Enavigo

Newbie here.

We've only done Balcony Cabins. :o

Considering Suites for our next cruise.

 

Aboard ship, what's the difference between Butlers and Concierges ?

 

I've read several posts that mentions things they request Butlers/Concierge for.

Could you give me examples of items/things/requests passengers commonly requests ?

 

TIA !!! :)

Regarding the differences between butlers and concierges, I got the best tip on this site before my first trip. Basically, the butler handles anything you need/want/require/inquire inside your cabin. For anything outside your cabin you go to the concierge.

Smirnoff? If that's what they offer, they can keep it. :rolleyes:

 

#HowLowCanTheyGo

The whole list I just got:

Beefeater Gin

Smirnoff Vodka

Jim Beam Bourbon

Seagram's 7

Bacardi Rum

Cazadores Blanco Tequila

Dry White Vermouth

Sweet Red Vermouth

Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry

Sandeman Reserve Port

Jameson

Kahula

North and South Sauv Blanc (NCL branded wine)

North and South Red Blend

Three bottles of liquor AND three bottles of wine? Yep, that's a fair bit!

 

Any idea what brands of vodka are offered?

 

Tom

One option -- smirnoff. And based on my letter it is only 3 bottles total. Hard alcohol is on the list as well as one bottle of red and one bottle of white. Maybe that is just the Breakaway.

Yes, unlimited bottled water is one of the perks. Also a selection of liquors, and three bottles of wine. All four of us had the UBP as a perk so the free wine and liquor was overkill. We just ordered by the glass throughout the day. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong about how many bottles of wine. Pretty sure it's three though.

 

 

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I just received my shoreside concierge letter for next month's cruise. AT least on the Breakaway, you get 3 bottles of alcohol . . . that includes selecting from the NCL branded white and red wine.

Water, as I understand it, is not included with the ultimate beverage package. Is it a perk in the DOS?

 

Tom

Yes, in the DOS you get unlimited water (still and/or sparkling) and unlimited soda. You also get the 3 bottles of alcohol, but the selection is nothing to write home about.

We were in a DOS on the Breakaway to Bermuda in September and are going to be in the other one on the Breakaway next month to the Bahamas. To be honest, I did not feel we were treated any differently than any other Haven traveller. Not to say we were disappointed at all -- they traded everyone very, very well.

Were they able to get me reservations to dinners and shows? Yes. We walked on with no reservations and they were able to get us whatever we wanted within 15 minutes of our desired time -- but I saw them doing that for numerous Haven passengers. To the extent anything was done differently for the DOS it seemed to be we received things first and had our room cleaned/prepared first, but I think this was more a function of working from the front to the back of the Haven.

When we went on the Breakaway, we were traveling with some friends who were Platinum (we were brand new to NCL at the time with no status, but were in the Haven). They were having trouble getting in touch with the concierge to arrange an anniversary dinner (I think at Le Bistro--I can't remember). In any event, they asked us to make the arrangements for them. When I went to make the reservations, the concierge was happy to help but assumed it was for my party, when I told him no, it was for my friends he said he was unable to help.

We talked about it a little bit and he said that on the "newer ships" with a separate Haven they have been told to prioritize Haven passengers and that the concierges are not inclined to jeopardize the satisfaction of Haven passengers by taking time to deal with issues outside of the Haven.

At first I thought this was a bit extreme (after all, you don't get to Platinum without being a very loyal NCL cruiser), but over the week I saw the demands that some of the people in the Haven put on the concierge and then it made sense to me. I still disagree, but I understand.

Not everyone who sails in the Haven/Yacht Club is trying to "escape" from the masses. I hate using terms to describe groups of people but the term that the industry uses is "hybrid-cruiser" for people who want the seclusion at times but also want the excitement of a mega-ship (water-slides, go-cart track, bumper cars, zip-line, etc.)

 

I wouldn't want to sail on Regent, HAL or the other high-end lines with my kids as they would be bored senseless.

Well, count me as a hybrid cruiser! I could not have said it better myself. This was exactly our experience on the Breakaway in September. Loved the activities, diversity of offerings and the energy of the ship proper, but also loved the peace and serenity behind that haven door! And after spending the night at dinner and then a show or casino nothing beats hitting the haven lounge for a night cap ;)

I agree with the other poster. Peter is fantastic.

 

I had him 12/11-12/18 last month. I was traveling with DW and MIL who was using a mobility scooter and remained in the room a good deal of the time. At GSC MIL stayed behind and spent the day with Peter while DW and I were on the island.

 

He took fantastic care of her.

 

I gave Peter a letter with our preferences on day 1 (I also sent it to the pre-concierge, but it never made it to him) and he met every one. We rented a recliner from Special Needs At Sea and he rearranged our furniture so that the recliner would be positioned with a view of the sea. He brought us all of the snacks we requested and then some. He fed DW's coffee addiction and even brought our dessert up from Teppanyaki because no human could eat dessert right away after that much food!

 

Peter and Athena (the Steward) were a perfect complement to Anoop's excellent concierge skills.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Much appreciated! I sort of expected the butlers to all operate at a high standard, but I'm am relived to hear good things (not that I would ever let it make or break my trip).

I'm also excited to meet Anoop and see what everyone is talking about. On our Sept cruise he was not aboard. We had Patrick and he was fine, did a good job, but was sort of aloof and when you asked him if something was possible he would always say "of course" but in a weird way that made you feel like he thought you were questioning his abilities (if that makes sense). I don't know, I never put my finger on it.

Peter is very sweet and very prompt. I had a standing order for my morning items and he was always 6:30 am on the dot. I literally could set my watch by him. The people I sailed with drove him mad all week and they were not very appreciative but he was always so pleasant and I made sure to take good care of him at the end.

From now on I get everyone's tip $ on day one.

Thank you for the information! Funny, we had the same situation on our cruise From what I understand, our embarkation was unusual. For some reason boarding was delayed and by the time we started boarding the entire Haven room was jam packed and they were sending people to the overflow room. As a result, we sort of all arrived at the Haven lounge at the same time! Needless to say, the afternoon was hectic so we never even met Ramona until after dinner.

Later in the cruise I noticed there was a family that basically monopolized her every morning (in the hall). They were telling her everything they wanted for that day and when they wanted it and were giving them their order for the next day's breakfast. Even then, she always had a smile on her face and went above and beyond for us the whole week. I'll miss her but looking forward to meeting Peter.

We had breakfast in the Breakaway Haven every day and dinner there 6 of the 7 nights, all at various times. Never had a reservation and we were seated right away every time. Usually started and ended the meal with a cocktail in the Haven lounge as well :)

So sorry if I missed it in my forum search, but anyone recently been on the Breakaway and had Peter as their butler? If so, any comments?

We were on the Breakaway in Sept and had Ramona as our butler and she was fantastic! Not that we ever really asked for much, but she always went the extra mile and always had a smile on her face. Was really disappointed to find out she in no longer aboard the Breakaway.

In NCL's defense, the situation for lobsters (at least the cold water variety) has been getting worse for years now. Living up here in New England we hear about it all the time. I've read that the price per pound is now at a near all time high (1958 being the highest). Seems to be due to a combination of sharp decline in population, government regulation reducing authorized catches and a significant increase in demand from Europe and Asia.

I can see how this relatively sharp increase in price would not be something that NCL priced into their product, but I do think they could make a better effort to offer them at an upcharge for those wanting a lobster fix :)

Apologies if I missed this in my forum search, but does anyone have a copy of the wines they offer by the bottle in the Haven restaurant on the Breakaway?

I was on the 9/11 sailing to Bermuda and although we had an amazing time, I found the wine-by-the-glass program on the ship to be amazingly poor. Thinking this time I might bring one of my vacuum pumps and buy a bottle and drink it over a few days (hoping they can store it for me in restaurant).

Thanks! :)

I recall reading that if you upgrade to a haven through the bidding, your original perks are what you get. You will not get all the free stuff that someone who paid regular price for a haven would get. My question is how would the staff in the haven restaurant or lounge know who has free drinks etc. and who doesn't?

Your included perks are printed directly on your Freestyle card. In the top right under the Haven logo it states in bold if you have the dining and beverage package. For example, on my Sept cruise on the Breakaway I booked directly into the Haven so we got all 4 offers at that time (3x dining, Ultimate Beverage, Prepaid Grats and internet package). On my card in bold it says "3UDP-UBP." Any crew member can see your perks just by glancing at the card. Hope this helps.

We experienced the same with our Bermuda trip in May. We are less than 60 days out now, time to start packing....right??

I started last week! ;)

If I can get a upsell for 500 to a DOS ... I will be so happy best anniversary gift ever.. I'll keep my figure cross but I know it wishful thinking ... BTW I just checked to see what left and my aft penthouse is sold out and there still 8 2 bedrooms and 7 DOS...

 

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FWIW, I upsold from a courtyard penthouse (H5) to a DOS on my Sept sailing on the Breakaway. I realize that your ship is designed with several more DOS than was the Breakaway (we only had 2), but my upgrade price from an H5 to the H2 was $1100 pp. I was gun shy for sure to pull the trigger, but in the end it was worth it for us.

I realize I'm still 60 days away, but anyone recently off the Breakaway have insight into who might be there for the 2/26 sailing? I am hoping the Edgar will still be the Haven maitre d and Stefano will be on the Haven Bar. Ideally, I'd like to see Ramona as our butler again, but I know I'l have no control over that :)

I am on the same 2/26 sailing (also in the Haven). :) I was in the Haven on the 9/11 Bermuda cruise and 60 days out we were in a similar situation (something like 25+ Haven cabins available, I think). By 10 days out the Haven was completely sold out, but the cruise ended up going out only about 90% booked.

I remember being a little concerned sailing in a booked Haven on an unsold ship (thinking the Haven would feel busy and cramped). Nothing could have been further from the actuality however! The Haven never felt crowded -- always seats at the bar and in the courtyard, always at least one completely empty hot tub, never a wait for any meal at the Haven restaurant, concierge always available, etc.

The rest of ship, on the other hand, was generally very busy and the pool deck was absolutely crazy -- I could not imagine another 10% crammed into that pool deck. I enjoyed the energy of the ship and the people watching was 1st rate, but nothing beats opening that door to the Haven and stepping into complete peace, quiet and serenity :)

Thank you for great live blog! I've only been on one NCL cruise (Breakaway to Bermuda) and have one in Feb on the Breakaway doing the Bahamas route. My family wants to take the Dawn out of Boston next summer (I live 5 mins from the port) so it was great to see all the ship venues and get some sort of mental picture for the comparisons to the Breakaway.

I mean absolutely no offense here, but you and Sue remind me of Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper -- so funny and welcoming. Thanks for taking us on your journey.

Hubby and I drank a lot of Old Fashions and Gin Gimlets...the occasional Rob Roy and Vesper Martini. (If it's good enough for Don Draper and James Bond it's good enough for any man!) [emoji483][emoji484] CHEERS!

 

 

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If you like old fashions, the Haven Bar on The Breakaway makes a great one! The bartender fancies himself an old-fashioned mixologist. He actually smokes the bourbon with a hand held smoker and a few cigar leaves. Calls it a cigar old fashion. I can't tell you how many I and my partner had on our Sept cruise. :)

I'm doing a little dance right now, called for the Upsell and could not say no to the price. We were in an H5-first time in the Haven (and NCL for that matter). Any tips about the DOS on the Breakaway...we are in 16702.

Congrats! I was in that exact suite last week on the 9/11-9/18 cruise! Just like you, I upsold from an H5 and it was worth every penny! You are going to love it! I can confirm that when you are sitting in the living room you can certainly hear the OS next to you, but it was never really that bad at all. Also, I know some people told me I might not be able to use the balcony when at sea because of the wind, but that was never an issue for us (maybe we just had really calm seas and good weather?).

From the moment we arrived at the terminal to the moment Patrick escorted us off the ship, we were treated so well. The whole team in the Haven is amazing. If they keep all the same assignments, then your room steward will be Cecilio (sp?) and your Butler will be Ramona, both were outstanding. When you see them, please tell them the Brians say hi (I miss them already).

One tip, it took me FOREVER to find the room safe! It turns out they prop the door between the master bathroom and guest bathroom. If you remove the door stop and look behind you will see a closet and the safe is in there.

Also, if you find yourself in the Haven Lounge some night, the head bartender is amazing. His name is Stefano and he fancies himself an old fashioned mixologist. If you tell him what you like he will mix something up delicious. During our week he actually used a smoker to infuse bourbon with some cigar leaves and made me a cigar old fashioned.

It's only been 6 days since we returned and I am already looking forward to our next visit to the Breakaway Haven. Have a great time!!

We had the movable wall in the Garden Villa on the Star. It sucked. We didn't have it on the Garden Villa on the Pearl. Can't speak to the other Jewel class ships.

 

@Enavigo Congrat's on the upsell. :)

I'll keep this in the back of my mind and report back post cruise. Of course, if I can hear them in OS I'll just invite them over for a drink :)

Congratulations !!!!! it will be worth every penny spent...

i see you are from Boston area...the DOS is like staying at the LIBERTY HOTEL in Boston... its just grand and completely over the top..

 

Get to port early and enjoy the Haven special resting area upon arrival to the port...when you get escorted on the ship and directly right up to your room your jaw will drop....also bring about $250- $300 to divide up with the Butler...concierge..room steward and those who literally bend over backwards for you the entire week.

 

safe travels...and write a review upon return!!!

 

Best,

Mark

Thanks, we're pretty excited to see what NCL is all about. Yes, I live and work in the Financial District here in Boston. Actually, the DOS will be bigger than my condo in the city so it will seem even that much more spacious!

Thank you for the advice. Never had a butler before so I'm sure there will be a good deal of adjusting for us. As for the Liberty Hotel, one of the most interesting hotels in the city. I'll admit, every time I look up and see all those old guard catwalks I instantly think Shawshank Redemption.

I called the upsell department directly with the number I found on this Board (800-625-4309). The woman that answered was very nice, but was kind of on autopilot (reservation number, port of departure, ship) so I got the impression that they deal with these calls on a regular basis.

I'm still a little surprised at the rate they offered me. In fact, I checked the email confirm like 3 times just to make sure the rate they quoted me was correct. I wonder if it is because we a cruising at the start of slow season after Labor Day when kids are back in school?