4 people to a room on Ruby princess

[Amandainsweden]

I’m trying to book 2 adults and 2 kids on the ruby Princess in an inside stateroom. When I click through it shows 1 twin bed. 
 

that can’t be right….?

 

any tips for booking with 4 to a room?

we are going for the cheapest room available on the Oct 22 Panama Canal….

Edited March 17, 2023 by Amandainsweden

[Steelers36]

3 minutes ago, Amandainsweden said:

I’m trying to book 2 adults and 2 kids on the ruby Princess in an inside stateroom. When I click through it shows 1 twin bed. 
 

that can’t be right….?

 

any tips for booking with 4 to a room?

we are going for the cheapest room available on the Oct 22 Panama Canal….

It is correct.  They split the lower berths as the upper berths are often right above, so it becomes quite awkward if you try to maintain a combined lower queen, plus the upper bunks.

 

If you can swing it, try booking two cabins - Mom + Kiddo 1 and Dad + Kiddo2.  On board, put Kiddo1 & Kiddo2 in one cabin and M&D in the other.

[Amandainsweden]

Is that a lot pricier?

[Mike45LC]

2 minutes ago, Amandainsweden said:

Is that a lot pricier?

Not Princess, but I just priced out a Carnival cruise for a relative.  Four in one interior cabin, fare was $2,500.  Two interior cabins, double occupancy, was $2,700, so only $200 more.

 

You need to p rice out your cruise using both scenarios.

 

[Amandainsweden]

Oh that is an excellent idea- going to look into it THANK YOU!

[Essiesmom]

This is what an inside for four looks like on Ruby.  When the bunks come down, part of it will be over the bed and after stooping to get by you will have to maneuver around the ladder off the foot of the bunk.  And when the bunks are stowed, you will bruise your shoulder going by it.  Better to split the Queen into twins.  Pic pinched from cruisedeckplans.  EM

[startedwithamouse]

Book two rooms, it's usually not much more money. 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

Book two rooms, it's usually not much more money. 

 

Unless they are booking on kids go free.  

How old are the "kids"?

 

I've never traveled with kids, but would have great hesitations if the two kids were under 5 in a separate cabin.  If you book 2 cabins....make sure you are marked no upgrade.

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

This is what an inside for four looks like on Ruby.  When the bunks come down, part of it will be over the bed and after stooping to get by you will have to maneuver around the ladder off the foot of the bunk.  And when the bunks are stowed, you will bruise your shoulder going by it.  Better to split the Queen into twins.  Pic pinched from cruisedeckplans.  EM

 

You are incorrect. The queen will be split into two twins. This is a quad cabin, but this picture the top berths would never be lowered with queen as this is shown. 

[startedwithamouse]

53 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Unless they are booking on kids go free.  

How old are the "kids"?

 

I've never traveled with kids, but would have great hesitations if the two kids were under 5 in a separate cabin.  If you book 2 cabins....make sure you are marked no upgrade.

Mom goes with one kid, dad with another. 

[Amandainsweden]

Another question- are kids staying as the 3rd and 4th guest in a stateroom really the same price as the adults? Is there any way they can pike be cheaper?

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, Amandainsweden said:

Another question- are kids staying as the 3rd and 4th guest in a stateroom really the same price as the adults? Is there any way they can pike be cheaper?

I’ve always wondered why children are charged full fare on a cruise.  On occasion, there are promotions that third and fourth passengers are free.   But that would not help in booking 2 cabins.  (They get a slight break in Specialty dining.)

 

Let us know what you finally decide on….everyone is always interested in outcomes.  
 

 

[SAKay]

@startedwithamouse  I’m sorry but you are incorrect. We had this exact setup in Dec on the Caribbean princess. 2 adults, 2 children with queen bed in the middle & two upper births. The cabin steward put the upper berths up & down each day. So it is possible for anyone who wants it this way. It wasn’t really that inconvenient. 

[Coral]

4 hours ago, SAKay said:

@startedwithamouse  I’m sorry but you are incorrect. We had this exact setup in Dec on the Caribbean princess. 2 adults, 2 children with queen bed in the middle & two upper births. The cabin steward put the upper berths up & down each day. So it is possible for anyone who wants it this way. It wasn’t really that inconvenient. 

Often they have you sign a waiver if you keep the bottom beds as queen. And some room stewards won't do it. It is pretty inconsistent.

 

I would book a minisuite if there are 4 in the cabin. Or book 2 cabins.

[startedwithamouse]

7 hours ago, SAKay said:

I’m sorry but you are incorrect. We had this exact setup in Dec on the Caribbean princess. 2 adults, 2 children with queen bed in the middle & two upper births. The cabin steward put the upper berths up & down each day. So it is possible for anyone who wants it this way. It wasn’t really that inconvenient. 

 

I'm afraid you are incorrect.

 

We asked and were told on two separate ships it couldn't be done because it is unsafe for both the guests and cabin attendant.  It also says on bookings the quad cabins beds all have to remain twins.  

 

You'll notice Queen is not an option when choosing bed configuration and they are not convertible. This is for 4 people in a stateroom.

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[startedwithamouse]

9 hours ago, Amandainsweden said:

Another question- are kids staying as the 3rd and 4th guest in a stateroom really the same price as the adults? Is there any way they can pike be cheaper?

A lot of times guests 3 and 4 are slightly less expensive. 

[Essiesmom]

There is no fare differential for children.  They are all guests occupying a seat in a lifeboat.  Often you will see a reduced rate for the 3/4 person, but it applies to anyone who is the 3/4 person.  EM

[sammyjoanne]

17 hours ago, Amandainsweden said:

I’m trying to book 2 adults and 2 kids on the ruby Princess in an inside stateroom. When I click through it shows 1 twin bed. 
 

that can’t be right….?

 

any tips for booking with 4 to a room?

we are going for the cheapest room available on the Oct 22 Panama Canal….

its definitely worth seeing if theres any photos of inside staterooms for 4 people. someones posted a picture of inside room for 4 on the ruby on this website if it helps https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/ruby-princess-cabins/

[jeromep]

16 hours ago, Coral said:

I would book a minisuite if there are 4 in the cabin.

That would be my stance also.  You can cut your nose off in spite of your face by trying to get a "deal", and then have 5, 7, 10 days or whatever having to hop around each other in a cabin.  And if you think you'll get a respite from your family by taking a long bath or shower in the bathroom, think again.  Regular balcony cabins and down have very small bathrooms and that horrible shower curtain that sticks to you.  The shower in my motorhome is a glass walled neoangle shower and it is roomier and more comfortable than Princess' regular cabin showers.

 

That said, I looked up your sailing.  It's 15 days... with 4 people in an inside cabin!  Sure two are small people, I don't know how small, but they are also probably very active people, they may also have nap times, and may not be able to last a whole active day.  So that means at least one parent is stuck back in the cabin with child care duty, and the other can be out, maybe with the older kid or who knows.  The point is there isn't much to look at in an inside cabin except for TV, and on board TV entertainment can be limited.

 

There are those out there that will say, "oh you are never in your cabin, so you don't need to have a window/balcony/mini-suite/suite."  I've never found that to be the case.  A good cabin, is a place you can escape to when you no longer want to hang out on the Lido with everyone else, or sit in a chair at Crooners having forced conversation with a retired proctologist and his half-retired real estate agent, trophy wife while listening to a good piano player, sing a not so good version of "Piano Man".

 

We were on the Ruby many years ago, had an aft suite with a balcony.  The seas headed to Princess Cays were kind of rough and I didn't have my sea legs yet.  So, I sat out on a lounger on the balcony and cracked open a low priced domestic beer that just happened to be in my mini-fridge and nursed it for a couple of hours while I listened to the prop wash and let the sun warm my feet.  You won't be able to do that in an inside cabin.

[arizonaperson]

@Amandainsweden

yes of course you can book 4 people in an inside cabin. More than likely two beds will lower down from the wall and the size of those are twins and the beds that are on the floor/ground -those will probably be two twin beds and maybe they can be pushed together, Time will tell on that.

for all the rest of you -she pretty much said that she wants to book one cabin and it’s going to be on the Panama Canal cruise, and she wants the cheapest cabin for  4  people. So for all those people that say Book a balcony, book two rooms ,it’s not your money.

of course helpful suggestions is what this forum should be all about. But so far we don’t know if the OP wants to split up her family and get 2 cabins, we don’t know how old the children are, etc. etc. so…
I’m  pretty sure the OP was asking about the one twin bed situation when trying to book .I think she was trying to figure out how one twin bed in a room could hold four people??

and of course a good travel agent could answer all these questions that the OP has but sometimes you just get online and start booking and then you have questions and so you go to cruise critic And maybe she got busy and forgot all about that she posted this information on Cruise critic ,who knows?

seems like she just wanted tips on how to book 4 people in one cabin( inside only) for the least amount of $.

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by arizonaperson

[cr8tiv1]

 

1 hour ago, arizonaperson said:

And maybe she got busy and forgot all about that she posted this information on Cruise critic ,who knows?

 

 @Amandainsweden has started 3 threads for this one question.  She last reacted to a post yesterday.  Posters are giving her generic answers since "we" don't know the age of the kids.  We don't know if there are third and fourth passengers for free promotions.  Her concern for safety with kids in upper bunks....parents can sleep in bunks, kids sleep in twins.  

 

My best suggestion is to find a good travel agent and work with them rather than get random posts on three threads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Amandainsweden]

23 hours ago, jeromep said:

That would be my stance also.  You can cut your nose off in spite of your face by trying to get a "deal", and then have 5, 7, 10 days or whatever having to hop around each other in a cabin.  And if you think you'll get a respite from your family by taking a long bath or shower in the bathroom, think again.  Regular balcony cabins and down have very small bathrooms and that horrible shower curtain that sticks to you.  The shower in my motorhome is a glass walled neoangle shower and it is roomier and more comfortable than Princess' regular cabin showers.

 

That said, I looked up your sailing.  It's 15 days... with 4 people in an inside cabin!  Sure two are small people, I don't know how small, but they are also probably very active people, they may also have nap times, and may not be able to last a whole active day.  So that means at least one parent is stuck back in the cabin with child care duty, and the other can be out, maybe with the older kid or who knows.  The point is there isn't much to look at in an inside cabin except for TV, and on board TV entertainment can be limited.

 

There are those out there that will say, "oh you are never in your cabin, so you don't need to have a window/balcony/mini-suite/suite."  I've never found that to be the case.  A good cabin, is a place you can escape to when you no longer want to hang out on the Lido with everyone else, or sit in a chair at Crooners having forced conversation with a retired proctologist and his half-retired real estate agent, trophy wife while listening to a good piano player, sing a not so good version of "Piano Man".

 

We were on the Ruby many years ago, had an aft suite with a balcony.  The seas headed to Princess Cays were kind of rough and I didn't have my sea legs yet.  So, I sat out on a lounger on the balcony and cracked open a low priced domestic beer that just happened to be in my mini-fridge and nursed it for a couple of hours while I listened to the prop wash and let the sun warm my feet.  You won't be able to do that in an inside cabin.

I love the detailed picture you painted here lol.

 

that’s also a very good point. I’ll see what the budget can swing!

[Amandainsweden]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

 

 @Amandainsweden has started 3 threads for this one question.  She last reacted to a post yesterday.  Posters are giving her generic answers since "we" don't know the age of the kids.  We don't know if there are third and fourth passengers for free promotions.  Her concern for safety with kids in upper bunks....parents can sleep in bunks, kids sleep in twins.  

 

My best suggestion is to find a good travel agent and work with them rather than get random posts on three threads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m on vacation with spotty wifi!

 

I just needed a starting point for all this. If a travel agent is more expensive I didn’t even want to bother. Turns out they’re the same price so I’ll ask some questions and book with someone local to help them out 🙂

 

 

kids are 6/7 and it does sound like splitting it up is the best way to go. Thanks for all the help 🙂

[cr8tiv1]

23 minutes ago, Amandainsweden said:

I’m on vacation with spotty wifi!

 

I just needed a starting point for all this. If a travel agent is more expensive I didn’t even want to bother. Turns out they’re the same price so I’ll ask some questions and book with someone local to help them out 🙂

 

 

kids are 6/7 and it does sound like splitting it up is the best way to go. Thanks for all the help 🙂

 

Thank you for getting back to us.  Maybe you can ask the moderators to merge your threads to keep everything under one (so you can have all of your answers in a central location).

 

I see that you are from outside the US. Hope you can find a good Travel Agent.  Most US TA's don't charge a fee for their help.  A good one will find the best deal for you.  

 

Now that we know what ages the kids are, you might get more specific answers.  For instance, if you are looking for interior cabins, maybe find one close to the kids clubs.

 

Ask your TA if Princess is running any specials.  Sometimes they have 3rd/4th passenger sail at a reduced rate or free.  Then you could bump up to a mini-suite and keep you all together.

 

Consider if the beverage package is really worth 4 passengers?  You might be better off doing ala carte.

 

You can bring on soda and water if they are in cans. You can bring on wine.

 

Is this a partial Panama Canal or full transit voyage (10 day or 15 day?). Are your travel days flexible?  

 

So much to consider.  Hope you are having "fun" rather than being frustrated by the process.  Always good to have some information in your tool box.

[jeromep]

18 hours ago, Amandainsweden said:

I’m on vacation with spotty wifi!

 

I just needed a starting point for all this. If a travel agent is more expensive I didn’t even want to bother. Turns out they’re the same price so I’ll ask some questions and book with someone local to help them out 🙂

 

 

kids are 6/7 and it does sound like splitting it up is the best way to go. Thanks for all the help 🙂

A travel agent should not be more expensive.  I used to direct book with cruise lines, but not anymore.  Frankly, Princess' telephone support has become very poor post the disease that shall not be mentioned.  I've only found responsive travel booking support for cruises by going through an independent travel agent.  Travel agents make a commission based upon the sales they make.  Generally speaking, a cruise you purchase direct from a cruise line should be the same price as what a TA will offer you and should include any "specials" that the cruise line is running at the time you book.  The cruise line benefits when you book direct from them because they "keep" the commission.  On the other hand, when you book with a TA, they get the commission, but they get the commission because they are your point of contact for all cruise booking issues prior to boarding, they are doing the work for the cruise line.  So the cruise line makes more money per cruise if you book direct with them, however I just don't think you get the after sale support from the cruise line that you do from a TA.  Since you are not a U.S. based customer, while it should be possible to book direct, I think you would significantly benefit from booking with a local TA who can guide you through the flights, travel documents, hotel stays pre and post cruise, maybe booking excursions outside of the cruise line, etc.  Plus, your travel agent should be "on call" when you are on your cruise as a point of contact if you have any needs.

 

A TA can also more easily navigate special cabin bookings than you can yourself.  Travel agents have access to pools of cabins which are held back from the general public that book through the web site.  Cabin availability is highly dynamic, similar to the dynamic nature of hotel room booking and pricing and flight booking and pricing.    They can easily find adjoining cabins, if you book two.  The doorway between adjoining cabins is ideal for the situation you may end up in, booking two cabins for your family of four, making it easy to move between the two and for all of your household members to share the resources of both cabins.  However, your booking will be one adult and one child per cabin, which means that both children cost the full adult fare for the room, as if they were a 2nd adult, not a 3rd or 4th berth supplement.  Once on board it doesn't matter how you use the cabins, but the official assignment will be an adult and child per cabin.

 

So your kids are a great age to start cruising.  The kids clubs on board will be ideal for them, if they are so inclined to be involved in structured activities.  Princess keys their on board kids club activities to your itinerary, so there will be a lot of enrichment related to the Panama Canal and the ports you are calling at.

 

You'll never really know how much this vacation is going to cost until you start talking with a TA.  I don't cruise a lot, I cruise when it fits our family schedule (between school breaks and limited vacation time) and we we can find the accommodation we like on an itinerary we like.  We save our pennies to afford the accommodations that fit our travel style, and that tends to be more high market than bargain basement.  Be careful how low you go in price, you'll feel it the most when you are thousands of miles away from home and really needed that extra perk or the extra room to make the difference between just being away and actually having a vacation.