Parents Platinum, kids gold but a different cabin

[LisaT12]

Hello Everyone,

My husband and I are platinum but our girls( 22 and 20) are gold. They have the cabin that is adjoined to ours and our reservations are together. Will they be able to board with us at the same time with the platinum guest - I didn't think of booking FTTF for them? Also, our boarding passes say to board at 3:30.....I have never seen a time so late.....and my husband and I have been cruising for many years. Is this a new boarding time?

[hapytobehr]

Hello Everyone,

My husband and I are platinum but our girls( 22 and 20) are gold. They have the cabin that is adjoined to ours and our reservations are together. Will they be able to board with us at the same time with the platinum guest - I didn't think of booking FTTF for them? Also, our boarding passes say to board at 3:30.....I have never seen a time so late.....and my husband and I have been cruising for many years. Is this a new boarding time?

 

Their boarding passes will not have priority on them, therefore you may have a problem with them boarding at the same time.

What you could have done was put you in one cabin and your husband in the other and then all would have been priority. At this point it may be too late to switch.

As priority, your "check-in" time (not boarding) is moot since you can check-in anytime.

You don't specify what port or ship you are going on so I can't comment as to the late check-in.....What time does your ship sail?

[firemanbobswife]

No they will not be able to board Priority with you. Even if they had FTTF, they would still be in the group behind you. How far out is your cruise? Check in time is different than Boarding time. Did you choose a Check in time yet? You will need to do that for both cabins. Keep in mind if the girls don't have FTTF, then they will need to arrive at or after the selected time. You being Platinum can arrive at any time.

[Drazil65]

They are grown so they will be fine boarding on their own later than you or you can wait with them. They can also try to snag FTTF but if not just take their carry ons to your cabin and meet them at a predetermined place when they board.

[LisaT12]

Their boarding passes will not have priority on them, therefore you may have a problem with them boarding at the same time.

 

What you could have done was put you in one cabin and your husband in the other and then all would have been priority. At this point it may be too late to switch.

 

As priority, your "check-in" time (not boarding) is moot since you can check-in anytime.

 

You don't specify what port or ship you are going on so I can't comment as to the late check-in.....What time does your ship sail?

 

We are leaving August 6th out of Baltimore. I think the ship leaves around 4-5. We have been on this ship a number of times - but this time I just let this slip through the cracks.

[manmachine]

Switch one parent into each cabin. Voila!

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

Switch one parent into each cabin. Voila!

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Not if they are Early Saver. Also being this close to sailing, I'm not even sure that's possible without some type of penalty like a $50pp change fee. Not worth it IMHO.

[A&Jfamily]

Mine were Gold and 18 and 12 in the room across the hall on the Magic in December. They allowed us to board together (it was like 1 pm) through the Platinum line. Because by Carnival standards they are too young to book the cruise themselves it was allowed.

YMMV.

 

 

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[Elaine5715]

Mine were Gold and 18 and 12 in the room across the hall on the Magic in December. They allowed us to board together (it was like 1 pm) through the Platinum line. Because by Carnival standards they are too young to book the cruise themselves it was allowed.

YMMV.

 

 

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Does not apply to OP. Your exception was because of the 12 year old.

[A&Jfamily]

Does not apply to OP. Your exception was because of the 12 year old.

 

 

 

I'm not sure it doesn't - a 20 and 22 set of siblings could not travel alone as I understand the rules. Am I wrong about the rules?

 

 

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[Elaine5715]

I'm not sure it doesn't - a 20 and 22 set of siblings could not travel alone as I understand the rules. Am I wrong about the rules?

 

 

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The exception is for minor children. The 20 and 22 are not traveling alone.

[Athankfulheart]

I would call Carnival. Our family swapped some people from cabin to cabin among 3 cabins in order to price match a military sale. We had early saver and it wasn't very far out from our sail date. Call and see if they will swap a parent and child.

 

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[LisaT12]

Thank you for all the replies. I just got off the phone with Carnival. It seems that it is fine because it was booked under one reservation and the same credit card was used. I guess we will have to wait and see....but it looks like it will be fine!! :)

[firemanbobswife]

Thank you for all the replies. I just got off the phone with Carnival. It seems that it is fine because it was booked under one reservation and the same credit card was used. I guess we will have to wait and see....but it looks like it will be fine!! :)

 

They closed the credit card loophole quite a while ago. You'll find that Carnival employees that answer the phone oftentimes don't know their elbow from their nose and give straight up wrong info. This is one of those cases unfortunately.

[LisaT12]

They closed the credit card loophole quite a while ago. You'll find that Carnival employees that answer the phone oftentimes don't know their elbow from their nose and give straight up wrong info. This is one of those cases unfortunately.

Ugh! We will have to see. I actually spoke with my PVP at Carnival....we have been using her for 12 years and she has never disappointed us...I hope she knows what she is talking about when she tells me it won't be an issue. Fingers crossed!

[BallFour4]

Thank you for all the replies. I just got off the phone with Carnival. It seems that it is fine because it was booked under one reservation and the same credit card was used. I guess we will have to wait and see....but it looks like it will be fine!! :)

You did the correct thing. We've done the same prior to our daughter becoming platinum. For 4-5 cruises prior when she took a friend we'd walk up to the cue with me walking with one of them and my wife the other. Zero problems, zero delays. If their cabin wasn't ready we'd put their carry-on luggage in ours.

 

Their boarding cards were with ours in the priority lounge in Galveston for every cruise.

 

Don't you just love the "no you can't and "why not wait" comments? Embarkation staff want to get every single passenger aboard ASAP and go home, the delay is 4-5 seconds for someone behind you or with FTTF. For those that are upset over this prepare to spend the next 3-7 days waiting for much of the activities on the ship and ashore.

 

In the legendary words of Sgt Hulka, "lighten up Francis."

 

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[LisaT12]

You did the correct thing. We've done the same prior to our daughter becoming platinum. For 4-5 cruises prior when she took a friend we'd walk up to the cue with me walking with one of them and my wife the other. Zero problems, zero delays. If their cabin wasn't ready we'd put their carry-on luggage in ours.

 

Their boarding cards were with ours in the priority lounge in Galveston for every cruise.

 

Don't you just love the "no you can't and "why not wait" comments? Embarkation staff want to get every single passenger aboard ASAP and go home, the delay is 4-5 seconds for someone behind you or with FTTF. For those that are upset over this prepare to spend the next 3-7 days waiting for much of the activities on the ship and ashore.

 

In the legendary words of Sgt Hulka, "lighten up Francis."

 

.

Good news......Thank you so much!!!:):)

[firemanbobswife]

Ugh! We will have to see. I actually spoke with my PVP at Carnival....we have been using her for 12 years and she has never disappointed us...I hope she knows what she is talking about when she tells me it won't be an issue. Fingers crossed!

 

Not saying they for sure won't let you board together, but it says" Minor children" which usually means 18 or under so based on that alone they don't qualify.

 

I would feel more confident if she gave any other reason besides the credit card loophole which hasn't been in effect for at least a year, maybe more. Too many people were using one card to book all the cabins and therefore bringing loads of people with them. It's quite possible that she might not be aware of the change because that's how it used to be.

 

I think you'll just have to wait and see what happens at the port. I wouldn't stress about it, just be prepared for worst case scenario.

Now with staggered check in, it's not like the old days so you really can't compare.

[rtfnl]

Thank you for all the replies. I just got off the phone with Carnival. It seems that it is fine because it was booked under one reservation and the same credit card was used. I guess we will have to wait and see....but it looks like it will be fine!! :)

 

This is where depending who you speak with at Carnival you may get different answers. I spoke with a senior rep yesterday to cancel a person and switch cabins for 3 teens. The rep told me, yesterday without my asking, "that a little known fact is MINOR children who aren't platinum can board with their platinum parents." The question now, who is considered a minor child. Is it below18 because one no longer needs parental consent at that age?

[dmdiver]

Ballfour, just curious as to how old your daughter & friend are. We've booked 4 cabins for our family - 2 daughters are married, son traveling solo and ourselves. We are platinum, the others are gold. All was booked under our credit card. So, should we expect the other three cabins' cards to be in priority with ours? All will be 25 or older at sailing. We'd like to have a welcome aboard photo together, so it would be nice to board together, rather than us have to wait for them to be allowed through. I don't think any of them will spring for FTTF and we won't purchase it for them (fare, taxes, grats is enough).

[BallFour4]

Ballfour, just curious as to how old your daughter & friend are. We've booked 4 cabins for our family - 2 daughters are married, son traveling solo and ourselves. We are platinum, the others are gold. All was booked under our credit card.

 

Well, she's now 27 and platinum also.

During her college days we took her roommate on four cruises, all from Galveston. All of us walked right in the priority lounge, got our cards and walked aboard.

 

Staggered check in had not yet been implied, but priority boarding had. My daughter would board with me, her roommate walked up with my wife. It was never a problem.

 

In Fort Lauderdale this January they checked your card and put us in separate cues. The couple that cruises with us were in group 2. We took their carry-on bags with us and put them in our cabin and by the time we went back to Deck 3 they were aboard.

 

The staff members that check you in, screen for security, etc are all part time local employees. I've discovered there is no norm. It varies from cruise to cruise, port to port.

 

Did that help?

 

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[firemanbobswife]

Ballfour, just curious as to how old your daughter & friend are. We've booked 4 cabins for our family - 2 daughters are married, son traveling solo and ourselves. We are platinum, the others are gold. All was booked under our credit card. So, should we expect the other three cabins' cards to be in priority with ours? All will be 25 or older at sailing. We'd like to have a welcome aboard photo together, so it would be nice to board together, rather than us have to wait for them to be allowed through. I don't think any of them will spring for FTTF and we won't purchase it for them (fare, taxes, grats is enough).

 

They will all definitely not have Priority Boarding. The credit card loophole has been closed due to this very reason quite a while back. There is no reason why adult children need to board with their parents. It is designed so that MINOR children (under 18) who legally can't be left alone safely to be with an adult through the whole process.

[A&Jfamily]

Ballfour, just curious as to how old your daughter & friend are. We've booked 4 cabins for our family - 2 daughters are married, son traveling solo and ourselves. We are platinum, the others are gold. All was booked under our credit card. So, should we expect the other three cabins' cards to be in priority with ours? All will be 25 or older at sailing. We'd like to have a welcome aboard photo together, so it would be nice to board together, rather than us have to wait for them to be allowed through. I don't think any of them will spring for FTTF and we won't purchase it for them (fare, taxes, grats is enough).

 

 

 

It would be highly unlikely that they would be allowed to board priority. As others have said the credit card thing doesn't cut it. And because they are all old enough to sail as booked, they can board themselves. I think the gray area is the OPs circumstance where the kids, though legal adults, could not sail without the parents because all in the room are not 21, nor is there someone 25 with persons 18 or older.

 

You could try it but my best advice is if you do so then wait til 130 or later to a board. Generally the lines are minimal at that point. If they split you, the wait won't be long if the photo is important. Sounds like from another poster you could be asked to go thru with them since you are using your card and then they Platinum to check in yourself

 

It really shouldn't be this complicated. But they constantly have to change the rules because people are always trying to find loopholes which defeat the rules. Very frustrating.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

If the bookings are linked together you probably won't have any issue in real life.

[firemanbobswife]

I think the gray area is the OPs circumstance where the kids, though legal adults, could not sail without the parents because all in the room are not 21, nor is there someone 25 with persons 18 or older.

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I can see where there could be a little confusion with this part. How I understand it is that while the 21 year old can sail by themselves without anyone else, the under 21 person needs to sail with someone 25 or older. However, they are not sailing by themselves, they are merely boarding separately. Because they are all adults, they are quite capable of getting on the ship without parental escort. It's not like you're leaving a 12 year old in the terminal while mommy and daddy are on Lido having a drink. That's what the exception is for. You wouldn't leave a child to fend for themselves.

 

Now that they are going to the S&S cards in the mailboxes, there won't be an issue of who's card is where and Captain's Lounge is closed. At least it was for Vista.