Does a pull-out-couch bed block the balcony?

[lupaglupa]

We are sailing on the Gem to Bermuda this April in a balcony (BB) cabin. Our son will be in the bed made from the couch placed between the main bed and the balcony doors. Looking at photos and room layouts, I'm concerned that we will have to climb over our son to get to the balcony. Has anyone had any experience with this? I hate to have a balcony we can't get to. 

[Speedy55]

We went on the Gem last summer on the Canada/New England route. Our daughters slept on the fold out couch and there was a very small walkway between the bed and the desk area.They will fold the bed up during the day it was only after turndown service that was a balancing act. Have fun!

Edited February 25, 2019 by Speedy55

[mking8288]

This was taken on the Jewel - quite a few years ago, of a "standard" balcony with the slide-out sofa/bed ... sectional sleeper.  Practically identical to the one we had on the Dawn and on the Gem.  It was tight but doable, as noted.  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3oi8zge0t9y8ydp/SDC10170.JPG?dl=0

 

 

[don't-use-real-name]

Two arrangements:

 

 1) couch bed is located at balcony door then minor obstruction getting to that balcony

depending on which side the sliding door opens.

 

2) couch bed is in the center of the cabin and maneuvering around the main bed at the balcony ***

*** note this may present a problem getting to the bathroom and in and out of the cabin -

there are convertible couches that deploy almost the width of the cabin and others that

open the length.

 

All in all the movement about the cabin is not all that bad - but when things go bump in the night ''''' well

what can I say.

 

Check for photos images of same and similar cabins to get an idea of the floor plan i.e.

Google NCL (SHIP) and cabin number 1234

Not finding anything close look on the opposite side of the ship for a mirror image cabin.

Also access the cruisedeckplans.com site for more research

And then you have CC here. 

[bonvoyagie]

Regarding the photo of the Dawn from 2011 is that in 2016 she got all new furniture so that arrangement may not be there today

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, lupaglupa said:

We are sailing on the Gem to Bermuda this April in a balcony (BB) cabin. Our son will be in the bed made from the couch placed between the main bed and the balcony doors. Looking at photos and room layouts, I'm concerned that we will have to climb over our son to get to the balcony. Has anyone had any experience with this? I hate to have a balcony we can't get to. 

This is a problem if you are sailing with kids.

 

When our son was younger (so went to bed earlier) we used to book mini suites on the older ships (older than the Epic) for this reason. In the mini suites the person sleeps along the length of the sofa so it doesn’t stick out into the room as much. In balcony rooms the beds do indeed get in the was of access to the balcony. You can get out there, but it isn’t easy and you will risk waking people if they are light sleepers.

 

Unfortunately there are no balcony rooms that I know of on these ships which have the bed by the balcony (as is the case on the newer ships and one mini suite on the Jewel class ships). That arrangement would avoid this problem.

 

If you are booking a balcony room then you have little choice but to go with it and be prepared to struggle a bit to get out there. It is doable though.

[MikeC1610]

I wouldn't be worrying too much about how much room the sofa bed takes up when fully extended.  You can easily squeeze between it and the TV/Desk setup to get out onto the balcony.  

The problem with the sofa bed is that it is like sleeping on a park bench.

We just got off the Jewel and my 8 year old daughter required 2 foam mattress toppers to make it half comfortable.

The first thing you should be doing when your room steward introduces him/herself is request 2 foam mattress toppers.

Have a great cruise.

 

[don't-use-real-name]

2 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

Regarding the photo of the Dawn from 2011 is that in 2016 she got all new furniture so that arrangement may not be there today

Ya da clue might be dat bulky CRT TV - all the TVs part of the dry-dock renovation have been replaced with a Flat Screen

version that is better equipped to work with the On Board Services - account - shore dinner reservations - and best of all

better picture for the movies.

At least in moving about the cabin no more bumping into the CRT TV projecting out of its wall mounting.

Basic floor plan would remain the same with new carpet - end tables - lighting (USB fixture) and bedding mattresses.

About the only thing that can be done is splitting the bed into two twins - doesn't improve the mobility issues in the cabin.  

[lupaglupa]

Thanks to all who gave info and advice. Looking online today at price drops and I'm wondering if the layout in a mini suite would be better - but I can't tell from the pictures I'm seeing on line if the third bed would be the couch sideways (which would leave a lot more space) or the couch pulled out (which would be much like the balcony I have now. If the mini suite would solve this problem I'm good with paying a small amount more to upgrade.

[don't-use-real-name]

4 hours ago, lupaglupa said:

Thanks to all who gave info and advice. Looking online today at price drops and I'm wondering if the layout in a mini suite would be better - but I can't tell from the pictures I'm seeing on line if the third bed would be the couch sideways (which would leave a lot more space) or the couch pulled out (which would be much like the balcony I have now. If the mini suite would solve this problem I'm good with paying a small amount more to upgrade.

 

LINK to more photos images layouts and floor plan for the GEM:

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Norwegian-Gem

 

Click on a specific deck and look for a cabin with the YouTube Red arrow i.e. Deck 10 10648 (caution sound)

 

Look to the left and drop down to the Mini-Suite - CLICK ON MINI-SUITE CABIN WALK THRU

It will show similar mini-suite cabins in sister ships to the GEM and give you a better idea of the layout.

 

The major distinction between and Balcony and the Mini-Suite is a bit more storage room and a bath tub.

There is not much if any added space in the cabin itself bedroom living area

A Mini-Suite is nothing more than an Deluxe Balcony and does NOT have any Butler/Concierge service.

One plus (+) for the mini-suite is location - generally higher deck with better viewing and away from noisy

lower deck service entertainment areas.

 

[Freckle53]

We are going to be on the Gem in August and the crappy layout for a quad balcony is why we stuck with an OV.  For a quad, not only does the pull out couch block the balcony door a bit, but then the upper bed drops from the ceiling right in front of the balcony too.  I'm not sure if it was our steward last time we sailed NCL, or what, but he did not put away the upper bunk during the day so if that happened to us on the Gem, our room would be a mess and we wouldn't be able to even enjoy the balcony.

[lupaglupa]

For now I am holding at the balcony but if the price drops on the mini suite I may go for it - it does look like there is more room to get by the pull out couch. Three or four in any cruise cabin is a bit of a jam but a crowded cabin is well worth it if it means we can cruise!

[66Cruisin]

On 2/25/2019 at 1:31 AM, KeithJenner said:

 

 

Unfortunately there are no balcony rooms that I know of on these ships which have the bed by the balcony (as is the case on the newer ships and one mini suite on the Jewel class ships). That arrangement would avoid this problem.

 

 

I’ve been in two different balcony cabins on different decks of the Epic in the last 13 months and both of them had bed next to balcony and pull out couch in middle

Edited February 27, 2019 by 66Cruisin

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, Freckle53 said:

but he did not put away the upper bunk during the day so if that happened to us on the Gem, our room would be a mess and we wouldn't be able to even enjoy the balcony.

 

Just an fyi... if something like that happens in the future, politely remind your steward to put that upper bunk away. If he/she still doesn't do it, you should speak to his/her supervisor.   No reason to live with that situation.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Turtles06

[Turtles06]

On 2/25/2019 at 3:27 PM, don't-use-real-name said:

One plus (+) for the mini-suite is location - generally higher deck with better viewing and away from noisy

lower deck service entertainment areas.

 

On the Jewel-class ships, most of the mini-suites are located right under potentially very noisy public areas, including the pool deck, the fitness center, and the buffet.   By contrast, there are huge numbers of balcony cabins on decks that have cabins above and below them, not noisy public spaces.  Deck 10, for example, is a great location for a balcony on the Jewel-class ships.

 

3 hours ago, lupaglupa said:

For now I am holding at the balcony but if the price drops on the mini suite I may go for it -

 

For the reasons I just stated, please be careful about the location you pick for a mini-suite if you do book one.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[MikeC1610]

6 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

On the Jewel-class ships, most of the mini-suites are located right under potentially very noisy public areas, including the pool deck, the fitness center, and the buffet.   By contrast, there are huge numbers of balcony cabins on decks that have cabins above and below them, not noisy public spaces.  Deck 10, for example, is a great location for a balcony on the Jewel-class ships.

 

 

For the reasons I just stated, please be careful about the location you pick for a mini-suite if you do book one.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Another Tip

Try to avoid booking an interconnecting room.  We had one in a balcony cabin on Deck 10 on the Jewel and could hear the people in the cabin next door.  The seal on the interconnecting doors is not very good and therefore you hear the people in the adjoining cabin when they are talking or worse you can hear their TV very clearly as most people tend to have the volume up way too loud.  We never heard any noise from the people on the other side which was not interconnecting.

[KeithJenner]

6 hours ago, 66Cruisin said:

 

I’ve been in two different balcony cabins on different decks of the Epic in the last 13 months and both of them had bed next to balcony and pull out couch in middle

Yes, all the ships since the Epic have the bed position alternating, but on older ships that that (such as the one the OP is looking at) all standard rooms have the sofa by the balcony.

[Freckle53]

12 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Just an fyi... if something like that happens in the future, politely remind your steward to put that upper bunk away. If he/she still doesn't do it, you should speak to his/her supervisor.   No reason to live with that situation.

Thanks.  It was only our second cruise and our first with NCL so we didn't realize we could ask that it be put away during the day.