Separate cabin for the kids

[carress]

This is my first post!

I've never been on a cruise, but have been an occasional lurker on this board and wishful thinker for about 2 years now.

 

Here's the question:

Cruises are booked on a per-person basis (based on double occupancy?), so if you have two children over age 12, is there any financial reason to stay in one cabin rather than getting two separate cabins.

 

Please correct me if any of my presumptions are incorrect.

thanks

[crusinmama06]

Yes, the financial reasons are the 3rd/4th rate (if applicable)

 

I'll try to explain -

 

For example, let's say you pick a Carnival cruise. The balcony cabin may be $799 per person for the first and second person in the cabin. Then add 2 kids in and the "3rd/4th rate" is often discounted, so it may be $199. You are paying $1,996 for 4 people in one cabin.

 

Now take the same cruise, divide into 2 separate cabins, now your kids become the "1st/2nd" in the cabin. So then you would pay full rate - $799 for them.

 

Some cruises have 3rd/4th rate that are really low - $99 - $129

 

Some have 3rd/4th rate that are higher than 1st/2nd in another category (yeah I know, probably just really confused you there)

 

Basically the best way to figure it out is to just go directly to the cruise line's web site and do a "mock booking" - price it out with 2 in a cabin - then price it out with 4 in a cabin. One will make better financial sense :)

[rjm1cc]

You might also find some sales where 3rd and 4th are free.

[cb at sea]

But--it's sure nice to have privacy on your cruise...if you can afford a separate cabin for the kids, go for it! Everyone will be much happier!

[carress]

Thanks for the clarification - I had no idea!

 

so, I was looking at rooms, thinking that a two bedroom suite is the way to go, BUT I'm a little nervous about being on the 10th story/deck

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for the clarification - I had no idea!

 

so, I was looking at rooms, thinking that a two bedroom suite is the way to go, BUT I'm a little nervous about being on the 10th story/deck

 

Deck 10 is my favorite deck. :D I like to be close to the pool decks and to the kids clubs (which are always on a higher deck)

 

I guess you are concerned with motion sickness? I know what they say and I have never noticed more movement on deck 10 than on deck 4.

 

If you are concerned, then make sure you get mid ship. I get sick in a car, but have no issues in a AFT suite on Deck 10. ;)

[HoustonTodd]

The catch is someone over 18 has to be in each room. So for instance on my Jan sailing with our kids we had to book one room with my wife and two of my kids and the other with me and one kid. Now we won't sleep that way, we'll sleep with my wife and I in one room, and my 3 kids in the other room.

 

However, the S&S cards (and thus room keys) will have my wife in my kids' room. So there are issues to work around.

[carress]

I thought I'd need to have an adult listed as being in the room, but my daughter will be 18 (gasp!) when we go, so no need to sneak;)

My only worry would be that she'd be tryiign to sneak some cruising boy into her room;), but that's what little brothers are for, so thanks goodness she'll have one attached to her hip the whole cruise.

[boulders]

Actually, 21 is the minimum age for someone to be booked without an older person in the same stateroom. I know Royal Caribbean will waive this though if the parent's stateroom is sufficiently close by.

[RENMama]

Thanks for the clarification - I had no idea!

 

so, I was looking at rooms, thinking that a two bedroom suite is the way to go, BUT I'm a little nervous about being on the 10th story/deck

 

It may be more cost effective to buy 2 inside or 2 oceanview connecting cabins vs. the big suite.

 

Our kids are little so we dont need much extra room (and we know we can live in close quarters as we have cruised before). We are getting an ocean view room that sleeps 5. 700 for me and my husband and 350 for our 3 kids.

[nybumpkin]

The catch is someone over 18 has to be in each room. So for instance on my Jan sailing with our kids we had to book one room with my wife and two of my kids and the other with me and one kid. Now we won't sleep that way, we'll sleep with my wife and I in one room, and my 3 kids in the other room.

 

However, the S&S cards (and thus room keys) will have my wife in my kids' room. So there are issues to work around.

Go to the Purser's Desk when you board - they will give you extra cards to serve as cabin keys. We did that on our last cruise.

[Gonz]

For what it's worth, here's what we found in our most recent booking:

 

It was far less expensive for us to book two adjoining cabins (balcony) than to get one larger cabin that would sleep two adults and two kids comfortably. But that requires booking far enough in advance that there are adjoining staterooms still available.

 

When we booked we had to have an adult listed on each room, but that actually works out because I own CCL stock in two separate accounts so I'll get our cabin credit in one cabin and my wife will get the credit in the other. Bonus!

[A&Jfamily]

Actually, 21 is the minimum age for someone to be booked without an older person in the same stateroom. I know Royal Caribbean will waive this though if the parent's stateroom is sufficiently close by.

 

Carnival will too.

[KingHal]

It may be more cost effective to buy 2 inside or 2 oceanview connecting cabins vs. the big suite.

 

Also it is sometimes possible to get connecting cabins in mixed classes, which gives you the space for even less cost. On our forthcoming TA on Independence of the Seas we have booked a balcony cabin which connects to an ocean view cabin. This offers us the benefits of a balcony for the adults, without the worry of a balcony for the kids, and at less cost. If we had been a family of 4 rather than 5, we could even have booked an ocean view cabin which connects to an inside cabin for even less money.

[bobmacliberty]

An alternative to connecting cabins, if you're OK with doing it, is cabins across the hall from each other. The parents can be in an outside and the kids can be in a less expensive inside, bringing down the average cost. This might not be cheaper than putting the kids in your cabin as 3rd/4th guests, but gives what I think are 3 big advantages:

1. More total space

2. A second bathroom

3. Adult alone time :D

We're doing this and my kids (will be 12 and 14) could care less about their class of cabin. They are super excited about having their own room. They've already determined who gets which bed! We haven't yet decided how much freedom we plan to allow them to have.

 

Someone mentioned that they had to have room keys such that each parent had a key to a different room. I asked about this on the Royal boards and was told that the reservation must be made with at least one parent in each room, but that you can arrange the seapasses/keys whatever way you want at check-in. I haven't sailed RCCI yet so I can't personally confirm this.

[Liltx31]

RCCL will book your kids across the hall. That makes sense if your kids are teens or maybe preteens but they suggested that I do this with my 4 and 6 year old! I said no thank you and booked a JS instead. I can't imagine children that young away from their parents. If we did that one of us would sleep in each room with them. I noticed that the prices are usually cheaper to book two rooms early on but as the ship sells out they will reduce the price of the 3rd/4th to get more peole on the ship. So keep an eye on the rates even after you book. We got a sweet deal on the JS with a 3/4th rate of $169. Yes, we will be in one room but it saved us $1000 and we would have had to split up anyway. Two balcony rooms were out of our price range. We will just have to make use of the kids club so that DH and I can have the room for adult time.

 

Monica

[krtboise]

Jumping on this thread with a related question...does anyone know what I can expect in the balcony rooms on Royal Caribbean as far as some sort of lock (or child lock) on the sliding doors? I booked adjoining balcony rooms and am now wondering if I should be nervous about my children (12 & 8) getting on the balcony with out my knowing. This will be our first cruise ever and I thought the two rooms would give us extra space.

[triplemom3]

When we sailed RCCL, the balcony door was so heavy, most kids couldn't even attempt to open it!

[QTMichele]

The catch is someone over 18 has to be in each room. So for instance on my Jan sailing with our kids we had to book one room with my wife and two of my kids and the other with me and one kid. Now we won't sleep that way, we'll sleep with my wife and I in one room, and my 3 kids in the other room.

 

However, the S&S cards (and thus room keys) will have my wife in my kids' room. So there are issues to work around.

 

Actually, 21 is the minimum age for someone to be booked without an older person in the same stateroom. I know Royal Caribbean will waive this though if the parent's stateroom is sufficiently close by.

 

Just wanted to add my experience with age minimums in cabins. I have two adjoining cabins for our upcoming Freedom cruise with one adult and one child in one cabin and two children (9 and 6) in the other cabin. It was no problem whatsoever, but that may be because they are adjoining? Regardless, I'm very excited to have lots of SPACE! :D

[reggiewhite]

I'm glad this is a board because I might get some angry responses. I have three kids and booked a spring break cruise too late. My kids are:DD 11, DS 8, DD 5. They will be sleeping across the hall. I'm not even telling my mom because she would kill me. The oldest child is responsible and the youngest would never leave one of her siblings side. Am I making a mistake. I feel pretty confident about the situation other than what if the youngest tries to find us in the middle of the night. Opinions?

[Terpnut]

I'm glad this is a board because I might get some angry responses. I have three kids and booked a spring break cruise too late. My kids are:DD 11, DS 8, DD 5. They will be sleeping across the hall. I'm not even telling my mom because she would kill me. The oldest child is responsible and the youngest would never leave one of her siblings side. Am I making a mistake. I feel pretty confident about the situation other than what if the youngest tries to find us in the middle of the night. Opinions?

Our two kids are the same age as your two oldest, and I know my wife is definitely not be ready for them to be in non-connecting staterooms yet. On the other hand, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over this issue personally--it's not like leaving them home alone for a day.

[boulders]

'm glad this is a board because I might get some angry responses. I have three kids and booked a spring break cruise too late. My kids areD 11, DS 8, DD 5. They will be sleeping across the hall. I'm not even telling my mom because she would kill me. The oldest child is responsible and the youngest would never leave one of her siblings side. Am I making a mistake. I feel pretty confident about the situation other than what if the youngest tries to find us in the middle of the night. Opinions?

 

My oldest 2 were 11 and 8 when they cruised with me the first time. I now have a 14 year old, 11 year old and 4 year old. There's no way I would have let the 11 year old and 8 year old sleep in a cabin by themselves. It's not so much the trouble that they would get into, it's the other other people on the ship. There are literally thousands of people on a cruise ship. Many of them are drunk. Some are up to no good. The stateroom attendant has a key that allows them access at any time. I would be much more comfortable leaving them at home. There, they have a security system, 3 dogs, and neighbors. There's nothing like that on ships. They'd be totally on their own.

[reggiewhite]

I was afraid that might be your answers. Please weigh in anyone else. I don't think I can change much but I could sleep in one cabin while my husband slept in the other.

[notentirelynormal]

I think the two older ones will be fine in the other cabin. But I'd put the youngest one in with you. You know your kids and will teach them not to open the door for anyone for any, reason unless of course its you.

[reggiewhite]

Seriously, I didn't think of this? I'm getting too worked up about this cruise. That's a really good idea and I do know my kids. That might work really well. Thanks a lot for stating the obvious to a worried mom. I'm still interested in others opinions.