Changing cabin occupants at check-in

[sweet angel]

My parents are taking my son and I on a cruise. When my mom called to book the cabins, the rep gave her a senior discount on both cabins and put mom & me in one cabin and my dad and son in the other. The rep told her it's no big deal to just switch cabins at check-in.

 

1. Is this true?

2. How do we handle the SetSail pass?

3. How do I set my son up on MY seapass and credit card, not theirs?

4. Is there anything else we need to know about doing this?

 

My mom is really nervous because she feels like she's doing something wrong, but the REP suggested it to her...she didn't ask for it.

[the admiral12]

I just returned yesterday. Same situation. We just got the rooms and boarded as reserved and then swapped room keys before we went to our rooms. The Stewards don't know the difference.

[sweet angel]

Okay, but my parents will have their own seapass account and my son and I will have our own. Also, I'm not sure my son can pass for a senior citizen, being he's only 15. There's got to be more to it, no?

[cb at sea]

The folks on the ship don't care one whit who is in what room! When you get to check-in, just tell them who will be where, and they will give you the correct keys. That's the easiest way to do it!

[MTLEO]

My sister booked my nephew, 3 years old, into my room. But, obviously he wasn't going to stay there. It just helped me get a lower price. After we checked in she went to guest relations and told them he would be staying with her. They printed him a new seapass immediately and everything was ok. I'm sure you can fix the account issues at the same time.

[sweet angel]

Okay...I'm starting to feel more comfortable with the idea. Now, what about check-in? Will I be able to check my son in if my parents haven't arrived yet?

[PH8]

When I booked 2 cabins for my husband ,myself and my inlaws recently, the RCCL rep set it up with an inlaw in each so we all got the senior discount........I was very leary of that.so i called the next day and was told,they dont encourage it but will do it........

 

HOWEVER,I personally know of someone that had the same setup and had to pay the difference when they got to the ship(Mariner)...........

 

I wound up changing to the right setup and gave up the senior discount.........I would have worried about it till embarkation day...........besides,I didnt want to have to lay out any extra money that day............

 

This is the disclaimer on RCCLs website....

Please Note: A valid driver's license, state-issued ID, or proper military identification will be required for validation at the pier. If age, state of residency, or military participation cannot be validated, you will be charged the standard rate or denied boarding.

[sweet angel]

Thanks Parrothead....that's exactly what I'm afraid will happen. Maybe I'll show this to my mom and let her decide what she wants to do.

[Coralc]

I'm doing that. I split Mom and her friend into both cabins. That way we could use the Diamond discount, coupon on each cabin and senior discounts. I know, I'm a bad person. Hee hee. :D I don't quite know how it would work with your son, but for our booking of 4, I just had each individual get their own setsail pass using their own credit card...so all we really need are extra keys. There will be no, or very few cabin charges anyway. Everything except minibar goes on your setsail. With your parents booking number, you can use your own credit card for your son's setsail pass, and the charges will go on your credit card, not mom's. :) Does that make sense?

 

Or we may ask about switching at purser's. We will see when we get there. Provided they let me into Canada. LOL :D

[sweet angel]

PB, wish you were going before me so I could find out if it worked out okay. ;)

[Coralc]

It will be easy angel. You must have access to both booking numbers, if you are sailing with your parents. I am acting as TA on this adventure, so I do have ownership of both bookings. Each setsail pass is tied to a credit card # and you can complete one for each individual on each reservation, using the different/same credit card as necessary.

 

Since you are sailing a month before us. Congratulations!:) Please let us know how it goes. I probably wouldn't split bookings with friends, but I don't think there are any issues with immediate family. :D

[sweet angel]

I'll have to drop by their house because I only have access to the cabin I'm in. I'll do my son's setsail pass from there and link it to my CC. Thanks for your input!

[PH8]

Its a gamble....just like the ole smuggling liquor debate........you may get away with it............you may not.......Good luck!

[jezzdogg]

there will be no problem..as long as one person in the cabin is over 55 they do not care. All you need to do after u sail, is go to the guest relation desk and tell them your son is switching rooms with your mother..(do not have to give a reason..less said the better)

[PH8]

Im not saying they wont get away with it...I just said I know a couple that had to pay the difference when they went to board the Mariner......they had booked the cabins with the guys parents(one in each)......and I personally felt too guilty to try it.......

[Coralc]

It's not at all like the liquor debate, which I do not participate in. I also don't smuggle alcohol. It is booking for the most advantageous and eligible rate for your immediate family. I am not going to argue with you, if you feel funny sharing discounts with your inlaws, then don't. I also might think twice about my mother in law. My own mom, no problem. :D What about parents wth younger kids that are forced to split bookings?

[Coralc]

And slightly OT. When I was filling out the setsail pass for mom & me. Her name popped up with a Crown & Anchor number. Mom has never cruised before. I called C&A and they asked if she lived in Ft. Worth, TX. I said no...CA. They asked if her birthdate was X/X/XX. I said no...and I don't think she wants to be 7 years older, that would make her 86.

 

I think I was able to eliminate any reference to the C&A number, but I kept thinking about that poor CC member that had her cruises hijacked by someone in another state!:D

[bobbie0253]

We have done this, but not for a discount, just so my cousin and her bf could use priority boarding with us.

 

Once before when they cruised with us, we got split up, but eventually they got to join us to wait for boarding. The lounge was empty so I didn't feel bad with them taking up seats where they didn't belong and we did it with permission.

 

Honestly, it was a pain in the butt once on board to switch, but they did it with no questions asked (once they figured out what I was asking them to do). And it was really uncomfortable doing it. They also got the chocolate covered strawberries that we get as Diamond C&A in their room because as we booked it, it looked like one of us Diamond members was in that cabin. We booked pr's so we didn't get a discount on the room.

 

Sea passes are set up ahead of time on line and you can have your dad pay for your mom and you pay for your son. While it was a bit confusing at the pier as to what card went to what room, it was easy to check in.

 

For us, we wouldn't do it again, it was just too much hassle.

 

Bobbie

[sweet angel]

First off, we're not "trying to get away with" anything. My mom was fully prepared to pay the going rates to have my son and me in one room and her and my dad in the other room. It was the RCI REP who suggested it to her.

 

I don't want the beginning of my vacation to be a hassle -- and I don't want things to get confusing or screwed up.

 

And I'm not looking for a debate here or trying to stir the pot.

 

Thank you for all the input.

[HappyFamilyNJ]

hi sweet angel,

 

not sure if anyone answered this for you... you DO all have to be present at check-in. Last year we sailed with a family of 6 booked into the Royal Suite on the Mariner. Can you believe that, despite its size and cost, you can only book a max of 5 into the Royal Suite? I guess it's a capacity issue? Anyway, we booked one of their sons in with us and they paid us for the 4th person. Their son had to check in with us so we made a plan to meet outside the pier and get in line together.

 

Also -- if your cabins aren't right next to each other this might matter -- their son had to do muster drill with us.

 

Otherwise, we just switched keys with the stewards when we got there and I guess our friends went to the purser re: the seapass? Maybe they just did it throught he concierege. I don't even remember, but it all worked out just fine! Have fun!

[sweet angel]

I'm not sure how everyone simply switches keys, since the seapass accounts are linked to the keys! I mean, last year, my son got the soda sticker on his card...I certainly don't want that on my mom's card. lol

 

Maybe I'm just not understanding.

[PH8]

,It's not at all like the liquor debate, which I do not participate in. I also don't smuggle alcohol. It is booking for the most advantageous and eligible rate for your immediate family. I am not going to argue with you, if you feel funny sharing discounts with your inlaws, then don't. I also might think twice about my mother in law. My own mom, no problem ?

I just meant in the way,it is not suposed to be done, but people do it.And no problem with my inlaws.They are my Mom and Dad since mine are no longer with us.......

 

First off, we're not "trying to get away with" anything..

Im not arguing with you or name calling....its a just my wording I guess........Im sure it will be ok........but sometimes one gets called on it at the port..........

 

I was just sharing m,y point of view.........and I guess it is coming out all wrong..........I'll stay away now......good luck.

[sweet angel]

Parrothead...I'm just trying to be clear that WE did not go in looking for ways to pay less...the REP suggested it. No worries...

[JTJ]

We booked two cabins next to each other with friends on MOS. My plan is for my GF to get a duplicate key which I will use to get in and out of our cabin, and use my checkin issued SS card to charge and get on an off the ship. I just need to remember not to charge anything on her SS card.

[KelJ]

Please take advantage of this money-saving opportunity. It's not difficult at all. The rep at RCCL when we booked our last cruise is who encouraged us to split my parents up into two cabins so we could take advantage of the senior discount.

If you separated the passengers at the time of booking because of a senior discount, DO NOT change the passengers at the time of check-in. If you remove the only senior from a room, you will lose the discount and will be charged the higher rate.

 

On your Set Sail Pass, you can arrange the expense accounts however you want them to work (whose charges get billed on what credit card). Once on the ship, you can go to the purser's desk and have extra key cards made (NOT new seapasses). The people switching rooms will carry a key card and a seapass card. It's really not a big deal at all.

My parents are seniors and, when a senior discount had become available, we had split my parents up on the reservations (one in their cabin, one in ours) to get the discount as it saved us $100 per person. Each person in the cabin gets the discount, not just the senior. By doing this, DF was registered in my cabin with me and the kids, and DH was registered in my DM’s cabin with her. Because of the way we completed the set sail, we had no problem with the charges going on the correct credit cards, and we had extra key cards made at guest relations so DF could get into his cabin with DM and so DH could get into our cabin.

Regarding the poster who said they know someone who had to pay the difference, that's because they removed a senior from a room. That is not what you want to do. You just want to get extra key cards made, and there is no explanation needed. People get extra key cards made all the time so they have access to their children's cabin, etc. When you set up your Setsail online, you will see how easy it is to have your son and you on the same credit card even though you are listed in separate rooms.