Cruising With a Family of 5: Cost Comparison
Ever since we got off our my recent Disney Cruise, I’ve been dreaming about booking another cruise. But cruising with a family of 5 is tricky. A lot of cruise lines have very limited options, or no options at all, for more than 4 people in a stateroom. I’ve been on the hunt for good cruises for families that can accommodate my whole family without costing a fortune.
Disney cruises are great for families of 5, however, they are quite a bit more expensive than other cruise lines.
I often find myself wondering if a Disney cruise is worth it. And if not, what other options do families of 5 have, and how do they stack up cost-wise against other cruise lines? I’ve done the research and I have the answers for you.
Edit: I’d like to note that Holland America cruise line also has accommodations that fit up to 5 people. I didn’t include that here since it’s not the most popular family ship, however, when I update this post in the future, I’ll add it. In the meantime, you can read about the which Holland America ships are best for families and check out my guide to family cruising with Holland America.
In order to have the most accurate comparisons, I searched for the closest-matching Caribbean itineraries, leaving from Florida, during the same week of March in 2024. I priced out interior rooms (cheapest) and balcony rooms (my fave), but just know that oceanfront rooms are likely priced just between the two categories I priced. Here are the options I found:
7 Night Caribbean Cruise, March 24-31 or March 23-30 for 5 people; prices ranged from $4,257 to $12,264 for the cheapest options on the various cruise lines.
| Cruise Line | Rooms That Fit 5? |
| Royal Caribbean | Yes, limited. Must call to book and get pricing. |
| Carnival | Yes |
| Disney | Yes |
| Norwegian | Yes |
| Princess | No |
Cruising With a Family of 5 on Royal Caribbean
I used to believe that they did not have 5-person staterooms on Royal Caribbean and that you had to book two separate rooms. However, I just discovered that if you call, there are some rooms that sleep 5. I will update this post in the future, as I just discovered this. However, the pricing for two adjoining balcony rooms was very similar to the price of a stateroom that sleeps 5 when I just called them, so consider it fairly even.
Cost Breakdown:
Two interior rooms: $7,307 (the 3-person interior rate was crazy expensive and I have no idea why)
Two balcony rooms: $8,343.55
Check out my comparison of Disney Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
Cruising with a Family of 5 on Carnival
There are 5-person staterooms on Carnival, but oceanfront and suites only, and I could never find oceanfront rooms available, so there’s likely not too many of those. The suites have a balcony, along with a king bed, double sofa bed and upper pullman bed.
Cost Breakdown:
Ocean suite for 5: $5,806
Two separate interior rooms: $4,257
Two separate balcony rooms: $5,467
Cruising With a Family of 5 on Disney
The Disney Cruise Line has staterooms that fit up to 5 people in both the oceanfront and verandah categories. These rooms feature a king bed, bunkbeds and a single bed.
Cost Breakdown:
Oceanview room for 5: $12,264
Verandah room for 5: $13,328
2 separate interior rooms: $12,825
2 separate verandah rooms: $14,757
Cruising With a Family of 5 on Norwegian
Norwegian Cruise Line also offers various options for traveling with a family of 5. “The Haven” suite is a 2-bedroom suite with a balcony and sleeps up to 6. There are also oceanview rooms that sleep up to 5.
Cost Breakdown:
The Haven Suite for 5: $13,116.45
Oceanview room for 5: $5,960.85
Two separate interior rooms: $6,040.85
Two separate balcony rooms: $7,392.05
**Note: NCL offers free drinks and specialty dining on cruises, but the gratuities are factored into these prices and can be removed if you opt out of those promotions.
Cruising With a Family of 5 on Princess
The Princess cruise line does not offer any 5-person stateroom options. For a family of 5, you’d need two separate rooms.
Cost Breakdown:
Two separate interior rooms: $4,527.60
Two separate balcony rooms: $6,487.60
Looking for More Information? Check out:
- Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean Cruise
- Best Time to Book a Disney Cruise
- First Time Disney Cruise Tips
- 5 Disney Extras I Highly Recommend on Your Disney Cruise
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Jaime
Thanks for reading my post. My name is Jaime and I am a mom to three busy children. When we're not at the soccer and football fields, we try to get away as often as possible. I'm a teacher and my husband is a firefighter, so we mostly get away for long weekends or over the school breaks. I hope to inspire busy families to take time to recoup and relax while making memories on camping trips or cruise ships, or at the fancy resort pool--we love it all! Follow me on Instagram for real-time inspiration.
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