Switching cabins aboard

[reedprincess]

Good evening.

 

Looking to book two cabins for a sailing later this year on Virtuousa..

 

Normally, it's just my husband and I sailing. 

This time - brother and sister in law are coming also. 

 

As hubs and I are both Diamond, we're looking at booking myself and my sister in law in one cabin and husband and brother in the other, thus taking advantage of the VC discount for noth cabins, etc.

And then, move around aboard and sleep with the correct partner, lol. 

 

Will we be able to get extra keys to each cabin? I'm aware our folios will be associated to the cabin we're booked in, not a problem, we'll split that as needed - we would just want the extra key to be able to access the other cabin....  I don't want to book that way and not be able to get into the correct cabins! 

... 

 

Any help is much appreciated... 

[Essiesmom]

No, MSC does not give out extra room keys.  I have read here that it is possible if you are in the Yacht Club and the concierge has done it.  The solution I suggest is that if the ship has wristbands available, have the people who wish to switch get the wristbands and trade.  But you would have to remember not to use them for anything else on the ship. EM

[reedprincess]

17 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

No, MSC does not give out extra room keys.  I have read here that it is possible if you are in the Yacht Club and the concierge has done it.  The solution I suggest is that if the ship has wristbands available, have the people who wish to switch get the wristbands and trade.  But you would have to remember not to use them for anything else on the ship. EM

Thanks. If Virtuousa has wristbands, that would completely solve the "problem".

 

Hopefully, some others chime in with experience... 

[perakcruiser]

It is no problem to change the cabin when onboard. But no extra key. 

 

We had to do the same on our last booking because my brother and his wife had no VC status to get the booking discount.

 

Actually my brother had, but he could not log in with his VC data. After boarding he got back his silver status from MSC and his wife from me.

[Heartgrove]

On our cruise last Fall we did something similar last year on the MSC Preziosa. We did have connecting staterooms which simplified the logistics though. My wife and DSIL were booked in one stateroom, and I was in the other. Once onboard my wife stayed with me but needed the other stateroom for access. It was to maximize VC points for both of us.

 

One funny thing occured do to this arrangement. I received an invite to the "Singles Party" onboard!

[reedprincess]

Thanks for the updates everyone. Much appreciated.

 

I figured worst case scenario, we just would only have one key per couple that opened the "correct" cabin. Not a big deal really...

 

Best case scenario, Virtuousa is still sells wristbands and we can get one for each cabin so both couples will have one key card and one wristband between them for access. 

 

Either way, it'll work out. It's worth the small hassle for the extra savings and maximizing perks aboard.

 

Thanks again! 

[Morgsmom]

On 1/25/2024 at 11:31 AM, reedprincess said:

Either way, it'll work out. It's worth the small hassle for the extra savings and maximizing perks aboard.

 

Keep in mind that all charges made using the key cards will be associated with that ORIGINAL cabin.  That will have to be sorted out between the cabins.  So if Wife A wants to charge something but Husband A (who is in cabin B) is not with her the charge will go to cabin A.....

[reedprincess]

9 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

Keep in mind that all charges made using the key cards will be associated with that ORIGINAL cabin.  That will have to be sorted out between the cabins.  So if Wife A wants to charge something but Husband A (who is in cabin B) is not with her the charge will go to cabin A.....

As you can see, I'm well aware of that and mentioned it in my original post.. but thanks for reiterating, in case others may have missed it..

 

[Morgsmom]

Just now, reedprincess said:

As you can see, I'm well aware of that and mentioned it in my original post.. but thanks for reiterating, in case others may have missed it..

 

Oh, ok... For me a 5% discount and a free specialty dining would NOT be worth this shenanigans, but to each her own

[reedprincess]

On 1/26/2024 at 2:00 PM, Morgsmom said:

Oh, ok... For me a 5% discount and a free specialty dining would NOT be worth this shenanigans, but to each her own

To each their own...  It's a few more things than 5% and specialty dining, but cool. No worries.

Happy sails.. 

[Morgsmom]

1 hour ago, reedprincess said:

To each their own...  It's a few more things than 5% and specialty dining, but cool. No worries.

Happy sails.. 

well technically you are trying to game the system which then results in MSC pulling back on the goodies for those who earned them 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

[reedprincess]

8 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

well technically you are trying to game the system which then results in MSC pulling back on the goodies for those who earned them 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

??? We're both Diamond members. Having one in each  cabin, really - gaming the system?  More like maximizing the perks.. 

 

By your same logic, MSC is actually denying perks when 2 Diamond members are in the same cabin and only 1 specialty dinner is given or one discount or one OBC or a variety of other items... Instead one for each member. 

It's all in how you look at it...

 

Edited January 29 by reedprincess

[Morgsmom]

9 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

??? We're both Diamond members. Having one in each  cabin, really - gaming the system?  More like maximizing the perks.. 

 

By your same logic, MSC is actually denying perks when 2 Diamond members are in the same cabin and only 1 specialty dinner is given or one discount or one OBC or a variety of other items... Instead one for each member. 

It's all in how you look at it...

 

Actually no. The benefits are clearly listed. Maybe you get caught?  Maybe not? 

[reedprincess]

2 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Actually no. The benefits are clearly listed. Maybe you get caught?  Maybe not? 

Get caught doing what? Sailing with my sister? What exactly is being done wrong or illegal or against regulations here - enlighten me.

Yes, benefits are listed - and when two diamonds sail in the same cabin, they don't both get all their benefits, as some items are limited to one per cabin for some items.. instead of being one per member.. sheesh.

Get caught. I'm chuckling. Oh no - someone slept on a different cabin! Hahaaa.... Funny.

[Brighton Line]

This wasn't MSC but I reserved one cabin for Nephew and myself and wife reserved the other with her sister and niece. 

When I got to the cabin with my nephew so he could get his bags (yah we should have swapped luggage tags) the bed was set up as two separate and the Cabin Steward was doing his intro when I asked him to put the beds together at turndown.

 

The look he gave us, stared at me then my nephew, went back and forth. I was about to ask a question, thought better of it, and said ok.

We got a great kick out of that look he gave us.

[Morgsmom]

15 hours ago, reedprincess said:

??? We're both Diamond members. Having one in each  cabin, really - gaming the system?  More like maximizing the perks.. 

 

By your same logic, MSC is actually denying perks when 2 Diamond members are in the same cabin and only 1 specialty dinner is given or one discount or one OBC or a variety of other items... Instead one for each member. 

It's all in how you look at it...

 

It’s actually how the cruise line looks at it.

What they realized is that 98% of people sailing together in the same cabin have the same status. Thus the switch to one diamond dinner per cabin of two, not one dinner for two for each Diamond member. But you do you. You call it maximizing. I call it scamming