amygutman

Just booked the Getaway Haven for April 2023 - very much looking forward to your report! Have a wonderful and safe cruise! Warmest, Amy

On the Pearl now in the Haven. As a Jewel-Class ship, the Pearl does not have a Haven dinner restaurant (Modernos for breakfast, Cagneys for lunch). No bills presented for breakfast or lunch...no bills = no gratuity charge. We did eat at Cagney's night two for supper as part of our specialty dining package. My husband's and my supper costs were listed (60$ and 65$) but the bill total was "0$". The bottom of the bill had "20% gratuity added to the cost" but the total was still "0$". Our 13 yo does not have the specialty dining package, and managed to have a 60$ meal (we promised him lobster much to my wallet's chagrin). He DID have a 20% gratuity added to his meal for a total of $72. On top of that, we loved our waiters (the same we see at breakfast and lunch), so we added an additional tip in cash - just to ensure it goes directly to them. This may not answer the Haven dinner "inclusion" gratuity question, but it's in-line with the general costs and bill presentation with gratuity already added in a "Haven" restaurant. Hope that's helpful. Warmest, Amy

That's great to hear...so appreciate of the information!6

That’s very helpful info. Ty!

It definitely is different than GSC - disappointing really as the inclusions help making the villa prices more palatable. that being said, the other perks (like shower and bathroom, plus convince / safety of a safe) are amazing and to us, make it worthwhile.

That’s great to know! Thanks.

Great question! We’d love to get the answer as well as we have a villa coming up in December. We understand that due to this being a Belize owned island vs NCL-owned like GSC, you pay for all food and drink on the island - nothing is included in any onboard dining plan, or drinking plan. I’m curious if our cruise port credits of $50 applies to Belize, and if so, how exactly. Honestly, with the cost of the villas we are just shrugging our shoulders re: snack and lunch costs, and willing to take on any food or drink costs vs trucking back-and-forth to the ship and losing time in the villa (but that’s just us). Hope you have a great trip, and looking forward to the replies! Warmest, Amy

Ya know...that's a great attitude. My vacation, my "sweet spot".🚢 I'm on a cruise in 23 days and could not be more excited!

Ah yes, well...I find that killing with kindness is, if not helpful, very satisfying! 😁

The decorations are ship-wide starting after Thanksgiving and are beautiful. We have been in the Haven on the Gem, Escape, Encore all during Thanksgiving / Christmas and can vouch for an amazing Haven "Holiday Spirit". There are huge gingerbread displays (even a train / Christmas village) in the Haven lounge on each ship as well as near the atrium (even with a minion Chanukah display), and tons of trees, glitter...my kiddo even got to help put up all of the holiday decorations / trees on the Gem as he asked if he could share in the fun. Ended up with a NCL shirt and chocolate ship cookies as his "paycheck" (he was delighted). There is usually a special holiday meal selection as well in the Haven (and all restaurants, even the buffet). We always bring a little extra gift for the Haven staff as you get to know them well on the cruise, and they really miss being with their families - no matter what faith they are, it's more of the "holiday blues" that they always smile through. It's usually universal phone minute cards so that they can call home or visa gift cards they can use on the ship for WiFi minutes. Have a wonderful holiday! Amy

💖 Thank you both...and I was not trying to be start a fight or disagreement. It truly is a "sweet" milestone to me as cruising is my happy place. It's more of a "oh cool...look at the amazing places we've been and people we've met" vs "oh cool...free pin". Have we been on other cruise lines? Sure - but we love NCL and the Latitudes perks are very nice. It may not mean the world to everyone, but to our family every day on a cruise is another awesome memory. In that respect, that silly pin means the world to us (and thank you Nilbog...you are too kind). Just my opinion...Warmest, Amy

I feel your pain. We are at 149 points...one away from sapphire. That one singular point would give us a nice little perk upgrade, but both our TA and the Haven pre-concierge said it's a hard "no". Yeah...we are super lucky to have the Haven perks, but still - there's something so sweet about Sapphire level. 25 days until our next cruise, so happy to get the bump for our 2023 Alaska sailing! Warmest, Amy

Thank you so much for your reply. Great to know both about the umbrella and the shady areas...husband gives his thanks to you as well. It's so funny - you would think between the butler and housekeeping stopping in the room unexpectedly, he would know not to troop around in his unmentionables, but for clearly the line was drawn at mooning the entire pool deck 😂 We appreciate the information! Warmest, Amy

Good morning - Less than a month until our bucket-list Panama Canal cruise. After watching JimZim's video, we splurged for DOS 15000 with hot tub as it seems to be the best place to look at those engineering feats. From the reviews it looks to have an amazing balcony but no shade. I was wondering if anyone has had luck obtaining a large weighed umbrella for the balcony. We asked the pre-concierge about an umbrella (she has been amazing in nailing down all of the other trip details), but was told "it was at the discretion of the concierge crew and captain" and would pass on the request to the ship concierge. Anyone know the odds of the request being fulfilled? It's not even close to a deal-breaker as I love the sun, but my husband and 13 yo son prefer the shade. Won't take a bit of joy away from a trip we have been waiting over 2 years to happen! We are seasoned cruisers, but would love to read thoughts about this suite or it's mirror DOS 15500 for those who have stayed in it (Panama or elsewhere). My husband is worried about "night-time visibility" from the ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the pool as he and kiddo do like walking around in boxers. I'm giving up my usual "mom-bathroom" for the balcony (we usually do Haven 2 beds / 2 baths), and prefer a door vs a curtain separating the living space, but hey...you won't hear a complaint from me as we are super blessed to be on this trip. Thanks in Advance, Amy

Interesting thought - I thinks wrestling wet feet in and out of shoes would be challenging (but i'me super clumsy). Honestly, a shower mat takes up very little room, and we often leave it on the ship. We always ask our stateroom attendants if they would like anything of our "accessories" rather than packing to go home. The fabric cubes, magnet hooks / clips, mesh laundry bags, over the bathroom door shoe holders and shower mats are always snapped up quickly as are extra phone charger cords (we usually buy multi-packs on amazon), clotheslines with clips, and poo-pourri.

Haven't seen this yet but we always bring a shower mat. Not all ships have the "non-slip" coating on the shower stalls / tubs and "Slip and falls" are super common especially in unpredictable seas. Cheap, small / light to pack and can save you a trip to the infirmary. Great suggestion list! Safe travels, Amy

Thanks for giving me something exciting to look for next week! We are headed to the Panama Canal from Miami on the Pearl Dec 10th 2022, then your same itinerary on the Encore in September 2023. This will be a lovely preview of both locations and one of two ships for those trips. We look forward to your review and terribly jealous of your amazing adventure! Warmest, Amy

Thank you so much for the amazing videos - gives such a great overall "feel" to this ship. We are sailing the Panama Canal December itinerary and could not be more excited. Although we love the big ships, our favorite ship has always been the Gem and this has a very similar layout. We find that although the older, smaller ships do not have the "bells and whistles", the service has always been at such a higher level. We really appreciate the time you took out of your vacation to enhance our experience. Warmest, Amy