IMO, expecting to get two rooms but pay the same rate pp is asking for special consideration. We have 3 cabins next year and I'd love to pay the pp rate for an extra person rather than what I am paying. I have no problem anyone asking, it's the expectation that it be provided or the idea that it's somehow "unfair" that I have a problem with. This is not the case, it is not unfair.
First, see the above portion of the post. Rae, I do frequently travel in groups that require more space, units, etc. I too don't want to debate, but here's my thinking. Even with 2 children, it's not possibly for us to just get one cabin or hotel room any more as the "kids" are now 17 & 20 and are different gender. About every other year we do an extended family trip and we "meaning me" pay for the accomodations. Last year we were at HH with THREE 2 BR units at Marriott's Grande Ocean with a retail value of over $9000 and costs to me of over $4500 just for the rooms. While kids do at times eat less and cost less to maintain, there are other factors. First, many kids actually cost as much or more. Would you want DCL to limit kids to the kids menu? And in this case, they would be taking up an entire cabin, there are no mini cabins just for this situation. Maybe one should get a 2 BR suite, they will sleep 6 nicely I'm told. We've heard many times on this board about how much more work kids can be for the staff but it depends on the exact situation and children. Plus, if DCL gives up the rooms for the add on price, that's an adult they won't be able to charge for, again their choice if they wanted to. It's no different than the 5 in a studio or 1 BR with DVC, it's OK if DVC allows it, but if they decide to enforce the rules, no one has a basis to say anything.
Who said I wanted 2 cabins?
This would be a great idea- they could be occupied by a single traveler (single travelershave a hard time just like big families) or 2 children- have them connecting to a cat 11 or something like that-
I guess we're looking at things totally differently. I'm starting at where the cruise lines are and working from there using the realities in place currently. If you want 5 , you are asking either for 2 cabins or a cat 4 or higher. It would be great if DCL (or any cruise line) had lower cabins that would accomodate more than 4 for families with smaller kids, but it isn't reality. From what I've seen DCL actually has FAR more inside cabins that will accomodate even 4 compared to RCCL, especially if one is looking for an inside. And the inside cabins are much larger, 184 sq ft or more compared to 135 for RCCL.
This is certainly not true for RCCL where the VERY few Family suites are in horrible locations and are about $400 pp more for the first two than similar "oceanview" staterooms that sleep less. From what I can see there are no other units under that category that will sleep more than 4. I know that on the Mariner of the Seas and the Explorer, there are only about 60 inside cabins that will sleep 4 and another 10-12 that will sleep 3 AND none of them are anywhere near midship. They are all after of the aft elevators or forward of the forward elevator. NONE of the promenade cabins will sleep more than 2. And it looks like they have only 8 of the family suties on a boat almost twice the sizse of the Magic/Wonder, 2 for each of 4 decks all at the absolute from end of the ship. I've also looked at the Carnival Brochure and see no indication that any cabin under a suite will sleep more than four on either the Conquest or Spirit class ships. Heck, RCCL has even made the rooms that sleep more than 2 a HIGHER category (and more money for the first two also) just because they sleep more and they actually changed it for next year compared to this year making it worse. Previously, these were all the same category sleep 2, 3 or 4.
I could imagine fitting three mini cabins into the same space as a single inside cabin now. It's be like a tini modular BR off the main cabin much like some of those "hotels" in Tokyo where al you get is a cubicle big enough for one (or in this case two, people to slide into. It wouldn't work for someone who's claustrophobic though. They would be specialty cabins so I'm not sure how much of a hassle it'd be having to book this and there's need to be a heigh limit though on DCL, the size of the current inside cabins, I don't think that'd realy be much of an issue. And I think it could be done for about the same cost total as a current cabin with 4 so it should be OK from a revenue standpoint.
Disney will let you sleep that way but they won't let you book that way. As long as you have a party of 2 or 3 who will go through the reservation process with you they will let you book the child to the other room and note that the child will actually be in a different cabin.
