Coops2222

I think you are right - thanks for the post x

BTW ...bid an extra £500 for an upgrade to Club Suite balcony however been told I've been outbid. Determined to have a great time visiting all the ports etc. Thanks for supportive comments everyone who sent them ! 😉

Thanks Dr Ursula x

Thanks Asawi 😊

They say they are fully booked however apparently someone at NCL told me yesterday that they hold back cabins for those that bid to upgrade. I have just heard that the travel agent accepts it was their error and are refunding me some cash which I have put towards a higher bid for an upgrade. Fingers crossed 🤞

I just googled Monty Python "Hello I am Bounder of Adventures" Hilarious 😂 thanks for that x

I dont disagree however they are a cruise specialist travel agency..not a high street package holiday travel agent. I only looked the cabin up AFTER I was informed on the confirmation invoice about the balcony being enclosed. No need to question it before paying as the photo of that cabin on their website showed a normal balcony and Iglu Cruises agent directed those cabins to me as being available over the phone so I did check out the photo before paying. The photos of hull balconies on the Epic are not good as other people have pointed out here on CC. See below. Whilst I appreciate othe posters have said they do not mind, I do mind and it is not what I paid for at the time of booking. I have also read on this forum that this has happened before to other cruisers however they didnt realise until they got in to the cabin. I would have rather saved money and booked an inside cabin. Cruise is sold out now so I can not do that. Have a great day Bird Travels.

I was on the phone with her booking the cruise and she directed me to that group of cabins which I found out afterwards are offered to solo cruisers. Had she said it was a hull balcony I would have said no thanks and been happy to pay more for a normal balcony which was available at the time. By the time the invoice came through ( after I paid) it said 'Please be aware this is an enclosed balcony' I had to look that up by the way....All balcony cabins are sold out now. Have offered to upgrade to club suite cabin on website upgrade but no guarantee I will get that as have offered £250 more and it's like an auction from what I'm told by NCL.

Absolutely Asawi. All I requested was a normal balcony cabin. Not a balcony which turns out to be an enclosed metal garage tacked on to the cabin with a porthole in it. Simple request and T A should have advised me it was not a standard balcony. Everything else fine so not sure where the Goldilocks syndrome comes in to it 🤔

Thank you so much The Bearded Cruiser... I too thought that some of the posts lacked compassion however, unfortunately, realise it is what you set yourself up for when you post on a public forum. Also 100 % agree with this paragraph....this is what I am talking to the T A about at the moment. Not getting very far though 😕 WRONG! OP hired a travel agent. Their job is to help their client. They are the expert! They should have noticed the symbol and informed their client that the symbol means that the cabin has an obstructed balcony.Otherwise, what is the point of a travel agent?

Thanks for kind message ! Ha ha... would tell you about tales of perspex if I get moved to a balcony cabin with that on the balcony. It's looking like they can't move me though so will take photos of metal casing balcony! 😅👀🙃

Thank you so much for your helpful comment and best wishes DCGuy64 😊

Well...I've certainly learnt my lesson, not to mention a lot of new terminology and new found knowledge of deck plans, having had this experience, so that it won't happen again in future, TA or no TA.

Yup. That's why I used a travel agent and would have expected her to be able to decipher the symbols/terminology on the deck plan as she was guiding me to make a choice. I cruised on Princess at front of ship in March and it wasn't an enclosed balcony. Could see the bridge which didn't bother me so in more or less exactly the same place. I've never even heard of the term Priva Sea so wouldn't know what it meant had I noticed it. 😳

TBH I dont know as the TA just directed me to these cabins on the deck plan - I normally pay single occ in a double cabin and had no idea these were for solo travellers and of course, that they had the metal enclosed balcony as the photos did not show that and she did not make me aware when we were choosing it over the phone. Again, learnt a lot on here so I hope it might help some other 'solo' cruisers or indeed couples who have these cabins suggested to them by the TA. { I think an upgrade to a cabin with proper balcony was an extra £348 however they sold out in the 2 days i was faffing with customer service over the phone.}