traveling with older teens - 2 rooms versus suite on RC?

[breathesgelatin]

Just did our first ever cruise over New Years on Harmony. I am looking to book an Eastern Mediterranean cruise in summer 2025 or 2026. Have been looking at options for 2025 (esp on Voyager) but am waiting to see 2026 options first which I understand will be in February.

 

I am considering allowing our teen to invite a friend along. If we did that it would be me, my husband, our younger (8 or 9 years old depending on sailing) and our oldest and her friend (both 16 or 17 depending on sailing). This would make 1 regular room unworkable.

 

If we allowed the older to bring a friend, I think we'd either need a suite or 2 connecting rooms. After experimenting online with 2025 Voyager bookings, it seems pretty clear I can't book connecting rooms online myself at the RC website after multiple attempts, so I'd need to get a travel agent. 

 

My question - traveling with 3 minors where 2 of whom are on the verge of adulthood/pretty self sufficient -- what is the cheapest & best way to book a room to accommodate everyone's needs? I do tend to feel the teens would appreciate having their own room to themselves but not sure what comes out cheapest. Also not sure that all suite categories can even hold 5 (??) So leaning toward connecting rooms but curious what others have experienced with pricing & the enjoyment of the teens especially. If we go with connecting rooms that really puts the onus on me to find a travel agent rapidly though.

[Mum2Mercury]

I'd go with two CONNECTING rooms ... could be insides, ocean fronts or balconies: 

 

- This configuration would give you two rooms and two bathrooms ... more space than most suites. 

- The older teen's friend, I assume, would be female?  My husband would not be comfortable sharing a room (changing clothes, showering) in close quarters with a female teen who isn't his daughter.  

- I wouldn't be willing to put the kids across the hall or anywhere not directly connected to my room ... too much can happen.  I would be willing to go with two balconies ... and have the cabin steward remove the divider between the two, which would give you one long balcony /allow you to come and go between the two rooms without going "out in public".  

 

Yes, if you're going to get connecting rooms, you'd better hurry.  They don't have that many of them, and you need to claim one soon since you're specific about your dates.  If you don't have a travel agent in mind, you can call Royal on the phone and make your reservations; it'd be smart to have a couple options in mind before you call. 

 

Edited January 20 by Mum2Mercury

[gerif]

I don’t understand why you can’t book connecting cabins without a travel agent. In any event, the balcony dividers on Adventure do not open. 

[breathesgelatin]

Thanks. I was leaning toward your thinking and you stated everything really clearly. Reading it out like that makes it obvious especially thinking of the teen girls.

 

6 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Yes, if you're going to get connecting rooms, you'd better hurry.  They don't have that many of them, and you need to claim one soon since you're specific about your dates.  If you don't have a travel agent in mind, you can call Royal on the phone and make your reservations; it'd be smart to have a couple options in mind before you call. 

 

.

I'm actually more heavily leaning toward 2026, which isn't out for a few weeks yet I think? If I'm wrong then I'm just a dumb newbie to this. But yeah you're right about 2025. I can clearly see it's already heavily booked when I'm looking at the sailings. Maybe the connecting rooms are actually gone; honestly, I need to take notes while trying to attempt bookings bc it's confusing. The idea to call Royal is helpful. I dunno. If we're really gonna become semi-frequent cruisers it's probably sensible to get a Travel Agent but I don't know how likely that is. 

[cj_one2000]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I'd go with two CONNECTING rooms ... could be insides, ocean fronts or balconies: 

 

- This configuration would give you two rooms and two bathrooms ... more space than most suites. 

- The older teen's friend, I assume, would be female?  My husband would not be comfortable sharing a room (changing clothes, showering) in close quarters with a female teen who isn't his daughter.  

- I wouldn't be willing to put the kids across the hall or anywhere not directly connected to my room ... too much can happen.  I would be willing to go with two balconies ... and have the cabin steward remove the divider between the two, which would give you one long balcony /allow you to come and go between the two rooms without going "out in public".  

 

Yes, if you're going to get connecting rooms, you'd better hurry.  They don't have that many of them, and you need to claim one soon since you're specific about your dates.  If you don't have a travel agent in mind, you can call Royal on the phone and make your reservations; it'd be smart to have a couple options in mind before you call. 

 

Agree with two rooms unless you are on a ship with Royal Family Suites, where it’s a very large balcony room with living room area and then basically an inside stateroom as well. That way teen girls have privacy and their own bathroom, the youngest can have sofa bed in living room and mom and dad can have their own room with locking door for privacy as well. If that’s not an option due to cost or availability, two balcony rooms next to each other is fine and being connecting isn’t super necessary and it’s more cost efficient anyway. 

[toxicfairy]

With 2 teens lol you're definitely going to want 2 bathrooms if nothing else. Been there done that.  Get them their own room. Just have a long talk about rules and expectations. That's what we did and it was a more enjoyable cruise. Plus haha they didn't keep us up all night talking.

[cruiseguy1016]

Book a balcony cabin for the 3 of you and put the 2 teens in an inside across the hall.

[SG65CB]

Voyager of the Seas has several two-bedroom grand suites. These suites have two bathrooms (including one en suite bathroom in the master bedroom). They are aft cabins. See 8694, 8394 9694, 9394.

 

The cabin sleeps up to 8. You can put the two younger kids on the foldout couch and the older kids in the second bedroom, or put all four in the second bedroom (two twin beds plus two pullman beds create double bunk beds. 

 

You'd need to compare pricing vs. two cabins. You can book the cabin online yourself for four people but you need to call to get the fifth and sixth person added - online booking maxes out at 4 passengers per reservation. 

[Twin Dad]

Definitely do the two connecting rooms. We have done that on our last 4-5 cruises and the 3 upcoming cruises with our now 16 year old twin girls. One of the main reasons we did that was for the extra bathroom and certainly the privacy. I’ve always found two connecting ocean view balconies cost much less than suites. 
 

I have found the website can be screwy when listing connecting rooms so check frequently. 
 

good luck

 

Dan

[George C]

I would try to book two bedrooms grand suite 

[daninwi]

IMHO, cost will be the driving factor.  The cost of the family suite or a two-bedroom is likely to be significantly more than the cost of two connecting or adjacent rooms of nearly any other category.  

 

For the past couple of years, we have been getting two adjacent, connecting, or across the hall cabins. Using one for our teenager.  It has worked well.  We set out the rules in advance - no one else in the room besides family, back by X time every night, come and let us know your back, etc, etc.  We go to guest services at dinner time on the first night to get the extra room keys made up.  

 

We choose rooms based on the fare and what we have budgeted, but we do tend to gravitate towards the balcony / inside across the hall combination.  For us it works well - everyone has more space and a bit of privacy, and the extra bathroom is a bonus.  

 

 

[edspec]

Has your family traveled with the friend before?  I ask because I remember an absolutely horrific trip with my cousin in  1974.  She brought her boyfirend, they fought w/in the first two hours of the car ride and didn't speak other than through me for the remainder of the week. I promised myself then and there I would never bring a friend on a vacation.  That's me though 🙂

Also, the suites that are supposed to hold 8 do in theory.  My family of  3 were in a two bedroom Aqua Theatre suite and there is no way I  would want any more than 4 people in there, but even that would be pushing it.  I'm not one for having a sofa bed open, blankets and pillows sitting around, etc...  I'd go with two connecting as others have suggested. 

[mjkacmom]

I have 5 kids, 2 cabins will always be cheaper than a suite. I’d put the teens in an inside across the hall. I definitely think bringing a friend is a good idea for that age.

[FionaMG]

19 hours ago, breathesgelatin said:

Just did our first ever cruise over New Years on Harmony. I am looking to book an Eastern Mediterranean cruise in summer 2025 or 2026. Have been looking at options for 2025 (esp on Voyager) but am waiting to see 2026 options first which I understand will be in February.

 

I am considering allowing our teen to invite a friend along. If we did that it would be me, my husband, our younger (8 or 9 years old depending on sailing) and our oldest and her friend (both 16 or 17 depending on sailing). This would make 1 regular room unworkable.

 

If we allowed the older to bring a friend, I think we'd either need a suite or 2 connecting rooms. After experimenting online with 2025 Voyager bookings, it seems pretty clear I can't book connecting rooms online myself at the RC website after multiple attempts, so I'd need to get a travel agent. 

 

My question - traveling with 3 minors where 2 of whom are on the verge of adulthood/pretty self sufficient -- what is the cheapest & best way to book a room to accommodate everyone's needs? I do tend to feel the teens would appreciate having their own room to themselves but not sure what comes out cheapest. Also not sure that all suite categories can even hold 5 (??) So leaning toward connecting rooms but curious what others have experienced with pricing & the enjoyment of the teens especially. If we go with connecting rooms that really puts the onus on me to find a travel agent rapidly though.

Given that it's Europe you're looking at, I would not expect the 2026 sailings to be released until November. The 2025 season was only just released this past November.

 

I believe Voyager class ships have a rather unique configuration of rooms that combines a balcony cabin with a connecting ocean view. If I'm not mistaken they are located near the front of the ship, with one pair on each side on several decks. This might work well for your group. 

[Mum2Mercury]

19 hours ago, gerif said:

I don’t understand why you can’t book connecting cabins without a travel agent. In any event, the balcony dividers on Adventure do not open. 

You can reserve connecting cabins directly through RC.  I've done it.  

Yes, it's smart to verify whether your ship's balconies "open" or not.  I think we were on Liberty when we had those three balconies in a row.  

38 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I have 5 kids, 2 cabins will always be cheaper than a suite. I’d put the teens in an inside across the hall. I definitely think bringing a friend is a good idea for that age.

Yes, while these aforementioned suites may be nice, they're fewer in number and will cost more than two connecting rooms. 

I'd never put children /teens across the hall.  While it's unlikely, too much can happen.  Too much risk for me. 

Edited January 21 by Mum2Mercury

[Cigar King]

Have you considered to adjacent balconies on a ship with balcony dividers that open.  It works surprisingly well.