Carefully conceived cabins let families be together.......

[ltldeb]

without overdoing the closeness

Here's a nice article about Disney Cruise ships:

Carefully conceived cabins let families be together without overdoing the closeness
BY JAY CLARKE

David and Jill Craft's daughter Hailey, 5, loves princesses, so she really enjoyed the kid-friendly evening shows aboard the Disney Magic last month. Her parents enjoyed the cruise too, and one of the reasons was the stateroom they stayed in.

''Our daughter slept on a pull-out sofa in the sleeping alcove,'' said Craft, whose home is in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. ''It's curtained off, so I could read at night with the light on and it didn't disturb her.'' Another bonus: the cabins have dual water closets, one with toilet and sink, another with sink and bath.

The Crafts plugged in to a growing trend on cruise ships: cabins designed to keep families together but without tripping over each other or fighting nonstop over the bathroom.

While connecting rooms and triple and quad cabins have long been available for family cruisers, newer ships are offering new family options -- a necessity when more than 1 million passengers under 18 are cruising every year. The new-style cabins are ''fun for parents, fun for kids,'' said Lois Shore of Ensemble, an upscale travel consortium.

Disney's launch into cruising in 1998 may have spurred the family-cabin movement, but today's cruisers can find them on many lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean.

Though Disney offers these cabins on both its ships, most lines offer them only on their newest vessels. That tight supply means family cabins have to be booked early and don't come cheaply.

Some have curtained-off alcoves like the one the Crafts stayed in. Some have separate bedrooms. A few have two bathrooms -- a godsend for blended families and those who are rushing to get ready all at the same time.

And then there are a few really big suites with a living room and two or more bedrooms, which work well not only for families, but also for a set of friends.

In many cases, the pricing is also appealing. The Crafts thought of booking a suite, said David, ''but the difference in price (about $2,600) was too much.'' The deluxe family stateroom with veranda costs around $1,900 per adult, plus $900 per child aged 3-12.

''We got spoiled,'' admitted Sabrina Lowder, who sailed in a two-bedroom, two-bath suite with her husband and five children on a recent Royal Caribbean cruise. ``We loved the space. We had a living room, two bedrooms, two baths and a huge balcony.''

Family options include the following. Prices shown are regular brochure costs and may vary by sailing. Adult prices are per person, double occupancy; children's prices are based on having two adults in the room.

• Norwegian America's (sister to Norwegian Cruise Lines) new Pride of America tours Hawaiian waters with eight family balcony suites featuring a living room with sofa bed and entertainment center, separate den with a single sofa bed, and private bedroom with two twin beds. Prices start at $6,499 per adult, double occupancy; $1,499 for children.

The ship also has four Deluxe Family Penthouses, each with living room, balcony, and two separate bedrooms, plus butler and concierge service. Price starts at $8,499 per adult, double, $1,499 for children.

• Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Jewel scored a hit with its Courtyard Villas, unique in cruising. These 10 two-bedroom villas share a private Balinese-style courtyard with swimming pool, Jacuzzi, small gym and private sun deck. Each have separate bedrooms for adults and children, two baths and living room. Price: $5,099-$5,299 per adult, $699 for children. The Jewel and the earlier Dawn also have two Garden Villas, enormous three-bedroom lodgings with large outside spaces. Prices starts at $15,999 per adult, 3rd-8th occupant, $699.

• All Royal Caribbean ships have up to four two-bedroom, two-bath Royal Family Suites that accommodate up to eight cruisers, priced at $4,099 per adult, double occupancy, plus $599 per child.

The line's giant new Freedom of the Seas, coming on line in June, also offers several other options, including family staterooms with curtained sleeping alcove overlooking the sea or the interior arcade. Also inside, but windowless, will be two Inside Family Staterooms with curtained alcoves. Also available: One Accessible Family Stateroom with sleeping alcove, and for cruisers with deep pockets, big families or a lot of friends, a 14-person Presidential Suite.

• Princess Cruises' newer ships each have two Family Suites. These are actually two staterooms (a mini-suite and an inside room) joined together by an oversize living room. Each Family Suite has a large balcony and sleeps up to eight. Prices start at $2,699 per adult, double occupancy, plus $499 for children in suite.

• MSC Cruises' four newest ships carry two Family Suites, each with a separate room for children. Found on the Opera, Lirica, Sinfonia and Armonia, they range in size from 237 to 287 square feet. They do not have balconies. Prices start at $1,300 per adult, double occupancy, plus $525 for children under 12 in suite.

• Disney Cruise Line, with its preponderance of family passengers, made a point from the get-go of having plenty of family accommodations -- 80 deluxe family staterooms with verandas on each of its two ships starting at $1,899 per adult, double occupancy, plus $899 for children ages 3-12. ''We're also the only line with split baths [in all outside staterooms]. One has a tub/shower, vanity and sink, the other a toilet and vanity,'' said the line's Jason Lasecki. ``These were designed with families in mind. They're great for getting ready.''

FANCY DIGS

Every cruise line offers at least a couple of luxurious suites on each of its ships that can accommodate families, though they may have been intended for high-rollers. Such grand accommodations can be quite costly.

Connecting cabins, however, remain a favorite with many families, first because there are many more available, and second because they provide greater privacy, a second bathroom and more overall space.

On the other hand, the cost of two connecting cabins can be higher than a family cabin, and ship policy may require an adult occupant in each cabin, so parents may have to split up.

One cruiser with a family of four says she has tried different family-friendly accommodations on several cruises, among them an Owner's Suite, a Family Suite and connecting cabins.

''At this point,'' she wrote on an online cruise message board, 'we will likely stick with two connecting cabins on future cruises . . . We enjoyed the Family Suite, but the premium compared with the two connecting cabins isn't worth it for us -- we just don't use that many of the suite `perks.' '' She also noted that connecting cabins come in virtually all cabin grades, which allows more flexibility in choosing ship and travel dates.

Still another spin on cabins comes from Mary Schimmelann of Holland America Line. Rather than booking staterooms that connect, she said, ''We notice many families take an outside cabin for the parents and an inside cabin across the hall for the kids.'' That cuts costs while still leaving the balcony available to the whole family.

But don't delay making your choices, especially if you're thinking of cruising in the holidays. ''[Family] accommodations for next Christmas sailings are mostly sold out,'' noted Mike Driscoll of Cruise Week, a cruise industry newsletter.
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