Breakaway with kids

[MarlboroBell]

Hi all,

 

We're thinking about taking the Breakaway this Thanksgiving. We have two kids (9 and 6).

 

We've taken them on one cruise before, about three years ago, and that was on RCCL Freedom. We got connecting promenade-view cabins and that worked out pretty well.

 

If we can possibly avoid it, we'd love to not have to deal with dumping us all in the one cabin -- it gets pretty claustrophobic in there, and we do actually use the cabin more than most. In an ideal world we'd get a regular balcony cabin for ourselves, connecting to an inside for the kids, but Breakaway doesn't have those.

 

So... I'm wondering if there are good options. So far I haven't found any, but maybe I've missed something.

 

(1) Get two connecting inside cabins (or two connecting oceanview cabins). That works, but I'd miss my balcony...

(2) Get two connecting balcony cabins. Can you say $$$$?

(3) Get a balcony cabin and an inside directly across. Bzzzt. Breakaway doesn't have any of those either (wth?!) By the looks of it, there are a few where the doors are visible from each other, but still, I think the kids are too young for that option. (I'd welcome opinions though.)

(4) Something else. (Maybe push the boat out... I did win on a TV game show last year after all!) I wish they'd allow four people in an M1 mini-suite, that would solve the problem once and for all even if it was a bit expensive!

 

Anyone else dealt with this issue yet?

[SissasMomE]

Hi all,

 

We're thinking about taking the Breakaway this Thanksgiving. We have two kids (9 and 6).

 

We've taken them on one cruise before, about three years ago, and that was on RCCL Freedom. We got connecting promenade-view cabins and that worked out pretty well.

 

If we can possibly avoid it, we'd love to not have to deal with dumping us all in the one cabin -- it gets pretty claustrophobic in there, and we do actually use the cabin more than most. In an ideal world we'd get a regular balcony cabin for ourselves, connecting to an inside for the kids, but Breakaway doesn't have those.

 

So... I'm wondering if there are good options. So far I haven't found any, but maybe I've missed something.

 

(1) Get two connecting inside cabins (or two connecting oceanview cabins). That works, but I'd miss my balcony...

(2) Get two connecting balcony cabins. Can you say $$$$?

(3) Get a balcony cabin and an inside directly across. Bzzzt. Breakaway doesn't have any of those either (wth?!) By the looks of it, there are a few where the doors are visible from each other, but still, I think the kids are too young for that option. (I'd welcome opinions though.)

(4) Something else. (Maybe push the boat out... I did win on a TV game show last year after all!) I wish they'd allow four people in an M1 mini-suite, that would solve the problem once and for all even if it was a bit expensive!

 

Anyone else dealt with this issue yet?

 

Yeah, but I just went with 2 aft-facing balcony cabins. I couldn't give it up, and there was no way I was putting 4 in a cabin.

 

As for your idea of the kids across the hall, that doesn't work on this ship because the doors to the inside cabins are in their own interior hallway. Dumb idea on NCL's part, for sure.

 

You can get connecting ocean view cabins on Deck 5, I believe. The minisuites on NCL are not worth it at all. The extra square footage is in the bathroom, not the cabin itself. If you're going to do that, save the money and just get the balcony for the 4 of you.

[bamagrad92]

I wish I knew the answer too. We have a 7 and 3 year old. This past spring break we were on the Star out of New Orleans and had a family suite. Best cabin ever! I wish NCL had these rooms on the Breakaway and Getaway. They only made Haven suites that are way out of budget. We are looking at booking connecting family oceanview staterooms. We prefer not to have a balcony with the little man. Two ocean view staterooms on the Breakaway is about as big as a single family suite on the Star. Still waiting on someone to post pictures of the family ocean view that shows how they will fit 5 "comfortably". I'm not seeing it...

[MarlboroBell]

As for your idea of the kids across the hall, that doesn't work on this ship because the doors to the inside cabins are in their own interior hallway. Dumb idea on NCL's part, for sure.

 

What I saw on the deck plans (maybe somebody can confirm it) is that slightly forward of midships there's a set of inside rooms arranged up and down the ship rather than across it, on decks 9, 12 and 13. (On 10 and 11 this space is occupied by the studio rooms.) So there probably are a few rooms where you can at least roughly look across to the inside room. I suspect my kids are still a little too young for this option though.

[Mom2B&Z]

I'm interested in the responses too. DH and I have boys who will be 9&6 when we sail Breakaway and are currently booked in a "bump" balcony. We've done balconies before and don't find it bad, but the sleeping arrangements are getting tight. We were looking at a s6 which would be another $1600, but need to think a little more on that one ;).

We need the balcony for DH's motion sickness, so that limits us too. If I'm going to be paying big dollars, I might as well have a suite and haven access lol!

[hollon]

Like one said above, connecting oceanviews. or balcony and oceanview and keep one parent w/ one child and one parent w/ the other child in different cabins, and just use the phones to meet up.