Shuffling rooms once onboard

[stsbj]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight. We have booked 2 rooms on the Escape, one a Balcony, and one Inside, directly across from eachother. We are a family of 5, so I have my DH, and 2 sons booked in the balcony, and myself and daughter booked in the inside. My kids are 17, 14 and 10. Our plan was to shuffle around once on the ship and have the 3 kids together on the inside, and my husband and myself in the Balcony. We've had to book this way due to the fact that you need an adult with each room.

 

Now that they are offering the UBP again, we would like to rebook under this promo. So my DH would get the plan, but as my sons are not of drinking age, they would default to the soda plan. I would presume that they could not transfer the UBP to me in exchange for my Soda package. My question is once we are onboard, can we "officially" move us around so that my DH and I are registered in the balcony, and my kids in the inside, and therefore I could get the UBP as well, or does an adult always have to be "in that room"?

 

If we are out of luck on this, and my son ends up with a "free" soda plan, do I still need to pay the $68+ service charge for his UBP (which is more than the soda package for the week) or would they decrease this to the service charge for the soda plan?

[Demonyte]

I would presume that they could not transfer the UBP to me in exchange for my Soda package. My question is once we are onboard, can we "officially" move us around so that my DH and I are registered in the balcony, and my kids in the inside, and therefore I could get the UBP as well, or does an adult always have to be "in that room"?

 

Your assumption is correct, you can't exchange packages and you can't shuffle passengers officially once onboard - you can only get extra keys for different cabins so that people changing cabins will have two keys, one for entering the cabin and one for charges, signing in/out of the ship, etc.

 

Also there is no refund or discount for unused soda package is you choose to purchase UBP separately (at that point you need to purchase the soda package also for your DD if she doesn't already have one).

 

EDIT: If a passenger will get the soda package as the promo because of their age, T&C of the soda package (the amount of gratuities) apply.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Demonyte

[stsbj]

Thank you Demonyte. That was what I figured...just thought I'd see if there was any way around it! I can't justify paying for the UBP for myself, as I wouldn't spend anywhere near that amount on alcohol, but as a promo, it is fantastic!

[hawkeyetlse]

Ask if they will rebook you with the two adults in one cabin, and one cabin with only kids in it. People have reported that the only way NCL can correctly apply their rule about connecting cabins is by faking the birthdate on one of the underage passengers so that the computer will accept the booking. Then sometime before sailing they fix the birthdate to match the passenger's travel documents.

 

And apparently they have done this for people even if the cabins are not connecting, but just near one another, as in your case.

 

Read the following thread and then call NCL about rebooking:

Need Some Help from the Experienced

[TrumpyNor]

I actually believe that I have read several times here on cruisecritic that if the parents are in a balcony cabin, and their children in the inside cabin just across the hall from their parents, it is considered as a "connecting stateroom". If you let NCL handle your new booking (instead of doing it yourself online), then I am pretty certain they can list you and your husband in the balcony cabin, and your daughters in the inside cabin that is situated across the hall. It is at least worth a try.

 

The rules from NCL regarding travelling with minors are as follows:

"Company policy dictates that a passenger under 21 years of age must be accompanied in the same or connecting stateroom by a passenger 21 years of age or older at the time of embarkation."

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#age-requirements

Edited June 1, 2015 by TrumpyNor

[Regguy]

I may be imagining this or read it with respect to a different line, but I think it is required that both cabins have the same lifeboat station, which is almost always the case but not always.

[stsbj]

I actually believe that I have read several times here on cruisecritic that if the parents are in a balcony cabin, and their children in the inside cabin just across the hall from their parents, it is considered as a "connecting stateroom". If you let NCL handle your new booking (instead of doing it yourself online), then I am pretty certain they can list you and your husband in the balcony cabin, and your daughters in the inside cabin that is situated across the hall. It is at least worth a try.

 

The rules from NCL when travelling with minors are as follows:

"Company policy dictates that a passenger under 21 years of age must be accompanied in the same or connecting stateroom by a passenger 21 years of age or older at the time of embarkation."

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#age-requirements

 

 

 

That would be amazing! Thank you for your help! I booked initially through a TA, but I will contact NCL directly to see if I could switch around. I'd rather do everything on the up and up.

[TrumpyNor]

That would be amazing! Thank you for your help! I booked initially through a TA, but I will contact NCL directly to see if I could switch around. I'd rather do everything on the up and up.

 

Your TA can probably do the "trick" as well....

[SliceOfLife]

I just wanted to add, if the Escape is set up the same as the Getaway and Breakaway the balcony and inside cabins are not truly across the hall from each other. The inside cabins are entered through a separate hallway that is by the elevator corridor.

 

Some folks are not aware of this, just wanted to point it out :)

[stsbj]

I just wanted to add, if the Escape is set up the same as the Getaway and Breakaway the balcony and inside cabins are not truly across the hall from each other. The inside cabins are entered through a separate hallway that is by the elevator corridor.

 

Some folks are not aware of this, just wanted to point it out :)

 

 

Slice of Life, yes you're absolutely correct. We have very carefully chosen a balcony room that is at the end of the inside corridor, and the inside room which is on the corner...literally steps away from each other! Thank you though, it is an important thing to remember!

[tmknies]

We are booked for the 6/28 sailing for the Breakway. Originally we booked a balcony and an inside for the kids. NCL would not allow the kids to be by themselves in the inside. One adult had to be booked with them (daughter is 18). ALso, UBP promo was not valid on inside cabins. Price dropped so we ended up with 2 balcony cabins (not connecting but next to each other). Kids were able to be next door and all received the UBP promo.

[stsbj]

I am so delighted with my travel agent, and NCL. We were able to make the changes with the passengers and managed to get the new promos, as well as keeping us in the same rooms! I realize that there is a service charge applied to the UBP, but honestly, we would have paid way more than that just buying wine!

 

This is what the TA sent me from NCL...

 

"· I spoke with NCL and we could potentially move Mom into the balcony and Son (17yr old) to the inside cabin….BUT, we would have to leave out his DOB to override the system to permit, due to his age, and in doing this, the passengers would not be able to do an ONLINE CHECK IN on that booking (as it would require DOB) and therefore without the check in, they couldn`t print documents. Instead, check in would take place at the pier on day of embarkation, not an issue if they are comfortable with doing this but some passengers are not comfortable without having paper form documents, although, they’re not actually required, they only need their passports and booking numbers at pier."

 

So this gets all accomplished! Thankfully the balcony cabin price was still the same, and the inside was only $20 more. So we lost the $25 OBC from the inside, but would have paid more than that just for the soda package for one kid...I'm happy!

[TrumpyNor]

I am so delighted with my travel agent, and NCL. We were able to make the changes with the passengers and managed to get the new promos, as well as keeping us in the same rooms! I realize that there is a service charge applied to the UBP, but honestly, we would have paid way more than that just buying wine!

 

This is what the TA sent me from NCL...

 

"· I spoke with NCL and we could potentially move Mom into the balcony and Son (17yr old) to the inside cabin….BUT, we would have to leave out his DOB to override the system to permit, due to his age, and in doing this, the passengers would not be able to do an ONLINE CHECK IN on that booking (as it would require DOB) and therefore without the check in, they couldn`t print documents. Instead, check in would take place at the pier on day of embarkation, not an issue if they are comfortable with doing this but some passengers are not comfortable without having paper form documents, although, they’re not actually required, they only need their passports and booking numbers at pier."

 

So this gets all accomplished! Thankfully the balcony cabin price was still the same, and the inside was only $20 more. So we lost the $25 OBC from the inside, but would have paid more than that just for the soda package for one kid...I'm happy!

 

Thank you for the update - glad it worked out for you. Seems like it is the way I thought it was. :)