Mini Suite with 4 people

[bielikov]

When traveling with 4 people in mini suite (Ruby Princess) does the drop down bed remain down during the whole cruise or is it stowed on a daily basis?  I assume the sofa bed is turned back into a sofa every morning?

[john watson]

I believe the steward standard procedure is stowing the beds in the morning and brings them out in the evening every day.

 

Regards John

Edited August 20, 2022 by john watson

[Essiesmom]

The steward will do whatever you request.  EM

[ghgeckos]

The mini suite is fine for two adults and 2 kids, but I would get separate cabins if it was 4 adults.

[john watson]

Just now, ghgeckos said:

The mini suite is fine for two adults and 2 kids, but I would get separate cabins if it was 4 adults.

 

I agree with you, but if people are on a very tight budget I would look at making sure the mini-suite was fairly close to a public toilet facility as people hog the bathroom at key times.

 

Regards John

[NavyVeteran]

2 minutes ago, ghgeckos said:

The mini suite is fine for two adults and 2 kids, but I would get separate cabins if it was 4 adults.

Normally, it is better to get separate cabins - a mini-suite or balcony for two and an inside across the hall for the other two. You all share the balcony during the day, and Passenger Services can set all of your medallions to open both rooms if you like. It's sometimes less expensive or not much more expensive to book the two cabins - make sure to compare prices.

 

However, during the children sail free promotion where the third and fourth passengers in a cabin are free, the economics are much different. If you are using this promotion, then you are saving a lot by booking a single cabin.

 

I agree with the comment about looking for public toilets close by. This may be useful even with only two in the cabin.

[cr8tiv1]

43 minutes ago, bielikov said:

When traveling with 4 people in mini suite (Ruby Princess) does the drop down bed remain down during the whole cruise or is it stowed on a daily basis?  I assume the sofa bed is turned back into a sofa every morning?

 

How old are passengers 3 and 4?  Young enough to place both on the sleeper sofa or bunk bed?  Teenagers, adults, combinations of all of the above?  I, personally, would have issues placing 2 small children in an interior across the hall from me.  

 

And please, do not leave the balcony door open at any time.  It does affect the AC for everyone in that section of the ship.  It creates quite a wind tunnel when. you open the cabin door.  It is dangerous if you have little ones.

 

Add me to finding a location near public restrooms.

[antsp]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

How old are passengers 3 and 4?  Young enough to place both on the sleeper sofa or bunk bed?  Teenagers, adults, combinations of all of the above?  I, personally, would have issues placing 2 small children in an interior across the hall from me.  

 

And please, do not leave the balcony door open at any time.  It does affect the AC for everyone in that section of the ship.  It creates quite a wind tunnel when. you open the cabin door.  It is dangerous if you have little ones.

 

Add me to finding a location near public restrooms.

On the newer ships the ac turns off when you open the balcony door so it makes no difference 

[njkate]

16 hours ago, bielikov said:

When traveling with 4 people in mini suite (Ruby Princess) does the drop down bed remain down during the whole cruise or is it stowed on a daily basis?  I assume the sofa bed is turned back into a sofa every morning?

Not Princess but I just sailed with 3 adults and one 7 year old on NCL Bliss, yes economics and the high cost of cruising came into play. We asked our cabin steward to just leave the bunk down and he did, it didn’t interfere with sitting on sofa during the day. 

[skynight]

17 hours ago, bielikov said:

When traveling with 4 people in mini suite (Ruby Princess) does the drop down bed remain down during the whole cruise or is it stowed on a daily basis?  I assume the sofa bed is turned back into a sofa every morning?

Normal is for the upper berth and the sofa to be made up and stored during the day, providing they are empty and not littered. The are set up during the evening turn down.  If in use for late sleepers, or if all kinds of items and clothing are thrown or stored on these beds the cabin steward may not be able to service these beds and they may remain as they are.

Access to the balcony is very difficult when beds are in use.

[capriccio]

10 hours ago, antsp said:

On the newer ships the ac turns off when you open the balcony door so it makes no difference 

Not on the Enchanted in mid-March!  In the past we've had connecting cabins on Grand class ships but never on Royal class. 

 

On the Enchanted we had a connecting door in our cabin and while we never heard the TV or voices, we definitely heard the wind tunnel the first night.  In fact we opened our connecting door to determine what the sound was and I guess the occupants in the other cabin heard us talking even before we could call them or the front desk.  We hadn't quite decided what to do before the 'storm' stopped and it was never a problem on the next 9 days.

[bielikov]

We did book the room for 4 during the kids sail free promotion. We will be sailing with older teenagers and expect to be a little cramped. Great idea about scouting out nearby public bathroom. It just so happens there is one quite close. 

[Essiesmom]

It has also been suggested to investigate the showers in the gym/spa area.  EM

[h-sar]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

It has also been suggested to investigate the showers in the gym/spa area.  EM

When our kids were younger, we often did 4 to a cabin. It was very helpful that DH liked early AM workouts and then would use the gym showers (which were much bigger than the cabin ones) and bathroom up there to get ready for the day. And the price was right 😄.
Once I discovered the bliss of the Enclave and started getting week long passes, I would go for an early morning hydro pool visit and then would get ready down there. And those showers are even bigger than the ones in the gym! Going as soon as the Enclave opened meant I usually had the place to myself. 

Edited August 22, 2022 by h-sar

[h-sar]

6 hours ago, bielikov said:

We did book the room for 4 during the kids sail free promotion. We will be sailing with older teenagers and expect to be a little cramped. Great idea about scouting out nearby public bathroom. It just so happens there is one quite close. 

Not to worry. It may be cramped at times, but will work out just fine. We did it a few times, even up to when the kids were about 17 and 19 - in a deluxe balcony and even an inside. We all came through it unscathed and with some great memories. Yup, would’ve been nice to have been able to afford two cabins each time we cruised, but, honestly, I wouldn’t go back and trade those memories for any amount of extra space, especially now that the kids are 23/25 and off on their own.  No other vacation comes close to bringing us as close together (figuratively and literally) as those ones did.
 

If your kids are like most teens, mom and dad will be ready and out of the cabin well before they get up. Getting ready for dinner is where you might have to juggle things, but maybe kids stay out on deck or on balcony while you two get ready a bit early, then you go for a pre dinner drink or stroll and they get ready. It will be just fine. The ones who are horrified at the thought of 4 in a cabin generally come from a life of suburbia and haven’t seen how 80% of the world actually (happily) exists 😁.

Edited August 22, 2022 by h-sar

[cr8tiv1]

It's been a while since I needed my privacy curtains....but easy to pack and "install".  I either put it up next to the closet or in the hallway.  You could also use it in the mini between the bed and sofa (but will make the cabin darker.

 

Needed:

Magnetic hooks (at least 6)

A cloth shower curtain (preferably heavy/no see through)

1 short bungee cords

 

Hang hooks from ceiling.  Attach shower curtain using ring holes

Attach bungee cord to magnet on wall.  

"Open" curtain and secure with bungee cord.

 

This will give you a privacy room. A place the "teenagers" can play their computer games.  A reading nook.  A dressing room.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by cr8tiv1