Family Stateroom vs Suite?

[Doug Wolfe]

FAMILY STATEROOM VS. SUITE?

I have a family of 5. I am looking at using either a Deluxe Family State Room, or a One Bedroom Suite for a trip in August 2004. (The 2-bedroom suites are already completely booked.) My kids will be 14, 9 and 7 when we cruise in 2004.

Has anyone used the One Bedroom Suite? Are they worth it? They appear to have an extra 200 square feet.

Also, I am looking for feedback from anyone who has been in the Family State Rooms. How are they?

Anyone with a family of 5, or more, do the cruise? How cramped were you? Thanks!!!!

 

[MICKEY IS COOL]

Most people say that Family Staterooms are the way to go when your looking at the most bang for your buck. In the 1 bedrooms, there's not much privacy, where in the Family staterooms you get a room built for you purpose. Heres another idea, you could try getting a balcony room {cat. 6} and getting an inside room for 2 of the kids. Youll just have to run the numbers and find out. Hope that answered your question.

 

[tstobb]

We were 5 in a family stateroom (self, DW, DS9, DS7 & DD4) and would not do it again. 1 bathroom (even with the split, there is still only 1 shower) and if you want to go out on the verandah at night, you have to climb over the murphy bed that has been pulled down from the wall.
Next time it will be a suite or 2 adjoining rooms.

 

[ducklite]

Mickey--Not sure where you get your info, but you are SOOOOOOO WRONG!

I stayed in a Cat 3 1BR suite last summer. COMPLETE PRIVACY for mom and dad. The four mid-ship cat 3's (8032, 8034, 8532, 8534) have the Murphy Bed in the LR, as well as a double sleeper sofa. There is an actual door between the LR and the bedroom. The Cat 4 has only a curtain. (The other CAT 3's have the Murphy bed in teh bedroom.)

Additionally the Cat 3 gives TWO FULL bathrooms. The four mid-ship rooms are TRIPLE WIDE...offering three times as much square footage as the Cat4. (The other Cat 3's are double wide.

Let's see, other benefits. TONS of storage room, including a walk-in closet and vanity area almost as big as a Cat12. A wet bar, tv/vcr/stereo system with a CD player and BOSE speakers. Oh, and the full size jacuzzi tub. Upgraded toiletries. Bathrobes and slippers.

Oh, and did I forget to mention concierge service? Let's see, making Palo reservations before leaving home, getting early boarding priveledges, booking spa appointments with the concierge before the spa begins taking reservations for everyone else, treats brought to your stateroom daily, arcade cards left for your kids a couple of times. The list goes on.

As I see it, if you can afford it and the room is available, why wouldn't you book it?

Anne

 

[callahanjulie10]

We just returned off the June 28th Eastern cruise and stayed in a Family stateroom. My DD-11 and her DF-11 plus DH and myself- it was wonderful to have the little bit of extra room and storage BUT it isn't anything like the Cat 3! The cat 3 has a a normal size closet, a couple of little storage areas, a nice size bath then a full living room/dining room. There is a murphy bed along one wall with a large tv/stero/VCR or DVD player. Then you enter the bedroom that also has a large entertainment area, a full walk in closet, dressing table area, then a bath with a whirlpool tub!!! The verandah is HUGE. If they cost difference is great- I would do as suggested above and get 2 rooms adjoining if possible.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Thanks for the great responses so far. They are all very helpful! Please keep posting folks, I would like to see other opinions too!

Ducklite.... Thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed answer. Your response is very compelling toward doing the one bedroom. I called DCL and they said they only have 5 of the one bedrooms available for the dates I want to go. I asked them to put one of the 1-bedroom suites on "hold" so I have a little time to think.

They put the room on "hold" for a week. So, I can come back anytime in the next seven days with a deposit. My spouse seems pretty pumped up about going, and so am I.

Thanks again everyone!!!!

 

[confal1]

Be aware that all the cat. 3 suites except those mentioned by ducklite have the pull down bed in the bedroom and not the livingroom and the verandah is only double wide. Try your hardest to get one of the 4 that was mentioned.We are booked for Nov. 2004 in 8032 and can't wait. Also in the Cat. 3 you can order full breakfast and full dinners from room service where in cat. 4 it is a limited room service menu.

 

[ducklite]

Confal--I forgot about taht part. Full, hot, cooked to order food in my stateroom every morning...that was maybe the best part of all!

Doug Wolf--Read my trip report (follow the link in my sig) and I do'nt think you'lleven think about anything BUT a Cat3!

Anne

 

[Minnee]

We just stayed in cat. 3 8534, and have the same room booked for Dec. 2004 !! We've stayed in a cat 4 too, but the suite was wonderful !! We have 3 dd's 12,9 & 7. We had plenty of room, and the 2 showers were a lifesaver!! After a day at the beach, everyone could shower quickly, and get on out the door to dinner!

The cat 3 is Great!!

ps..... ducklite's trip report definately helped me make up my mind!

Have a great cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EAP'sDAD]

Well now it's been ruined. I had it all planned Cat 4 stateroom for family of 5 and then I read this thread. Not if that was bad enough then I click on ducklite's report and now I know there is no way I will be happy in a cat4.

We'll wait a little longer and go for the Cat 3. DW knows I will be miserable for the entire time if I don't get the bigger room. Does anyone Know the price difference for a 4 to a 3 in June. Was planning to do late 2004 will now go in June of 2005.

 

[ducklite]

I liked stateroom 8032 so much that we've booked it for our back-to-back Eastern/Western cruises in October 2004. And one if not both of the weeks it will be just DH and I in the suite!

Anne

 

[Pete W.]

I would also like to know the approximate difference in price between a cat. 4 and cat. 3. Since they're not published, I imagine the cat. 3s are quite a bit more expensive. Anyone know? Are we talking 10% more, or 50%???

 

[ducklite]

Last August I paid $6654 for two adults and a teen, including insurance, but not including transfers or airfare.

For the next two we've got rates of right around $7000 for three adults. That's for October, 2004.

Anne

 

[lucky2]

Have any of you stayed in the one-bedroom suite at the end of the ship, room number 8102? I believe it is a larger room because it is a handicap room. I wonder if there will be way too much motion back there?

 

[DVC4US]

Doug Wolfe,

I fully agree with ducklite(Anne), if you can afford the Cat 3 take it over the Cat 4. We are a family of 4 (DH, myself, DD 13, & DD 7) and we had a Cat 3 on our cruise in March. We have decided we will never cruise again without being in a suite(except maybe the 10 day Christmas cruise if a suite does not come available). Besides all the other advantages, it was a blessing having a second bathroom with a teenage daughter.

lucky2,
We were in 8102 in March. It was a great suite and the verandah was huge. With it being a handicap room you lose the jacuzzi tub, but otherwise it was a great room. We did not have any problems with motion or engine noise, except for the night the Captian stopped the ship to help a small boat that was floundering in the ocean. We did hear the engines and feel the ship shutter when he put the engines in reverse. We are trying to move up to one of the middle suites for our cruise next March, but right now we have 8100.
LeiLani

 

[Pete W.]

Just to answer my own question, I just received a quote on a 4 day cruise for 2 adults, 2 children. Cat 4 is approx $4,200 and Cat 3 is approx $5,700, so cat 3 is approx 35% more expensive than cat 4.