questions about ncl mini suites

[splintz]

i usually cruise on carnival. i am looking at possibly booking the breakaway out of NYC to bermuda. i have never cruised on NCL. i am looking at the mini suite. does that suite give you priority privileges like a suite does on carnival? like separate security lines and check in. etc. also under the new promotions they state if you book a suite you get all 4 drink, excursion, dining, gratuities. does that include the mini suites also? the reason i am asking is because the mini suites look pretty much like regular balcony rooms. if they include all 4 promotions it sounds like a really good deal!

[CasinoCruzGirl]

i usually cruise on carnival. i am looking at possibly booking the breakaway out of NYC to bermuda. i have never cruised on NCL. i am looking at the mini suite. does that suite give you priority privileges like a suite does on carnival? like separate security lines and check in. etc. also under the new promotions they state if you book a suite you get all 4 drink, excursion, dining, gratuities. does that include the mini suites also? the reason i am asking is because the mini suites look pretty much like regular balcony rooms. if they include all 4 promotions it sounds like a really good deal!

 

No mini suites are balcony cabins with a bigger bathroom except family mini suites which get tubs on breakaway. You get none of those perks with a mini suite. Sorry

[hawkeyetlse]

also under the new promotions they state if you book a suite you get all 4 drink, excursion, dining, gratuities. does that include the mini suites also?

They address this FAQ on the page announcing the promotion:

Do Mini-Suites receive all 4 offers, or just one?

Our Mini-Suite categories are actually diferent [sic] than our Suite categories, and thier [double sic :p] guests are only eligible to choose one of the above offers.

 

 

[Pia1913]

Mini suite cabin is a little wider, sink area is larger and shower is larger. We just had one on the Epic 3/8-15.

 

That's it. Perk is: choose one only. We chose UDP

[splintz]

okay thanks for the info. i thought it was to good to be true. they should word it different on the promo page. shouldn't say book a suite or the haven and get all 4 free. they shouldn't call a room a mini-suite then say it isn't a suite. they should call it a deluxe balcony or something like that. i'm still thinking about the cruise i would love to cruise back to bermuda. i did it once on the carnival miracle and loved bermuda.

[hawkeyetlse]

they shouldn't call a room a mini-suite then say it isn't a suite. they should call it a deluxe balcony or something like that.

Yes, this is a recurring complaint and source of confusion and disappointment for many new customers. But once you know it, you know it.

[splintz]

Yes, this is a recurring complaint and source of confusion and disappointment for many new customers. But once you know it, you know it.

 

it is. i have been on many cruises (carnival and RCI) but not NCL. so when i saw the promo i of course looked for the suites. and the only room categories are inside, ocean view, balconies, spa, mini suites, and haven rooms. the only room listed as suite were mini suites. so it is definitely confusing for new NCL cruisers.

[pspercy]

An aside - anyone know when the current "choose one" etc promotion will end ? Dummy booking shows it's still valid today:)

Edited April 12, 2015 by pspercy

[hawkeyetlse]

An aside - anyone know when the current "choose one" etc promotion will end ?

According to several travel agent sites I have seen, it ends April 30. Whether it really ends or gets replaced by yet another variant of the FS Choice promo is anyone's guess…

[Pia1913]

An aside - anyone know when the current "choose one" etc promotion will end ? Dummy booking shows it's still valid today:)

 

According to several travel agent sites I have seen, it ends April 30. Whether it really ends or gets replaced by yet another variant of the FS Choice promo is anyone's guess…

 

It's being offered for the Getaway in November. I was looking for something around Thanksgiving and the offer is there.

[NJsharon]

They really should list the mini-suites under balcony category when you do a booking online. I think it is very confusing, especially to newbies.

 

If you click on suites it will say something like "starting price $089" and then it lists mini-suites as the cheapest cabin. Shouldn't be under the suite category, should really be under the balcony category, I agree.

 

Or as someone said, call it something like a 'Grand Balcony' room etc.

 

We did do a mini-suite just last week on the Gem & loved it. Good location (deck 11 aft), pretty good space inside (2 adults, 2 nine year old kids). But definitely not a suite.

[hawkeyetlse]

It's being offered for the Getaway in November. I was looking for something around Thanksgiving and the offer is there.

I assumed that pspercy was asking about the booking window of the current promotion, not the sail dates of the cruises eligible for the promotion. You can get the promo on pretty much all NCL cruises (3+ days) from now through 2017.

[SeaShark]

If minisuite and suite are so confusing to people, then why aren't people equally as confused when they see that the room contains a minifridge? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

I've never been in a suite or a balcony cabin that didn't have a view of the ocean. That being the case, aren't they just deluxe oceanviews??

[bangzoom6877]

It's being offered for the Getaway in November. I was looking for something around Thanksgiving and the offer is there.

 

It's being offered on sailing dates pretty far in the future as well, like over a year from now. However, I believe when the above poster mentioned April 30th, that is referring to the deadline to actually book the cruise, not the date by which you have to sail.

[pspercy]

I assumed that pspercy was asking about the booking window of the current promotion, not the sail dates of the cruises eligible for the promotion. You can get the promo on pretty much all NCL cruises (3+ days) from now through 2017.

 

OK, thanks.

[tumblew467]

They really should list the mini-suites under balcony category when you do a booking online. I think it is very confusing, especially to newbies.

 

If you click on suites it will say something like "starting price $089" and then it lists mini-suites as the cheapest cabin. Shouldn't be under the suite category, should really be under the balcony category, I agree.

 

Or as someone said, call it something like a 'Grand Balcony' room etc.

 

We did do a mini-suite just last week on the Gem & loved it. Good location (deck 11 aft), pretty good space inside (2 adults, 2 nine year old kids). But definitely not a suite.

 

Hi NJ sharon,

 

Have a question for you.

 

i have booked a mini and plan to have 4 as well except it will be my husband and myself and my son (22) and his GF (20) did you find it tight with 4 . And do some of the mini's have a pullman.

thanks liz

[splintz]

If minisuite and suite are so confusing to people, then why aren't people equally as confused when they see that the room contains a minifridge? :rolleyes:

 

 

 

I've never been in a suite or a balcony cabin that didn't have a view of the ocean. That being the case, aren't they just deluxe oceanviews??

 

because a mini-fridge is still a fridge. a mini-suite is not a suite! :rolleyes: it should be called a deluxe-balcony because it is a balcony! it shouldn't have the word suite in the room description if it is not a suite!:)

Edited April 13, 2015 by splintz

[hawkeyetlse]

They really should list the mini-suites under balcony category when you do a booking online. I think it is very confusing, especially to newbies.

 

If you click on suites it will say something like "starting price $089" and then it lists mini-suites as the cheapest cabin. Shouldn't be under the suite category, should really be under the balcony category, I agree.

Which online booking site are you referring to? As far as I have seen, the NCL websites always list the balcony, mini-suite, and suite / Haven categories separately. There are third-party travel agents that mistakenly put NCL mini-suites and suites together (and that is probably a good indicator of how much those travel agents actually know about NCL).

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Hi NJ sharon,

 

 

 

Have a question for you.

 

 

 

i have booked a mini and plan to have 4 as well except it will be my husband and myself and my son (22) and his GF (20) did you find it tight with 4 . And do some of the mini's have a pullman.

 

thanks liz

 

 

I think 4 will be tight IMO. I had 3 and I would not have wanted a 4th

[rvsullivan]

There was a time when NCL advertised prices showing suites priced from $xxx and when you checked they were showing mini-suites. Now and for some time now you see this:

Insides

Oceanview

mini-suites

Suites

Haven

Nothing confusing about that. It is only confusing to those that want it to be part of the suites.

Another clue is how they designate categories:

Inside =I

Oceanview= O

Mini Suites= M

Suites= S

Haven= H

 

Nowhere that I've found does it say the mini suites get these perks, it very clearly states Suites and Haven get the perks.

 

Pretty easy.

Edited April 13, 2015 by rvsullivan

[SeaShark]

because a mini-fridge is still a fridge. a mini-suite is not a suite! :rolleyes: it should be called a deluxe-balcony because it is a balcony! it shouldn't have the word suite in the room description if it is not a suite!:)

 

Really? And what about it makes it a balcony? Hint: You answer needs to be something that would NOT apply to suites as most of them have a balcony.

 

 

BTW it doesn't have the word suite in the room description. It is a minisuite, not a mini suite. You can't simply parse out letters to validate a ridiculous argument. A suite contains the word "suit", but I'm not going to wear it to church.

[ncklhaus]

Hi NJ sharon,

 

Have a question for you.

 

i have booked a mini and plan to have 4 as well except it will be my husband and myself and my son (22) and his GF (20) did you find it tight with 4 . And do some of the mini's have a pullman.

thanks liz

 

Here's our Breakaway mini suite M6 set up for 4. We were only 3 but asked the room steward to set it up like this so our daughter could see where she was more comfortable. She ended up on the sofa bed because she (really me) was afraid of falling off the top bunk. She's a restless sleeper. On our Jewel cruise she actually fell out of the sofa bed! :eek:

 

 

[LakeWobegon]

You could consider booking two connecting rooms. That's what we're doing for four. The price was really not the much more at all for two connecting large balcony rooms versus a mini suite room with a small balcony on Escape. I know they say you wont be in your room that much on a cruise but we opted for the space for not that much more - about 20% more than if we booked the one mini-suite.

[Pia1913]

Brochure Inside $1,299

Our Inside $789

You Save 39%

 

Brochure Oceanview $1,399

Our Oceanview $1,009

You Save 28%

 

Brochure Balcony $1,699

Our Balcony $1,009

You Save 41%

 

Brochure Suite $1,999

Our Suite $1,459

You Save 27

 

Although it didn't lay out properly by copying and pasting, the above is from a well known site which uses the word SUITE for anything above a regular balcony catagory. This is their come-on, so to speak. The price you are seeing for a Nov. cruise on Getaway is for the lowest mini catagory.

[SeaShark]

Brochure Inside $1,299

Our Inside $789

You Save 39%

 

Brochure Oceanview $1,399

Our Oceanview $1,009

You Save 28%

 

Brochure Balcony $1,699

Our Balcony $1,009

You Save 41%

 

Brochure Suite $1,999

Our Suite $1,459

You Save 27

 

Although it didn't lay out properly by copying and pasting, the above is from a well known site which uses the word SUITE for anything above a regular balcony catagory. This is their come-on, so to speak. The price you are seeing for a Nov. cruise on Getaway is for the lowest mini catagory.

 

Not to be blunt here, but so what? Exactly what is the point here?

 

If someone doesn't like the way a TA uses the word suite, then someone should consider a different TA. Plain and simple.

 

 

If its a matter of amenities, look at the bigger picture. There are many different types of suites...from Minisuites to Garden Villas. NCL provides amenities for ANY SUITE at either the "S" or the "H" stateroom category level. That is pretty plain and straightforward. S or H . . . only. If a person doesn't understand, then it is up to the TA, PCC, or even us to try to explain it. However, if a person is unable to grasp the simple concept (S or H), then there isn't much we can do about that.

 

The world is a better place when we lift people up, not when we cater everything to the lowest common denominator.