Best way to travel for a family of 5?

[lorasmom]

What is the best way to accomodate a family of 5 (me, DH, and our 3 kids, 10, 8 and 2)? I would be most comfortable going with connecting rooms, or a suite, but I have no idea if there's a suite large enough to accomodate us, or if it would be too cost prohibitive?

 

Any experience with this type of scenario?

 

TIA!

[2ndguesser]

Sorry I don't have an answer with you. But we also have 5 in our family and it seems like the world is setup for families of 4. Even when we went to Disney we had to get 2 hotel rooms to accomodate us all (and my kids are 6/4/2). It's sad to me that things got way more difficult to travel now that we had a third child - not that I would change that for anything in the world!

[mikesteg]

Yeah, it's also annoying for those of us who haven't achieved 4-ness yet. :D

 

My advice: go to Expedia and figure out what cruises you're interested in then pretend book them. One of the first things they ask is how many in the party and will only offer cabins that can accomodate that number. You may find an easy solution that way, or may find nothing suitable. If you settle on something, do compare that to the cost of booking 2 cabins. Depending on factors the cost may be favorable (plus you get an extra bathroom).

 

Alternately, just use a travel agent. They should be well aware and able to advise you.

[rstephenrrtx]

Sorry I don't have an answer with you. But we also have 5 in our family and it seems like the world is setup for families of 4. Even when we went to Disney we had to get 2 hotel rooms to accomodate us all (and my kids are 6/4/2). It's sad to me that things got way more difficult to travel now that we had a third child - not that I would change that for anything in the world!

 

Amen to that!

 

We just cruised on the Carnival Triumph and booked all 5 of us in 1 cabin. My kids are 14/12/7. It worked for us as the older two were able to "mind themselves". It also saved us some $$$ to have just 1 cabin. Look at slightly older ships that can accommodate that many people.

 

We also just got back from Disney and had to book off property to get a 2 bedroom that was reasonable. (Holiday Villas...google them). In fact, we ended up upgrading to a 4 bedroom townhome for just $20/night more. :)

 

Traveling with 5 can be challenging but it can be done. Good luck!

 

Robert

[Catrin]

Any Carnival Ship built before 2000 will accomidate 5 to a room (as well as the upcoming Dream in 2010)....

 

 

We stayed in one room with our three kids.. then 12,8 and 2 - and it worked out fine. There was an upper bunk, a convertible couch, and a crib. We are staying in one room again for our upcoming 5 day short cruise.

 

Last year, we stayed in connecting ocean view rooms, because there were six of us - with my mom joining us. This was great, it was almost as we had one big room with two bathrooms.

 

Next year, the boys will be 14 and 10 - we will most likely get a balcony room and an interior across the hall.

 

Catrin

[MellowMel]

Royal Caribbean has the Royal Family Suites and they are really nice. But it's cheaper to have two connecting rooms. It actually has two bathrooms, one that includes a tub, which is nice for your little one.

[wrp96]

Royal Caribbean has several options for families of 5 (or more). Be aware that you cannot book them online - you need to call RCCL directly or book via a travel agent.

 

Here is what I've posted in the past about options for families of 5 on RCCL

 

RCCL has several options for family rooms that are specifically designed to hold 5 (or more people). They require a minimum of 5 people to book and cannot be booked online.

 

Your options for 5 people (or more) on RCCL ships:

Connecting cabins - this would give you two rooms and two bathrooms. RCCL's Voyager class and Freedom class have a couple of inside cabins that have a connecting door with a balcony stateroom (they also have oceanview cabins with a connecting door to a balcony stateroom) which are really nice options.

 

Grand Suites and Owners Suites - RCCL will allow you to put a 5th person in these suites. They bring in a rollaway bed for the 5th person.

 

Family Inside Stateroom - requires a minimum of 5 people to book, holds max 6 people. All of our Family Staterooms can accommodate up to six people, with two twin beds, sofa and/or Pullman beds. Other amenities include a minibar and sitting area.

 

Family Promenade Stateroom - requires a minimum of 5 people to book, holds max 6 people. All of our Family Staterooms can accommodate up to six people, with two twin beds, sofa and/or Pullman beds. Other amenities include a minibar and sitting area.

 

Family Oceanview Stateroom - requires a minimum of 5 people to book, holds max 6 people. All of our Family Ocean View Staterooms can accommodate up to six people, with two twin beds, sofa and/or Pullman beds. Other amenities include a minibar (except on Vision of the Seas) and sitting area.

 

Royal Family Suite - requires a minumum of 5 people to book, holds a max of 8 people. Has 2 bedrooms AND 2 bathrooms, plus because it is a suite you get concierge lounge access (on ships that have a concierge lounge). On most ships, our Royal Family Suite has enough space to accommodate eight people, with two bedrooms including four twin beds, two Pullman beds and a double sofa bed. All have a separate living area, two bathrooms, vanity area and refrigerator, among their amenities.

 

Presidential Family Suite - requires a minimum of 8 people to book, holds a max of 14 people. The Presidential Family Suite has four bathrooms, a spacious living area with entertainment center and flat screen TV. The private balcony includes a whirlpool, wet bar, lounge chairs and an al fresco dining area that seats fourteen.

 

Be aware that not every ship has all the family staterooms. You have to call RCCL or book with a travel agent in order to book more than 4 people in a room.

[PaganView]

We too are a family of 5 that can't quite justify the cost for two rooms yet (I won't give up my balcony and my kids are too young to be across the hall) so the Carnival information is good to know.

 

Also, the poster who mentioned two rooms at Disney. Port Orleans Riverside has rooms for 5 with two double beds and a trundle. We did that in January and it worked beautifully with our kids (7, 4 and 2). These rooms are in the Alligator Bayou section and cost no more than the other rooms at the resort. They also have a refrigerator provided.

[hockeywidow88]

I remember when I was pregnant with my 3rd son, my TA told me I just made her life more difficult because of all the "challenges" of finding places that can accomodate 5! ;)

 

But if you are doing DW, note that if you stay at a Disney property, they will let you have 5 in a room provided one of the children is under the age of 3, and they will provide you a crib (no charge).

 

We took our cruise and brought my parents - my oldest stayed with them, and we had the two younger kids with us! Got the extra room and the extra babysitters! ;)

[luvtosing]

We are a family of 5 just off Freedom of the Seas, Royal Caribbean. We adored our owner's suite. It was enormous and the balcony was three times the size of a regular balcony. It might have been cheaper to do two rooms, I never actually priced that out, but I think the suite was really worth it. My kids are 12, 10, and 8. You do have to call or book through a travel agent to get the owner's suite for 5, for some reason online won;t let you do it. It is ample for 5 people, easy. We had considered Carnival but the newer ships, according to the Carnival person I spoke to, said we'd have to get two cabins (which do not adjoin) so that was a no for us.

[lorasmom]

Thanks for all the tips, I am an online booker exclusively, I hate talking to people on the phone, so I never would have known! :o

 

Now, I don't know tons about cruising with a family, but I am a Disney pro! Disney does have plenty of rooms for 5 - all of the deluxe resurts can hold 5, and as the PP stated, POR has trundles! Also, the All Star resorts have family suites now too :cool: . Now, rides, on the other hand, I've not yet figured out. For now the baby is still small enough that she can't go on most of them, but I always feel bad that someones going to be the odd man out on rides!

[rphx2nc]

Ironically, cruise lines are more accommodating than Disney for a Family of 5. The Disney "fire code" restriction is a load of bull. You can only stay at Port Orleans(too crowded and all mods are the same size), a Deluxe (minus the more $$ reasonable AK Lodge or Wilderness lodge) or 2 rooms at a value. We have a travel trailer that can sleep many more and it is smaller than a Disney room or cruise room. Really a family of 5 is not that large. I guess if you have 4 kids than you need 2 rooms everywhere or you don't travel. Our kids are small 8,6,and 4 we don't need or want 2 rooms yet. I know someone with 5 kids, I guess they are not allowed to vacation.

[PattyW]

This is only limited to Vogager and Freedom Class ships on RCCL, but on deck 9 forward there are two sets of adjoining cabins where one is a large oceanview and one is a balcony. Each cabin sleeps 4, so you could fit your family of 5 in there without anyone across the hall, retaining your balcony and having 2 bathrooms to boot!

 

We booked a similar combination on deck 9 aft where the balcony cabin connects to an inside cabin (so even cheaper), but I checked the deck plans and it appears that both of those cabins only sleep 2, so while this combo will work with my family of 4, it won't work with a family of five.

 

This combo cost us more than 4 in one balcony cabin, but less than all four of us in a mini suite.

[lorasmom]

This is only limited to Vogager and Freedom Class ships on RCCL, but on deck 9 forward there are two sets of adjoining cabins where one is a large oceanview and one is a balcony. Each cabin sleeps 4, so you could fit your family of 5 in there without anyone across the hall, retaining your balcony and having 2 bathrooms to boot!

 

We booked a similar combination on deck 9 aft where the balcony cabin connects to an inside cabin (so even cheaper), but I checked the deck plans and it appears that both of those cabins only sleep 2, so while this combo will work with my family of 4, it won't work with a family of five.

 

This combo cost us more than 4 in one balcony cabin, but less than all four of us in a mini suite.

Patty, that is a PERFECT set up for me! I didn't necessarily want a balcony with the kiddos, but I'd really LOVE a balcony... this sounds great.

 

Thanks so much! :D

[2ndguesser]

Sorry to get off subject with Disney rather than cruising :( But I'm curious for those of you that were able to accomodate 5 at Disney - was it at Disney World (which is what I'm suspecting). I'm talking about Disney Land where we have 2 rooms booked to accomodate all of us. I did it online and maybe I should call and talk to someone since it seems like the cruislines don't allow online booking of greater than 4 so maybe the resorts are the same way.

 

Thanks for everyones help.

 

Eileen

[lorasmom]

Sorry to get off subject with Disney rather than cruising :( But I'm curious for those of you that were able to accomodate 5 at Disney - was it at Disney World (which is what I'm suspecting). I'm talking about Disney Land where we have 2 rooms booked to accomodate all of us. I did it online and maybe I should call and talk to someone since it seems like the cruislines don't allow online booking of greater than 4 so maybe the resorts are the same way.

 

Thanks for everyones help.

 

Eileen

Hm... I'm a Florida girl, so I was talking about DW.

 

A website that I frequently use for my DW research, says that the DL Hotel and the Grand California both have standard rooms that will acoomodate 5, with some combination of beds, trundles, daybeds, etc. PM me if you want the site, I don't know if I can post it here :)

[2ndguesser]

Hm... I'm a Florida girl, so I was talking about DW.

 

A website that I frequently use for my DW research, says that the DL Hotel and the Grand California both have standard rooms that will acoomodate 5, with some combination of beds, trundles, daybeds, etc. PM me if you want the site, I don't know if I can post it here :)

 

 

I'm not sure how to PM! But here is my email address. I would love to have the site as we are going in May to Disney so still have time to change rooms/hotels. e.fenick@hotmail.com

 

Thanks so much

[cbell94]

We stayed at Fort Wilderness on Disney property just this past spring with a family of six - kids are 11, 8, 8 and 1. It was wonderful! We had a bedroom with a bunk bed and full size bed, a living room with a Murphy bed (which was uncomfortable but adequate after a day at the parks), a kitchen and bathroom. If it worked for a family of 6 so I am sure it would work for a family of 5. I would highly recommend it.

[mark290]

We are a family of five. Children are 12, 12 & 5.

We have booked cabin 1688/1388 on a RCI Voyager class ship

three times and it worked great.

This is a regular balcony cabin but the room itself is

as big as a JS. The balcony is also huge. We also book

the inside cabin, 1677/1377 right across the hall. My children are not

old enough to sleep in a cabin by themselves. Our sleeping

arrangements varied through out the cruise. Sometimes

my son and I in the inside, one time just me in the inside

and a couple times all five of us in the balcony room.

[rphx2nc]

For Disney questions I love Intercot. They have a thread dedicated to Disneyland. I too have only stayed at wdw. If anyone can answer your questions they can.

[JackieH]

We are a family of 5, and kids will be 14,9, and 4 when we cruise in August. We booked 2 connecting inside rooms(Ialways get connecting and adjoining mixed up:rolleyes: ). We have 2 rooms where the door opens to expose the other room;) .

For us, this was the cheapest way to go. This is our 3rd cruise and we have always had inside rooms, as we dont spend much time in there. I am looking forward to the extra bathroom, that will sure help with getting ready in the mornings.

[szubieta]

Sorry to get off subject with Disney rather than cruising :( But I'm curious for those of you that were able to accomodate 5 at Disney - was it at Disney World (which is what I'm suspecting). I'm talking about Disney Land where we have 2 rooms booked to accomodate all of us. I did it online and maybe I should call and talk to someone since it seems like the cruislines don't allow online booking of greater than 4 so maybe the resorts are the same way.

 

Thanks for everyones help.

 

Eileen

 

The Grand Californian can have 5 people in a room, we got one with a bunk bed w/ trundle. Had a balcony, view of the pool and the California Adventure Park. Plus if you stay at the Grand Californian, you have a private enterance to the California Adventure Park and another into DownTown Disney. It's really nice not to have to walk too far or wait for trams, run up for a sweater or nap. The walk to the Disneyland Hotel is much further and we had to get a King Suite to accomodate the 6 people on that trip.

 

For WDW, the AKL can accomodate 5. Have to have the Arusha Savannah View room.

[lorasmom]

Not to get OT again, but I believe all of the deluxe rooms at WDW can sleep 5, my personal favorite is the Contemporary!