Queen bed configuration with 3rd person in balcony rooms

[FamilyMan]

Hi everyone,

 

This is our (3 people) first time cruising on Princess Cruise Line and on the ship Caribbean Princess. We have a 2 1/2 years old daughter by the time of the cruise (fall next year). We booked the balcony cabin BE (Baja) and request to have a crib in our cabin.

 

We ask if they can configure the bed into a queen size and they told us that the booking application won't allow them to set the bed to queen size because this cabin meant to accommodate 3 people. Princess Cruise line also told us that when we get on the ship the cabin steward may able configures the bed into queen size for us.

 

My questions here are: has anyone ever successfully got your cabin steward to configure your Balcony cabin (BE Baja) on the Caribbean Princess into the queen size bed when you are traveling with a 3rd person in your cabin?

 

Besides the booking software application won't let them configure this, is it technically possible to convert to queen size bed for those balcony cabins that accommodate 3rd person?

 

Thank you in advance

[tequilasunrise]

Most (if not all) of those cabins do convert, but there might not be enough room for a crib leftover. I've been in a 3/4 person room with 2 people, and they made the bed as a queen. If we'd had a 3rd/4th person, they would leave them in bunks for access to the top beds.

 

The cabin steward can assist you after you board if you find the crib fits to your satisfaction, and those beds move. Or think about putting the crib in between your two bunks, so your child has to wake someone up to get out of bed (that's what I'd do, with a toddler and a balcony).

 

Have a good cruise!

[NYCityCruiser]

We just got off the crown and we had two balcony cabins - one for me & 2 ds,(i.e. 3 people), the other was for my husband & son. Each room was set up with a queen bed. The one set up for three had a bunk that folded down from the wall & came down above the queen bed.

 

We ended up not using it as DH & DS slept together in one bed in one room & me & the girls (both 3 yrs old) slept together in one bed in the other room. I did bring guard rails (which the steward would put up every morning & take down each morning!) so no-one would roll off but there was plenty of room for everyone!

[pollyanno]

I don't have anything factual to contribute but I would think that there would be more room for a crib if the beds were configured as a queen.. more contiguous floor space.. especially if they were configured as a queen with both of the night tables on the side near the closet.. if I was in charge of the universe (and there are days I think I should be but, fortunately for the rest of the universe, they're rare :)) and could arrange that furniture the way I thought best, that's what I'd do, and put the crib over there. :)

 

but I don't actually know that it's all that moveable..

 

you would think that if they were booking a cabin to 3 people one of which needs a crib, they would make a point to book them into a cabin with moveable furniture, though. let's just asspresume that they did that. :)

 

anno

[cherylandtk]

My questions here are: has anyone ever successfully got your cabin steward to configure your Balcony cabin (BE Baja) on the Caribbean Princess into the queen size bed when you are traveling with a 3rd person in your cabin?

 

Besides the booking software application won't let them configure this, is it technically possible to convert to queen size bed for those balcony cabins that accommodate 3rd person?

Yes to both questions. The third bed, however, is a bunk that drops from the ceiling and partly overhangs the queen which is setup where the ladder is supposed to go, which is why the booking software does not allow it. You probably will want to order a crib. Be sure to do this in advance as there are only a limited number on the ship.

 

Many families with infants or small toddlers just sleep with 3 in the queen bed configuration and don't bother with the bunk or a crib. A berth is required to be there, by law, but you don't have to actually set it up and use it.

[panddcruiser]

Well what an experience we had with this. But first of all let me tell you that once you are on the ship they will put the beds together and the third person sleeps in the drop down from ceiling bunks. There are two, one left one right. There are two metal ladders in the closet for climbing up and down. Well if you are claustrophobic they are not a good thing hanging down over you. There are metal guard rails but I think someone larger could roll right through them and come crashing down on you!! Ouch!!

 

So here's what happened to us. I find out these bunks overhang about a week before cruise. I didn't know that. Never showed me a diagram/photo anywhere just states this cabin can accomodate up to 4 people. last cruise we had a pull out sofa and before that a rollaway bed hidden behind curtains and opened up when we were at dinner. So I called Crown and they said it was a bunk that overhangs. I tell them that my son is 20 years old is 6 ft tall and weighs close to 250#. Well they say to hold on and then check, come back on and state that his feet will overhang and he ways to much to be on it the weight restriction is 220# Wow! So now what? Never ever mentioned...not anywhere in fine print. How would we know? Travel Agent said there is know way we would have ever known. Princess said the ship is full no mini suites which would accomodate us nicely. They also said no roll aways in room allowed. So they said I would be waitlisted for a minisuite and to keep checking. Day before cruise no rooms. They said just go onboard. Sometimes there are cancellations/no shows. We went right to the Pursers Desk. Nope! Here we were on the first day of our trip worrying what to do. First night I slept with 20 year old and husband slept in bunk. Great way to spend my vacation. Haha! Well hardly slept talked to Passenger services manager Graham and he apologized and said there were no empty rooms and he could have someone come and check to see if a rollaway would fit. So they came and when we came back that night from dinner there was a rollaway extending from the side of our bed to the slider and blocking the way to the desk and chair and telephone. But it was better. Each morning we had to semi fold it up to move around a little and get to things go onto balcony. It did hide behind the curtains but stuck out a little. But it still worked. I guess we just accepted it. We got a letter in our door mailbox apologizing for the inconvenience. Waited to hear each day and none became available to us. I don't look for anything but I think in good Customer Service they should have done something to compensate for the tight squeeze and numerous phone calls and aggravation. That's just my opinion.

 

In in answer to your question my ticket even said twins..but they configure once you get on the ship. I don't know why this is.

[cherylandtk]

How would we know? Travel Agent said there is know way we would have ever known. .

panddcruiser, so sorry you found out about this very late in the process. The answer is, your Travel Agent should have known. So sorry you were not advised by her of this at booking.

[FamilyMan]

Thank you everyone for all of your inputs. You are all very helpful.

 

Panddcruiser, sorry to hear about your experience. You are right, they (either the booking agent or the cruise line) should have do something to compensate the troubles you and your family went through.

[NYCityCruiser]

Now that I think about it the cabin for 3 did have twin beds on the cruise docs but when we got on board both cabins were made up as queens. So I wouldn't worry about it no matter what the ticket says. They are legally required to provide a life jacket for each person in the cabin & the first thing our steward did when we boarded was to switch the adult sized jackets to kid size for each child.