Tips for 4 in a cabin

[shotzyok]

Taking grandsons (teens) on an Alaskan cruise in June. It’s always been just my husband and I and space already seems really tight! Need tips and tricks for 2 extra in the cabin and not totally going crazy. We have a king, sofa bed and pull down. Will be on Luminosa, so if anyone has information or tips, it would be greatly appreciated!

[PittsburghGirlee]

Not sure about this particular ship, but on Carnival, there is a bathroom in the gym with a HUGE shower in the Ladies room that can be used if the bathroom becomes an issue.  I used it to shave and such.  Lots and lots of room in the shower.  Enjoy your cruise!!

[ColeThornton]

Any chance of splurging for another cabin?  I'm not sure teenagers will be thrilled in those close quarters for a week with the grandparents and vice-versa.  Personally, I wouldn't enjoy that.

 

Just my .02c

[john91498]

We took our nephews and got them their own interior room.

[Eli_6]

Having done an Alaskan cruise with two boys, I would highly recommend springing for them having an interior room.  Boys are way stinkier than one would think and having to wear layers of clothes (that you end up sweating under as the day progresses and you move about) due to being in Alaska makes this situation even harder than, for example, a Carribean cruise.  Plus, that's a lot of people and clothes in a small area.   But, if you don't want to do that, here are my tips:

 

Get those magnet hangers off of Amazon for towels, clothes, jackets, swimsuits, etc. that you can hang on your wall (which is magnetic) to have extra space.

 

I would unpack as soon as you get there to get the suitcases out of the way and put them under the bed.

 

Get some of that poo spray/anti-stink spray for the bathroom.

 

I would tell you to take advantage of the on-board laundromat, but I don't think Venezia has one so I would take advantage of the $15 for a bag of laundry and do laundry half-way through and only pack half of the clothes.

 

I would have them leave any especially stinky items (like wet shoes) on the balcony. Don't leave them in the hallway because they will get picked up as trash...I know from experience. 

 

Bring ear plugs and a sleeping mask.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dallasdan]

I agree on the separate room for teenager's.  We took our son and 2 of his friends once, they had a separate room.  I went to their room one time and it was stinky.  No way could I have shared a room with them.

 

 

[Eli_6]

2 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

I agree on the separate room for teenager's.  We took our son and 2 of his friends once, they had a separate room.  I went to their room one time and it was stinky.  No way could I have shared a room with them.

 

 

I agree. Teenage and pre-teen boys have to be about the worst smelling creatures on this planet even with frequent showers and deodorant. I am a *** when it comes to hygiene enforcement and my older son still frequently stinks. The stinch would bother me way more than the close quarters. 

[ShakyBeef]

 

Organization is key to fitting four people in one cabin without driving each other crazy and feeling like you're living in a pigsty for a week.

 

Each member of the family has one of these on their nightstand (except for the one in the Pullman bed who keeps hers at the foot of her bed or on the ledge that makes a kind of shelf when the bed is pulled down):

 

They come from the Dollar Store and measure 6.5 x 10.25 x 2.5".  All small personal items (S&S cards, cellphones, Airpods, lipbalm, pocket change, sunglasses, etc., etc.) get tossed in there rather than left lying around on countertops and the like.

 

Also, each kid has a small, hanging, pocket organizer mounted on Command hooks in their bed area for larger and more numerous items.  Like this, but the ones we used were smaller, only six pockets:

 

 

Also,  I have the ubiquitous full-door size pocket organizer on the bathroom door for family supplies (sunscreen, plastic bags, first aid kit, tape, scissors, pens, Post-It notes, playing cards, etc., etc.  That way, it is in easy reach for anyone who needs anything from it and everyone knows where to put each item away when they are done with it.

 

These are a few of the things that we have always done with our two daughters (now 20 and 16) from their first cruises as toddlers in Ocean View cabins, to over the years in Balconies and now in Suites.  We have always stayed together - all four in one cabin.  And even before we started booking Suites, we made it work just fine.  With organization and cooperation it is very doable.

[shotzyok]

I wish we were able to spring for another room. At this time with airfare, excursions and other travel costs, it’s just not possible to get another room. Plus, we have 2 more cruises this year. 
 

We will have laundry service and I plan on making a list of clothes to bring for each of them. 

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, shotzyok said:

Taking grandsons (teens) on an Alaskan cruise in June. It’s always been just my husband and I and space already seems really tight! Need tips and tricks for 2 extra in the cabin and not totally going crazy. We have a king, sofa bed and pull down. Will be on Luminosa, so if anyone has information or tips, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

We have done this with our kids in inside cabins.   Yep, it will be tight as expected.   I don't have any specific tips other than the obvious don't bring a lot of stuff that isn't needed.  Most important is just accept the tight quarters and enjoy the experience.      

[gazingm42]

We did many with our kids with 4 in a cabin.  It is not that bad.  We had the net laundry baskets that fold up to make sure clothes were keep tightly.  Also bring the strong magnet hooks to hang towels, room keys, etc.  Also bring shoe door hanger to put misc supplies.

 

If you near the spa deck you can use the showers up there as well. 

We also packed on small plastic trays which you can store items in the closet or

table top. 

 

Limit suitcases with too much extra stuff.

 

If they are like our kids when they were teens we saw them just a few times a day..

 

It very manageable. But you need to keep on the organization skills.

 

good luck

 

[Itried4498]

Throwing money at a problem will generally resolve it, and seems to be the preferred advice on this forum, but it's not a practical solution for many :).  

 

I agree with @ShakyBeef - as long as you're organized, it'll be fine.  The goal should be to minimize the time spent in the room, anyway.  Nor would I be comfortable with teens having their own room -- I've observed "a lot," and I'm certain their family fully trusted them.

[o-state girl]

You could also get some of these collapsible bins from Dollar Tree.  Give each person a separate color/pattern and these could be tucked underneath the bed or on the closet shelves for additional organization.  https://www.dollartree.com/home-decor/decorative-cube-storage

 

[ldubs]

If these are your average teens,  I would not stress too much about being organized.  

 

Check under the bed when packing for disembarkation.  That is where they will be kicking stuff all week long.  😀

 

Finally, if these are boy teens, count on at least one of them forgetting to bring enough underwear.  Good to have that laundry package!    😀😀

 

[LibertyBella]

What a generous and wonderful gift for your grandsons!

 

I took my first cruise with five in a cabin--two bunk beds and a roll-away cot--those were the days, back in the early 1970's.  But we were a nuclear family, already used to sharing a bathroom together and seeing each other in our underwear.  

 

Have the boys ever shared a bedroom with you before?  I am guessing that use of the bathroom may become a priority, especially if grandma wants to get dressed/undressed. You will need to stagger times for showers, etc. i do not remember if Carnival still gives everyone a bathrobe to use, but those could come in handy.

 

Are they old enough/independent enough to have their own keys, and will you feel comfortable letting them arrive back in the cabin later than you and your husband?  I would recommend small flashlights, in case you and your husband are already asleep.  

 

Alaska can be chilly, so you may need some coats and hats which take up more space.  You will need to figure out if the closet space is enough for everybody, or perhaps the boys may need to keep some of their clothes in the suitcases instead of completely unpacking.

 

In the old days before cabins had televisions and more bells and whistles, they were mainly just for sleeping and dressing.  Hopefully the boys will be active and find lots to do all over the ship so the cabin will not ever feel cramped.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

P.S.  By the way, I took my nieces on their first cruise as teenagers, and got them a separate cabin.  They ordered chocolate mousse by room service six times a day and had all those little bowls piled up in the room and outside the cabin. Yes, teenagers still need to be monitored.

[Sillyjilly]

wouldn't do it! Just adding my son we were tripping over one another.

[tweak89]

We don't have kids so I don't have any tips but I am laughing because until we took care of our grand niece and nephew for almost a year while both parents were deployed (Army) I never would have believed in the "stinky boy syndrome".   It's like he had (and still has) a layer of smelly attached at all times, and don't get me started on having to make sure he uses soap/shampoo when he bathes instead of just getting wet.  🤣😁🤣

[lazydayz]

This is wonderful of you to do.  Keep an eye out for sales, though, to see if an affordable interior shows up.  Either way, enjoy the cruise and spending time with your grands. 

[SRQbeachgirl]

Since booking a second room is out of the question...

 

We shared a room with our then-teenaged son (one teenager was enough for us!) and I highly recommend the following:

 

• Over-the-door organizer for all the toiletries. It's amazing how much stuff teenage boys use to get ready these days and this will be worth every penny to keep everything from being cluttered all over the bathroom.
• A cheap shower curtain and magnetic hooks. Use the hooks to hang the shower curtain between the closet area and the rest of the room. This allows someone to dress in the closet area without being seen by anyone else in the room. Also enables you to keep the bathroom door open after a shower so you don't suffocate with all that heat and steam. Yu can also use this idea to hang between the bed main bed and the teenager's beds (if the ship doesn't have a divider already).
• Make use of the spa showers when everyone needs to get ready at the same time.
• Use the empty suitcases to store dirty clothes under the bed out of the way instead of the boys throwing everything on the floor, in the corners, in the bottom of the closet...(bring some empty trash bags for this - those teenage boys' clothes get stinky and the bags will help keep the odor from permanently soaking into the suitcase liner. 

 

 

Good luck!!!

[EngIceDave]

If booking another cabin is not an option and you're already into it....you're into it.

 

You didn't mention their ages, and that makes a difference.

 

I used to travel with my kids a lot to races, and it really is about some type of rules and organization. Buy all the cubbies and boxes you want, put them to actual use is the issue.

 

I tried to make it as simple as I could for the kids, example....after you wear it, turn it inside out and put in a corner or in a bag. Inside out shows it's been worn or has been called "dirty." Worry about packing it and being neat when the time comes.

 

Being neat is for your sanity/senility, but they likely will always be rushing in and out, being tidy may be a low priority. Make it easy now, tidy later. Let them toss their clothes/junk in a bag and keep stashed under bed. If a stinky teen, bonus points.

 

Strongly suggest, again for your sanity/senility, using the gym showers. Large, quiet, no hurry. Little oasis away.

 

 

[ShakyBeef]

41 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

If booking another cabin is not an option and you're already into it....you're into it.

 

You didn't mention their ages, and that makes a difference.

 

I used to travel with my kids a lot to races, and it really is about some type of rules and organization. Buy all the cubbies and boxes you want, put them to actual use is the issue.

 

I tried to make it as simple as I could for the kids, example....after you wear it, turn it inside out and put in a corner or in a bag. Inside out shows it's been worn or has been called "dirty." Worry about packing it and being neat when the time comes.

 

Being neat is for your sanity/senility, but they likely will always be rushing in and out, being tidy may be a low priority. Make it easy now, tidy later. Let them toss their clothes/junk in a bag and keep stashed under bed. If a stinky teen, bonus points.

 

Strongly suggest, again for your sanity/senility, using the gym showers. Large, quiet, no hurry. Little oasis away.

 

 

 

What does any of this have to do with senility?😕?

 

ETA: Did you perhaps mean serenity?

Edited January 14, 2023 by ShakyBeef

[d9704011]

6 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

What does any of this have to do with senility?😕?

Maybe he meant sanitary?

[Ferry_Watcher]

Sanity and serenity

Edited January 15, 2023 by Ferry_Watcher

[RD64]

Yes - get another cabin. Not in my worst nightmare. Either that or stay home.

[Kshecruiser0524]

We have taken several cruises with our two kids all in the same room and it works just fine. We do always get a balcony which I think helps with a little more space. The most important thing as others have said is to stay organized and make everyone pick up after themselves. Make sure everything gets unpacked and set up right away. Also we throw dirty clothes in the suitcases. We never spend that much time in the room on cruises anyway.