JazzItUp4u

We kept our eyes open for a better deal on a higher category of cabin all the way up until sail date. The irony is that we had actually originally booked a Gty balcony cabin but ended up sailing in a two bedroom family suite. As time went on, prices continued to drop because of cabin availability.. We seemed to proceed almost stepwise through the categories until we finally ended up with what we considered a great deal. There was no magical upsell call, but just diligence in checking the prices listed on the website and then calling to get that lower price on the higher category. There were people who ended up with a slightly better price on this cabin after final payment date than we had received, but NCL was gracious enough to ease the blow by giving us onboard credit to make up some of the difference.

Please keep in mind that we certainly paid much more for the 2 bedroom suite than we would have for the GTY Balcony.. We just didn't pay as much for the suite as we would have if we originally booked it and paid the price that was on the room at the time of our original booking. The truth is, we would have been happy enough in the balcony cabin, but as prices came down.. our interest in upgrading increased.

I have also seen the prices readily rise as availability decreased. It is a roll of the dice as to what will actually happen.. I think the best advice is, book the category that you and your family will be happy in, and then stretch upward if it appears to be worth it to you. If you find the prices lower, call and ask them to honor it for your booking.. As long as it is not passed final payment, they just might honor it. Like the stock market... It goes up and down.. limit your exposure to volatility by selecting what you are comfortable with at first and then make your moves as opportunity arises.

Had to make a very similar decision. We were booked in an aft suite on deck 9.. Prices dropped and a 2 bedroom suite became more affordable.. We made the change. We sail out next Saturday, so I will let you know how it goes.

From the pictures and videos I have seen, it appears like it is a great room. There really isn't a bad choice though. Enjoy your trip!

I thank everyone for their advice. We have decided to move up to the two bedroom. They were also kind enough to let us keep the extra OBC as well. It turned out to be a win-win for us.

Although we might have received an upsell call, the chances were small and we think this room will be a better fit for the experience that we are looking for... Thank you all for sharing with us and helping us make a decision.

We did get the main promotions, UDP, UBP, and OBC.. In fact, due to some customer service issues we had, we are actually going on the cruise with a total of $475 OBC.. Not even sure what we will spend it on considering most stuff is included and we have already paid for all of our shore excursions and prepaid gratuities.. Wish I can use it toward the upgrade..lol Maybe spa passes? Idk.. but I am sure we will figure it out.:cool:

As far as the price drop, probably just due to inventory.. I am thinking that they had a harder time selling the higher priced rooms.

I can't help as we are sailing NCL for the first time May 30th.... but may I ask which sailing has dropped in price? The May 30th increased a few weeks ago, and despite there being 6 2-bedroom suites available, I cannot get a "deal" on any of them, although I'd definitely pay $1600 to upgrade to the Suite life.

Personally, I much prefer additional services when affordable. The idea of having a butler who can bring food from different restaurants is especially appealing, but I'm a foodie. We're also big coffee drinkers, and dh especially enjoys espresso, so I know when we do cruise in a suite the Lavazza machine will receive regular use. We do have a Star Suite booked next February, but the relatively last minute pricing on the Gem out of NYC only allowed a mini-suite in our budget for this trip, unless of course a more afforadable price on the suite becomes available.

It is for the May 2nd sailing. The Aft Penthouse went down $350 per person. It was a huge drop in my opinion. Happy for anyone who gets that price, but just a little envious.. lol

The price of the SF Suite (Aft Penthouse) on the Gem has fallen to $1649 pp from the $1999 pp I paid for it earlier. There has also been a reduction in the two bedroom family suite making it only $600 more than I have already paid. It is just my DW and I on this sailing celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary.

We don't really need the extra bedroom, but the 2 bathrooms and living area seems to be a huge upgrade for the money. I also noticed that the Haven version of the room is available for $1600 more.. From what I can tell, the only difference between the two is that one has Haven access, the other does not.

For those of you whom have had the pleasure of sailing in these cabins, would you recommend making any of these upgrades. Is the Haven experience on the Gem worthy of the extra $1600 cost? Is the two bedroom suite without the Haven a better bet at an extra $600, or is the aft view worth keeping? I know it is all subjective, but value your experienced opinions.

I know it is their right to change prices, but paying $700 more than the guy next to me hurts a bit. It is after final payment, and they have offered me an extra $175 dollar OBC if I stay in my current room. Considering that they do not have to do anything, I am extremely grateful for their generosity :).

Thank You!

Our anniversary is May 6th.. The day we are all in Nassau. How about you two?

They didn't post the place or time yet, but there was some conversation about the cruise line getting back to the event organizer. I have never been to one before, but it is my understanding that NCL will provide a space and some light refreshments. I think that a ship officer or two might stop by as well. As far as what we have to do is attend and have a good time. There was mention of a slot pull as well.. All we can do is keep checking the Roll Call and wait for more info.

My DW and I will be on the same cruise. We are celebrating our 15th anniversary! This is our first time cruising with NCL, but our good friends just came off the Gem a few weeks ago. They had nothing but positive things to say.

Since you have the ultimate dining, I am sure you will be making a trip to most of the specialty restaurants. They couldn't stop talking about the food at Cagney's. They also enjoyed the food at the main dining rooms as well. They described the cruise as a 7 day long meal interrupted by snacks..lol

We are very excited too. As far as excursions, we are going to Kennedy Space Center and swimming with the Dolphins at Blue Lagoon Island. Are you going to the meet and greet? If so, we will see you there.

It is pretty obvious that these changes will be rolled out fleet wide at some point in the near future. I spoke with my PCC that inadvertantly acknowledged this fact when he told me that "you will be fine sailing by that date and won't have to worry about the changes".. He then went on to say that this was only a trial on two ships at this time. However, the wording on the website has been changed to reflect that these charges will not apply to suite guests as well as Haven guests. Well, neither one of these trial ships have regular suites. That also serves as an indirect acknowledgement. You do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out this mystery!

NCL, if you are reading this post.. I wan't to let you know that your quest to milk your extra "$50 a person" is going to cost you a lot more than you will reap from it. Let it be known that I am a suite guest, and the two upcoming trips I have booked with you are not directly affected by your money grab. However, it certainly has a great impact with the way I view your company. I will most certainly not book with you again. I find it deplorable that you are willing to sell out your reputation to make a little extra money. You promised a service to your clientele. Many of these people have booked months to even years in advance with the understanding that you were to provide them a predetermined set of services. You then just decide to change that list of services and expect them to be okay with it. What if I just decided to change the amount of money I was willing to pay you for the cruises I have booked? You would tell me to pound sand and would deny my admission to your ship. Yet, you find it okay to reduce the level of service you provide.. without advance notice.. and we are supposed to be okay with that? You must consider us to be fools.

It is true that you have my money already for my cruise sailing this May, but you do not have it for the one next year. My bill for that cruise is around $5000. You have to sell a lot of room service to make up that amount of money. You also stand to lose the amount of money on the goods and services I would purchase on the ship.. I am betting I am not the only one willing to put my money where my mouth is and move over to another line. FDR, I would reconsider the way you are treating your passengers. These changes are likely to have a different consequence than you intended.

Well after all of the back and forth.. and changing our reservation four times... (God Bless our CC Robert Neyor.. He is a saint for putting up with us :D )We have booked the penthouse. We are so excited! Thank you all again for your responses. Unless we get a call with a crazy deal for a Haven suite.. This is where we will cruise for the first time in 10 years.

After much consideration, I called NCL this evening and I ended up "downgrading" to an aft balcony. It was originally my intention to upgrade to a mid ship mini suite after I saw the price drop, but ended up being sold on the aft stateroom. It actually cost $100 more for this stateroom than the MX mini suite guarantee ($60 more than the mid ship mini). I am not sure If I made the right decision, but it is done.

The room is #10668. From what I can tell, I traded space for a better view. It is only my wife and I, so I think we will be comfortable in a balcony room. Anyone with experience in both of these types of cabins? In your opinion, was this a good trade?

Thanks for the info everyone. I am thinking I am going to roll the dice and wait to see where they put us. Maybe I will get that elusive upsell call. If not, I am pretty confident we will be happy. From the sounds of things, the only two cabins listed as MX have a bit larger of a balcony. Doesn't sound like I can lose. Noise is nothing a pair of ear plugs can't fix. Again, I appreciate you all taking the time to reply.

Hello Everyone! My wife and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary aboard the Norwegian Gem this May. We originally booked a BX stateroom, but then received a room assignment which appeared to include a hull balcony. Called NCL and ended up paying for an upgrade to a BA stateroom (Mid Ship). A week or so went by and the rate for a guarantee mini suite was only $40 dollars more expensive than what we paid for the BA stateroom. We made the decision to pay the money to upgrade yet again, this time to the MX room.

To those who have experience with this ship (or one in its class).. Is this a solid decision? It said in the description that views can be obstructed in this category, but is that just standard wording.. or do they really have mini suites that have obstructed views? I am aware that there can be noisy spots in this category because of proximity to public areas, but we are not too concerned about that. We both sleep like the dead. Just want to make sure we didn't downgrade our view.

Right now the cost of a mid ship mini is about a $100 more than what I paid for the MX. Is it a good idea to pay for the mid ship? If I purchase this upgrade, will I be increasing or decreasing my chances for a call from the "up-sell fairy". I would really love to move up to the penthouse for this occasion, but the cost at rack rate is just too steep for us financially. (Difference of about $2000 for the stateroom) An up-sell price at about 50% of the difference would bring this into the realm of reality. Is this even a remote possibility? I thank you all in advance for your wisdom!