Room for 5

[cmukid87]

There is a promotional rate floating around that offers guest 3/4/5 free.  Pricing looks really attractive.

 

I know Carnival has some non-suites that fit 5 people.  I believe some deluxe interior rooms on Dream class and some family harbor rooms on Vista class.  I'm looking for honest opinions of those rooms from those who stayed in them.  How cramped do you/they feel?

[cruizergal70]

Go to Youtube and search for family harbor room carnival vista. You can see examples of the room. Same for the other ships.

[Essiesmom]

The rooms for 5 on Dream class are deluxe OV, not insides.  Cabin ‘space’ is the same as an OV, but entry hall is longer to allow for the split bath, so you also get an extra closet.  Probably available on Vista class, too?  EM

[cruisingguy007]

The family Harbor suites are different than regular cabins, one and a half bathrooms and more space with a balcony. Booking five in a standard cabin is nuts! Don't do it! You'll have to climb over/around people to even get up and use the bathroom, no where to sit, get ready and hardly enough room to maneuver. Three to a cabin max is the way to go. I did five once when the kids were much younger/smaller and it was a nightmare! I dreaded going back to the cabin every night. Never again, not even for free, in fact, not even if free and a large payment on top..lol. Just no, no.

 

They shouldn't even allow this option IMO, it's that ridiculous. It also makes the ships more crowded and the non-family (with small kids) passengers who pack in like sardines, are generally not the type of folks that improve a cruise experience...lol, especially on shorter booze cruises.       

[bmar808]

On my very first cruise in 2016 on the Inspiration, we did a OV with my husband, 14 yo son, 12 yo daughter, and 6 yo daughter. I enjoyed it. Slightly crowded but I liked us being in the same room just in case (first cruise worries). Since then we've tried 2 balconies and 1 balcony/1 interior. I would totally do it again on a port heavy cruise but if there many back to back sea days or short port days, I find that getting 2 rooms gives my kids breathing room since they irritate each other. Lol.

[ninjacat123]

We had my two DDs in our balcony room for an 8 day cruise and it was rough at first.  They finally accepted the "tightness" and enjoyed the cruise.  After that, I booked my DDs in an interior room with my mom and DH and I had a balcony across the hall. Thanks mom🥰

[kinaida]

We did an OV on the Dream when my kids were 10, 8, and 5. It was fine. It was nice having the 2 separate bathroom areas and we were not really in the room very much at all.

 

We are going on the Vista this April and got a Suite this time since the kids are now 5 years older and we figure we need more space.

[MeganGC1983]

1 hour ago, kinaida said:

We did an OV on the Dream when my kids were 10, 8, and 5. It was fine. It was nice having the 2 separate bathroom areas and we were not really in the room very much at all.

 

We are going on the Vista this April and got a Suite this time since the kids are now 5 years older and we figure we need more space.

We are doing the OV in Oct with kids about that same age range. I cringe thinking about it but memories in the making, right?!!

[freewilly]

We have a family of 5. Made up of a set of twins and a single All within 3 years of age. We booked insides so we could cruise more often. Be organized, clean often. We would use the Locker room/Spa to shower and get ready for dinner to give more bathroom/ mirror space. My kids have fond memories of all the trips and are platinum at 23. 

[cruisingguy007]

12 hours ago, freewilly said:

We have a family of 5. Made up of a set of twins and a single All within 3 years of age. We booked insides so we could cruise more often. Be organized, clean often. We would use the Locker room/Spa to shower and get ready for dinner to give more bathroom/ mirror space. My kids have fond memories of all the trips and are platinum at 23. 

 

This proves that it shouldn't be offered. Besides being a literal hazard (no land based hotel would ever allow this for fire/safety reasons), having to utilize the locker room/spa showers/toilets facilities in order to facilitate basic functions (showering, dressing, toilets), perfectly demonstrates that the accommodation doesn't satisfy it's basic function as living quarters. It also impedes on those who use those facilities as intended and paid their fare to do so. Hoping the lines move away from this sardine packing and design cabins for practical family use.

 

The larger family harbor rooms are a good start but I'd like to see more options on different decks and not just tucked away on the bottom on the ship. With the way they build/add cabins like legos these days, it shouldn't be too hard to do. If there is one good thing from all this covid crap, it's that people are less amenable to overcrowded ships and cramped conditions. If things go back to how they were (jam packed ships), I suspect some may move on from cruising altogether. They can readjust the balance by increasing prices a bit and having less folks on board. Win-win for everyone, well except the rock bottom cruisers who only sail for value and don't care about onboard experience. These folks are sneaking booze on and not spending much, if any, on board anyway so it won't be a big loss and can, in aggregate, be spread out among other fares with slight increases in fare for a better experience. 

[justafem]

15 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

This proves that it shouldn't be offered. Besides being a literal hazard (no land based hotel would ever allow this for fire/safety reasons), having to utilize the locker room/spa showers/toilets facilities in order to facilitate basic functions (showering, dressing, toilets), perfectly demonstrates that the accommodation doesn't satisfy it's basic function as living quarters. It also impedes on those who use those facilities as intended and paid their fare to do so. Hoping the lines move away from this sardine packing and design cabins for practical family use.

 

The larger family harbor rooms are a good start but I'd like to see more options on different decks and not just tucked away on the bottom on the ship. With the way they build/add cabins like legos these days, it shouldn't be too hard to do. If there is one good thing from all this covid crap, it's that people are less amenable to overcrowded ships and cramped conditions. If things go back to how they were (jam packed ships), I suspect some may move on from cruising altogether. They can readjust the balance by increasing prices a bit and having less folks on board. Win-win for everyone, well except the rock bottom cruisers who only sail for value and don't care about onboard experience. These folks are sneaking booze on and not spending much, if any, on board anyway so it won't be a big loss and can, in aggregate, be spread out among other fares with slight increases in fare for a better experience. 

I grew up in a family of 5.  We always got a single hotel/motel room for all of us and it was never questioned.  3 kids in one bed, the parents in the other.  Heck, our home only had a single bathroom and it was also the laundry room.  I don't think I ever knew what privacy was. 

 

I don't know why I'm so offended by your blanket statement of what you call "sardine packers".  Especially the comments about booze sneaking and not spending anything. Everyone pays the price of admission.  We cruise so frequently that I rarely spend anything onboard, nor do I get off the ship.  For us the ship IS the destination and the ports don't matter.  

 

We prepay our grats and rarely offer extra.  Isn't that why the cruise lines started the "suggested grats", to take the guesswork out of tipping?  We rarely drink alcohol, but do bring out 2 bottles of wine, so there's something else we don't spend on.  I'm a hot tea drinker, hubs is a coffee drinker.  So we're happy with the included beverages.

 

Most of us have budgetary constraints and choose our vacations based on costs.  I use every possible avenue to get the cheapest price for the room we want.  Online TA's, sites that bid for our business and utilizing every sale possible.  It's how we afford to cruise 3+ times a year.  

 

There's a maximum number of pax on every ship, doesn't matter how many are in a room, the max number is what's important.  

 

Maybe you should be looking at cruise lines with less pax, there's a multitude of choices. You can pay more and be happy, the rest of us are happy with how this kind of cruising works for us.

Edited January 21, 2022 by justafem

[Cruzmomma77]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:09 AM, cmukid87 said:

There is a promotional rate floating around that offers guest 3/4/5 free.  Pricing looks really attractive.

 

I know Carnival has some non-suites that fit 5 people.  I believe some deluxe interior rooms on Dream class and some family harbor rooms on Vista class.  I'm looking for honest opinions of those rooms from those who stayed in them.  How cramped do you/they feel?

Several years ago we sailed on Inspiration or Sensation (can’t remember which) and were a cabin of 5 - 2 adults and 3 kids. Now, our kids were young (5,6,11). We had plenty of room when the bunks were up. Really, you aren’t in your room that much - at least we never are. Just to sleep and get ready. I felt like we had plenty of room. Not sure if there were 5 adults if I would feel the same, but with littles it’s all good.