why do people DO this?!? (connecting rooms)

[styxfire]

Please someone, help me understand why people book up 1/2 of a connecting pair of cabins...  just ONE half.  

 

I can surmise that they think "maybe nobody will book next to me".  But on cruises near the holidays, the ship is basically guaranteed to be full.  So by booking a connecting cabin when you don't need it, you're keeping families apart.  Honestly it just seems really mean & selfish.  And you'll end up with families running back & forth in front of your door to talk to each other.

 

Is there some OTHER reason people book only 1/2 of a connecting cabin?

 

I would gladly pay an upcharge to keep my family together, and that would keep the people who don't need a connecting cabin from reserving one, especially "alternating" cabins as shown above.

 

Has anyone ever successfully requested the passengers on the other side of your connecting door to switch with some of your family members, so you could be together?  I'm considering offering maybe $100.  I don't know what else to do.

[Northern wanderlust]

We booked through our TA and were assigned our cabin.  I don't know if the TA chose it for us or if they selected a guaranteed rate and that's what NCL gave us but we have a connecting cabin.

 

We certainly didn't request it.  

 

But maybe that's why?

[casofilia]

How do you know that "people" have booked a room in an adjoining pair.   We have been in them having booked through our PCC.   

I wonder just how many people "choose" their cabin rather than have it assigned by a PCC or TA.

[Sailing12Away]

In the image you posted, how would one even know which are connecting cabins? I honestly never pay attention to that at all. I book rooms with angled balconies first, then ones closer to the elevator next. Man folks honestly don't pay attention to that at all and just go with the NCL choice if they book online since NCL picks what they consider the 'best available' in the category you select on your behalf.

[Two Wheels Only]

34 minutes ago, styxfire said:

Is there some OTHER reason people book only 1/2 of a connecting cabin?

 

For some ships, the sleeping capacity will alternate between 3 and 4. If someone is booking as 2 or 3, there will be "gaps" as the booking engine will skip the "sleeps 4" staterooms. If people are booking as a group of 4, the "sleeps 2 or 3" will obviously be skipped.

 

What happens is that people in one group will book a connecting stateroom and the one connected to it will be empty until someone in the other group books it.

 

Try doing a mock booking with the other group as your number of guests. See if any available connecting staterooms match with the group number that you currently have. If you find a match, have either a PCC or travel agent book that pair. They can book 2 or 3 in a sleeps 4.

Edited October 1, 2022 by Two Wheels Only

[thatjoeguy]

4 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

For some ships, the sleeping capacity will alternate between 3 and 4. If someone is booking as 2 or 3, there will be "gaps" as the booking engine will skip the "sleeps 4" staterooms. If people are booking as a group of 4, the "sleeps 2 or 3" will obviously be skipped.

 

What happens is that people in one group will book a connecting stateroom and the one connected to it will be empty until someone in the other group books it.

 

Try doing a mock booking with the other group as your number of guests. See if any available connecting staterooms match with the group number that you currently have. If you find a match, have either a PCC or travel agent book that pair. They can book 2 or 3 in a sleeps 4.

I was about to respond with the same thing. When we looked into connecting rooms in the past, they were a sleeps 4 that connected to a sleeps 3. There were very few of the sleeps 4 that connected to another sleeps 4 room. The reason for it is that NCL tends to alternate room designs, and (I believe) the bunk over the couch is only when the bed is near the window, not when the bed is near the bath. 

[styxfire]

18 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

In the image you posted, how would one even know which are connecting cabins? I honestly never pay attention to that at all. I book rooms with angled balconies first, then ones closer to the elevator next. Man folks honestly don't pay attention to that at all and just go with the NCL choice if they book online since NCL picks what they consider the 'best available' in the category you select on your behalf.

In the image (from NCL), the dotted lines indicate a connecting door between the 2 cabins.  Deck plans show it more clearly, using an arrow.

[styxfire]

11 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

For some ships, the sleeping capacity will alternate between 3 and 4. If someone is booking as 2 or 3, there will be "gaps" as the booking engine will skip the "sleeps 4" staterooms. If people are booking as a group of 4, the "sleeps 2 or 3" will obviously be skipped...

Try doing a mock booking with the other group as your number of guests.

Bingo!  This makes sense and explains the situation completely.

[styxfire]

8 minutes ago, thatjoeguy said:

.... When we looked into connecting rooms in the past, they were a sleeps 4 that connected to a sleeps 3.  ...  NCL tends to alternate room designs, and (I believe) the bunk over the couch is only when the bed is near the window, not when the bed is near the bath. 

Thank you, these explanations make a ton of sense.  And also clears up why cabins that were available yesterday don't show up today...   It's because I was shifting passengers around -- divided our party up into 4 and 2 yesterday, but searched for 3 and 3 today. 

 

Thanks for the clarity!   

[GeezerCouple]

1 minute ago, casofilia said:

How do you know that "people" have booked a room in an adjoining pair.   We have been in them having booked through our PCC.   

I wonder just how many people "choose" their cabin rather than have it assigned by a PCC or TA.

 

Interesting question.

I'd guess that a much higher percentage of CC members select their own cabin vs. those who are not on CC (which is the vast majority of cruisers).

We are among those who now *always* select our own.  We are "picky" about which suite we want.  This stems from my first cruise, in the 1970's, when my parent took 3 generations on a very short, and very cheap, Bahamas cruise.  (I'm sure it cost far more for all of us to fly to Miami, but I digress.)  None of us knew about "choosing a cabin".  We ended up directly under a band, and my father was furious the entire time.  I was "hooked" immediately on cruising! 🙂 The next year, I volunteered to find "better" cabins, though I didn't yet know how.  A call to a travel agent answered that question quickly, and I got a nice glossy map of the deck plans.  I've never looked back.

 

If we can't get something among those that we want, we wouldn't go.  Yes, that has happened, but very rarely.  We try to book far in advance, and it's rare that there are very few choices that would be acceptable.  It sometimes depends upon itinerary.  For example, there are some itineraries where we absolutely want a forward view, and others where that's not so important.

However, I'm always very conscious of possible noise......! 😠

 

GC

[styxfire]

32 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

I honestly never pay attention to that at all. I book rooms with angled balconies first, then ones closer to the elevator next. Man folks honestly don't pay attention to that at all and just go with the NCL choice if they book online...

Your priorities are good, too.   It's too bad that NCL doesn't allow you to search for connecting cabins at the beginning of the online process.  Carnival enables a connecting cabins search.  Many travelers probably don't need that at all.  But those that do, REALLY do. 

[GeezerCouple]

It can be a bit tricky if one is trying to select their own cabins, sometimes.

 

For example, if one has, say, 2 adults and a child, then the software might not show the cabins that sleep 4, trying to keep them for those who might need all 4 beds.

 

We found that out some time ago, when we tried to select a specific cabin for our kids and one grand.  However, when I called to ask for that specific cabin, they said it was usually held for 4, but we could have it for the other part of our family.

(This wasn't for any connecting cabin situation.)

 

GC

[Two Wheels Only]

1 minute ago, GeezerCouple said:

We found that out some time ago, when we tried to select a specific cabin for our kids and one grand.  However, when I called to ask for that specific cabin, they said it was usually held for 4, but we could have it for the other part of our family.

(This wasn't for any connecting cabin situation.)

 

I've done similar. I booked a sleeps 4 for only 2 people because of bed location and balcony size. Once for an angled balcony and once for a larger than standard "secret" balcony. I had to call but it was no problem.

 

As a side note, it seems that most people don't want a connecting stateroom unless they specifically try to book one. When people ask about a specific stateroom, I usually try to warn them if it is connecting. 

[RRSeeker]

I had a connecting cabin on my last cruise on the Breakaway in May because I needed a cabin for 4. It was not what I would have picked but they were the only mid-ship club balconies left that slept 4 when I made a last minute change of date due to Covid.
 

 

[MoCruiseFan]

I never pay attention to whether a room is connecting and I never will.  If a room fits my needs/wants for a cabin and it is available i will book it.

[PATRLR]

I'm another one who has never once given a thought to whether the room is connecting or not.

[phillygwm]

7 hours ago, styxfire said:

Please someone, help me understand why people book up 1/2 of a connecting pair of cabins...  just ONE half.  

Simple:  As others have stated, we don't.  I book through CAS.  Every time, the agent tells me my room number.  I'll be looking at the floorplan so I can see where I am but that's more about making sure I'm not under the pool or next to the bar.  Otherwise, I go with it.  Until this moment, I've never given a thought to whether or not my room is connecting.

 

Are there adjoining rooms available?  Even if not connected, that would seem workable, though a minor hassle.  Switching cabins is time consuming on embarkation day and that's if Guest Services would even do it.  Doing it informally comes with its own issues (you can't easily check your room bill, if you have deliveries to your room they go to the other party, PPV movies, room service, etc.)

Edited October 1, 2022 by phillygwm

[By the Sea I’ll Be]

I never paid attention to whether my room was connecting or not, but I will try to remember to do so in the future. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I would gladly switch rooms with a family who needed my connecting room so they could be together as long as it was allowed by NCL. Although it most likely won’t be an issue now that I’m aware.

[MotownVoice]

The way it works is that if something is for sale, and you want it, and you have the money for it, you can buy it .

 

You don’t need to concern yourself with how it’s putting other people, who are also wealthy enough to cruise, out.

 Put your energies behind fighting for people who are working two jobs and still can’t pay rent and buy healthcare.   Not how bad it’s going to be for a well-to-do family who is going to have to walk an extra 40 feet to get to their second luxury cruise ship a accomodations.  
 

(God.)

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We always book our own cabin.  We are very particular about location and wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it.  In our early years of sailing we unknowingly booked a connecting cabin and found that we didn’t like the noise from the other cabin and it was back when smoking was allowed in the cabins and we could smell their cigarette smoke.   We always make sure to pay attention to the legend.

[kacurl]

Only had a connecting cabin once, never again. Person next to us was constantly coughing and by the end of the cruise so was I. This of course was pre covid. We always book our own cabin, and look for cabins above and below us. Also would never book a guarantee cabin again. Just my two cents!

[Sundiego]

Everything else being equal, we avoid connecting cabins. Had a guarantee balcony on RCL once and got assigned a connecting balcony. We could hear the neighbors arguing constantly through the "common door".  After that fiasco, I carefully handpick every cabin lol. I would never rely on a TA or PCC to choose for me. Choosing our cabin is half the fun of cruise planning 🙂

 

Denise

[Homosassa]

Why would we book a connecting cabin when we don't need one?

 

Simple. It is the type of cabin we want in a location we want and there are no other cabins available that fit our criteria.

 

And as far as those yahoos who spend their time pounding on nearby cabin doors and talking in the hallway are concerned, they get one polite request from me to not do it, and then I let Guest Services handle it (usually security will talk to them).

 

The biggest offenders are those who book an adult and child in a cabin to meet booking restrictions and then switch cabins on board ship. The kids are left to roughhouse  and fight in the cabin and then run down the hall to bang on their parent's door to tattle.

[FLcruisergrl]

We avoid connecting rooms because we don’t like having the door. However, I would honestly never give it a thought, other than that. I don’t think people who book them and don’t need them are rude or inconsiderate at all. They are doing what works for them. It’s not like someone is specifically requesting a handicap accessible room when they don’t need it.

[Homosassa]

Connecting door aside, the fact that a room may have bedding for more than two passengers can be a moot issue if the life boat station for the cabin has already reached capacity.

 

It doesn't matter how much you may need that cabin because of the passenger capacity, it will not be available for booking.