Pullman beds? and other questions

[KittyX]

Hi there. My husband and I are in our late 30's, and want to take our parents on an Alaskan cruise in Sept 2004. It's a first cruise for us and his mother, and one of many cruises for my parents.

First question - we will need two cabins, and because we'll be budget cruising, are looking at basic inside or outside staterooms. One cabin will contain my two parents, and the other will probably be us and my husband's mother. Not the most romantic configuration, but we can't afford a single supplement! I'm wondering what the Pullman beds are. Do they fold down from the wall, like on a train? And if they do, where in a stateroom are they located? Can you pull a curtain between the queen bed and the area where the Pullman is, or is there really no privacy at all? We'd feel better knowing we could keep the areas a little separate, mainly because we'll all have different waking/going to bed times. I'd really prefer a separate sofa bed, but from studying the diagrams they don't seem to be available in the cheaper rooms.

Second question - I'm deciding between HAL's Volendam, and RCCL's Serenade or Radiance. I really like the idea of all the glass in the RCCL ships, especially as we won't be able to hang round in our rooms to look at the scenery. While I love what seems to be the more traditional 'classiness' of the Volendam, our mix of ages does make me wonder if we'd be happier on RCCL. However, I know that rooms on the Volendam are bigger, and may be better suited to three people sharing. Any opinions on this decision?

And third question - Radiance or Serenade? Are they equal in all ways?

Thanks for any help and insight you can provide. We're excited about our trip!

Kitty X

 

[Ali]

On the newer ships such as the Serenade the 3rd bed could be a sofa bed or a bunk that pulls down from the ceiling. Either way, you won't have any privacy at all. There is a curtain, but it's more for decoration as it only extends about a foot or two. If the bunk folds down from the ceiling, it will be directly above the beds on the floor. One more thing, it's quite a feat to climb the ladder to get into bed. The bed configuration will be twin beds that will be pushed together and locked to form the queen for you and your husband.

Can your mother-in-law find a friend that would sail with her? Three adults in an inside or outside cabin is going to be a tight fit. Go to RCI's website where you can view the cabins on the Serenade. It will give you a good view of what you can expect.

 

[KittyX]

Thanks, Ali, for your thoughts.

If anyone can suggest any other reasonably economical ways to house five adults travelling together, please do so! Any personal experiences?

Thanks, Kitty

 

[cruisequeen]

Try the family rooms instead of 2 cabins. But I suggest 2 cabins for your sanity

 

[Katherine]

We had a standard balcony stateroom on deck 8 of the Radiance last week. Since we had our two children with us, we used both pullman beds. One was located in the ceiling and was pulled down and made up by our stateroom attendant each evening. It is above the main bed and you need a ladder to get up to it. It's reasonably comfortable. The second bed is in the "sofa". It's about the width of a twin bed, but it's not terribly long, so only use it for short people. The stateroom attendant folds away the pullman beds while you're at breakfast in the morning and makes them up while you're at dinner in the evening.

 

[Lady Jag]

I agree that it's gonna be tight with 3 in a cabin. Put that together with someone else's sleeping habits and noises, and you may not get much sleep, not to mention finding time to yourselves without grandma popping in... :grin

I think any of the Radiance Class ships would be perfect for you. They have a TOTALLY different atmosphere than many of the other RCI ships. They feel elegant, calm, and are absolutely beautiful. The other RCI ships have a more excited-younger-feel to them, IMO, and while I love them, the Radiance Class ships are in a class by themselves.

 

[Katherine]

Lady Jaq, I agree with your take on Radiance class ships (although I've only been on the Radiance and not the others in that class). My first cruise was on Celebrity's "Mercury" and since then have taken 3 RCI cruises. Sovereign and Voyager really didn't touch the experience of elegance, class, and superb service that I got on the Mercury, but the Radiance came close. Just touch up the food a bit and I wouldn't know the difference.

 

[rmcg1975]

Sometimes a Family Suite is cheaper than 2 staterooms. Also, budget or not, you are going to be cramped as heck in that room with 3 adults for anywhere between 7-10 days..you'll go CRAZY! Spend the extra money soley for sanity purposes. You want to leave the ship thanking God you were on it, not thanking God you are off it.