Taking my assistant on a working vacation

[2dogs4cats]

I am going to be taking my assistant (female) on a 5 day cruise in January. It will be part of a business conference in my niche. I'll also be taking my 2 teenage kids (boy, 13, and girl, 15).

 

My dilemma is what to do with the staterooms. My kids are too young to be assigned a room by themselves and there are no more interior rooms with an adjoining door.

 

I can book my daughter in the same room as my assistant and then move her to my room once the cruise begins. That's what I'm thinking of doing.

 

Since I'm covering my assistant's expenses (cruise, taxes, gratuities), I would love to not have to pay the single supplement, which is the cost of a second person in her room.

 

Is my assumption correct that my kids are too young to share a room that doesn't join mine?

[CruiserBruce]

What cruise line? Each has at least slightly different policies. Best to ask on the board for that cruise line.

[rkmw]

I am going to be taking my assistant (female) on a 5 day cruise in January. It will be part of a business conference in my niche. I'll also be taking my 2 teenage kids (boy, 13, and girl, 15).

 

My dilemma is what to do with the staterooms. My kids are too young to be assigned a room by themselves and there are no more interior rooms with an adjoining door.

 

I can book my daughter in the same room as my assistant and then move her to my room once the cruise begins. That's what I'm thinking of doing.

 

Since I'm covering my assistant's expenses (cruise, taxes, gratuities), I would love to not have to pay the single supplement, which is the cost of a second person in her room.

 

Is my assumption correct that my kids are too young to share a room that doesn't join mine?

 

you could book 2 twin rooms and ask your TA if one room could be a quad so you and your kids can sleep in the same room but one child would have to sleep on the top bunk and then your assistant could be by herself....you cannot sleep 3 people in a twin room

[cb at sea]

Book you and son in one room, daughter and ass't. in the other. Then, once onboard, you can put whoever you want, wherever you want. They DO NOT CARE. I would book the rooms closeby, since you won't want your kids too far away.

 

But, the "must have an adult in the cabin" is only for BOOKING....like I said, once you board the ship, they do not care who is in which cabin. You can get the proper keys from the customer service desk.

Edited November 13, 2014 by cb at sea

[nolatravelgirl]

Book you and son in one room, daughter and ass't. in the other. Then, once onboard, you can put whoever you want, wherever you want. They DO NOT CARE. I would book the rooms closeby, since you won't want your kids too far away.

 

But, the "must have an adult in the cabin" is only for BOOKING....like I said, once you board the ship, they do not care who is in which cabin. You can get the proper keys from the customer service desk.

There also needs to be enough bedding and lifejackets.

 

Also find out if the rooms have separate housekeepers as you want to make sure you tip appropriately

[sail7seas]

Are you sure your assistant is agreeable to sharing a room with you?

No offense but she may feel that is overstepping the boundaries of her business relationship. I have no interest in her or your personal life but suggest unless you know it is agreeable to her, it isn't necessarily a very good plan. :)

 

[CruiserBruce]

Are you sure your assistant is agreeable to sharing a room with you?

No offense but she may feel that is overstepping the boundaries of her business relationship. I have no interest in her or your personal life but suggest unless you know it is agreeable to her, it isn't necessarily a very good plan. :)

 

 

Sail, the assistant is not sharing the room with the OP. The OP is suggesting booking OP's daughter into the assistant's room to avoid the single supplement. Then moving the daughter back into the OP's room after boarding. The assistant would end up solo in a cabin.

[Keith1010]

As mentioned you can switch the kids around once you are on board.

 

Keith

[Athankfulheart]

I am going to be taking my assistant (female) on a 5 day cruise in January. It will be part of a business conference in my niche. I'll also be taking my 2 teenage kids (boy, 13, and girl, 15).

 

My dilemma is what to do with the staterooms. My kids are too young to be assigned a room by themselves and there are no more interior rooms with an adjoining door.

 

I can book my daughter in the same room as my assistant and then move her to my room once the cruise begins. That's what I'm thinking of doing.

 

Since I'm covering my assistant's expenses (cruise, taxes, gratuities), I would love to not have to pay the single supplement, which is the cost of a second person in her room.

 

Is my assumption correct that my kids are too young to share a room that doesn't join mine?

 

On some lines it would be perfectly acceptable to book your children into a cabin next door or even as far as 3 doors down from you (carnival). Your idea is a good one except that you will be short by one bed when you move your daughter into your room. Perhaps she could sleep in the room with your assistant ?

[toberman]

You won't have to pay a 'single supplement' for your assistant since you're already booking two people in her room. If you move your daughter to your room.. so what - you've already paid for 2 people in the other room. IOWs, you've booked two cabins for 4 people. Who cares where they sleep.

[celle]

Make sure that you are "up front" with your assistant, so that she knows from the start that you do not intend for your child to actually sleep in the room with her.

Also make sure that the room you book for yourself will have an extra bed for your second child.

[fortinweb]

Sail, the assistant is not sharing the room with the OP. The OP is suggesting booking OP's daughter into the assistant's room to avoid the single supplement. Then moving the daughter back into the OP's room after boarding. The assistant would end up solo in a cabin.

 

So, two double occupancy rooms are booked, presumably with accommodations for two people each. Where is the third person going to sleep when the daughter is brought into the OP's room which is meant for only two people? The only way that would work if the room had berths for three people, and even then, since only two were booked into it, bedding for only two would be provided. And the usual beds in staterooms are too small for three people.

Edited November 14, 2014 by fortinweb

[rkmw]

So, two double occupancy rooms are booked, presumably with accommodations for two people each. Where is the third person going to sleep when the daughter is brought into the OP's room which is meant for only two people? The only way that would work if the room had berths for three people, and even then, since only two were booked into it, bedding for only two would be provided. And the usual beds in staterooms are too small for three people.

 

as i mentioned in my earlier post is to get the booking agent to book one room as a quad for 2 people and the other room as a twin and then the daughter can sleep in mums room

[SadieN]

as i mentioned in my earlier post is to get the booking agent to book one room as a quad for 2 people and the other room as a twin and then the daughter can sleep in mums room

 

 

During the high seasons the lines won't allow less pax to be booked into cabins high occupancy cabins.

OP would need a triple, not a quad.

[SuiteTraveler]

You don't say which cruise line you are booking, but NCL Epic newer ships have staterooms for 1 individual where you don't need to pay a supplement. They are called Studios. RCCL has also started doing this on their ships because studios have been such a hit on the NCL ships - they are sold out all the time. The studios on RCCL are so far on Seranade of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas

Edited November 14, 2014 by SuiteTraveler

[Viv0828]

When one uses pronouns (her) it is easy to misread who the pronoun refers to.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[CowPrincess]

I am going to be taking my assistant (female) on a 5 day cruise in January. It will be part of a business conference in my niche. I'll also be taking my 2 teenage kids (boy, 13, and girl, 15).

 

My dilemma is what to do with the staterooms. My kids are too young to be assigned a room by themselves and there are no more interior rooms with an adjoining door.

 

I can book my daughter in the same room as my assistant and then move her to my room once the cruise begins. That's what I'm thinking of doing.

 

Since I'm covering my assistant's expenses (cruise, taxes, gratuities), I would love to not have to pay the single supplement, which is the cost of a second person in her room.

 

Is my assumption correct that my kids are too young to share a room that doesn't join mine?

 

bolding, red, italcizing mine

 

Nowhere does the OP indicate that the assistant is expected to actually share. The OP says the possible plan is that one child will be booked as the assistant's cabin mate BUT the child will join the OP and the other child in the cabin in which THEY are booked.

 

Also, I don't see where the OP indicates their own gender, so to either presume male or female OP has no basis, that I can see.

Edited November 14, 2014 by CowPrincess

[sapper1]

Aye, Aye, Ma'am/Sir. Saluting and Standing at attention!!! :D !!!

Are you by chance a prison guard, law enforcement or military officer or other such? Wow......

 

 

 

Maybe the Assistant has no interest in sharing a room with any of the family. We don't know (or care) what the relationship is but not everyone is okay about sharing sleeping/bathroom accommodations with other than their own family. This may not be an issue for you but it is for some.

 

 

Sail, there was never any suggestion that the assistant would be asked to share a room. It was for booking purposes only and then both children would sleep in the OP's room. That would be cheaper than paying for a single supplement plus a third person in the OP's room. There would then only be two double occupancy fares.

[CruiserBruce]

So, two double occupancy rooms are booked, presumably with accommodations for two people each. Where is the third person going to sleep when the daughter is brought into the OP's room which is meant for only two people? The only way that would work if the room had berths for three people, and even then, since only two were booked into it, bedding for only two would be provided. And the usual beds in staterooms are too small for three people.

 

Obviously the OP will have to book a room with a capacity for 3 for OP's family. Once onboard, the cabin steward would be asked to make up the third bed in the OP's room.

[fortinweb]

Obviously the OP will have to book a room with a capacity for 3 for OP's family. Once onboard, the cabin steward would be asked to make up the third bed in the OP's room.

 

I would expect the cabin steward to balk at this request. They, in essence, would be complicit in helping the occupant to circumvent the requirement for the third person to be charged for their use of said cabin. I realize that another cabin is being paid for double occupancy, with only one person actually occupying it, so the total number of people have all been paid for. But for a steward to assist a passenger to add a person to the room with no record of a third person having paid to be in that room, I would expect them to not do so for fear of being reprimanded in helping the passenger "cheat" the cruise line out of a third fare for that room.

 

However, if the OP had an agreement with the cruise line before hand that this was the plan, then everything would be "legal" and the steward would not have to fear for his job.

Edited November 14, 2014 by fortinweb

[CruiserBruce]

I would expect the cabin steward to balk at this request. They, in essence, would be complicit in helping the occupant to circumvent the requirement for the third person to be charged for their use of said cabin. I realize that another cabin is being paid for double occupancy, with only one person actually occupying it, so the total number of people have all been paid for. But for a steward to assist a passenger to add a person to the room with no record of a third person having paid to be in that room, I would expect them to not do so for fear of being reprimanded in helping the passenger "cheat" the cruise line out of a third fare for that room.

 

However, if the OP had an agreement with the cruise line before hand that this was the plan, then everything would be "legal" and the steward would not have to fear for his job.

 

As many charge less for a third pax in a cabin, the daughter would not be "cheating" the cruise line out of a fare- rather the daughter paid full fare in the assistant's cabin.

[Lizzie68]

As many charge less for a third pax in a cabin, the daughter would not be "cheating" the cruise line out of a fare- rather the daughter paid full fare in the assistant's cabin.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I was going to mention the almost constant sale for 3rd or 4th passenger. The OP is paying full fare for his daughter.

[CowPrincess]

From my other post (#20 in this thread)

 

Also, I don't see where the OP indicates their own gender, so to either presume male or female OP has no basis, that I can see.

 

Can someone point me to where the OP id'd him/herself as male? It is a small point, but one that gripes me personally. Being a boss or having an assistant is not the exclusive domain of one gender or another.

[2dogs4cats]

As the OP, I didn't mention that I am female. This cruise is a bit of a holiday bonus for my assistant. My business consists of just the 2 of us, and neither of us have an issue sharing a cabin.

 

My daughter also does a bit of graphics and writing work for me, so she can come along as part of the business trip. The cruise is a 5-nighter on Carnival and leaving my son at home, alone during the day, he'd go crazy. So, he's coming along, too.

 

I'll talk with the TA and see what can be worked out so that our cabin has room for 3 people. It seems that is the only sticky point.

 

Would like to add, that IF I were a male, I'd be VERRRRY hesitant about inviting a married female assistant on something like this, with or without my kids.

Edited November 14, 2014 by 2dogs4cats
clarification

[2dogs4cats]

Obviously the OP will have to book a room with a capacity for 3 for OP's family. Once onboard, the cabin steward would be asked to make up the third bed in the OP's room.

 

I was just thinking a queen/king bed and the sofa bed. No more work for the steward at all.