Cabin Categories Re-classified on Escape in 2020?

[JamieLogical]

I was looking at the October/November 14-day transatlantic on the Escape from Southampton to Port Canaveral and I noticed that the residential deck plans are drastically different from what is currently available on the Escape. It looks like they are re-classifying all/most of their room categories. For example, I have stayed twice in room 13870 on the Escape, which is a BE angled balcony. That same cabin will be reclassified as a BA. Also, very interestingly, many of the Haven Suites are being reclassified. New lettered categories are being introduced, so instead of just H9, H8, H7, etc. there will be HI, HG, HD....

 

[Two Wheels Only]

We've known about this for a few months. It isn't just the alphanumeric codes that are changing. In some cases, what is currently 1 category is being split into multiple categories with different prices. For example, all H6 staterooms are the same price even though balcony size differs. In the future, the larger balcony H6s will have a different name and price (usually $50pp more) than the others which will also have a different alphanumeric (H6 vs. HA/H7, for ex). Sometimes, the price is the same.

 

I've contemplated making a list/chart of the changes but posting it now might confuse people who are going to sail/planning to sail before the changes.

 

To make things worse, certain suites will NOT get butler/concierge service even though the same suite does get it today. If people aren't careful, they might not get what they think they should get depending on their sail date. The splitting up of suite categories is going to confuse people who have booked the same stateroom in the past. You'll see things like "Most include butler and concierge service." even within the same category. Currently, it's "Includes butler and concierge service." for the same category.

 

 

[K_e_short]

I remember reading on here about these changes.

 

Also when you search up each specific cruise ship it shows the category changes before/after Sept 14th 2020.

 

 

 

[JamieLogical]

Not sure how I missed the posts about this before! I practically live on these forums. Sounds like there will be some very interesting changes coming for the end of 2020 and beyond....

[Tinyturtle22]

Most categories on at least the mega ships are changing. The Epic will have major changes all the way down to studios. Larger rooms/balconies and higher decks will have higher classifications. The room I’m in for my January 2020 cruise will go from an ID to an IA after the change. Also studios were supposed to move up above insides but I haven’t seen confirmation of that.

[perditax]

Hah.

 

Is the short version here that they're selling even more Haven staterooms?

 

Also studios were supposed to move up above insides but I haven’t seen confirmation of that.

 

What does that mean, move up above insides?

Edited May 20, 2019 by perditax

[Tinyturtle22]

34 minutes ago, perditax said:

Hah.

 

Is the short version here that they're selling even more Haven staterooms?

 

 

 

 

What does that mean, move up above insides?

There was talk that they were going to put studios as the category above insides so that studios would be able to upgrade into an ocean view, not on Epic, or a balcony. Currently an “upgrade” from a studio to an inside isn’t actually an upgrade since you loose out on the lounge and the safety and privacy of being within the studio complex. Not to mention the premium price you pay for it. But it looks like that isn’t happening from what I can see from the new deck plans. Not really smart on their part because studios aren’t selling like the used to because people know they are exempt from the upgrade program.

[perditax]

3 hours ago, Tinyturtle22 said:

There was talk that they were going to put studios as the category above insides so that studios would be able to upgrade into an ocean view, not on Epic, or a balcony. Currently an “upgrade” from a studio to an inside isn’t actually an upgrade since you loose out on the lounge and the safety and privacy of being within the studio complex. Not to mention the premium price you pay for it. But it looks like that isn’t happening from what I can see from the new deck plans. Not really smart on their part because studios aren’t selling like the used to because people know they are exempt from the upgrade program.

 

That makes sense. NCL has refused to let me “upgrade” out of a studio before even when it meant I would be giving them more money, right there on the phone. 

[gizfish]

Lol, just like NCL to realize that people really like an angled balcony, so now they should charge more for it...

[coscab]

We had an angled balcony on the Epic, there was a pipe in the corner of the balcony and all night long you could hear "drip drip drip" we couldn't sleep even with the door open and the sounds of the ocean, it was that loud.

We usually book aft facing but thought there was more vibration than we were used to in the aft facing on the Epic when we first sailed in an aft facing on her so when we sailed the Epic again, we booked the angled, wish I had stuck with the aft. 

The ones with the pipes should have a discounted price not an increased price.

We have an aft facing balcony booked on the breakaway for Dec. 2019, but booked an angled on the Escape for 2020, aft facing was a bit pricey, I hope there isn't a drain pipe this time, I watched youtube videos until I found one that looked like it didn't have a pipe.😀