Traveling with new cruisers

[Osum]

Hi everyone! I’m planning to book our next cruise with my sister and her family. We’ll be gold status, and she’ll be booking her first cruise. My sister and I will be splitting the cost of a third stateroom for our mother to travel with us.

I plan to book on gold’s opening day, and I believe that means she’ll need to wait two days to book, since they’ll not have castaway club status. I’ll book our mother’s stateroom along with my family’s.

So here’s my question:
Is there any disadvantage to my sister’s booking happening 2 days after mine? I don’t see any risk of a category selling out in two days, but is there something I haven’t thought of? We’re not looking for adjoining staterooms, and we’re not booking a special/limited offering sailing.

Asking the experts!

 

[Rob1872]

What Castaway Club status does your mother have?

 

[dcassetta]

It's quick service, but the wraps (Gyro, Shwarma?) at Pete's Boiler Bites have at least one topping that has heat. I think it was the Sambal. Unfortunately, this is only on the Wonder.

Hi everyone! I’m planning to book our next cruise with my sister and her family. We’ll be gold status, and she’ll be booking her first cruise. My sister and I will be splitting the cost of a third stateroom for our mother to travel with us.

I plan to book on gold’s opening day, and I believe that means she’ll need to wait two days to book, since they’ll not have castaway club status. I’ll book our mother’s stateroom along with my family’s.

So here’s my question:
Is there any disadvantage to my sister’s booking happening 2 days after mine? I don’t see any risk of a category selling out in two days, but is there something I haven’t thought of? We’re not looking for adjoining staterooms, and we’re not booking a special/limited offering sailing.

Asking the experts!

The only element I can think of that might be an issue, is that the cost of the cruise may go up within that 48 hour period. Some of the cruises, even those that aren't limited, can increase in price pretty quickly. Are you planning to go to Alaska, traveling around Easter, looking at something in July?

 

[Osum]

What Castaway Club status does your mother have?

She hasn’t cruised, so has no status. That’s why I thought I’d book two staterooms on my reservation.

 

[Osum]

The only element I can think of that might be an issue, is that the cost of the cruise may go up within that 48 hour period. Some of the cruises, even those that aren't limited, can increase in price pretty quickly. Are you planning to go to Alaska, traveling around Easter, looking at something in July?

No, we’re looking at an eastern Caribbean in early June.

 

[gotomu212]

The only thing you might want to consider is putting one of your gold party in your sisters room so that stateroom will be able to book excursions and ship activities on gold check in. We typically put one of our kids on their reservation and they put one of their kids on ours so the cost is neutral. Then when we get onboard everyone has their own kid sleep in their stateroom. The only negative is that in the event Disney has their first ever evacuate ship emergency your kid will go with them.

 

[Osum]

The only thing you might want to consider is putting one of your gold party in your sisters room so that stateroom will be able to book excursions and ship activities on gold check in. We typically put one of our kids on their reservation and they put one of their kids on ours so the cost is neutral. Then when we get onboard everyone has their own kid sleep in their stateroom. The only negative is that in the event Disney has their first ever evacuate ship emergency your kid will go with them.

I’m thinking it over, but I’m not sure all the permissions (for the kids) and the Shutters/photo buying issues would be worth it. Definitely an option, if she’s considering any hard-to-get bookings.

 

[Osum]

Actually, if we swapped our sons (mine is silver) for reservation making purposes, would she be able to book a day sooner?

And if so, could we wait a few days, then swap them back to the proper rooms?

(This feels like cheating, so I’m not sure I could do it, haha!)

 

[gotomu212]

I’m thinking it over, but I’m not sure all the permissions (for the kids) and the Shutters/photo buying issues would be worth it. Definitely an option, if she’s considering any hard-to-get bookings.

On the permission side they’ve made this WAY easier. Wen you do online check in now you select whether they and leave the ship with other adults (as well as on their own). You can still do the permissions for clubs too. I’m so glad they did away with the forms at guest services.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

She hasn’t cruised, so has no status. That’s why I thought I’d book two staterooms on my reservation.

Each room is it's own reservation.

 

[Maplered]

I was thinking of doing this too. Three families would be travelling so I would put one of my kids in their families room.
So family breakdown would be (where adult is capital and child is lower case and one family is one letter):
AAbc
BBa
CCca

My questions are
1) can I link all the reservations and book all our activities for all three families? Or will family B and C be in charge of my kids?
2) when we check in does family A have to bring child b and c or can family A check in together.
3) how will shutters work with the photo package?
4) after we are all on board can we switch the kids into the correct rooms?

Thanks

 

[gotomu212]

I was thinking of doing this too. Three families would be travelling so I would put one of my kids in their families room.
So family breakdown would be (where adult is capital and child is lower case and one family is one letter):
AAbc
BBa
CCca

My questions are
1) can I link all the reservations and book all our activities for all three families? Or will family B and C be in charge of my kids?
2) when we check in does family A have to bring child b and c or can family A check in together.
3) how will shutters work with the photo package?
4) after we are all on board can we switch the kids into the correct rooms?

Thanks

This is just our experience and other people may have a different outcome so full disclaimer, it we did this almost exactly.
1) Yes you can link them and should. You can then book for everyone when your window opens and everyone will be eligible on the same day assuming all of A are the same status. The other families will be sorta “in charge of your kids” for muster but you can designate that they leave the ship with any of you or can be checked out of clubs with any of you.
2) In our experience on check in Family A does not need to bring kids b and c BUT kids aa cannot check in without B or C. Basically they need an adult to “open” each reservation. So they can’t check a in without BB checking in. If BB check in early they could do it without a, BUT then their kids couldn’t start check in with AA. Soooooo it’s really best when doing these complicated gymnastics for everyone to be together at port and go up in their stateroom group.
3) for us we were able to have the right kid in each of our family shots, BUT we didn’t have any individual kid shots and I’ve heard various reports of this being a problem if you’re trying to get b picture out of AAbc stateroom package.
4) you can switch the kids in that Mickey doesn’t care who sleeps where and you can get a KTTW card that will open the right room for each kid. However the kids will stay on the original stateroom for record keeping and muster.

 

[bumbershoot]

We’ll be gold status

Actually, if we swapped our sons (mine is silver)

Shouldn’t your son be the same status as you?

Or am I confusing Disney with Royal? On Royal kids get the same status as parents. My son is platinum on Royal because I am, even though he wasn’t a fare paying passenger for one of our cruises. (He was a clump of rapidly dividing cells making me physically miserable while I was on the cruise, lol, but that doesn’t count)

 

[Osum]

Shouldn’t your son be the same status as you?

Or am I confusing Disney with Royal? On Royal kids get the same status as parents. My son is platinum on Royal because I am, even though he wasn’t a fare paying passenger for one of our cruises. (He was a clump of rapidly dividing cells making me physically miserable while I was on the cruise, lol, but that doesn’t count)

No, we cruised once without him, so he’s one step behind us.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was thinking of doing this too. Three families would be travelling so I would put one of my kids in their families room.
So family breakdown would be (where adult is capital and child is lower case and one family is one letter):
AAbc
BBa
CCca

My questions are
1) can I link all the reservations and book all our activities for all three families? Or will family B and C be in charge of my kids?
2) when we check in does family A have to bring child b and c or can family A check in together.
3) how will shutters work with the photo package?
4) after we are all on board can we switch the kids into the correct rooms?

Thanks

1) Yes, you can book everyone at the first booking window (if all "a" family members are the highest level. If your child is in a different room than yours, the adults in THAT room will have to sign a permission slip for you to take your child off the ship without them. And, I believe, they will need to indicate that you are an authorized person to pick up your child from Oceaneer's.
3) If room A purchases the full digital package, they can indicate their minor child in a different room to be included in the package. I'm not sure if that extends to 2 other rooms. Any photos taken with anyone in room A or the minor child(ren) included in the package will be in the package. Any photos taken with only adult B or any C family members will not be included. That said, if one room purchases a full package, a second package can be purchased onboard for 50% off.
4) As long as there's an extra bed in the room you want to move the kids into, just let your room host know you want an additional bed made up. ONE OTHER THING - everyone must attend the muster drill for the room they are booked in, not the room they are sleeping in.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I was thinking of doing this too. Three families would be travelling so I would put one of my kids in their families room.
So family breakdown would be (where adult is capital and child is lower case and one family is one letter):
AAbc
BBa
CCca

My questions are
1) can I link all the reservations and book all our activities for all three families? Or will family B and C be in charge of my kids?
2) when we check in does family A have to bring child b and c or can family A check in together.
3) how will shutters work with the photo package?
4) after we are all on board can we switch the kids into the correct rooms?

Thanks

Just throwing this out there as an option:

ABac
BAb
CCca

 

[Maplered]

How would this breakdown (with the family A adult split up) be different? Would it only be for the purpose of Adult A and kid a in one room together (same with Bb?)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How would this breakdown (with the family A adult split up) be different? Would it only be for the purpose of Adult A and kid a in one room together (same with Bb?)

In that scenario (regarding the photo package), if the first room purchased the full package, it could cover the adult & child in room 1, and the minor child in room 3. But would not cover the "A" adult in room 2. It would also cover the "B" adult in room 1, but not the one in room 2.

 

[CM Dad]

She hasn’t cruised, so has no status. That’s why I thought I’d book two staterooms on my reservation.

Were you booking your mom in a stateroom by herself? If so, I don't think you can book that when Gold bookings open. I think someone on here reservation would need to have Gold status. Maybe you could book someone else from you family that does have gold status in here room? I don't know how many people will be traveling in the three rooms, but it probably would be cheaper overall if you book someone in with your mom. As a solo traveler, her reservation would be almost the same price as two adults.

 

[FigmentSpark]

In that scenario (regarding the photo package), if the first room purchased the full package, it could cover the adult & child in room 1, and the minor child in room 3. But would not cover the "A" adult in room 2. It would also cover the "B" adult in room 1, but not the one in room 2.

Fair enough. I wasn't thinking of photos. I was thinking about the Muster Station logistics.