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@Brad1185 Thank you for responding. I have a lot on the line as well. I also have totally read every single post on this and other boards about Oceania. The truth is, if what I wanted was a close to perfect as possible, I would have booked the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or Regent Seven Seas Cruises. It would have cost me three times as much. Yet I studied those brands also. The brand boards are less then complementary at times, just like this board. Instead of focusing on hearsay from those posting, take their comments under advisement. Control what you can control just like what you would have done with Viking. My wife also said, if this cruise does not go well, that is it for cruises. So I feel your pain. I am confident that what will go wrong, will indeed go wrong. Roll with the punches and stay flexibly. It is a cruise, in a floating hotel, on the water, with weather as a constant issue, things will go wrong. All brands. My unsolicited advice is, go on Friday looking for the positive instead of the negatives, report back here so we can all learn from you. I am a betting man. I BET you will be pleasantly surprise if you go into it as a new adventurer. PS: I have cruise most brands. NCL is no better or worse for me than any other. I tend to go in the NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat and MSC Yacht Club to manage my expectations. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Brad1185 Not that I am an expert or anything on Oceania, I am NOT!! I would like to know why you think you might have made a mistake? My gut tells me you are reading posts by folks that have 98% things that are wrong, and 2% things that are right. Unless this is your first cruise, which I doubt, this Oceania Blog is no different then NCL, Celebrity, MSC, or any other brand. Some folks talk about how everything is perfect. Other talk about who everything is a issue of one thing or another. Both groups of people in my humble opinion are being sincere. Yet they are the top and bottom 10%. It is the 80% in the middle that I focus on. The more you read, the more you learn to manage your expectations. My experience comes from other brands. The more I read, the more I could approach things that might be less then perfect in a way that it did not negatively impact my vacation. An example for flying internationally as only an example is, the seats and area around the seat have been less then clean. I bring disposable cleaning clothes now just in case. Usually I don't have to use them which exceeds my expectations. On cruises, (NOT Oceania, YET), my first day I notices my bathroom cleanliness was not to my liking. I use the same disposable cleaning clothes for the cruise as for the flight. The alternative was to get upset every time and it started my vacation out on the wrong foot. As it relates to the cruisecritic.com Oceania Board, the folks here seem to be much more realistic about managing their expectations and having realistic expectations. For me a great example is a trend of Oceania missing ports. Since I have not cruised Oceania yet, my expectation is in my upcoming cruise, I might miss a port (or two). I have educated my wife and guests of the possibility to manage their expectations. If it happens, we will be disappointed but not shocked. If it does not, it will exceed our expectations. Back to my original question? Why do you think like you made a mistake? Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@SaltyPawz NCL is consistently, inconsistant. The letter comes sometimes and not other times. If you have some items you want to ask for, tag me back and I will give you an email address. The things I ask for are rather basic. Often, many are not done when I get onboard and I simply ask my butler and Bingo, done. So, really not that important. What I would consider important are Specialty restaurant reservations and changes. If I did not get those done on 130 days prior to cruise, I handle them pre-cruise with the Haven Desk. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

As someone that is NEW to Oceania, knowing the good, bad and ugly helps us. We can set expectations. On the other hand, I rate improvement in my cruise experience as better than what I have had before. For me, improvement is my definition of luxury. To someone that has done Premium-Plus, Luxury and Ultra Luxury cruise, they rate on their experience. The cleanliness is simply sloppy. Missing utensils are lack of detail. I personally would have expected better. On those items, yours was the first I have ever heard of these items. On the food being good but not great, with hit or misses, that seems to be the trend and consensus. What part of your cruise have you enjoy the most and why? Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

So my flight leaves early in the morning on November 7, 2023. I am a five million mile Delta Airlines life time Platinum Elite member. That is a lot of miles. What do I do differently then some? Cleaning Clothes: I bring prepackaged cleaning clothes for my seat and area around me. I used to see the seat was not clean and just shake my head. Then I started bring my own cloth. On the cruise, I do the same thing especially for the bathroom. Same reason. Now I am usually in a suite, penthouse or above. It does not matter. I manage my expectation and simply expect to do some cleaning. Sometimes, I am pleasantly surprises. Candy Man: I purchase several boxes of See's Candy. The good stuff. I give it to the check-in Agents, and flight attendants in both cabins on each flight. Many people bring mini milkyways then ask for an upgrade. I give the box, I am already in first class or business class. The flight attendant seem to be taken back that I ask for nothing. Why, I need nothing. However, they cater to me and my wife the entire trip. Our glasses never go empty. Pre-Order Meals: When you are in first class or business class international, the airlines give you the opportunity to order meals not on the menu. When you are in coach, you can order special meals that are much better food then what is normally serviced. Make a not of that. Night Cap: When traveling international, I learned to have a Night Cap. I define that as a Vodka and 1/2 of an Ambien. Got to have a plan. I also tell the flight attendant to wake me when it is time for breakfast. Noise Reduction Head Phones: If they are not provided, I bring mine which are Bose over the ear headphones. Some times you need a special adapter for airlines so have them handy. After a while, the noise from the engine used to get to me. Water and Walk: On long flights force yourself to drink water and stay hydrated. Drinking I know does not help that so have more water. Walk up and down the isles often to stretch your legs. You will thank me for this advice. Charger Cables: Most seats now have USB plugs to charge your devices. You need your own cables. Bring them. Preparation H: Sorry but you want the truth. Long flight can create, well, you know. Be "Prepared" not a pun. Also have Tumms, Tylenol and gum. This is kind of basic however you would be surprise how much of this is missed by so many. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Gray Eagle02 I very carefully worded my comment on luxury and Ultra-Luxury. It depends on so much. But when I did a comparison of Haven, Retreat, Yacht Club, Regent, Oceania, Viking, Silver Seas, Crystal and Seabourn; the Haven/Retreat were more then some and less then other. The comparison was hard because each brand offers different amenities. Now on the DOS, I stayed in one for a 7-Day Caribbean Cruise with my family and it was lovely. We were on the NCL Joy, Haven. What a great trip. The DOS is one of the few Haven Suites where the soda's/mixers and three bottles of spirits are provided. I did a YouTube Video on this and I will put the link below. You can ask my anything you want but I will assure you, you will have a great time. I completely agree with you on Regent pricing. Hard to justify but like Haven, some folk prefer it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@X-elite I have never seen that Bulgari Gift Set for Penthouses in my past research. See picture below: I have seen it offered the the upper leave suites like Oceania, Vista and Owners Suite. See picture below. Seems the Marketing department has happened again. One day, marketing departments will focus on Under promise and over deliver. Cruise brands seem to have a hard time with this one. I am sure you are disappointed so may I suggest you share this with the Oceania Corporate Office. On the other items of missing folk and dirty spoon's. Unacceptable however, there should be some set ups in your cabinet if I am not mistaken. Still kind of gross so sorry that happened. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

hsommer@ncl.com Feel free to ask. He is the CEO of all NCL Entities now that Frank D senior has retired. A little history, if you email is positive, he will return with a sentence of two. If it is negative, he will pass it along and you will gain a basic response form email in 2-4 weeks from someone at the bottom of the food chain. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Treasure Hunter You tell them all Hunter. My daughter destroyed her carpet when we purchased our home many years ago. When I got a bonus check, I bought brand new expensive carpet in her room. I created the rule, "No liquid, food, markers, pens or anything else that can leave a stain or burn the carpet." My lovely bride said, "NO". She can have water, that does not stain. I said, "NO". Water becomes soda, soda becomes, Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid becomes RED Kool-Aid. I put my foot down, "NO ACCEPTION". One week later, my wife was in my daughters room and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Gary, come up here!!" There was a red Kool-Aid stain one foot by another foot on the new expensive carpet. I bring this up because many streams have parents that say, "My child is well mannered." "My child looks 16 and will full the rules." These parents are probably correct about their kids. HOWEVER, Water transitions to Kool-Aid if the rules are not followed. This is simply just one example. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kasimir Well written and thought out. The point is being missed but that is what happens ever time this subject comes up. Usually, at this point, I just let it peter out. However, I am compelled to comment. Everything I research, write, post or comment on is designed to enhance my cruising experience. In turn, I share it so other can consider enhancing their experience. Part of that is to understand the aspects of an itinerary, ship, cabin level or brand. It is clear and has been well documented that NCL is at fault for not consistently managing this or any situation that is an area of dissatisfaction to their guests. "If you make a rule, enforce the rule or have NO rules." CHECK!! Now go along with me on this one. I go on line to let's say, CruiseCritic.com. I go to the NCL blog on the Haven. The topic of unruly children that are not supervised by their parents controlling the Haven Pool, Hot tub and Courtyard is the topic with a lively debate going on. Enough folks talk about it and are upset with it, it becomes a real thing. Now I have to make a decision, how to I control this situation to make my vacation all it can be. NCL is clearly at fault by allowing it to happen and that is not going to change until it changes. I on the other hand will be cruising in 30 days on that ship. I knew the issue before I booked it so there is an possibility it might happen. Again, the question I have to ask myself is, "How can I manage the situation to still create and enhanced situation for my vacation?" That is the purpose of my posts. Know the possibilities and manage your expectations. If you never even knew it was a possibility, do more research next time. I had more then one situation and I quite frankly did not like it. So to fix my issue and enhance my vacation here are some of the things I did. When To Book: I choose dates where most smaller children and teens are in school. Example, I used to book Thanksgiving week every year. Now I book the week after Thanksgiving. Problem solved and less money. Brand To Book: If I really want to solve this issue because it is that important to me, I go on Virgin, Luxury or Ultra-Luxury brands which surprisingly cost about the same as the Haven. In most cases they provide more as part of their initial fare. Deal Directly with The Manager: If I did all I could do to control the possibility and it comes up anyway, I go directly to the Manager of the department. My approach is calm, professional, specific and direct. I explain NCL's policies, how they are being broken and how it makes me and others around me feel. So many times, complaints on this and other topics never are communicated directly with the leadership and instead they are shouted on Social Media which rarely handles the problem or vacation one is on. Manage Expectations: Since I know this and other issue have a likely hood of happening, I have a discussion with my family or friends joining me. If this happens, we do "THIS". Usually that is going to the Haven Sundeck where the only ships I will cruise have two hot tubs up there and an age limit of 16 or above. I have NEVER had an issue in the Haven Sundeck, ever. This strategy of Manage Expectations is a theme for my vacations. Outside of children, another topic I manage expectations on is cruise ports. In 44 days, I will my wife and best friends will be cruising on a Luxury Brand to 7 ports in the Mediterranean. This brand is known to cancel ports for the smallest reason. I know this and fully expect it. I have educated my guest on that fact. If if happens, we will all be a bit disappointed but not shocked. If it does not happen our expectations will be exceeded. This attitude of what I can and can not control allows me to stay positive most of the time. If I have learned anything about cruising it is, nothing ever truly goes exactly as planned. So know the potential trigger points, do you best to plan around them, have a back up plan, be positive and flexibly. If you don't, you very expensive vacation will be very disappointing. The only thing I can control is my attitude and preparation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello all: Well that has been fun. Every 4 months the topic is about kids in the Haven again. We all share stories of horrible children unsupervised and then the topic shift back to how to gain an enhanced cruising experience in the Haven. In my original post, 5 years ago, I wrote a book on how to leverage the Haven. Pages and Pages. Two lines in ALL that text has to do with children in the Haven courtyard, pool and hot tub. That was the first time this topic was hashed and rehashed about kids in the Haven. Parents criticized my two sentence comment like it was the foundation of the op-ed. Another parent sent me a picture of her daughter studying for a test while sitting at a table in the Haven Courtyard. The reality of the situation is this issue is NOT allows an issue. The real issue is NOT the kids it is the parents. NCL is designed with their fares to provide 3 & 4 passenger in the suite free so kids in Haven Suites are a thing. NCL crew member have to have very high review scores to be in the Haven, they are paid more and if they ask a child's parents to handle a situations; that parent gives that crew member a bad review which takes them out of the Haven and they lose money. I have been a cheer leader for the Haven for a very long time. However if the possibility of kids in the courtyard, Haven Pool and Hot tub that are not supervised is a problem, we need to simply choose another brand. NCL like other big companies have created a system when posted rules, if enforced cause issue for their employees. There are many brands/ships that are adult only, or very limited children because there is no kids program. The success of a cruise is to know the "Rules to the Game" and make decisions based on those rules. My hope is NCL will read all the comments and take action. However I have little hope of that. So please make your future booking decisions accordingly. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@bluestar1 You and your family will be treated like “Rock Stars”. The children issue is 5-10 year olds, who’s parents think the Haven crew are their baby sitters. The issue is the parents not the children.

@kasimir I might sound like a broken record here but my heart is in the right place. The Haven Sundeck is 16 years old or above. When I choose NCL ships with the Haven in mind, I choose the ships that have a retractable roof over the Haven pool/courtyard, a Haven Sundeck with Hot tubs, and a Haven Horizon's Observation Lounge. My favorites are Bliss, Encore and especially the Joy. The YouTube personalities were on the Viva which is a completely different layout and without the Horizon's Lounge, they lost the spectacular specialty coffee machine which had the greatest coffee. Choices and planning is everything with NCL. Especially when choosing the Haven. I hope this post helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JoieNsk I am the author of this thread. You will have a fantastic time. I will be in the Mediterranean first week of November on another brand and ship. However, here is some information that might help you or at least manage your expectations. I was on the Epic Sister ship the Joy. We had an H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large balcony. The Balcony was half the front of the ship so I know front facing balconies. My upcoming port intensive 10-day Mediterranean Cruise will again be a Front Facing Balcony. Front facing balconies are usually big, and have the same view as the captain does. The challenge is when the ship is moving, it is very windy and sometimes unusable. The water condition don't effect the balcony very much. That is why I only get one with a "Port Intensive" itinerary. You did the same thing so you should be good to go. Just remember what happens when you are moving. That will allow managing your expectations. The shower has a privacy screen which if you were in port, and the port was outside your shower window, you could close it. I can attest the view is nice. I think you asked about a lap pool in a later posting. To my knowledge, the Epic does not have a lap pool. As it relates to the Haven Pool and Hot tubs regarding children taking them over. Yes this can happen however at this time of year, and in Europe, not likely. You should be fine. Most NCL ships hold 4000 guest with 200 or so in the Haven. Once you get through the security which is "Same size fits all", look for the signs that say Haven Guest. They can be hard to find but that is where you want to go. It takes you to the Haven Check in. Less congested, quicker and you are put in the Haven Port Lounge until boarding. Haven guest are the first to board, you can go directly to your suite even if it is not completely cleaned yet to drop off your carry on luggage. You can save some time onboard by utilizing the Haven Conciergerie. The secret to that is when you initially enter the Haven Area which is where you are escorted once you get onboard, get in the line for the Haven Conciergerie. It goes quick but is never ending. Have someone get you a drink at the Haven Bar as you wait in line. If what you want or need is not yet apparent. You can use your butler or the conciergerie both have different responsibilities. The secret to the Haven is it is not perfect. Things happen. Just share it if it does and always stay professional. Most things are resolved in minutes. I hope this helps you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@babysteps Great story. Love the effort. Been there and done that. Fun stuff. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kasimir Your last point says it all. You don't like the kids in the hot tub and controlling the Haven Pool. I don't either. So you adjust your places to avoid that. Whether it is getting a drink at a bar, kids in the Hot tub, not providing drinks in the Haven Room service, or a Menu that does not change in the Haven Restaurant. All things are manageable. "But should we have to do so???" The Haven is GREAT for Family vacations with kids. They stay free in the suite and makes choosing the Haven easier. If a 60 something couple like my wife and myself go, we choose dates, times and itineraries very carefully to avoid some of those issues. Would I go on another Haven Cruise, YEP, YEP, YEP. I would just really study it and pick and choose to avoid disappointment. I could and have chosen other brands but like I said, give and take. Nothing is ever perfect on a cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kasimir I just spent my early morning watching this video. "Cruise with Ben and David" are a series I really enjoy. They do a great job. The entire reason for this hugely long and detailed stream is to find every way possible to enhance your Haven Experience. Many have compared the Haven to the Retreat and Yacht Club. Each are different in their own way. Somethings better on some but not others. Every single complaint that Ben and David had are VALID. Every one. From the Menu, to drinks in the room, to coffee in the Haven Lounge. When the Viva and Prima first came out, it was all the hot ticket. Then some issues starting happening. The water slides in the balcony of the some suites, they are simply a bad design. Some categories of suites show hot tubs on the balcony but in reality don't have them. The list goes on. On another of my streams I ask for "Great Deals" in the Haven. This ship in Europe is one of those great deals. Maybe those kinds of complaints honestly given by Ben and David is the reason the Haven on these ships are not selling out. Yet I can't help thinking, if they did a little research prior, "I know it was a surprise", maybe their experience would have been better. Now allow me to be straight with every single person on this thread. I took the last five years to find every single way to make the Haven an enhanced luxury experience. Things few used to talk about. For me personally, it turned out well. Yet the amount of work, study and due diligence was enormous. Not something everyone would do even famous YouTube cruise personalities. It was to much effort for obtaining a luxury experience unless the premium was not over the top. I considered the Viva for my "Once in a Lifetime Mediterranean Cruise". I knew all of what "Ben and David" just found out. I compared the pricing at the time a year ago to Luxury and Ultra-Luxury cruise brands. In many cases the Viva was more money and provided less amenities. It just was not a good value so I choose another brands. The sales prices now available are much more competitive, but not at time of booking. This video review should be watched with other for ships like the Encore, Bliss, Joy Ect. I prefer those ships to the newer Prima and Viva. Personal choose. Yet still, at these prices we all have to look at all brands in the Luxury and Ultra-Luxury categories and compare. Be open minded and know what the rules are to the game before you get to excited with your booking choice. Another's words, "Have realistic expectations and a Plan to get there". Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@YourWorldWithBill sorry, “5”. Decisions are usually made based on previous experiences. The first I I bought Cruise Travel Insurance which was health, cancelation, delay, baggage, etc. it covered $5,000 due to a cancelation 8 days prior to a cruise. The second time my son got sick and it cost close to $800. Now it has become a habit. I got lucky on these situation. Just my experience, not every one. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

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@Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin The economy is not the issue really for me. It is me being cheap. I want nice things, nice cruises and nice vacations but don't want to pay the full freight. I have had a ball learning all the sales, marketing events and to coin a phase, "Secrets to Oceania". During this very lone 18 month journey, I also learned a lot about airlines and booking for my friends. I made a post on this and well got schooled. Seems, some members take airline situations very seriously. So I will briefly let you know how the airlines gave me a break. I booked my guests air flights on Delta Fully Refundable Coach. Because I am nuts, I checked their flights every morning. I wanted to see the cost of "Upgrades" for each segment and how it adjustments up and down. Months after I still have no clue how it all works but I did score some benefits. First a short leg one hour and 15 minute flight showed upgrade to first class for $39.00 per person. DONE for my friends. Second, same flight on the return was $49.00 per person. DONE again. Finally, the three hour flight from Atlanta to JFK was $149.00 per person upgrade and I used some extra Delta Sky miles to get those. My friend will not consider the upgrades for the long hauls so I did all I could do for them. All of this, from which brand, booking, insurance, Air, Post/Pre Hotel and transfers have been so much fun to learn about. My lively bride is using a highlighter, ruler, and pen to cross out half my journey document which is currently 50 pages. When she is done with it, it will be 5 pages. Every time she reads a page she "Rolls her eyes". What she does not know is, all I wanted was someone, anyone to say, "I don't want to do this, I want to do that." My wish has come true. The federal government is going to fine me for using so much paper in my original draft that we lost a forest. I have to learn to say more with less words. See, I am very self reflective. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Well my day was just made, really. I finally got a smiley face from @LHT28. See, I grow on people. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@rxlowry LMAO. It is easy to stay focused, on target and use the skills I learned in business if the situation is all about me or the friends joining me. No one can take up your case with a brand better then the actual guest. I also rarely if ever give up which wears folks out. I "Nice" them to death. Hard to say no to a really nice person, phone call or correspondence. Become a travel agent, NOT-A-GOING-TO-HAPPEN. The way I approach things, I will only have two client a year and might not have enough time for both of them. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@rxlowry My initial purchase was through the Travel Agent and it was Allianz Travel Protection Plan. In the past, I have used this same company and done it on my own. I had to phone number so I called. They never flinched and fixed followed by took my money. I have had three claims and they were very good. This time, I had my agent do this for me initially. I never, ever use the cruise companies insurance, just me. I hope that clarifies what happened.

@rxlowry In every story there is one side, the other side and in the middle the truth. I try to stay in the middle even if it was an issue I had done to me. My agent called me to ask how I got the paid upgrade when she could not do so. I shared the story and that lead to her saying, "Let me update your total cruise insurance amount to cover the upgrade amount". Seemed like a good idea so I said yes. After five or so minutes where my agent was getting frustrated, I said, "Just skip it. What the insurance company won't pay, I will apply to AMX Platinum." Then I woke up in the middle of the night saying to myself, "Fix this in the morning". So yes, I called the insurance company and increased the amount. Gave the my credit card for the added premium and set to go. I know I am over answering your question but I do have a point. 44 years booking cruises has taught me a few things. 1) I love great cruise travel agents and the one I have now is the best. 2) When a travel agent can't fix and issue with the cruise brand or cruise related topic, I can. 3) I have much more time then my travel agent because I am retired and the issue for me is personal. So when she can't get the job done, I do it and have no issue with that. I hope all that makes sense. As so many say online, and in my personal life, "Gary you are one off the wall dude." Cruise well and enjoy every moment.