D and D+ no longer get special key for the concierge and diamond lounges on Freedom.

[Cruisebylandorsea]

Our 19 yo DS was with us on the Liberty B2B. DH & I turned D after first leg. We went to LA who issued us Updated D Sea Passes & DL cards. Said NO DL card for DS since he was over 18 and did not have credits for the cruise we took before he was born, even though he lives with us and was in our cabin. We went to DL and concierge gave us a card for DS so he could access coffee machine. He did go in at non HH times by himself and nothing was ever said. He does look older. Now he has earned enough credits to be D, so hopefully next cruise there will not be an issue... and I don't think he will go again until he's turned 21.

 

Policy as of 9/09, Kids activities stop when you turn 18 and you get a seapass for your credits earned up to 18. Then you earn your own. At 18 you can play in casino, however you cannot drink alcohol on US departured cruises. So your child 18-20 is in limbo for some on board activities. I have posted about this before. Also there were no Meet & Mingles for the 18-20 age group to help them sort out a group to hang out with.

 

If check in says no to minor, ask LA. If LA says no, ask concierge or sort it out at check in. We found we got different answers to questions depending upon whom we asked. I always ask for someone else to answer.

 

Regarding first time cruisers, I would think they would not be allowed to piggyback on your status if adults. I do know that on our first leg, the lounge was extremely crowded so they only let D, D+ in when we had been invited by friends.

 

Good Luck.

[wolfcathorse]

Glad to hear this, its a step up from what we experienced on Serenade in January. The Concierge, Kenneth Boodoo, told us since people were keeping the keys and selling them on eBay, each voyage the ship had to remake new cards and deactivate the old ones. We didn't have to give them back as Kenneth was just going to throw it away anyway.

 

Now I can see where this could lead to. On a ship with too many people hogging the CL, the key could be coded to work only between certain times of the happy hour. So half the CL guest would be assigned the first hour and a half, and the other half, the last hour and a half. So main diners could have a pre-dinner drink while second seating waited outside for their turn. Oh boy, these boards are going to light up when SeaPass cards start not working!

[Don Pedro]

Glad to hear this, its a step up from what we experienced on Serenade in January. The Concierge, Kenneth Boodoo, told us since people were keeping the keys and selling them on eBay, each voyage the ship had to remake new cards and deactivate the old ones. We didn't have to give them back as Kenneth was just going to throw it away anyway.

 

Now I can see where this could lead to. On a ship with too many people hogging the CL, the key could be coded to work only between certain times of the happy hour. So half the CL guest would be assigned the first hour and a half, and the other half, the last hour and a half. So main diners could have a pre-dinner drink while second seating waited outside for their turn. Oh boy, these boards are going to light up when SeaPass cards start not working!

 

Don't think that will work as many cruisers opt for My Time Dining or eat in another venue such a Chop's, Portifinos or the Windjammer. Their dining time will not coincide with the early or late schedule. Besides assigning someone in an expensive suite a Concierge Lounge time-slot would be rather tacky. Can't picture a concierge telling guests staying in the Royal Suite that their time-slot for the lounge has expired and they must get out, immediately!

 

The CL's are usually capable of handling the suite guests. But, as the ranks of us D+ members grows our access to the CL will be in jeopardy. That's why many of us are hoping that RCCL will adjustments to the program and we hope they do it sooner rather than later.