Angle balcony - warning!!!!

[KeithJenner]

53 minutes ago, welove2cruise* said:

They told me it was going fleet wide. It makes no sense to me. 

I think that the category change thing isn’t true. NCL phone staff don’t have a great record of giving correct information and this one doesn’t even make any sense.

 

These changes do happen occasionally and you have been unlucky, but I really don’t think that it is anything more than that.

[ExArkie]

1 hour ago, New2cruise2022 said:

The change in category, if it holds is interesting.

 

The contract terms that no room is guaranteed is very standard legal positioning because it accounts for the unknown. If a room needs to be repaired or remodeled outside of dry dock, these moments are on foreseen and may require relocating someone to accommodate the work that needs to be done. This is an unfortunate situation for any customer because they will

undoubtedly feel helpless. 
 

Could the customer have been displaced to accommodate another customer? Yes. But we will never know. 
Could the customer have been displaced to accommodate a change in cetergory/higher price? Possibly, but it seems more likely that someone would be contacted and at least offered an opportunity to upgrade and pay the difference. 

Good points. It is pretty useless speculating why the change happened absent any explanation from NCL, who presumably knows. Perhaps the plumbing fell apart such that one cannot use the toilet? Too many possibilities, not all of which mean someone more important or who offered more money was given preference.

 

However, the most important point is the NCL definitely should have informed the customer, regardless of the reason. Very poor customer service not to have done so.

[New2cruise2022]

Just now, ExArkie said:

NCL definitely should have informed the customer, regardless of the reason. Very poor customer service not to have done so.

I think this is a fair point. Worse yet, the decision to not inform was probably deliberate. Any effort to inform would welcome criticism and demands. 

[MsTabbyKats]

2 hours ago, welove2cruise* said:

It makes no sense at all. I just don’t understand any of it. I had the same room booked for 2024 and now I’m going to either cancel the cruise altogether or look at large balcony categories. I just don’t want anyone else blindsided like I have been. To be so disappointed a few weeks before going on the trip. 😞 So much for loyalty to NCL. We are Sapphire latitudes members. The thing is I am the one who gets my group organized to cruise. We have 6 cabins of family and friends. My one friend also booked an angle. She was to be a few doors down from us. They did not change her cabin. I kept saying I think they made some mistake. They are saying the ship is full. They moved me from our aft angle cabin near our friends to a forward cabin a deck away. 

Were you booked alone in this cabin?  If so, they probably needed it for a larger party.  Most likely either you are the rep misunderstood.....that the cabin was reclassified "not as a single" cabin.

 

Sorry this happened to you....but they can change your cabin for any reason and they don't need to tell you that reason.  Unfair (because you pay more for the priviledge of choosing) but allowable.

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Were you booked alone in this cabin?

I'm going to say no based on the first post...

13 hours ago, welove2cruise* said:

I am wondering if I can fit one lounge instead of two chairs on a regular balcony. We can leave one chair inside if needed. I am the one out there all the time. My husband likes to watch TV. 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Just for my own clarification as we're relatively new to NCL. Here is a picture of the Getaway cabins on Deck 11. Are the angled balcony cabins the ones with the white triangles?

 

 

[Homosassa]

The deck plans I have for the Escape says the angled balconies has a capacity for three passengers.

 

Whenever a cabin is booked for less than the labeled capacity, the passengers can be moved to another cabin to allow someone to book that is in need of a cabin with the higher number of beds.

 

At that point, the status of the life boat station capacity comes into play. The cabin being rebooked at the higher capacity will need to still have space for passengers.

 

Good rule to follow, never book a cabin that can hold more then your number of passengers in your reservation.  If one does book a larger capacity cabin that required by one's party, there is always a chance that you will be moved without notification.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Homosassa

[KeithJenner]

8 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just for my own clarification as we're relatively new to NCL. Here is a picture of the Getaway cabins on Deck 11. Are the angled balcony cabins the ones with the white triangles?

 

 

Yes they are.

 

And the problem is that they are the same colour (which depicts a category) as the standard balcony rooms.

 

Therefore NCL can move you if required to a different room in the same category and it isn’t classed as a downgrade.

 

The benefit of that is that they cost the same amount to book as a standard balcony room.

[Two Wheels Only]

10 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

The deck plans I have for the Escape says the angled balconies has a capacity for three passengers.

 

Some sleep 3, some sleep 4.

[phoenix1181]

6 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Good rule to follow, never book a cabin that can hold more then your number of passengers in your reservation.  If one does book a larger capacity cabin that required by one's party, there is always a chance that you will be moved without notification.

This makes NO sense!  There are a very limited number of cabins for solo cruisers and, I believe, they're on the larger ships and are inside only.  And let's not forget that more often than not, solo's pay the "single supplement" which is often equal to a double fare.  The only difference being they don't pay double taxes, port fees, gratuities or service charges.

 

Additionally, I don't recall seeing any cabins classified for only 2 occupants.  Are there cabins for only double occupancy?

[PATRLR]

Everyone keeps saying they can move you to the same cabin category.  But, just the fact that they are picking your cabin for you seems to me to be a cabin downgrade.  

 

I can book a "guarantee" category and let NCL pick my cabin, or, I can book a higher category and pick my own.  As soon as they decide to move me, without allowing me a choice, I think they've downgraded me to "guarantee" and I think they owe me the difference.  The problem of course is determining what that difference is, unless you captured that information at the time you booked. 

[Homosassa]

6 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Some sleep 3, some sleep 4.

In any case, theyt are labeled for a possible occupancy greater than two.

[Homosassa]

6 minutes ago, phoenix1181 said:

This makes NO sense!  There are a very limited number of cabins for solo cruisers and, I believe, they're on the larger ships and are inside only.  And let's not forget that more often than not, solo's pay the "single supplement" which is often equal to a double fare.  The only difference being they don't pay double taxes, port fees, gratuities or service charges.

 

Additionally, I don't recall seeing any cabins classified for only 2 occupants.  Are there cabins for only double occupancy?

Look on any deck plans.

 

See all those funny triangles, circles, squares, slashes, etc.?

 

That gives information on the possible capacity of a cabin as will as bedding options, connecting with next door cabins, etc.

 

Cabins that aren't labeled for more than two (or the rare single passenger cabin, are cabins for two.

 

And yes, single passengers do often pay a single supplement when the only option are cabins that hold two or more (although single passengers often find that the cabins with capacities for more than two passengers can not be booked by a single).

 

If the deck plans do not show all the cabin details on the deck plans when at the  booking stage, you need to find a website that does.

 

 

[Homosassa]

13 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

Everyone keeps saying they can move you to the same cabin category.  But, just the fact that they are picking your cabin for you seems to me to be a cabin downgrade.  

 

I can book a "guarantee" category and let NCL pick my cabin, or, I can book a higher category and pick my own.  As soon as they decide to move me, without allowing me a choice, I think they've downgraded me to "guarantee" and I think they owe me the difference.  

It doesn't matter what you think. Read the ticket contract and  terms and conditions that you are agreeing to when you book.

[phoenix1181]

Just now, PATRLR said:

Everyone keeps saying they can move you to the same cabin category.  But, just the fact that they are picking your cabin for you seems to me to be a cabin downgrade.  

 

I can book a "guarantee" category and let NCL pick my cabin, or, I can book a higher category and pick my own.  As soon as they decide to move me, without allowing me a choice, I think they've downgraded me to "guarantee" and I think they owe me the difference.  The problem of course is determining what that difference is, unless you captured that information at the time you booked. 

Good point!

 

I also question changing a cabin for any reason other than maintenance or handicap issues.  Seems like someone with at least some authority would have to approve the change and we should know what the criteria is.  I don't imagine I can call any Rep, PCC, or TA and they're going to move whoever originally booked the cabin to accommodate me.

[PATRLR]

40 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

It doesn't matter what you think. Read the ticket contract and  terms and conditions that you are agreeing to when you book.

Well seeing as you seem to be so familiar with it, does the contract allow them to downgrade me with no compensation?  If I book a BA, can they change me to a BF?    How about a B6 down to a BA, can they do that?  If so, then I guess they can down me to a BX.  But, if BA to BF is not allowed, then neither should BA to BX.

[hallux]

40 minutes ago, phoenix1181 said:

I don't imagine I can call any Rep, PCC, or TA and they're going to move whoever originally booked the cabin to accommodate me.

Correct, except if you're a party of 3, there are no rooms available that will accommodate your party and there is a party of two in a room that will sleep 3 and there's a room for two available.

[MsTabbyKats]

13 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

Well seeing as you seem to be so familiar with it, does the contract allow them to downgrade me with no compensation?  If I book a BA, can they change me to a BF?    How about a B6 down to a BA, can they do that?  If so, then I guess they can down me to a BX.  But, if BA to BF is not allowed, then neither should BA to BX.

In theory I agree with you.....but they can argue that you are still getting "the freebies" (which really aren't free...lol)....so it isn't a BX cabin.

 

"Smart shoppers" are the ones who select the angled balconies, but it doesn't always work out.  When you picked a sought after cabin....keeping it is a gamble. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by MsTabbyKats

[MsTabbyKats]

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

Correct, except if you're a party of 3, there are no rooms available that will accommodate your party and there is a party of two in a room that will sleep 3 and there's a room for two available.

Absolutely correct......

[PATRLR]

Just now, MsTabbyKats said:

In theory I agree with you.....but they can argue that you are still getting "the freebies" (which really aren't free...lol)....so it isn't a BX cabin.

 

"Smart shoppers" are the ones who select the angled balconies, but it doesn't always work out.

I may be using the wrong category, but, there is a category where you get all the FAS perks but don't get to choose your cabin.  I thought that was BX (for balconies).  I am not trying to say OP was downgraded to Sail-Away.  If Sail-Away balcony is BX, then, my bad.

 

[MsTabbyKats]

1 minute ago, PATRLR said:

I may be using the wrong category, but, there is a category where you get all the FAS perks but don't get to choose your cabin.  I thought that was BX (for balconies).  I am not trying to say OP was downgraded to Sail-Away.  If Sail-Away balcony is BX, then, my bad.

 

No....you are correct.  There is that "in limbo" category where you get the freebies but they pick the cabin.  It's not BX....it would be BA etc...except they pick your cabin.  But, that category isn't less expensive because they pick.  It would be more expensive than the BX, but the supply is limited...so they pick.

To be clear...I am in agreement with you.  If it happened to me I'd be "not happy" as I only "pay extra" so I can choose the cabin and I only find it worth choosing angled balconies.  I have no need for the food or the drink...or the excusions.

But, as I said in a previoius post....when you choose a sought after cabin....keeping it is a gamble.

[chillyw]

4 hours ago, welove2cruise* said:

That is what they are saying. The NCL rep also was mystified at this decision. 

 

How many times have you done a hang up, call again to see if different reps gave you the same answer?

[KeithJenner]

5 minutes ago, chillyw said:

 

How many times have you done a hang up, call again to see if different reps gave you the same answer?

A different answer is almost guaranteed if you do that.

 

Its still unlikely to be the correct answer though. 🙂

[KeithJenner]

The talk about the numbers of people in a room could indicate a reason for the change.
 

It could be that an area has an unusual number of cabins with 3 or 4 people in it, so they are at lifeboat capacity for that area. By swapping some rooms round they could even up the occupancy.

 

I have no idea how common issues like that are (or even if it ever happens), but it is a possibility. I’d have thought that guarantee rooms would help avoid these issues.

 

Having said that, it would be better to move someone who was in an ordinary balcony rather than an angled one, but if it is done by the system then it probably doesn’t even know there is anything special about that cabin.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

Everyone keeps saying they can move you to the same cabin category.  But, just the fact that they are picking your cabin for you seems to me to be a cabin downgrade.  

 

I can book a "guarantee" category and let NCL pick my cabin, or, I can book a higher category and pick my own.  As soon as they decide to move me, without allowing me a choice, I think they've downgraded me to "guarantee" and I think they owe me the difference.  The problem of course is determining what that difference is, unless you captured that information at the time you booked. 

Just to be absolutely clear, I’m not saying that it is right that NCL can do this, just that they can, and it is something that people should be aware of if they book a cabin like this.

 

It is rare to hear of this happening, but the possibility is a factor in  why we pay the extra for large or aft balcony rooms rather than take the risk. They often aren’t all that much more.