Stateroom ??'s

[twotinks]

Hi! Just starting to gather info for a trip my MIL may be treating our family to next year. Yeah!! I keep reading that the family deluxe stateroom sleeps 5 but I can't figure where the fifth bed is. I know about the queen , the sofa, the pull down murphy style twin but where does the 5th person sleep? I'm leaning towards 2 connecting staterooms to give us the extra bath and more space but just wanted to know. Also, the category is related to the type of cabin it is: verranda/navigator/porthole/no window but does it also relate to the deck? My MIL says she doesn't want to be on the low decks or the high decks. Is this the norm? Are the most desirable decks in the middle. How about front of ship as opposed to back of ship?
Any help would be appreciated!

[Ed]

It's a bit of a stretch, but the sofabed is considered a double. It's doable, as long as those two people are verrrrryyyyyy well acquainted. The pull-down is a slightly oversized single.

The categories do correspond somewhat to which deck you are on. For example, there are no verandahs until Deck 5, and there are no large portholes until Deck 3, and the most elaborate suites (that's pronounced $$$$$) are up on Deck 8.

Many folks prefer to be toward the center of the ship (front to rear) and on one of the middle decks (5 or 6) to minimize the effects of the normal movement of the ship. The higher up you are, the more you'll notice side-to-side rocking, and the closer you are to the front or rear of the ship, the more you'll notice the front-to-rear rocking action. But don't let that scare you; the ships have a very good stabilizer system that minimizes the movement. We've been aboard in some pretty rough seas, and it wasn't bad at all.

[LW_DFREAK]

Our friends are a family of 5 and they have always stayed on deck 8 - and loved it. It has the queen bed and the sofa/bunk beds and I believe the twin is next to that by the slider to the verandah. I believe that is the only floor that accomodates 5 since that was their only option.

[DisneyDudet]

The 5th bed is in a chair type thing, much like the All Star Family Suites set up.

There are larger portholes on deck 2, we had one. We didn't have those little ones you see, ours was about from my thigh to the ceiling.

The category mostly has something to do with type of room, then deck level is secondary. You can have a deluxe or standard inside, and be on deck 7, which will be a higher category than a deluxe inside on deck 2. The Navigators Verandahs are all category 7, even though they are located on 3 different decks.

As far as location, the lower and the more central you are, the less movement you will feel. I have been on deck 2 twice, and felt minimal movement, but if I am up in the dining rooms, theaters, or clubs, I feel more movement. I have been midship both times. Its really a pesonal choice. In one month, we will be in a Navigators Verandah which is deck 7 aft. I'm sure it will be way different, so I can help report this.

I would suggest either connecting rooms or rooms close to each other. To save money, but to have a verandah, you can book a verandah room, plus the inside across the hall, and you can save a little bit of money, while you can have the verandah for everyone to use. We did this, only we just had a deluxe oceanview and a deluxe inside right across the hall. This gave us the extra space, bathroom, and "quiet area" from each other!

Whatever you choose, you'll enjoy it no matter what!

[TammiMcMan]

I think some of the bedding examples are a bit off. Unless things have changed, in the deluxe family stateroom you will get a queen bed (which can be pulled apart for two beds), a twin sized sofa bed, a pull down berth that's over the sofa bed and comes out of the ceiling and finally a murphy bed, which comes out of the wall. When you aren't sleeping, the beds pretty much all fold up and you will get plenty of floor space.

The thing to consider with getting a 2nd stateroom is that the first two people in each room are automatically charged as adults. If you only have 3 adults and 2 children, that means that going with a second stateroom will result in one child being charged at the higher adult rate. Just something you might want to price out before you decide.

Stateroom categories don't necessarily indicate which deck you'll be on. For example, the lower priced inside staterooms can be found on decks 1, 2, 5, 6 & 7. I think everyone has their favorite deck, there's not really a perfect place to be. Some feel that if you are on a lower deck, towards the middle, it can cut down on seasickness. Some like to be closer to the decks with the activities, so they can utilize the stairs (elevators are kind of small and very slow).

[twotinks]

Thanks everyone for your input! I've got a lot of planning to do!...

[Love TinkTink]

HI,
Yes, the last poster is right about the beds... there is a queen, a sofa bed (twin) and a pull down bed from the ceiling above it, making these like "bunk beds" and then the murphy bed that comes out of the wall and this bed can block the verandah some at night.. but overall, it's perfect for 5! The kids sleep on the bunks, and the adults in the queen (twins 2) and the murphy bed. hope that helps!