How & Why to Link Reservations

[garyl62]

We booked a PH suite through a TA and our friends just booked an inside cabin directly with Celebrity.  It's too close to sail date for them to transfer to the TA.  Is it worth linking our reservations, and how would we do that since we did not both use the same booking method?  We plan to eat together a couple times if space is available in Lumine, and we'll book some specialty dining together for the other nights.  We won't book those specialty reservations until I speak with the shoreside concierge to handle those bookings and we plan to us our OBC to cover that cost.  I'll talk with the Matre'd in Lumine when we are onboard about those dinners.  I've already booked a shore excursion for the four of us with our OBC which was very easy.  If it is easy to link them I would, but since we don't need to be assigned a MDR table with them is there really any reason too?

[jelayne]

I don’t think linking them will have any benefit. Since you are booking some specialty restaurants and including them on the reservations and planning to have them join you in Luminae for a meal or 2 I can’t think of a reason to  go to the effort to link them.  
We occasionally cruise with a friend , she pays for her dinners in specialty restaurants and we pay for ours so linking allows us to each book and pay our own but when we book we are linked and it is 1 reservation for the 3 of us. 

[the penguins]

On 1/18/2022 at 1:34 AM, jelayne said:

I don’t think linking them will have any benefit. Since you are booking some specialty restaurants and including them on the reservations and planning to have them join you in Luminae for a meal or 2 I can’t think of a reason to  go to the effort to link them.  
We occasionally cruise with a friend , she pays for her dinners in specialty restaurants and we pay for ours so linking allows us to each book and pay our own but when we book we are linked and it is 1 reservation for the 3 of us. 

Could depend on any onboard restrictions at the time.

On Silhouette in the summer you could only share tables in any restaurant with people not in your cabin if the bookings had been linked before boarding. It's easy to link bookings so you might as well do it as an "insurance".

[jelayne]

That wasn’t the case on the Edge in October.  We we went to the dining room with people we met on the ship we were seated together.

[canderson]

2 minutes ago, jelayne said:

That wasn’t the case on the Edge in October.  We we went to the dining room with people we met on the ship we were seated together.

It was a UK thing for @the penguins due to what were much more restrictive Silhoutte voyages there, but who knows ... X could make it the norm elsewhere for a while during the omicron mess ... and with little or no notice.  Can't hurt to plan ahead.

[Jim_Iain]

In the past the main advantage of joining reservations was to be able to be seated at the same table (pre Retreat).    Sine you will be in different dining rooms it probably doesn't matter.  

 

I've linked reservations in the past and I was the only one booked with Celebrity.   If booked with celebrity you can link reservations online but if you are booked with an agent your agent would have to do.    I did have problems doing it once because one guest reservation was considered part of a Group Cruise (due to the consolidation rate they received from their agent) and was not eligible to be linked.

 

It has been a long time but I believe the guest with a celebrity reservation opens Manage Reservation and there is an area to link reservations, possibly in the same area where you choose late or early dining.

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, canderson said:

It was a UK thing for @the penguins due to what were much more restrictive Silhoutte voyages there, but who knows ... X could make it the norm elsewhere for a while during the omicron mess ... and with little or no notice.  Can't hurt to plan ahead.

That was my logic, costs nothing and if they change the rules you are covered.

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

In the past the main advantage of joining reservations was to be able to be seated at the same table (pre Retreat).    Sine you will be in different dining rooms it probably doesn't matter.  

 

I've linked reservations in the past and I was the only one booked with Celebrity.   If booked with celebrity you can link reservations online but if you are booked with an agent your agent would have to do.    I did have problems doing it once because one guest reservation was considered part of a Group Cruise (due to the consolidation rate they received from their agent) and was not eligible to be linked.

 

It has been a long time but I believe the guest with a celebrity reservation opens Manage Reservation and there is an area to link reservations, possibly in the same area where you choose late or early dining.

We have done it for our upcoming TA with Canadian friends who booked through a travel agent with. no problem.

[D C]

Linking is a nuisance without obvious benefit, imho.

Linked with my in-laws so I could largely handle check-in for them.  X then thinks they must be kids and lumps their OBC into my room and charges my room for everything.  Guest services unlinked and appropriately applied the charges. 

[Islander500]

Just did this to link dining with friends who booked yesterday. 

 

Immediately my cruise price more than doubled (the amount owed) and now includes my friend's outstanding cruise invoice balance. Immediately thereafter, I received 2 emails saying that the items I booked this week (with my posted OBC) now are not covered and will be cancelled unless I pay by Sept 4th.  An IT meltdown or gremlins?  Don't try this at home.  What a mess!     

[Islander500]

And the total owed by both of us for the 2 staterooms is now showing as owed on their account, too. Beware! 🤣  

[Jim_Iain]

I just kinda linked 2 reservations yesterday.

 

We are traveling with friends from Australia -   I asked them for their reservation numbers.    Using the Link Function under Reservations I put in one of their Last Names, Date of Birth and Reservation number -  It linked

 

Tried making a reservation for 4 at Eden and rejected them because our reservations were in different currencies.    I was surprised that I could click on their name and it showed me their account including how much OBC they had.    I was able to book a table for 2 at the same time I booked our table for 2 and had the option of charging it to their account or enter a credit card.    I did a credit card because I was inviting them to my Birthday Party at Eden.  

 

In May we treated Iain's Sister and BIL for a cruise and booked and paid for both in US dollars.   When I linked it rejected saying different currency.   Contacted my TA and he fixed it and linked them.    After that I was able to book all of us on excursions and dinner reservations at the same time.  

[micruiser2002]

Just an FYI, I have had issues in the past with “linked” reservations.  I usually just search for the other reservation and it then is in my list of cruises.  The issue is I am then on the app, able to go into that reservation and see their on board account balance, update their credit card info, etc.  I have complained twice before that this is not right and should not be happening.  Some of that is private information.   Also there seems to be no way to remove them myself, both times this had to be done on the ship.  

[sqrl18]

We have three cabins booked on the Apex in April.  One is Suite, one Aqua and a single Verandah.  Our reservations are linked; what is the benefit?  Does this waive any additional costs for Luminae, or provide access to any Retreat benefits?  Or is it only a perk of the Suite guest makes reservations and such?

[broadwaybaby123]

I had linked dinner reservations for Royal two years ago.  Honestly there was no benefit to linking them.

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, sqrl18 said:

We have three cabins booked on the Apex in April.  One is Suite, one Aqua and a single Verandah.  Our reservations are linked; what is the benefit?  Does this waive any additional costs for Luminae, or provide access to any Retreat benefits?  Or is it only a perk of the Suite guest makes reservations and such?

No linking of reservations will not get those not booked in the Retreat  access, meals in Luminae or other benefits of Suite guests. 
 

Linking  is helpful if booking MDR dining or specialty dining reservations.

[paulh84]

On 9/1/2023 at 10:10 PM, micruiser2002 said:

Just an FYI, I have had issues in the past with “linked” reservations.  I usually just search for the other reservation and it then is in my list of cruises.  The issue is I am then on the app, able to go into that reservation and see their on board account balance, update their credit card info, etc.  I have complained twice before that this is not right and should not be happening.  Some of that is private information.   Also there seems to be no way to remove them myself, both times this had to be done on the ship.  

 

The website warns you of this before linking the reservation: 

 

 

[micruiser2002]

1 hour ago, paulh84 said:

 

The website warns you of this before linking the reservation: 

 

 

Viewing vs changing personal data are 2 different things.  Also I am not sure this statement would adher to PII guidelines.  

[bigbenboys]

Just got home yesterday from sailing on Eclipse. We were in a Celebrity Suite. My MIL and her sister were in a standard cabin. I tried to make reservations for Murano online for the 4 of us. I had to call the 1-800- RETREAT number to get the time I wanted 6:30. That linked our cabins together. Dinner was great. My problems was, by linking the cabin/suite all the OBC went to my MIL. I talked to the Retreat Concierge (Inrich). Inrich said your credit card is on both cabins. You can see what OBC you have left in your MIL's cabin. REALLY. 

[micruiser2002]

16 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

Just got home yesterday from sailing on Eclipse. We were in a Celebrity Suite. My MIL and her sister were in a standard cabin. I tried to make reservations for Murano online for the 4 of us. I had to call the 1-800- RETREAT number to get the time I wanted 6:30. That linked our cabins together. Dinner was great. My problems was, by linking the cabin/suite all the OBC went to my MIL. I talked to the Retreat Concierge (Inrich). Inrich said your credit card is on both cabins. You can see what OBC you have left in your MIL's cabin. REALLY. 

Was the OBC from CEL or from your TA?  I have never had my OBC posted to another persons account just by linking reservations.  I have had it happen when from a TA without linked reservations because of an error on their part.

[bigbenboys]

4 hours ago, micruiser2002 said:

Was the OBC from CEL or from your TA?  I have never had my OBC posted to another persons account just by linking reservations.  I have had it happen when from a TA without linked reservations because of an error on their part.

This was all from X. $600 as part of my booking suite. $100 for having 100 shares of stock. $150 for booking V1. $850 OBC all from Celebrity. I did book our CS over year ago. Then booked the V1 just before final payment. 

[bigbenboys]

4 hours ago, micruiser2002 said:

Was the OBC from CEL or from your TA?  I have never had my OBC posted to another persons account just by linking reservations.  I have had it happen when from a TA without linked reservations because of an error on their part.

The $150 was on the V1 booking. That is what I dont get. My $600 was on my booking. I'm the stock holder. Why did X send it to my MIL's cabin account. I have used the same TA for 20 years. I booked glassblowing with OBC. Booking Murano was with OBC through the Retreat Concierge phone number before we sailed. Just one of those IT things.😵

Edited October 2, 2023 by bigbenboys
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