booking 2 staterooms that are joined..how far in adavance?? Other options..or ships?

[PoppyMac]

I am planning to book a cruise for next spring this October. That is just when I will have the money to do it. I cannot book it any sooner.

 

But while going over cruises that interest me, it seems I am pretty much too late to book 2 rooms that adjoin. I have kind of an open window of when I want to go..between feb. 4th and March 31st (kids are in school this is best time of year for me)

 

I had pretty much decided to do Carnival out of Galvestion for western Caribbean. I wont cruise without a balcony. I suffer from anxiety disorder and claustrophobia is a big issue. Also, We have a family of 4, that is blended. My daughter is 16 and isnt really into sharing a small space with her stepdad, so I would like two connecting rooms so we have 2 bathrooms and a bit of space and a balcony. I am not ok with 2 rooms that are not adjoined to split us up. I would be ok with a suite..if it was big enough. Like a one bedroom, but the suites I see online for carnival,dont seem that much bigger. Might be wrong.

 

Anyway, seems like it is too late for most cruises I look at. Ships seems very full for this time frame, and no adjoining rooms left,that I have seen. I will still try when I have the money to officially book, but thinking I have to rethink when we cruise. Or rethink other lines ...again. What about suites on Carnival? Would that offer enough room for a family of 4, that does NOT want to be on top of each other? What about other cruiselines? Someone who has more adjoining rooms that I may have better luck booking with for 2 rooms together?

My hub is 6'7 and is a big man. I have a crazy 4 year old who never stops. A 16 year old ..who frankly..is 16 and doesnt really want to be around the rest of us lol. And me, the anxiety ridden mom, who takes medicine for anxiety/claustraphobia attacks, but prefers not to start out in a place too small that will set me off.

Or should I put off cruise for another year and book out as far as possible to get that extra room?

Just when I thought I had the cruise that fit best picked, realizing why people book a year in advance!

Thanks for anyone with advice about this. I appreciate it.

[eh2zed]

Limiting yourself to 2 adjoining rooms really does present a challenge. We have family cruised before when the kids were younger. What about a balcony cabin with an inside right across the hall. Its not adjoining but as close as you can get otherwise. You might also want to post on the Carnival page. The experts there may know of some other solution.

[paul929207]

The problem you are running into is that most people pick their cabin when they book. They are not paying any attention to keeping pairs of cabins available. It is then complicated by people cancelling random cabins.

[tracyanns]

Your best bet is to acutally call a PVP at CCL and see what they recommend. It is much harder to get adjoining rooms if you don't book early unless no one else wants them. There aren't a whole lot of suites out on the high seas with actual seperate bedrooms and those that have them come at a VERY high price and actually fill up pretty quickly as there is a certain clientelle that will pay $20,000 to cruise for a week...

 

Maybe you can go onto the roll calls and see if there is a group out there that booked at a group rate with a reduced deposit...or possibly you can just come up with the deposit now and not pay the rest until later...

 

Unfortunately the earlier you book the more options you will have. And I feel your pain on the 16 yo and the stepdad, our next cruise my 17 yo doesn't want to go, she doens't want to spend that much time with us and away from her friends!

[Essiesmom]

For this family, I don't think a cabin across the hall would work. I doubt they would want to put the hyperactive 4y/o there, with the 16 y/o. I think connecting cabins is their only option.

OP, if you are willing to switch cruise lines, the M class ships of Celebrity have some wonderful Family Verandah cabins that accommodate five, and have a divider between the two sleeping areas, although those in the second area still have to go through the 'bedroom' to get to the bathroom. Oh, and they have balconies as large as the cabin...

There are few suites at a reasonable price that are more than just a larger cabin, certainly none on Carnival. And on Carnival, in a suite the 16y/o would be sharing a fold out couch with the 4y/o. In fact, even on lines where the suites have a separate bedroom, the 3/4th persons would be sharing the couch...

I suggest you go to the forum for each cruise line that interests you and ask what is available that might suit you. EM

[Marie51]

How do you know that there are no connecting cabins avaliable? Did you call Carnival or a travel agent to help you? Sometimes when you look yourself all the avaliable cabins don't show up. There are other cruise lines that have connecting cabins including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, and Norwiegan so don't limit yourself to Carnival.

And I would never put a 4 yr old in a cabin across the hall as was suggested...much too young.

[tak81288]

People book way in advance especially if they need something special such as adjoining rooms. Also, aside from the first week 2 weeks in February, many school districts across the nation are out of school during the timeframe you indicated. Mid winter breaks, president day breaks, and spring breaks all fall within that timeframe. This results in a high # of families w/ kids who are snatching up cabins to have their families members close together.

 

I'm thinking even with a suite, you don't want to all be in the same room though.

 

I would defnitely keep looking diligently. People book, cancel, changes room....etc..all the time. However, you have to act quickly if something frees up to get you want.

 

I would also call the cruiseline directly. There could be rooms available that aren't showing up online.

 

Hope it works out!

[AlanAllyn]

Try the Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) if you want to sail out of Galveston. They have a few pairs of adjoining D1 balconies on 3/4 (the only date I looked at).

[cherylandtk]

Poppymac,

Your timeframe is smack in the middle of spring break, which is a popular time for cruising, so rooms of all kinds will book up early. Carnival is already booking the March 2013 cruises, so you are not early for that year, either, but you probably can still find the rooms you want.

 

Given your limitations, I would suggest you either save up for a cruise at another time when you can book far in advance, or look for a reduced deposit special from a TA, (assuming you can swing a total deposit of $400 now) or perhaps as a last resort, wait to see if there are any cancellations at final payment. But if you cannot make a deposit until October, I think you should be looking at 2013 cruises, not 2012, given your specific room needs.

[CraftyEC]

You may need to look at other lines. I've checked Princess but see they will not be sailing out of Galveston until late 2012, so not suitable for this planned trip, but perhaps another line has a similar arrangement. We had ajoining rooms on the Emerald Princess which did not connect via the connecting wall, but it was possible to open the 'door' between the cabins, so that we could get between the two cabins via the balcony. This actually gave us more space.

 

However, on another thread surprise was expressed that we were allowed to book a cabin for a 15 and a 17 year old, as neither of them was 21! No concern was ever raised with us, but perhaps this is something else to check with the cruise line. As your little one is so young you may have to plump for the 1 or 2 bedroomed suite option, which could be expensive.

[PoppyMac]

Thanks for the replies, and I will check out Celebrity. I came into this thinking I wanted Disney, and so am willing to change things. The one thing I did want, was to cruise when my daughter could actually use the teen areas. She will be 17 next Febuary. am even thinking of leaving my hub at home and having a holiday with just me and the kids! He isnt that excited to go on a cruise, and says it is fine to stay home. I have found time with just me and the kids is often more relaxing than all of us together. Then I wouldnt have to have 2 rooms. I could also push my time frame back to late May or June, that is an ok time to miss some school. Guess I am back to the drawing board!! lol.

[CraftyEC]

We had adjoining rooms on the Emerald Princess which did not connect via the connecting wall, but it was possible to open the 'door' between the cabins, so that we could get between the two cabins via the balcony. This actually gave us more space.

Ooops, I meant to say "... the door between the balconies ..." - that will teach me to type so late at night :rolleyes:

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Book as soon asap thay go fast

[Marie51]

Ooops, I meant to say "... the door between the balconies ..." - that will teach me to type so late at night :rolleyes:

 

I would not count on that always being possible. I was on a cruise a couple yeras ago and the captain would not allow the balcony dividers to be opened for the first 3 days due to bad weather. On the 4th day our cabin attendant was finally able to open the divider. If someone was counting on that to have access to kids in the next cabin it would not work out.

[BlueRiband]

There are a lot of variables with your situation. 4 and 16 is a huge age range. And while you would not have a problem with a connecting balcony room with the 16 year old you would not want the 4 year old in there (or anywhere else) without constant supervision.

 

It's going to be expensive: either two connecting balconies or a suite. Ships have a limited number of connecting staterooms, and even suites do not necessarily sleep more than two people.

 

Given the requirements that you stated if you book a guarantee, do not book any arrangement that would be unsatisfactory to you. Many times people book a cabin they really don't like but hope for a free upgrade. What usually happens is that the passenger gets what they paid for and no more than that.

[serene56]

I would book for next year.

 

The longer you wait- the more you are going to pay.

 

Booking now for the following year will give you more choices.

and give you much longer to make those payments.

 

For this coming year-- you will have to come up with 1000.00 deposit.

thats a lot of money for a family of 4.

 

Book a balcony cabin that holds 3 people and an inside cabin across the hall. You save money and give the 16 year old her own space and the 4 year old stays with you--but for booking purposes book two people in the inside cabin.

 

Will you consider taking a friend for the 16 year old?

 

unhappy kids can break your vacation

[tracyanns]

Thanks for the replies, and I will check out Celebrity. I came into this thinking I wanted Disney, and so am willing to change things. The one thing I did want, was to cruise when my daughter could actually use the teen areas. She will be 17 next Febuary. am even thinking of leaving my hub at home and having a holiday with just me and the kids! He isnt that excited to go on a cruise, and says it is fine to stay home. I have found time with just me and the kids is often more relaxing than all of us together. Then I wouldnt have to have 2 rooms. I could also push my time frame back to late May or June, that is an ok time to miss some school. Guess I am back to the drawing board!! lol.

 

I LOVE to vacation with just my girls...it is like a real vacation for us. I don't know what it is but dad/hubby is always the odd man out when it is a family vacation and someone doesn't get to do something they want...when he isn't with us it just seems to run so much smoother!

 

This would be my vote!

[PoppyMac]

I LOVE to vacation with just my girls...it is like a real vacation for us. I don't know what it is but dad/hubby is always the odd man out when it is a family vacation and someone doesn't get to do something they want...when he isn't with us it just seems to run so much smoother!

 

This would be my vote!

 

This would be my daughters vote. Funnily enough when I was married to her Dad, very often this was the case too. For some reason it is easier with just me and my kids. The only thing I lose out on is someone to share the watching of the crazy 4 year old. Last year we went on a me and kids only long weekend, and they got along great. It was so peaceful. I am really considering this!

I am also really considering letting my daughter bring a friend, as someone suggested. As a 16 year old, a friend brought me on my first and only cruise down to Mexico. It was very awesome. I like that idea..they could get the room across the hall.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to just wait until I can afford to book, and see what i can do. I am ok with waiting until 2013 if that gets me what I want. I appreciate it everyone!:)

[CraftyEC]

I am ok with waiting until 2013 if that gets me what I want. I appreciate it everyone!:)

And of course by then your 'crazy 4 year old' will be a little older and probably a little more predictable, but will still be very excited about the whole deal. Mind you, her sister will be older and may have different views!