Costs for 3rd and 4th person in Stateroom

[dxd226]

My wife and I just purchased a cruise with Princess and we decided to take our 6 and 9 yr old girls with us. We got a great deal at $499 pp. I was shocked to find the 3rd and 4th person sharing the same room were $414 each! Is this typical for all cruiselines? That seems to be a lot considering we are not taking up any more space except at meals. But then maybe I'm just cheap!? ;)

[calikak]

It depends on the itinerary--sometimes cruise lines run a special where there is a good discount for the 3rd or 4th person, but other times not really. Our third person rate on our Princess cruise is pretty high too, close to the same cost as a first person in an inside cabin. Makes it appealing to get the kids their own cabin when they're teenagers...

[cb at sea]

Less than you paid! Every person pays to cruise. If you change your dates, you may get a better deal...or, maybe not. Prices fluctuate.

[seashinesunshine]

My wife and I just purchased a cruise with Princess and we decided to take our 6 and 9 yr old girls with us. We got a great deal at $499 pp. I was shocked to find the 3rd and 4th person sharing the same room were $414 each! Is this typical for all cruiselines? That seems to be a lot considering we are not taking up any more space except at meals. But then maybe I'm just cheap!? ;)

 

I think it is a normal price. That is why people sometimes will book thier kids in an adjoining cabin or something, its not much more. One time on RCCL they must have been trying to "fill the ship" cuz I got my kids in our room for $150 PP. The funniest part was, I had to pay a total of 1000$ deposit. 250$pp. Somehow that didn't add up for me. The bottom line; I got the 4 of us on a cruise for less than 1500$, 7 days and that included tips. Great deals are out there. :D

[patseacruiser]

Until Juky 7 I believe it is Norwegian is having a kids sail free as 3rd and 4th in the cabin. You might want to check if something you like is there.

[AKAMum]

M That seems to be a lot considering we are not taking up any more space except at meals. But then maybe I'm just cheap!? ;)

 

Two extra sets of bed linen, two extra sets of towels, two extra seats taken in the lifeboats...

[crusinmama06]

You were lucky it wasn't $899 each and higher than the 1st and 2nd person in the cabin. I am starting to see that more and more. ;)

 

Cruising is different than land vacations. Children take up a "berth" on the ship and each ship can only hold so many berths.

 

As the popularity of cruising among families rises - the triple and quad cabins are becoming more valuable real estate. ;) So if you want to sail with your children in your cabin - then you have to pay for it. The trick is to constantly be on the lookout for better deals.

 

I haven't sailed Princess yet - all of those cruises with children - no cruises with Princess. That tells you how many times Princess has released a fabulous deal for families ;)

[dxd226]

Thank you all for your replies :) Sounds like maybe I'm just cheap after all... ;)

[Kerry's Girls]

I've sailed on Princess where the 3rd person fare was a fraction of the base fare - like $199 for a week. Then there was the 2 week cruise where the 3rd person fare was MORE than the first two. As others have already stated, it all has to do with time of year and itinerary. They're always going to charge what they can. Kids don't spend money in the casino and have pretty small bar tabs :rolleyes: so the cruise lines don't do the same as hotels where kids can stay in the room for free.

 

That said - we love Princess specifically because it's not full of kids and still has a great kid club.

 

Have a great time.

 

Best,

Mia

[seashinesunshine]

Thank you all for your replies :) Sounds like maybe I'm just cheap after all... ;)

 

Your not cheap.....just a careful planner. :D

[circuitrider]

Look carefully at all the promotions available.

 

So it costs you $500pp for the first two people in the room, and $420pp for the next two. Well...are you getting an onboard credit? How much? Let's say it's $100. Note...onboard credit almost always maxes out at two people in the cabin. So a $50pp credit is up to $100 per cabin, even if there's four booked in that cabin.

 

Ok, so with a $100 credit per cabin, it's basically costing you $450pp for the first two people, and $420pp for the next two. With numbers that close, I'd be wanting to book a separate room nearby (bonus if they're connecting rooms!). Remember, one adult has to be booked in each cabin (so one adult and one kid per cabin), not sure if the rules are more lax if they're connecting cabins.

 

Depending on the promo, it can definitely be cheaper to book two separate rooms vs having everyone in one. It might be a little chaotic trying to get your cards switched around (so both adults can open the same room...not an issue if the rooms are connecting), but I think it's worth the hassle to save money AND have double the space.

 

Oh, and if you're booking a higher category room (say, oceanview or higher), remember to check the 3rd/4th person fares for that room AND prices for double occupancy in an inside. Sure, you may be paying $800pp for an oceanview with the 3rd/4th ONLY costing $500pp...but maybe booking them in an inside would only cost $400pp. Cruise line only really cares about who's booked in what room...they don't care if you have a couple extra "visitors" in your room enjoying the ocean view.

[Gatrcruzer]

I don't think you are cheap - I think you are smart! You only have so many vacation dollars to spend, so you want to get the most for your money.

 

It can be quite jarring to find out how expensive 3rd and 4th passengers can be, and it is totally understandable that it would not occur to you that the cost would be so high. As others have stated, it is different from a hotel (where kids are normally free), kids take up berths, lifeboats, space in the theater, tables at dinner, etc. As some have mentioned, they can even be MORE expensive than the first 2! That is rare (usually times like Spring Break, when they want to discourage multiple people packed in a room), but it does happen.

 

You do need to shop around for prices, because there are sometimes "kids sail free" or "free/reduced 3rd and 4th passenger" deals. From the research I have done, I have found Princess to be particularly high on the 3rd/4th passenger rates. This has been fairly consistent over time. Some cruise lines there is a lot of variability across dates, but there seems to be less of that with Princess - it seems to be much more rare with Princess. If you are really set on Princess, I guess you need to suck it up, or possibly get that second room as others have suggested. However, if you are more flexible in the cruise line you would use, you might want to consider some of these cruise lines:

 

1. NCL is currently offering a "kids sail free" deal, but it is ending July 7, so would need to book right away.

2. Costa usually has "kids sail free"

3. MSC has "kids sail free" or other family friendly deals

4. Holland America has "free and/or reduced 3rd /4th passenger" deal for many sailings

5. I have found RCI to be very variable - sometimes I can get a reasonable rate for my daughter ($200/$250), and other times the rate is ridiculous.

6. As you might guess, Disney usually gives you very little break on 3rd/4th passengers, but sometimes they will run kids sail free deals (although often when school is in session...).

 

Good luck - hope you are able to find a better deal!

[crusinmama06]

Thank you all for your replies :) Sounds like maybe I'm just cheap after all... ;)

 

Oh I don't think you are cheap at all :)

 

But remember - their food and entertainment is included. So when I try to make the decision every year to give up one of our cruises and go to a place like a beach vacation. (I JUST had this conversation with myself this week). I look at the prices of the TOTAL cabin. I don't obsess over the "paid $499 each" and I try to figure out if I can go to say - Ocean City Maryland for the week - stay in our favorite hotel - eat for the week - and add in a budget for the nightly trips to the boardwalk plus gas and souvenirs.

 

My answer is always NO - I can't beat the price of a cruise.

 

And then I said to the kids "Ocean City or back to Bermuda?" oh yeah - that was an easy one ;)

 

It is all about watching for those promos.

[dxd226]

Oh I don't think you are cheap at all :)

 

But remember - their food and entertainment is included. So when I try to make the decision every year to give up one of our cruises and go to a place like a beach vacation. (I JUST had this conversation with myself this week). I look at the prices of the TOTAL cabin. I don't obsess over the "paid $499 each" and I try to figure out if I can go to say - Ocean City Maryland for the week - stay in our favorite hotel - eat for the week - and add in a budget for the nightly trips to the boardwalk plus gas and souvenirs.

 

My answer is always NO - I can't beat the price of a cruise.

 

And then I said to the kids "Ocean City or back to Bermuda?" oh yeah - that was an easy one ;)

 

It is all about watching for those promos.

 

Yes I can see that from now on most of my vacations will involve a cruise to somewhere :) I only wish I lived closer to the ports that access the Caribbean! :)

[Daisyloo]

Last November DH and I and our 2 sons in their early twenties shared a balcony cabin on the Westerdam. DH and I paid about $1000.00 each and our sons paid $51.00 each as the 3rd and 4th in the cabin. HAL seems to offer these types of savings every now and then. They just about sailed for free! The $51.00 was just taxes. They probably ate more than that the first day! Sharing the cabin was a bit tight, but we managed and we had a great cruise.

[cantw8togo]

Port fees are another expense that is included in the 3rd and 4th passenger rates.

 

We too have never sailed Princess due to the lack of family friendly pricing. We usually decide when we want to go and then look at at the various cruiselines to see who has the best deals, especially when it comes to 3rd and 4th rates.

[Diggerof4]

Newbie here, booked through TA. There is a a $75 difference between our price and the 3 & 4th pasnger. I even mention if that is all, why don't we just get another cabin. More room, another bathroom, get dress twice as fast, etc. She said it wouldn't be worth it. She had mention something about fees, taxes. So...let me know what you know, or what you thinking. I am wondering if I picked a good agent. :confused: I love advice:D

[sparky-elpaso]

Newbie here, booked through TA. There is a a $75 difference between our price and the 3 & 4th pasnger. I even mention if that is all, why don't we just get another cabin. More room, another bathroom, get dress twice as fast, etc. She said it wouldn't be worth it. She had mention something about fees, taxes. So...let me know what you know, or what you thinking. I am wondering if I picked a good agent. :confused: I love advice:D

 

I think a lot depends on the kind of cabin, age of the kids, etc. Quite a few people here have mentioned they'll get a balcony for the adults and an across the hall inside for the kids. 4 adult size people in a cabin can get a little tight. If you haven't been on a cruise ship before the cabins are a lot smaller than a hotel room. Here are a couple of pics of our inside on the Radiance of the Seas.

 

 

 

This was for 2 - cabins for 3 or 4 usually aren't any bigger but have bunks that fold down from the ceiling (over the regular bed) or a fold out sofa. Ask your TA about the square footage of the cabin, what configuration there is for the beds, then decide if the extra for the 2nd cabin is worth it to you.

[Kerry's Girls]

Newbie here, booked through TA. There is a a $75 difference between our price and the 3 & 4th pasnger. I even mention if that is all, why don't we just get another cabin. More room, another bathroom, get dress twice as fast, etc. She said it wouldn't be worth it. She had mention something about fees, taxes. So...let me know what you know, or what you thinking. I am wondering if I picked a good agent. :confused: I love advice:D

 

I would ask the agent to just give you the total price for one cabin for four or two cabins for two each. The only extra fees I can thiink of are that I get a break on insurance for the 3rd and 4th passenger - everything else is the same, but no way to know the difference without pricing it out. I don't understand why they didn't just give you the price difference and let you decide rather than just try to talk you out of it. Sounds lazy unless there's something I'm missing.

 

Best,

Mia

[Diggerof4]

Sparky - What GREAT pics! And Mia - loved your honesty. That is exactally what I was looking for, you to Sparky. It would be 4 adult size. Son 21 and daughter 16. I just worried about a good nite sleep. Son built like a ton of bricks ;) (Linebacker/hockey/baseball -you get the idea). Daughter taller than me. Brother and sister really don't want to sleep together. :rolleyes:. Thank you again for the ideas, tips and advice. Please send more my way. I don't mind spending a little more, but if it is a couple hundred more PP, I would have think about it.

Molly

[mjkacmom]

Sparky - What GREAT pics! And Mia - loved your honesty. That is exactally what I was looking for, you to Sparky. It would be 4 adult size. Son 21 and daughter 16. I just worried about a good nite sleep. Son built like a ton of bricks ;) (Linebacker/hockey/baseball -you get the idea). Daughter taller than me. Brother and sister really don't want to sleep together. :rolleyes:. Thank you again for the ideas, tips and advice. Please send more my way. I don't mind spending a little more, but if it is a couple hundred more PP, I would have think about it.

Molly

 

We are a family of 7, and do 2 connecting balcony cabins. The last time, I had 4 kids - 8, 8, 9, and 12 share a cabin, and it was TIGHT! At night, it just looked like one giant mattress. Even for a couple hundred more pp, I'd get 2 cabins.

[sparky-elpaso]

Sparky - What GREAT pics! And Mia - loved your honesty. That is exactally what I was looking for, you to Sparky. It would be 4 adult size. Son 21 and daughter 16. I just worried about a good nite sleep. Son built like a ton of bricks ;) (Linebacker/hockey/baseball -you get the idea). Daughter taller than me. Brother and sister really don't want to sleep together. :rolleyes:. Thank you again for the ideas, tips and advice. Please send more my way. I don't mind spending a little more, but if it is a couple hundred more PP, I would have think about it.

Molly

 

I don't know if you are aware of it but what looks like a full sized bed is actually 2 twins - which can be separated.