Is Family Cruising a Rip-off?

Family friendly

Many cruise lines portray themselves as family friendly but this is not just about the facilities on board for the kids, like clubs, skating, climbing, pools and slides etc. It is about the whole family experience. This starts with getting the right accommodation at the right price.

Are larger families being penalised because they have more than 1 or 2 kids? Family suites or interconnecting cabins can often cost a small fortune and it is not just families with 3 or 4 children that pay the price. There are also lots of extended family groups out there who are looking for a better deal with grandparents wanting to take children and grandchildren away with them. They are willing to share a cabin if the privacy aspect is right, but all too often ships do not cater for this or these large suite rooms cost an absolute fortune. The truth is it is often cheaper to book 2 cabins and pay full price for children than it is to get a cabin which sleeps them all. This is where families lose out because they want to spend time together, they enjoy the interaction and they are on holiday. They don’t want to be separated.

Cruise lines have pushed out the boat (pardon the pun) when it comes to designing ever more exciting activities at sea, like the innovative Flow Rider on Royal Caribbean and the ice skating and zip wire. The RipCord by iFly which is the first simulated skydiving experience at sea. Over the next couple of years we are set to see the North Star, a glass capsule that rises to 300 feet above sea level, then rotates out over the sides of the ship to provide 360-degree views. The first bumper cars at sea? Not sure this is innovation more Retro-vation if there is such a word. Think I may have just invented it!

But what are they doing to solve this problem of more creative accommodation for family units?

What got me thinking about this was a request I had from a customer for the New P&O Britannia. They were going on a special family holiday. The grandparents in a balcony cabin with a touch of luxury. Then the two children, their spouses and kids. A family of 4 and a family of 5. The trip was being paid for by the grandparents as a treat. Wonderful! But actually no because Britannia will not have any cabins that sleep more than 4. This means if they want to go one of the children will have to share with the grandparents and while this may well be fine it is still breaking up one of the families. Really P&O, is this acceptable or are you trying to get the message across that you don’t want this business.

With the exception of Disney Cruise Line, who have long since lead the field in the whole concept of family accommodation, the other cruise lines could be said to be bringing up the rear so to speak. Disney launched its Deluxe Family Staterooms aboard Magic and Wonder back in the late 1990’s. Even today their concept remains ideal. The simplicity makes it work. A curtain sections off the main bedroom area from the living room area. Not so simple but still ingenious is Disney’s unique bath-and-a-half design — one bathroom with a sink and small tub and another with a sink and toilet.

Other cruise lines have on the new classes of ships tried to be more innovative, with spacious cabin layouts and clever ideas. With more comfortable and imaginative space-saving beds, staterooms and suites with privacy partitions or even mini-bedrooms within suites that allow parents to have time to hang out after youngsters go to bed. Cruise lines say they have made these options more affordable but have they?

Over the years I have seen Hotels come up with ways to make accommodating families easier. A prime example is the Explorer’s hotel at Disneyland Paris where  walls move to accommodate up to 6 in one room without costing the earth.  I am no engineer but I am sure in light of some of the innovations we have seen that someone could come up with a way of having changeable rooms  that allow partitions to be created or larger rooms to be formed. Come on Cruise Lines I challenge you to come up with a better solution and a better pricing structure.

So what advice can I give you if you are a family wanting a great deal but on your terms.            You want to stay as a family and quite rightly so.

♦Balconies are an excellent option, as they offer somewhere that you can escape to, have a drink and relax when younger children have gone to bed, especially if your stateroom does not have a privacy partition or curtain or a separate seating area.  It is always best to ensure that balconies are safe though, especially if you are taking young toddlers. Do they have gaps they could climb through or climb over? Also do they lock and is the lock out of the reach of inquisitive hands?

♦Many Cruise lines offer connecting cabins. Always compare the price of two connecting cabins versus the price of a family stateroom or suite. A lot depends on the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th passenger sharing prices which are often considerably higher in the family options. Think seriously about the bed configuration as it is all well and good to say you will make do, but on say a 14 night cruise is that what you really want to do? You could save money and have better sleeping arrangements if you opt for connecting or side by side cabins. Do also however consider the ages of the children as they will have their own door out of the cabin so young ones need to be safe and older children may need chaperoning.

♦In most cases the newer ships with the exception of Disney and perhaps some of the older Royal Caribbean ships will offer the best selection of family accommodations. They do however often come with a higher price tag.

♦My final piece of advice is book early. The number of family-friendly staterooms and suites is limited on many ships, and they sell out very quickly, so book as far in advance as possible. Find out the launch dates and get registered with a reputable cruise company or specialist, like me for instance and then as soon as the prices are out you will be contacted. This then allows you to look at all the options, choose the best deal for your needs and pre-register your payment details so that you are booked when they go on sale.  A good specialist will be willing to look at all the options for you not just the easiest so bear this in mind.

Watch out for my family guide to cruising here on my blog. Coming soon…..