Ship Capacity Question

[pcakes122]

It may be hopeless and so I guess I am just trying to make myself feel better, but has anyone had experience adding additional passengers to a cabin after being told that the ship is "at capacity" (I'm guessing lifeboat-wise?)  To clarify, does capacity ever "re-open" (if folks cancel, etc.)

 

I have a cabin with a capacity of 6 and I have 3 people already booked and wanted to add 2 more but the ship has reached capacity.  The cruise is in March 2020.  The NCL agent said there MAY be hope with travel agent "group holds" are released next week (at the 90-day mark), but I'm hoping someone can make me feel better and tell me that they have had good experience in this scenario.

 

Any travel agents out there that can chime in?   Thanks!

 

🤞🙏

 

 

[smplybcause]

It's possible, but the issue is you need someone to cancel that's in your specific lifeboat station. Which is just a small chunk of the ship. You also need cabins with more than 1 & 2 passengers in the cabin to cancel because guest 1 & 2 in every cabin (except studios just 1 for them) are a permanent count in lifeboat capacity. (To try and explain - your life boat could be at capacity for your 2 extra passengers even if there's still 5 cabins empty for that life boat. They have to keep 10 seats in the lifeboat open for guests 1 & 2 in those 5 empty cabins. It's sort of why you always hear about "double occupancy capacity" as well as "max capacity")

 

Considering it's likely a spring break week, I wouldn't hold my breath. There's probably a lot of 3rd & 4th guests in cabins. 

[pcakes122]

19 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

It's possible, but the issue is you need someone to cancel that's in your specific lifeboat station. Which is just a small chunk of the ship.

It's the Haven so even a smaller chunk 😞.   I know I'm dreaming.

[luckyinpa]

you can check 10x a day and still miss it. i was following our cruise at the point there were 3 havens left. (checking many times a day for pricing and availability) i tried to book for 3 ppl. wouldnt let me. so you never know where the split is on the cabins. they could take 3 cabins of 2 but not a single cabin of 3. 

 

fortunately something happened and while there was 1 left it was for 3 ppl and i got the last one but it was a nail biter

[pcakes122]

1 minute ago, luckyinpa said:

you can check 10x a day and still miss it. i was following our cruise at the point there were 3 havens left. (checking many times a day for pricing and availability) i tried to book for 3 ppl. wouldnt let me. so you never know where the split is on the cabins. they could take 3 cabins of 2 but not a single cabin of 3. 

 

fortunately something happened and while there was 1 left it was for 3 ppl and i got the last one but it was a nail biter

Is there a way I could check this online instead of calling 10x a day? (which I am ready to lol)  The cruise is in March and my cabin is the Deluxe Owner's Suite.  It looks like the entire Haven is sold out right now except for 1 Courtyard Penthouse  - ughhh!

[luckyinpa]

i always checked online. in the end i booked with a TA that gave great credit up front to reduce the cost of the fare. called immediately and put hold on it while worked out the payment. 

 

but your circumstance is different. it sounds like you would need the extra person in a cabin to cancel or someone to cancel a cabin and they release that 3rd person back into the pool. my guess is they try for a norm of 2 per cabin. so youd need a few cancels to let your extra people in yours. plus you dont know if the lifeboat stations are all in haven or elsewhere so youd have to search the rooms close by to see if any opened i guess? 

 

u could try squeezing 3 in the penthouse. ill be on the sofabed in 2 weeks and i assure you ill be posting a detailed review of that because info wasnt easy to find on this forum.

[pcakes122]

16 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

u could try squeezing 3 in the penthouse. ill be on the sofabed in 2 weeks and i assure you ill be posting a detailed review of that because info wasnt easy to find on this forum.

I'm actually in the Bliss Courtyard Penthouse next week - I'm familiar with that cabin and it does work for 3 (but not really great unless it's parents and a child.)  For the Deluxe Owner's Suite, they are having a sale now for $99 each additional guest, so while we are already 3 in that cabin, I'd love to add another couple (since there are separate bedrooms) for very little cost!  But unfortunately, no capacity 😞  I'm footing the full bill for all so I really don't want to book the additional Penthouse (for at least $5K) when we'll have the Owner's Suite with empty beds.  First world problems, I know! 

 

Enjoy your cruise!! 😊

[smplybcause]

44 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

It's the Haven so even a smaller chunk 😞.   I know I'm dreaming.

 

I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure there's not a Haven only life boat. On Royal ships they're lifeboats are vertical groups. ie all the cabins directly above and below you are in your lifeboat station but not necessarily the one next to you. No idea if NCL is the same way, but I'm thinking all ships would do it similarly - so it's not just Haven rooms that could cancel. 

[don't-use-real-name]

5 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

It may be hopeless and so I guess I am just trying to make myself feel better, but has anyone had experience adding additional passengers to a cabin after being told that the ship is "at capacity" (I'm guessing lifeboat-wise?)  To clarify, does capacity ever "re-open" (if folks cancel, etc.)

 

I have a cabin with a capacity of 6 and I have 3 people already booked and wanted to add 2 more but the ship has reached capacity.  The cruise is in March 2020.  The NCL agent said there MAY be hope with travel agent "group holds" are released next week (at the 90-day mark), but I'm hoping someone can make me feel better and tell me that they have had good experience in this scenario.

 

Any travel agents out there that can chime in?   Thanks!

 

🤞🙏

 

 

It maybe helpful to note the specific ship to answer the question ?

 

I.E. while DOS and OS are part of the HAVEN these cabins may not be in the HAVEN complex - DOS decks 9 & 10

JEWEL class ships - these cabins are forward in the ship and may have a different muster life boat station.

The theme of muster life boat station being in a vertical zone instead of a horizontal mode makes sense.

You head down to the life boats - you don't scurry back and forth on the same deck !

[pcakes122]

1 hour ago, don't-use-real-name said:

It maybe helpful to note the specific ship to answer the question ?

I did note the ship above - it's the Bliss.

[YVRBassElectric]

I've sailed the DOS on the Bliss - 4 adults & 1 baby. officially the cabin sleeps 6 but the 2nd bedroom & bathroom are small and the 3rd bed is a fold out couch in the living room and 3rd bathroom doesn't have a shower. I hope everyone is really comfortable with each other.

enjoy your cruise

[don't-use-real-name]

26 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

I did note the ship above - it's the Bliss.

Sorry I missed that (was in post number 7 - not the original) - - -

[dexddd]

8 hours ago, YVRBassElectric said:

I've sailed the DOS on the Bliss - 4 adults & 1 baby. officially the cabin sleeps 6 but the 2nd bedroom & bathroom are small and the 3rd bed is a fold out couch in the living room and 3rd bathroom doesn't have a shower. I hope everyone is really comfortable with each other.

enjoy your cruise

That is what I'd say.  We had one on Escape and the new ships arrangements look the same.  The living room sofa was huge but inside bed barely a double.  It worked out great for four of us total with two being older kids.

Edited December 6, 2019 by dexddd

[pcakes122]

9 hours ago, YVRBassElectric said:

I've sailed the DOS on the Bliss - 4 adults & 1 baby. officially the cabin sleeps 6 but the 2nd bedroom & bathroom are small and the 3rd bed is a fold out couch in the living room and 3rd bathroom doesn't have a shower. I hope everyone is really comfortable with each other.

enjoy your cruise

I haven't on the Bliss but have on the Escape.  We're all family. 🙂 The adult couples in our group all have their own individual Haven cabins, I'm in the DOS with my SO and grandmother.  Hoping to add two tweens cousins who were going to stay at home!

[Smong]

18 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

It may be hopeless and so I guess I am just trying to make myself feel better, but has anyone had experience adding additional passengers to a cabin after being told that the ship is "at capacity" (I'm guessing lifeboat-wise?)  To clarify, does capacity ever "re-open" (if folks cancel, etc.)

 

I have a cabin with a capacity of 6 and I have 3 people already booked and wanted to add 2 more but the ship has reached capacity.  The cruise is in March 2020.  The NCL agent said there MAY be hope with travel agent "group holds" are released next week (at the 90-day mark), but I'm hoping someone can make me feel better and tell me that they have had good experience in this scenario.

 

Any travel agents out there that can chime in?   Thanks!

 

🤞🙏

 

 

I was just in this situation for our nov 24 cruise on the Dawn. Ship was completely sold out had a friend trying to get on he was solo so we tried to add him to our cabin NCL said no. Ship was at capacity due to life boat situation. We called every day hoping someone would cancel. I also called outside travel agents. The monday  before we were leaving i found someone i had not called yet. Cruise 1. Don’t know how but he was able to get my friend a room. It was an inside getaway. He didn’t care just wanted to be on the ship. We booked immediately and the agent confirmed with NCL that he did indeed have a room. They did switch his room the night before sailing which was a bit of a pain but he did get on and we had a great time. Just keep trying every day! Try calling cruise 1. My thoughts are mayBe they had rooms held because i literally called every other option and NCL for a week straight. Good luck!

[pcakes122]

Final Update (and good news for anyone with this issue) - YAY!  Called again today and the rep I spoke with initially encountered the same issue as the other two (system would not let them add any additional passengers to our cabin.)  This rep asked me to hold on while he engaged a supervisor (I didn't even ask for this!) and the next thing I knew he was asking for my credit card for the additional passengers.

 

Received my new confirmation and we're all set.  So don't give up! 😁

[luckyinpa]

thought of you when i saw this. and i have no way to verify if this info is true. but on another site , a TA posted that they are giving  :

 

all Haven bookings made with my agency will include a complimentary Beverage Package for guests 3-8 sharing the same suite! 

[smplybcause]

1 minute ago, luckyinpa said:

thought of you when i saw this. and i have no way to verify if this info is true. but on another site , a TA posted that they are giving  :

 

all Haven bookings made with my agency will include a complimentary Beverage Package for guests 3-8 sharing the same suite! 

 

It's actually a promo available to all cabins - though of course most can't fit more than 4. NCL updated their T&Cs for the free at sea to include everyone in the cabin getting it through Dec 12. No idea if it will extend. It does count as a rebook though so you would have to pay current prices. 

[luckyinpa]

On 12/10/2019 at 12:34 PM, smplybcause said:

 

It's actually a promo available to all cabins - though of course most can't fit more than 4. NCL updated their T&Cs for the free at sea to include everyone in the cabin getting it through Dec 12. No idea if it will extend. It does count as a rebook though so you would have to pay current prices. 

 

interesting i find no mention of it on the main page there. to me i think this would be at the TOP of some peoples wishlists