pros/cons of booking 2 balcony rooms instead of 1 minisuite for a fam of 4

[Donder1]

Go for a mini or full suite. I am more concerned with overall saftey of kids being alone. Even a cruise ship can have creeps or worst aboard. And, while I believe you when you say your children would never climb on furniture or a railing, there is always a first time. Would you really take that risk? On my first cruise, we had porpoises swimming along with the ship right beneath our deck (on the Dolphin Deck). It was hard to see them if you didn't look down right over the railing. Now, we were tall enough to see over the railing below us. I wonder if even the most cautious child couldn't resist a peek and stand on a chair for a better view... see where I am going with this.

[avd79]

We are travelling in March/10 with our 2 boys ages 10 and 8. We booked 2 outside cabins and my husband and I will split up - one with each child, because the Crown doesn't have adjoining rooms. If they had adjoining rooms we would have put the boys in one and my husband and I in the other, with the door open in between. We decided to get the 2 cabins because of the extra closet and bathroom space. Getting four people showered and ready for dinner with one bathroom is really hard.

[ShelbysMom]

If you want to use the balcony to go into their room, then you'll need to remove the furniture from BOTH balconies. Otherwise, they can climb on the furniture on your balcony that they can get to through the open connecting door in the balcony.

 

I have an almost four year old who I've taken on two cruises, each time in a minisuite. I will not put him in a room other than mine for several more years at least, unless it has a connecting interior door.

 

We have a swimming pool at home, with a locking cover. My DS is very well behaved and a good sleeper and doesn't wander off in the middle of the night. But that doesn't mean that we leave the pool cover open at night. It's closed and locked with the key out of reach. Just common sense.

 

You asked what other people would choose. Most people told you they would not put kids that young in a balcony. Add me to that list.

[TwinCruiserMom]

Almost all of the answers to your question say "Don't do it!" I am sure many of us are mothers and the thought of those kids getting hurt or worse makes us very nervous. There wouldn't be so many of us getting upset if this was not such a touchy subject and that right there should cause you to seriously rethink your options.

 

Your kids will grow up before you know it and you will treasure the memories you make while they are little. Good morning cuddles and kisses are priceless and so is the peace of knowing your little ones are sleeping safely only a few feet away.

 

Your kids may love a few visits to the kids club and you can have your privacy then.

 

Here's hoping you come to the right decision.

[karatemom2]

consider connecting oceanviews or insides if must have separate cabins. I might think of doing that with the ages of children but not balconies. Heck, we cruised with our two DD's, all four to one cabin, (inside, OV, balcony) until they were 21. What a blast and the memories...priceless. Yep, it was tight at times but we made it work. How?? I have no idea, especially with bout 20 pairs of shoes between the three of them. Kinda miss those times.

 

This post brought such a smile to my face. We, like you, share a cabin with our two kids who are now 10 and 15 and we plan to continue that practice. Yes, it's a little tight at times and yes we have to make some accomodations for each other, but I wouldn't trade the times we have shared together in our little inside or oceanview cabins for all the minisuites onboard. Like you we have made wonderful memories with more to come on future cruises I'm sure. I am guessing someday when my kids are grown and DH and I have the luxury of cruising as a couple, we will look back and miss these times as well. It all goes by so fast!

[Pam in CA]

e71465 my kids dont climb like monkeys and I dont sleep like a log...

I think what most of us are saying here is that with children this young (or even kids at any age), expect the unexpected. What they do at home can be completely different when in a different environment. How many of us have known kids who were terrors or acted up when away from their parents but angels when with their parents? Or vice versa? When on their own, there are all kinds of ways children can, and do, get into trouble. For most of us, the thought of a balcony with a railing with small children on their own, even with all the furniture removed, raises too many red flags. What if they dragged a chair or the desk stool from inside the cabin onto the balcony? Or even one of the suitcases? All of us think, "My kid wouldn't do that!" but you know what? They do! Especially when our backs are turned. That's all most of us are trying to say. Jean Kerr wrote a great book which became a movie called, "Please Don't Eat the Daisies." While a humorous book, it's based on truth: it's what you forget to or don't think of telling your kids that they'll wind up doing. In Jean Kerr's case, she'd made a centerpiece of daisies for the dining room table; the kids ate them. As I said, expect the unexpected.

[CanadaJulie]

As I mentionned before, we're doing 2 insides and a baby monitor with my gang (8, 10, 11). I'm not sure I would have gone for 2 balconies but frankly I didn't want to spend the extra $$ so it was a moot point - I didn't have to ask myself the safety question ! My reasoning is that there's not much trouble they can get into in an inside where I can eavesdrop on their every move. They're closer on this cruise than they are at home !

 

Maybe you can consider 2 insides as an alternative ?

 

We are using what we save on balconies to go a little earlier to FLL (going 2 days ahead) and maybe take an excursion that I would not have otherwise done. I figure there's plenty of oceanview up on the Lido deck for now... ;)

 

Some day, when I travel alone with my DH, we'll splurge and do a balcony !

[nurserosie]

Thanks for all the replies... Nothing is booked yet -I just wanted to hear what other parents thought as this idea sparked in my mind. I didn't quite expect some of the responses I read though. The boys are girls sleeping arrangement is a good idea that I didnt think off (an idea such as that was the point of the post).

 

Im not sure why some of you are hung up on the balcony room. With nothing to climb on, I consider it totally safe. The railing is twice taller then my DD and my son wouldn't think of climbing up there even if he could. I guess everyone's kids are different. Some are more curious and rambunctious then others. I know when I can trust my own kids and when to not trust them. I would definitely not do the cross hall setup

 

I would like to specifically thank the poster who mentioned my kids smoking and drinking for wasting everyone's time. I would suggest you work on formulating your thoughts into proper constructive posts or move on.

 

:rolleyes::rolleyes: totally different topic sort of...BUT

 

we have a pool...house forms one wall...rest is fenced with 6 foot high wrought iron...always kept securely locked..as was the bathroom that opened onto this pool..I remember both my sisters and my son in law FIRST thing checking bathroom locks..and gate locks as soon as they arrived

 

TWICE..a 2 year child was found INSIDE the gated pool!!...we never did figure out how they did it..but after the second time it happened we never again trusted that a determined two year old could if they wanted to..find a way in,,or over...and no..no window access either..

 

thinking you KNOW what your kids would or would not do is a dangerous frame of reference...

 

oh..another time a 3 year old nephew wrote his hot wheels directly into the water...with both his parents and cousins and me within feet of where he went in...

 

it surely is your decision..

 

good luck

[genevieve7000]

We share a room (balcony) with our 11 and 9 year old. I wouldn't dream of putting them in a separate room yet. The only way to book a separate room for your kids is to lie and claim that one adult will be in each balcony room, which is not the plan. I think of the Madeline McCann story; the little British girl abducted from her hotel room while parents dining downstairs....maybe not quite the same, but I bet they wish they could have a "do-over" on that decision. Between kids club and early bedtimes, I think you can find all the "privacy" you need in a mini-suite; we always have!

[stoneharborlady]

I have to wonder, too, Princess DOES have some rules about ages of kids in cabin, without an adult. Surely the steward would know if those kids were alone in that cabin, wouldnt he alert higher ups to the situation? If I were the steward, I darn sure would. Ultimately you are taking a very big chance with two very little kids.

 

Karen

[luckycanuck]

I'm an empty nester mom and all I can add is that I would give all my future private times to be able to turn back the clock and spend more time with my precious children when they were that age. They grow up so fast! I would want to be near them every second!:)

[e71465]

I have to wonder, too, Princess DOES have some rules about ages of kids in cabin, without an adult. Surely the steward would know if those kids were alone in that cabin, wouldnt he alert higher ups to the situation? If I were the steward, I darn sure would. Ultimately you are taking a very big chance with two very little kids.

 

Karen

 

I would think the steward would call higher ups because Princess doesnt' want to be held liable if something were to happen. I am sure Princess must have some sort of age limit on the age of children being left in a room alone.

 

This mother is taking her "privacy" over her childrens safety! It's just nuts!

[ShelbysMom]

Actually, I think it is the father that is posting.

[e71465]

Actually, I think it is the father that is posting.

 

Ooooops, I thought it was the mother? LOL

[A&Emom]

How much privacy will you really need? Last summer we booked 2 side by side ob/v cabins for my husband, 2yo, 6yo & myself. The plan was that both kids would sleep in the cabin with me and that I could visit my husband for some private time.

 

We were upgraded to a mini-suite w/balconey and it was fine for all of us. We made good use of the balconey many nights. However all things being the same, I would still book 2 cabins with the plan to keep the kids with me.

 

Just a thought.

[Minoushka]

On our last FAMILY vacation we went on CB from New York to the Carib .We got 2 balcony cabins side by side with the partition opened .My boys stayed in 1 cabin hubby and I in the other .I felt 4 of us in 1 would not work >i kept our balcony doors opened and regularly checked on the boys thru the balconies even in the middle of the night and to "neaterise "the room

Our balcony was big enough fo 4 of us we chose Caribe deck

Yes I would do this again Officially we each had 1 kid but it was not a problem My kids are big now .

Hopefully this summer on Emerald

[cruzinchris]

I would think the steward would call higher ups because Princess doesnt' want to be held liable if something were to happen. I am sure Princess must have some sort of age limit on the age of children being left in a room alone.

 

An observant steward would certainly notice that two children are occupying a stateroom without adult supervision. I, too, hope that this would be reported to superiors.

 

I also wonder if the parents would leave their children alone in the stateroom while they went to adult venues in the evening? Children this young would not be left at home alone and should not be left unattended onboard a cruise ship, either. jmo

Chris

[CanadaJulie]

An observant steward would certainly notice that two children are occupying a stateroom without adult supervision. I, too, hope that this would be reported to superiors.

 

I also wonder if the parents would leave their children alone in the stateroom while they went to adult venues in the evening? Children this young would not be left at home alone and should not be left unattended onboard a cruise ship, either. jmo

Chris

 

Oh for Pete's sake...:eek:

 

She (he ?) asked about sleeping 6 feet away from them, separated by 1 wall, while listening to them with a baby monitor not locking them in their cabin while they went off partying all night at the other end of the ship...:rolleyes:. I don't sleep IN my kids room at home so I must obviously be off partying at a club somewhere else in town ??

 

Also, unless he's doing spot checks at 3am, I highly doubt a steward would know either way who was sleeping in which cabin. Once everyone has left for breakfast, an unmade made is an unmade bed no matter who slept in it. The fact that mom's clothes are in the other cabin does not mean she did not sleep in the kids room. I get dressed in front of my DH, not in front of my kids... If I were sleeping in the kids room, my stuff would still be in the other room. He'd have to be 'real' sure before accusing someone like this !

 

How about this scenario: 2 balconies, you put the kids to bed in one room. You and your husband can have some adult time in your room or relax on the balcony once the kids are sleeping. Once it's bed time for the adults, you quietly move the 4yo from the kids room to your room and you sleep with the 7 yo ? All safe !

[junglejane]

How about this scenario: 2 balconies, you put the kids to bed in one room. You and your husband can have some adult time in your room or relax on the balcony once the kids are sleeping. Once it's bed time for the adults, you quietly move the 4yo from the kids room to your room and you sleep with the 7 yo ? All safe !

 

It's nice to find someone actually making a helpful constructive suggestion on this thread! (Also makes me think back fondly to the days when my kids were "portable" when they slept.)

[lulubell]

I would certainly not book a balcony room for children age 4 & 7 nor would I leave them in a room by themselves overnight unless it was an adjoining room with the door open.

I firmly second that!

No need to chance it and star on the five o'clock news!