Fewer than 3 cruisers in a family ocean view cabin

[SlipperyP]

So, originally I booked a family ocean view cabin with picture window on the Jade for 3 cruisers.  Before final payment, one cruiser had to drop out.  When I called to cancel the 3rd guest, the rep advised me that I HAD to change cabins.  She said that since we were only two, we could not have a family ocean view cabin as they are for parties of 3 or more.  I ended up moving to a less desirable porthole cabin.

 

I have never heard/read that you couldn’t have fewer than 3 people in a family ocean view and am wondering if this is a new thing?

 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

I don't know if this is "a thing"...but you should have called back and got another agent.

I've been in "family cabins" with just 2 people, but not recently.

Since it sounds like you're "before final payment"....you could still call again and get someone more helpful on the line.  

[Asawi]

Sounds really strange! I'm a solo traveller and I had a family inside on Spirit in May. Can't imagine there would be special rules for oceanviews.

[phoenix1181]

I cruise solo & have booked family balcony cabins several times with no issues.  sounds to me like you were dealing with rep who doesn't know their job!

[GORDONCHICK]

Yeah, that's not right.  

[Homosassa]

It has been standard practice on cabins for years (at least thirty that I can recall),that  one is at risk of being changed from a cabin that holds more passengers than in the traveling party if the larger cabin is needed by a booking group that needs that size cabin.

 

In your case, you were still before final payment and the family cabins may still being held in the inventory for parties of three or more.

 

Availability of those cabins  is also influenced by life boat station capacity.  

 

If the life boat station that your cabin was located in still had space available for passengers in the larger staterooms and other stations are filled to the point that they can no no longer can accommodate multiple passengers the larger cabins, your cabin will be needed for the larger parties.

 

Remember that a cruise ship holds a far larger number of berths than can be filled by the limit of lifeboat seats In the distribution, when a station is nearing capacity, the cruise line would rather have two cabins of two passengers each than one cabin of two adults and several children.

 

When your need for the larger cabin was no longer there, it appears that the the agent (cruise line) needed to switch you to an appropriate cabin size to balance out the availability of cabin space among the life boat stations. 

 

Because there is always a chance that one's cabin may be changed without one's prior approval if one books a cabin that one does not need  for the passenger capacity or other special features, i.e; mobility accessibility, consideration should be given to the desirability of that particular cabin in terms of itinerary and time of year.

[GORDONCHICK]

7 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

When your need for the larger cabin was no longer there, it appears that the the agent (cruise line) needed to switch you to an appropriate cabin size to balance out the availability of cabin space among the life boat stations. 

It's actually not a larger cabin IME.  It has extra berths and the location usually has fast and easy access to the kid's program area, usually same area of the ship but different deck, so near stairs/elevators.

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, GORDONCHICK said:

It's actually not a larger cabin IME.  It has extra berths and the location usually has fast and easy access to the kid's program area, usually same area of the ship but different deck, so near stairs/elevators.

I was not referring to square footage, but to the extra berths (larger capacity).

 

If OP is traveling in a time period when those extra berths are in high demand, I can see where those cabins are flagged to go first to those needing the berths or to be switched to a lower capacity cabin  when the booked number of passengers fall below three.

[zqvol]

3 hours ago, SlipperyP said:

So, originally I booked a family ocean view cabin with picture window on the Jade for 3 cruisers.  Before final payment, one cruiser had to drop out.  When I called to cancel the 3rd guest, the rep advised me that I HAD to change cabins.  She said that since we were only two, we could not have a family ocean view cabin as they are for parties of 3 or more.  I ended up moving to a less desirable porthole cabin.

 

I have never heard/read that you couldn’t have fewer than 3 people in a family ocean view and am wondering if this is a new thing?

 

 

You ended up with a is-informed rep.

[julig22]

I've booked family OV many times as a solo.  But have never actually stayed in one because of upgrades.

[Liljo22]

If you try to book a room with only 2 guests, the Family cabins holding more than 2 will be listed as sold out.  Change the guests to 3 or 4 and the Family cabins will now show the Family cabins as available.  I don't know if its new or not.  

 

Edit: I saw everyone mentioning Family cabins and didn't notice you had a OV w/ Picture Window which is a 3 guest.  You can book this cabin with only 2 guests so the agent was wrong.  

Edited July 18, 2023 by Liljo22

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, SlipperyP said:

So, originally I booked a family ocean view cabin with picture window on the Jade for 3 cruisers.  Before final payment, one cruiser had to drop out.  When I called to cancel the 3rd guest, the rep advised me that I HAD to change cabins.  She said that since we were only two, we could not have a family ocean view cabin as they are for parties of 3 or more.  I ended up moving to a less desirable porthole cabin.

 

I have never heard/read that you couldn’t have fewer than 3 people in a family ocean view and am wondering if this is a new thing?

 

 

Call again. the agent was incorrect.

 

You are paying for a cabin class. Whether there is a solo, 2, 3 or 4 passengers in the cabin.