Family Veranda on Summit-should we switch

[dilacruiser]

Our family is taking a mediterranian cruise next summer. Originally we booked a Celebrity Suite for ourselves and our teenage son, and a 2C for our young adult daughters.

A family veranda has opened up - 8183. My question is this. How would that room be for 2 young ladies and a teenage boy? My husband and I would then take a CC room nearby. Is there enough closet space for the three of them? Will my son who is 6 feet tall be okay on the sofa sleeper?

We have these rooms on hold, so any input would be helpful.

Also, it is significantly less expensive.

[chessbriar]

The biggest thing you will have to keep in mind, your son will have to share one bathroom with his two sisters. Will that be a problem? Also keep in mind, if a family of 5 looks to book a FV cabin, they might get bumped. It could be to a smaller CC cabin or to a Sky Suite. It depends on what X decides to offer. You may no longer be close to their room.

 

I have thought about this as well. We did a similar thing with our cruise booked on the Connie Oct 2008. We decided to take the risk.

[dilacruiser]

Well, our TA made the switch instead of just holding the rooms. She called Celebrity, and they assured her that they cannot bump us once we have put down a down payment. I've seen other stories on this website, and I hope that doesn't happen, but it is too late now. If we switch back, the original room is now more expensive. I'm actually happier with this arrangement though, so I hope we don't get moved.

[3some]

Is there enough closet space for the three of them? Will my son who is 6 feet tall be okay on the sofa sleeper?

We have these rooms on hold, so any input would be helpful.

Also, it is significantly less expensive.

 

There is a ton of closet/drawer space in FV cabin. My 6 foot, 220 brother slept on the sofa sleeper with no problem. He also solved the bathroom problem by using the showers in the Spa after his morning workout.

[Davey Interweb]

Closet space will not be an issue, and a six-footer should be reasonably comfortable on the sofa sleeper. On our last cruise in a FV I took some photos of the beds in the living area - click for large:

 

 

[natesfirewife]

I was told when I called Celebrity yesterday that the minimum people you need to book a FV was 5. If you are putting the kids in there and then you're staying in a CC how are they letting you do that?

 

We booked the Celebrity Suite as well for our cruise 11/01/08 for the four of us. Although it does have a sofa sleeper, we are getting a roll away as well because I don't want to listen to them complaining that they have to sleep together. When we sail they'll be 12 & 14.

[mahdnc]

Our family is taking a mediterranian cruise next summer. Originally we booked a Celebrity Suite for ourselves and our teenage son, and a 2C for our young adult daughters.

A family veranda has opened up - 8183. My question is this. How would that room be for 2 young ladies and a teenage boy? My husband and I would then take a CC room nearby. Is there enough closet space for the three of them? Will my son who is 6 feet tall be okay on the sofa sleeper?

We have these rooms on hold, so any input would be helpful.

Also, it is significantly less expensive.

 

dilacruiser,

We are sailing in an FV (4 people) on your same Med cruise but one year earlier (Millennium 6/18/07). Based on the last FV we had aboard Infinity, I can assure you that you will have plenty of closet (and dresser) space which will come in handy for your 12 night cruise. You may want to see if you can get waitlisted for one of the FVs on the corner as they are slightly bigger and have an extra closet (still one bathroom though).

[chessbriar]

I was told when I called Celebrity yesterday that the minimum people you need to book a FV was 5. If you are putting the kids in there and then you're staying in a CC how are they letting you do that?

When the cabins aren't sold out and the cruise is drawing near, X will open them up to general booking. So anyone can grab them. That appears to be what happened here.

[phoenix_dream]

Our family is taking a mediterranian cruise next summer. Originally we booked a Celebrity Suite for ourselves and our teenage son, and a 2C for our young adult daughters.

A family veranda has opened up - 8183. My question is this. How would that room be for 2 young ladies and a teenage boy? My husband and I would then take a CC room nearby. Is there enough closet space for the three of them? Will my son who is 6 feet tall be okay on the sofa sleeper?

We have these rooms on hold, so any input would be helpful.

Also, it is significantly less expensive.

:) You are so lucky that this has opened up. These are the nicest rooms on the ship! We always have three adults in a regular outside cabin and manage to find room for the clothes - and the FVs have even more room. My son is 6 foot and he sleeps on the sofa sleeper in the regular outside and he manages with no problem. Can I be a mom for a minute and say that if he has to put up with a slightly less than perfect bed but gets a free cruise out of it, I think that's enough said.

[natesfirewife]

:) You are so lucky that this has opened up. These are the nicest rooms on the ship! We always have three adults in a regular outside cabin and manage to find room for the clothes - and the FVs have even more room. My son is 6 foot and he sleeps on the sofa sleeper in the regular outside and he manages with no problem. Can I be a mom for a minute and say that if he has to put up with a slightly less than perfect bed but gets a free cruise out of it, I think that's enough said.

 

Would you prefer that FV over a Celebrity Suite?

[Davey Interweb]

Would you prefer that FV over a Celebrity Suite?

 

Personally, I'd take a corner FV (preferably 7199 or 7202) over a CS without hesitation. I can do without the butler service and the other 'perks' of questionable value offered to those booked in a suite; I'd rather have the additional personal space and not have to head out to the public decks simply to get some air. For me, nothing beats having your own personal, private corner of the ship to catch some sun and maybe read a book. I admit that I do like the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CS, but I think I would feel more like I'm in a hotel room than on a ship.

 

On a side note, X won't be too stringent in enforcing the five-person rule when booking a FV if it's a relatively sleepy cruise. It's not difficult to snag one on repo cruises or during non-peak periods. Celebrity will typically offer these cabins to two people if they remain unbooked eight weeks prior to sail date.

[natesfirewife]

But aren't the CS's like twice the size of an FV?

[Davey Interweb]

In terms of total square footage, no. The corner FVs are roughly 600 sq. ft. including the balcony. Of course, the CS cabin is larger than the FV's cabin by nearly 200 sq. ft.

[natesfirewife]

I agree, but when we are talking about inside room the CS is so much larger and there is room for everyone to spread out. Oh and did I mention the two 40" Plasma Displays? LOL.

[mahdnc]

In terms of total square footage, no. The corner FVs are roughly 600 sq. ft. including the balcony. Of course, the CS cabin is larger than the FV's cabin by nearly 200 sq. ft.

 

I know that I am being unnecessarily picky, but the corner FV (8166) that we were in exceeded 600 sq ft in combined size. And if you add in the private hallway that is attached to the room, you are talking 675 sq ft!

[Davey Interweb]

I know that I am being unnecessarily picky, but the corner FV (8166) that we were in exceeded 600 sq ft in combined size. And if you add in the private hallway that is attached to the room, you are talking 675 sq ft!

 

Not picky; I was thinking the same thing and your calculations are pretty close. Having that hallway is great since you can securely store all of your luggage in there and it's out of your way.

 

I agree, but when we are talking about inside room the CS is so much larger and there is room for everyone to spread out. Oh and did I mention the two 40" Plasma Displays? LOL.

 

We were seated at a table of 8 for dinner and we had invited all of our tablemates to our cabin during our Panama Canal transit. Although the weather was scorching that morning/afternoon, no one wanted to leave our balcony. It had totally made the experience for us. I'm sure that those booked in the CS were on deck somewhere jockeying/fighting/arguing for a good spot amongst several hundred other sweltering passengers. Poor suckers :D

[natesfirewife]

Ok, but I don't see us "hanging out" in the hallway. :) Don't get me wrong, I love corner afts and would do it in a heartbeat on RCCL, I'm just not impressed with the layout of the cabin for the FV. I like the way everything flows in the CS and don't mind the missing balcony for this type of sailing.

[natesfirewife]

Not picky; I was thinking the same thing and your calculations are pretty close. Having that hallway is great since you can securely store all of your luggage in there and it's out of your way.

 

 

 

We were seated at a table of 8 for dinner and we had invited all of our tablemates to our cabin during our Panama Canal transit. Although the weather was scorching that morning/afternoon, no one wanted to leave our balcony. It had totally made the experience for us. I'm sure that those booked in the CS were on deck somewhere jockeying/fighting/arguing for a good spot amongst several hundred other sweltering passengers. Poor suckers :D

 

If we had a CS for that sailing, I would've had a party in our cabin as the rooms extend out from the side of the ship. :) Not to mention it has a nice sound system.

[jerseygirl3]

When the cabins aren't sold out and the cruise is drawing near, X will open them up to general booking. So anyone can grab them. That appears to be what happened here.

 

The OP mentioned that her cruise is not until next summer (2008). So how is it that they are allowing that, when the cruise is still over one year away?

[Drew B]

Having that hallway is great since you can securely store all of your luggage in there and it's out of your way.

 

 

That hallway isn't very wide. Wasn't it awkward having to maneuver around luggage every time you came or went? Wasn't it an inconvenience to the steward to have to get around it while lugging vacuum cleaners and such? No, thanks. I'd rather just put my luggage under the bed.

[Davey Interweb]

Hey, I like the CS too and I think one would be a great choice for, say, Alaska or any other cooler-climate sailings. There's so much going on during a Panama Canal transit, though, and I dunno if I'd want to have to press my face against a window (they don't jut out that much) just to see what's going on along the side of the ship. Want to take a lot of photos of the scenery without having to go up on deck? Not gonna happen in the CS. On the FV balcony, particularly 7199 and 7202, you have a 270 degree unobstructed view. Not even the penthouses below can boast this, and this probably has a lot to do with the demand for the corner FV's. Hell, if X didn't have that 5-person policy in place the Sky Suites would practically be rendered moot. The suite perks just wouldn't be worth it.

 

The OP mentioned that her cruise is not until next summer (2008). So how is it that they are allowing that, when the cruise is still over one year away?

 

My math skills are admittedly questionable, but my count from that post is two adults and three kids. Again, X will always try to get five people in these cabins but they're forced to be flexible with this policy depending on the itinerary. Case in point; four or five FVs went unsold on our cruise and were basically used as upgrades for the bingo winners. A CS was given away as an upgrade, too.

[Davey Interweb]

That hallway isn't very wide. Wasn't it awkward having to maneuver around luggage every time you came or went? Wasn't it an inconvenience to the steward to have to get around it while lugging vacuum cleaners and such? No, thanks. I'd rather just put my luggage under the bed.

 

Not awkward at all. There's a recessed area beside the door where we were able to stack our suitcases without them being in the way at all.

 

 

[mahdnc]

Yes, the layout of the CS is much better because the FV is essentially a long and narrow cabin. The hallway is useful for storing some items like luggage or strollers if you are bringing young ones--but you definitely are not going to hang out there! http://www.cruisemates.com/gallery/image.php?id=7583

 

We always book early and have booked FVs for 4 people in the cabin on 3 different occasions 13-19 months in advance.

[Drew B]

I tried to store my luggage there, but I had a hard time. Perhaps my suitcase is just too darn big!

[natesfirewife]

I could see how large suitcases would be a problem, lol. Looking at the picture I didn't see any doors to hide the luggage. I would hate to have to look at it every time I walked by.