rooms that will hold 6 people. I recommend checking rates often on different lines. I’ve had the best prices on Norwegian and royal caribbean, we love Carnival but they are too expensive for my family since we would have to book two rooms. Good luck!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We actually booked two cabins (OV and an inside) cheaper than putting all of us in one cabin and as a bonus, we had two bathrooms. We don't do the specialty dining. The photos are a big hit to the budget. At one time, we purchased a lot of the photos. They are sitting in a box. We have now found that we like our own photos taken around the ship and in the ports better. When we get home, we do a Shutterfly book with all the photos. This saves a lot of money. We don't usually do the casino and the kids didn't use the arcade except for one day and we set a limit. In some ports, it's cheaper to book through an independent vendor rather than the ship's excursions if it's a port where you can't do it on your own. With as many as five people, we've booked directly and saved money over the ship's excursions. We don't generally do the drink package unless it's a perk that comes with our booking. We use a travel agent who checks our residency (sometimes there's a special rate for your state). We look at airfare to the location before we book the cruise and sometimes that dictates what port we leave from. On our last cruise, we found that by booking our flight to Fort Lauderdale over Miami, we saved over $100 pp on the flight, then got a cheap car rental to Miami for a cruise that was cheaper than the one leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Check the airfare on different airlines and to different port cities. A good travel agent and do the legwork for you on finding a cruise that suits your budget best, can find cabins that suit your needs better too. We had our travel agent call us back once and ask us if we would be okay with putting the kids across the hall from us in an interior cabin if it would save us $175 on the cruise and give us an extra bathroom. We also get OBC from our travel agent which gives us money to spend once on the ship. On Royal, you can get a promenade cabin for inside cabin prices and still have a window looking out so you're paying less than an oceanview cabin. We don't carry food off the ship. We usually book a half-day excursion and come back to the ship to eat.

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There are some really good ideas posted. I have 2 kids and I def take advantage of the RCL kids sail free and the NCL 3 & 4 sail free. You also may want to chose a departure port close to home or somewhere you are willing to drive so that you are not spending an additional $1000+ for airfare, pre cruise hotel, etc. Look for holiday specials. I booked a Bermuda RCL with the kids sail free for Labor Day weekend during Black Friday. Now they no longer offer that deal.

 

 

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