Cabin for 4

[njtwinmom]

Does anyone ever regret not booking a mini suite? I am on the Crown Princess and right now have an inside cabin for me, husband and two 11 year old boys. I know the room is small, but I think we will be fine. Everyone I talk to says, I will hate it and I need to get a mini suite. I am very organized and we as a family are very neat. We also will be traveling with my parents and brother so they can visit them in their cabins for a while. How long are you really in a cabin? We will be at sea for 2 days and the boys will either be in the youth clubs, playing games, or swimming. I will be on the deck sunning. We will be in the room very little. Let me hear from other parents that they were happy with an inside quad room.

[lumpkin]

Hi, I have had 5 cruises with a quad (with 2 girls, now 10 and 14) and yes, it is tight, but certainly do-able. We are limited by budget to the cheapest room we can get, and that has always been an inside quad. We are hardly ever in the room, so it works out fine. Would I like extra space? Yes. Would I pay more for extra space? No.

So I think your budget should be the deciding factor in your choice.

Have a great cruise.

[Mid-Age]

Depends on how large your stateroom, One time in RCCL, we have a small inside room (I believe it was 120 sq) for 4. That is too small. At Disney and HAL, we are fine because they are around 200 sq. However, budget is always priority. Enjoy your cruise. :cool:

[Dr_DNA]

Personally, if it was up to me, we'd book the lowest priced cabin that we could get (we're 3, not 4 though). You're not in your cabin that much. However, my wife, on the other hand, doesn't have the same belief. So, our next cruise we're getting a balcony. That way, we'll still have a little privacy after our son goes to bed but not have to splurge on a suite.

[ProwlinNGrowlin]

I haven't done this yet, but we are booked for 4 for spring break. Me, hubby, 5 year old and 9 year old.....I hope the cabin we booked is not a mistake!!! I'll let you know how ours goes if you let me know how yours does!

[njtwinmom]

I haven't done this yet, but we are booked for 4 for spring break. Me, hubby, 5 year old and 9 year old.....I hope the cabin we booked is not a mistake!!! I'll let you know how ours goes if you let me know how yours does!

 

Yea, the more I think about it I can't see us in the room that much. I know my boys are going to want to be out on the decks and not relaxing in a cabin. I rather same the money for shopping and excursions. Let me know how it goes for you. I'm not going until Nov.

[cruisnmom3]

Hi-our first cruise was an 8 day and we had an interior cabin for us and our two girls-they were smaller but we also had a crib in there. It still felt like there was plenty of space. We weren't there that much. The hard part was after the babies went to bed at 8 or 9 pm and we were stuck in there-but it won't be an issue with older kids. Let your budget decide, and enjoy!

[stsomewhere]

We usually sail inside cabin. DD-7 and DS-9, It is dark and we control when its morning. Its a little crowded, but, fine. We lookedat booking a balcony or JS on the Explorer, but found out the kids would have to share a sofa bed. That was not an option. We are inside. I can just hear the kids fighting all night about who is touching who, taking the covers, hogging the bed, etc.

In an inside they will each have their own bed.

[njtwinmom]

We usually sail inside cabin. DD-7 and DS-9, It is dark and we control when its morning. Its a little crowded, but, fine. We lookedat booking a balcony or JS on the Explorer, but found out the kids would have to share a sofa bed. That was not an option. We are inside. I can just hear the kids fighting all night about who is touching who, taking the covers, hogging the bed, etc.

In an inside they will each have their own bed.

 

My boys would be fighting over the sofa bed too. It just seemed that everyone on these boards book balcony cabins and mini suites, that I just got carried away. If it was just me and my hubby a balcony would be nice for relaxing. I'm sticking with the inside cabin for this trip. I'm so excited, but it's a long way off.

[dmlee1990]

We have been on 2 HAL cruises, inside cabin with 4 (me, DH, DD age 9 & DD age 14). We'll also be sailing HAL again to Mexico in a few weeks, large inside quad cabin. We do fine with an inside cabin. We are usually only in the cabin to sleep and shower. Most of the day/evening, we are out and about on the ship or in port.

 

If you are on a tight budget, as we are, an inside cabin saves you lots of money. Because we are previous HAL guests, for our Mexico cruise, the 3rd & 4th passengers in a cabin only cost $299 each. This might be a children's rate, but what a deal! At this rate, we will make sure that an inside cabin works for us. When the girls get older, we may need to get a larger outside cabin or balcony cabin, but for now, inside works great for us.

[mousecrazy]

My family of four sailed to Alaska two years ago. I had previously sailed, sans kids, in an inside and figured it would be fine. We weren't fine. DS5 became overwhelmed with all the activity/people and required downtime in the cabin one or two times per day...something we weren't expecting. Either me or Dh had to sit with him while he watched TV or we read to him. When I was in there with him, I felt like I was missing out on what was happening on the 'outside.' It was also very cramped (NCL)...too much for a week...a couple days would've been okay. I'm not claustraphobic, but the tight quarters began to wear on me and my mood showed it. It was a fun trip, which in all was a very good experience. I would've changed only one thing and that was to get an outside (at least a window) cabin.

 

I don't want to sound like a downer...just wanted to share my experience.

[Terpnut]

Just remember that typical cruise ship staterooms are only about 160-190 sq. ft.--much smaller than a standard hotel room. So if you are basing being fine from vacation experiences where you all stayed in hotel rooms, for example, please be aware that your cruise ship stateroom experience will be much more compressed.

 

There is just no way in the world our family of four could enjoy a vacation squeezed into a single standard quad occupancy stateroom. Even a Junior Suite or mini-suite is not worth it or sufficient because the JS is only about 40% bigger, parents still get no privacy, it costs a lot more and you're still stuck with one lousy bathroom! So, for us, the ideal setup is always two connecting staterooms. Of course your budget and personal tolerances will dictate your final choice. Either way, good luck!

[whale-watcher]

I'm with you, Terpnut. We have always had interconnected cabins or family suites...to us, the extra cost is worthwhile, as we enjoy having our own space and spend a lot of time on our balcony. If it a matter of inside quad or no cruise, then obviously go for the inside quad, but if you can afford two interconnected cabins, I say go for it...it turns a trip into a vacation.

[rebeccalouise]

you have a good attitude and aren't expecting much- so I think you'll be fine in an inside.

 

I just booked an inside on QM2 and looked into the very room that we will be in on my last cruise on QM2 (when we had a balcony stateroom). The insides, at least on QM2 have upper bunks. When my son looked in to the inside and those bunks he wished we had an inside instead of the balcony!

 

So the kids will probably like the bunk bed situation. The other nice thing is the kids will sleep later in an inside. My son is up with the sun! So no sleeping in for me in the balcony cabin. Maybe when we are in the inside I'll get to sleep past 7AM.

[stsomewhere]

We usually have to wake the kids up. On our last cruise, they slept in until 10am nost days. An inside can be a little crowded, but it is worth itbecause I don't hear them fight over the bed. I feel that my kids are too young to be in a connecting.

[littleone9699]

njtwinmom - I'm in the same 'boat' as you - LOL!! We've only cruised once w/o the boys (12 & 9) . . .and while the rooms ARE small, I just can't make myself spend the extra $$$ for a larger room when we are barely in there! I guess we'll only know after the cruise, but I think it'll be ok :) I look at it this way, too - I'm the only female, so the guys will get ready quick & get out, then I'll have plenty of room to get ready for dinner, etc.

 

Kathy

[IBoz]

When DD was younger (she is now 8), we would book one of the family cabins on the Conquest-class Carnival ships. It was just a little bigger than a regular cabin, and no balcony, but had a curtained-off sitting area near the large picture window.

 

Now that the kids are older (13 and 8), we are sailing in connecting balcony cabins. I actually DO spend some time in the cabin, and one bathroom just doesn't do it for me anymore.

 

However, a very good friend likes Disney, and the only way they can afford it is to put all 4 of them in an inside cabin. They are all sun-worshippers, and are rarely in their cabin. Me, I burn if I so much as look out the window, so I do sometimes spend an couple of hours napping or reading.