Slight change for Feb - a couple of questions...

[Dug720]

Ok, I'm still going on my February Magic cruise!

BUT!!!

Now I'm bringing my parents with me as a present!!

So I'm pondering a couple of options...but I have a couple of questions regarding those.

1) There is still a 1-Bedroom Concierge available that is not that much more than 2 verandah cabins. I know I've been pretty clear that we really aren't concierge-type people, but... I would LOVE as part of a surprise to try and score a SB cabana just for us to relax and as a once in a lifetime kind of thing, and I know concierge is just about the only way to score one of those (I'm merely silver, so...yeah.). BUT if I do this (which would relegate me to a sofa bed or the murphy bed, so I DO have to consider that - it's my vacation as well!), I would want it to be a total surprise for them when we get to the port. We live in different places, and I know their Castaway Club number is tied to their home address. I don't want to mess that up. Is it possible to have it marked that all mail is to come to me at MY address and still leave all their information intact? Or is that an impossible dream and I should just let the booklets announce the surprise?

2) (And probably more likely if I'm honest) I get us two verandah cabins next to each other (not necessarily connecting inside the cabin, but if I had to it would be ok since it would be us connecting). Can the dividers on deck 8 of the Wonder be opened? I know in this case I'd need to call and have them linked for dining and so forth.

So checking in when it's time for that... If I go the 2-cabin route can I check both staterooms in as long as they're linked? Would I need my parents' log-in information? Or just the confirmation number for their cabin? Or since I'm booking it under my log-in would it be much simpler? Does that make sense what I'm asking?

Also regarding account... (I guess this is more for if I go the concierge route) We'll be doing our own account stuff - one card or cash for me, one card for Mom and Daddy. Should I just set it up as cash and then we each put our stuff on when we check in?

If we go two cabins, they will be here for Thanksgiving (which is my check-in day!!) so I could do everything for both to get checked in and set Palo and PAT times and then when they're here go back into it and add in the card, right? Or better to just say cash and let them put the card on when we check in at the port?

Thanks for your help!! This is my first time dealing with two cabins (most likely) - and I don't want my parents to have to be up super late when they'll be up super early for flying up here.

 

[Bear3412]

Ok, I'm still going on my February Magic cruise!

BUT!!!

Now I'm bringing my parents with me as a present!!

......

My sincere condolences.

 

[Dug720]

My sincere condolences.

I'm excited to go on a Classic ship!! And I love my parents!!

 

[Bear3412]

I'm excited to go on a Classic ship!! And I love my parents!!

OK. I admit, perhaps my post had ambiguous implications. I did placed an emoticon at the end though.

Allow me to clean that up now.

You are blessed, and are a wonderful person to sail with your family/parents.

I am envious, as this could never happen with my family. Even though I have tried.

May you have a wonderful sailing with your folks.

Seriously.

Enjoy

 

[Dug720]

OK. I admit, perhaps my post had ambiguous implications. I did placed an emoticon at the end though.

Allow me to clean that up now.

You are blessed, and are a wonderful person to sail with your family/parents.

I am envious, as this could never happen with my family. Even though I have tried.

May you have a wonderful sailing with your folks.

Seriously.

Enjoy

It's ok!

Aww, thank you!! We generally travel pretty well together - we will have some things we do together and then other times when we are free to do as we wish.

Yes...I'm definitely blessed with the family I got. That's part of why I'm so happy I can give them this cruise - just a little way to say thank you.

Hugs!!

 

[Flossbolna]

I can help with the account question: you can set it up so that every person in the cabin has their own credit card that their expenses are being charged to. And it is no problem to change this information online until 3 days before the cruise. You can also always say that they will travel with birth certificates if you don't have their passport numbers and then add those numbers later.

As to the booklets: the best way to ensure that they don't get it, would be to use a travel agent who has the booklet send to him or her before sending it off to you. But you can also request for the booklet to. Be sent to a different mailing address for them, I did this for my first cruise.

 

[Bear3412]

....- we [parents]will have some things we do together and then other times when we are free to do as we wish. ....

We, as kids of ours parents, almost jumped overboard last year, due to the parents aboard.

OK, perhaps a slight exaggeration. But we definitely were considering our options in a well served international airport hub/port of call. We have miles and points. So, ... we could have done it. We researched flights and costs and such. It was that close. We were so close. It was three more sea days of hell.
Even with separate cabins. Don't sail with unsteady on their feet parents. Nor with slightly paranoid parents.
It was ugly. Needless to say their conclusion was they don't like cruising. Nooo shxt.

Always take questionable pax on a short 3 day sailing prior to a longer sailing. Live, learn. Our bad.

BTW seas were glass, yet , parents say wooo can't stand and walk. Oh my.

Imagine them on a hurricane sailing. Not. lol.


Thanks for listening to my rant.
Just another spooky scene from Bear.

 

[Dug720]

We, as kids of ours parents, almost jumped overboard last year, due to the parents aboard.

OK, perhaps a slight exaggeration. But we definitely were considering our options in a well served international airport hub/port of call. We have miles and points. So, ... we could have done it. We researched flights and costs and such. It was that close. We were so close. It was three more sea days of hell.
Even with separate cabins. Don't sail with unsteady on their feet parents. Nor with slightly paranoid parents.
It was ugly. Needless to say their conclusion was they don't like cruising. Nooo shxt.

Always take questionable pax on a short 3 day sailing prior to a longer sailing. Live, learn. Our bad.

BTW seas were glass, yet , parents say wooo can't stand and walk. Oh my.

Imagine them on a hurricane sailing. Not. lol.


Thanks for listening to my rant.
Just another spooky scene from Bear.

You have my utter sympathy!!!

For real!!

 

[Dug720]

I can help with the account question: you can set it up so that every person in the cabin has their own credit card that their expenses are being charged to. And it is no problem to change this information online until 3 days before the cruise. You can also always say that they will travel with birth certificates if you don't have their passport numbers and then add those numbers later.

As to the booklets: the best way to ensure that they don't get it, would be to use a travel agent who has the booklet send to him or her before sending it off to you. But you can also request for the booklet to. Be sent to a different mailing address for them, I did this for my first cruise.

Thank you!! It may be a moot point anyway if I decide not to do Concierge (or it sells out before I can make the change).

 

[Bear3412]

#1; Are you considering jamming two family's in a T, as opposed to two separate cabins on the Magic?

I trust you know the difference in mid T's and other T's aboard.

How many nights is the sailing?
A three or four night CL sailing to secure a Family Cabana with the parents could be justified in my mind.

Option 1; So your parents in a cabin, you all in another, not CL.

Option 2; All of you in a cat T. CL. Is that possible. Is there space? Beds. Which cat T ? Room #?
You heard my story. I say two cabins. Even though we always lean to CL.

How many peoples, ages, etc.

Magic ship? It's an important distinction.

Yes, I see the Magic now, after I actually did some reading. lol.

 

[Dug720]

#1; Are you considering jamming two family's in a T, as opposed to two separate cabins on the Magic?

I trust you know the difference in mid T's and other T's aboard.

Well, it would be three people. I was already booked solo, so this would be adding in my parents.

I think I am leaning towards the two cabins and we will be just fine with our regular set-up at SB. Just for the space - plus my dad snores.

 

[Bear3412]

#1; It has been recorded here many times that DCL sends travel documents to everyone on the manifest list regardless.

I concur.

Even if the main purchaser did everything they could to not have this happen.
Even after hearing the CS phone reps saying it will never happen.
It still does unfortunately usually occur.

And DCL hears 10000 complaints about it ever year and does what? Absolutely nothing to fix this error.
DCL doesn't give a hoot. It's sad.

This is just one example of a simple IT issue that could be repaired.

Documents will be delivered to ever sailor, by mail IMO.

Good luck trying to circumvent that regardless of what the Customer Service says.

Trust Me.

You need to be in a position to intercept the DCL USPS mail to make this work.
Unless you have a PO box.

Good Luck

 

[Bear3412]

Well, it would be three people. ...

Well, three pax in any cat T is better than 3 related pax in separate non CL cabins. IMO. lol.

Unless they are like my family.

So this is an interesting judgement call.

As if some are not.

If you can bunk with your folks do CL. IMO.

What cabins are available. ? ? ?

Side/aft corners/ ? ? ?

comments within quote due to stupidity.

 

[Dug720]

comments within quote due to stupidity.

It happens. No problem!

No, right now (or as if when my internet went out last night) there was one midship. Hence my "if it even available" comment as the bonus check I got is being held by the bank until Wednesday.

Thanks for all your help!

ETA: It's midship

 

[Bear3412]

Dug720 book mid cat T now if available, if outside PIF date.

You will have two choices of bedding outside the bedroom.

You can always cancel/downgrade if desired.

Rare to get a mid T.

Good Luck

 

[Flossbolna]

Documents will be delivered to ever sailor, by mail IMO.

Unless you are me... I have never got documents from DCL. When I sail (usually with someone living at a different address) there is only one set of documents being sent to my travel companion. Never to me. My TA has tried to figure out why that is. But I guess it is just the way it is...

 

[Bear3412]

Unless you are me... I have never got documents from DCL. When I sail (usually with someone living at a different address) there is only one set of documents being sent to my travel companion. Never to me. My TA has tried to figure out why that is. But I guess it is just the way it is...

DCL reservations IMO, do tend to lean towards who paid, IMO. And that initial contact group/family/lead ressie, or just a random person in said group, regardless of any congruencey, and all requests/payments, is shameless.

Often I wonder if a random computer generating the pervayor.

Floos; did you pay for all these cabins and whatnot? In your name?
ETA; Actually all that is irrelevant unfortunately. No one knows DCL processes.

DCL, and other cruise lines, like NCL have a similar approach fwiw unfortunately.

All cruise lines are completely clueless to any customer needs and requests. From a CSR point of view. They do really try prior to boarding. To book the commission.

Never believe CSR folks about promises regrading special benefits, priority this and that, a cake, a dining experience . Etc , etc. IMO. On the phone prior.

Floss;
Documents may have been mailed to your TA.
Some TA's are better than others about forwarding their mail.
Other TA's have all mailers sent directly to the clients/pax.
Some TA's don't check there mail.

Only we can decide which is best. eek
They have a contrarian task. Only explanation IMO.

Good luck keeping any booking private.
It doesn't matter what is said , nor documented, expect notice to all who sail. IMO.

I can relate as someone who paid a fortune for a group on the Fantasy.
Come to find out I am the lowly on the reservation, can't make any changes, etc.
Lol.

Needless to say, after that, I was very careful,