FLcruisergrl

Haven spa. It’s one of the more economical Haven suites and you get the spa access.

The filet at La Cucina is better than any I’ve had at Cagney’s. And that peppercorn sauce and the blue cheese ravioli…perfect! Also, bread at Ocean Blue. So good!

We always tip. Usually 20%.

Neither the spa nor the vibe are guaranteed to be quiet, but I would think the spa has a better chance of serenity. You could try requesting your daughter’s access as an accommodation, but because the ships aren’t flagged in the US, they don’t have to follow the ADA. My choice would be the Haven, if it is in your budget, or the Waterfront. 

15 hours ago, detroitlions said:

I have to ask why do you hate PC? I am currious cause I have been out of many ports most of them Florida but never PC and I am going out of PC in Dec.

Not who the question is directed to, but we sail out of PC and love it. It’s an easy, same day drive from our home in NE Florida and have always found it very organized and easy to navigate. Now Tampa-that’s a clustf*&k!

As others have said, it’s only the sundeck. Your son is welcome in the courtyard/pool area and all other Haven areas. This is our first cruise in December with our daughter being “of age”, but we’ve never felt like we were missing out on our prior cruises when she (and therefore we) couldn’t use the sundeck.

1 hour ago, globetrotterjay said:

I read your original post before I embarked on Joy’s Haven penthouse suite in February and just reread with excitement as I’ll be in the Haven once again on Epic next year!

 

I will be staying in the Haven Spa Suite this time around and curious how it’ll feel to not be “in” Haven proper. I did hit the gym 5/7 days last cruise so being moments away from the gym this time will be appreciated. I floated 6 days on Carnival Vista a few years back where I stayed in a spa suite; can’t wait to compare thermal spas!

 

I intend to write a letter for my butler this time! Last time I verbally requested fresh oj for mimosas and was told fresh oj is only available at select times. Perhaps requesting in advance will work out better.

 

Could you/someone please be able to answer this? I’d like for my

butler to bring Starbucks coffee to my room. Last cruise I’d go there straight from the gym and felt gross all sweaty when others are looking nice. If I have the premium package that includes Starbucks, would that insinuate no additional fee for the butler to provide this service?

 

Thanks in advance, Jeni 🙂

Starbucks is supposed to be an additional fee, even with the P+.I say “supposed to” because some butlers will do it, but it’s not the rule.

Go ahead and contact the pre-concierge to book dinners. I wouldn’t wait on that. They can be reached  at NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com. Or, you can book them online yourself.

22 minutes ago, latebloomer56 said:

First let me thank you again for your post, so much information. We have not experienced the Haven on other ships only the Gem and in April we are taking our boys on the Pearl. We needed to cancel this past April on the Joy.  Have done the 2 bedroom suites many times and hope the one in the Haven is as nice.

Now my question, do you know of any Haven cabins on any ship that have twin beds? Looking at a family vacation for a large group and most would love to try the Haven on NCL. Right now we have looked at Princess but in Mini Suites ( no suite perks) because they have twin beds where needed, as well as a large sofa that makes a third good size bed.

Thanks as always, be safe and enjoy sailing on your next adventure.

The king size beds are true kings and can’t be split. The 2 bedroom on many (all?) have an upper berth in the 2nd bedroom that is a twin and a lower that can function as a single or a double for 2 smaller people. The sofa in the living room can do the same. The 2 bedroom sleeps 6.The aft balcony on Breakaway, Getaway, and Escape (and likely other newer ships) have that same living room couch. It slept my mom and daughter (both on the smaller side) just fine. The afts on those ships sleep 4. If you have a large party, try a Garden Villa on one of the older ships. Not a lot of twins, but, for example, the Dawn sleeps 7. 2 in the master, 2 in the second “master” and 3 in the third with 2 in the bed and one on the pull out. That is an experience that can’t be beat!

22 minutes ago, dave7502 said:

I have read both threads on the Haven; thank you, Sthrngary, for starting and moderating them so people new to cruising and the Haven know what to expect. It's greatly appreciated.

 

I'm in a Haven Aft-Facing Penthouse 15th deck on the Joy next week and have two questions. Firstly, I have read comparisons of being in vs. out of the Haven complex, and the large balcony won me over. However, everyone seems to agree that it's a decent walk to the Haven, but no one says how long of a walk. How long does it take to walk the length of the ship to the Haven from the Aft? In my late 40s, so no walking issues; I just dread the thought of the walk back after a late night out. Secondly, since you have to pay for cocktail delivery, if I don't want the expense, how far do you have to walk to any bar to bring drinks back to the room?

If you have no walking issues, you’ll be fine. It’s probably around a 5-7 minute walk, using the Breakaway as a comparison.

5 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL does not have water filling station on any ship. It is one layer of preventing the spread of disease. 

 

People filling water bottles need to use clean cups to get water from dispensers and fill their bottles. 

My gym has bottle filling stations that require the bottle to be placed on a pad several inches under the spout before the button can be pressed and water dispensed. No risk of disease  transmission because there is absolutely no contact.

10 hours ago, cxw said:

We just disembarked the ship this morning as well and it was our first time in the Haven. The bartenders, especially Joana and Al, were fantastic as was Gian. We found the food to be very good throughout the ship, but weren’t blown away by any meals. 
 

Our only big disappointment was our butler. We were in an aft facing penthouse outside of the Haven area so we rarely saw her and she didn’t do anything to make our cruise special. One morning I ordered room service breakfast and when she brought it she got the door hanging cards out of the room service menu and told me to use those the night before and not to call her or room service to order breakfast, so after this we were uncomfortable making requests. She did bring canapés in the afternoon, but that was it. She could clearly see that we drink a lot of water based on how many empty flow cartons were in our room, and never once did she offer to get more.  Last night we ate at Teppanyaki, which was excellent, and asked if our butler could bring sushi from Food Republic since they don’t serve it in Teppanyaki. They said no, but said she could get it and leave it in our room. Rather than do that our butler came to Teppanyaki in person and told us we could go eat it in Food Republic if we want it. This was also after we left her $100 in the room that she had already retrieved. I was perturbed by that interaction. In the future, what would you recommend that I do differently to ensure better service from the butler? Can they get alcoholic drinks using our drink package and leave them in our suite?  
 

We will be back and The Haven was a fantastic experience overall. 

Sounds like you got a bit of a dud in the butler! The sushi experience is definitely disappointing. The room service breakfast issue is really the best way, though. We always use the hang tags and then write in anything that is not already an option. For the future, I would recommend lots of communication and leaving notes. We’ve always done that and have had amazing service. We leave notes each morning with what snacks or anything else we want that day.  Did you communicate with the butler on what you’d like her to do to make the trip special? While some automatically go above and beyond, others will just do the standard job unless asked. If you want drinks delivered to the room, there will be a charge, even with the drink package. 

2 hours ago, PatJim said:

 After going through security, there should be a terminal staff person with a list of Haven names & cabin numbers.  She will direct you where to go.  Of course, every cruise terminal is different and probably has different procedures.  At Manhattan Passenger Terminal, they recently changed the location of the Haven Lounge.  Used to be right after security, on the left.  When boarding, we just walked across the terminal to the forward ramp.  In June and September the lounge was moved to the very back of the terminal o the right, making for a longer walk outside for boarding.  No big deal, though.

Yes, every port is different. I was responding to the person who will be at Port Canaveral. There is a staff member at the entrance to the Haven check in checking names

4 hours ago, Dcoy said:

Thanks for the info. Will be using the Haven checkin there next week. We ran into a similar situation in Seattle a few years ago. 

Haven area is in the back, to the left. Just go straight towards the back when you get past security and into the big room.

3 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

 

We were on the Sun to Alaska.  We decided late, and happened to find what must have been a late cancellation on one of the OS.  (We've been on the other end of that, having a medical emergency and suddenly making the cancellation of a nice suite, alas.)

 

Those OS on the Sun:  there are two, on in each forward corner.  They probably should be called DOS, but who's counting, etc.?

There is a very wide balcony, with a private hot tub, and chairs/loungers and a table.

The VIEW is amazing, and perfect for a scenic cruise.  We love forward views, so we'd have loved this for an ocean crossing. 😉 

It's got that same forward view, but "more of it", as one can look across a wider area.  (We booked Starboard, for a northbound cruise, and the beautiful coasts and snow-topped mountains... wowl)

 

I don't know what the space is like in the smaller accommodations on the various forward facing decks, but we'd probably take any of them in a heartbeat.

 

I can't say too much about the Sun more generally, as we mostly stayed in our suite, and had many meals served in our dining area with floor to ceiling, wall-to-wall glass.  It was one of our favorite cruises.

 

GC

Aside from the Dawn Garden Villa, that Sun OS has been my favorite room ever! We were only on for a short weekend cruise, but it felt like much longer, between the suite and the amazing staff. We loved it so much we booked it again, but unfortunately we were supposed to sail on March 13, 2020. The day the world shut down. We had a nice lunch, spent an hour in the suite, and then went home. 😢

While you’re likely to be offered a chance to bid to a higher category, it’s not as likely that you’re bid will be accepted and you will be assigned that particular cabin. If you want it, just upgrade outright!

Yes

Stormy Pirates

Magens 100%. I know there are plenty of people who love Sapphire, but I don’t get the appeal. When we were there, the water was very rough (too rough for us Floridians to get in) and it was very rocky. Magens was calm and sandy. There were changing rooms and kayak/SUP rentals. Magens is beautiful!

There are actually very few resorts on STT and STJ. But, Secret Harbour on STT is a nice option. No pool to use, but there’s a great restaurant right on the beach. On STJ, try Trunk or Honeymoon. Both good options with beach amenities.

18 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

Oh, wow - that is not something I had considered - thank you!  I've been all over the GSC videos and maps, but the steepness of the walk didn't register.  

OTOH, if we have the beach wheelchair, it might be ok?

We’ll, if it’s as steep as I remember, a wheelchair might cause issues for the person pushing it. If they aren’t strong enough to slowly maneuver it down, mom might have quite the ride right into the ocean!

4 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

I've been toying with that, actually - great minds think alike!  I'm thinking about the villa - the one that would work out best is expensive, but it would have a bed if she wants to take a nap, and a bathroom, and a TV for DH if/when he gets beach bored and wants to check out a movie.

And definitely on the weather - I do NOT want her to spend a week at sea and never touch sand once.  

The beach at the villas is a bit steep. She may have trouble getting down to the water.

17 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

Good thing I type fast, or, Cruise Critic ate my post!

 

Well, more like, I probably hit the x rather than posting it, but I wrote a lengthy, considered, erudite, award-winning rumination on cruising with issues, and poof!  She is gone.

The Cliff's Notes version of the novella (do folks even know what those are these days?  must google) is this:  Mom may have Requirements, but she and I between us have Issues, and these Issues are giving me heartburn.

 

The easy issue is mine:  I have celiac disease, and must eat gluten free.  And no, it's not like I *want* to eat GF (no matter how much they try to make it taste good, GF bread and pasta do NOT taste right, so I don't understand anybody choosing this lifestyle, but whatever.)  I MUST eat GF, and I have the lab results and damaged intestinal villi to prove it.  As I would prefer to spend my vacation in a lounger rather than that fabulous bathroom, I'm being careful.  From past experience with Dad and stories I'm reading on CC, NCL does a fantastic job with gluten free eating.

 

Mom is trickier.  Mom's got neuropathy, which means that sometimes, she doesn't feel her feet and sometimes she feels some of them, but not enough to have the perfect balance of her youth.  Aging being a "use it or lose it" proposition, if you don't have good balance and you decide to walk as little as possible because you're afraid of falling down, despite what everybody else on the planet encourages you to do . . . one day you won't be able to walk long distances, and your family will be trying to figure out the best way to get you places on a cruise ship so you have fun and don't feel trapped in your cabin.  Mom's got a cane and a rollator, both of which we are bringing, but wobbly Mom + ocean waves = uneasy Mel.

Fortunately, NCL partners with a company called Scootaround that will let you rent a wheelchair (or a scooter, motorized wheelchair, rollator. . . all the wheeled things!) and will deliver it to your cabin so you don't have to wrangle it on or off.  I'm told you can also take the conveyance with you when you go off the ship - so I think that one is solved.  I noodled around on their website over the weekend, and am just about ready to reserve.

But excursions . . . ugh!  Here's the complaint for the day - there are lots and lots of resources, both here on CC, on NCL's site, and on the internets at large, for discussing traveling with mobility issues.  Know what there's not?  VIDEOS.  I can go on YouThing and look at every excursion, I can google maps of the ports, I can find pictures of everything that somebody ate or drank for 7 days and I can even get recipes for my beloved muesli . . . but I have yet to find a video of somebody in a wheelchair getting off a cruise ship and going on an excursion.  I've been reduced to watching excursion videos, estimating the length of the walk to the taxi or bus, and then squinting at the screen looking for wheels in the background.

Our itinerary has a private island day, and between DH and DD, we will manhandle her onto the tender and get a beach wheelchair if I have to stake one out at 9 in the morning.  But I want to get her to a beach on at least one stop - just one! 

 

Puerta Plata is a no - I'm sending the kids on a waterfall and zip lining excursion while DH and I tour the island.  Tortola is a big no - the stop is ridiculously early and short (6 am to 1 pm, and we practically are across the street from the stop of the day before?)  So that left St Thomas . . . and Havensight is a long walk.  (Although we are scheduled to dock at the closest berth, so that's a thought.)  St Thomas also, unfortunately, is where the 4300-odd passengers on our sailing will be joined by the nearly-7000 pax on Wonder of the Seas, so St Thomas is going to be a hot mess.  (I may rethink Tortola.)  I got desperate enough that I very nearly booked us into a condo on STT, if only to have a place for the day, but the checkins are all at 3 and 4 in the afternoon and that's too late.

I'mma keep thinking on this.  Y'all got any ideas?  

Try Secret Harbour on St Thomas. It’s a quiet beach that most cruisers don’t know about. There are paved paths from the parking lot, through the little resort to the beach. There is a casual outdoor restaurant called the Patio. The water is very calm.

Being hungry…sounds strange, maybe, but I miss feeling hunger. Being stuffed the entire time is unpleasant after a while. Oh, and my pup!

10 minutes ago, CruzinMel said:

Oh, that's a bummer for him - I'm glad you guys can still go!  We're leaving on Dec 31 - maybe we have the same cruise?

 

I was thinking about spa passes, but every time I get them or have a spa cabin, I never go enough to justify it.  I want DD to have the whole experience, though, so I'm planning on a day pass for us.  Mom insists she MUST have a massage, so I will book her on one of the days that the rest of us are away on an excursion.

We’re the 17-24th. My DD is 18 now and has always wanted to try the spa, so there was that refund just sitting there, begging to be spent!  We’ll go in the evenings after dinner, as we don’t generally go to shows.