Young adults (under 21) and drink packages? and other MSC questions

[Vacationdreamer<><]

I am hoping to reach out to an MSC agent today, but so often the CC community is far better informed than the agents!

 

I want to book two staterooms for my family of 7 for next May out of Port Canaveral.  

One stateroom is usually me, my DH, and our two youngest kids.

The other stateroom is usually our older kids.  At this point, my older "kids" will be 21, 19, and 18 at that time.  

When I did the mock booking, the stateroom for the three of them was markedly more than the stateroom for the four of us, and I believe it was because I was looking under the "free drinks and wifi" option and they are likely counting my adult kids as if they are over 21.

 

Is this just a quirkly and unfortunate situation?  Is this just how MSC will peg them, despite the two of them being under drinking age?

 

Also - no matter how I was looking, I could NOT find connecting staterooms.  I will try again from a different computer, and with more sleep under my belt, but in the event I can't find them, does anyone have any experience with getting additional key cards on MSC.  TBH, I don't really need to check up on that age group.  But it has always been so nice having everyone have access to everything - it's not like, "Oh, the sunscreen got left in that cabin," "I need the hair straightener," etc.  We just left the connecting doors unlocked and everyone could get what they needed from anywhere.  It's not a deal breaker... but I am all about making things easy.

 

Any suggestions welcome!  Thank you.

[Morgsmom]

3 hours ago, Vacationdreamer&lt;&gt;&lt; said:

I am hoping to reach out to an MSC agent today, but so often the CC community is far better informed than the agents!

 

this ^^^^^^^ 🙂

Best bet, find a good travel agent.  The MSC agents are spotty at best. My personal experience would rate their level of knowledge from a 0 to a 9, with the average rep getting about a 2.5.  

 

What's the date of the sailing you are looking at?  

[Essiesmom]

Are you getting a ‘kids sail free’ rate for the cabin with the younger kids?  
MSC has been reported not to issue extra key cards for cabins.  
when we sailed Seaside, you could get a bracelet that did everything the card did except click you off and back on the ship.  If they are still offering that it would be a way to gain access to the other cabin.  Everyone get a bracelet and swap them out just for room access.  But I thought I had read here they discontinued the bracelets.  EM

[Vacationdreamer<><]

3 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

find a good travel agent.

 

yes - it seems like I probably need to do that for MSC....

 

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

Are you getting a ‘kids sail free’ rate for the cabin with the younger kids?  

I didn't think so, but I will revisit that.  Thank you.

[Morgsmom]

Bracelets are only being issue for Yacht Club (and not for all ships apparently)

[1kaper]

21 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

The MSC agents are spotty at best. My personal experience would rate their level of knowledge from a 0 to a 9, with the average rep getting about a 2.5.  

 

It is astounding.  We have been changing our sailing and I've gotten a different answer every time I spoke to an agent.  
I went from not being able to move my cruise without costing me over a thousand dollars to having my cruise moved twice and not costing me a thing and everywhere in between.  We have been on the phone with no less than 10 agents and each of them contradicted the others.