Both Cabin Mates have Diamond Status. Can a Couple in Another Cabin be Inviting to Share the Diamond Specialty Dinner Perk?

[lexxfield]

My cabin mate and I both have Diamond status with MSC. We are traveling with another couple who are in a different cabin. I realize that if there are two Diamond members sharing a cabin, then the cabin mates receive only one complimentary Diamond specialty experience.  I also realize that if a Diamond member is traveling solo, then this person may invite another guest to share in the complimentary specialty meal.  My question is this:  May the two Diamond members in the same cabin invite two guest in a different cabin to share the complimentary Diamond specialty meal?  Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer this question. 

[rikitikitavii]

45 minutes ago, lexxfield said:

My cabin mate and I both have Diamond status with MSC. We are traveling with another couple who are in a different cabin. I realize that if there are two Diamond members sharing a cabin, then the cabin mates receive only one complimentary Diamond specialty experience.  I also realize that if a Diamond member is traveling solo, then this person may invite another guest to share in the complimentary specialty meal.  My question is this:  May the two Diamond members in the same cabin invite two guest in a different cabin to share the complimentary Diamond specialty meal?  Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer this question. 

I hope not, this practice would surely doom the complimentary diamond meal. Just imagine if everyone started feeling entitled and taking friends in for a free meal!!

[Eglesbrech]

No it’s only one diamond meal per cabin regardless of one or two diamond members.

[JAGR]

52 minutes ago, lexxfield said:

I realize that if there are two Diamond members sharing a cabin, then the cabin mates receive only one complimentary Diamond specialty experience.

You answered your own question in this sentence above.  Or, are you just trying to find someone to assure you that violating the rule is okay?

[lexxfield]

4 minutes ago, rikitikitavii said:

I hope not, this practice would surely doom the complimentary diamond meal. Just imagine if everyone started feeling entitled and taking friends in for a free meal!!

I wasn’t expecting a rude response, actually.  
 

I also disagree.  If a solo Diamond traveler is able to invite another person to share the complimentary Diamond specialty meal experience since the perk is a dinner for two, is there any difference in allowing each Diamond member in the same cabin to invite a guest to share?  Also, as I understand it, if I am Diamond and my cabin mate has no status, I would also be allowed to invite that person, again what is the difference?

[lexxfield]

JAGR, I don’t understand or appreciate your rudeness either. 

[lexxfield]

11 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

No it’s only one diamond meal per cabin regardless of one or two diamond members.

Thank you, Eglesbrech, for answering my question. 

[bob brown]

This question comes up in many different cruise line loyalty programs.  The gist of it is, does each member of a loyalty program sailing on a cruise receive individual perks based on their personal loyalty level, or if two members are in a cabin, must they then share the benefit (usually to the member with the higher status).   The cruise line will invariably interpret in their own favor.

 

As a "workaround", you could maybe split your booking, so that each of you sailed with someone that had no status.   Of course, no one is actually checking to see who really is occupying each cabin, but this would be not be "legal", and could result in penalty, if caught.  

Not worth the risk, IMHO....

[lexxfield]

Thank you for your detailed response, Bob Brown. The MSC rules appear to change with some frequency, and I was unsure of the current situation, hence the reason for my question. 

[Selion]

2 hours ago, bob brown said:

Of course, no one is actually checking to see who really is occupying each cabin, but this would be not be "legal", and could result in penalty, if caught.

I don't think cruise lines gives any attention on which passenger is occupying which cabin.  Otherwise chartered swingers cruises wouldn't be thing.

[Essiesmom]

4 hours ago, bob brown said:

This question comes up in many different cruise line loyalty programs.  The gist of it is, does each member of a loyalty program sailing on a cruise receive individual perks based on their personal loyalty level, or if two members are in a cabin, must they then share the benefit (usually to the member with the higher status).   The cruise line will invariably interpret in their own favor.

 

As a "workaround", you could maybe split your booking, so that each of you sailed with someone that had no status.   Of course, no one is actually checking to see who really is occupying each cabin, but this would be not be "legal", and could result in penalty, if caught.  

Not worth the risk, IMHO....

The problem with that is MSC does not give out extra cabin keys…so that you have access to your kids cabins, etc.  they expect you to sleep where you booked.  EM

[bob brown]

2 hours ago, Selion said:

I don't think cruise lines gives any attention on which passenger is occupying which cabin.  Otherwise chartered swingers cruises wouldn't be thing.

Agreed.  Parents sailing with older children do this all the time, when they want a second cabin for children.  The cruise line requires an adult booked in each cabin, so they book it that way, then occupy the cabins the way they want to…

[bob brown]

3 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

The problem with that is MSC does not give out extra cabin keys…so that you have access to your kids cabins, etc.  they expect you to sleep where you booked.  EM

Yes, that makes it more difficult, but not impossible to workaround…

[actuarian]

2 hours ago, bob brown said:

Yes, that makes it more difficult, but not impossible to workaround…

It is an easy workaround if you are on one of the newer ships that supports the wrist bands. Then each person can keep his or her key while you swap wrist bands. Either the key or the wrist band will open the door to the room.

[RD64]

8 hours ago, lexxfield said:

I wasn’t expecting a rude response, actually.  
 

I also disagree.  If a solo Diamond traveler is able to invite another person to share the complimentary Diamond specialty meal experience since the perk is a dinner for two, is there any difference in allowing each Diamond member in the same cabin to invite a guest to share?  Also, as I understand it, if I am Diamond and my cabin mate has no status, I would also be allowed to invite that person, again what is the difference?

I am sorry but I must agree with the previous poster. You already know what the situation is, but it appears that you are looking for people that will justify bending the rules in your favour - not being rude - just being honest - and sadly many people do not like being confronted with honesty.

 

And if you truly want to dine with your friends, you always have the option of dining down in steerage with them - or - they can upgrade their reservations to dine with you. Problem solved!

Edited October 22, 2023 by RD64
Additional

[GOLDENBONNY]

12 hours ago, lexxfield said:

then this person may invite another guest to share in the complimentary specialty meal.

where did you get this info? Dimond membership clearly says : member + 1 guest of the SAME CABIN no member .so answer to your question is-NO ,no guests from other cabins can be invited for free

Edited October 23, 2023 by GOLDENBONNY

[gkbiiii]

On 10/22/2023 at 9:43 PM, GOLDENBONNY said:

where did you get this info? Dimond membership clearly says : member + 1 guest of the SAME CABIN no member .so answer to your question is-NO ,no guests from other cabins can be invited for free

But as a solo cabin guy, I get to invite another person.  Oddly, on Celebrity, all people in the cabin, get the same benefits, as the top tiered person! 

[carlmm]

2 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

But as a solo cabin guy, I get to invite another person.  

Could you post a quotation or source for this? I have never gotten this and the rules were stated as above: "same cabin".

I would happily proof to the relevant staff that I am entitled to invite a guest from another cabin when sailing solo.

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, carlmm said:

Could you post a quotation or source for this? I have never gotten this and the rules were stated as above: "same cabin".

I would happily proof to the relevant staff that I am entitled to invite a guest from another cabin when sailing solo.

Well dear, I brought a fellow passenger to the Steak & Lobster Dining Room and they comped both meals.  It is MSC's smallest vessel, I stayed in a Suite and the ship gave me a Dinner with Officers. Notice, that's not a stated benefit either!

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, carlmm said:

Could you post a quotation or source for this? I have never gotten this and the rules were stated as above: "same cabin".

I would happily proof to the relevant staff that I am entitled to invite a guest from another cabin when sailing solo.

By the way, the rules in Italy are not the same as America.  They tend to be "in the eye of the beholder."  "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"

Edited October 30, 2023 by gkbiiii

[Até]

4 hours ago, carlmm said:

Could you post a quotation or source for this? I have never gotten this and the rules were stated as above: "same cabin".

The Voyagers Club rule is the guest must be in the same cabin.  The restaurant manager has the discretion to approve such a request, or not.

[GOLDENBONNY]

19 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

But as a solo cabin guy, I get to invite another person

Des it say on your reservation?

[PDXer2]

On my last cruise in September on the Seaside as a solo YC cruiser, I was NOT able to invite a guest to share dinner. In fact, the waiter in the steakhouse was very rude about it in front of my guest. I was made aware of the situation by my butler prior to going to the restaurant that I had to pay for my guest and was prepared to do so. The problem was the waiter made an excessively big deal that I needed to pay for the meal for my guest, that it was embarrassing. I had asked this question on this forum before the cruise and the consensus then was "no problem".  That is not the case!

[xcell]

There's a lot of inconsistency with these vouchers and YMMV.

 

I  think it is best to ask when you are on the ship and when booking the restaurant.  Usually, I book at the restaurant itself and they will let me know who can and cannot go.

 

One time, I think it was on the Seaside because the YC is across from the specialty restaurants, they asked if we were going to dine with them but I said I have only one room with 4 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers -- all diamonds), he checked and he said that all of us could book with the voucher (which is not the case, as it should have only been 2 of us).