Are Spa Balcony and Spa Club Balcony Suites Getting Phased Out?

[shannonkish]

Interestingly enough.... the Joy is being refurbished and will be ADDING spa rooms---- https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Cruise/norwegian-joy-redesign

[cpqq]

Article came out before this. I can guarantee that the Joy will not have Spa category rooms, they're removed from the site from boats. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/getaway/staterooms/spa

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/breakaway/staterooms/spa

 

Within the last week they've added on the top right 'Departing before Jan 07, 2024 | Departing on or after Jan 07, 2024'

 

No more Spa rooms on either boats after. 

 

What I'm really curious about is what happens to people like myself who've had reservations for month with H9 (Haven Spa Suite) and M9 (Club Balcony Spa Suite) that have been switched without any notice. 

[OrcaGirl]

1 hour ago, Russiamomm said:

There should not be an issue booking the spa.  When you book the cabin you can choose to purchase the spa pass right online.  We bought ours for next week’s Alaska cruise in July - around two days after we booked the trip.

 

For what it's worth, I'm unable to book thermal spa passes for my February cruise on the Bliss. I see "It is too early to book this item for your cruise. Please check back XX/XX/2023 to book." Basically, thermal spa passes are open for booking at the same time as restaurant reservations.

[Russiamomm]

8 minutes ago, OrcaGirl said:

 

For what it's worth, I'm unable to book thermal spa passes for my February cruise on the Bliss. I see "It is too early to book this item for your cruise. Please check back XX/XX/2023 to book." Basically, thermal spa passes are open for booking at the same time as restaurant reservations.

Right.  Just have to keep an eye out.  Either way, there shouldn’t be an issue booking it when it opens.

[D_And_K_gocruising]

Just checked and got this from my cruise dude... 

 

"

CATEGORY RECLASSIFICATONS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2, 2023:

- Spa Balcony category B9 will be reclassified to Balcony category BA

- Spa Club Balcony category M9 will be reclassified to Club Balcony category MA

- The Haven Spa Suite category H9 will be reclassified to The Haven Penthouse Suite with Balcony HI

SPA STATEROOM RESERVATIONS BOOKED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 2, 2023:

If you made a reservation prior to October 2, 2023 for one of our spa category staterooms, your reservation will be updated to reflect the new category as listed above, and, your Thermal Suite access will be protected. Please note, a change in stateroom number or any reservation changes made on or after October 2, 2023 that adjust your voyage fare will void your complimentary Thermal Suite passes.

"

[cpqq]

2 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

If you made a reservation prior to October 2, 2023 for one of our spa category staterooms, your reservation will be updated to reflect the new category as listed above, and, your Thermal Suite access will be protected. Please note, a change in stateroom number or any reservation changes made on or after October 2, 2023 that adjust your voyage fare will void your complimentary Thermal Suite passes.

 

 

I sure hope this is true (they hold to it), and thank you for posting!

 

Nearly had the thought of asking to rebook under a different class after seeing the $220 difference per person and 181 days left to sail. 

 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

here is the actual PDF file

change.pdf

[WiFi40]

4 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

Just checked and got this from my cruise dude... 

 

"

CATEGORY RECLASSIFICATONS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2, 2023:

- Spa Balcony category B9 will be reclassified to Balcony category BA

- Spa Club Balcony category M9 will be reclassified to Club Balcony category MA

- The Haven Spa Suite category H9 will be reclassified to The Haven Penthouse Suite with Balcony HI

SPA STATEROOM RESERVATIONS BOOKED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 2, 2023:

If you made a reservation prior to October 2, 2023 for one of our spa category staterooms, your reservation will be updated to reflect the new category as listed above, and, your Thermal Suite access will be protected. Please note, a change in stateroom number or any reservation changes made on or after October 2, 2023 that adjust your voyage fare will void your complimentary Thermal Suite passes.

"

I find it interesting that they use the word "complimentary" since the cost of the stateroom was more than a BA, HA or MA category.  If it is complimentary, then why is the cost more than a the respective standard room in each category?

[D_And_K_gocruising]

Still not real thrilled that I cannot find my room number listed at all on my reservations right now lol.. 

[cpqq]

1 minute ago, WiFi40 said:

If it is complimentary, then why is the cost more than a the respective standard room in each category?

 

As of Jan 2 / Jan 7, 2024 - these rooms cease to exist, and therefore, I guess we get grandfathered in for what we paid for already 'complimentary' - despite having paid $220 extra per room (as per today for our March, 2024 Club Balcony Suite.) 

 

I honestly don't care what they call it, but thank you @D_And_K_gocruising on something official, this has sunk my feelings the last few hours on how much I'd end up paying extra for our next two cruises, but good on NCL for at least owning up to it. 

 

This gave me flashbacks of our last cruise when they told us our Haven Spa Suite wasn't a spa room despite the name of it on the door and the website. Had to work with the concierge and she worked with on-shore people just to get us Thermal Suite access after I showed her their own site.

 

I wonder if they were toying of the idea back then 1+ year ago, but finally went through with it. 

 

Thanks again for posting!

[cpqq]

3 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

Still not real thrilled that I cannot find my room number listed at all on my reservations right now lol.. 

 

One interesting thing when I made today's payment was in the verbiage of the summary, it said:

 

Please note, in an effort to provide you with the best Freestyle Cruising experience, we have given you a complimentary upgrade to stateroom 14XXX.

 

It was the same stateroom number as before but my room shows as M9-MA, not just M9. So hopefully there's some distinction that shows you were in their previous 'Spa' rooms, or perhaps you may get an upgrade if you call and let them know your room number disappeared. 

 

Didn't know they made this change today, so likely it's why your room number isn't showing, but it's good to know I'm not paying down a cruise with less features than before! (thank you again for the PDF, I booked direct, but nothing) 

 

 

[eileeshb]

They have been getting more and more granular with their cabin pricing over the past year, they now use the exact locations to determine cabin price not just the classification of the cabin.

so say it’s a mid-ship cabin on deck 12, you would pay more or less if you opted for a different deck and a forward or aft location. AFAIK all the spa balcony cabins were located at the one end of the ship closest to the spa, that location alone seems to cause a price increase in a standard balcony. 
also note the spa pass on a 7 days cruise has increased in price since about the start of this summer… previously it was about $220, now it’s over $330. 
the timing for buying a spa pass was at about the 120days mark but occasionally became available to purchase before that. The joys of the weird and wacky world of the NCL website. 

[sunshine55]

Just checked with my TA..we're booked in H9 on Breakaway in Sept.24..my printout shows H9..NCL website now shows HI.  He said they can call it what they want but I still have the Spa on this booking. 

I checked to see if they even show Haven Spa Cabin...nope..Fully understand this is a business to make money and someone has come up with this idea..Guess they forgot to forwarn the public ahead of time that this was in the works before they just changed the system...NCL's biggest weakness is Communication.

 

It's all about the money...When we started cruising the spa was $99 for a week and over the years it has just kept going up.

 

[cpqq]

Just received official notification with the letter posted earlier for our March, 2024 sailing.

 

Nothing so far about Nov, 2024, but hope they're going in order. Worried by Nov, 2024 staff will forget. 

Edited October 2, 2023 by cpqq

[thegreeneyedkri]

Can confirm they are being phased out or as an NCL representative put it “recategorized”. I have a Haven Spa booked for January 2024 cruise and everything online was suddenly showing it as an H1 in my trip info. Took me like three calls to figure out what was going on. I was told the customers should be receiving an email shortly confirming the recategorized rooms but also stating that we will still have the thermal passes since they were an amenity when we booked the room.

[Russiamomm]

40 minutes ago, sunshine55 said:

Just checked with my TA..we're booked in H9 on Breakaway in Sept.24..my printout shows H9..NCL website now shows HI.  He said they can call it what they want but I still have the Spa on this booking. 

I checked to see if they even show Haven Spa Cabin...nope..Fully understand this is a business to make money and someone has come up with this idea..Guess they forgot to forwarn the public ahead of time that this was in the works before they just changed the system...NCL's biggest weakness is Communication.

 

It's all about the money...When we started cruising the spa was $99 for a week and over the years it has just kept going up.

 

Friendly suggestion.  Please change your font.  While it’s pretty, these old eyes have a hard time reading it.  I’m sure I’m not alone.  😃 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

42 minutes ago, sunshine55 said:

Just checked with my TA..we're booked in H9 on Breakaway in Sept.24..my printout shows H9..NCL website now shows HI.  He said they can call it what they want but I still have the Spa on this booking. 

I checked to see if they even show Haven Spa Cabin...nope..Fully understand this is a business to make money and someone has come up with this idea..Guess they forgot to forwarn the public ahead of time that this was in the works before they just changed the system...NCL's biggest weakness is Communication.

 

It's all about the money...When we started cruising the spa was $99 for a week and over the years it has just kept going up.

 

Some people probably like it and you’ll post how you like, but that font was pretty much impossible to read.  It’s light and hard to read on a mobile device

[Jetswdo]

Ok, I just received notification that my Haven Spa cabin H9 has been re named Haven Penthouse Suite with Balcony HI ---

It says spa stateroom reservations made prior to Oct. 2, 2023  (mine was made months earlier) will reflect the name change  and thermal suite access will be protected.  But if any changes are made to stateroom number or " reserrvation changes that adjust your voyage fare will void our complimentary thermal suite passes."  What!!!

[thegreeneyedkri]

15 minutes ago, Jetswdo said:

Ok, I just received notification that my Haven Spa cabin H9 has been re named Haven Penthouse Suite with Balcony HI ---

It says spa stateroom reservations made prior to Oct. 2, 2023  (mine was made months earlier) will reflect the name change  and thermal suite access will be protected.  But if any changes are made to stateroom number or " reserrvation changes that adjust your voyage fare will void our complimentary thermal suite passes."  What!!!

Exactly? What does that mean? It’s so vague (purposely I’m sure). Also, it isn’t complementary, we paid for it. The H9 was more expensive than the HI.

[pettygirl]

Also just received this notification, for Breakaway in Feb 2024.  NO stateroom changes, just the renaming of the category from Spa Suite H9, to Haven Penthouse HI.

 

In an abundance of caution, since we're many months out, I'm going to make sure to bring hardcopies of my rez with the Spa Suite category, and a copy of the email/doc stating in writing that access to the Thermal Spa will be honored.

 

Unless I'm missing something - this change, while annoying, only affects Spa access, right?  I didn't think I would need to rely on Haven concierge for anything, but I may ask them to handle rather than Guest Services - it's right in their wheelhouse, nay?

[psac]

1 hour ago, pettygirl said:

Also just received this notification, for Breakaway in Feb 2024.  NO stateroom changes, just the renaming of the category from Spa Suite H9, to Haven Penthouse HI.

 

In an abundance of caution, since we're many months out, I'm going to make sure to bring hardcopies of my rez with the Spa Suite category, and a copy of the email/doc stating in writing that access to the Thermal Spa will be honored.

 

Unless I'm missing something - this change, while annoying, only affects Spa access, right?  I didn't think I would need to rely on Haven concierge for anything, but I may ask them to handle rather than Guest Services - it's right in their wheelhouse, nay?

Yeah as I read it, it only affects the spa portion of the room category.  Otherwise now it’s just a regular Haven room, you still get all the normal Haven amenities!

 

Also, I think you’re spot on about brining hard copies of the letter and your original booking as a spa category before the date of the change!

Edited October 3, 2023 by psac

[psac]

2 hours ago, sunshine55 said:

Just checked with my TA..we're booked in H9 on Breakaway in Sept.24..my printout shows H9..NCL website now shows HI.  He said they can call it what they want but I still have the Spa on this booking. 

I checked to see if they even show Haven Spa Cabin...nope..Fully understand this is a business to make money and someone has come up with this idea..Guess they forgot to forwarn the public ahead of time that this was in the works before they just changed the system...NCL's biggest weakness is Communication.

 

It's all about the money...When we started cruising the spa was $99 for a week and over the years it has just kept going up.

 

Agree with the others, this font is illegible!  😟

[sunshine55]

45 minutes ago, psac said:

Agree with the others, this font is illegible!  😟

the font is size 18 in my comment above..enlarged for those who have problems with eye sight....sorry you don't appreciate..I'm not a keyboard warrior...please just scan right by and have a good day🌞

[ATXBecky]

8 minutes ago, sunshine55 said:

the font is size 18 in my comment above..enlarged for those who have problems with eye sight....sorry you don't appreciate..I'm not a keyboard warrior...please just scan right by and have a good day🌞

I have vision problems and appreciate the large font. Didn't have any trouble reading. You keep doing you!

[CynCyn]

3 hours ago, sunshine55 said:

Just checked with my TA..we're booked in H9 on Breakaway in Sept.24..my printout shows H9..NCL website now shows HI.  He said they can call it what they want but I still have the Spa on this booking. 

I checked to see if they even show Haven Spa Cabin...nope..Fully understand this is a business to make money and someone has come up with this idea..Guess they forgot to forwarn the public ahead of time that this was in the works before they just changed the system...NCL's biggest weakness is Communication.

 

It's all about the money...When we started cruising the spa was $99 for a week and over the years it has just kept going up.

 

I don’t think they ‘forgot’ to inform anyone.  I believe they did it intentionally so people would not book before the category was gone.  I’m cynical.  LOL