Reservation for large family group

[mills10]

Hello Everyone! We are planning a cruise with my wife's extended family (i.e. her parents and her siblings with their kids) for next summer. 

I know the the first answer from most for my question below would be that this is a perfect situation to use a travel agent.  While I agree, my wife and I actually really love doing the research/planning/booking etc. stuff ourselves.  It's kind of a hobby of ours to plan out and research vacations.  We must have been travel agents in another life ! 

We would need 4 cabins for everyone.  So understanding we probably wouldn't use a travel agent, my question is would it be better to book all four cabins under one reservation or have each family book their own cabin? 

My initial thought is book them all on one so they are linked together.  My wife and I are the only ones in the family who have cruised before so we think it would be easiest to just have us manage everything. Just wondering if there are any cons you foresee doing it that way.  

Thanks!!

 

[smokeybandit]

You can do all the research and planning without a travel agent. Then just have the TA press the buttons. 

[Pooch]

Reservations can be linked regardless of whether they are booked together or separately.  Once linked, you & your wife can do all the cruise planner stuff for everyone if you and they so choose.    A good TA would have told you that already.

I too love the planning but love my TA.  I decide who what when where and she executes it all for me.  I do all the planning, she does the leg work.

[Traveling Mike]

If I was doing it, I would book all under my reservation.  It makes everything easier.  I do the research and booking on my own then move it to Costco Travel to get the rebate cards.  After you book you can always move it to a TA to get the perks.

[Luly]

I too love doing the research and planned a family cruise and booked all 7 rooms myself, it took SO long over the phone. Then had to lift and shift after it was cancelled during the pandemic and argue about why we still needed adjoining rooms since 11 out of the 20 people were minors even though we were moving to the same class of ship on the same dates just exactly a year later. Then I had to add a yet to be named infant to the reservation after SIL got pregnant, then had to call again to add baby’s name and birthdate. I was on the phone for HOURS UPON HOURS. After that experience I’ve done all the research on my own and just asked the TA to reserve it so she could deal with all the changes if anything were to come up. She has only booked the cruise itself. I’ve done all other research and booking of excursions. My point being you can do all the fun parts and let your TA deal with any of the not so fun stuff that may come up. 

[FSUFAN]

I booked 4 balcony cabins for me and Mrs Fan and our 3 grown kids and spouses (8 total) thru Costco Travel for an Alaska sailing. They are all linked on the RCL website.  The only minor issue was that the Costco Travel site only lets you join 2 cabins for dinner at the initial booking.  I had to call them to get all 4 rooms at a single table for dinner in the MDR. But it was very easy and spent maybe 10 minutes on the phone in total. I had everyone purchase insurance after explaining the benefits. 

Dad (me) is paying about 2/3rds of the sailing cost for each so I created a spreadsheet that shows what they owe me and what they will owe RCL in gratuities at the end.  

I was a Project Manager for most of my career and I really enjoy the planning part of the trip.  Mrs Fan has no interest in the planning and she says "just tell me when to be ready".  

 

[Pattycruise]

I appreciate all the effort to do the work, and enjoy it.  I do not enjoy hours on hold with Royal.  I pick my cabins based on locations we want, contact the TA with my list and she books it.  I could also book it myself and then transfer it to the TA. (I believe it’s a 30 day window)

linking can be done regardless of who does the booking,  Also always check upon boarding that the table # is the same/together.  Best to get that addressed before you get to the dining room.