party of five-one kid too much cost $2,000

[goofyme]

would like(ok, love) to go on cruise. here is my problem (tell me if this has been said before so i don't feel alone)...we have three kids....we HAVE to get a family verandah suite to go as a family...(sorry, no one else is going so can't bunk a kid in another room). but it will cost $1,800 to2,000 more just to have a family suite on a 4 day cruise...it is just me or is that crazy...i know, i know safety, economics, bigger sapce blah blah blah but don't you think that is a little much for having a third child?

has anyone been able to talk them down a reasonable amount. a 4 day suite is $4,200 whereas i could get a 4 person oceanview for $2700 or even an inside cabin for $2,200.....a reasonable amount i could afford might be $3,200 help please??

 

[bigsky]

I know what you mean. We do have only two kids, so we got it cheaper. But my niece wanted to go with us. We couldn't take her cuz of the extra cost was so much. Actually I was wondering the same thing of how people could afford that.

But, you said you could get a 4 person oceanview for 2,700??? Where?! I paid a lot more than that. They told me you have to book a catagory 9 for four people. So who do you go through??!! Maybe I can save some money. But I"m sure the rooms are all pretty taken.

Thanks!

 

[goofyme]

$2,799 on disney website..that is only for a 4 day cruise only by the way...

 

[tpseller]

I have heard that some people get connecting rooms. That way you get a quote on one two person room and one three person room. You just have to reserve them with one parent in one room and one parent in the other room. Which one you put the kids in is your choice

I have heard some people bring something with them to keep the doors propped open. That way you also have TWO bathrooms!!!

I just checked the all seasons travel website, and you can get two catagory nine rooms for $3050.00. Not sure when you are traveling though. Also check with Dreams Unlimited that runs this board, they also have good rates.

Good Luck! Hope you get to go on a cruise!

 

[Dean]

It'll be cheaper to get connecting rooms. Reserve them with one parent in each then you have a 2 BR. You can put each person where you want, nothing says you all have to stay where you're reserved. It's cheaper and you have more room and 2 baths.

As far as the philisophical question, I don't think it's the destinations responsibility to ensure a low cost or workable option for each family size. I've seen the same arguement on the DVC site multiple times about families of 5. Just have a couple of more children and you're problems will be solved, LOL.

 

[Padre Disney]

We have 4 kids and book 2 connecting cat 10 rooms. We get charged the adult rate for the first 2 people in each room and a different rate depending on age for the others.. Then, we stay in one room and the kids stay next door. Our stateroom hostess opened the connecting doors and proped them open for us. We could close the door anytime we needed. Two rooms together gave us 2 bathroom for getting ready. In our family of six, four are girls. Took forever getting ready sometimes and the second bathroom was needed.

Others have suggested booking 2 cat 11 rooms adjoining (next to each other but no connecting door) But we always wanted a door that connected the rooms for easy access to the kids if they needed us. cat 10's are the cheapest connecting.

Good Luck

 

[jlawall]

Another solution is..........my family of five has two rooms, one Cat. 6 and one Cat. 11 across the hallway. My girls are older and they mainly sleep in the room - that's it. So they can use our balcony whenever they want. We are booked with one adult in each room. This seemed the most affordable way to fit everyone and get a balcony.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I do feel your pain. I had priced out a 7 day next summer. Two cat. 10 rooms were $6800 for the western, one cat. 4 room was $8300. Not only do we have the third child, we have to travel in busy season because I'm a teacher and work during value season.
Luckily my dad decided to take everyone and pick up the tab, so we now have 3 cat. 6 rooms and DS will bunk with his grandparents, while DDs bunk with us and sister, BIL and nieces are on other side of my parents.
It's a pain, and we get it in hotels too--but that little boy of mine is worth being unable to book 4 person rooms.
Robin M.

 

[hydster]

We have 3 smaller children as well...9,8 and 4. When we cruise in May they will be 10, 9 and 5 but still not really old enough to stay in a room alone so we too booked 2 connecting staterooms instead of a cat. 4 family suite. We are going on the May 1st (surprise for the kids) with 2 connecting porthole rooms. That was we get the 2 bathrooms as well but no verandah which with the kids going we dont use much anyway. We paid full fare for the first 4 of us and then a cheaper rate for the 5th. We plan on putting the kids in one room and us in the other. When we did the land/sea package in November it was really close to $6000.00 for us to stay because we had to stay at the Poly and then have the cat 4 suite. When I booked the 2 connecting staterooms for the 7 day Eastern through Dreams I could get either 2 connecting cat 10 rooms for a total of 4400 or 2 cat 8 connecting with a porthole window for about 5500. We decided to do the 2 cat 8's for the 5500 because it would be nice to have a window and they were on the 6th deck instead of the 2nd deck which I liked. Also when I booked there were amazingly still a few of the "secret" porthole window rooms available so maybe if you are flexible with dates you can get 2 of those connecting rooms and get a "window" for a windowless view. Contact dreams and get a quote from them.

Heidi