NCL with 3 and almost 5 year old - room layout?

[ilovethesun]

We're thinking of doing a western med cruise with our 3 and almost 5 year old daughter in August of this year. We would most likely book an inside room that could accommodate 4. How is the layout. The ship is the Norwegian Gem and I can't tell if it would just be two of those ceiling beds or what because there is no couch.

 

Any advice here? Any pics? I can't really picture my 3 year old sleeping up there - scares me! Are there rooms that are better for us?

 

Thanks!

angie

[rebeccalouise]

For a room that sleeps four they are probably pullman beds. They do have side rails. Look at the price difference for connecting rooms before you make up you mind. It might give you more space.

[japit]

We were looking at connecting rooms before because there were 5 of us, but then you have to pay first and second fare prices twice, where as 3rd and 4th are alot less. We ended up getting the penthouse (AB) on the pearl for less than connecting rooms. That was an incredible room with two bedrooms, two baths and tons of perks.

[CanadianTwosome]

I've stayed in many inside cabins with three or four people, and as long as everyone gets along, it's plenty of space. I've never stayed in a cabin with a pullman and the extra beds have always been pull down berths above the 'regular' beds. When I was a kid, travelling with my mom, my grandma and my sister, my mom and I slept in the top berths with my grandma and sister on the bottoms. When my husband, my daughter, my mom and I were on the Dream two years ago, my daughter and my mom slept on the top while my husband and I slept on the bottom. The thing is, just because the kids are the 'extra' people in the room doesn't mean that they necessarily have to be the ones in the extra berths.

 

There is also the possibility that one of you can sleep in a top berth while the other sleeps with the two kids in the 'queen' that is made by pushing the bottom beds together. It makes for kind of a strange 'space' in the cabin, but it would certainly work to keep your kids between you and the wall where you know they won't fall out. :)

[ilovethesun]

Thanks for the info everyone!

 

Japit, I would love to see pics (if you have any) of that AB penthouse. The Gem looks like it has the same one with 2 bedrooms/2 baths. I think that would make our trip amazingly different. It would cost $1500 more but currently travelocity is running a deal that you get $500 onboard credit if you book a suite... so, that makes it almost like $1000...

 

The room looks amazing! How old are your kids? My thing is that with an inside room, we'd pretty much have to go to bed when the kids go to bed.

 

This could spoil cruising for life for me...

[ilovethesun]

Yikes, I misread the price... I got all excited thinking it would be $4500 for our family rather than $9000. There's no way. :(

 

How about a suite? Does the couch turn into a double bed? They seem to sleep 4 according to the deck plans... but how does it work?

[boulders]

When you look at the deck plans, you may notice that the cabins might have a square, or a circle or a triangle or a star or a combination of these. These symbols refer to the bed arrangement in the cabin. Somewhere on the deck plans should be a legend which tells you what symbol means what. Some cabins that sleep four will have pullman beds (beds that pull down from the wall or ceiling, some will have a sofabed and some will have a combination. Cabins within the same category will have different bed configurations.

[ilovethesun]

Thanks! I was looking at all those symbols and I see that they indicate how many it will sleep in a room. I'm looking at the AF suites on the aft of the ship and they have a + which means they sleep 4 and from pictures i've seen, it looks like the sofa turns into a bed rather the beds coming out of the wall. I don't know how to confirm this...

[PattyW]

Our AF on the Dawn had a pull out sofa for the 3rd and 4th. It was nice because there was a full curtain which divided the sofa area from the bed area of the room. The only problem? The sofa section was in between the balcony and the rest of the room, so you had to choose where you wanted to wait while the kids fell asleep.

[CruisinEurope]

Our AF on the Dawn had a pull out sofa for the 3rd and 4th. It was nice because there was a full curtain which divided the sofa area from the bed area of the room. The only problem? The sofa section was in between the balcony and the rest of the room, so you had to choose where you wanted to wait while the kids fell asleep.

 

 

I am booked on the NCL Jade and we went with a regular balcony this time ...

 

Our kids are 5 & 7 and we basically have 2 options:

 

- they can both sleep on the fold out couch

OR

- one can take the couch & one can take the pullman

 

 

NEXT time around though, i think that we'll be taking a Mini Suite .... I would have done it on this cruise, but they were sold out when I booked.

 

:-D

ENJOY your cruise!

[cb at sea]

Don't forget the option of 2 connecting rooms--that way, the kids can go to bed, and you will have your own space for tv, or whatever. Just like a hotel, there's a door between the 2 rooms, and you'll be closer than your bedrooms at home, most likely. The kids will have their own regular beds, and so will you.

Your best bet is to contact either a TA or the cruiseline's rep, and see what will work best for you!

[crusinmama06]

There is NO WAY I would put my 4 year old in a pullman. Breaking a leg (or worse) on a ship in the middle of the ocean is not the way to enjoy a vacation. ;)

 

Angie, I agree with your initial post. The fold out couch is the way to go for small kids. :)