Need help: Trying to book excursions with multiple Resv. on RCL

[CruiseFamily18]

We have 8 cabins with of friends traveling on RCL. RCL told us that we cannot link reservations making planning excursions impossible. How do we book excursions/onboard activities and ensure we are together??? This is nuts. All other cruise lines allow for this.  RCL told us to book individually and get in line for customer service on ship to try to coordinate but they couldn’t guarantee being together. Anyone have a work around for this? Thanks for your help.

[happymanitee]

I have never linked 8 cabins together, but I link 3 together all the time.  Make one person in charge of booking everything.  That one person needs everyone’s reservation number.  When you go to book dinner/excursions, there is a link to ‘book members on a different reservation’.  Just click that and add them.  Then, you will have to pay for everyone at once, but you can split payments between credit cards.  Like I said, I’ve only done it for 7people total in 3 separate cabins.  So, I don’t know if there is a limit.  

[danny8826]

 

Will Royal Caribbean returns to Egypt?  

 

Thanks,

Danny

[CruiseFamily18]

13 minutes ago, happymanitee said:

I have never linked 8 cabins together, but I link 3 together all the time.  Make one person in charge of booking everything.  That one person needs everyone’s reservation number.  When you go to book dinner/excursions, there is a link to ‘book members on a different reservation’.  Just click that and add them.  Then, you will have to pay for everyone at once, but you can split payments between credit cards.  Like I said, I’ve only done it for 7people total in 3 separate cabins.  So, I don’t know if there is a limit.  

Thank you very much. Using separate credit cards will help a lot.  Still a hassle for this many cabins but better than trying to collect money from everyone. 

 

[cindivan]

We typically travel in large groups so I have some experience as I am the primary planner. What are you specifically asking about?

 

dining?    Forget about specialty dining for that large of a group.  Anytime we try to book more than 6-8 people depending on the venue we can’t get the same time. MTD?  Max of 10 per table/reservation. If you are early enough and are lucky enough, you can book everyone same time, you can try to convince them when on board to be seated near each other. However be forewarned they probably will try to pressure you into 530ish or 830ish when you ask to be seated near each other. Stand your ground if you have the reservations. But if not, it will be tough. You may have to be 15-30 minutes apart and take turns who didn’t with who. Traditional dining?  We don’t do that because we don’t like the times so will let someone else speak to that. 

Shows? Just make reservations for everyone and meet up in time to get in before the general masses. 
 

 

excursions?    Personally, I would never book excursions from the cruise because it’s more expensive and I don’t like being part of that large of a group. But I don’t know where you’re going so can’t speak to that specifically.  But in general, there a lot of great private excursion companies that could handle a group your size

[CruiseFamily18]

2 minutes ago, cindivan said:

We typically travel in large groups so I have some experience as I am the primary planner. What are you specifically asking about?

 

dining?    Forget about specialty dining for that large of a group.  Anytime we try to book more than 6-8 people depending on the venue we can’t get the same time. MTD?  Max of 10 per table/reservation. If you are early enough and are lucky enough, you can book everyone same time, you can try to convince them when on board to be seated near each other. However be forewarned they probably will try to pressure you into 530ish or 830ish when you ask to be seated near each other. Stand your ground if you have the reservations. But if not, it will be tough. You may have to be 15-30 minutes apart and take turns who didn’t with who. Traditional dining?  We don’t do that because we don’t like the times so will let someone else speak to that. 

Shows? Just make reservations for everyone and meet up in time to get in before the general masses. 
 

 

excursions?    Personally, I would never book excursions from the cruise because it’s more expensive and I don’t like being part of that large of a group. But I don’t know where you’re going so can’t speak to that specifically.  But in general, there a lot of great private excursion companies that could handle a group your size

 

Thank you Cindi! I’m the planner too - ugh! Anyway, what is MTD? If we choose anytime dining will we be able to be together at one table? What about if we book speciality dining and link reservations like manatee suggested? We are looking to do Amazing Race in Cozumel and a beach break in Grand Cayman as excursions. Hoping it’s not a hassle with these reservations. Thanks for your help!

[Ourusualbeach]

54 minutes ago, CruiseFamily18 said:

We have 8 cabins with of friends traveling on RCL. RCL told us that we cannot link reservations making planning excursions impossible. How do we book excursions/onboard activities and ensure we are together??? This is nuts. All other cruise lines allow for this.  RCL told us to book individually and get in line for customer service on ship to try to coordinate but they couldn’t guarantee being together. Anyone have a work around for this? Thanks for your help.

There is no need to link reservations in order to book excursions.

 

when booking the excursion it will ask if you want to add guests from another reservation.  .

 

there may be a limit as to how many guests you can book for.  With shows it will only allow you to book 12 together.  

[CruiseFamily18]

I should clarify - 8 cabins. All singles so 8 people total. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, CruiseFamily18 said:

I should clarify - 8 cabins. All singles so 8 people total. 

That will work as I described above.  You just need their reservation numbers. 

[cindivan]

My time dining is when you don’t have a specific date and time and you can show up when you want to, or you can make reservations prior to boarding based on availability.  There are lots of threads on dining reservations, but I will try to summarize that dining reservations open up at random times depending on how far out your cruise is.  It used to be three months, but a few years ago it changed to sometimes nine months sometimes, sometimes over a year.  I would just recommend checking your cruise planner to see if it’s available yet.

 

With 8 cabins I’m assuming at least 16 people, maybe more.  What ship are you on? Even on the oasis class ships, their specialty restaurants typically won’t take that many at one time so if you want to do specialty you’re probably going to have to opt for different times.

 

MTD would be able to handle that many at once, but that’s assuming you were able to make reservations prior to boarding for everybody at the same time, On different reservations because they only allow for 10 per reservation.  When you get on board you would go to my time dining to ask them for your tables to be seated near each other.   It is not an easy process for group this large. They always try to pressure you into going very early or very late, if you haven’t reserved prior to sailing, I would guess early or late is going to be your only options if you want to dine together.

 

as far as shore excursions, we don’t typically book them through the cruise line. But from my understanding you just show up when the excursion is supposed to meet and you can be together. But anyone that typically does ship-based excursions knows different please correct me

Edited October 27, 2019 by cindivan

[cindivan]

Just read 8 people total. Some specialty dining might be able to handle that. What ship are you on?

 

And MTD shouldn’t be a problem if you can prebook it.    I think most ships have tables up to 10?  We have done mainly freedom class and bigger so can’t speak to the smaller ships. 

Edited October 27, 2019 by cindivan

[CruiseFamily18]

7 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That will work as I described above.  You just need their reservation numbers. 

So each books their own and then we link after payment?  

 

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, CruiseFamily18 said:

So each books their own and then we link after payment?  

 

 

No, you can make all the reservations yourself, just have all the booking numbers when you want to make reservations.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, CruiseFamily18 said:

So each books their own and then we link after payment?  

 

No, one person books.  Select 8 guests, it will ask you if you want to add guests from another reservation.  Say yes and enter in their reservation number. This way you are all on the same excursion at the same time. 

[cindivan]

If everyone books separately and then later try to combine they  might not be able to seat you at the same table. there are only so many tables that can seat big parties. 
 

Short answer, if you want to sit together you need to book as one party. Especially for specialty dining. I am pretty sure they do allow you to enter in different credit cards when you pay, but it’s still a PITA for the person organizing it