2 staterooms in different categories/experience level for family of 4

[kal72]

We are looking at booking 2 cabins for an upcoming MSC Seaside cruise.  We are travelling with our two 16 year old children and would book a balcony and inside room with one adult and one teen assigned as required. The kids would occupy the inside room.  Is there any issue with just swapping keys, in particular if one of the rooms was bella and the other was a fastasa or aurea?  Except for getting on and off the ship where everyone would need their proper card, is it as simple as switching keys?  I assume for Aurea or YC this would pose more of a problem because there are exclusive areas. To be clear, we are not trying to get extra guests into any reserved areas just trying to figure out how this would work with two cabins in different class levels.

[sveima]

We are doing this on Seascape this sunday, four of us in a Aurea suite and the two oldest kids (18 and 15) in a Fantastica Inside. The only issue i can see is that they can't join us in the Aurea only area and that there might be some issues at the Aurea diningroom but hopefully that will be OK. 

[Essiesmom]

On Seaside you can purchase bracelets that will do everything onboard except ding you of and on the ship in port.  Have those who are swapping cabins get bracelets and trade them so that they can access the cabins they will be sleeping in without swapping the cards.  EM

[kal72]

Sounds fun.  But in your case because of the 18 year old, you were able to book the 18 and 15 into the inside cabin so nobody has to “switch” cabins, so everyone has their assigned key

[sveima]

I thought so too, but not in the US. So we needed to do the same as you are planning. 

 

Rules for cruising alone on MSC: Passengers must be at least 18 years old to travel on their own, or 21 on U.S.-based itineraries.

[kal72]

16 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

On Seaside you can purchase bracelets that will do everything onboard except ding you of and on the ship in port.  Have those who are swapping cabins get bracelets and trade them so that they can access the cabins they will be sleeping in without swapping the cards.  EM

That sounds pretty easy.  So you could have a bracelet, swap it but also keep a key for identification? I can see swapping bracelets as being perceived as “shady” if people were able to swap back and forth to get “priviledges” of a reserved section like Aurea, or YC.

[Essiesmom]

3 hours ago, kal72 said:

That sounds pretty easy.  So you could have a bracelet, swap it but also keep a key for identification? I can see swapping bracelets as being perceived as “shady” if people were able to swap back and forth to get “priviledges” of a reserved section like Aurea, or YC.

I don’t think that would work…it’s possible that when you enter those areas, they would ask to see your card, which would not show eligibility for those areas.  If the swapped bracelet did, scanning it would not show the correct picture.  EM

[Morgsmom]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:14 AM, sveima said:

We are doing this on Seascape this sunday, four of us in a Aurea suite and the two oldest kids (18 and 15) in a Fantastica Inside. The only issue i can see is that they can't join us in the Aurea only area and that there might be some issues at the Aurea diningroom but hopefully that will be OK. 

Sorry, but why SHOULD it be ok for your kids to accompany you in the Aurea dining room? 

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:04 AM, kal72 said:

We are looking at booking 2 cabins for an upcoming MSC Seaside cruise.  We are travelling with our two 16 year old children and would book a balcony and inside room with one adult and one teen assigned as required. The kids would occupy the inside room.  Is there any issue with just swapping keys, in particular if one of the rooms was bella and the other was a fastasa or aurea?  Except for getting on and off the ship where everyone would need their proper card, is it as simple as switching keys?  I assume for Aurea or YC this would pose more of a problem because there are exclusive areas. To be clear, we are not trying to get extra guests into any reserved areas just trying to figure out how this would work with two cabins in different class levels.

Are you OK with having the kids (teens) on a different deck and maybe on the other end of the ship?

 

I'm no expert on MSC but isn't Bella a guarantee stateroom where the cruise line picks your room?

[kal72]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Are you OK with having the kids (teens) on a different deck and maybe on the other end of the ship?

 

I'm no expert on MSC but isn't Bella a guarantee stateroom where the cruise line picks your room?

 
Yes, and that's a good point. I know that they will get assigned a cabin randomly so they could be a few decks away. That would have been a definite consideration where they were younger, but not now that they are 16.

[titangas]

We are on Seaside now,

Wife and I are booked in 2 different cabins to get Voyagers discount in both rooms but both are in YC so no experience shenanigans going on. But my wife and son just switched bracelets to get into the rooms they are in. Very simple if swapping bands for just that reason.

[sveima]

4 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Sorry, but why SHOULD it be ok for your kids to accompany you in the Aurea dining room? 

If its not we will go to one of the other dining rooms, but it was OK on Virtuosa last summer. My family in a Aurea suite to fit all 6 of us, and my parents in a fantastica and my sisters family in another fantastica. we all got to eat together in the Aurea dining room 🙂 without any question when we showed up the first evening. 

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, sveima said:

If its not we will go to one of the other dining rooms, but it was OK on Virtuosa last summer. My family in a Aurea suite to fit all 6 of us, and my parents in a fantastica and my sisters family in another fantastica. we all got to eat together in the Aurea dining room 🙂 without any question when we showed up the first evening. 

 

Feels a little unfair for people to get the benefit of anytime dining without paying for it....

[CruisingFox27]

5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Feels a little unfair for people to get the benefit of anytime dining without paying for it....

Not paying for an experience level and expecting the benefit of it is more than a little unfair imo. And using up space in the restaurant that restricts space for those passengers who have actually paid for the privilege.  

[emmas gran]

It looks like they have Aurea interlopers as well as YC

[xcell]

I know on other cruise lines you can just get key cards made for the rooms.

[20165]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:40 AM, sveima said:

I thought so too, but not in the US. So we needed to do the same as you are planning. 

 

Rules for cruising alone on MSC: Passengers must be at least 18 years old to travel on their own, or 21 on U.S.-based itineraries.

It is possible to book a 18-20yo in a cabin as long as you are traveling with other adults and the cabin is close to the adults/parents.  We did it last month on seascape.  20 and 19yo in a cabin next to ours. 

 

[perakcruiser]

1 hour ago, emmas gran said:

It looks like they have Aurea interlopers as well as YC

Don't stop here! Last time I had Bella and chose my dinner time 😄

[perakcruiser]

14 hours ago, sveima said:

If its not we will go to one of the other dining rooms, but it was OK on Virtuosa last summer. My family in a Aurea suite to fit all 6 of us, and my parents in a fantastica and my sisters family in another fantastica. we all got to eat together in the Aurea dining room 🙂 without any question when we showed up the first evening. 

Virtuosa has no special menu for Aurea and it's basically just a section in the MDR. I guess on a ship which the "better" Aurea menus they would have been stricter. If MSC has not cancelled all special menus for Aurea meanwhile. Would not be surprised.

Edited July 6, 2023 by perakcruiser

[GPPhilly]

2 hours ago, xcell said:

I know on other cruise lines you can just get key cards made for the rooms.

We have tried this several times in the YC on different MSC ships and we were denied everytime.  We would do the bracelet swap

[GPPhilly]

16 hours ago, sveima said:

If its not we will go to one of the other dining rooms, but it was OK on Virtuosa last summer. My family in a Aurea suite to fit all 6 of us, and my parents in a fantastica and my sisters family in another fantastica. we all got to eat together in the Aurea dining room 🙂 without any question when we showed up the first evening. 

This is definitely unfair to the paying people.  It is rude imo to think that it is ok to ask.  

[xcell]

2 hours ago, GPPhilly said:

This is definitely unfair to the paying people.  It is rude imo to think that it is ok to ask.  

This has been debated on the YC interloper forums.

 

No, it is a fair statement...  

Edited July 6, 2023 by xcell