Cabin capacities

[Meghan A]

We are a family of 7 (2 adults and 5 kids) and typically we stay in two connecting interior rooms.  Curious to know if any other set ups that larger families have found they like. We don't stay in the room a lot, so we are fine with smaller and less expensive, but honestly don't even know our options. Especially curious if Kids Sail Free promos can get us something with an higher capacity at a decent price. I can't price it out on the website bc it limits you to 4 people per room :(

[USFFrank]

I would suggest either calling Royal directly, or use a travel agent. Either one should be able to pull up the larger capacity cabins and get you a price. 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, Meghan A said:

I can't price it out on the website bc it limits you to 4 people per room

If you can find the room that holds 4+, to price it out on the website, know that guests 3 and beyond will be the same price.  You have to do the math yourself to calculate the discount, but you can get a pretty good ballpark figure yourself.  I don't think there are any rooms that will hold 7 without jumping up into the suites, though, which won't fit your cheap price objective.

It's definitely worth using a TA to get you all the different pricing and room combinations and let them do the heavy listing with pricing it out all the various ways for you.

[Pattycruise]

I thought I had read the fine print once that for kids to sail free you need 2 adults in the room.
You CAN book 2 adults, 2 kids in one cabin to take advantage of that and then put the other 3 kids in the other cabin.  I'd personally do some mock bookings to see if that saves any $.
Also consider if the 2 adults are in one cabn and one wants the deluxe beverage package the other has to buy it (via cruise planner it won't give an option).  If one of you does not want the deluxe package you wouild have to call Royal to make that purchase and the second person is automatically enrolled in the Royal Refreshment package (non-alcoho).    So you might want to take the cost of drink packages into consideration if booking adults in the same cabin or not.
The most I've seen in a cabin is 6 on some Ultra Spacious Ocean View cabins (on some ships) or in some promenade interior, maybe even a regular interior on some ships.
The  2 cabin option will likely be the least expensive but you could look at the 2 bedroom suites that hold 8 (must be booked directly with Royal or with a Travel Agent)-those 2 bedrooms are pretty pricey, and I'm not 100% they come with 2 bathrooms.....
You should also be aware that you do not have to book connecting rooms (door that opens in between the cabins to make a larger space) You can book adjoining or a cabin that is directly across or next to your cabn if everyone in the second cabin is under 21.  If you have someone 21 and older who is staying in that second cabin it doesnt' matter how far down the hall or which deck you book them on.   Of course confirm cabin location with Royal for those under 21, though not all agents are familiar wth this.
 

[twangster]

TAs manually calculate guest 5+ as well.  Cost of guest 3 plus port fees and taxes equals the cost for the 5th guest.  

A TA calls Royal to add guest 5+.  Sometimes that takes hours so they will often manually calculate the price for guests above 4 so they can quote it.

[HeWhoWaits]

57 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

I thought I had read the fine print once that for kids to sail free you need 2 adults in the room.

Not quite accurate but close. KSF applies to qualified youngsters beginning with passenger number 3. My wife has a cruise scheduled with just herself and our two grandchildren. One grandchild is full fare, the other is KSF. 

[Gadget Hackwrench]

You will find that on many Royal Caribbean ships there are a handful of rooms in the lower categories such as Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony that are designed for larger families. On Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore for instance this one accommodates up to 6 people in one room. (shown as Spacious Ocean View Accessible below)

Royal Caribbean maintains deck plans of their ships so you can explore and find the right rooms for you prior to booking.

5 hours ago, Meghan A said:

We are a family of 7 (2 adults and 5 kids) and typically we stay in two connecting interior rooms.  Curious to know if any other set ups that larger families have found they like. We don't stay in the room a lot, so we are fine with smaller and less expensive, but honestly don't even know our options. Especially curious if Kids Sail Free promos can get us something with an higher capacity at a decent price. I can't price it out on the website bc it limits you to 4 people per room

 

[drjohn4]

We have 8 and just booked so I got pretty familiar with options.  As others have said about the only singe cabin option is the 2 bedroom suites (Grand or Aquatheater).  Those are going to be pretty pricy, but if you had enough kids under 12 and found a kids sail free you might snag a pretty good deal. Otherwise, you are looking at 2 cabin options.  Our last cruise we found connecting quad balconies on Odyssey that worked well.  Unfortunately most of the other Quantum and Oasis class ships don't have many or any connecting quads.  Voyager class and other older ships do.  A few of the Oasis class ships will have a few spots where an interior quad connects to either a central park view interior or park view balcony.  If you don't necessarily need connecting cabins, booking one of the 5 person rooms with a double next to it might be a good option.  Booking early is helpful to give you the most options when your choices are limited.