Originally Posted by
♥ms.pacman♥
so DH and I have been toying with the idea of booking a cruise for spring break (early March). seems like from Expedia and the like, there are lots of deals to be had if you book before Jan 1st.
we have only been on one cruise over a decade ago, on our honeymoon, before we had kids. i have so many questions and would love to hear from the more experienced cruisers on this. for this first one we are thinking of something pretty simple (3-5 nights) and something nearby that is driveable (Galveston).
- for a family of 4 (two tweens), what is minimum room size? do u need to get a suite or go with 2 rooms?
You can do either 2 rooms, and have one parent in each room when you book. Once onboard, you can sleep with whomever you like, but most lines require someone either 18yo or older in a cabin on the booking. Some cruiselines have connecting cabins, or many people book a balcony for themselves, and an inside cabin for the kids across the hall. Cabins are small, but it is possible to have 4 in even an inside cabin. You just have to plan to spend most of your time out of the cabin. Two cabins also gets you 2 bathrooms!
- is Carnival cruise line decent, for trave with kids? there are several deals on expedia. the one we did ages ago was Norwegian (NCL) and we liked it well enough.
I have only sailed Princess and Disney. A shorter cruise, over Spring Break, on Carnival is going to be full of alcohol. I would steer clear. Royal Caribbean or Norwegian is probably best for price and that age.
- i don't get the difference in room price vs . what deck they are on (deck 1 vs deck 9) - is higher better? (seems like it for the added cost?)
Many people prefer higher up, but I would not say it is better. Deck 1 is likely only inside and oceanview (window) cabins. In rougher seas though, the ship is most stable towards the center and lower decks.
- what is considered a good deal? $600 per person (assuming 4-5 days?) I consider a great deal under $100/pp/day. For a balcony cabin, that may not be possible.
any advice appreciated. if we can find a good deal in the next day or so that would fit our schedule we may do it, if not we may wait until next year or later.