Sthrngary

@Sailing12Away GREAT advice. The original question is also a good one that led to your response. One of the many improvements I suggest for the Haven on all NCL ships is this coffee thing. I actually sent it to the executives at NCL because I really like the Haven, think it has some room for improvement that would be little to no increase in cost for NCL. The idea came after comparing the Haven to other brands accommodations and amenities from a value proposition standpoint. Some of what I suggest were but not limited to the list below: Coffee: All Haven guest should have complementary Starbucks coffees. I know that all Haven Guest can gain the French Press from the Haven Restaurant but that is loved or hated. Other brands have a full fledge barista bar that is complementary to everyone on the ship. Premium Plus Beverage Package: All Haven Guests should have the Premium Plus Beverage Package. This eliminates the need to provide your card when at the Haven Bar. The Premium Plus Beverage Package is a shell of its former self. This is not a stretch for NCL. Butler Deliver Adult Drinks to the Suite: If everyone has the same Premium Plus Beverage Package, then the Butler should have the ability to bring drinks to the suite as long as a bar is open. This is done on many brands and it makes a difference. Butler Gratuities: NCL needs to include the gratuities for the butler. It is wrong not to do so. Again, they price/investment of the Haven needs to be as all inclusive as possible to support the value proposition. Specialty Restaurants: These should be complementary to all Haven Guests. At absolute least, just provide every Haven Guest with the Free at Sea Plus program. Vibe Beach Club: The complaints with the Haven Sundeck is not having a bar up there. If the Vibe is open to the Haven Guest, it will not cause a issue with crowding. The Vibe is never crowded. It will open up the bar which is rarely busy in the Vibe. My Haven Guest will simply go back to the Haven sundeck. Soda's In the Suite: The only Haven Suite that has complementary soft drinks/mixers is the H2 Owners Suites, Owners Suites or on the small ships the three bedroom villa's. When you go on other brands, the mini-fridge is complementary with soft drinks. Thermal Spa: The number of Haven Guest is about 200. The only Haven suite that has complementary access to the Thermal Spa is the Haven Spa Suite. Give it to all Haven Guest with age restrictions. Haven Pool Adult Hours: The issue is not nor has it ever been the children. NCL is a family cruise brand. That is why even in a Haven suite, the 3-4 person is discounted or free. NCL wants the entire family. The issues have been the children's parents thinking the Haven Pool is the Kids center. Have a couple of hours a day for ONLY adult swim. Now some of you may be confused why I would suggest these updates in the Amenities of the NCL Haven. Allow me to share. As the Haven has gotten more and more popular, it has also gotten more and more expensive. There comes a point when you have to consider what other brands provide. That time came for me when I compared a 10-Day Mediterranean Cruise on another brand and mostly all that I suggested above was provided as part of everyone's fare price. Add to that, the ship was just refurbished and the cost of the fare was 65% less then the Haven on a per day basis. This makes it difficult to always book a Haven Suite even for the same Itinerary. I am still a huge Haven Fan. I just want a better value proposition based on the issue I and other Haven Guest have recognized. I will be a slight premium over other brands but there is a limit. I hope NCL is listening and will consider some of not all of my suggestions. I will send this post to them once publish to remind them of the letter I sent some time ago. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thanks for doing this. The Original Post was done in 2019. It was updated in 2022. The one you have was the updated one. I remember taking out most references to children in the Haven as part of this update. Thanks again for doing this. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@HHI Cruiser1 Thank you for asking. I wrote the NCL Haven Secrets twice. Updated at the end of 2022 I believe. I never posted the PDF for that topic. I don't have one. Sorry but thank you for the complements. Much appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Yesimapirate That sound great. I was not all that concerned but thought it was interesting. The more the merrier on the travel to Venice and hotel. Let's plan on it. Thank you for your note. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruisemom42 Thank you. Since Trieste is at the end of our cruise, it just provides some interesting options for visiting a new place. Maybe, we add more then a day at cruise end. Spend time in Trieste and take the train to Venice for a day before flying out. I totally get the reasoning and after my first trip last month to the Mediterranean, absolutely no fear of Trains and Buses in Europe. Thanks again. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@pinotlover The Venice port is actually the last port which is dis-embarkment port.

@ORV It was the Hangout Music Festival. I loved it. Especially Super VIP. Went several years in a row. The first two years, I had a Airstream RV. We stayed at the RV park right up the rode. The next year we did a condo up the road and brought electric Scooters to take us up the road to the festival. So much fun. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@harryw I love your approach and style. If we all look at an aspect of cruising that is less than nice, Pool/Library Chair Hogs are on the top of the list. I am sure they all know who they are and don't care what the rest of the world think of them. Entitled is as entitled does. Rude is rude and selfish is selfish. The reason why places like the NCL Haven (Haven Sun Deck) or Celebrity Retreat (Retreat Sun Deck) or MSC Yacht Club (Yacht Club Sun Deck) or even the NCL Vibe Beach Club exists has a lot to do with Chair Hogs. I used to get so upset at entitled cruisers until I realized, I had choices. The main one was not to get upset, not to get confrontational on my vacation and just find an alternative that even better. For me with Oceania, it was the Spa Sun Deck which I absolutely loved on every level. Should all brands do a better job of stopping this situation, YES. Will it happen, NO. How do I know this, years of cruising on many brands. If you are a chair hog, and you know who you are. Stop or next time, somebody might toss ink on your homemade sign saying a chair is reserved for YOU. Cruise well and enjoy every last moment.

@Torquer Thank you. My thoughts exactly. I was looking at the Train and bus schedule. It is so far in advance, it is nice to know how close everything is in Europe. Thank you again for your response. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I was on the Riviera last month and while cruising we booked a future Cruise. It was October 13, 2025, Monte Carlo to Venice. We liked the itinerary better then other ports and so we booked it. We are easy, if things change, we are flexible however we are looking forward to getting to Florence (if the cruising gods wish it to be) because it was a port that we missed last month. Yet, it is a cruise and somethings you have control over and somethings you don't. Today I look online and Venice, Italy is gone and Trieste, Italy is in it's place. It shows online as Monte Carlo to N/A now. I also noticed that the ship, Vista last port of Trieste, Italy, which was dis-embarkment did not show another cruise for the Vista for the next 6 days. Interesting to say the least. No big deal at this stage just an interesting turn of events. I guess this is what happens when you book two (2) years in advance. From a planning standpoint, the closest major Airport (Going to use Delta Airlines) would be Venice which is a couple of hours away per train or bus. Makes the trip even more interesting. Not a third world issue but I will love to see the transitions over time. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Tipping is one of those topics that get kicked around weekly on a cruise board. Those that ask, generally want to feel good about the decision they will make. With that as my focus, here are some thoughts. As @PhD-iva said, when you have a butler, they or a member of the butler team will deliver your room service. I like @PhD-iva pay the gratuity to the butler in the pre-paid gratuity program and provide extra also in the form of another lump some. The extra is just that, extra. When the butler is not part of the equation, again, no additional amount is required. However, if you would like to provide some additional, it is at your judgement. A few dollars seems appropriate. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@CDR Benson I simply cannot wait. Glad you are home safe. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JDPCruisers As I have said, I am no expert. Based on the assumption you are referring to the Riviera which is what we just went on, here is what I know. PH1, PH2 and PH3 are basically the same except for where they are located. The Riviera was just renovated at the end of 2022. My understanding all the ship got a redo but a few of the PH3 still have the bathtub where the rest were converted into a huge shower and storage. That is the best I can do. We like our Oceania Cruise very much and compared it to the NCL Haven. The difference was an enhanced cruising experience, with little to no children, on a smaller ship with better service and food. The entertainment was not as good but we knew that and the tradeoff was more then worth it. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JDPCruisers You are more than welcome. I am no expert but happy to share any part of my recent experience. Your experience on the Celebrity Beyond must have been with Captain Kate. She is an all time favorite of mine. What a pro. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MEFIowa All of what you say is true. My point was using the cancelled port as simply an example. Learn from others as I have learned some very important lesson's from you. Your approach to wine and drink is really well thought out and has a level of sport to it that makes it even more fun. Things happen one cruises and if we kind of know something could happen, we can attempt to have a plan for it. That is half the fun of planning. Then you have the new things you learn that are both good and bad. Just makes your planning for controllable things that much better in the future. I had a fun time meeting you and your lovely bride. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I personally don't agree with everything the OP said either. However, that was their experience, who am i to judge. To challenge their experience serves no value. Instead, we should take it under advisement, look to other for additional feed back about their specific voyages and experiences. With all reviews, mine included, we all have to look at them with a "grain of salt". Look for trends and patterns leveraging many reviews. When you find one, make notes and attempt to lessen to effect of what every it might be on your next cruise experience. One example that stands out to me. After following this board for over a year, it was clear that Oceania has a habit of missing or changing ports. I can't control that so I set the expectation with my guests that it just MIGHT happen. It did, we lost Florence, Italy and it was replaced with another port. Did we all want to go to Florence, yes. Yet, we fully understood that it could and would happen. Not that it matters, we booked another cruise for 2025 which includes Florence so maybe, we will make it next time. The bottom-line is the opinions give good, bad and indifferent can be leverage to gain a better result for all of our future cruise experience. Just notice. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Post Cruise Story: I booked a 10-Day Mediterranean Cruise on the Oceania Vista for October 2025 while cruising last month. It was so far in the future, there was a 5% early booking reduction, onboard fare reduction and $250.00 of onboard credit. My travel agency provided free gratuities. The deposit was reduced to $500.00 per cabin and we booked two cabins. The itinerary was good because we got to go back to a few places, one port we missed and Croatia which was a request from all involved. Other then mentioned above, that was the only fare discounts or reductions this far in advance. Looking At All Brands: Just like I did when I booked my November 2023 cruise just taken, I researched the other brands available at the same time as the cruise booked with Oceania in 2025. NCL Viva utilizing a Haven Suite; Regent Seven Seas Cruise; SeaBourne; Silver Seas; Crystal Cruises; and the list goes on. My research supports the choice of Oceania from a value standpoint. I will continue to look and watch for specials, sales, and incentives. Airflights for October 2025 to Europe: I used all my points for Delta Airlines for Delta One Business Class for my November 2023 trip. However Delta just updated their miles program and raised my level for yearly gifts to a lifetime Diamond Status. I have 4.5 million life time miles and Delta is rewarding my travel. I now, in February of 2024 will receive four "Globally" Upgrade Certificates allowing my wife and my self to book "Refundable Coach" and receive Delta One Business Class. I won't be able to book the flight until 330 days prior to the return trip. That is November 2024. Knowing I will be able to fly business class again makes the trip even better. All I need now is for Oceania to cooperate and provide some sales that apply to the cruise I choose. I even suggested to my wife and friends, this time do a back to back. That did not go over well but I have two years to make it happen. Wish me luck. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Butler_NCL_Cruises_Template.docx

@Harry Lake Hello Harry. Thank you for your reply. Again allow me to welcome you to CruiseCritic.com. Allow me to clarify. I am also an "Info Junkie". My approach is to really get to the core of what is offered, the policies and the rules on how it works and how to gain the maximum value of products and services. This all began 7 years ago. I wanted to go the the "Handout Music Festival" which is one of the top three/four day festivals in the country. It happens on the Beach every May. I was about 60 at the time and not in good health. They had an expensive and exclusive admission called, "Super VIP". Enclosed area for comfort/shade, hot tubs, Pools, golf carts, lunch and dinner catered by Beard Chefs, full bar and some many other amenities. All that was available was Marketing Material which was NOT very specific. I wanted more to justify the much higher cost. It did not exist on any social media, using multiple google searches. The realization that folks that pay that kind of price for Super VIP, don't post all the items and value received. So, I bite the bullet, paid the price and wrote the article after I attended. I did Super VIP again the next four (4) years. I did the same thing for the Bonnaroo Music Festival for Platinum and Artist Passes Backstage. This lead to doing the same research for high-end purchases. Fast forward, the same opportunity happened for deep research for the NCL Haven. Same thing happed. No real deep information happened so I did what I did for the Hangout, bit the bullet, paid the price and wrote the article. This happened again with Crystal Cruises, Celebrity Retreat and recently Oceania Cruises. I always have most of the information before I try/purchase/book the product the first time. However the real clear information and how to leverage it to get every once of value comes ONLY after you used the product or service. That is where the rubber meets the road and YES, things are different then my original research suggested. I hope that clarifies your comment. The more we all go on a cruise, evaluate the good and the area or improvement. The better folks in the future can avoid the negatives, focus on the positive and enhance their future cruising experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Izzy'sMoms Subjective. Could have gone either way but I had to remind him every day first thing to attempt to add our guest into our specialty reservations after he missed one day. I was on a piece of paper I gave him. If he would have said, I tried and I could not do it, it was a 10. If he did not try and I had to remind him, it was a 9. Subjective. Everything else was great. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@zteamtwo I have no clue. I would assume a tipping pool but allow someone else to comments. I am not sure. Cruise well and enjoy every moment

Today is Saturday morning, December 2, 2023. We got off our ship on November 19, 2023 so we have had some time to remember a lovely trip. Today our team, the Alabama Crimson Tide will Play Georgia for the SEC title. I don't think it is Alabama's year but hopeful. I woke up early to have my coffee missing Barista's illy coffee and my memories of my cruise came back to me. I asked myself, what would I do differently in the future to make our time even better. Have a Lunch Place Pre-Selected: The food in Europe is so very good but it can be bad also. Usually when you don't plan to got to a place away from the Tourist area's. I knew that and broke my own rule. Why? We simply got tired especially in Rome. Go to Waves at Night: My goal on my first Oceania Cruise was to leverage the specialty restaurant to the max. In doing so, we all missed a nice casual meal outside in nice weather with something as simple as a nice pizza with some wine. Do More Afternoon Teas: What a lovely break in a day and the experience was special. Try Oceania Excursions: We did none. Now with SimplyMore, we have $800.00 for our next trip for excursions. We will evaluate doing it our selves and prepared Oceania Excursions. Wine in Ports: We purchased a few bottles and not ever port. In the future, we will buy more wine to take onboard. Rare opportunity especially with lots of French and Italian ports. Learn to Use Google Maps on my iPhone Better: It was a little confusing and frustrating following my phone. Scary in a new place. Got lost a few times. Not as easy as I thought but it was my lack of experience. Worry Less About Having Euros: Gaining Euros at a local bank from a bank machine was just fine. You can time your purchases in the states but the difference was not that large. One less thing to worry about. Do an Art Class: We did a cooking class but not the art class. Not sure I will like it but it will be a new adventure. I highly recommend the cooking class. Go To The Get Togethers: We missed them because we could not get our collective group act together. On a smaller ship, this would have allowed us to meet more people from all over the world. Always Get Our Morning Coffee From Barista's Before Breakfast: The best perk on the ship is Barista's coffee. Fly To Port Two Days Early: Our first port was Athens. I loved it but it was to short. We were jet lagged. Our next cruise leaves from Nice, France/Monte Carlo. Seems like a nice place to spend an extra day. I wish we had Athens again but it will always have found memories. Especially the hotel. We all have choices, options and learn from our actual experiences. The statement, "You don't know until you experience something." is very true. We got lucky and made our own luck by doing some due diligence. Now we know more and hopefully with heath and planning will have even a better time with the benefit of knowledge. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@LabMom57 Oh boy what a loaded question. This is one of those kinds of no win questions that hijack a thread. The debate is pay upfront, pay at the end or do not provide any additional tip at all. I am OLD school. In my day, you NEVER paid upfront and back then, there was no pre-paid gratuity option. "I am OLD". As time went on, the pre-paid gratuities became a thing. All I am going to do is tell you what I gave my butler, not saying it is correct, to much or too little. I will confirm, it was in the butler letter which addresses why I provided it upfront. Long story not worth telling. The amount for a ten day Mediterranean cruise was $200.00 over and above the pre-paid gratuity. Now you do you and every else can make any decision they want. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Psoque It is so important to attempt to find a way to enhance our cruising experience. So we try new things. New brands, new ships, new itineraries and new experiences. Not all work out. The bottom line is it takes risk to get gains. Risks also can create disappointment. I loved HAL back in the day but did not like Celebrity. That is why there are so many options for all of us. What we can all agree too, we love cruising. What else really matters. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This post is SO important. Not just for everyone to consider Travel Insurance, I personally and completely agree. Also, the fact all of us, regardless of our life style, are open to becoming sick. It is part of the aging process. HOWEVER, the author showed great positivity in his descriptions and wanted to express concern to ALL about the need to protect ones self from a controllable financial loss. This brave person shared a difficult situation and did it with class and concern for others. @clarku You inspired me with your post and I thank you taking the time to write it. Get well soon. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.