Which Cruise Line recommended for family of 5

[exercisemama]

We are a family of 5, looking for ideas on which cruise/ship has the most to offer in terms of accommodations and entertainment for us. Our family consists of my DH and I, along with DS 12, DS 14 and DD 23. My DH and I cruised on RC Adventure of The Seas last year. We liked it, but are looking for something else. Also, what type of cabin would anyone recommend? We are on a tight budget!

 

Thanks for any suggestions!!

[jcl410]

Your choice of line is up to what you like.... I see you were on Royal Caribbean. How did you like it? It has lots of activities for all ages and temperaments; it's my favorite main stream line.

 

We usually get 2 cabins; one for my wife and me, and one for the "kids", DD(15),DD(16), and DS(26). Having 2 bathrooms is great!

 

 

Aloha,

 

John

[Keith1010]

I would look at getting two rooms.

 

If you hadn't mentioned RCI I would have mentioned them given the ages of the children.

 

If overall you enjoyed them I would stay with them.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Very few ships have cabins that will accommodate 5 people.

You would be better off getting 2 cabins.

[suezyq50]

I agree, get two cabins if possible. We have gotten joining cabins. The other option is across from each other. I usually do the math which can be the smartest way to go. Carnival seems to have bigger cabins. They have also been having some good sales.

[mykidsluv2cruz]

I would agree with the two cabins.

We sailed on 5 RC ships when our kids were younger and we could all share one balcony cabin. Now that my boys are big 13&10 (and big for their ages), we have switched to Carnival for the best rates. We also enjoyed our Carnival experience (first time last year) and have just booked again for Dec 2014. Its also affordable for two adjoining cabins. We live in NY and leave from the NY port which is another way to cut costs instead of flying to FL or another port.

We would love to sail on one of the Mega ships on RC from FL but when we do the math, its more cost efficient to leave from NY on Carnival with the 2 cabins.

Keeping my eye on the Quantam!

[Gunner22aa]

Your cheapest rates will be on Carnival or NCL. With the exception of a family suite or a top end suite you will be hard pressed to find a cabin for 5. Even if you do you will be tripping over each other. I too support the two cabin plan. Adjoining is the best option but perhaps a balcony for the adults and an interior across the hall would work as well. With two cabins the adults can have some privacy and the children won't feel that you are on top of them every minute. I think the two cabin option will be more enjoyable for all. Happy cruising!

[boulders]

We are a family of 5, looking for ideas on which cruise/ship has the most to offer in terms of accommodations and entertainment for us. Our family consists of my DH and I, along with DS 12, DS 14 and DD 23. My DH and I cruised on RC Adventure of The Seas last year. We liked it, but are looking for something else. Also, what type of cabin would anyone recommend? We are on a tight budget!

 

Thanks for any suggestions!!

 

Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Celebrity and Norwegian all have staterooms that will accommodate 5. Unless you get a suite, you will have one bathroom only. Disney has split bathrooms though - separate rooms for toilet and bathtub, both have sinks. Some cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity require that you call to book a cabin that sleeps more than 4. They won't show availability on their website. Carnival and Disney allow you to book a cabin for 5 on the website. I'm not sure about Norwegian.

 

Royal Caribbean will have the most activities and entertainment, especially if you go on Allure or Oasis. Each line will have different options for entertainment though, so it pays to do some research on what each offers.

 

Regarding budget, it all depends on what offers the cruise line has at the time of booking. Different cabins, different lines, time of year, will all affect how much the cost is. Same with two cabins vs one - sometimes one cabin will be cheaper, sometimes two.

[exercisemama]

Wow! Thanks for the suggestions!

Boulders, it looks like you have been on a wide variety of cruise lines! Which one do you prefer? Do you think the Disney Ships are too "babyish" for 12 & 14 year old Boys? I was almost thinking about a few days at Disney and then a cruise. Does Disney charge to transport you to the ship?

[boulders]

Wow! Thanks for the suggestions!

Boulders, it looks like you have been on a wide variety of cruise lines! Which one do you prefer? Do you think the Disney Ships are too "babyish" for 12 & 14 year old Boys? I was almost thinking about a few days at Disney and then a cruise. Does Disney charge to transport you to the ship?

 

My personal preference is HAL. But I'm an introvert and I now like to cruise to more exotic places than the Caribbean. HAL has some really interesting itineraries. HAL has bingo, trivia, cooking classes, a movie theatre (not under the stars, in a real theatre with free popcorn) and a nice computer lounge that has a view and a coffee shop. DD15's favourite is also HAL, even though she is an extrovert. DS8 doesn't have a preference. DS18 prefers Royal Caribbean. He says they have the most activities available.

 

Royal Caribbean's ships are probably the most diverse of all the cruise lines'. We have only been on Voyager and Radiance class ships. The Freedom and Oasis classes have more activities.

 

DS18 was 14 on our Disney cruise. We were on the Magic, before it had the waterslide installed. He liked the poolside pizza and the poolside movie screen. I didn't find Disney babyish, but it is aimed at kids (and adults) who appreciate the characters. My kids have always been suspicious of "people who dress in costumes and hug little kids", so the characters were not a plus for us. :o Disney's customer service is the best of the cruises I've taken. It had some of the best, and some of the worst food we've had on a cruise. The clientele definitely trends younger than other cruise lines. One thing about Disney that does not sit well with me is that newbies get access to shore excursions after people who have cruised before and DCL has a lot of repeat customers. We were newbies on a Med cruise, so the shore excursions were important. Another plus for being a DCL repeat customer is that they give you 10% off your next cruise if you book onboard. DCL repeat customers tend to be VERY loyal. DCL cruises tend to be more expensive than the other cruise lines.

 

There is a charge to transport you from the resorts to the ship. With 4 or 5 people, it is likely more economical to rent a car.

Edited December 8, 2013 by boulders