20yo & 19 yo in nearby cabin

[WmFoster]

My wife and I are going on a cruise with our daughter and her friend who are 19 & 20.

We booked late.  Adjoining rooms are not an option but we are also in a different stateroom category too.  We are in a suite, they are not.

 

Our cabins are same deck and close - #622 & #634 but our TA says my wife and I need to split up so that someone 21 or older is in the other cabin.

Splitting causes complications with the suite lounge, the suite restaurants, C&A points, reservations needed or not for shows and other things I'm not even remembering at the moment.

 

Has anyone successfully gotten Royal too wiggle on that policy especially since the cabins are very close and because we are talking about a 20 and a 19 yo, not ten year olds?

Any tips?

 

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Royal will normally allow guests under 21 in their own stateroom if that stateroom is next to or across the hall from the responsible adult.  If the stateroom is a few staterooms down the hall, the travel agent should be able to call Royal and get this done.  We've had that done for us a while back.

 

From what I understand, the travel agent must call, they cannot do this via the website,

[gerif]

Your TA will need to call to get this approved. Most don’t want to do this as it means time holding on a phone call so they tell you no. 

[AshleyDillo]

3 minutes ago, gerif said:

Your TA will need to call to get this approved. Most don’t want to do this as it means time holding on a phone call so they tell you no. 

 

Exactly.  If they refuse to do this, then they aren't working for you and you need to remember this the next time that you take a cruise and fire them.

[Merion_Mom]

Good luck getting around that policy.

 

(I am somewhat amused by your feeling that 19 & 20 year old friends are less likely to get into trouble than 10 year olds)

[SRF]

BTW, the official policy is CONNECTING cabins.  So adjacent or across the hall is already a accommodation.

 

Below, emphasis mine:

 

Quote

For voyages originating in North America:
No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

This age limit will be waived for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms; for underage married couples; and for active duty members of the United States or Canadian military.

Certain other restrictions and conditions will apply; such as compliance with the age twenty-one (21) alcohol policy, and proof of marriage for underage couples or proof of active duty military status required.

Edited October 22, 2019 by SRF

[WmFoster]

Thanks All.  I will push my TA.

 

Merion Mom, before posting I saw your response, re 19/20 vs 10) coming.  It depends somewhat on the kids of course.  But also 19/20 year olds I think are less likely to get in trouble in the room especially given they already live on their own in college dorms most of the year.  Outside the room, other places on the ship, I agree they may be more likely than the 10's.  But having their room close doesn't fix that.

I think the feeling of freedom the ten year olds will get, when unsupervised across the hall in their own room behind closed doors, is why you want their cabin so close.

[ShillyShally]

I've traveled with mine a few doors down and at the time they were younger than 19/20 and no one every questioned it - I remember having to call to book though since I was booking 2 cabins at once and this was years ago.  They even ended up in a different muster station but no one ever questioned the booking.

 

If you do end up having to split who is where, you can switch it back at check-in without issue too.

[WmFoster]

Thanks Shilly Shally.  I'm bugging my TA at the moment.  But I like that you suggest I should be optimistic if it takes till check in.

[SherieW321]

As a kid my parents would always book two rooms, and because we live in Florida, a lot of times we did last minute vacations so we did not have connecting rooms. They would assign an adult in each room to satisfy the rule but RCI could manipulate the points and booking. A lot of time has passed since then, but that is how we got away with it when I was growing up. 

PS - My sister and I were 17 and 13 alone in our rooms and we were precious angels. Maybe not always where we said we were going to be - but angels none the less 😃 

[Milwaukee Eight]

42 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

I've traveled with mine a few doors down and at the time they were younger than 19/20 and no one every questioned it - I remember having to call to book though since I was booking 2 cabins at once and this was years ago.  They even ended up in a different muster station but no one ever questioned the booking.

 

If you do end up having to split who is where, you can switch it back at check-in without issue too.

I think it makes a difference if a Suite is involved as one of the cabins and the other is not. 
 

Suites come with some perks that those staying in other cabins may not share. 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Milwaukee Eight

[ShillyShally]

1 minute ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think it makes a difference if a Suite is involved as one of the cabins and the other is not. 
 

Suites come with some perks that those staying in other cabins may not share. 

I get that but I'm pretty sure they can reassign at check-in and update the records.  Now I can't guarantee they won't have to make a couple trips to guest services to correct it but that can happen with any passenger who doesn't even change anything 🙂

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

Good luck getting around that policy.

 

(I am somewhat amused by your feeling that 19 & 20 year old friends are less likely to get into trouble than 10 year olds)

 

Are you serious? They are adults. In most of other countries they would be able to book their own cabin. 🙂

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, WmFoster said:

Merion Mom, before posting I saw your response, re 19/20 vs 10) coming.  It depends somewhat on the kids of course.  But also 19/20 year olds I think are less likely to get in trouble in the room especially given they already live on their own in college dorms most of the year.  Outside the room, other places on the ship, I agree they may be more likely than the 10's.  But having their room close doesn't fix that.

I think the feeling of freedom the ten year olds will get, when unsupervised across the hall in their own room behind closed doors, is why you want their cabin so close.

 

LOL, I was thinking the same thing.  Ten year olds will be much more rambunctious inside the cabin while 19/20 yo will be rambunctious outside the cabin.

 

I'd much rather have 19/20 yo in the cabin next to me rather than 10 yo.

[Homosassa]

Two points:

 

1. Notice that the age and room policy refers to children traveling with their parents or legal guardian.  As one of the kids involved has neither a parent or legal guardian on board, the connecting room requirement may not be waived.  

 

Yes, I know that the kids are 19 and 20, but 19 and 20 are not the 21 required by the cruise line.

 

2. Do not take the blithe assurances given by posters that one can be reassigned to different cabins on board.  You may be able to obtain a key to another cabin, but the privileges of a cabin class will not be given to the cabin squatter.

[cindivan]

It has probably been five or six years since we have tried to switch names on the rooms once we board. When we tried to when our kids were younger, we were always told someone 21 and up always had to be listed in the room. I’m not saying they won’t waive that requirement, just saying that we did not have luck with them waiving it in the past.  And maybe it will be different because of the suite privileges.    Because that definitely makes a difference and I get that. I just don’t know that I would trust that it will be handled on board.  
 

There was one time when my parents and my husband and I were in an aqua theater suite. But my mom was listed with my kids in a balcony room for the 21+ requirement, so she had a regular seapass. When we got to different venues we just explained to them that my mom was listed in their room because of the 21 and up requirement, and it was never a problem getting her in anywhere because we had previously booked our son who was listed in our room with the same venue that we wanted to do. . But we never tried to get in my parents and us and our kids at the same time.     However, this was before the coastal kitchen and we rarely went to the suite lounge. It was more for the reserved events. But I can’t imagine your situation is unique, so I’m guessing your suite concierge will help you figure out if you can’t switch names either before or after you board. 
 

I do think though that if your rooms are beyond with Royal considers close enough for underage kids, and under age being a ridiculously old age for royals definition, it’s going to be tough to have them waive that. I would love to hear if you have success, because I have not seen other people say they have.   I’m not trying to be negative, I just don’t think that I have heard about a whole lot of wiggle room with Royal in this policy and would hate to think that you think that it’s going to be handled with no problem when you board. Maybe it will, and I would love to hear that if it does. 

Edited October 22, 2019 by cindivan

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, WmFoster said:

Thanks Shilly Shally.  I'm bugging my TA at the moment.  But I like that you suggest I should be optimistic if it takes till check in.

 

Your situation is complicated by the suite - nonsuite bookings.  If they make you put an adult in each cabin on the bookings, you are right - there will be problems on board.

[jfslcruise]

 

We snagged an aft JS (7172) and an Interior (7165) for our upcoming cruise on Enchantment.  Our intent was to have our 20&16 YO daughters stay Inside and the adults with the nice balcony.

 

I can tell you multiple emails, calls and such did not get RCI to budge.  It was messing everything up having the split reservation.  The parents enjoy the Drink Package, but the kids hardly do anything more than water.  The extra credit for a JS was in limbo for one of us. 

 

We were fortunate.  I just kept an eye on cabins and saw 7170 open up and we switched the JS to that one.  One cabin over and all is right with the world. 

[Grandma Dazzles]

I think poster has not only the suite complication, but one of the passengers is not their child. 

26 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Your situation is complicated by the suite - nonsuite bookings.  If they make you put an adult in each cabin on the bookings, you are right - there will be problems on board.

P

[Cruise a holic]

12 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

I think poster has not only the suite complication, but one of the passengers is not their child. 

P

Agree!  We got cabins next to each other with a door that we could go into the other cabin when we sailed with our two minor grandchildren.  However, if you are in a suite and kids in non suite- that is a problem as only one of you would be entitled to suite benefits.

[Balsam12]

8 hours ago, Tatka said:

 

Are you serious? They are adults. In most of other countries they would be able to book their own cabin. 🙂

Yep, but not in America... a 20 year old is only allowed to get married, have children, buy a gun or join the army.

 

They couldn't possibly be responsible enough to have a cabin on their own, let alone have a drink.

[cello56]

Whether you all agree or disagree with the age that RCI has decided it requires to book a cabin, is really not the point. This is the age that they have decided upon. Their ship and their rules. 

[Tatka]

9 hours ago, Balsam12 said:

Yep, but not in America... a 20 year old is only allowed to get married, have children, buy a gun or join the army.

They couldn't possibly be responsible enough to have a cabin on their own, let alone have a drink.

 

Well.. if majority treats them as 10 yo ... what should we expect? 🙂

They can have own apartment, but not a cabin. What will they do there?!

[Iamcruzin]

19 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Good luck getting around that policy.

 

(I am somewhat amused by your feeling that 19 & 20 year old friends are less likely to get into trouble than 10 year olds)

Kids at any age can get into trouble and being in a room next door won't stop that. Kids who are 19 and 20 have already been away living at school. They can join the armed forces at that age but they can't sleep a few doors away from mom and dad? That's ridiculous. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[WmFoster]

Thanks again to all.  I will aim to follow-up on the end result but it may not be until the cruise in March.

I'm not trying to find a way to get the suite benefits for all 4 travelers, just for my wife and I who will be in the suite. 

 

I'm trying to have the trip be stress free with no awkward confrontations at venues, no extra waiting around for managers and supervisors but it if makes a difference even up to check-in time, that would be fine.

 

One of the more recent comments was it is their ship and their rules.  Usually you make most rules a bit more extreme so they can be bent a little on a case by case business and still be reasonably.  As a comparison, how often do you get a speeding ticket for doing 60 in a 55 zone.  55 is the rule so it could happen but I think most would that would be unreasonable.  We are not looking for permission for the "kids" to stand on the balcony railing as was done recently.  I'm all for Royal permanently barring that traveler.