DCL Veterans.....tell me about getting connecting cabins

[tweis]

We are a family of 4 and currently have an 8C booked for our Fantasy 2014 cruise, however, DH and I will be cruising this May and are considering booking 2 rooms and canceling the 8C. I understand that DH will be booked in 1 room and I will be booked in the other, each of us with one DS, but explain the logistics to me. How do we make it to where we are at the same dining table? What about photos, how does that work? Palo ressies? Excursions? I'm sure it's really simple and I'm complicating things but I would like to know how all of this works before we rebook onboard. Thanks.

 

[NickyDa]

We are a family of 4 and currently have an 8C booked for our Fantasy 2014 cruise, however, DH and I will be cruising this May and are considering booking 2 rooms and canceling the 8C. I understand that DH will be booked in 1 room and I will be booked in the other, each of us with one DS, but explain the logistics to me. How do we make it to where we are at the same dining table? What about photos, how does that work? Palo ressies? Excursions? I'm sure it's really simple and I'm complicating things but I would like to know how all of this works before we rebook onboard. Thanks.

We have some experience with this but keep in mind my info is from June 20, 2012. We were in 8554 and 8556 on the Dream with 2 kids in once room and DS staying with grandparents in the other. I'm not sure if anything has changed since we sailed last summer with 7 people.

Dining: DCL will put you at the same table as long as the rooms have a connected reservation.

Palo and excursions: When your check-in window opens, both rooms will be listed when book anything. You will pick the excursion or Palo plus select which people are attending each event.

Photos: I hear so many different things about experiences with photos and connecting rooms. If you order a photo disc, you are supposed to get one disc per room. I bought the disc for 8556 (our room) and got pictures of DS only because we were listed as financially responsible for him. We have a few pics of grandparents if the DDs or DS were in a pic with them.

Hope this helps! Peace. Love. And Pixie Dust.

 

[tweis]

We have some experience with this but keep in mind my info is from June 20, 2012. We were in 8554 and 8556 on the Dream with 2 kids in once room and DS staying with grandparents in the other. I'm not sure if anything has changed since we sailed last summer with 7 people.

Dining: DCL will put you at the same table as long as the rooms have a connected reservation.

Palo and excursions: When your check-in window opens, both rooms will be listed when book anything. You will pick the excursion or Palo plus select which people are attending each event.

Photos: I hear so many different things about experiences with photos and connecting rooms. If you order a photo disc, you are supposed to get one disc per room. I bought the disc for 8556 (our room) and got pictures of DS only because we were listed as financially responsible for him. We have a few pics of grandparents if the DDs or DS were in a pic with them.

Hope this helps! Peace. Love. And Pixie Dust.

Just to make sure I understand, as long as we link our reservations, when I log in to do our check in, both rooms will show up? That would be super helpful for booking excursions.

I probably will not purchase the disc but will get a few other pics. So if the 4 of us have our pic taken together, how does that work? Or if DH and I have a pic together? Sorry for all the questions I just want to make sure that it is going to be worth doing and not be a huge hassle.

 

[NickyDa]

Just to make sure I understand, as long as we link our reservations, when I log in to do our check in, both rooms will show up? That would be super helpful for booking excursions.

I probably will not purchase the disc but will get a few other pics. So if the 4 of us have our pic taken together, how does that work? Or if DH and I have a pic together? Sorry for all the questions I just want to make sure that it is going to be worth doing and not be a huge hassle.

Palo example: When I was able to book the ressie, all the names for room 8554 and 8556 would show up like magic. I would then select the little box next to each adult name that we wanted on the reservation. The same for the excursion and I just told guest services that I wanted the bill for everything posted to 8556.

Photos: If the four of you have pics taken, it should show up in both rooms. Just let the CM in Shutters know which portfolio you actually want the pics listed in. Stop worrying! Relax It's a lot more simple than you think since you will have kids in both rooms.

 

[tweis]

Palo example: When I was able to book the ressie, all the names for room 8554 and 8556 would show up like magic. I would then select the little box next to each adult name that we wanted on the reservation. The same for the excursion and I just told guest services that I wanted the bill for everything posted to 8556.

Photos: If the four of you have pics taken, it should show up in both rooms. Just let the CM in Shutters know which portfolio you actually want the pics listed in. Stop worrying! Relax It's a lot more simple than you think since you will have kids in both rooms.

Thank you That sounds super easy. We will definitely book the connecting rooms, assuming they are still available, when we cruise in May. Thank you

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Just to make sure I understand, as long as we link our reservations, when I log in to do our check in, both rooms will show up? That would be super helpful for booking excursions.

I probably will not purchase the disc but will get a few other pics. So if the 4 of us have our pic taken together, how does that work? Or if DH and I have a pic together? Sorry for all the questions I just want to make sure that it is going to be worth doing and not be a huge hassle.

We are a family of 4 and have always gotten 2 rooms. Last cruise we were on different decks still no problem with anything. When you book the 2 rooms Disney links them together. We also share the same cc. When I went in at 90 days for our upcoming room everything I clicked on to book all 4 people popped up and you just check off who you are booking for! No problems. HTH

 

[WeLoveDisneyAlways]

Be sure to call I have noticed connecting rooms don't show up available online I was disapointed so I called to see and to my surprise most of them were open. We linked our reservations ourselves online when ever I call to make changes they automatically change my parents room as well.

 

[tweis]

We are a family of 4 and have always gotten 2 rooms. Last cruise we were on different decks still no problem with anything. When you book the 2 rooms Disney links them together. We also share the same cc. When I went in at 90 days for our upcoming room everything I clicked on to book all 4 people popped up and you just check off who you are booking for! No problems. HTH

I had no idea it was this easy. I keep seeing posts where people have problems with photos or can't get everyone on the same excursion, so I was convinced that it was going to be a huge hassle. Maybe they all had different CC levels?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[tweis]

Be sure to call I have noticed connecting rooms don't show up available online I was disapointed so I called to see and to my surprise most of them were open. We linked our reservations ourselves online when ever I call to make changes they automatically change my parents room as well.

I am sailing in May so I hope they have them available then but if not I will go ahead and book and then call to see if any pop up. Thanks

 

[Minnie321]

Decide which Key to the World card you are going to put the pictures on and stick with that one Key - we had connecting cabins - paid for on the same credit card account - booked together - dinning together - excursions together - BUT - when we went to purchase our disk - no they could not be together - so we learned our lesson the hard way and next time all the pictures will be taken on one Key to the World card. I will also say this - I have no intention of fooling with shutters at all on my next cruise - that was my only disappointment - I cannot believe Disney still allows them on their ships.

 

[tweis]

Decide which Key to the World card you are going to put the pictures on and stick with that one Key - we had connecting cabins - paid for on the same credit card account - booked together - dinning together - excursions together - BUT - when we went to purchase our disk - no they could not be together - so we learned our lesson the hard way and next time all the pictures will be taken on one Key to the World card. I will also say this - I have no intention of fooling with shutters at all on my next cruise - that was my only disappointment - I cannot believe Disney still allows them on their ships.

Sorry that happened to you. I will definitely remember to choose one KTTW card and stick with it. Thanks.

 

[LWQuestie]

I had no idea it was this easy. I keep seeing posts where people have problems with photos or can't get everyone on the same excursion, so I was convinced that it was going to be a huge hassle. Maybe they all had different CC levels?

I think some of those examples are parties traveling together who did not book at the same time.

I was stressing about booking my entire party for Palo and excursions. We were linked for dinner (so we'd be at the same table), but I had CC status and my family members did not. I could book my stateroom earlier than them. Luckily, it all worked out online.

 

[Meghatron]

Sorry that happened to you. I will definitely remember to choose one KTTW card and stick with it. Thanks.

Using one card will not work if the people involved are not IMMEDIATE family members consisting of parents and their minor children. That is the only exception to the two staterooms on one CD rule. Grandparents, cousins, friends, etc. will be removed from the account portfolio if there is not someone from the nuclear family also in the photo.

BFF was sailing alone in a linked stateroom. My card was swiped for a sitting with DD and her. During that session, BFF took some solo portraits. At first those solo pictures were in our portfolio; after a day or two, they were not. Facial recognition and/or Shutters staff removed them as she was not a member of the parent-child group that purchased the CD.

 

[ktmo]

We just got back. We had two connecting cabins. We bought the CD and the prints. We didn't have too much trouble with Shutters. I went the first day and bought the CD. I explained that we had two cabins. The CM I spoke with didn't seem to really understand what I wanted when I told him we were in two cabins, but one family. He did say that he would have the lab make a note of it, but he wasn't too convincing. In Shutters we had two books where our pictures were kept, but they only used one. The only pictures we didn't get were the ones where DH was alone (at dinner). No biggie. Just be sure to look on the wall for any that were missed, and have them add it to your account. If I had noticed, I could have gotten the ones of DH.

When I went to pick up the CD, it ended up in my DD5's name and room number, not my room number. I was sure it was going to be empty, since that wasn't the KTTW card we had been using. But it had all of our pictures. So it worked out.

They also didn't swipe the KTTW card everytime. Sometimes they just asked for our room number. Sometimes, they didn't ask for anything, just went on facial recognition.

 

[tweis]

Using one card will not work if the people involved are not IMMEDIATE family members consisting of parents and their minor children. That is the only exception to the two staterooms on one CD rule. Grandparents, cousins, friends, etc. will be removed from the account portfolio if there is not someone from the nuclear family also in the photo.

BFF was sailing alone in a linked stateroom. My card was swiped for a sitting with DD and her. During that session, BFF took some solo portraits. At first those solo pictures were in our portfolio; after a day or two, they were not. Facial recognition and/or Shutters staff removed them as she was not a member of the parent-child group that purchased the CD.

Good to know. We should be fine then because we will book myself and one DS in a room and DH and my other DS in the other room, right?

 

[tweis]

I think some of those examples are parties traveling together who did not book at the same time.

I was stressing about booking my entire party for Palo and excursions. We were linked for dinner (so we'd be at the same table), but I had CC status and my family members did not. I could book my stateroom earlier than them. Luckily, it all worked out online.

Glad it worked out for you. My DH and I have the same CC status so it should work out.

We just got back. We had two connecting cabins. We bought the CD and the prints. We didn't have too much trouble with Shutters. I went the first day and bought the CD. I explained that we had two cabins. The CM I spoke with didn't seem to really understand what I wanted when I told him we were in two cabins, but one family. He did say that he would have the lab make a note of it, but he wasn't too convincing. In Shutters we had two books where our pictures were kept, but they only used one. The only pictures we didn't get were the ones where DH was alone (at dinner). No biggie. Just be sure to look on the wall for any that were missed, and have them add it to your account. If I had noticed, I could have gotten the ones of DH.

When I went to pick up the CD, it ended up in my DD5's name and room number, not my room number. I was sure it was going to be empty, since that wasn't the KTTW card we had been using. But it had all of our pictures. So it worked out.

They also didn't swipe the KTTW card everytime. Sometimes they just asked for our room number. Sometimes, they didn't ask for anything, just went on facial recognition.

I'm glad you were able to get the photos yu wanted. We generally do not buy the CD but do buy a few prints so maybe it want be a big deal.