My Cousin Needs Your Help ASAP- What Cat To Book for six?

[DonaldsGrl103]

Hey everyone,
I am new to this cruise business and need your help. Ok she has four kids but all of them are quite so small so what category could she book. Her kids are 2, 4, 5 and 7. So booking adjoining rooms i dont think would be an option.- So what is the cheapest category room she could get for all of them and for the two yr old would she have to pay for her and would it count towards cabin capacity?Any help is appreciated
THANKS and remember altogether its six of them

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't think they should necessarily exclude two connecting rooms which would probably be the cheapest option. Many larger families book that way. They'd have 4 bathrooms and lots of room for everyone. The suites are very expensive. Have her call DCL directly and speak to a rep to get an idea of all the options and prices. 888-325-2500.

 

[1stNoel]

Her only choices are category 1 or 2 suites or adjoining rooms. Since the suites are very hard to get, the adjoining rooms is the way to go. You can prop the doors between the rooms open though.

 

[DonaldsGrl103]

Yes but then wouldnt she be paying adult prices for the children in the second room? Anyway you can help we would appreciate

 

[scrapperjill]

Is she the only adult going with the group of kids on this cruise? If so...yes she would have to pay the adult fare for the first 2 people per stateroom no matter what age....But I still think going that way may end up being cheeper than booking one of the cat 1 or 2's. And by having adjoining rooms....it really wouldn't be much diffrent than being in a house...(meaning sleeping in diffrent rooms)...as long as the doors between the rooms was proped open. Who else is she going with?...

 

[my3kids]

She'll need 2 connecting rooms, available in any category except 11 and 12. The can leave to doors completely open, either with blocks, or bungee cords or something like that. She will have to pay 4 full fares, but in most any category, that would still be a lot less less than a category 1 or 2 suite. I think in the connecting rooms, she'd actually be closer to the the children's beds than she would in a suite, if the bedrooms are on opposite sides of the living area.

 

[CarolAnnC]

In order to book the two connecting rooms, there will have to be one adult (over age 21) booked in each cabin. Also, the 2 year old will count as a person in the cabin. Even infants are counted as maritime laws require lifeboat capacities to be adhered to.

 

[mmouse37]

Make sure you request CONNECTING cabins. These have interior doors to each cabin. ADJOINING cabins only mean that the cabins are next to each other...no interior doors between cabins.

Make sure you ask for the correct cabins. Many people have been disappointed...asking for adjoining cabins but meaning connecting cabins.

MJ

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Even infants are counted as maritime laws require lifeboat capacities to be adhered to.

It seems to go beyond that. Not only do they have to make sure there are not more people in the ship than the lifeboats can handle, but they also can not exceed occupancy in any one cabin beyond the number of beds in the cabin. And yes, infants are still counted as occupying a bed even if the infant co-sleeps with parents or sleeps in a pac-n-play crib (and the crib is NOT counted as an additiona bed). If it was only a question of lifeboat capacity, this wouldn't be an issue because then Disney could allow more people in a room than there are beds and only have to make sure the total number of people booked do not exceed the lifeboat capacity. Mater of fact, they have to do that NOW. The total bed capacity of the ship far outnumbers the total lifeboat capacity. But the ship was designed that way because while the average cabin can hold 4 people, there will always be plenty of cabins that have been booked by couples and families of 3.

DonaldsGrl103, this is why you will have to get two cabins. Cabins in Cat12 to Cat5 have a MAXIMUM occupancy of 4 (many are limited to three, and I think there are a few limited to 2). Cat4 has an occupancy of 5, and Cat3 and above finally get to occupancy levels of 6 and more.

As you have pointed out, getting two cabins will required 4 adult fares regardless of the actual age of the occupants. You'll be paying some much "extra" for adult fares it might be worth considering getting some adult relatives to try to join you on the cruise.

 

[DonaldsGrl103]

Yes it seems she be better off getting two connecting rooms. It will be her husband and herself and their 4 little kids.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

I just called and asked about this today -

Disney assured me - I was much better with two rooms than the cat 1 ro 2 if money was a concern

 

[Yankee914]

We have friends traveling with us in April that are a family of 6. They booked connecting cabins - two category 9's (8's were already sold out). It works out much cheaper than any other way -- this way they also get two bathrooms --- a must when traveling with four girls!

 

[CarolAnnC]

It seems to go beyond that. Not only do they have to make sure there are not more people in the ship than the lifeboats can handle, but they also can not exceed occupancy in any one cabin beyond the number of beds in the cabin. And yes, infants are still counted as occupying a bed even if the infant co-sleeps with parents or sleeps in a pac-n-play crib (and the crib is NOT counted as an additiona bed). If it was only a question of lifeboat capacity, this wouldn't be an issue because then Disney could allow more people in a room than there are beds and only have to make sure the total number of people booked do not exceed the lifeboat capacity. Mater of fact, they have to do that NOW. The total bed capacity of the ship far outnumbers the total lifeboat capacity. But the ship was designed that way because while the average cabin can hold 4 people, there will always be plenty of cabins that have been booked by couples and families of 3.

I did not mean to imply that infants requiring lifeboat space is the ONLY reason to not book them in the room...

Ship capacity is determined by many factors. Yes, Maritime Law requires each person, including infants, to have space on the lifeboat. So, although you may have a crib, or "space" in the room, it is possible the lifeboat for that cabin is already full due to the space booked by others assigned to that lifeboat.

Also, the ship fills to capacity if a party with children exceeds the limit for the number allowed in each particular age group for the kids clubs. Even the dining rooms are allowed a total number of people, including infants, and the ship will book if that number is exceeded.

So this is why sometimes folks may see they have a room for 4 with only 3 of them booked, but cannot add the 4th person to join them in their stateroom. There are many factors that go into these decisions.

 

[Hieatt]

We are a family of six, and at time of sailing our kids will be 8, 6, 4 and 3 years old. I was ready to splurge and we looked into booking a Category 1 Suite, but ended up booking two connecting Cat. 6 balcony staterooms instead. Even paying 4 adult prices, the savings was still almost $5000!!

I plan to put ALL of the kids in one room and my wife and I in the other With a door between the rooms and a locking balcony door, this should be no problem.