RCI Suite Differences for 5 ppl?

[OregonGirlie]

We've decided to try RCI for our next cruise. We're aiming to go right around our kids birthday (they're all within 2 weeks of each other - LOL). Our kids will be (almost) 1, 3, & 5. We want to book a suite for all of us to stay together (honestly they all tend to sleep in our bed anyways in hotels & such, so we only need 1 bed but obviously have to stick to the cruise's rules).

 

Which suites will they let you have 5 people in? I can't seem to book online (says 4 ppl max no matter what we book). Jr suite, Grand suite or Royal Family suite. There's almost $2k difference between the jr and family one!

 

What's the best way to book? Through RCi directly, AAA, local travel agent, online someplace like travelocity? Our only other cruise was booked by my hubbies grandpa, so I'm new at this.

[PattyW]

I think you can book any of them, including the jr. suite (at least on Radiance class ships). Here’s why . . .

 

I tired very hard to book a mini-suite on an NCL cruise for my family of four. I got all the way to the end of my reservation (they had my credit card and everything) and the all of the sudden, they told me I couldn’t book that cabin category. Because one of my children was under 2, the cruise line was required to book my family in a room which would accommodate those under age 2 in a crib and those over age 2 in a bed (regardless of whether I was going to use the pack-n-play or not). The junior suites on NCL do not have enough floor space for the sofabed to be pulled out and a pack-n-play to be set up at the same time, so the minisuite was a no go and the regular suite price was too high for my budget.

 

We turned to RCCL and found a repositioning cruise we were interested in. I called customer service right away to see whether we would run into the same difficulties. I was assured over and over that they understood that one of the four people in the room was under 2 and would need a pack-n-play and that they could book the room under those circumstances. I think she thought I was a little looney because I kept asking “are your sure” over and over. Finally, she said - “ma’am, we could book 5 people in that room if one of them is in a crib.” That satisfied me and I went on with the reservation.

 

So, I’ve never done it, but believe it can be done.

[icanflossu]

Your other option is the Family Oceanview room. It seemed to be more inexpensive than the jr suite (which we couldn't use because we no longer had one in a crib). But, you do sacrifice the balcony. It was perfect for us because it afforded us some privacy from the two bigger kids. There were in the tiny curtain room with the bunk beds.