Epic courtyard access

[pieshops]

We are in a 2 br suite on the upcoming thanksgiving cruise of the epic and had a few access questions.

 

1. Is there someone we need to show our room key to our do you just use your card to gain entry.

 

2. will we be able to allow our relatives who are booked in a balcony up to our room so they can see it?

 

3. What time are the courtyard rooms generally available on sailaway day.

 

thanks in advance

[Us2inFL]

We are in a 2 br suite on the upcoming thanksgiving cruise of the epic and had a few access questions.

 

1. Is there someone we need to show our room key to our do you just use your card to gain entry.

 

2. will we be able to allow our relatives who are booked in a balcony up to our room so they can see it?

 

3. What time are the courtyard rooms generally available on sailaway day.

 

thanks in advance

 

1. The card key is used for special elevators and for entry into the courtyard on floors 16 and 17. The Concierge is often at the desk when you enter 16. (The port side, three story exterior elevator needs the special coding on your card to get up to POSH on 18.)

 

2. You will need to meet your guest at the stairway or elevator in order to bring them to your stateroom. If someone is entering or exiting, they can come through the now open door. Guests are discouraged at the pool, although I'm sure it happens. Guests might sample Epic Club after checking with Florentina or Aurora. We were recently on b-2-b with friends sailiing in non-courtyard cabin, and we were offered invitations a few times for the four of us to eat at Epic Club.

 

3. They try to have courtyard staterooms ready around noon.

[mttwinmom]

We are in a 2 br suite on the upcoming thanksgiving cruise of the epic and had a few access questions.

 

1. Is there someone we need to show our room key to our do you just use your card to gain entry.

 

2. will we be able to allow our relatives who are booked in a balcony up to our room so they can see it?

 

3. What time are the courtyard rooms generally available on sailaway day.

 

thanks in advance

I was in an owners suite last month (17004), family members in an inside cabin. We were given 2 blank keys in give them so they could come and go as they liked. Just ask when you get to your room. Our room was ready when we boarded. The courtyard was a great place to escape, we really enjoyed it.

[erdoran]

I was in an owners suite last month (17004), family members in an inside cabin. We were given 2 blank keys in give them so they could come and go as they liked. Just ask when you get to your room. Our room was ready when we boarded. The courtyard was a great place to escape, we really enjoyed it.

 

That's good to know--if we decide to cruise with family or friends, instead of both of us getting a suite one of us won't and all of us should be able to use the suite facilities, right? (tongue in cheek) Saves lots of $$$! Perhaps that's why at times people have reported the CY was crowded, because others caught on to that money-saving tip!

[Us2inFL]

... could have been a quiet week in the courtyard space for that to be allowed,

 

Family member or not, generally that would not be the typical response.

[HazyDavy]

I was in an owners suite last month (17004), family members in an inside cabin. We were given 2 blank keys in give them so they could come and go as they liked. Just ask when you get to your room. Our room was ready when we boarded. The courtyard was a great place to escape, we really enjoyed it.

 

I really hope this isn't typical. Mttwinmom, when you say "come and go as they liked" do you mean enter the Courtyard just to access your cabin, or to utilize the Courtyard facilities? I really don't want to be competing for choice seating around the Courtyard with people paying for inside cabins.

[chris209]

Wow- that doesn't seem right! NCL needs to rethink this policy. I am in a suite and I book family members into a suite so we all have access to suite facilities. Definitely not fair for those not in a suite to have access to these faclities for free. If this is the case, NCL is eroding the value of paying huge upgrades for suite facilities and risk losing those passengers. Between allowing people to pay a small fee to utilize Posh and letting non-suite family members use the courtyard they are making the suite much less appealing (it is the suite perks on NCL that keep me booking with them). If the courtyard is packed (as some recent reviewers have mentioned) people who paid for its use will not be happy to not be able to use it or have to compete for space with those who did not pay for it. This is a seriously flawed policy- I am already doubting my decision to sail in an owners suite in March!

[WonderMan3]

Perhaps this exception for non-CY family members is made for Owners Suite only (since there are only 8 of them and are the most expensive cabins on the ship) and then depending on the number of people that are traveling? So say that you were traveling with 5 cabins that were outside the CY then they would say no. I'm sure capacity of the ship as someone else mentioned also plays a part.

[justcake]

The reviews I have read recently have said that the courtyard has not been packed. I don't see how allowing access to an additional 20 or so people is going to change things that much. This has always been a huge argument on cruise critic as to whether or not others should be given courtyard access. I see it as a sound buisiness decision for NCL. They are obviously trying to get others "hooked" on the suite life and allowing access to a few non-suite passengers may help them in the long run. I don't mind sharing my space. Now, if the non-suite passengers took over the courtyard that would be another story but hopefully that won't happen. If it does, the suite passengers would have a definite complaint with NCL. And, I don't see this as a way of saving money. I wouldn't book an inside cabin if I wanted courtyard access just in case I might get to tag along with someone else.

[chris209]

Well, I am in an owners suite and would not even think of bringing anyone who was travelling with me into the courtyard area- unless they were also booked in a suite. This is why I pay for 2 suites if we all want access. If we travel with friends not in a suite then they are aware there will be times when we eat separately or won't be spending time with them. One of the reasons people pay for owners suites etc is they are specifically marketed by NCL as having EXCLUSIVE access to courtyard, Posh . etc. To me exclusive means less crowded so I hope NCL does not jeopardize this . Ohterwise could book any suite on any line and would do so- NCL's advantage to date has been the private use of some of these areas. And I have read a couple of reviews (or postings) that have said the courtyard was quite full and these were not even at peak sailing times. I know on my booked sailing the suites are sold out so I hope they are careful not to allow anyone who has not paid for courtyard access to use it. Also interested to see what happens when suites are fully sold to the Posh day passes- would hope they would not sell them and have the area crowded with non-suite guests.

[coffeebean]

I was in an owners suite last month (17004), family members in an inside cabin. We were given 2 blank keys in give them so they could come and go as they liked. Just ask when you get to your room. Our room was ready when we boarded. The courtyard was a great place to escape, we really enjoyed it.

We have never booked a suite in 28 cruises that we have done so we have never had suite perks and probably never will. We are happy with standard balcony cabins. Having said that, I do not think it is fair to give passengers who are not booked in a suite, a key card with unlimited access to the courtyard.This a suite perk. It doesn't matter that family are booked in a suite...passengers booked in anything other than a suite should not have courtyard access. They did not pay for that perk.

[GigCrusier]

20 then....

25 then.......

30 then..........

35 then..............

40 then.....................

When does it stop?

 

It is business of course.