Help: Potential SeaPass Problem?

[LuvBNatC]

In January, I'm sailing with my elderly parents on Serenade of the Seas. They will be in a balcony cabin, and I will be alone in an inside cabin across the hall. I have Platinum Crown & Anchor status with RCI; they do not.

 

Yesterday when I booked both cabins directly with RCI, the rep. suggested we put me and my mother in the balcony cabin because my Platinum status entitles me to a $100 credit on a balcony or higher grade. We put my father in the inside cabin.

 

The rep said, "It doesn't matter where you stay once you're on the ship."

 

OK. Sounded good.

 

But I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, "Holy crap! My SeaPass card won't work on MY inside cabin door! My father and I will have to keep swapping cards. And if he's OFF the ship and I want to get into my cabin, I'm screwed!"

 

My question to fellow CCers is: Have any of you ever done this before? Can the cabins be sorted out at the pier when they create our SeaPass cards (this will be in San Juan, by the way), or should I call RCI now to get the booking straightened out and forego the $100 credit?

 

I'm not saying anything to my parents until I know what to do next because it's their $100 on the line. Thanks!

[cruisenfever]

In January, I'm sailing with my elderly parents on Serenade of the Seas. They will be in a balcony cabin, and I will be alone in an inside cabin across the hall. I have Platinum Crown & Anchor status with RCI; they do not.

 

Yesterday when I booked both cabins directly with RCI, the rep. suggested we put me and my mother in the balcony cabin because my Platinum status entitles me to a $100 credit on a balcony or higher grade. We put my father in the inside cabin.

 

The rep said, "It doesn't matter where you stay once you're on the ship."

 

OK. Sounded good.

 

But I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, "Holy crap! My SeaPass card won't work on MY inside cabin door! My father and I will have to keep swapping cards. And if he's OFF the ship and I want to get into my cabin, I'm screwed!"

 

My question to fellow CCers is: Have any of you ever done this before? Can the cabins be sorted out at the pier when they create our SeaPass cards (this will be in San Juan, by the way), or should I call RCI now to get the booking straightened out and forego the $100 credit?

 

I'm not saying anything to my parents until I know what to do next because it's their $100 on the line. Thanks!

No problem........once you get on board, go to Guest Relations and have new SeaPass cards issued for the right people in the right cabin.:D

 

The SeaPass cards are actually done on the ship a week or two prior to your sailing and then then are taken to the terminal for check in. You will have to make the change after you get your cards.

[Spring]

In January, I'm sailing with my elderly parents on Serenade of the Seas. They will be in a balcony cabin, and I will be alone in an inside cabin across the hall. I have Platinum Crown & Anchor status with RCI; they do not.

 

Yesterday when I booked both cabins directly with RCI, the rep. suggested we put me and my mother in the balcony cabin because my Platinum status entitles me to a $100 credit on a balcony or higher grade. We put my father in the inside cabin.

 

The rep said, "It doesn't matter where you stay once you're on the ship."

 

OK. Sounded good.

 

But I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, "Holy crap! My SeaPass card won't work on MY inside cabin door! My father and I will have to keep swapping cards. And if he's OFF the ship and I want to get into my cabin, I'm screwed!"

 

My question to fellow CCers is: Have any of you ever done this before? Can the cabins be sorted out at the pier when they create our SeaPass cards (this will be in San Juan, by the way), or should I call RCI now to get the booking straightened out and forego the $100 credit?

 

I'm not saying anything to my parents until I know what to do next because it's their $100 on the line. Thanks!

 

Go down to the service desk and ask for a new card, say you lost the 1st one, now you have two.

[AMR40509]

I wouldn't worry about it. It's been a couple of years, but we've played this kind of game before with them, it's a non-issue. Just be sure you all check-in together, go up to the same agent, and explain that you'll be doing some shuffling, they can take care of it.

[danajjj]

Don't worry, it can be easily straightened out. Stay in the cabin with your mom to get the $100 discount. Check in at the pier with you and your mom in the balcony cabin and your dad in the inside cabin. AFTER you get onboard, go to guest relations and tell them that you want to swap cabins and get new seapasses. They will put you into the inside with the appropriate seapass and your dad into the balcony with the correct seapass. I had the LA onboard tell me to do this. She stressed not to straighten it out at the pier when checking in though. She said you would then be charged the additional money. We did this last December, and it worked just fine. People must frequently do this, b/c the staff member at GR knew exactly what I wanted done.

[Grannycb]

As the poster above said, not a problem. People frequently do this.

[Tanker]

LuvBNatC,

 

We did this twice last year. Once we took our kids and grandson and on the second cruise we took my parents. Each time we booked several cabins to take advantage of the discount. We asked at check-in on the pier both times, the first time they gave us two extra sea pass cards (they will have "EXTRA KEY" in big black letters at the bottom) without any problem. The second time we were told to get them at the purser’s desk on board. On the second cruise we went directly to purser’s desk and they politely gave us two more sea passes marked with "Extra KEY" on them. The only question asked at the purser’s desk was if there was a person from each cabin present. They verified our names and cabin and handed us the two extra keys. Oh – we could not use the cards for anything other than a key.

 

Unless things have changed you will not have a problem.

 

Have a great cuise and best of luck.

[LuvBNatC]

Thank you everybody. I knew you'd have the answer. Sorting it out once on board at Guest Relations makes perfect sense to me. If they happen to ask any questions, I'll just say my father snores really loud, so we thought he'd need to be alone, but once my mother saw the beautiful balcony cabin, she thought it was too romantic and now they want to be together. They're in their 70s. Would RCI deny them what could be their last big chance to make whoopee?

[LuvBNatC]

Tanker, you just gave me another idea. Since they ARE my elderly parents, I could just ask for extra keys to both cabins for each of us so I can check on my father in the single, and so he can get to me and my mother in the balcony cabin if needed. Perfect! Thanks!

[Happy ks]

You don't have to stay with your mother, you can switch cabins with your father once onboard, no one needs to be told any reason at all. The people onboard don't care where you are sleeping.

 

We've done this numerous times with our kids, since they need an adult to be booked in each cabin. We book 1 parent/1 child per cabin and switch keys once onboard. Both kids stay in one cabin, we stay in the other.

[amybeth4]

People also do this a lot in order to take advantage of specials, like residency rates.

 

Speaking of which, is there a seniors rate on your cruise? All you need is one person in the cabin in order for both to get the discount. If there's one available, you'll ALL possibly get a better discount than $100.

[uksimonusa]

You don't have to stay with your mother, you can switch cabins with your father once onboard, no one needs to be told any reason at all. The people onboard don't care where you are sleeping.

 

We've done this numerous times with our kids, since they need an adult to be booked in each cabin. We book 1 parent/1 child per cabin and switch keys once onboard. Both kids stay in one cabin, we stay in the other.

 

There does not need to be an adult in the cabin with the kids, the kids can have their own cabin, as long as it is next to or accross from the adults

[shauncruises]

You don't have to stay with your mother, you can switch cabins with your father once onboard, no one needs to be told any reason at all. The people onboard don't care where you are sleeping.

 

We've done this numerous times with our kids, since they need an adult to be booked in each cabin. We book 1 parent/1 child per cabin and switch keys once onboard. Both kids stay in one cabin, we stay in the other.

 

We have done this a couple of times also, and will be doing it again soon. As a parent, I definitely want an extra key to my kid's room. It is a must!

[LuvBNatC]

Yeah, I knew I didn't have to stay in the cabin with my mother (although the balcony would be nice ;)). But they'll be using their credit card to pay for onboard purchases and I'll be using mine, so it's not just a matter of me and my father switching cards. Besides, we'd have to switch back to go ashore. When I thought of this last night, I couldn't go back to sleep, envisioning a real logistical nightmare because I really wasn't planning to be at their side 24/7.

 

But if the ship will just give me and my father an "extra key" to the other cabin, then we're in the clear. I use my balcony card around the ship and the extra key to get into my cabin. He uses his extra key to get into his cabin with my mother.

 

Problem solved. I really didn't want to have to tell them their cruise is going to cost $100 more.

[danajjj]

Yeah, I knew I didn't have to stay in the cabin with my mother (although the balcony would be nice ;)). But they'll be using their credit card to pay for onboard purchases and I'll be using mine, so it's not just a matter of me and my father switching cards. Besides, we'd have to switch back to go ashore. When I thought of this last night, I couldn't go back to sleep, envisioning a real logistical nightmare because I really wasn't planning to be at their side 24/7.

 

But if the ship will just give me and my father an "extra key" to the other cabin, then we're in the clear. I use my balcony card around the ship and the extra key to get into my cabin. He uses his extra key to get into his cabin with my mother.

 

Problem solved. I really didn't want to have to tell them their cruise is going to cost $100 more.

 

Don't just get an extra key. You need to actually have them switch you into the other cabin and issue you and your father a NEW seapass. Otherwise, your charges and your parents charges will be intermixed. Actually changing cabins and getting a new seapass is the easiest way to keep your charge accounts separate. After the switch, they can issue an extra key if you would like one.

 

Edited to say: You don't need to worry about them questioning you as to why you are moving. They don't care and won't ask. This is done often.

[LuvBNatC]

Thanks for the advice. If it's cleaner to get the SeaPass itself switched, then that's what we'll do. And I may ask for an extra key to their cabin in case I need it. My father got a pacemaker last year so I want to be able to keep tabs on him.

[Maddle]

Don't just get an extra key. You need to actually have them switch you into the other cabin and issue you and your father a NEW seapass. Otherwise, your charges and your parents charges will be intermixed. Actually changing cabins and getting a new seapass is the easiest way to keep your charge accounts separate. After the switch, they can issue an extra key if you would like one.

 

Edited to say: You don't need to worry about them questioning you as to why you are moving. They don't care and won't ask. This is done often.

 

Yes - this is correct, and it was very simple to accomplish, as long as both you and your father appear at the desk together.

 

Believe me, I am sympathetic to your insomnia about it, because right up to the moment they handed me the new seapasses, I was a wreck...and then it was such a non-issue that it was almost anticlimatic. LOL!

 

Maddle

[LuvBNatC]

Maddle, we are kindred spirits. I was more worried about never hearing the end of it from my mother than anything!

 

I made this booking only yesterday, and she's already stressing that we don't have the flights, hotel, and travel insurance lined up yet. Sheesh!

[geojobes]

They honestly & truly don't care who sleeps where. The money you paid to go on the cruise gets credited to the main office of RCCL. They are responsible for filling the ship. Once on the ship, the ship is responsible for squeezing every last nickel out of you that they can. Where you sleep doesn't help or hurt there quest for your money, so they'll do anything you want. They don't profit (on the ship) from what you paid for the cruise, they profit on what you spend.

[Maddle]

Maddle, we are kindred spirits. I was more worried about never hearing the end of it from my mother than anything!

 

As soon as you said you "woke up in the middle of the night," I had a flashback! No Kidding!

 

 

Maddle

[molly361]

We are doing the same thing with my husband and sister in one room on paper and myself and my sister's friend in the other. When we do our Set Sail Passes ahead of time I am planning on where it asks if I want my card to pay for another person's charges on a different reservation putting in my husbands reservation number and name. When I do my sister's set sail pass I will put in her credit card number and then her friends on that same credit card. I assume that will work and then all we will need is a second set of keys once onboard.

 

PS I'm with you guys about stressing out about it. Sometimes I think the stress is not worth the balcony discounts. Well sorta:eek:

[molly361]

The more I think about this the more confused I get myself. Let's say we just use one credit card for all 4 people in the 2 rooms. Everyone will still get a separate bill and then my sister and her friend could just pay me for the charges that show up on their bills that have been billed to my credit card. Is that correct? Does everyone get a separate bill? Sorry but this is our first cabin switching cruise Thanks

[Maddle]

The more I think about this the more confused I get myself. Let's say we just use one credit card for all 4 people in the 2 rooms. Everyone will still get a separate bill and then my sister and her friend could just pay me for the charges that show up on their bills that have been billed to my credit card. Is that correct? Does everyone get a separate bill? Sorry but this is our first cabin switching cruise Thanks

 

That's making it difficult. (I'll probably make it worse with this explanation.)

 

I think when I did online check-in, I put my credit card on the my Sea Pass, and then added "a guest from another reservation" who was my husband in the next room. Then my reservation partner (my cousin) put in her card for her sea pass. That takes care of the first room. Our friend who was the reservation partner with my husband (woo-woo!) put in a third credit card when she did online check-in. We printed four Set Sail passes, one for each of us.

 

The four of us showed up at the pier. My cousin and I checked in, presenting (2)set sail paperwork, ID, and our two credit cards. That covered both of us, and my husband's sea pass account (because I had added him to my sea pass at home the week before.) Then, he presented his paperwork, and his Buddy presented her paperwork and her credit card for number four. I clearly remembered that he didn't have to present a credit card because he kept insisting I keep it out of my wallet while the check-in guy was telling me to put it away, (and yes, by now I was about to have a break-down worrying.)

 

The check-in guy was quite familiar with the process and must have dealt with dozens of looney guests such as myself, because he was very reassuring. We TRIED to make the switch at that point, but he told us we had to wait until the check-in process was closed, and we would make the switch onboard, I believe with the purser. I do remember that we tried to do it right away, and the purser turned us away, telling us we were too early - everyone had to be checked in. (and they meant EVERYONE, that is, ALL the passengers on the voyage, not just us - see why I was confused? I guess the manifest had to be closed, or something like that.)

 

So, all's well that ends well - the buddy went into the cabin with my cousin, (two different credit cards) and I moved over to my husband's cabin (one credit card) and we all got the discount for which DH and I were eligible. Since Buddy and I switched rooms, they just gave us different key cards.

 

In your case, Molly, you can just use two cards, one for each room, and each card can add a guest from the other reservation; or your sister's friend can use a third card.

 

Maddle

 

and yes, no matter what, everyone gets a separate bill - whether you use one card or four cards.

[molly361]

That's making it difficult. (I'll probably make it worse with this explanation.)

 

I think when I did online check-in, I put my credit card on the my Sea Pass, and then added "a guest from another reservation" who was my husband in the next room. Then my reservation partner (my cousin) put in her card for her sea pass. That takes care of the first room. Our friend who was the reservation partner with my husband (woo-woo!) put in a third credit card when she did online check-in. We printed four Set Sail passes, one for each of us.

 

The four of us showed up at the pier. My cousin and I checked in, presenting (2)set sail paperwork, ID, and our two credit cards. That covered both of us, and my husband's sea pass account (because I had added him to my sea pass at home the week before.) Then, he presented his paperwork, and his Buddy presented her paperwork and her credit card for number four. I clearly remembered that he didn't have to present a credit card because he kept insisting I keep it out of my wallet while the check-in guy was telling me to put it away, (and yes, by now I was about to have a break-down worrying.)

 

The check-in guy was quite familiar with the process and must have dealt with dozens of looney guests such as myself, because he was very reassuring. We TRIED to make the switch at that point, but he told us we had to wait until the check-in process was closed, and we would make the switch onboard, I believe with the purser. I do remember that we tried to do it right away, and the purser turned us away, telling us we were too early - everyone had to be checked in. (and they meant EVERYONE, that is, ALL the passengers on the voyage, not just us - see why I was confused? I guess the manifest had to be closed, or something like that.)

 

So, all's well that ends well - the buddy went into the cabin with my cousin, (two different credit cards) and I moved over to my husband's cabin (one credit card) and we all got the discount for which DH and I were eligible. Since Buddy and I switched rooms, they just gave us different key cards.

 

In your case, Molly, you can just use two cards, one for each room, and each card can add a guest from the other reservation; or your sister's friend can use a third card.

 

Maddle

 

and yes, no matter what, everyone gets a separate bill - whether you use one card or four cards.

 

Thanks - That was my original plan but then when I started to OVERTHINK things I thought that idea would get messed up when we got onobard and went to the purser to switch rooms. If we do it this way all we will need is a key for each room so one person in each room would have two cards, one seapass and one for room access??

[danajjj]

Yes, you fill in a different credit card for each person when registering online for the cruise. That way every person has their purchases credited to the appropriate card. Personally, I think it is easier to keep up with expenses if you actually have the purser switch the people to the correct cabins. This also eliminates the need to keep up with 2 cards. I don't think the "extra" cabin key has a credit card attached to it, so you cannot use it for purchases. It is a cabin key only.