Are single parents penalized on NCL?

[thesnoopster2]

So to begin, please excuse if this has been asked before, but I could not find the information and I am new to NCL.  I've done two cruises on carnival and two cruises on MSC.

 

So I'm looking to book a cruise on the encore next year and we are trying to book two rooms. One room we have two adults and one child so obviously three people, and room number two we have one adult and two children, the same occupancy, 3.  Then I go set up a second room and it forces me to jump up a category.  it is now forcing me into a plus sign room which on their legend indicates a four-person capacity room with the + sign

 

The first cabin shows that I can have my choice between MA and M4, but the second cabin I only get the M4 choice.  

 

It appears that they don't charge by occupancy, appears that they charge by bed. It seems like the first cabin they assume two adults in the big bed plus a sofa bed but in the second room it appears that they are putting one adult in the big bed and then one sofa bed and one Pullman bed

 

Is there a way to do a search so that either a child can sleep with the parent because he's a toddler and they can share a bed or they can split the bed and have a sofa bed and the split bed to make three?  I don't really understand if it's the same occupancy why I don't have access to the exact same rooms?

[Two Wheels Only]

Are you trying to book staterooms that are next to each other?

 

In many cases, a M4 (blue) is next to a MA (red). 

 

It has nothing to do with sleeping arrangements since either category can have the main bed split into 2 and the 3rd person can sleep on the sofa bed. The age of the guest doesn't matter. 

 

Which deck/stateroom(s) are you trying to get?

[thesnoopster2]

42 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Are you trying to book staterooms that are next to each other?

 

In many cases, a M4 (blue) is next to a MA (red). 

 

It has nothing to do with sleeping arrangements since either category can have the main bed split into 2 and the 3rd person can sleep on the sofa bed. The age of the guest doesn't matter. 

 

Which deck/stateroom(s) are you trying to get?

 

[thesnoopster2]

PS. Ideally we would love to be the cabin next door to each other but I realize that one is blue other than the next is red and the alternate so I realize that if I want the red cabins I can't have a sharing wall which I'm fine with but where I go online it won't let me pick two red cabins even though they're both three I couldn't see. I agree sleeping arrangement shouldn't matter but for some reason it does

[complawyer]

while it may not resolve your issue, why not try calling ncl directly (like chicken soup, it couldnt hurt to ask). tell the rep exactly what you want, or ask for a personal consultant)

[thesnoopster2]

3 minutes ago, complawyer said:

while it may not resolve your issue, why not try calling ncl directly (like chicken soup, it couldnt hurt to ask). tell the rep exactly what you want, or ask for a personal consultant)

I actually did. I was about ready to book a room except when the price was supposed to pop up a one number it popped up completely different number and they didn't understand why and I didn't understand why either.  Then today I just had my side comparison and this is what I found.

 

What do you think? Am I wrong? Or just kind of weird?

[complawyer]

thesnoopster2

 

my wife claims im anal retentive when ot comes to booking ncl cruises, and i've been booking them on my own for 14 years. so, if you dont mind my asking, which ship/dates were you looking at, and i'd be happy to do some research for you. this way i can better respond to your last post

[Two Wheels Only]

26 minutes ago, thesnoopster2 said:

If you would like to try to replicate the results and specifically, I'm looking at the encore February 23rd 2005.

 

On the NCL site, I can select the stateroom (3 people) before I enter the age of the guests. I can select either type of stateroom

 

 

15 minutes ago, thesnoopster2 said:

I was about ready to book a room except when the price was supposed to pop up a one number it popped up completely different number and they didn't understand why and I didn't understand why either.

 

When booking on the NCL site, the age is assumed to be adult until otherwise corrected to a child's age. If adding the FAS promos, the amount is corrected after the ages are entered. 

 

Could that be why you were given different amounts?

[dbrown84]

Have you done the same on the NCL site?  NCL doesn't have you put whether they are adults or children before selecting a cabin, only the number of guest.  Maybe this is an issue with the costco site

[complawyer]

snoopster, ok i'll give it a shot, but i hope you mean 2025

[Homosassa]

Use a good travel agent.

 

The TA will talk directly to NCL and will have more access to cabin information than you will on line.

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 2/10/2024 at 11:39 PM, thesnoopster2 said:

So to begin, please excuse if this has been asked before, but I could not find the information and I am new to NCL.  I've done two cruises on carnival and two cruises on MSC.

 

So I'm looking to book a cruise on the encore next year and we are trying to book two rooms. One room we have two adults and one child so obviously three people, and room number two we have one adult and two children, the same occupancy, 3.  Then I go set up a second room and it forces me to jump up a category.  it is now forcing me into a plus sign room which on their legend indicates a four-person capacity room with the + sign

 

The first cabin shows that I can have my choice between MA and M4, but the second cabin I only get the M4 choice.  

 

It appears that they don't charge by occupancy, appears that they charge by bed. It seems like the first cabin they assume two adults in the big bed plus a sofa bed but in the second room it appears that they are putting one adult in the big bed and then one sofa bed and one Pullman bed

 

Is there a way to do a search so that either a child can sleep with the parent because he's a toddler and they can share a bed or they can split the bed and have a sofa bed and the split bed to make three?  I don't really understand if it's the same occupancy why I don't have access to the exact same rooms?

This is a joke post right?

[julig22]

37 minutes ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

This is a joke post right?

Well, since cabin selection and pricing is done before names/ages are entered, one does have to wonder. I'm guessing that cabin #2 is a different category, which would account for a price difference. It's entirely possible that there's only 1 available at the lower price for example.

[Liljo22]

You select the rooms before NCL even knows the age of the passenger so I would say that NCL is not punishing you for being a single parents.

[kitkat343]

16 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Well, since cabin selection and pricing is done before names/ages are entered, one does have to wonder. I'm guessing that cabin #2 is a different category, which would account for a price difference. It's entirely possible that there's only 1 available at the lower price for example.

That's possible.  Also, the websites of all the cruise lines seem to sometimes have some issues.  We are a family of 5 and usually book 2 rooms.  On my last cruise, I searched Cunard's website and found a room for 3 and another for 2.  When I went back two days later to put a hold on the room, all the rooms for 3 were gone.  I figured it probably sold out, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to call and check.  When I called it turned out the phone operator had access to rooms the website listed as sold out and I was able to book the cruise.  A travel agent or a call to a NCL rep might be able to straighten this out.  Good luck.

[MoCruiseFan]

No one is penalized in any manner

[thesnoopster2]

25 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

No one is penalized in any manner

It was a negative quirk within the Costco.  It wasn't a NCL thing

[MoCruiseFan]

On 2/10/2024 at 11:39 PM, thesnoopster2 said:

So to begin, please excuse if this has been asked before, but I could not find the information and I am new to NCL.  I've done two cruises on carnival and two cruises on MSC.

 

So I'm looking to book a cruise on the encore next year and we are trying to book two rooms. One room we have two adults and one child so obviously three people, and room number two we have one adult and two children, the same occupancy, 3.  Then I go set up a second room and it forces me to jump up a category.  it is now forcing me into a plus sign room which on their legend indicates a four-person capacity room with the + sign

 

The first cabin shows that I can have my choice between MA and M4, but the second cabin I only get the M4 choice.  

 

It appears that they don't charge by occupancy, appears that they charge by bed. It seems like the first cabin they assume two adults in the big bed plus a sofa bed but in the second room it appears that they are putting one adult in the big bed and then one sofa bed and one Pullman bed

 

Is there a way to do a search so that either a child can sleep with the parent because he's a toddler and they can share a bed or they can split the bed and have a sofa bed and the split bed to make three?  I don't really understand if it's the same occupancy why I don't have access to the exact same rooms?

Your 1st cabin was most likely the last available MA.  The plus sign has no bearing onthe cost of the cabin.  It is merely the max occupancy.  No one is being penalized.  Take off your tin foil hat and enjoy your cruise.