Family of 5 on Breakaway - OV or Suite?

[speedster]

Hi fellow cruisers..

 

We have done many cruises on Carnival, Princess, and Disney, and are now looking into the Oct. 18 Breakaway from NY, our first NCL tirp. Because we're now a family of 5, booking isn't as easy any more! Our options on this ship are the family OV rooms, 2 connecting balcony rooms, or the Haven Family Suite. With children ages 8,5, and almost 2, what would be your preference?

 

I'm kind of leaning towards the suite just to spoil ourselves since we've never done a suite (and so I can say I had a butler for a week!), but the practical side of me is leaning towards the 2 cabins, thinking we'd be way too crammed in the OV. In terms of price, the OV is roughly $3600, the 2 cabins would be ~$6000, and the suite around $7500..

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

Tom

[asdjl]

We had 2 connecting balconies for 4 people on the GA last year. I loved having 2 cabins, it meant 2 bathrooms, and 2 tvs, 2 balconies, etc.

 

Now, this was before the sf promo, but a suite was still way more than 2 cabins, and I didn't see how the suite we would get would be that much better than one regular cabin. But I also did not care about the butler or concierge, etc. So my vote is 2 connecting cabins! :)

 

I am sure it will be great either way! :) Have a great cruise

[constance4784]

Did you look into the Family Mini Suite?

[bambione]

With the connecting rooms can you leave the door open between the rooms at night?

Myself, I'd probably go with the Family OV to save money. I've been in those OV rooms and they are roomy enough since your kids are smaller. There is a curtain that you could pull between the bed and the make up couches, which would help with naptime for the smaller one.

I think it all comes down to money. If you can swing the two connecting rooms I would probably go with that option, a little more privacy and room to spread out. Plus during naptime you can relax on the balcony.

[Bluefox]

We just splurged on the 2 bedroom suite. We the current freestyle choice promo- if you're in a suite- you get all of the options! I couldn't pass that up. Plus I wanted a bathtub where I could stare at the water :)

[speedster]

Did you look into the Family Mini Suite?

 

Yes, it only accommodates up to 4.

[bangzoom6877]

My vote is for 2 connecting cabins. I am more interested in having two bathrooms, having privacy from my sons when getting dressed, and because we stay up later than the kids, being able to watch tv late at night without disturbing them...then we open the door between the two cabins and leave it open while we sleep. This is the only way we cruise now. It also allows you more storage space. And the price difference between two connecting cabins and one suite is a big difference, but it's also out of our price range.

 

There are inside, OV and balcony connecting cabins on the Breakaway. You would have to decide which type of cabin you prefer, and of course what is in your price range. DH and I always ask our TA for the lowest price connecting cabins mid-ship. On the Jewel in 2011, that meant 2 connecting OV cabins on the lowest passenger deck. After that we decided that's the only way to cruise for us! On the Carnival Splendor in 2013, we had 2 connecting inside cabins. And this July on BA we will have 2 connecting inside cabins.

 

My sister has a family of 5 and they're also doing 2 connecting inside cabins. She considered doing 2 connecting balcony cabins, but there was a very big price difference and out of her price range. Suites were way too expensive.

[nyc12345]

Hi fellow cruisers..

 

We have done many cruises on Carnival, Princess, and Disney, and are now looking into the Oct. 18 Breakaway from NY, our first NCL tirp. Because we're now a family of 5, booking isn't as easy any more! Our options on this ship are the family OV rooms, 2 connecting balcony rooms, or the Haven Family Suite. With children ages 8,5, and almost 2, what would be your preference?

 

I'm kind of leaning towards the suite just to spoil ourselves since we've never done a suite (and so I can say I had a butler for a week!), but the practical side of me is leaning towards the 2 cabins, thinking we'd be way too crammed in the OV. In terms of price, the OV is roughly $3600, the 2 cabins would be ~$6000, and the suite around $7500..

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

Tom

 

If you can afford it, I would go for the suite. Your prices seem a bit high, are you including the insurance?

 

Find a TA that would give you something for booking through them. I get around 10% in OBC from mine. Every little bit helps. :D Good luck!

[speedster]

If you can afford it, I would go for the suite. Your prices seem a bit high, are you including the insurance?

 

Find a TA that would give you something for booking through them. I get around 10% in OBC from mine. Every little bit helps. :D Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the feedback! As for the price, I should have mentioned that it's CAN.. so yeah, about 20% more than what you'd see on US prices. Not the best time to travel for us Canucks!

 

Lots of great suggestions, and I think that if we go this route, the connecting balcony is the best option. Need to have the balcony while the kids are napping!!

[jusstice]

late to this discussion, but the Family OV is huge. With small kids it should really not be too much of an issue (minus the balcony & the extra bathroom).

 

We usually do balcony, but hubby wants the family OV next time we go with the kid.

[mpcaruth]

This is just frugal me, but there is no way I could justify paying $7500 just for the cruise (you will then have to add travel, excursions, and spending money). You could take at least two cruises for that price.

 

If the kids were older, I would consider an interior cabin across the hall for the kids and an OV or BL for the parents. But since they are young, you will definitely want the cabin connecting. Are there OV categories with connecting cabins? If so, then that is what I would recommend.

[vince_g]

Tom,

 

Both are great options and each has its own advantages. Both would give you the space you need. It's so difficult to put a price on the perks to justify the extra $1,500. We cruised the BA in an aft penthouse last November, but I splurged because it was our 10th anniversary and both recently celebrated birthdays.

 

It was nice having the private restaurant, courtyard and sundeck, especially on sea days. Twice we had butler serve up breakfast on our balcony. I don't believe the family suite balcony would be large enough for dining for 5 though. We used the concierge to book Cirque Dreams for us, and lend us a couple DVDs. Not having been located right in the Haven, it was much easier for us to book our own specialty dining through the TV. You probably would get more use of the concierge, being right there.

 

We loved having a 2 room cabin and huge balcony. That made our experience much more special. While we did enjoy the suite perks, we thought the best one was priority disembarkation. After a nice breakfast in the haven restaurant, Anoop put us on a private elevator down to deck 7. No crowds, no lines, no BS. That perk really felt like a PERK!

 

Whichever way you go, you'll have a great week. We will be sailing out of NYC 2 days after you, on the Gem. We just booked a plain ole balcony room this time, but I'm still excited as hell. Counting the days!

[bangzoom6877]

Tom,

 

Both are great options and each has its own advantages. Both would give you the space you need. It's so difficult to put a price on the perks to justify the extra $1,500. We cruised the BA in an aft penthouse last November, but I splurged because it was our 10th anniversary and both recently celebrated birthdays.

 

It was nice having the private restaurant, courtyard and sundeck, especially on sea days. Twice we had butler serve up breakfast on our balcony. I don't believe the family suite balcony would be large enough for dining for 5 though. We used the concierge to book Cirque Dreams for us, and lend us a couple DVDs. Not having been located right in the Haven, it was much easier for us to book our own specialty dining through the TV. You probably would get more use of the concierge, being right there.

 

We loved having a 2 room cabin and huge balcony. That made our experience much more special. While we did enjoy the suite perks, we thought the best one was priority disembarkation. After a nice breakfast in the haven restaurant, Anoop put us on a private elevator down to deck 7. No crowds, no lines, no BS. That perk really felt like a PERK!

 

Whichever way you go, you'll have a great week. We will be sailing out of NYC 2 days after you, on the Gem. We just booked a plain ole balcony room this time, but I'm still excited as hell. Counting the days!

 

I'm excited no matter which cabin I book! Honestly, even though this July DH and I are going to have two connecting cabins with the kids for the third time, if it was a toss up between one inside cabin for the 4 of us and not cruising at all, we would take the one cabin and have a blast! :)

[kchiumento]

Go with the Haven suite. It's only $1500 more. You get 2 bedrooms and the balcony. It's really 3 rooms. The main room where the TV and couch are, the main bedroom with King bed and and master bath. Then the smaller bedroom with separate bath. We travel with 3 kids too. And we choose to not cruise as often so we can all have the same stateroom in the Haven. You will NOY regret it. The Butler will bring snacks for the kids, movies from the DVD collection on board. Our butler even stocked our fridge with milk and juice for the kids. When the kids went to bed we had drinks on the balcony and it was AWESOME--- and I can't forget the oversized shower that is in the master with a lock on the door [emoji6]

[Merriem]

We are booked in the Haven 2 bedroom. I love the concept of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. I think the space would be perfect, and the kids would probably love the 2 nd bedroom. We are taking our adult son and teenage grandaughter. Know you will have a great time.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Merriem

[Mom to 2]

Did you call NCL directly and get a price in Canadian dollars? They have a pretty good exchange rate. We were quite surprised.

[niclan6]

We are a family of 6 so 2 cabins are a usually must for us. We stayed in the Haven 2 bedroom on the Epic last December and absolutely loved it! The service is outstanding. It's so nice to have your own pool area, restaurant etc. We are going on GA next Jan and were hoping to do Haven again, but the price difference with exchange (we are also Canadian) was just a bit too much! We are travelling with another family (they are a fam of 5) and we have 3 Fam OV between us. Our kids are a bit older though. If you can swing it I would consider the Haven! You so will not regret it. Keep in mind that you will receive all of the promotional offers.

[gwsster]

We just splurged on the 2 bedroom suite. We the current freestyle choice promo- if you're in a suite- you get all of the options! I couldn't pass that up. Plus I wanted a bathtub where I could stare at the water :)

 

We have been in the 2 bedroom suite on the Jade and booked it again for September of 2016. The BATHTUB is amazing! The TV set over the tub is awesome but didn't use it, I preferred watching the ocean out the window.

Now I will warn you, while in port we were facing the ocean side no worries about "lookyloo's" I thought about getting into the tub before sailing.....Along comes the window washer on the outside of the ship on a dolly. So if you hear noises outside...check for the window washer! I bet he has stories he could tell.:eek:

[Casino Comp Chick]

Try pricing out the H6-BD combo, best of both worlds. Haven access for all, all 4 perks in H6, 1 perk in BD. (kids can be booked by themselves in the BD so adults in H6 get UBP). 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and huge AFT balcony and 1 small balcony. Rooms are connecting.

[klepton]

I recently went through the same question for a BA cruise next year. There are only 4 of us, but we like our space and we all have a better time if we aren't' crammed into one room. Ultimately I chose to go with a suite (H6) over connecting balconies, and the prices were nearly identical to yours.

 

1) Factor in all the promo benefits to your price. Assuming you'll use each, and getting all 4 being in a suite, can really narrow the gap between the two options. In my case I got $300 OBC, UDP, and free gratuities (I would have chosen UBP regardless in the balcony), so that was roughly $550 in extra value I was getting.

2) The suite will have a bathtub, much easier for giving our 2yo a bath

3) In our case, *much* bigger balcony. In your case no so much when you compare the family suite to two connected balconies.

4) Concierge/Butler service, and all the other suite perks put it over the top for us. We love dining in our room, especially for breakfast before port days.

 

IMHO - these SF promos are the best times to book suites for your family. I did the same on RCCL last year when they ran a KSF promo, and didn't regret it.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[speedster]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions and replies. I had actually forgotten about starting the thread because we've been going back & forth between cruise vs. all-inclusive, and was almost about to book an all-inclusive when we decided to finally book this cruise. In the end, the connecting family balcony won! With the promos, it came to be only a little more than the OV, but still a good chunk less than the Haven would have been (although I will keep dreaming about that one!)

 

Thanks again!!