Deluxe Family worth the extra?

[DWFamilyof6]

Trying to decide if this is worth the upgrade? We have mulity family members trying to keep 3 rooms connected and side by side or at least very close. Trying to decide if its worth it to book a deluxe family verandah room on the right side (Castaway Cay docking side). It is $273 more than a room non deluxe family verandah on the other side of the ship. It's our first Disney Cruise. I'm probably overthinking it.
...... Also... Would you choose deck 7 in the Aft or Deck 9 mid ship if you chose deluxe family verandah on the right side?

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

First, note that docking side is not guaranteed.

For location, mid ship will have less rocking. Deck 9 is also closer to pool deck and cabanas

 

[Capitalangel]

Depends on ages and number of people in the room as well as number of days on the cruise. When we had a pack n play the extra room was worth it. When my kids were older and it was a short cruise we did not do the deluxe. On our next cruise which is 7 nights we choose to upgrade ( difference in price wasn’t much over the number of nights) to have more room.

 

[Capitalangel]

We always try to choose midship and not directly above or below public spaces ( so between floors of rooms) or directly next to the elevators

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We have booked deluxe family veranda for 7 of our 8 cruises. Just got off the Wonder from the DVC members cruise in our first standard veranda and noticed the smaller room immediately. Dependig on the number and size of the family members ( child vs teenagers), that should determine how much room or lack of room, you should consider. Rush hour is bed time and again getting up and getting ready for breakfast.

 

[lklgoodman]

We're a family of 3 and have stayed in both. The regular is plenty big and has more than enough storage for just the 3 of us. The larger room was nice, but as others have said, depends on how many would be in the room. If 4 or more people, than I'd go for the larger room. I also prefer mid-ship over aft.

 

[DIS_MIKE]

Booked VGT rate and was put in a deluxe during my recent cruise, It was a nice surprise and that extra square footage really makes a difference. The previous cruise I also did verandah but non-deluxe. I say go for it. But if it’s a shorter cruise it may not be worth it as you won’t be in the room a lot. And...as others have said, factor in how many people will be in the room as well.

We were on deck 7 aft and had no issues but we were closer to mid. Deck 9 is great as it gets you close to everything else but if you’re looking to save a few bucks, stick to deck 7 as it’s only a few flights of stairs to the pool deck. I always took the stairs (whenever possible) which enabled me to eat more at the buffet, but I also almost always beat the other members in my party who opted to take the elevators.

 

[DCSWO]

For that price, I would take the space. You can’t have too much space on a ship and it appears you have a large family. Enjoy your first Disney Cruise! Very exciting!

 

[FigmentSpark]

I'm assuming you're on either the Dream or the Fantasy?

How many people in each room? The midship rooms don't all sleep 5. There will be one that does and it will connect to one that sleeps 4. The aft rooms have a better chance of both rooms sleeping 5.

5 = queen + murphy + pullman + bunk
4 = queen + pullman + bunk + chair instead of murphy

We get 2 deluxes, even though there are only 2 of us in each room. My son needs the murphy bed (he's 6ft 3in), and those are the only rooms with it. That makes it worth the price for us. Also, the extra space to spread out is very nice.

We have been on deck 9 port and it was nice. We didn't see the beach side of Castaway Cay, but we saw the goodbyes when we pulled out. We were on the beach, so why did I need to see it anyway? We did starboard (deck 8) the next time. That was nice, too. It was an extra flight of stairs to the pool area, though, so we probably took the elevator more.

Another consideration for deck (if it's worth the extra cost or not) is whether you have young kids or not. The kids' club (Oceaneer's Lab and Club) are on the 5th floor. If you're going to be going back and forth to take them there, then deck 7 would be preferable. Conversely, if you have a young teen/tween going to the Edge, then deck 9 midship is better for them, as that's on the 13th deck and accessible only be the midship elevators. The Vibe entrance is on deck 4 (and 5, I think).

 

[DWFamilyof6]

For that price, I would take the space. You can’t have too much space on a ship and it appears you have a large family. Enjoy your first Disney Cruise! Very exciting!

thank you! We are so excited!

 

[DWFamilyof6]

First, note that docking side is not guaranteed.

For location, mid ship will have less rocking. Deck 9 is also closer to pool deck and cabanas

I didn't realize they weren't guaranteed. Good to know. I just assumed everyone grabbed that side of the ship because they were.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

Depends on ages and number of people in the room as well as number of days on the cruise. When we had a pack n play the extra room was worth it. When my kids were older and it was a short cruise we did not do the deluxe. On our next cruise which is 7 nights we choose to upgrade ( difference in price wasn’t much over the number of nights) to have more room.

Its a short 3 night cruise. My kids will be 8, 8, 10 and 11 and have never cruised before. We will take the 10 and 11 yo. G-parents will each take an 8 yo.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

We always try to choose midship and not directly above or below public spaces ( so between floors of rooms) or directly next to the elevators

thank you

 

[Lisa F]

I think that is a good price for the upgrade. it is more like $500 for a 5C to a 4B (what's available now) for us for 2 people on a 7 night fantasy.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

I'm assuming you're on either the Dream or the Fantasy?

How many people in each room? The midship rooms don't all sleep 5. There will be one that does and it will connect to one that sleeps 4. The aft rooms have a better chance of both rooms sleeping 5.

5 = queen + murphy + pullman + bunk
4 = queen + pullman + bunk + chair instead of murphy

We get 2 deluxes, even though there are only 2 of us in each room. My son needs the murphy bed (he's 6ft 3in), and those are the only rooms with it. That makes it worth the price for us. Also, the extra space to spread out is very nice.

We have been on deck 9 port and it was nice. We didn't see the beach side of Castaway Cay, but we saw the goodbyes when we pulled out. We were on the beach, so why did I need to see it anyway? We did starboard (deck 8) the next time. That was nice, too. It was an extra flight of stairs to the pool area, though, so we probably took the elevator more.

Another consideration for deck (if it's worth the extra cost or not) is whether you have young kids or not. The kids' club (Oceaneer's Lab and Club) are on the 5th floor. If you're going to be going back and forth to take them there, then deck 7 would be preferable. Conversely, if you have a young teen/tween going to the Edge, then deck 9 midship is better for them, as that's on the 13th deck and accessible only be the midship elevators. The Vibe entrance is on deck 4 (and 5, I think).

Yes it is the Dream 3 night cruise. We have an 8, 8, 10 and 11 yo at time of cruising who have never been on a cruise. The point of 'why do I need to see the beach when I'm on it anyway', is exactly what my husband said about the upgrade. We will be taking the 10 and 11 yo. G-parents will each take an 8 yo.
thanks for your input! I'm leaning toward not bothering with the family deluxe rooms.

 

[hnthomps]

We love the extra space of the family deluxe rooms, but with connecting rooms it may not matter. We love deck 9 though. I'd always choose 8&9 on the Fantasy/Dream if possible.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

We love the extra space of the family deluxe rooms, but with connecting rooms it may not matter. We love deck 9 though. I'd always choose 8&9 on the Fantasy/Dream if possible.

thanks! I'm going to have to check out your trip reports.

 

[ember1205]

The "right side" of the ship would be starboard, and that's often NOT the docking side at CC as the ship will be backed in when possible. Not sure if that's how you were thinking it or not...

Yes, deck 9 is closer to the pool, but deck 10 is even closer than deck 9.
Stay away from the far aft - anything else would be pretty much ok. I just came back from a cruise on the Fantasy (sister to the Dream) and was in 9526. It was very conveniently located to the laundry (for the two loads that got done, not a -major- benefit) and there was no issue with motion from the ship even though it's considered a forward room. It was about six doors from the entrance to the elevator/stair area, and no extra noise was noticed from foot traffic.

The Deluxe Family size stateroom is a little bigger and has a fifth sleeping location. I have been on the Dream with three adults and two "almost teen" kids in one of those rooms, and it was pretty tight. Who's in the room and EXACTLY what you pack (and how you lay it out in the room) is ultimately going to be the determining factor of just how cramped it feels.

You might fare better to take the two 8 yo's and let each of the grandparents take one of the other two...

 

[brentm77]

The "right side" of the ship would be starboard, and that's often NOT the docking side at CC as the ship will be backed in when possible.

Don't you have the backwards? When the ship backs in, the starboard side is facing CC.

 

[ember1205]

Correct. So the dock side is port.