Hi Clarissa,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for asking us a question about your upcoming
Disney Cruise Line vacation! We’ve been lucky enough to cruise with lots of friends and family members. Having such a large party means, however, that we need multiple staterooms.
I’m happy to say that the process for picking up kids who aren’t in that adult’s stateroom is pretty simple. During the
Online check-in process, you’ll be asked whether you want to authorize other adults to pick up other children travelling in that stateroom from “secured programming activities” (that is, either
Disney's Oceaneer Club or
Disney's Oceaneer Lab.) You’ll be asked to pick a secret word, one that other people shouldn’t be able to guess easily, but that will be relatively memorable for your family members. All that the Grandparents will then need to do is show up at the Club or Lab, scan their Key to the World Card, ask to pick up their grandchildren and say the secret word. If your staterooms are all linked together, the crew member working at the front desk will also see that adult’s picture when they scan their card and the fact that they’re part of a large family group travelling together in several staterooms.
Don’t forget that if you want your kids to be able to leave or board the ship with their grandparents, you’ll also need to authorize this during the online check-in process. If you don’t see the "
Traveling with Minors" section when you’re checking in, please visit the
Guest Services Desk when you board to make sure everything is in order before you try to go on shore.
I hope my answer helps you plan a lovely vacation with your family. Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions!
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne