How easy is it to switch cabin occupants?

[dlong1969]

Hey all

 

I know that this is done all the time, but I haven't had the need to deal with it until this upcoming cruise.

 

 

We booked 2 cabins for our upcoming Enchantment cruise... taking my daughter and her cousin with us as graduation gifts...

 

The wife and I are Diamond, so we split up and booked me/my daughter in one, wife and the niece in the other, so we could get the balcony discount on both cabins...

 

Obviously this is not the optimal living arrangement for the cruise, so we will be swapping out occupants when we get on board (or can this be done at the pier??) so that the girls are in their own cabin (both 16 yo), and my wife and I in the other.

 

Can this be done at the pier? At Customer Relations on board? How much of a PITA is it to get done?

 

Thanks

 

Don

[Starry Eyes]

Do not try to do it at check in at the pier. Go to guest relations and see what they will do for you. The girls are both under age; is "their" balcony cabin right next door to yours?

[dlong1969]

Yes, the cabin is right next to ours....

 

Does anyone have any experience dealing with this onboard?

 

Thanks

 

Don

[Clarea]

Guest Services will give you extra keys for the guests that want to change staterooms. Do this after you board, not at check-in.

[Ourusualbeach]

We have done this on our last 4 cruises. As others have said you must do this at guest relations. They will not change cabin assignments but just give you extra keys for each of the cabins. Easy.

 

The only downside is that the 2 people switching rooms have to carry 2 seapass cards. One to charge with and one to open the right room.

[bethco]

When we have done this, they never wanted to mess with changing who was actually listed on the cabin. They just gave us a spare key to each cabin. The two who have been swapped will need to carry both sea pass card and spare key. If the person doing this doesn't wish to have a lanyard, then small ring to keep them together makes it easier to keep up with them.

[Bizzie07]

We did this with our daughter and her friend both 16. Not a problem to ask for Extra Key at Guest Services. You end up with an extra key for both cabins as they don't change the names. So you need your original card to charge to your sea pass account. The extra keys open the doors only.

[blonde375]

Having never traveled on a cruise with anyone under 21, I need some clarification.

 

We hope to be booking 3 cabins: myself and DH, DS (16) and a buddy, DD and her husband.

 

Given that both boys are 16, I'm guessing that I have to book DS and myself in one and DH and the buddy in another and then DD and her husband in their own.

 

So, once we are checked in, we ask for additional keys for our cabin and our son's cabin but do not let them know that we are putting the two boys together?

 

Did I get this right, or just make a muck of it?!?!?

[xxHadleyxx]

Having never traveled on a cruise with anyone under 21, I need some clarification.

 

We hope to be booking 3 cabins: myself and DH, DS (16) and a buddy, DD and her husband.

 

Given that both boys are 16, I'm guessing that I have to book DS and myself in one and DH and the buddy in another and then DD and her husband in their own.

 

So, once we are checked in, we ask for additional keys for our cabin and our son's cabin but do not let them know that we are putting the two boys together?

 

Did I get this right, or just make a muck of it?!?!?

 

If you call RCI directly to book, you can book the two teens together so long as their cabi is right next door or directly across the hall from you.

 

Otherwise, yes you split the adults up when booking, then ONCE ON BOARD stop by guest services and get extra keys (blank keys--they only open the door and do not charge, work to get off the ship, etc). We have always told guest services why we want the keys and it has never been an issue--in 8 times on RCI and 5 or 6 on Disney doing so.

 

Even if you do book the boys together (in a cabin next door to you), you may want to ask for an extra key to their room anyway--just so you can check in if needed.

[dlong1969]

Thanks all.... wasn't sure how it worked. Good information to have.

[blonde375]

Thank you for the clarification!! Got it!

[dna1990]

Two families travelling with us just did this last week. Easy once on board, just have to lug two keys around.

 

Do be aware, your cabins may span a fire door or other muster line. People will need to muster with the original muster station as defined on the reservation and original SeaPass, not which cabin they have a key to for sleeping.

[Johnkut]

We did this on the last cruise to take advantage of Diamond discounts for my wife's sister. We went to guest relations and they swathed the rooms and got new key cards.

[Daghis]

The wife and I are Diamond, so we split up and booked me/my daughter in one, wife and the niece in the other, so we could get the balcony discount on both cabins...

Is this your daughter's first Royal Caribbean cruise? If not, she should be Diamond as well as children inherit the status from their parents. This can be set up by calling Crown & Anchor.

[Ourusualbeach]

Is this your daughter's first Royal Caribbean cruise? If not, she should be Diamond as well as children inherit the status from their parents. This can be set up by calling Crown & Anchor.

 

Could also be an older daughter that didn't inherit their status.

[xxHadleyxx]

Two families travelling with us just did this last week. Easy once on board, just have to lug two keys around.

 

Do be aware, your cabins may span a fire door or other muster line. People will need to muster with the original muster station as defined on the reservation and original SeaPass, not which cabin they have a key to for sleeping.

 

That is an excellent point that I had forgotten about--but it happens often.

 

 

Is this your daughter's first Royal Caribbean cruise? If not, she should be Diamond as well as children inherit the status from their parents. This can be set up by calling Crown & Anchor.

 

This is only true if the daughter is under 18 (or at least if the status change occurred before daughter turned 18--I have heard that kids can keep the status they had at 18 via their parents--but I have also heard of that being taken away, so I am unsure).

[Clarea]

This is only true if the daughter is under 18 (or at least if the status change occurred before daughter turned 18--I have heard that kids can keep the status they had at 18 via their parents--but I have also heard of that being taken away, so I am unsure).

As long as the kids have been linked with parents, then the kids C&A level stays at whatever level their parents had when the kids turn 18. However, any subsequent level changes are based on the points the kids themselves earned.

[gerif]

Could also be an older daughter that didn't inherit their status.

 

OP indicated that daughter is 16.

[Jules.]

Thank you for this thread, it's useful to me. I've just booked two cabins, one for my mum and me, one for my husband and our youngest son. It will be handy if hubby can have a key to my room and vice versa :)

Edited August 5, 2014 by Jules.

[chazg]

I have enrolled my kids in C&A and they have the same level as I do, so when I book 2 cabins I don't have to do the people shuffle. We just book under their names and all is good.

 

We have done the people shuffle once and it was just to much of a hassle. But they did move us to the correct cabins so we didn't need 2 SeaPass Cards (Thank Goodness).

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Another thing to keep in mind when travelling with kids in a connecting cabin, the connecting doors don't lock (at least the one we had on Freedom didn't). Let me clarify, the steward can lock/unlock, but that can't be done by passengers.

 

So if you're in connecting rooms, you can have the steward unlock the connecting door and then "check in" on the kids whenever. You won't need extra keys.

[cruisePAC]

We did "the cabin swap" just a few weeks ago. It was much easier than I had expected, especially after reading complicated and unfortunate stories about this situation. We were two couples travelling together. Couple 1 was platinum status and received a balcony discount. Couple 2 was gold and didn't get a balcony discount. When we reserved the cabins, the guys were in one cabin and the girls were in another.

At home: when filling out your cruise documents, make sure to assign the correct credit cards to the correct passengers.

At the pier: all 4 of you should check in together and receive SeaPass cards, despite that two will receive cards that list the undesired cabin.

At guest relations: Someone from cabin 1 and someone from cabin 2 need to ask, "Can I have an additional key to my room?" Guest relations will print a new SeaPass card with the person's information and in big letters will be printed, "Extra Key". This can only be used to enter the cabin. The original SeaPass (obtained at the pier) is used for charges and getting on/off the ship. Once the four of you walk away from Guest Relations, the two people who had new cards made will swap their cards.

After making a few charges on SeaPass: View your account on the cabin TV to ensure that the correct charges are going on the correct credit card.

[blonde375]

We did "the cabin swap" just a few weeks ago. It was much easier than I had expected, especially after reading complicated and unfortunate stories about this situation. We were two couples travelling together. Couple 1 was platinum status and received a balcony discount. Couple 2 was gold and didn't get a balcony discount. When we reserved the cabins, the guys were in one cabin and the girls were in another.

At home: when filling out your cruise documents, make sure to assign the correct credit cards to the correct passengers.

At the pier: all 4 of you should check in together and receive SeaPass cards, despite that two will receive cards that list the undesired cabin.

At guest relations: Someone from cabin 1 and someone from cabin 2 need to ask, "Can I have an additional key to my room?" Guest relations will print a new SeaPass card with the person's information and in big letters will be printed, "Extra Key". This can only be used to enter the cabin. The original SeaPass (obtained at the pier) is used for charges and getting on/off the ship. Once the four of you walk away from Guest Relations, the two people who had new cards made will swap their cards.

After making a few charges on SeaPass: View your account on the cabin TV to ensure that the correct charges are going on the correct credit card.

 

Thanks for the play by play! It helps alot!!!

[Bizzie07]

And just remember that officially you have an adult and child in each cabin so you will be able to bring two bottles of wine per cabin on board.

[dlong1969]

Is this your daughter's first Royal Caribbean cruise? If not, she should be Diamond as well as children inherit the status from their parents. This can be set up by calling Crown & Anchor.

 

You know, since we generally have never cruised with the kids (except one time, for a Christmas gift), I didn't know about this....

 

I called C&A and got my 16 year old signed up... so when she gets to the pier, they will hand her a Diamond sea pass card.... she will be so excited... I will have to keep it a secret from her until then...

 

I wish I had known this before booking the cabins! :D

 

As always, I learn something from you guys...