Sthrngary

Trust me when I say, you missed nothing. Sorry about the pre-cruise Concierge however I will lay odds, your butler with do everything your want in short order. I was on the Breakaway in December of 2022. Nice ship. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Cruiseguy14 As previously stated. Welcome to CruiseCritic.com. Each and every question you asked is answered in the tagged posting above that I wrote. The best approach is to read the very first posting on page one. It is updated as of 2022. When done reading, you can ask me any questions you like by posting @Sthrngary make sure it is highlighted and it will alert me you want me to answer a question for you. You can also Click the "Quote" and I will see the alert. Two of your questions are somewhat a can of worms. Children's behavior and Dress Code. It creates and has created many debates. Here is a general rule. NCL is a family oriented cruise line. Unlike others that are Adult Only. That creates a certain level of expectations on both your questions. My OP-ED's are always focusing on enhancing your cruise experience and always having "Realistic Expectations". With that in mind, all the Guest in the Haven pay a premium for this level of experience on a Mainstream Cruise Brand. A very few guest can come across as entitled due to that premium paid. Other can come across as defiant. Just normal for me on Social Media. My advice to you is always be considerate of others and use common business sense as we all do. As long as another guest does not negatively effect my vacation, flexibility is always the norm. I hope that makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@SaltyPawz The answer to how to alert me is given above. Thank you for your kind words. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@smillerholmes Worry not!! My approach works for the Haven or what I have called "Haven Lite". Example of Haven Lite. As much as I love the Haven, when the 7-day fair is $3,500.00 plus, it is a budget issue for myself and other sometimes. Especially if you are going solo which I ONLY did once. However, what if you got a Club Balcony Suite for lets say, $850.00 per person. I would end up getting a meal package, Vibe Beach Club Free At Sea Plus and not come close the the Haven Price. Hence, "Haven Lite". All done through planning. My hope is when I get done with my week on the ship, my bill under the door is under $100.00. You can do this from a VIP section or an Inside Cabin. Just take some Due Diligence. NOW if you want to "bust the budget", I have been know to do that quite well. I recently did it on a Oceania Cruise. Long story short, I originally booked a Four-Category Upgrade to a Penthouse with a butler and thought I found the best deal in the world. Then months later I saw a new promotion and the fare gods were looking after me. I got a reduction for my cabin of $1,800.00. I was thrilled. My final step was to have my travel agent call for an "Paid" upgrade. Oceania does not do "Bid" upgrades like NCL. Through a comedy of errors by the Oceania Agent, I got a upgrade to what would be about the same size suite as a NCL (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony. It was called a "Vista" suite. My daily rate per person for the second biggest suite on board was $470.00 per day. No need for specialty meal packages, or upgrading internet, or other things I am used to gaining or upgrading. Now I know that is not chump change however a Haven Suite on most sailing for 7 days now is $3,500.00 or $500.00 per day. That is for a smaller of a Haven Suite. The moral of the story and the story that the I am telling with the video's is, Due Diligence and strategic planning can make your cruise vacation enhanced. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275 I love the way YOU think. Our wife's put up with us. I can not speak for you but I am "no walk in the park". My hardest part of a cruise vacation is gently nudging my bride simply let the crew make the bed for us. She and I actually got in a fight on a cruise ship when I asked to butler to put an extra ice bucket on the veranda because she like to have a glass or two (or three) of cold wine at night. She said, I was imposing on the butler. In todays world to have someone that is a best friend and confidant is such a luxury. Again, GREAT attitude. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Leejnd4 Wow, that was awfully nice of you to say. People in general want to be part of a "Pack". We tend to gravitate to others that agree with our positions. We want to bring more people into our "Pack". The world we know have shows so many examples of this behavior. Those that are bitter have every right to be bitter. Some were stranded, others lot lots of money, other were disappointed as well as hurt. Hurt that the brand they loved so much, that they were advocates for, let them down. This blog was those folks home away from home to engage on Crystal Cruising topics like no Crystal log paper on the bottom of the trash can (My personal favorite). Now, from time to time these folks come back to attempt to bring new candidates into their new "Pack". This is human nature and does does not mean everyone has to like it. They have the right to do so based on their past personal experience. Yet we all have the right to use "Ignore" function of CruiseCritic.com. Everyone has rights. I hope that makes sense. Also to @May B thank you for allowing me to visit from time to time. I hope as Keith says that many of us cruise Crystal together in the not to distant future. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@omahabob LUKE, the force is to strong between us. Your mind cannot fight the force. You must, you will and then you will BOOK. That best part of these video's is it does not matter when you go, where you go, or what brand you have; you can elevate your cruising experience and still have "Realistic Expectations". In the past, my approach to things I did not like on a cruise was to grin and bear it. A great example was a below average butler. Not to get to deep but, what it the butler that was below average or the environment that butler was in was the issue. My light bult went off and clearly, in most every case, the employee was put in a situation that did not allow for fair compensation for fair work provided. The creation of the "Butler letter" with "Pre-Cruise Tip" was born. Most of the issue we have on cruises is NOT the ship, cabin or other hard assets. It is a people issue. Whether crew or guests that have an attitude. There is a solution as long as we all go to what made it a problem in the first time. Then we create to solutions that makes OUR cruise enhanced. A little deep of an explanation but bottle lines to experience are all about relationships with people. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am so sorry this happened to you. I try my best without being too forward to help folks on things like this. The good news is your cruise will be fantastic. Don’t let the air affect your enjoyment of your vacation. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

You will have a great time. On the kind of trip you want to go on, you will be busy enough without a casino. I would read the rules on the formal night. Might not be super formal however not super casual either. The people that I met on Crystal enjoy the food and the experience equally. I used to laugh at the folks on the NCL Haven Board wanting to know if they could wear shorts and flip flops at dinner in the Haven Restaurant. Now THAT was an not going to happen at the dinner hour in any Crystal dining experience. Promise to review it. I envy you in many ways. Enjoy Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Treasure Hunter Well now that is an excellent question. We just have to make one assumption which in my heart of heart believe will the the case. The Assumption is the NEW Crystal will be at least as good as the OLD Crystal. All indications are it will be. With that assumption in mind, here is my response. Crystal Cruises in my experience which was one cruise was the "Haven on Steroids". The key to Crystal like Oceania or Regent is when you leave your stateroom, everyone is treated the same. Sometimes, in your stateroom, you might have a few extra amenities besides a larger living space. I LOVE that everyone is treated the same. On that same focus, Crystal Personalized service is a better experience than any other brand I have cruise to this point including the NCL Haven, the Celebrity Retreat or MSC Yacht Club. Impossible to describe but immediately apparent. Add to this the food is elevated if you can believe that because we both like the Haven Restaurant. Here is what you have to remember. Crystal is a smaller ship, it is designed for long cruises that are port intensive. It does not have water slides, go carts and the like. The shows are less of a productions show off of Broadway and more of an ensemble of good performers. The VERY best butler I have ever had with NO ONE ever coming close was on my Crystal voyage. His name was Erin. No words, just the best. Now to answer your question in my way. If the NEW Crystal would have been a real thing prior to me booking my Oceania 10 day cruise in the Mediterranean, I would have seriously considered it. Just know, it is much more laid back, and Luxury is different than mainstream in very subtle ways. Short answer, "You WILL LOVE IT!" Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello All: Soon your wait will be over. My hopes are your memories of the Crystal Cruise of the past will be exceeded. Change is very difficult for all involved. Let's imagine that with the right financial backing, much better upper level management, and many of the same ship crew members, Crystal will reemerge as an industry standard once again. Please share your experiences when you cruise again. I was happy to see the Mushroom Soup was back and that is NO JOKE. I have been in withdrawal. It was SO Good. Keep the faith and remember; the future Crystal Brand is in your hands. It will survive based on "Word-of-Mouth" that is accurate to the exceeding expectations. No amount of Marketing will bring back the brand. You are Crystal's Future. Just my opinion, not meant to challenge other. Cruise well and as Keith always says, "Enjoy Every Moment".

@js I cannot tell you how excited I am for you. I LOVE the NCL Joy. I can answer your question. We left and came back from New NCL terminal in Miami. The ship docked at 06:00 AM. We were in the freight elevator, behind the Haven Desk at 07:00 AM. I had my luggage in hand at 07:05 AM, I was at the cab stand at 07:15 AM. Baring any unforeseen situations, that is my experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Morgsmom Sorry for any confusion. Allow me to approach this. First let me say again, I have been on the NCL Joy three times and LOVE it. On to some things that might interest you. All Haven Suites on the NCL Joy have butlers. Haven suites are in what one would call Haven Proper and outside of Haven Proper. Again butlers in any Haven Suite. I have been in both Haven locations. Like everything in life, their are pros/cons for everything. My concern right now for you is that your very simple question is getting lots of information, all good but off your original question. Here is the long and short of it. It is very nice to be in the Haven Proper. It is a close walk to the Restaurant, Bar and Haven Sundeck. I also like that there is an elevator in the Haven that starts on 17 and goes to 19 which is the sundeck. I found that to be very nice. I have done bids for Haven Suites and it depends on the time of year if the success ratio is high or low. The bid program is not to my liking. It makes me want to bid more sometimes because I always prefer to be in the Haven. On to the suites. I notices you made a comment about mock reservations so you get the concept of if that Haven Categories has more suites, you can bid less. Just a strategy and does not always work. On that note, on the bow are some Haven Suites with large balconies as there are in the rear of the ship. Many folks LOVE these Haven Suites because the balcony's are so big. You know the Haven Suite has a Large Balcony if your category of bid says large balcony. Personally I would still look at the suite diagram on the NCL Website. Remember my reference to pros/cons. In the Bow you have the same view that the captain has. Lovely. The down side is when the ship is moving, the balcony can have to much wind. In the rear of the ship, the wind is better however you are far away from the Haven Proper and you gain some vibration from the props. See, Pros/Cons. I personally like a Haven Penthouse Suite, on either side of the ship. For my wife and I it has the best of both worlds. Would like like one with a larger balcony, sure. But for two people, not a big deal to us. Other may debate that just my personal opinion. I am commenting because I was afraid that you were starting to get a bit frustrate. I really know how that feels and simply wanted to say this in a way I thought you would appreciate. For you, the Haven will very much remind you of the MSC Yacht Club which is lovely. So is the Celebrity Retreat. We tend to be a little brand loyal and have very strong opinions. Just means we like the brand and the "Ship-Within-A-Ship" concept. Cruise well and you will love the Haven, we all do. Enjoy every moment.

Hello All: I have been on CruiseCritic.com for many years now. More than most, not as many as others. I have always attempted to by the “voice of reason”, attempting to take the “high road” on many difficult subjects. You may or may not know me for my OP-ED’s on The NCL Haven, Doing Haven Lite or the NCL Premium PLUS Beverage Package. Many call me, “Mr. Haven”. I am honored. Well during covid-19, I got bored and did a series of YouTube.com videos on cruising. I called it the “Cranky Old Man Series” because my family calls me a “Cranky Old Man”. The series is very informal, it was not done professionally. I did it myself and the editing is just ok, but the message is clear. I wanted to show how with a little “due diligence”, you could create as close to an “all-inclusive, luxury and elevated cruise experience” as possible. I wanted to focus on always having a “Realistic Expectation” with our cruise vacations. These videos sell NOTHING, I do not endorse any Travel Agents and I NEVER ask for anything other than feedback. I share this upfront so that the gods at CruiseCritic.com see I am not selling ANYTHING and not attempting to break policies or rules. This five-part series tells a story in order. The titles let you know what is being presented. They go in order building on what was already presented. I was bored today and watched them ALL again. They are informative and answer many of the questions I get asked here every day. I will post the link below of the “YouTube Playlist”. If this post is still on CruiseCritic.com in the morning, I will know did not break any rules. Here is what will be in the Playlist: Episode 1: Introduction to the All-Inclusive Cruising Experience. Episode 2: What I want from my All-Inclusive Cruise Experience Episode 3: Data Collection from Social Media. Episode 4: What I don’t like about Cruising and Fixing It. Episode 5: Pre-Cruise Preparation BONUS: NCL Joy (H2) Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony I hope my efforts in some way assist you and help you enhance your cruising experience. "Cruise well and enjoy every moment." The Playlist Link is: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr9nz5r1Vg_MoFU7f9raAozE_3N46DGa2

@Morgsmom Welcome to the NCL Board on CruiseCritic.com. It seems @knscruiser322 just linked my content on the Haven for you above this post. The first entry (#1) will give you everything you wanted to know about the NCL Haven and more than anyone really wants to read, LOL. I have also been in the Haven on the Joy twice and in a Club Balcony Suite on the Joy. Feel free to ask me any question you might have. It is my pleasure to assist in anyway possible. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am just having fun here so please don't take this post/comment as if it is overly important. I am doing a daily check on my one (1) remaining Guarantee reservation and finding this little study very interesting. I HAD two (2) bookings both Guarantee PH3 for a November 2023 10 day Mediterranean Cruise. One reservation which was mine, I did a guest "Paid" upgrade so I have a stateroom now. The other Guarantee is for the guest that will be joining us which is still in PLAY. Here are the facts: This cruise is NOW in the deposit penalty period. Newbee Assumption: Logic tells me prior to this first penalty period, some folks would cancel with NO penalty. Like a first small wave of cancelations. The final payment is scheduled for August 11, 2023. Newbee Assumption: The second wave of cancelations logically would happen just before final payment avoiding additional guest loss. Currently only two (2) Staterooms show available. One (1) Vista Suite and one (1) Owners Suite. All other categories are waitlist. The majority of waitlist happened when new bookings could take advantage of BOTH "four category upgrade" and "Extraordinary Saving Sale" at the same time. About once a week, a PH category becomes available and within an hour or two is gone. The Summer sale is current in effect for this sailing however I am not sure if that has any effect on the remaining Vista or Owners Suite category. Newbee Assumption: The last wave of cancelations should be as the embarkment day gets closer most likely based on sudden health and scheduling issue crop up. I am sure there are other reasons. I find it very interesting to look at this data as it moves forward. It now makes so much sense what so many people have stated on this specific thread. My interpretation. Unlike when a Air Craft overbooks, overbooking is rarely the case on a cruises. When/if it does happen again rare, the few Guaranteed Staterooms WILL be filled. Those on the cruise paid in full (Not those in Guarantee) may have an paid upgrade possibility presented OR may be offered a benefit to take another cruise OR may be given a benefit to take a lower stateroom category. These offers are very calculated by the ships "Revenue" department for maximizing sales and profits as one would assume. All this is hypothetical of course with the logical assumption, staterooms WILL naturally become available up to the last minute. It now makes compete sense that the Guarantees are filled most of the time, after the final payment is due and as close to the sailing date as possible. It also makes sense that although there is a possibility of an upgrade within the category you are booked (PH3 to PH2 to PH1), a higher category is HIGHLY unusual and very RARE if at all. Does the Complementary Upgrade fairy exist? Maybe but they are all based on algorithms that don't favor the kind of upgrade we all dream on. As I continue to watch this every day (I have a lot of time on my hands obviously), I will report back. Please know, regardless to when my final guarantee is filled, each cruise is an island to itself with unique aspects that control timing and placement of guaranteed staterooms. I am simply enjoying the process for "Sport". Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Rainbow3fe I am new to Oceania. I usually go on NCL in the Haven. I want to give you a perspective from someone new and someone that learns some lessons on booking Oceania over the last year. When you see a sale next to your cruise; Summer Sale, The Extraordinary Sale, Four Category Upgrade Sale; The prices you see posted on the Oceania Website are not always accurate. If you use a Travel Agent, have them check. If you use Oceania direct check. The short cut I found was going to a third party online company that starts with the name Cruise. I can say them because it is against CruiseCritic.com posting policy. Anyway, I look up the price on my sailing and their price was much lower than the posted price on Oceania. I hope that makes sense. It was very new to me. I hit pay dirt by being able to have to promotions sales at the same time. That was also a first for me. I hope that helps you. it was a Journey to learn for me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@js I am anticipating your reason for your question an early flight. If you are on the Joy, in the Haven, the moment the ship is cleared, you can have the Haven desk escort you on the service elevator out. Let's say it gets to the pier at 07:00 AM, at latest, you are off at luggage at 08:00 AM. If you get in at 06:00 AM you are at luggage at 07:00 AM. On embarkation, do Online Check-In the moment you can (21 days out) and get the earliest time for boarding. In reality, it does not matter I just always act like I am in a Club Balcony Suite even if I am in the Haven. The Haven can board first and can come to the port anytime they want. So, you will be in the Port Haven Lounge until the clear the ship. Be in the first Haven group being escorted in. That is what I always do. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Rabidcruiser I could not agree with you more. Part of luxury is the feeling that communication is always very clear and accurate. That said and the theme of the post I did way before much was known about "Simply More" was, basically, "This to shall pass!" After being on the Crystal Cruise Board when they went bankrupt; on the NCL board when covid hit first and speculation of all cruise brands going under. All all the ups and downs of the past few years, it seems the WAVES are big and upsetting when the WAVE happens, then seems to be forgotten soon after. I am NOT say any cruise brand gets a pass on bad or incomplete communications. We all deserve better. I am saying I don't see much difference from one cruise brand to another. For me, not everyone, bad communication seems to be the only thing consistent in the cruise industry. Just my opinion, not saying I am wise or right. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Trivan The NCL Joy has a GREAT Haven and GREAT Haven staff. Here is my sea day. Great Breakfast with way to much French Press Coffee. Shower Haven Bar to gain a drink to take to the Haven Sundeck. Hot Tub with my newest friends. Shower Haven Bar for another drink or two Lunch at the Haven Restuarant Main Pool Deck to watch the "Mr. Sexy Legs Contest" with a drink. Haven Bar for another drink. Spa massage which needed the several drinks prior to forget how darn expensive that massage will be. Two bottles of water Shower You guest it, more drinks. "Not that I plan things our or anything." Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@drumming cruisers Great Questions, before I answer it, I began taking professional drum lessons at age 5. My love was Big Band Music and the Jazz Ensemble in my High School. Walt Whitman H.S. in Huntington, NY. However I went to College for Business not Music. Yet, every single elective was a music class when they found out I was professionally trained. GREAT experience. On to your question. No, on you ask for a Haven Menu. You write what you want and how you want it on a piece of paper or index card you bring. You give it to your butler WELL in advance. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

A Note from Sthrngary: Thank every one for keeping this second edition of the Secret of the Haven going. Seems more and more new folks are trying the Haven. That is very rewarding for everyone that knows how special it is. On a personal note, I had a stroke at age 61. I was a professional educator, speaker and facilitator for decades prior to my illness. I was lucky, it did not effect me to badly however it scared me. I also lost a little bit of my memory, "I think, what or yes memory". I retired and with retirement I got bored. This this thread has kept me active and interested in a subject I have enjoyed since my honeymoon 44 years ago. I am so impressed with the quality accuracy, kindness, and professionalism of every contributor. You honor NCL, the Haven and myself with your commitment. I am going to continue to assist when ever called on and always remember: "Cruise well and enjoy every moment."

The answers above are spot on. I want to address you missing the buffet. I was on the Joy, fully booked, went to the Buffet for breakfast when in a Club Balcony suite. I also was on the Breakaway, fully booked, had no issue going to the Buffet. You will also notice, NCL has a 24/7 restaurant that is pretty good if you don't want to have a long meal in the Haven. Remember, any meal that the Haven Restaurant is open, you butler can serve it to you in your suite. Keep that in mind but ALWAYS tell your butler when open, always gain food (only what is on the Haven menu) from the Haven Restaurant. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruiseny4life Extremely well written and informative. I was blown away with the "Fair" investment for the Haven Suite. GREAT FIND. Also, just my opinion, the Joy is one of my favorite NCL Havens I have ever cruised. My families as well. Where what you are saying in many ways is true, it is also being realistic on establishing "Realistic Expectations" based on a different kind of itinerary. My upcoming cruise is not in the Haven true, yet it is also a 10-Day Mediterranean Cruise. Follow me here for a moment. I wanted a smaller ship to get into smaller ports with no tenders, I wanted a much more port intensive itinerary with more times in each port, I wanted less of a family ship and more of an adult ship for this trip. Everything I post is about knowing your wants, needs and motives. We should also have realistic expectations to avoid disappointments that happen when we thing our cruise is going to be ultra perfect. No cruise is perfect. That means everyone like myself that think the NCL Haven is a GREAT way to cruise, also has to be open for other options. On to your suggestion with your link. I want to take my older sister in the Haven and she is on a budget. The link you gave would have been perfect so GREAT JOB. I absolutely love when folks share those kind of opportunities it really helps everyone. Side note, if you are a SOLO, the Club Balcony Suites are a very special value as well. Thank You for taking the time to share. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@NikkiPoooo27 I read your post and know how disappointed you must be. As new ships designs happen, and as we all get a little older, sometimes the two done match. Your issue in my mind is not the fact that the two new NCL ships are lacking Scooter clearance. It is that you were given the notion it did. Sometimes I wish NCL staff was a bit better informed and was much more realistic in their recommendations. But that is just me. I am going to make a few recommendations. Like anyone's opinions, some folks will like then and other won't. You are relatively new to CruiseCritic.com and this thread so I don't know much more about your needs than your post stated. Some of my recommendations will be unpopular with the NCL Haven faithful. I have been in the Haven on the Breakaway and Breakaway + ships. Your realization that those are the ship you should consider is a good one. However, I would stay with three ships as my choice. Encore, Bliss and Joy. Not that I don't like the standard Breakaway ships just the (+) always feel nicer and more accessibly to me. Brace your self because here comes the controversial one. I priced the Viva and the Prima Havens. Those prices motivated me to look to other brands and outside of the Mainstream Cruise Categories. When you reach a certain price point, the "world is your oyster". My first choice was to look within the NCL family. That is Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. These ship are far less family oriented and much more focused on the needs of 55 + cruisers. This includes the rooms and accessibility you will need with your mom. My first choice was Regent however the couple going with me could not budget that. I ended up on Oceania Cruises. Open your search and look at YES, the NCL (+) ships and some other brands that focus on an older clientele. You loose the water slides and go carts and gain enhanced dining and personalized service that is the same for ALL guests. Instead of a Ship within a Ship. It is simply a Ship. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.