kids in rooms by themselves

[sherri.l]

I asked this a couple months ago but can't seem to find it. We are traveling

with a large group in Feb (25 rooms). We would like to put our 19 yrs old daugter and her two 18 yr old friends in a room by themselves since as a group we should all be within the same area. Our TA says no way will carnival do this but I believe I read on prevoius posts that people were able to do this as long as family was on same ship, same floor, same area. We will be on the Destiny if that makes any difference. I know its not a big deal to get room keys but it would be easier not to have to deal with it. any suggestions much appreciated.

[kidless]

That is baloney. But we have had TA's tell us that in the past. We just went over there heads and called Carnival and have always been able to book the teens in a seperate room. Don't let the TA tell you they can book you in the cabin with some of the kids and then Dad in the other and when you get on ship they can switch cause they won't always do that.

 

PS> I would advise trying to book the kids in a cabin next door or across the hall just for your own peace of mind.

[mirthmaiden]

I asked this a couple months ago but can't seem to find it. We are traveling

with a large group in Feb (25 rooms). We would like to put our 19 yrs old daugter and her two 18 yr old friends in a room by themselves since as a group we should all be within the same area. Our TA says no way will carnival do this but I believe I read on prevoius posts that people were able to do this as long as family was on same ship, same floor, same area. We will be on the Destiny if that makes any difference. I know its not a big deal to get room keys but it would be easier not to have to deal with it. any suggestions much appreciated.

I'm not sure if Carnival has a different policy, but we are cruising on RCCL next month and needed 2 cabins for our family of 6. I originally wanted to book 1 balcony for DH and I, and an inside for the 4 kids. We were told we had to book with one adult and 2 children in each cabin, but after we board, it doesn't matter at all who is sleeping where. We have adjoining cabins so the kids will be in one, DH and I in the other.

[big_duck]

If they were all your own kids it would not be a problem. Two of them aren't yours so they must have someone booked in the room over 25, sorry.

[kidless]

They let us put a teen traveling with us that was not ours. We needed to have 2 forms sent into Carnival. One was a permission slip type thing from the childs mother and the other was a form giving us power to have the child treated in a medical emergency. Sorry can't remember the names of these two things but Carnival will tell you.

[finoky]

We have taken our daughter's friend with us on 5 different cruises. The last three they have had their own cabin. We were allowed to book them that way. We also always pick our cabins and never book gaurantees. We just brought along the notarized statement from her parents. The next cruise we are taking her along again but her parents are also cruising with us. There is another friend of my daughter's cruising with us this time too. We have all three girls booked in their own separate cabin right beside ours. The oldest is 14 and we had no problem booking it that way.

[big_duck]

They let us put a teen traveling with us that was not ours. We needed to have 2 forms sent into Carnival. One was a permission slip type thing from the childs mother and the other was a form giving us power to have the child treated in a medical emergency. Sorry can't remember the names of these two things but Carnival will tell you.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but an 18 year old is legally an adult. The OPs thread title is a bit misleading, in Carnivals view they are not "kids" hence there young adult rule kicks in.

 

Dumb I know, but it would be easier to fix if they were 16.

[Hootsie]

My TA, who is also a friend keeps telling me we can't do this either. So, we booked to cabins one with each parent. Me with two kids, DH with two kids (DD1 is bringing a friend). The TA says I can change this at the port. We'll end up with one kid and the other three will be right across the hall. Well, that's what we WANT.

 

Is this posted on Carnival.com anywhere so I can show this to my idiot TA?? I'm so sick of arguing with him over this. I don't want to get to the port to find out DH & I are in different rooms.

[cali-croozer]

 

Is this posted on Carnival.com anywhere so I can show this to my idiot TA?? I'm so sick of arguing with him over this. I don't want to get to the port to find out DH & I are in different rooms.

 

 

This is under legal notices at carnival.com (it is for assigned cabins, not guarantees)

 

Carnival shall refuse boarding to any Guest under the age of twenty-one unless: (1) the Guest is traveling in the same stateroom with an individual twenty-five years or older; (2) traveling in the same stateroom with their spouse; or (3) traveling with a parent or guardian in an accompanying stateroom. Proof of age and/or proof of marriage are required. Carnival shall not be liable to make any refunds or for any damages with respect to any Guest’s failure to provide proper proof of age or marriage or otherwise comply with this provision

[imsulin2]

Actually, Carnival does not view an 18 year old as a "legal adult". Neither does RCI. (Because they are not in the U.S. while on a ship at sea, and their ships are not registered/flagged in the U.S.) If you are taking your own minor children (under 21) on a cruise, you can book them into any cabin you like. However, if you are taking a minor "friend" (under 21), technically, they have to be booked into a cabin with an adult 25 or older. Now, I'm talking about for booking purposes here. Once onboard, you can get new SeaPass cards and switch cabins. I've been booking Carnival for clients for years, and have never had them do it any other way! You will also definitely need the notarized form/letter from both parents of the "friend" to board. Make sure the "friend" has his/her own trip insurance, too, because you will be designated as the "legal guardian" for the duration of the cruise, and might have to seek medical attention. The only cruise lines that allow 18+ year-olds to book and cruise independently are Disney and Princess. (Disney for sure..might be Celebrity instead of Princess. Can't remember!)

 

P.S. - I don't think your TA friend is an "idiot"! He is giving you the correct information. You can get new room card once you are onboard - not when you arrive at port.

[sherri.l]

okay, so what if you have guarantees booked. the TA said that we can request that the rooms be near each other since its obvious that the spouses wouldn't want to be 20 doors away .

has anyone booked guarantees and put the kids in the seperate rooms.

[imsulin2]

When you book a guarantee, that's exactly what you will get - a "guaranteed cabin category" - and nothing lower than that category. You might also get an upgrade. Since you have a "request" in that these cabins will be close to each other, it's simply a "request, and there's no guarantee that your cabins will be next to each other. However, your chances are pretty good that they will be. If you really want to insure that you have close cabins, then you'll need to book specific cabin assignments that might cost more. The "minor" thing still applies, though. As I said before, for booking purposes you still have to follow the Carnival guidelines. Once onboard, anyone can sleep in any cabin they wish.

[nybumpkin]

okay, so what if you have guarantees booked. the TA said that we can request that the rooms be near each other since its obvious that the spouses wouldn't want to be 20 doors away .

has anyone booked guarantees and put the kids in the seperate rooms.

 

For our 2005 cruise, we were able to book the kids in one cabin and us in another with a guarantee. Carnival changed the policy not too long after we booked and now require an adult booked in each cabin - so for 2006 DH is booked in the GTY balcony cabin with youngest son, while I'm booked in the GTY 4A inside with the other two. (DH did the booking - guess he figured he deserved the balcony!) We've been told that it's not a problem to switch once onboard, but we may not be able to switch Sail & Sign cards. Not a problem for us, since youngest doesn't need his Sail & Sign card anyway aside from leaving and returning to the ship.

 

As for location - on Conquest we ended up with a Lido deck (deck 9) balcony cabin, while the kids were in a Riviera deck (deck 1) OV. We were forward and they were midships. We certainly got our exercise running between cabins! Aside from sleeping, the kids didn't spend much time in the room, so it wasn't a problem - and our oldest was very good at getting the younger ones into the shower in the morning and then bringing them up to our cabin or to the buffet for breakfast. I would certainly have preferred closer cabins, but that's the risk you take with a guarantee.

[Hootsie]

This is under legal notices at carnival.com (it is for assigned cabins, not guarantees)

 

Cool, thanks! We have actual room assignments, so this should apply to us. I'll throw it to my TA and I'm sure he'll still tell me Carnival can't do it. I'm about to lose my mind with this guy.

[MSSQRL]

Why not call a VP at Carnival? They should be able to help you so it is settled before you go. My kids are grown now, but I would have had a MISERABLE trip if I had been on one floor and the kids on another. I wouldn't have slept a wink.

[cali-croozer]

Cool, thanks! We have actual room assignments, so this should apply to us. I'll throw it to my TA and I'm sure he'll still tell me Carnival can't do it. I'm about to lose my mind with this guy.

 

Good luck. When we booked our cruise for this past June, we were able to book our kids in the cabin right next to ours (assigned rooms). At the time, Carnival was going back and forth on this policy so I thought we might have trouble with the booking. I printed out the paragraph under legal notices and took it with me just in case. On the ship, no problem with the kids next door, but I could not get an extra key to their room for myself.....the purser on the Conquest would not issue extra keys, no exceptions. Other than that, it worked out fine. Your situation might be different since you are bringing a friend along. You will be able to switch rooms once on board. You may or may not be able to get the sail and sign cards switched.....it will depend on either the person at check-in or the purser.

[sherri.l]

so it seems that it all depends on who you talk from...from TA to carnival to purser desk. doesn't seem as if there are any set in stone procedures. I guess I don't care as much about changing sign and sail cards but I would definatly want a key to my husbands room.

[sherri.l]

bump

[big_duck]

so it seems that it all depends on who you talk from...from TA to carnival to purser desk. doesn't seem as if there are any set in stone procedures.

 

You are right, there is no set in stone procedure for the Pursers to ignore company policy. As far as switching S&S cards goes you are really at the discretion of the Pursers desk. As stated before, there are no bed checks so you can set up actual sleeping arrangements as you desire.

[MrPete]

Although not my original intention, I had my 6 year old daughter in an adjoining balcony cabin with a connection. It was amusing watching the pursers office trying to figure out how to charge the tips to that room until I went down to fix it. She couldn't have an account, as she was a minor. Yet, as a formality, I linked her S&S account to my credit card.

[sherri.l]

okay so another question....

my daughter , age 19 will have a seperate charge card for her sign and sail card, 17 year old son ,who is in yet another room will probably be on our card but what about the 18 yr old friend? can she have a seperate account that she can put cash on when we board the ship ( not sure if she has a charge card or not). I didn't realize bringing a friend would be so complicated.

thanks for all the help.

[big_duck]

Yes, you will have to fill out seperate S&S card paperwork for each payment method at checkin. You used to be able to copy the paperwork beforehand, but now you have to use the forms they give you at checkin.

[sherri.l]

don't you fill those things out on the documents that you get before the cruise? we just cruised the Valor last feb and we had that filled out ahead of time for the charge card info. we've never done cash before but others in our group have.

[kujobie]

We booked in July for an April, 2006 cruise on the Miracle. We booked directly with Carnival. We are getting married on the ship and I have 2 children 15 and 17 years old. We are staying in a Cat 11 assigned and the kids will be in a 4a GTY. They would not let us book with the kids in one room and us in the other. We had to have one adult booked in each room but our PVP assured us we could change this after boarding. I hope he is right cuz I don't think my future ex-wife is gonna want to spend her honeymoon rooming with my daughter.

[GoodAsGold]

We've had 5 girls (cousins) in a Carnival cabin, no problem. However, we always book an adult in there "on paper". We do the switcheroo when we get on board. We also did this recently on the NCL Star. But they made us another room keycard (not affiliated with a credit card.) I wish Carnival would do this instead of just having the Sign and Sail card. When my daughter was with her cousins on the Ecstasy one time she was locked out of her cabin and couldn't get in to change clothes. Everyone who had a key was elsewhere. I believe a steward finally let her in. :rolleyes:

 

Four of us moms are going on a 4 night cruise on next Spring break and taking our daughters. They'll all share one inside quad cabin. We'll divide two outsides between us 4 gals. I booked it on paper so there is an adult in the girls' cabin. I'm not sure how the Sign and Sail cards will work.