Touyakun

I enjoyed reading your escape review and your review of the haven. Question for you; I have sailed in aft penthouse suite on NCL; non haven. Do you like the aft penthouse with haven access better than a suite inside the haven area?

I'm not the one you asked, but I sailed in an aft Haven room. The room and balcony were amazing, but the walk was too much for me, especially since I ended up eating almost every meal in the Haven. I suppose I could have done more room service, but that just really doesn't appeal to me. I think I would have spent more time in the courtyard as well if I was closer.

 

We are booked *inside* the Haven for our next cruise, even though the room is smaller :( I think if you don't plan on spending a lot of time in the Haven, the aft room is amazing.

 

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Wow. You found the haven restaurant that good?

I personally found the Haven restaurant significantly better than the specialty restaurants. We tried La Cucina, Le Bistro, and Teppanyaki and were disappointed in all 3. Cancelled our 2 remaining reservations and ate in the Haven breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This was on a 9 day cruise. The menu is small, but I'd rather eat something really good twice than something very blah and different. Ymmv

There is a "vip" area to the right of the dock. It is 18+ only and includes chairs and umbrellas - lots of shade. I believe it was $30-40 a person. Includes drink, buffet lunch, and waiter service. You have to purchase in the gift shop at the end of the dock, NOT the shop next to it that has tubes and life jackets and stuff.

 

Anyways, just another option for you. Was worth it for my Mom as she has trouble walking and just wanted a shady place to relax. Blue Lagoon was great - very nice place, great beach.

Does anyone know if these baths are available only in the Haven Spa rooms? Or are they available in any Haven room with a tub? Like the Haven aft has just a normal tub, not a jacuzzi, right?

 

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Be sure to tell the train conductor that you will need a red cap. He may be able to set that up for your arrival.

Good idea, thank you. Are the red caps usually available at the curb, for our return trip?

 

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Currently, NYC yellow taxi has a wide variety of approved fleet vehicles, including SUV, minivans, sedans, some are hybrid and these custom designed, access-friendly Nissan NV-200.

http://cloudlakes.com/data_images/models/nissan-nv200/nissan-nv200-12.jpg

 

The wide bench seat is good for 3 average-sized adults plus 1 more in the front pax seat, the suitcases should fit in the rear along with the folding transport chair. If the next available taxi at the stand isn't big enough, just wait & let others behind skip & jump in ... on our recent trip back from JFK, there're tons of these at the airport - and, I've seen them at NY Penn Station & outside at the cruise port.

Oh that's great, thanks for the info! Feeling much better about this

There will be 3 people in my group + luggage. One is a child and one is in a transport chair (they can walk a few feet, so transfers aren't a problem). We are arriving via Amtrak at Penn Station mid February around 6:30pm. It is amtrak, so actual arrival time may vary by a few hours lol. Hotel is the Knickerbocker on w42nd.

 

I will definitely use the red cap service at Penn Station. But there are 3 people plus luggage, and a small collapsible wheelchair. Will we all fit into a normal taxi? Uber? I would reserve a car service, but from my limited knowledge of Penn Station there isn't really a "car waiting area", and I have no idea of actual arrival time anyways. If it was just me I would just walk or use the subway, but that's not going to happen pushing a wheelchair and several suitcases in the middle of winter. WWYD?

Some drinks, yes. For frozen drinks (Miami vice, Mango Meltdown, Bushwacker, BBC, etc), any bar that has a ice shaving machine (they are big and black, with a clear lid, if I recall) should be able to make those drinks, even if they aren't on the menu for that particular bar. If the bar doesn't have that machine, they can't make the drink.

 

For most mixed drinks, look behind the bar to see which liquors they stock. If they have the ingredients for what you want, ask away.

 

That said, some bars mix certain drinks better than others. Garnishes, for one, may not be the same from bar to bar. If this matters to you, stick with the drinks that are listed on the bar's menu. You may also want to try the same drink at different bars around the ship to see who makes it the best. Our rule of thumb is to look for bars that actually have muddlers. If they do, they are more likely to use fresh lime in their drinks rather than pre-bottled juices. For drinks like Moscow Mules or Dark and Stormys, this makes a huge difference in taste, IMHO.

 

Specialty drinks, like the mojitos from Sugarcane will only be at one bar and can't be reproduced elsewhere.

 

Also, some bars will pre-mix certain "high volume" drinks, while others will make all drinks from scratch. I prefer mine made to order, so will seek out bars that don't have huge hugs of cocktails made up.

 

Thanks very much for the info! I'm hoping to get most drinks from the Haven, but I will be sure to visit some other bars to try some of the specialty drinks. Frozen sweet fruity drinks are my favorite - mango meltdown sounds fantastic!!

Thanks everyone for all of the information! Great to be able to get advice from people who have actually been there =) This is a great community

What if you don't use the concierge and book everything yourself? What else do they do for you? I have not been in the Haven yet but would like to know what they do for you.

 

Someone who has actually been there might be able to answer this better, but it is my understanding that they also help you with the priority embarking/disembarking and priority tendering. Assist you in getting the better/reserved Haven seats at shows. They can help you reschedule things like spa, dining, entertainment, shore excursions if you decide to make last minute changes. Probably other things too. I like to book all of my own stuff too, but I'm guessing I will still use the concierge for some things.

Hi all, first time cruiser and turns out I will be staying in the Haven on the Breakaway. I have some newbie questions - any help is very appreciated!!

 

1.) How do you handle tipping (for steward, butler, concierge) - do you seek out the person on the last day? Just leave the tip in an envelope in your room? Do you need cash, or can you use your on-board account?

 

2.) I understand the Haven cards are "metallic". Can I still punch a hole and use a lanyard? Like are they just "metallic" colored plastic, or are they actually metal?

 

3.) Are the cards waterproof? I remember reading something about getting a sticker on your card with certain packages, seems like that would wash off?

 

4.) How crowded does the Haven on the Breakaway get (winter break, so probably full ship). Will there be enough lounge chairs for everyone?

 

And also a few non-Haven specific questions:

 

5.) My son gets really cold easily and we are sailing in February. He has a shorty wetsuit - could he wear that on the water slides? It has a zipper on the back. I know the freefall requires no metal, but I wasn't sure about the others. I could also throw a swim shirt or something over top to make it more slippery...

 

6.) What do you bring with you on excursions, and how do you keep it safe? I read that most people leave their passports on the ship on excursions - I'm confused about this, as I thought one of the important things of having a passport was in case you missed the boat! How do you keep your stuff (id, cash, etc) safe and dry? Waterproof lanyard case? I was thinking of the dolphin excursion, but it's just me and my son, so I don't have anyone else to hold my stuff and keep it safe.

Can you order these drinks at any bar on the ship? Or are some of them specialty drinks that can be only ordered certain places? Sorry if this is a dumb question, never cruised before! =o

Ok Breakaway it is! Think I might splurge on the spa pass for myself as well, so my son can go to the splash academy and mommy can relax =) Thanks for the input everyone!

This is my first cruise, and the first big vacation for my son (10yrs). On a super tight budget and my main priority is making sure my son has a blast. Things like casino, nightlife, etc are not important. We live in NY, so that's where we will be leaving from. I've narrowed it down to:

 

9 days Florida & Bahamas on the Breakaway mid February (winter break)

11 days Eastern Caribbean on the Gem late March-April (spring break)

 

I know the Breakaway is a lot newer and has a lot of features my son would love (water slides and rope course!). He weighs less than 99 pounds but is taller than 48", so I think he could use everything other than the big water slide. However, I'm very concerned how many of those activities he will actually be able to do, considering we are leaving NY in Feb. Is the aqua park/rope course usable after the first day? Is Bahamas warm enough to enjoy in February?

 

The Gem has less features but is a longer cruise, later in the year, and includes the distinctive voyages promo. BUT it is missing the features I think he would love the most.

 

Both of these cruises would be ocean-view rooms, almost the same price. Which would you pick? Looking for any and all advice here. thanks so much!!!!