Cove balconies

[EllieinNJ]

I took a chance and booked a BX balcony for my very first transatlantic on the NCL Epic for April, 2022.  Unfortunately they assigned me a cove balcony on deck 9 at the very front of the ship.  I was nervous enough about movement in the Atlantic but now I'm doubly nervous about being up front.  Also, if sitting on the balcony can you see the water?  Any advise?  Will NCL change the cabin if you call?  If not I might have to cancel.
 

[Host Kat]

10 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

I took a chance and booked a BX balcony for my very first transatlantic on the NCL Epic for April, 2022.  Unfortunately they assigned me a cove balcony on deck 9 at the very front of the ship.  I was nervous enough about movement in the Atlantic but now I'm doubly nervous about being up front.  Also, if sitting on the balcony can you see the water?  Any advise?  Will NCL change the cabin if you call?  If not I might have to cancel.

 

@EllieinNJ

 

Howdy! 

 

Thank you for your new thread on the Ask a Cruise Question forum. 👍  It is the forum for general questions regarding cruising. However, your thread is off-topic there since your topic concerns a specific cruise line ship. 

 

To help you out, I have moved your thread to the Norwegian Cruise Line forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have sailed on Epic frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum and l👀k for titles of interest. 

 

I sincerely hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat  

 

[complawyer]

of course they will change your cabin if you change prior to final payment due. i suggest you  go onto the ncl website, check deck plans for the epic and decide specifically which cabin you want. i suggest mid ship club suite balcony.

 

as contingent on the premise you didnt select a sail away cabin. in which case they can put  you wherever they want. by the way, if you have a balcony cabin, of course you can see the water. it'll be that blue wet looking stuff all around you

[Named-Tawny]

18 minutes ago, complawyer said:

of course they will change your cabin if you change prior to final payment due. i suggest you  go onto the ncl website, check deck plans for the epic and decide specifically which cabin you want. i suggest mid ship club suite balcony.

 

as contingent on the premise you didnt select a sail away cabin. in which case they can put  you wherever they want. by the way, if you have a balcony cabin, of course you can see the water. it'll be that blue wet looking stuff all around you

 

I thought that the BX category is the sailaway category, no?

Honestly, if so, I'm shocked that they assigned OP a cabin already.

Edited March 15, 2021 by Named-Tawny

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, complawyer said:

of course they will change your cabin if you change prior to final payment due. i suggest you  go onto the ncl website, check deck plans for the epic and decide specifically which cabin you want. i suggest mid ship club suite balcony.

 

as contingent on the premise you didnt select a sail away cabin. in which case they can put  you wherever they want. by the way, if you have a balcony cabin, of course you can see the water. it'll be that blue wet looking stuff all around you

The OP states that they booked a sail away cabin and got an undesirable cabin. Further, booking the recommended mid-ship balcony would cost much more than they have already paid. 
 

The assignment of a guaranteed cabin can not be changed once it is made. 

[Cruise Wonderland]

5 hours ago, Named-Tawny said:

I thought that the BX category is the sailaway category, no?

Honestly, if so, I'm shocked that they assigned OP a cabin already.

 

Yes, BX is sailaway (guarantee) category.

 

NCL do not have a specific timeline when they will assign a cabin number. Sometimes they can assign it just a few days after the booking is confirmed. There is also the chance that the cabin number is not assigned until 2 days before departure.

[EllieinNJ]

OP here.  I know I  probably won't be able to change the cabin.  I rolled the dice and lost. I've booked guarantees before and always got a decent cabin.  I just want to know how rough the sea would be that far up front on a transatlantic and if you can actually see water while sitting on the balcony.

[Oakman58]

If you have big ocean swells you will definitely feel it that far forward.  No one can predict if you will have a calm ocean or a rough one.  The Epic has the worst of the enclosed balconies and no, you won't see the ocean seated.  This will give you and idea of what your balcony will look like.  You have plenty of time to cancel that booking and rebook a different category.

 

[complawyer]

mia culpa... i thought i could give a legitimate answer to this question, and did not realize that a bx cabin was in fact a sail away. also was surprised it was given this early.

 

sorry for the bad advice, but i hope you enjoy your cruise nevertheless

[Eggs2Go]

On an Epic Christmas cruise in the Caribbean a few years back I was assigned to a "cove" balcony (didn't know called that) but like you, I was disappointed to think that would be my cabin. However, once on the ship I grew to love my "special" balcony. Yes, you can see the ocean just fine and yet it provides a cozy very private space. Those walls are a great windbreaker which you will probably really appreciate on a T/A in April, and those walls will allow you to spend more time outside than would be the case on a regular balcony. As for the rocking & rolling in a forward cabin, it helps you realize you're sailing on a ship rather than shopping at a mall, and I slept like a baby in a cradle on that cruise. Happy sailing to you. 

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

If you have big ocean swells you will definitely feel it that far forward.  No one can predict if you will have a calm ocean or a rough one.  The Epic has the worst of the enclosed balconies and no, you won't see the ocean seated.  This will give you and idea of what your balcony will look like.  You have plenty of time to cancel that booking and rebook a different category.

 

 

Wow, I thought the cove balcony concept was unique to Carnival. You learn something new every day...

[Travelicious]

1 hour ago, Eggs2Go said:

On an Epic Christmas cruise in the Caribbean a few years back I was assigned to a "cove" balcony (didn't know called that) but like you, I was disappointed to think that would be my cabin. However, once on the ship I grew to love my "special" balcony. Yes, you can see the ocean just fine and yet it provides a cozy very private space. Those walls are a great windbreaker which you will probably really appreciate on a T/A in April, and those walls will allow you to spend more time outside than would be the case on a regular balcony. As for the rocking & rolling in a forward cabin, it helps you realize you're sailing on a ship rather than shopping at a mall, and I slept like a baby in a cradle on that cruise. Happy sailing to you. 

I also had a cove balcony one time, but not on the Epic.  I actually really enjoyed it, for all of the reasons stated by Eggs2Go.  I wouldn't sweat the assignment.

[ColeThornton]

I've only  heard those balconies on NCL referred to as "Hull Balconies".   I've only ever heard "Cove" in reference to Carnival.

[Oakman58]

NCL doesn’t refer to them as a Cove Balcony but instead calls them PrivaSea cabins.  I wouldn’t hesitate to book one of them on any of the other NCL ships EXCEPT for the Epic.

[zdcatc12]

I had one on my TA on the Jade and loved it!!! I have since booked one on the Epic. That is a Med cruise, so I won't be spending as much time on it, but after a price drop, I moved to that from an inside for the same price.

[farmersfight]

11 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

NCL doesn’t refer to them as a Cove Balcony but instead calls them PrivaSea cabins.  I wouldn’t hesitate to book one of them on any of the other NCL ships EXCEPT for the Epic.

 

Am I right in that NCL's PrivaSea cabins are on higher decks whereas Carnival's cove balconies are close to the waterline?

[dexddd]

NCL created the PrivaSea name maybe 4-5 years ago.  Pure marketing.  Hull balcony or sometimes cove was what members here called them, even the word enclosed was/is used.

 

And we have the story about the bride who got one without knowing and spent entire honeymoon crying on bed.  Think that was the Dawn.

[Oakman58]

48 minutes ago, dexddd said:

NCL created the PrivaSea name maybe 4-5 years ago.  Pure marketing.  Hull balcony or sometimes cove was what members here called them, even the word enclosed was/is used.

 

And we have the story about the bride who got one without knowing and spent entire honeymoon crying on bed.  Think that was the Dawn.

 

Actually it was the Epic where the bride cried on her honeymoon and I don't blame her. 

 

The enclosed balconies on the Jewel Class and Dawn Class aren't all that bad.  Here' a picture of a PrivaSea "Hull" balcony on the Dawn.  Notice that, unlike the Epic, there is plexiglass below the railing and you can look down into the ocean while seated.

[Oakman58]

4 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

Am I right in that NCL's PrivaSea cabins are on higher decks whereas Carnival's cove balconies are close to the waterline?

 

You are correct.

[farmersfight]

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

And we have the story about the bride who got one without knowing and spent entire honeymoon crying on bed.  Think that was the Dawn.

 

14 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Actually it was the Epic where the bride cried on her honeymoon and I don't blame her.

 

I don't understand. Why would she want to waste time on her balcony? After all, it was her honeymoon 😉...

[gmbhardy]

We have a Haven front facing suite booked on deck 13 on a future Encore cruise. This cabin is right under the bridge and has a “cove” balcony. The room layout looks wonderful but the balcony pretty crappy. I’m debating whether to drop down a couple decks to a more normal balcony but that would put us further away from the Haven. We use the balcony a fair bit.  Any thoughts?

[Travelicious]

5 hours ago, dexddd said:

NCL created the PrivaSea name maybe 4-5 years ago.  Pure marketing.  Hull balcony or sometimes cove was what members here called them, even the word enclosed was/is used.

 

And we have the story about the bride who got one without knowing and spent entire honeymoon crying on bed.  Think that was the Dawn.

Ah, yes - the famed bride with the ruined honeymoon and likely doomed marriage.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, gmbhardy said:

We have a Haven front facing suite booked on deck 13 on a future Encore cruise. This cabin is right under the bridge and has a “cove” balcony. The room layout looks wonderful but the balcony pretty crappy. I’m debating whether to drop down a couple decks to a more normal balcony but that would put us further away from the Haven. We use the balcony a fair bit.  Any thoughts?

 

If you have 13106, you definitely want to move as that is a wheelchair accessible stateroom that is one large room and a large bathroom. If you have 13706, the stateroom is standard (separate living room and bedroom) but the balcony is partially enclosed.

 

For that ship and that stateroom category, I'd try to get deck 12. The Haven is still walking distance (short walk to stairs and a few decks up) and the balcony/bedroom view is nice. A lower deck such as 9 or 10 will have a longer walk to the stairs/elevator to get to the Haven plus the forward view will be mostly the bow of the ship. The side view and down view to the water will be fine on the balcony, though.

 

Some people like the lower decks for quick access to 6/7/8 so that is also a consideration.

[EllieinNJ]

On 3/15/2021 at 2:27 PM, Eggs2Go said:

On an Epic Christmas cruise in the Caribbean a few years back I was assigned to a "cove" balcony (didn't know called that) but like you, I was disappointed to think that would be my cabin. However, once on the ship I grew to love my "special" balcony. Yes, you can see the ocean just fine and yet it provides a cozy very private space. Those walls are a great windbreaker which you will probably really appreciate on a T/A in April, and those walls will allow you to spend more time outside than would be the case on a regular balcony. As for the rocking & rolling in a forward cabin, it helps you realize you're sailing on a ship rather than shopping at a mall, and I slept like a baby in a cradle on that cruise. Happy sailing to you. 

You made me feel a little better but I'm still trying for my agent to get the cabin changed to a regular balcony.  There is only $25 difference between BF (cove) and BB or BC but If I had to rebook now it would cost $600pp more than when I first booked in January.

[Captain_Cruising]

It's not just NCL.  I had one of the "cove" balconies on a transatlantic on Queen Mary 2.  Couldn't see much from a seated position but was fine while standing.  Not much to see from the balcony on a transatlantic.  As you travel west or east, sunrises and sunsets are really visible from fore and aft of the ship.

 

Didn't complain as I purchased the cheapest category inside cabin with free one way airfare.  I noticed that there were many balconies still unsold a couple of weeks prior to sailing.  Called my agent and was given a complimentary upgrade to the "cove".  Wound up with a transatlantic on the QM2 with free airfare AND a balcony for $999.00 per person.

 

The sea was relatively calm, but this was August 2019 and on a true liner specifically designed & built for unpredictable transatlantic voyages.