Large family off to Alaska... cabin advice

[Adreyer]

Assuming 2017 has the Wonder sailing to Alaska again, we're going to have a group of 17 going on it in 5 staterooms. Has anyone done a trip with a group this size? We were thinking of getting 5 neighboring verandas that we could connect. Is that even a possibility? Recommendations? This will be the second disney cruise for us and my in-laws and a first for everyone else. Heaven help us if Alaska doesn't show up on the itineraries later this month.

 

[MMR]

it is my understanding, that on the straight sections of the ship, the divider between the verandahs can be opened and one continuous verandah will connect the rooms. We are doing that for only 2 rooms because we weren't able to get adjoining rooms. Somewhere on this site, I read that connecting verandahs was actually preferable to adjoining doors because it was quieter.

 

[disneymath]

If money is at all a consideration, you might consider say 3 verandahs and then 2 inside staterooms right across the hall. This could work extra well if there are younger cruises from different families who will end up sharing a stateroom, put them in one of the inside rooms.

DCL Alaska was my first ever cruise and we had a Navigator's verandah (more private/sheltered and not connectable). It was awesome! DCL Noway/Iceland (11 nights) was my second cruise and I had an inside room, my parenys had a verandah across the hall that I used a few times. The inside cabin was fine, no issues, didn't feel like I was missing out on anything since I wasn't in the room much - it was significantly less costly too. FWIW, my sister's family's first cruise was the Iceland one and they also had an inside and had no regrets.

 

[ajo]

Our family group of 15 is booked to Alaska this summer. We have 6 oceanview rooms next to each other on deck 2. Two sets of the rooms connect. We did a cruise with the same 15 family members once before with the same room arrangement and it worked out great.

 

[noahsketomom]

it is my understanding, that on the straight sections of the ship, the divider between the verandahs can be opened and one continuous verandah will connect the rooms. We are doing that for only 2 rooms because we weren't able to get adjoining rooms. Somewhere on this site, I read that connecting verandahs was actually preferable to adjoining doors because it was quieter.

So even if the rooms don't connect, the verandas can?? I may need to rearrange the cabins we have for our cruise. We have two connecting, then a third that is one cabin away (I.e. There's a cabin in between). I didn't think about the verandas possibly connecting!

 

[Weedy]

The verandas connect on all the ships except the Wonder.
A few of the cabins (some on deck 10) of the Dream and Fantasy don't because of the structure of the ship.

 

[RedSox68]

If money is at all a consideration, you might consider say 3 verandahs and then 2 inside staterooms right across the hall. This could work extra well if there are younger cruises from different families who will end up sharing a stateroom, put them in one of the inside rooms.

This is a good suggestion. We've only booked two cabins before, but to save money we had the verandah and got my daughter an inside room across the hall. She was in our room all day and only went across the hall to sleep, but it saved tons rather than get two verandah rooms. Of course (sorry), it wasn't on a Disney ship so prices were more realistic LOL

 

[MMR]

Our TA called Disney and we were told the verandas on the Wonder connect. If they don't....

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Our TA called Disney and we were told the verandas on the Wonder connect. If they don't....

I don't believe they do - yet. Although I believe I've read that there are some random ones that do, but not all, or a lot. The ones on the Magic only started connecting when she had her re-imagining.