Family of 4 on Radiance. What

[cruiserw/kids]

We (our family of 4 -includes our 2 boys, ages 12 & 6) are planning a Spring 2005 Western Caribbean Cruise on the Radiance of the Seas. For those of you have sailed on this class of ship would you suggest booking a Junior Suite, Two Smaller Balcony rooms, or do you think we could get by with one balcony room. Looks like booking two balcony rooms next to each other would be very close in price to booking one Junior Suite. Please share with me any of your thoughts regarding possible room choices and what your families experiences have been on this class of ship. Thank you in advance for your responses!!!!

[Sea Island Lady]

I just love the JS and think with boys, especially the ages, you would do fine in that room. The boys will sleep in the same bed won't they? On the other hand, for the same price, you can have two bathrooms, but smaller balcony staterooms. Tough decision!

 

BTW - I voted JS. I know that my husband and I would feel cramped, even though it would be just the two of us in a smaller balcony room.

[NancyB84]

We had a D1 on Brilliance deck 9 this past April with DH, myself, and two sons ages 8 and 10. It was crowded. It was hard to get bathroom time. It was hard to walk around in the room when the bunk was pulled down and the couch pulled out to a bed. (which, stayed that way a good part of the day because our room was seldom clean before noon and we had early seating dinner so it was all back to "bed status" by 7pm)!!!! Next cruise, we are getting two rooms, maybe a balcony and an inside across the hall for the kids!!!! It is much easier to swallow your room being dirty until noon if you aren't tripping on the pull-out sofa or banging your head on the pull-down bed. Plus, 4 people getting ready for dinner.... one bathroom.... forget it. It worked, don't get me wrong, and on a budget, I'd do it again, I guess. But, it made enough of an impression on us that we will save $$$$ and book two rooms or a suite next time!!!!

 

Nancy

[49holding]

I would be a little apprehensive having a 6 yr old boy in a balcony cabin with a 12y/o . re the D1...we had our 2 teens with us in a D1 and it was a tight fit esp with the sofa bed pulled out. The jr suites were roomier with more walkaround space.Having 4 in a Jr suite would be a walk in the park compared to a D!. If your 6 year old isn't the curious /adventuresome type than I would go for 2 reg balcony cabins.

[Sea Island Lady]

That's a very good point that 49holding brought up! I know that I would be extremely apprehensive to leave a 6 year old and 12 year old in a balcony room by themselves. When my son was 14 and the girls older, I was a bit nervous that he would get careless around the balcony. We even had connecting balconies!

How about a JS and an inside or just go with the JS. In the JS, the sofa bed pulls out near the balcony, not the entrance way/bath/closet area.

 

NancyB84 - That's awful that your stateroom didn't get cleaned until later. On all of our cruises, were have been out by 8:00 at the latest and our room was cleaned while we were at breakfast.

[NancyB84]

Yes, It was kind of a bummer about our room not being cleaned until later.... but we were on one of the first sailings after the infamous rccl cutbacks where the staff cleaned in pairs and had tons of rooms!!!. It wasn't a great experience. But, we knew before we went that it was still in it's trial phases. Plus we had someone new as a steward I think too!!!! Can't expect everything to be perfect, right? Plus, it's vacation.... even if they didn't make the bed until noon.... at least I wasn't making it!!!! :)

 

Good points about the younger child in a balcony with just the older brother. I know I was worried about mine.... watched them like a hawk.... and mine were older and in the same room with us!!!

 

We were guests at a party in a JS.... 1100.... that would be a great JS for 4 people. Tons of room. The rest must be about the same size?

 

Nancy

[critterchick]

1100 is my room, but you may borrow it for your cruise, if you can get it.:D All of the JSs are the same size inside, but the balcony on 1100 is the best on the ship, IMHO. Huge, two lounge chairs plus 2 smaller chairs & a table. And a killer view!

 

I voted for 2 rooms, but the point about 2 young kids alone in their cabin is a good one. I would go for a balcony & inside for the kids - they can come visit you (by the way, I think there has to be an adult in each cabin, so you would have to book w/1 kid & DH w/the other). Or there are cabins with connecting doors, maybe you could get a pair of those & keep the door open.

 

Just for fun, I looked at the March sailing. A JS would cost you $5896 for 2, 2 D-1s would be $6076, and a D-1 plus an L (inside) would run $5316.

[gail1771]

We booked the Voyager for 11/13/05- 5 nighter to Bermuda. We got such a gret price. Two connecting D1's for a total of $1828.0(including all taxes). I booked it when the prices just came out. I am also thinking about this a lot as eventhough the cabins connect and we can keep the door open at the time of cruising we will have a 4.5 year old and 8.8 year old with us. It will be very nerve racking with the balconies. I wanted a D1 and inside but it was not available. I could of had a JS for $150.00 more or a OS for $575.00 more. I should of gone with the OS. The prices have gone up so much our two cabins are over $1300.00 more than we paid. I than thought of switching to the 10/02 sailing but it is much more $$$ just for one cabin. It will be for sure that one of us will be in each room to sleep at night. I know on DCL the lock is high up and hard to open on the Balcony doors. I wonder if RCCL has the same type of lock??? I know next time it will be two OV connecting cabins or a large cabin. We had two connecting OV this past summer on Carnival out of NY and it was great. I would go with the JS after much thought. Happy Cruising. Gail

[Dreamfinders]

Just my 2 cents. We had a D1 this past summer on our first RCCL cruise with our two teens. It was very tight. The sofa was not comfy and as others have said really takes up a lot of room when it's opened. We recently booked another cruise for next summer (yes RCCL now has us hooked!) and we went with a JS for hubby and me and an inside right across the hall for our kids. Two bathrooms and each child has his and her own real bed. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise!!

[madforcruising]

Just want to put in some information concerning the lock at the balcony door.

On the Jewel of the Seas it had a Child Lock. You have been able to lock the door so it couldn´t been opened by the regular handle. It was high up and not on the side where the handle is.

I don´t know if Voyager has the same but I would think there is something like this too.

Radiance is a sister ship of the Jewel and I´m sure there is a child lock for the balcony door as well.

Maybe this helps with your concern.

[RM]

With the age of your kids I'd opt for the JS. We have older teens and get 2 rooms, one with a balcony and an inside across the hall.

[Firefighterhoop]

HOw about just a Balcony for you and putting the kids in an interior across the hall, Or a Family Stateroom??

[Martino]

Hello!

 

Our family had a D-1 on the Serenade........big mistake. Kids were 15 &12 and the 4 of us never seemed to have enough room when the room was made up for bed, which happened to be most of the time we were in there.

 

In retrospect, having not had a balcony on prior cruises, I would have booked a family stateroom (this was our first cruise with balcony, which we loved and it served as overflow space when the 4 of us were trying to get ready). Having said that, since we so like the balcony, I would probably go with the 2 cabin (connecting) arrangement, and leave the door open. Minimal price difference between that and a JS makes it worth it to have that extra bathroom and balcony.

[cruiserw/kids]

Thank you everyone for your opinions! I think we will book the Junior Suite, after all its a family vacation, so we might as well all be together. We have cruised as a family 3 times previously, first time (3 yrs ago), when the boys were much smaller , in a regular balc. cabin. It was tight then, I couldn't imagine doing it now that they have grown quite a bit. Have done Mini Suites in the past and they have worked out well. Two cabin concept intrigues us, but not sure how comfortably we would sleep in the boys were not in our room. Two bathrooms would be a big plus prior to dinner each night though. Hey, I'd sleep on a table if it ment I could cruise more often! Its all relative I guess!!!! Happy Cruising to all of you!!!!