QUICK ANSWER:
Yes, a family of five can fit in one room on Utopia of the Seas if you book the Spacious Interior. It sleeps up to six and is about 270 square feet, roughly a hundred more than a standard interior. Ours had a Royal King, real bunk beds and a trundle. The setup is a little different on every Royal Caribbean ship, and there are only four of these rooms on Utopia, so book early. We sailed in one over Labor Day weekend with our three kids, and it worked.
Most families of five get quoted two interior rooms on Utopia of the Seas. We booked one.
Over Labor Day weekend, Benton and I took Rae, Joy and Jed on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas. We sailed out of Port Canaveral for a long weekend, and all five of us slept in one Spacious Interior stateroom. If you're a family of five and wondering whether one cruise cabin is enough, pull up a chair. This is the honest version.
UTOPIA SPACIOUS INTERIOR AT A GLANCE:
- Ship: Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, sailing 3 and 4 night trips from Port Canaveral, Florida
- Room: Spacious Interior
- Size: about 270 square feet (a standard interior is about 150 to 170)
- Sleeps: up to 6
- Beds in our room: Royal King (can split into two twins), two bunk beds and a trundle
- How many on Utopia: 4
- Our family: 2 adutlts, 3 kids
IS A SHORT CRUISE A GOOD FIRST CRUISE FOR KIDS?
Here's my unpopular opinion: your kids' first cruise should be a short one.
A 3 or 4 night sailing like Utopia's lets you find out whether your family actually loves cruising before you commit to a whole week. You get to test all of it:
- How everybody handles the crowds
- Whether the room setup works for your crew
- Whether anybody gets seasick
And every cruise line is different. One bad experience doesn't mean the next one will be the same.
Longer cruises are wonderful. But if y'all have never cruised, a long weekend is a low-risk way to start.
Labor Day weekend worked perfect for our schedule because it's before the thick of competitive gymnastics season, the weather was great, and we got 3rd, 4th, and 5th guest sail free promotion so we just paid taxes and pre-paid gratutites for the kids which saved us a lot!
CAN A FAMILY OF 5 FIT IN ONE ROOM ON UTOPIA OF THE SEAS?
Yes, if it's the right room. Jed gave the official room tour, and he took the job very seriously.
The Spacious Interior is about 270 square feet. That's roughly a hundred more square feet than a standard interior on the same ship. On a cruise, a hundred square feet is the difference between stepping over suitcases and actually having a floor.
Here's how five of us slept:
- A Royal King for the grown-ups (it can split into two twins)
- Real bunk beds, which was Jed's favorite part by a mile
- A trundle that pulled out for the fifth bed
This was SO much more spacious than a standard room which was nice. Even though we said we wouldn't be in the room much, it was a great place to stop each day for a rest!
One half of this Spacious Interior Room on the Utopia of the Seas
EVERY SHIP IS SET UP A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY:
Royal Caribbean's family-friendly rooms aren't the same from ship to ship. The room name can be the same while the size, the layout and the beds change. Ours on Utopia had a trundle for the fifth bed, but other ships and even other rooms may have a sofa bed or a different setup. If you're booking for five, don't assume the room you saw online or on another ship is the one you'll get. Check the exact room, or have your travel advisor check it for you.
SHOULD YOU BOOK ONE SPACIOUS INTERIOR OR TWO INTERIOR ROOMS?
You only need two rooms if you want two bathrooms or separate sleeping areas. For some families that's worth every penny, and when it is, I'll tell you. We'd rather put that money toward the fun stuff.
My honest take on five people and one bathroom for a long weekend was fine. If our girls were a little older, maybe 2 full bathrooms with a connecting room would make more sense. But for the stage of life we're in, we made this work and it was fine!
One thing to know before you fall in love with this room: there are only four Spacious Interior rooms on all of Utopia of the Seas. If this is your family's room, don't wait until the sailing is half full to look for it.
ARE THE FLOATS AT PERFECT DAY AT COCOCAY WORTH IT?
For us, yes. Jed's official review of the beach floats: two thumbs up.
The floats were the best few dollars we spent all day. The water in the Bahamas is so clear you can see straight to the bottom. That's amazing right up until you spot a jellyfish drifting past. Up on the floats, we could look down at all of it and still stay in the water.
You can reserve floats in the Royal Caribbean app before your cruise or rent them once you're on the island. Prepaying in the app is cheaper, so do that if you already know you want them.
They're not a must-have. But floating next to my kid at the end of a beach day with nowhere to be is the part I actually remember.
The kids loved that they could go up to food carts or stands and get unlimited ice cream or snacks! They loved the fried cheese sticks and mini funnel cakes!
WHAT ELSE DID WE LOVE ON UTOPIA OF THE SEAS?
The Piano Man. I was heading to meet my family onboard and stepped onto the elevator with the Piano Man. It was just me, him and a piano, on an elevator ride I was not expecting. It's one of the most random things on Utopia and easily one of the most fun.
The AquaTheater show. The shows are included in your cruise fare, and they fill up fast. If your family loves a good show, plan your evening around it.
We saw the ice show, comedy show, and the AquaTheater show called Aqua80 and all were amazing. We did not get a chance to see the main broadway type show this cruise but we heard it was equally amazing. The Aqua show was the highlight for us and is one thing that sets Royal Caribbean cruiseline apart for sure on the ships that have that!
The last sunset at sea. There's just something about the last night of a cruise. You're already thinking about everything you did and how soon you could reasonably book the next one.
FREE CRUISE PACKING LIST:
Headed on your first family cruise? Grab our free cruise packing list. It has everything we bring for a warm-weather sailing, including what goes in your carry-on for embarkation day, since your checked bags may not reach your room until the afternoon.
WOULD WE BOOK THE SPACIOUS INTERIOR AGAIN?
My verdict in two or three sentences. Would we book it again? Absolutely. This cruise was perfect to get a quick weekend trip in, the port is driving distance for us, and we were able to get some friends to commit to this so the kids had people to play with! Who should skip it? Someone who doesn't like crowds. There are definitely places that are more crowded than others and ways to avoid it, but this is not a small ship by any means.
UTOPIA OF THE SEAS FAQ
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About 270 square feet. A standard interior on Utopia is about 150 to 170 square feet.
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Up to six. Our room had a Royal King that can split into two twins, two bunk beds and a trundle. Our family of five fit comfortably.
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No. The setup is a little different on each ship, and the beds can vary from room to room. Ours on Utopia had a trundle, while other rooms may have a sofa bed. Check the exact room before you book.
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Four. That's why they book up early.
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Not always. On Utopia, the Spacious Interior sleeps five in one room. Book two rooms if you want two bathrooms or separate sleeping areas.
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Port Canaveral, Florida, on 3 and 4 night sailings.
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Yes. You can reserve them in the Royal Caribbean app before you sail or rent them on the island. Prepaying in the app is cheaper.
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We think so. A short sailing lets you test the crowds, the room setup and seasickness before you commit to a longer trip.
READY TO PLAN YOUR FAMILY'S FIRST CRUISE?
The right ship and the right room make all the difference, especially with three kids in tow. Since every ship is set up a little differently, this is exactly the kind of detail I check before a family books. If you're thinking about a short cruise to try it out, I'd love to help you find the right fit.
This is your reminder that you don't always need a bigger room to make big memories! Sometimes you just need to take the trip despite not having the room you may want!
The porch light's on for whoever's planning their first family cruise. Come sit a while and let's talk about yours.
RELATED POST: Star of the Seas blog post
