Attempting to book a cruise and have no idea where to start

[juniper148]

I have spent numerous hours on carnival's website going in circles. Basically, I just want 2 connecting rooms for a family of 6 on a 5ish day cruise. Being a family of 6, we're on a budget. I don't care which port, which ship, which stops along the way, or really even when we go. Thinking probably Sept or Oct of this year but that's flexible.

 

Is there anyway to search for cruises by first eliminating any cruises that DON'T have adjoining rooms? It seems I'll get almost to the very end going through the ports, the amount of days, my budget, the destinations, only to pick a room and find the ship either doesn't offer connecting rooms or all the connecting rooms are book. I have noticed that reviews say some rooms are much noisier than others, we'll be traveling with a 2 year old so the quieter the better.

Edited March 17, 2015 by juniper148

[k9_Cop]

I would just call carnival at that point. You can just tell them exactly what your looking for and what you want/don't want and they will help you with the connecting rooms.

[juniper148]

Perhaps I'll try again and get a more helpful employee. The most recent one I asked which ships have connecting rooms as was told "many of them do". :rolleyes:

[Essiesmom]

Well, let's start with identifying the ships with connecting cabins = those with a door between connecting them. Not adjoining, as those would just be side by side.

Go to http://www.cruisedeckplans.com. Choose Carnival as your cruise line. Then choose a ship. In the list of ships, you will notice that most of the ships are in a 'class'. Fantasy class, Conquest class, Dream class, Triumph class. some were 'one-offs', such as Splendor and Sunshine.

Choose one ship in a class, and pull up the deck plans. The plans for all ships in that class should all be the same. Look at the plans deck by deck. Cabins that connect has a little white triangle between them. Most of the connecting rooms will hold three people, but some don't.

Once you have singled out the type ship that will suit you, you will have to decide where to go. Are you planning on driving to the port? Airfare for six can double the cost of your cruise. That should narrow the field. Sailing in Sept./Oct. should make it more affordable, and make finding the cabins easier, as with kids back in school, there is less demand for cabins arrangements for families.

Once you have got this far, go back to the ship possibilities, and make a list of the cabin pairs that will work for you. Then give Carnival a call and be prepared for a lengthy call. Or visit a travel agent and let them do the work. EM

[cb at sea]

I would CALL Carnival, tell them WHEN you want to go and what type of cabins you want, and then, have them tell you your options! Have the deck plans in front of you, so you can SEE the cabins you might book!

 

Then you can decide if they have what you want!!!

[SadieN]

Need to narrow down your parameters a bit.

Where do you want to sail to? Caribbean, Mexican (west coast) Riviera?

Where do you want to sail from? West Coast, Texas, Florida, Other eastern ports?

Do you want to drive or fly to port?

 

On carnival.com you can play around with deck plans and dates of cruises.

Edited March 21, 2015 by SadieN

[SadieN]

All ships have adjoining cabins, they have a common wall.

 

Connecting cabins have a door between them.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Ask your friends, families, and co-workers if they have a recommendation of a travel agent who is knowledgeable about cruises. Then go in and talk with him or her with any desires (for you, it's the connecting cabins). There won't be any charge for you for this service. And they'll be able to tell you what ships (maybe even go beyond just Carnival) has available cabins that will work for you. Even this far out, there could be some that are already sold out for this...but most likely for cruises during the fall after school starts back up, there could be a lot of choices. Have your budget available (how much are you willing to spend and have them add in the port taxes, government fees, and expected gratuities for you).

 

Make sure that if you book through them you ask first (maybe on the phone before you come in) if there's any charges for cancellations or changes. Most agencies do not so.

[maritaysa]

First check to see which port would be cheapest for you to get to. Then choose all of the 3-5 day cruises from that port and sort by length of cruise. From there, choose the cheapest one by your cabin type. Look at the deck plans and find the ones with the symbol showing that the cabins are adjoining. The cheapest cabins will be on the lower decks. My recommendation would be to try to be near the most important frequented spot, eg for my family...it's Camp Carnival. This way I'm not traipsing through the whole ship to get there all the time. Sometimes it's worth spending a bit more for convenience. Call Carnival until you get a patient person and confirm your choices. Have a great cruise!