RCL Family Suites/Staterooms

[20165]

So, in order to reserve the Family Suites on RCL, you have to have 6+ people in your cabin or at least pay for 6+ people. Thats what they told me when I called over the weekend, but does anyone know the trick to booking the Family Stateroom? I asked the RCL rep if it worked the same way as the family suite and he said no, you only need 4 people, but i havent found a cruise yet on freedom of the seas that has the family stateroom available. Any ideas how I can get the Family Stateroom or has anyone had it in the past and can give me some pointers??

 

Thanks

[boulders]

There are 4 types of staterooms or suites on Freedom of the Seas with the name "Family" in them. There is Presidential Family Suite, Royal Family Suite, Family Oceanview Stateroom and Family Inside Stateroom.

 

None of these are likely to show up online as you do need the minimum number of passengers to book these. Calling RCCL is probably the best way to book one.

 

If you are traveling during a popular time (when school is out) less than a year out, it's possible that they are all booked for when you want to travel. They may show up around the time the final payment is due when people cancel, but you would still have to call RCCL on a regular basis to snag one.

 

Also, if you can travel during off-season, they may release one of the family suites or staterooms so that they can be booked by fewer people. There were a couple of posts recently from people who had booked a Family Suite with only 2 people. I've also seen them come up when I'm looking for off-season for just 1 person. But, as I said, if you are looking to travel during summer, winter or spring break, Christmas or New Year's, it's possible that they are all booked for that ship until the next batch of sailings is released next spring.

 

If I had my heart set on a particular type of stateroom on one of the Freedom class ships, I would book it as soon as RCCL published the itineraries, which is usually around March/April of the preceding year.

[20165]

Thank you. I don’t mind paying for 6+ people for a family stateroom, but the family suite came out to be over $10k which is a little pricy given there are only 4 of us so I think we are just going to stick with the connecting staterooms and book 2 rooms. This is for a family reunion cruise we are planning in may, however, we are thinking about going out of Galveston in feb or march for a quick getaway given we live in TX so I will check on the family stateroom on Adventurer of the seas.

 

Thanks again

[Dr_DNA]

Out TA booked a Family Oceanview (FO) on the Explorer about 90 days before sailing to Canada/New England. To this day, I still have no idea how she was able to find this for us because I have never seen the FO available again on the Explorer (even on RCCL's website), even when I'm looking a year plus in advance. It really was a great room for the 4 of us and was at least $1000 cheeper than booking two connecting inferior rooms. Maybe agents have more options available to them?

[wrp96]

The minimum to book the Family Insides, Family Promenades, Family Oceanviews, and Royal Family Suite is 5 people. The maximum that can go into the Family Insides, Family Promenades, and Family Oceanviews is 6 people, and for the Royal Family Suite it is 8 people. The Presidential Family Suite requires a minimum of 8 people to book and holds a maximum of 14 people.

 

Rarely, after final payment date has passed for a cruise, if the family staterooms are not booked, they will remove the minimum booking numbers and allow you to book these cabins for less people.

 

You cannot book these cabins over the internet except for when they remove the minimum booking requirements.

[hooked-on-travel]

Can anyone provide pics of the royal family suite on Radiance class? We're in it for a Hawaii trip in May.

 

We can verify what wrp96 said. The "minimum" type rooms can't be booked without talking to someone. That also goes for putting two people in a three person room. We were booking a quick weekend jaunt on Monarch and I wanted rooms together, but the only things left were 3-person rooms. They let us have those when I called whereas the internet only let me have the 3-person rooms if I had 3 people.

[wrp96]

That also goes for putting two people in a three person room. We were booking a quick weekend jaunt on Monarch and I wanted rooms together, but the only things left were 3-person rooms. They let us have those when I called whereas the internet only let me have the 3-person rooms if I had 3 people.

 

 

Actually you can book 2 people into a 3 person stateroom via the internet with no problem. I've done it several times. In fact I've booked one person into a 4 person stateroom before. The only difference is the internet only shows a few rooms. With 2 people you have more rooms to choose from, so it won't necessarily bring up the room you are wanting if there are more than 5 staterooms available in that category.

[msmayor]

The minimum to book the Family Insides, Family Promenades, Family Oceanviews, and Royal Family Suite is 5 people. The maximum that can go into the Family Insides, Family Promenades, and Family Oceanviews is 6 people, and for the Royal Family Suite it is 8 people. The Presidential Family Suite requires a minimum of 8 people to book and holds a maximum of 14 people.

 

Rarely, after final payment date has passed for a cruise, if the family staterooms are not booked, they will remove the minimum booking numbers and allow you to book these cabins for less people.

 

You cannot book these cabins over the internet except for when they remove the minimum booking requirements.

 

Well, on the cruise I have booked for next November...11 months away and well before final payment....there is a Family Promenade room open and available for booking for two people. It definitely wasn't there when I booked back in June, but has been showing up on-line for the last couple of weeks.

 

My family of four is booked into adjoining Promenades which is still about $100 cheaper than taking the Family Promenade room...and we're getting the benefit of two bathrooms instead of one.