Switching cabin keys? And does that impact drink package?

[TrinaLC]

My daughter and her friend are booked in one cabin/booking on Carnival.  Neither drinks alcohol so they will get the basic soda package. 
 

Her husband (who couldn’t make the sail date but now is able to) has booked a second room with a mutual friend. They plan to both get the drink package. 
 

They also plan to swap rooms - so the married couple can be together. 
 

I understand they can go to guest services and either swap out the assignment or just get an extra key for the two “swapping” - is that correct?  I recall reading it is fairly routine?  
 

And is it any way complicated by the drink package as they will end up in “mixed” rooms. (They are not doing it to evade the policy,  to worth the complexities just to do that!)
 

Advice and experiences needed, thanks!  

[wanderlust0713]

If they swap the assignment then the non drinkers have to get cheers. So yes, I’d get an extra key. 

Edited April 30, 2022 by wanderlust0713

[TrinaLC]

Will guest services readily issue a “spare” key?  That would be a good solution. 

[groundloop]

1 hour ago, TrinaLC said:

Will guest services readily issue a “spare” key?  That would be a good solution. 

 

Yes they will.  My daughter locked herself out of her cabin once and it was no problem at all getting a spare room key for her (except for waiting in line, but that was a small price to pay).

[Saint Greg]

The key for the other room would just open the door. It wouldn't be tied to the S&S account. The one "swapping rooms" would have to maintain two cards. One for opening the room door and the other for ordering drinks and getting off and on the ship. The wife would have to get the key by saying she locked hers in the room. Some will just issue a new S&S card which makes the room swapping more difficult. But most will give a card that just opens the door to retrieve the card that was locked inside. All of this is against the rules and probably contributes to Carnival having to raise the price of the drink package as they are tomorrow.

[Ferry_Watcher]

6 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

My daughter and her friend are booked in one cabin/booking on Carnival.  Neither drinks alcohol so they will get the basic soda package. 
 

Her husband (who couldn’t make the sail date but now is able to) has booked a second room with a mutual friend. They plan to both get the drink package. 
 

They also plan to swap rooms - so the married couple can be together.

 

Just curious.  Your daughter's friend is willing to share a room with some guy so the married couple can be together?  That's a big ask, IMO.  He drinks, she doesn't - and they are sharing a room.  On Carnival.  Hope it goes well.

[Thenagers]

5 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

The key for the other room would just open the door. It wouldn't be tied to the S&S account. The one "swapping rooms" would have to maintain two cards. One for opening the room door and the other for ordering drinks and getting off and on the ship. The wife would have to get the key by saying she locked hers in the room. Some will just issue a new S&S card which makes the room swapping more difficult. But most will give a card that just opens the door to retrieve the card that was locked inside. All of this is against the rules and probably contributes to Carnival having to raise the price of the drink package as they are tomorrow.

We book our teens in a separate room every time but book 1 adult in each cabin.  We just go right as we board to guest services and ask for 1 extra key for each room.  Never an issue.  The only thing that is annoying is keeping up with an extra card. It will be plain white.  It was great to have that though to check up on the kids.

[Elaine5715]

57 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

We book our teens in a separate room every time but book 1 adult in each cabin.  We just go right as we board to guest services and ask for 1 extra key for each room.  Never an issue.  The only thing that is annoying is keeping up with an extra card. It will be plain white.  It was great to have that though to check up on the kids.

That's a no brainer.  Of course, they will issue a spare key to your kids' rooms for each parent.

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, Thenagers said:

We book our teens in a separate room every time but book 1 adult in each cabin.  We just go right as we board to guest services and ask for 1 extra key for each room.  Never an issue.  The only thing that is annoying is keeping up with an extra card. It will be plain white.  It was great to have that though to check up on the kids.

 

Probably a little different getting a card when it's your kid's room. I still don't think Carnival wants you booking in one room and staying in another. I haven't seen the white cards...other than with stewards. Every time they've made me an unlock card it's been a blue card.

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Saint Greg

[slavigne5577]

23 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Just curious.  Your daughter's friend is willing to share a room with some guy so the married couple can be together?  That's a big ask, IMO.  He drinks, she doesn't - and they are sharing a room.  On Carnival.  Hope it goes well.

It only said mutual friend. Maybe the friend is not a guy. 

[mz-s]

I wonder how common this room swapping alcoholism is and when/if/how Carnival is going to put a stop to it.

[Wanna_Cruize]

I've done it with all adults in both cabins. I booked my friend and myself in one cabin to get the drink package, and put DH and the friends wife in the other cabin without the package. I did it also because DH and I are both Diamond, so I could check us all in together. Went to the guest services desk with DH (need 1 person from each cabin to be present) and got a spare key to both rooms. The issue a color different than your regular S&S card, so it's easier to keep track of. Key just opens the room, nothing else. Carnival doesn't care where you sleep. 

[Wanna_Cruize]

2 minutes ago, mz-s said:

I wonder how common this room swapping alcoholism is and when/if/how Carnival is going to put a stop to it.

There are many reasons to book people in separate cabins other than just purchasing Cheers. We often do it when traveling with family, depending on who has the better VIFP offer. Like I said, Carnival could care less where you actually sleep at night. 

[mz-s]

Just now, Wanna_Cruize said:

There are many reasons to book people in separate cabins other than just purchasing Cheers. We often do it when traveling with family, depending on who has the better VIFP offer. Like I said, Carnival could care less where you actually sleep at night. 

 

Right, they don't care where you sleep. And it doesn't bother me, I don't buy Cheers (I get drinks on the casino every cruise here lately). But this definitely violates the spirit of the Cheers rules, even if not the letter of the Cheers rules, so I wonder how much attention Carnival is paying to it.

[TrinaLC]

On 4/30/2022 at 7:08 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Just curious.  Your daughter's friend is willing to share a room with some guy so the married couple can be together?  That's a big ask, IMO.  He drinks, she doesn't - and they are sharing a room.  On Carnival.  Hope it goes well.

 

 

Number one, I said it was a "mutual friend".  Why would you assume it is a "she"?

 

Number two, welcome to the modern world.  Opposite genders (platonic) regularly share rooms, apartments, etc.  In fact it is more the norm these days among millenials than not.

 

Number three, why wouldn't a "drinker" be willing to share with a "not-drinker"?  Did I suggest one was a falling down drunk abusive person?  

 

Thanks for being judgmental without knowing any facts  🙂

 

[TrinaLC]

29 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Right, they don't care where you sleep. And it doesn't bother me, I don't buy Cheers (I get drinks on the casino every cruise here lately). But this definitely violates the spirit of the Cheers rules, even if not the letter of the Cheers rules, so I wonder how much attention Carnival is paying to it.

 

OP here, we didn't do it to get around the Cheers rules.  It was purely logistics, husband found out he could get the time off.

 

I can also understand taking advantage of VIPF rates and/or status perks.  

 

I suspect most do not find it worth the "hassle" just to get around Cheers rules, or even VIPF rates/status perks.  Not sure that Carnival could deny extra keys to "police" this.  Imagine being told you could not check in on your elderly mother?  Or raid your sister's closet?

[slavigne5577]

If husbands drink and the wives do not. Why is there a problem with Cheers policy? As long as no sharing is happening, what difference does it make? My friends do this as she does not drink anything beyond water, coffee ,or tea. Not everyone is cheat!

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

 

 

Number one, I said it was a "mutual friend".  Why would you assume it is a "she"?

 

Number two, welcome to the modern world.  Opposite genders (platonic) regularly share rooms, apartments, etc.  In fact it is more the norm these days among millenials than not.

 

Number three, why wouldn't a "drinker" be willing to share with a "not-drinker"?  Did I suggest one was a falling down drunk abusive person?  

 

Thanks for being judgmental without knowing any facts  🙂

 

It would be the rooming with a stranger part and having to hold in farts for a whole cruise.  

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

I wonder how common this room swapping alcoholism is and when/if/how Carnival is going to put a stop to it.

It is very common as well as to spread out VIFP benefits.  You book a Plat or Diamond in each room to double (or more) access to shared VIFP benefits like Priority Boarding/Debark.  Yes, they could stop it if they wanted to but they don't.  

[icft]

5 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

 

 

Number one, I said it was a "mutual friend".  Why would you assume it is a "she"?

 

Number two, welcome to the modern world.  Opposite genders (platonic) regularly share rooms, apartments, etc.  In fact it is more the norm these days among millenials than not.

 

Number three, why wouldn't a "drinker" be willing to share with a "not-drinker"?  Did I suggest one was a falling down drunk abusive person?  

 

Thanks for being judgmental without knowing any facts  🙂

 

I don't think anyone was being judgmental, just amused. I know I'm amused; now more than ever with the platonic sharing of rooms.

[Wanna_Cruize]

I think OP's use of the phrase "mutual" friend might mean that the two people aren't complete strangers. 

[icft]

14 minutes ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

I think OP's use of the phrase "mutual" friend might mean that the two people aren't complete strangers. 

Even if they are they won't be for long...

[Wanna_Cruize]

1 minute ago, icft said:

Even if they are they won't be for long...

It could be a fun story to tell the grandkids.... 

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

It would be the rooming with a stranger part and having to hold in farts for a whole cruise.  

That's what the shower 🚿 is for. 😉

[mz-s]

How did you and grandpa fall in love, grandma?

 

Well, little Ricky, it all started because we wanted to save money on the Carnival drink package...