Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tips for finding a replacement roomie or taking someone's cruise spot

Three blogs in three days? I can't help it though; I just got some info from @BrandiLin1202 that will be helpful as people cancel between now and November 2.

We've already established that nearly everyone with a cancellation will find their own replacement and that even girls who booked the Owner's Suite will cancel. But what do you need to keep in mind if you find yourself actually looking for a replacement or, on the flip side, poised to take over a reservation?
  • At least one person from the original reservation must still be in the room for you to be able to do a name change.
  • The fee to change a name on a reservation is $100. Decide who will be responsible for this charge ahead of time.
  • Rose Tours cannot refund deposits. That means if you're taking over someone's spot, you'll need to send her the $300 from the deposit directly. Future payments will be charged to the new cruiser's credit card. Those canceling will need to make sure they can trust the newbie to cough up the $300.
Other things you may want to cover with potential roomies:
  • Does one of you smoke? If so, will it bother the other(s), even if the smell is just on clothing?
  • Is one of you expecting to catch a quick nap around 7 a.m. while the other doesn't want to miss a decent night's sleep?
  • Can you agree on a bathroom schedule? I.e., does one of you need 2 hours while the other can be done in 10 minutes, or do you both want hours of shower time?
  • Is one of you crazy? Yes, I know, million sisters, etc, but maybe ask around, check someone's ning page or tweets, and talk on the phone before committing to sharing a tiny room for three days.
Don't forget, if you do find yourself in need of a roommate, this blog has a bunch of Cruise Wanted ads from a group that is calmer and generally more together than those on other, larger sites. Good luck all!

4 comments:

  1. ok, so question, what do u do when one of your roommates tells u that she wants to cancel, u find a replacement, but that original roommate drags her feet on making the changes?

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  2. Hmm, Anonymous, I think your best bet would be to remind your canceling roomie that if she doesn't get to down business soon, she's going to find a $400 charge on her credit card in 19 days. Hopefully that will motivate her.

    It may also help if you start lining up a replacement, so she knows her $300 will be waiting for her as soon as she takes the leap.

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  3. The 2nd part of the blog makes me nervous b/c I'm in the match program. I really hope we get to find out who we're paired up with by the end of the year.

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  4. Hi Erika, Rose Tours said they will start matching in November. However, if you find your own roomie who is also part of the match, you can request to be paired together.

    http://nkotbsummer.blogspot.com/2009/09/rose-tours-waiting-till-november-to-do.html

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