Cabin downgrade

[Stuart Suss]

This is not a typo. I would be happy to downgrade my cabin.

 

I purchased an Oceanview Guarantee on the Gem. As best I can tell I have been given a lifeboat obstructed oceanview on deck 5. If I could recoup the price difference, I would be happy to trade down to an interior cabin.

 

With all of the passengers who ask for upgrades, is the ship looking for passengers like me who are willing to downgrade? Are there any official channels by which I present myself as a passenger willing to accept a downgrade?

 

Thanks.

[Demonyte]

Lifeboats on Jewel class ships are intended outside deck 8. On deck 5 there is no obstruction.

 

And yes, you can downgrade until final payment, but after that you're out of (at least some) money as downgrading would still be cancellation and rebooking and normal penalty fees would apply.

[casofilia]

You could ask NCL and they may move you to an Inside but I would very much doubt that they would refund any money or even give you some OBC.

 

When you take a "guarantee" you get it at a cheaper rate knowing that you could be put anywhere. That means that you are likely to get cabins that no one else wants and which TAs and PCC do not try to sell.

 

You can only try.

 

Caveat emptor; "you pays your money and you takes your chance".

[luvtheships]

There are lifeboats on deck 5 on the gem?

[Demonyte]

There are lifeboats on deck 5 on the gem?

 

As I stated on my post earlier in this thread, no there are not.

[mking8288]

Deck 5 on the GEM is fine - OP didn't provide his/her stateroom/cabin #, but my guess is that it is an oceanview, typically upgraded from obstructed lifeboat category to Forward, porthole OV and is a higher category. It's possible for getting assigned to a rectangular & bigger "window" OV category. Regardless, more natural lights into the cabin. The only possible downside, a little more motion (vertical & lateral) if sea conditions are rough - but, really better than further higher up on deck 8 with lifeboats outside.

 

We booked a similar OV GTY on the GEM in 2012 and were "upgraded" to deck 4 Fwd, portside OV - IMO, if we're to do it again, would definitely keep it instead of trading or taking an Inside (some of them are below the gallery area with ... noises) Of course, YMMV.

[luvtheships]

As I stated on my post earlier in this thread, no there are not.

 

 

But you arent the op are you

[Demonyte]

But you arent the op are you

 

No, I'm right.

[peg013]

But you arent the op are you

 

What does that have to do with the fact that there are NO lifeboats obstructing Deck 5? OP is incorrect whether he is the OP or not. Either OP is not on Deck 5 or does not have lifeboat obstructions.

[LrgPizza]

Perhaps the OP means the view will be obstructed for a minute should a lifeboat be lowered in an emergency. :D yeah, that's it

[ready2cruzagain]

Perhaps the OP means the view will be obstructed for a minute should a lifeboat be lowered in an emergency. :D yeah, that's it

 

Okay, now that is just funny! Thanks for the laugh!!

[kjquilts]

Here are some videos from youtube of NCL Gem (and one Jade) oceanview staterooms

 

5544 Category OB

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvakv852loI

 

5552 Category OB (this one has no pullman bed) Sister ship Jade

 

 

5512 Category 01 Family Oceanview

 

 

and because there are a few porthole oceanview staterooms on deck 5 here is an example from deck 4 Category OF

I could live with the porthole but not with sleeping four with this configuration. There's a photo floating out there with the floor beds in a horseshoe shape that made it a little better

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2016 by kjquilts

[Stuart Suss]

I am the original poster. I was aware of the risk of a guarantee cabin, and I will live with the consequences. You have now explained to me that a downgrade would require a rebooking and is subject to the deadline which has now passed. Furthermore, a downgrade would not be accompanied by a refund or by onboard credit.

 

 

I have an OX category cabin on Deck 5. According to this site,

http://www.cruisestateroom.com/decks.php?ship=Norwegian%20Gem

"Category OK and OX cabins have obstructed or partially obstructed view by lifeboats."

 

If that site's information is incorrect, and posters on this board are able to provide correct information, then I thank you for doing so.

[HeyPorter]

 

If that site's information is incorrect, and posters on this board are able to provide correct information, then I thank you for doing so.

 

What is your cabin number?

[Stuart Suss]

I am reluctant to post a cabin number on a public message board.

 

Any general information you can provide regarding Deck 5, Forward, on the Gem will be appreciated.

[hawkeyetlse]

I have an OX category cabin on Deck 5. According to this site,

http://www.cruisestateroom.com/decks.php?ship=Norwegian%20Gem

"Category OK and OX cabins have obstructed or partially obstructed view by lifeboats."

 

If that site's information is incorrect, and posters on this board are able to provide correct information, then I thank you for doing so.

The site's information is not really incorrect, but NCL's handling of this category confuses many people.

 

If you look at the deck plans on NCL's site, you can see that there are only 4 cabins that actually belong to the category OX. They are the pink cabins on Deck 8, and they are obstructed view cabins. Those cabins tend to sell out quickly, but NCL continues to offer the category as a guarantee booking. And people book that category thinking that they will be assigned an obstructed OV on Deck 8, but that is not what usually happens. They usually end up on Deck 4 or 5 (and many people find that location undesirable). If you search the archives here, you will find many other people who were in your exact situation, and were also unhappy about it.

 

If you find your assigned cabin on the deck plan for Deck 5, you will see that it actually belongs to a higher category, like OF or OG. Sometimes this in indicated in your Vacation Summary as (OX - OG), in other words, you booked an OX GTY but you were assigned an OG, which is an upgrade.

Edited March 17, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[HeyPorter]

I am by no means an expert. But, it looks to me like there aren't any actual OK or OX cabins on deck 5. OKs are all on deck 8 and OX is just a booking category that designates a GTY, but could actually be assigned any other oceanview cabin.

 

It looks to me, from the deck plans, that all of the forward cabins on deck 5 are either OG, OC or O1

 

I think what might be happening is that you booked OX and so your reservation still shows that category, but you have been assigned an OG, OC or O1. I think you're in pretty good shape!

 

If you look at Norwegian's deck plan here: https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/gem/deck-plans#dsr4

 

and then compare the color of your assigned room to the chart on the left, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

I hope your trip is wonderful!

[kjquilts]

Maybe photos of the outside of the ship will help. These photos are of the sister ship Pearl. You can see the lifeboats hanging above promenade deck 7. The big windows below the promenade deck are deck 6 which has no staterooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Demonyte]

OKs are all on deck 8 and OX is just a booking category that designates a GTY, but could actually be assigned any other oceanview cabin.

 

That's not true, OX cabins do exist as other poster before you said. But they do sell out fast due to small amount of them and the lowest subcategory is usually used as GTY after that subcategory is sold out - in this case as GTY oceanview.

 

In other words, OX does not mean guarantee. OX GTY means "guaranteed cabin in category OX or higher".

Edited March 17, 2016 by Demonyte

[hawkeyetlse]

The problem is that NCL's own descriptive name for category OX is "Guarantee Oceanview", and they give the location as Decks 4, 5, 8. See here for example.

 

Maybe this has changed recently, because I have certainly booked a non-guarantee OX in the past. And it is strange of them to say that this category is available on decks 4 and 5 when there aren't actually any OX cabins on those decks.

[HeyPorter]

That's not true, OX cabins do exist as other poster before you said. But they do sell out fast due to small amount of them and the lowest subcategory is usually used as GTY after that subcategory is sold out - in this case as GTY oceanview.

 

In other words, OX does not mean guarantee. OX GTY means "guaranteed cabin in category OX or higher".

 

You're right of course, I should have been clearer. I simply meant to illustrate that even on the deck plans, OX is referred to as "Guarantee Oceanview"

 

When I booked an MX on the Breakaway, I was told at booking that even though I was being assigned an actual MX cabin at the time of booking, the category was a guarantee and I could be bumped up. I thought that explanation was more convoluted than it needed to be.

Edited March 17, 2016 by HeyPorter