Number of people in cabin not the same as booking

[LoveCruisingCC]

I am new to Celebrity, have cruised with Princess and RCI before. I have booked 3 cabins : 2 connecting + 1 right next to it. We have 8 in the party - my family of 4 with 2 young kids, my parents, my brother and my MIL. In order to benefit most on the 123GO offer, the booking is done as such :-

 

Cabin 1 (connecting) Me, DH + 1 kid

Cabin 2 My parents + 1 kid

Cabin 3 (connecting) my brother and my MIL

 

In reality, my intention for sleeping arrangement is

 

Cabin 1 (connecting) Me, DH, 2 kids + my MIL

Cabin 2 (connecting) My parents

Cabin 3 my brother on his own

 

My room has an upper berth and a sofa bed. My 2 kids are small, so we can fit 5 people in 4 beds. Will the cabin steward allow this? Will he/she set both upper berth and sofa bed up when we only have 3 in that cabin officially? Our cabins are all next to each other, so we should have the same cabin steward. I may not be right, but to me, the amount of work for him/her is the same.

 

What will be the best way to approach this?

 

Thank you in advance.

[A Sixth?]

:eek:

 

All I can say is you're going need that drink pacage with five in one cabin!!! (cabin 1) :p

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Sounds like a lot of people in 1 cabin, especially with only one is the 3rd cabin. Why not put your brother MIL in the same cabin to free up some space in yours? It's not only the number of people sleeping in the cabin but the number trying to store clothes and using the bathroom, towels, soap, etc.

 

Mary Lou

[dodger1964]

What ship?

 

We had connecting rooms on reflection and it was really nice to have the balcony divider open to allow access to the rooms. (We didn't have "connecting cabins"). I'm not sure if the m class balconies have that option.

 

To your question, the cabin steward will do,whatever is needed to please you. Might have one or both kid sleep on couch of parents. I'm guessing it will become clearer when umget onboard and can actually see the rooms.

 

Have great cruise!!

[Sloop-JohnB]

Sounds like a lot of people in 1 cabin, especially with only one is the 3rd cabin. Why not put your brother MIL in the same cabin to free up some space in yours? It's not only the number of people sleeping in the cabin but the number trying to store clothes and using the bathroom, towels, soap, etc.

 

Mary Lou

 

100% agree.

 

Three adults & 2 kids in less than 200 square feet is going to be utter madness !!

 

It can be challenging enough at times for 2 adults... I often wonder how Others cope.

 

And as mentioned, none of the alternate sleeping amenities (convertible sofa / upper berth are very large or comfy). Don't think I'd even want 2 kids up top in the berth... More prone for someone to fall out of bed etc !!

 

Like the idea of your MIL sharing a cabin with your Brother... At least then she'd get a decent bed !!

 

Or if that isn't doable for some reason...

 

Maybe stick with the original booking, and have one of the kids bunk in with Gramma & Grampa, while your MIL stays with you guys and the other child in the connecting room

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

 

Ps. On one hand Celebrity doesn't really care who sleeps in which cabin (people switch around often to make a booking work). On the other hand they do care about capacity numbers for safety reasons. The Cruise Contract I think you will notice talks about max numbers... And for a regular cabin, I believe 4 is the max. So you may not even be able to do what you envision.

 

Have you thought about making enquiries about the availability of Family Cabins (sleep 5). Might be worth a shot.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[LoveCruisingCC]

Thanks for all your responses. It is good to know that the cabin steward is likely to help us out.

 

The ship is the Solstice. We will be in 1B on the hump. The 2 connecting cabins are true connecting ones via the hallway doors. I think myself and my kids will roam between my room and my parents' all the time, using their bathrooms if needed, etc.

 

I don't think my MIL and my brother can share a room. If anything, it will end up either myself or DH sharing with my brother, which I don't want to do.

 

The intended sleeping arrangement for 5 is DH + 2 kids in double, me on upper berth, MIL in sofa bed. DH + kids have shared a queen in our recent vacations early in the year with no problems. I am assuming Solstice's double is like a queen as it is put together by joining two singles.

 

Actually, with a 2 berth room, can the sofa be converted as a "bed"? I can stay in my parents' cabin. I have read somewhere that people said the sofa bed is not really a sofa bed anyway.

 

In terms of storage space, I already planned to put my suitcases in my brother's room once I unload my stuff out.

 

Btw, I did enquire about the Family Veranda, there are only 4 on Solstice and there are all sold out.

[LoveCruisingCC]

one more question. In terms of tipping the cabin steward extra for this, how much should I tip? At the beginning of the cruise or at the end?

[varoo]

If you are the "legal" registered adult occupant of a cabin, you can request extra room keys to your cabin and give them to whomever you wish.

 

As for your actual sleeping arrangements, that is your own business and you can move people around however you wish to suit yourselves. Nobody is going to spy on you or complain as long as you and your children are not disturbing anyone else.

 

There is no cruise gestapo going around doing bed checks.

I would venture a guess that on any cruise there will be a number of people sleeping in cabins other than the ones in which they are officially registered.

 

As previously mentioned, the MIL really would be much more comfortable in a real bed.

I would much rather stay home than have to cruise with 5 people crammed into one regular-sized cabin that way. :eek:

Even prisoners in jail cells are not that tightly confined.

 

 

Could you at least bribe the brother to let the kids sleep in his cabin?

 

Or put the 2 mothers in one cabin and the father with the brother in the other?

 

Edited August 20, 2014 by varoo

[WestLakeGirl]

Youndomwant to make sur that there are child sized life jackets in each room where children will be sleeping

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I would much rather stay home than have to cruise with 5 people crammed into one regular-sized cabin that way.

Even prisoners in jail cells are not that tightly confined.

 

________________________

 

I totally agree with the above. Two is a crowd in one of those cabins.

 

[LoveCruisingCC]

Could you at least bribe the brother to let the kids sleep in his cabin?

 

Or put the 2 mothers in one cabin and the father with the brother in the other?

 

 

My brother will be fine with the kids, it is me who doesn't want to. They are only 4 & 6. Plus I don't want my brother to feel that he is there to babysit, he would want to go out and enjoy the night, rather than stuck in the cabin.

 

Thought about the 2 mothers option, but my mom's health means that it is better for her to be with my dad. Hence the reason for the connecting cabin too, so that I am in the "same room" as her.

[LoveCruisingCC]

I would much rather stay home than have to cruise with 5 people crammed into one regular-sized cabin that way.

Even prisoners in jail cells are not that tightly confined.

 

________________________

 

I totally agree with the above. Two is a crowd in one of those cabins.

 

 

I guess I will get onboard and be prepared to switch myself to my brother's room if it is that crowded.

 

May be because my kids were only 2 & 4 at the time. I had 4 in a cabin (P&O AU). We were in a oceanview only, whilst not the largest cabin, but we got by OK.

Edited August 20, 2014 by LoveCruisingCC

[sammie1900]

If you are the "legal" registered adult occupant of a cabin, you can request extra room keys to your cabin and give them to whomever you wish.

 

As for your actual sleeping arrangements, that is your own business and you can move people around however you wish to suit yourselves. Nobody is going to spy on you or complain as long as you and your children are not disturbing anyone else.

 

There is no cruise gestapo going around doing bed checks.

I would venture a guess that on any cruise there will be a number of people sleeping in cabins other than the ones in which they are officially registered.

 

As previously mentioned, the MIL really would be much more comfortable in a real bed.

I would much rather stay home than have to cruise with 5 people crammed into one regular-sized cabin that way. :eek:

Even prisoners in jail cells are not that tightly confined. Y

 

 

Could you at least bribe the brother to let the kids sleep in his cabin?

 

Or put the 2 mothers in one cabin and the father with the brother in the other?

 

 

Hi varioo. are you sure about the extra room keys? I thought passenger info was on the mag strip and that was how they knew everyone was on board? Not sure tho as I have never asked for an extra key, just a new one when I couldn't find the first one, I was told then that my old one would not work. I agree with you on the 5 in a cabin, sometimes I feel crowded with just myself in the small rooms! If someone has 5 keys for the same room, I am sure this will be noticed, especially if it has the same name on it and I just don't know how more than one key can have the same name with security? Interested in how this plays out! I would just open the patio divider between the rooms, let each have the key to the room on the booking, then sleep where ever the arrangement has been made with the room steward, but I would also try and be as tidy as possible as this sounds like a lot of work (room with 5 that should only have 4) in a small space. Glad I do not have to sleep on the couch, it is like a rock. Good luck to the group and have a great time with whatever you end up with, family is fun!

[LoveCruisingCC]

Re connecting cabin doors in the hallway, do I need to tell Celebrity beforehand to set it up as connecting? Or can this be done after we embark, presumably just telling the cabin steward?

[varoo]

Hi varioo. are you sure about the extra room keys? I thought passenger info was on the mag strip and that was how they knew everyone was on board? Not sure tho as I have never asked for an extra key, just a new one when I couldn't find the first one, I was told then that my old one would not work.

Yes, I am sure, as one who has both given and received them.

 

The extra room key cards are merely that -- room keys..

They can only be used to open the door to that cabin, period.

 

They are not seapass cards and cannot be used for charging anything to anyone's account.

They cannot be used for leaving the ship or returning to the ship.

They are not good for any other purpose except to open the door to that one cabin.

 

They are commonly used by family members and friends traveling together who want access to each others cabins.

 

An example is when parents book a balcony for themselves with an interior cabin across the hall for their children. They get the room key cards to give the parents access to their children's cabin and give the children access to the parents' balcony.

 

If someone has 5 keys for the same room, I am sure this will be noticed,......

That is why you would inform your stateroom attendant that so-and-so has a key to your cabin and it is perfectly fine with you, so the stateroom attendant will not be reporting the person to security for entering your room..

I agree with you on the 5 in a cabin, sometimes I feel crowded with just myself in the small rooms!

When the two of us travel in a standard cruise cabin with only the one bathroom, that feels crowded to us, as crowded as we would be willing to get on a cruise..

I find it hard to imagine 5 of us in a cabin, unless it is a large suite or FV..

 

But I think it has a lot to do with the standard of living to which one is accustomed.

People who choose cruise vacations typically live quite comfortable lives at home.

So when we go on a cruise we want and expect at least the comfort level that we have at home, if not greater.

 

We are not looking for physical challenges.

People who are seeking ways to challenge themselves go out climbing mountains or skydiving or crawling through caves or running marathons or such, not by confining themselves to a small, crowded room on a luxury cruise ship..

 

While it is very true that there are parts of the world to this day where entire families of 5, or even more, live in one small room, they do so out of necessity and hardship, not from choice, and those are not the people who tend to go on cruise vacations.

 

[bigmjh]

In terms of storage space, I already planned to put my suitcases in my brother's room once I unload my stuff out.

 

BTW - All but the very largest suitcases will slide easily and neatly under the beds. I have done this all the time with a 29" hardside (with the smaller bags nested inside).

[Nancyquilts]

Least painful for everyone -

Since it sounds like you won't be sharing a bed with your husband anyway, DH and kids in double bed, MIL on extra bed - probably more comfortable than the sofa. You with your parents, brother alone. I wouldn't like it, but could do so in an emergency.

[LoveCruisingCC]

Is the upper berth better than the sofa bed? I thought it would be quite a climb for my MIL, hence I thought she would get sofa bed and I get the upper if we have 5 in the cabin.

[herbanrenewal]

Just my opinion, but I think what works for some families would be impossible for others, and you will have a great time, even if you decide to switch accommodations after the first night's sleeping arrangements are tried.

 

When my 2 kids were small the only way we could afford to vacation was with a 8-foot square canvas tent. We camped all over the

eastern coast at last once in each state. If you think a cruise cabin and one bath is tough, try a tent and a campground shared bathroom facility.

Was it easy - absolutely not. But we had a great time and formed memories to last a lifetime.

 

Family time is ALWAYS precious. Although you will make adjustments to the situation to meet everyone's needs, if you want it to work, it will.

 

I've also noted that some families will make every effort to reduce the amount of work others need to do, while some demand extra attention.

Be kind and considerate of your room attendant, and they will do their best to take care of you.

[alexspepa]

lol - our first cruise was on the Big Red Boat about 25 years ago - remember that? there were five of us in one cabin - me and my wife, two teenage girls(one our daughter and one her friend) and our 8 year old son - can you imagine that happening today? I would probably be arrested...but we managed because it was all we could afford, and had a great time to boot - except for the first night when the whole ship got seasick - omg was that bad.

 

I think it will be crowded but you will manage fine.

Edited August 20, 2014 by alexspepa

[bighairtexan]

How would I tip? Well if you have the same cabin steward for all it makes it easy. Your auto tips are all going the same place.

 

But if not, I'd tip as if there were 2 in 2 of the rooms (even if only 1. The person taking care of just your brother was assigned as if he were taking care of 2 people so shouldn't be shorted on tips).

THEN for the 5 in a cabin :eek: I'd tip the steward for all 5 people. So yes, some of the people are essentially "double tipping" but that steward will earn it.

 

ONCE I was in a regular (non suite) cabin w/ 2 adults and 2 kids. ONCE. Many many cruises but just ONCE 4 in a cabin. It was not pleasant, and my kids are tidy and easy going but UGH.

 

As for the sofa bed, unless you're exceptionally tall, it's fairly comfortable. However, Even the kids complained that it was warm and stuffy up there in the bunk beds.

 

Recently my kids did 3 in a cabin (I treated my grown kids and DD's spouse) and my son got stuck in the bunk and HATED it. Though obviously, he was going to let his sister sleep w/ her spouse. This isn't Kentucky! (apologies to Kentucky) Luckily I had thought to bring a battery powered personal fan, or he'd have never gotten any sleep.

[alexspepa]

 

This isn't Kentucky! (apologies to Kentucky)

 

As if!...great movie.

[hcat]

Because the two unrelated adults won't want to share (mil and brother), it would seem, OP should have booked an inside across the hall from this zoo or two connectng cabins or some type of family stateroom in the mix,,.,,.

 

only way for it to work at all is brother and OP's husband share,

OP shares w mil

parents room together...

shift the kids around..or split them up...

[sailnsee]

Can't believe someone else has this problem...I booked 3 bal. for nov. cruise,my ds and dil and two little ones,myself and dh,and daughter and dil...then they decided to invite dil mother( who is great) but didn't want to get another cabin....so we booked our cabin for 3....we are across the hall...she will sleep in the cabin for 4(bunks,sofa sleeper) but will prob. leave clothes/luggage with us,also stagger bathroom times...it sounds crazy to us but she has never been on a cruise so maybe she won't know...got the drink pkg. for first two in the cabin,but she doesn't drink and her fare (incl. fees) was $365 for 7 days!

[blindrid]

I would much rather stay home than have to cruise with 5 people crammed into one regular-sized cabin that way.

Even prisoners in jail cells are not that tightly confined.

 

________________________

 

I totally agree with the above. Two is a crowd in one of those cabins.

 

 

I agree. II think we've all been on a vacation from hell sometime. Much less with one person having a cabin by himself.

Edited August 20, 2014 by blindrid