Sthrngary

Hello All Of You Haven Fans: We have so many Haven Amenities threads that a search could find almost any topic related to the Haven. How about when any of us find a GREAT Haven Price, we share it with the board. As with many of you, I simply love the Haven. However, the price has gotten a bit to rich for my blood. Let's help everyone else out when we find a deal. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello everybody. I have a idea. I am happy to start a new Thread that is titled, "I found a GREAT price for a Haven Suite, and here it is!" What does everyone think of this topic? Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese My wife LOVES your screen name by the way. I may just do that. I also want to play fair with my wife and best friends that are joining our little "Cruise of a Lifetime". On another brand, I did a live blog, I ended up spending way to much time posting, answering questions, and not enough time enjoying. That was NOT fair to those I was vacationing with. All that said, I will be both fair and balanced. I will be realistic as always. What I have done differently the past few cruises is I have NO real preconceived notions of Oceania as a brand. All I do now is rate a cruise on my previous experience. Example, I recently cruise with my entire family in an Owners Suite on a Mega Ship. That was fun but a one and done situation. My family loved it but we only did it because of all the many discounts and perks we got due to multiple cancellations due to covid. This time I have what looks to be a very similar Stateroom to the Owners Suite with the Vista Suite. No adult children this time, just my wife and I in the cabin. We are traveling with friends on their first cruise. Seems like a good plan but reality and assumptions can be much different. We will see. Long answer to a short request I know. I promise to write and play it fair. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ToxM Please share why? I am interested. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Barbara60 I am new to Oceania as well. As I have mentioned when the question have come up about bringing alcohol on the ship. Your question is based on the rules you followed on other cruise brands for years. Old habits are hard to break. Oceania, to my liking, has taken a different tact. They realize their demographic are not the super heavy drinkers. Instead, they are the "Fine Wine" or "Martini Before Dinner" crowd. Instead of putting an emphasis on drink packages, they put an emphasis on being smaller ship, port intensive and food as much as possible. That said, I also am not a rule breaker. If I am allowed to bring six (6) bottles on board, I will stay within those six bottles. If at every port I can do the same, I will do so or not. My approach is to always have the best drink program on my cruises. It is NEVER a huge value to me because I would be much better off just buying a drink when I want them. Just not the approach I want to use when I take my vacations. I tend to structure my cruises as "All Inclusive" on brands that are NOT "All Inclusive" by preplanning and purchasing everything that makes my cruise to my liking. Not everyone thinks like I do so they can structure their vacation their way. Many have said, the rule is 6 bottles but they have taken more on board. That is fine for them, I stick to the 6 or less bottles. I would take no bottles if I was convinced my wife would have a wine she would like guaranteed onboard since we both the the Prestige Drink Package. But that has been a disappointment on other cruise brands which effected the quality of our vacation. On other brands I have heard the word, "Supply Chain" once to many times to risk it. I have a motto. "Always Pre-Plan the things you can control and understand their are many things that are not controllable on a cruise ship." I can control 6 bottles of nice wine from a local store in Athens, Greece prior to boarding a "Once In A Lifetime Cruise". This allows me to manage my realistic expectations being a first time cruiser on Oceania Cruises. Something tells me I don't have to buy the wine but I would rather hedge my bets. I hope that makes sense and supports your post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@tundra1 Is it a Club Balcony Suite or Non-Haven Suite. If so, it is 125 days not 120.

@kibutzer Not sure if you were kidding but if not, you are kind of missing the reason. It is not about getting wasted. It is because years ago, bringing wine and spirits onboard was allowed. Then it was completely and totally against the rules. Because the cruise line wanted us to buy their drink packages. So, Oceania realizes their guest are not doing shot of cheap tequila to get completely slushed. Some have a cocktail or glass of wine or two. Not saying some over indulge, they do. So as a new guest on Oceania Cruises, I am thrilled to bring wine onboard if only to be consumed in our suite. This allows me to have above average wine for my lovely bride so she can do what she loves to do best. Sit on the balcony, read a book and drink a nice white wine. We had a bad experience on our last cruise where the wine as below the quality of wine-in-a-box. This allows me to make sure my lovely wife is happy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am confused. The Cruise Brands Oceania or anyone else use algorithms to set prices. Those prices as time goes on can go up or down. All controlled by a computer program. Some agents or agencies my have booked a block of staterooms for a sailing and have some special perks. Others have some sort of agreement due to volume I guess to offer gratuities. Third party online agencies play with things like, "Non-Refundable Security Deposits", "Cruise Only Prices", and some take away some perks to reduce the price. This taught me a long time ago to BE careful when a fare is so much different from an online vender. Just check and ask questions. Now add sales/promotions like the "Four Category Upgrade Sale". The way I check prices is I go to those online Cruise Sales Companies. I cross check prices to see if what Oceania shows is the same as the On-line Cruise Sales Company. On the "Extraordinary Sale" it was dead on. This is NOT a perfect science but it gives me somewhat of a track to run on. If is looks interesting to me, or if I am booked and want to consider rebooking for the upgrade, I call my travel agent and make the request. That is when it is confirmed or not. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it does not. Worth a bit of research and nothing lost either way. Example, today I went to the Oceania Website and had to looked under specials. There was the "four category upgrade sale". FYI, I booked my current cruise during this same labor day sale four years ago and last year so seeing it again was not a surprise to me. The promotion was not on the home page, you had to look for it. This brings me to an important point. This topic on CruiseCritic.com stimulated the research, yet again. If I did not know about the promotions through a brochure or email from Oceania, I do now know from this topic. Where I take it from here is up to me but glad I have the information. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ColeThornton That is me, "Mr. Honesty". It is obvious that in life, we have a group of folks that for some reason must go over the top researching things. I am one of them. Yet, I also acknowledge that as important is Realistic Expectations. Example of marketing claims is the best food on the sea. That is a marketing department that never learned the notion of "Under promise and over deliver." For me, if something is an issue that other folks have had, I through my preparation can avoid it at all costs. If on that one issue, I am not disappointed. I controlled what was controllable. Cruising is inconsistant, full of uncontrollable, and sometimes the luck of the draw. All I say, "make the best of it and do what you can reasonably do with the focus of Realistic Expectations." Mr. Honest sighing off. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@david_sobe I am the crazy, over planner for all of my expensive purchases in my life. Whether a VIP access to a four day Concert event; high end coffee machine or yes cruises. My experience that lead to this research was simply to know what you receive when you pay a premium for a product. All the cruise companies marketing team make the experience sound over the top but with further examination, you realize there is always "Fine Print". How things really work is not quite as clear and for the money, I personally want to know. The more folks know about what you gain or don't from paying a premium like with the Haven, the more they can make a business decision to book or not to book. It is not about utilizing every amenity or benefit. It is about simply knowing what is available and leveraging what suits your needs best. Not to know something was there and realizing it would have enhanced your cruising experience would be a shame. I however go way to far, WAY TO FAR. I make the excuse that I am helping the other cruising with me to know the ropes and help them enhance their vacation. That is a big fat LIE. I do it because I am bored and like the process. It benefits me, my need to uncover what others don't know about and share. It is a personality flaw which is as stated selfish and self serving. Will I continue to do it, "YES". Why? "I like to do it." Should everyone, "NO". Why, "they don't like to do it. As my adult sone says daily, "Dad, you do you!!!" Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@tundra1 It depends on the cabin type you are in. Haven has 130 day prior to the sailing. Suites have 125 days, and all other has 120 days. Do it at midnight on your NCL online account but have your plan ready to go. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@DMH15 My dog is one of my favorite beings. His name is Otis Redding. He is a 7 year old (tommorrow is his birthday) French Bulldog. He has been a good friend to my wife and me. It would be my honor to stay with him in his old age and show him the loyalty and respect he has shown us as you are doing for your kind dog. You can live vicariously through my postings, ask any questions you want, any time you want. When you are ready, reach out to me and I will share what ever information you want on cruising at the time. I am just a frequent guest that studies cruising every day. Tell your puppy, Otis says hello.

@DMH15 I know right. Out of the mouth of babes...... Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruisemom42 I hear what you are saying. I also understand what you are saying. I also wish it was different. However, I was THRILLED when I called my agent and asked if I would qualify for a second promotion and I did. My rub was not with Oceania, it was why did my travel agent know this information and pass it on to me. The answer in my mind was they have to many clients, to check on every price, every time one of the brands have another promotion, would be to much time. It saved me close to $2,000 per cabin and I had two cabins. Again, I felt like I won the lottery. Now I am trained like a dog. If I see here on CruiseCritic.com another sales is afoot, I call and get a quote on my booking. Oceania has trained me. Do I like it, "no" not really. But it is worth it to save some money on a fare I was happy with in the first place. I wish the industry was more transparent but I wish for a lot of things. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Traveling Fools This issue with the inconsistent butlers has been a topic on CruiseCritic.com quite often. A few experience I have had with butlers will allow me to to make a point. Others experiences might differ. Kind of like food in restaurants, subjective. After getting some duds for Butlers a few times, I was frustrated. My goal when booking a cruise is to "control, the controllable". I had gotten to be friends with a few butlers and asked what was going on to create such a discrepancy. The word around the campfire (shameless movie line from Pulp Fiction) was NCL created a situation where a high percentage of time, the butlers never got tips. It seems the guest was unaware the Butlers in the Haven were NOT on the pre-paid gratuity program and the guest thought they were paid. This lead to discontentment over time because this was how they made their living. When I found this out, I created what is now know on this and other boards as the Butler letter which included the entire week gratuity for the butler provided on day one. I learned this from doing business in Germany when my client would pay me on day one and say, "I want you to know I trust you to do a GREAT job for us." I would always do a great job but this simple gesture really had me focused on my customer just a bit more. From that point two things happened. All of my butlers whether on NCL, Celebrity and Crystal Cruises were outstanding. The Butler on Crystal was so over the top great I am afraid not butler on any line will ever come close. His name was Engin for those Crystal Cruise fans. The second thing that happened was pointed comments from the members saying what I was doing was horrible. YET, if it is our goal to, "Control the Controllable" and I got noticeable better butler service after I change my approach, I achieve my goal. My next cruise will be on Oceania for 10 days in the Mediterranean. The butler letter has been written over a year ago and the cruise is in 60 days. I will report back my results but I have a very good feeling about it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@jonthomas If I had not paid in full, have the four category upgrade and Extraordinary Sale; I would always call just to check. Your question is important in another way. I almost did not call to find out if the "Extraordinary" sale would apply to me. I am so glad I did and that suggestion came from this board. The lesson I learned is what you see on the Oceania Website as fares are not always correct. It costs nothing to double check. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I originally wrote a long and detailed post comparing new guest to Oceania from the VIP area's of Mega Ships. How what we were used to make us look at parts of Oceania as a perk or Amenity. Then I deleted it. The bottom line for me and many others who are transfers to Oceania. It is a nice change that everyone regardless of stateroom choose is treated the same when they leave their stateroom. In ones stateroom there are some benefits and amenities. The biggest one starts with a PH category with a 24/7 butler. To some, the butler does not provide a value so why pay the premium? To others it can make a cruise even better. When you go to Oceania, Vista and Owners Suites the benefits and perks are obviously increases and so is the cost of the stateroom. The biggest benefit is the size of the stateroom. Are there other benefits, yes. Early boarding, 6 bottles of wine/spirits, access to executive lounge, access to exterior thermal spa, and early specialty restaurant books for 8 nights vs. 4. Those are a few perks. To some, those items are NOT enough to justify the cost increase. To others, it is important and worth the premium. I personally like all those "bougie" things so I pay a premium. That premium is LESS when I leverage promotions when the are available like "Four-Category-Upgrades". As a transfer newbie, my perspective is, I get these benefits and my over all investment is LESS, that is right LESS then the Mega Ships in the "VIP" sections like the Haven. So the justification based on past experiences for me is, "cost less, get more". Everyone is different on how the justify a cruise fare. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

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@efuzz I am afraid you will have to wait until the morning for the Almond Croissant. Have a wonderful cruise. The Encore has one of the nicest Haven's in the fleet. I did a similar thing for my wife on our next cruise. Our partners need to know how much we appreciated them for all they did for our families and us. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese The way you do it is start with an (@) followed with out a space with the screen name. Even before you are done, the names closest to it show below. Click the one you want. This sends a message to me or anyone else that you tagged them. Hope that makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My Last Post On this Topic: For anyone that has a question, please ask by putting a @Sthrngary in the front of your question. In my work life prior to retirement, I used to study great coaches. Many of them I met. One that made an impression on me and I had dinner with him was Coach John Wooden. One notion the coach kept saying was "Control the Controllable" . An example was teaching his players how to put on their soaks. If a soak was put on wrong, it could create a blister and the blister could effect performance. You can control the Soak. Cruising is much the same. Allow me to give some examples for cruising: Booking the Week before or After a Holiday: I used to book Thanksgiving cruises with my kids. When they grew up, I stopped. I realized that the ships were crowded, the kids owned the pools and hot tubs, and the fares were higher. I started booking the week before or after Thanksgiving. Problem solved. Date/Times for Specialty Restaurants: There is usually a date and time where you can begin reserving for your Specialty Restaurants. Let's say it is 120 days out. The instant the window is available, I book the reservations. The pre-work is to make a decision on what you want and when you want it. Special Excursions: My favorite excursion is not an excursion at all. It is reserving a Beach Villa on the cruise lines private island. The Villa handles 6-8 guests so the economies expense is spread over each guest making it reasonable. As expensive as it is, it is always the first excursion to sell out. I book it immediately. Boarding the Ship: I book early, bring a book and wait at the terminal for the crew to let us board. If I am in a special suite, we board before everyone else anyway. If I am in a normal suite, I have boarding group one for the past many cruises. This helps me change reservations or gain access to places like the Vibe Beach Club which sell out super fast. Butler Letter: After having hit/miss butlers I started to write a letter and give it to the butler with their entire gratuity on day one. From that point, my butlers were all hits. The letter has background on my wife, family and guests joining us. It has likes/dislikes. It have food requirements or needs. It has a few simple requests. Now use your imagination to find things you can control. Have a positive attitude to thing you can't control like weather or missed ports. Happens and no way to control them really. I assure you that your vacation will be better when you control the controllable. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese I am so very excited for you. I believe you will be on the Riviera. Please when you come home, let us all know your experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese Hello friend. Here is what I remember from last year. I booked my cruise with the Labor Day 4 category upgrade. I am not saying or have I heard the same sale will happen this year to be clear. At the time, my TA large agency had a special where they paid your gratuities. However, this sale made that perk (gratuities) not allowed. I was a bit bummed but understood. It did allow my American Express Platinum Perks to be valid though. Months later, the Extraordinary Sales Event happened and it WAS combinable with the Four Category Upgrade Promotion. I thought that I won the lottery to "Double Dip" promotions. Then I was informed my American Express Platinum Perks were no not valid. Fair trade with all things considered. Since I booked my cruise last September, I have not gotten a paper brochure. So that relates to your situation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Not my thread so I won't hijack it. If you want the Haven for Adults ONLY, NCL is not your choice. If you want a fantastic family vacation during holiday times, and you want a quite NCL Haven, it won't work. Choose the week before or after and the Haven Courtyard will be very quite. It is knowing the ins/outs of a family cruise line. Not good or bad, just some simple strategy. On to the Haven for Adults ONLY. Now if you have not read my posts let me start with a fact, I love the NCL Haven VIP Luxury Experience. I love it so much I write about it. I in no way think it is perfect but knowing the area's of concerns allows me to avoid them. Now that I have that out of the way here is something to consider. NCL did us all a favor when they increased the Haven Fares. They opened up the door to going from a Mainstream Cruise Line to a Premium-Plus/Luxury and sometimes Ultra-Luxury brand. Do the math by comparing the cost/fares/included amenities/gratuities and on. You will be surprised. When you choose Premium-Plus or above, the ships are smaller, it is port intensive, there are no kids programs, the atmosphere is far less crowded or hectic. It is again, not better or worse; just different. My favorite part is when you leave your stateroom, everyone in every category of stateroom is treated the same. Pick and choose your brands based on the experience you are looking for on your next cruise vacation. There is always give and take. Nothing is perfect. Just make a good business decision. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Daniel A Haven reserved section which is never filled is left side, orchestra. Yes, the Haven Concierge will assist you. As I have said, never an issue for a Haven Guest getting into a big production show. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.