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@JGander You are paying a lot of money just to get off the ship quickly. You have every right to utilize or not utilize all the Haven Benefits. Everyone one does. However, as the author of this stream, I would like to humbly suggest another approach. As I stated in an earlier post, no one likes to be nickel and dimed. It happens a lot on all Main Stream Cruise brands. At the price you are paying for a Haven Suite, consider other luxury and ultra luxury brands. My personal experiences is the nickel and dime approach happens rarely on those brands. The ships tend to be smaller reducing the issue of getting off quickly. The Personalized service, food in general whether you eat it or not, and port intensive itineraries seem to be much better on those ships as well. All that said, be open to all the benefits and amenities of the Haven. I must say I totally agree with your thoughts on food in ports. I recently did a 10 day Mediterranean cruise. I was blown away buy the food at the ports. No ship can come close. That plus the wine at ports were outstanding. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Niffernay Just social media. A place to vent, a place to connect with those that may be like minded. Take everyone's comments including mine with a grain of salt. I say, just enjoy life and if you can't deal with a few issues, cruising is not for you. Heck, we are in water, deal with weather and living on a floating hotel/restaurant. A sure fire way to have issues. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MadisonBay Please share your review with all of us. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Treasure Hunter Please share your review after your trip. Crystal seems to be coming back stronger then they were. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Conclusion of this situation for those still reading. The company in question name is HighSpeedTrains.com also part of Rail Ninja. I put in a dispute with my Chase Visa. I spoke to a Chase Visa dispute expert and was told I have no case. The fees show on the website to be non-refundable. I missed this and it ended up being a $88.00 lesson which is more or an embarrassment then financial loss. Be careful when you book train/excursions online. Read the fine print before you buy. Use a credit care that really protects you like an American Express Platinum card. I should have know it was an issue when the site did not take AMX. I am not in anyway upset with HighSpeedTrains.com also part of Rail Ninja. I should send them a thank you note for educating me. Best $88.00 I ever spent on education. Learn from my mistake. If I thought I was wronged instead of realizing I was lazy not to read carefully, I would have fought to the end. In this case, I was WRONG. Humbling but true. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Ticatraveler Of course I agree with you. My words and actions are based on literally decades of cruising. When Brands start doing things like this, I used to get SO upset. I would ask myself, why are they doing this to us. We are paying a premium. How much, in this situation does it cost to give me a few extra items. It was so frustrating and disappointing. I quickly realized, "this too shall pass". If it bothers me, I simply don't cruise with the brand any more and look for an alternative to my vacations. My point is, in many ways it was MY fault that this and other things have happened. This thread and others, comments and suggestion from thousands of postings share who to leverage all the value and benefits of the Haven. Please blame me. Yet it was fun while it lasted. Hence my comment to look for more glitches and squeeze all the value we can gain. Allow me to add. My last NCL Haven Cruise was 2021, the Joy, H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with my family. My cruising now is more in Europe and I have found other brands that provide me with a different approach to my cruising needs. Not better or worse, different. Will I personally cruise the Haven again, SURE. Only when the investment is more in line with the value in MY mind. My money, my choice, my vacation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Ok folks, lets all be fair here. There was a time when cruise guest exclusive reason to cruise was to order everything on the menu. That was the cruise. My sister used to order triple cut prime rib. Cruising evolved and places like the Haven, Retreat, and Yacht Club were designed. The cost was three times a normal rate but these area's were sold out first. I loved the concept and attempted to learn every way to create value for staying in these areas. That is the whole reason for this huge, long and detailed thread. So it is clear, folks over did the request for lobster tails for a while. The point is, when we find a way to leverage value from the Haven or the Premium Plus Beverage package. Sooner or later NCL will catch on and change the policy. Just the way things work. Everyone is different so what I am about to say is simply my opinion. The older I get, the smaller amounts of food I want. A two lobster tail limit is more then fair for me. But if you will be making your decision to stay or not stay in one of these VIP area's due to a limit on lobster tails, that is your right to make that decision. Disappointing yes, surprising no. Fixed the glitch. Lets find some other glitch's, this one is gone. LOL Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kstrittm My most recent Oceania Cruise was on the Marina's sister ship the Riviera. I also did not have the SM program. I was in a Vista Suite and my friends joining us were in a Penthouse (PH2). You opened up the can of worms with the reference to adult beverages. Get ready, lots of opinions and all right from the posters perspective. Take everything with a grain of salt even my comments on the topic below. My wife and I both got the Prestige Unlimited drink package. It was $60.00 a day per person and $600.00 per week. My guests got one Prestige package and the other had no adult drink package because he did not drink. I loved this package but also know you never really get your money's worth and I never drink extra to get a value. I like just not getting the bill at the end of the cruise and know I am over spending. My choice and not everyone feels the same. I loved the mini-fridge was stocked with non-alcoholic drinks all of which was complementary. I also loved the barista coffee bar which is excellent and complementary. In the front of the ship is a small, quiet sundeck with thermal spa which is complementary to Concierge Level and above. You have a nice but under utilized executive lounge when in a Penthouse. I hope I was helpful. I know you will get a lot of information. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kstrittm I kind of know how you feel about wanting some information. Also, I loved when I did my first Crystal Cruise, one of the best and most loyal Crystal Clients did a great topic for new Crystal Guest. I always remember how helpful it was. I did this FAQ document and never posted it. I will give you a copy below and hope it will assist in some way. Remember, I am not perfect but if others say something I go wrong or not complete they will let us know. Also, @MEFIowa makes a very valid point that your stateroom can make a difference. Never to hesitate to ask any question. This is a safe environment. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Oceania_Cruises_FAQ.pdf

@Tranquility Base I should have used Italo, italian high-speed train | Book no service fee | italotreno.it . My mistake. I am humbled. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Those that read my post know, I do excessive research prior to purchasing almost anything. Even with that, mistakes can be made. I am taking my Adult Daughter to Europe end of April 2024. We are no cruising. I thought because our recent Oceania Riviera Mediterranean Cruise went so well, I was somewhat of an expert on doing your own excursions. I was wrong. So I will share an experience I just had with you and maybe it will avoid what happened to me. The last thing I had to book was a High Speed Bullet train from Rome to Venice. I did my normal Google search and found a site called HighSpeedTrains.com also part of Rail Ninja. The website looked and worked normally. I booked the train, realized a day later that the train was 260 Euros or $265 US, with a $120 service fee. I could have just booked with the train brand for the $265. I attempted to cancel and the service fee was non-refundable. This was my fault, I got lazy. My advise is don't get lazy. It is not a lot of money but I feel silly. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@tunaman2011 Sorry to say, No. I did it through my Cruise Travel Agent. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@englishteacher702 It is a barista and yes it is very special. Yes on the iced coffee and yes on the Sugar free syrups. Oceania_Currents_11132023.pdf I gave you a Oceania Current which is their daily news letter. I was on the Riviera which is the sister ship to the Marina. Check out the dining times. I would avoid room service for breakfast. Not because it is bad just because it is so much nicer in the Grand Dinning room or other venues. Quick and painless. No, small ship, 1200 guests. Much more chill then you are used too. Hit or miss. I upgraded to the streaming service power. Your call. For the most part yes. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Catgirl50 I will provide you with a few approaches. The challenge is only you know your situation. Let's start with Travel Insurance. Still put in a claim. The next thing you do is put in a claim on your credit card you used. They usually have some coverage. Finally, you send the Airline a very nice letter certified to the top four executives. Explain your situation, why it happened, and your suggested/fair resolution from them. In the letter acknowledge that they don't have to do anything for you. You know that. You are asking for a professional Courtesy. I have done all the above approaches and usually everything works out. The more you travel the more things happen to you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@flgolf Yes. I did it on my 2025 cruise for my wife and myself. Just ask your travel agent. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Harters Whether you book or not, it always should be a personal experience. That said, I am booked on the Vista for October 2025 for a 10 day Mediterranean Cruise. I also read the comments on noise. I also read comments on there being no noise. To support my point, I read comments about some food choices that are bad. I also read some comments what were good about the same food choices. The kind of comments on Social Media is just the way it is. That said, I find it very helpful towards planning a future cruise on a brand or specific ship. If there is a potential chance that something will not be to my liking, knowing it upfront allows me to take certain liberties to avoid them. Not knowing is where the disappointment comes from in my life. Someone once said to me, "Will you be making your purchase decision on the entirety of the product or service. Or will you be making it on 2% that you might not like?" I am no Brand Fan for Oceania. I like the brands style for my age and itinerary. Not everything was fully to my liking but using the quote above, nothing especially on a cruise is ever perfect. FYI, a good deal on a cruise is only a good deal if you want the itinerary as a key factor. Just my two cents. Side Note: I am about to take my Adult Daughter to Europe for 10 days. Not a cruise. We are thinking about going to the UK. I have been on business many moons ago. I hope that comes to be. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@mbiggers I have a strategy if you and other are open to it. Let's start with why this happened. Did Oceania go out of their way to make this cancellation happen or was it outside their purview? This like other situation including Covid-19 and bad weather is not a Cruise Brand Caused issue. For my strategy to work, this is the reality. Where most folks have an issue is on the topic of courtesy to loyal guest in a situation that neither party can control. Now, with that in mind, here is what I would do. Write a letter, send it certified, to the four top executive of Oceania and the CEO of NCL. That is five letters saying the same thing just addressed to different people. In the letter explain without threating in any way your situation, how it makes you feel and what you feel would be a fair/reasonable resolution. The tone of the letter must be very professional. You have to acknowledge that Oceania Legally has no obligation other then to give you a full refund. You are just asking for a professional courtesy. Send out these letters ASAP. If you do not hear from them in four days, do it again. There is something about a Certified letter that seems to get movement much more often then email, phones or text. What many folks do is they threaten the brand. They say things like, "I will never cruise your line again". "I will get my lawyer involved." "Your brand is horrible and I will tell everyone I feel this way." Those types of attacks dissolve the potential positive effects of the professional business letter sent. If it sound like I am confident about my approach, I am. Yet every time I share this, I get heat from folks wanting just to vent. Venting does nothing for me. I want an accommodation so you get more with sugar. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ToxM In reading your comment, I personally fully understand your feelings. I had never gone on a Europe Cruise before Oceania Cruises. The cruise was really great. Part of it was the excessive planning done prior but the main thing was we were with our best friends. People make the cruise whether guests or crew, people. The one thing I notices was on every port, I wish we had more time, I always felt just a bit stressed to get back to the ship, and we wished we could have had dinner in the port. Yet I always remembered I paid a premium to eat on the ship. Still the experience exceeded my expectations so much so, I booked another 10 day Mediterranean Oceania cruise for end of 2025. The older I get the more worried I get that my hips and legs will one day soon give out. My adult daughter has been on my case for a decade to go to Europe with me. So I used my only two regrets from my Oceania Cruise which was 1) Not enough time in the ports and 2) Eating all meals in the port city to make my decision. I am taking my daughter to 9 days in the Mediterranean at the end of April 2024, no cruise we fly, High-Speed bullet trains, small local plane between some cities, hotels where we want to be and some special dining choices without limiting ourselves. Not Vegas as you are doing but strategically focusing on what we think would make a great trip for us. This will be the first and most likely last time my Daughter will fly business class. She is so very excited. I let her choose every place we go, hotel we stay at, and attractions we will see. The moral of the story. We Mix and Match our vacations allowing us to have different experiences. Know the up/down side as best you can and avoid downsides if avoidable. Have a great plan yet stay flexible. Have realistic expectations. This non-cruise trip will allow me to be even better at planning my Oceania cruise in 2025, yet have a really nice time now with my daughter. Best of both worlds. Have a great time in Vegas. Crush the poker tables. Cruise and Vacation well and enjoy every moment.

@bassethounddog First I had this happened to you and everyone else on this cruise or any cruise affected. Did they offer you anything else besides a full refund. Like a percentage discount off your next cruise. Just wondering. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Tsunami74 I also am no spring chicken. Business Class to Europe in many ways is more important than the cruise itself sometimes. My comments about Regent are based on strictly my budget evaluations. Prior to taking any cruise especially on outside of the United States, I look at all brands. I compare the aspects/amenities each brand provides. I wish I could say this is an easy task but it is not. Your reference to RSSC providing business class airfare is one and it makes they quite unique. RSSC will always be a bucket list brand but so will Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection. The comparison of what is provided compared to other brands simply makes hard to justify. Tempting but hard. All that said, I seem to always be able to find great Business Class Air Options on my own based on my status with Delta which is lifetime Diamond. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you to everyone. I was about to book two staterooms on the Disney Wish for four day in the Concierge Suites. Then we changed course and book flights to Europe. We will not go to Disneyland Paris at the end of April. Thank you to everyone for your help. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ak1004 We are on the same page. That is the reason I have passed on Regent Seven Seas, Ritz Carlton, and Crystal. When the value does not meet the price, I pass. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ak1004 I agree with you in principle. I remember all me interaction with the Crystal Cruise line faithful. The one thing I give them back then was loyalty to the brand. Yet they complained all the time like they owned the brand. If anyone would say an unkind word it will be like a group of folks that would come at you verbally. That made me uneasy but I pushed through the feeling. Glad I did. That said, the age of the ship was and is not an issue. The personalized service by the crew was outstanding. The corporate office was a bit shaky though. People make the brand. People who care about the guest truly make the brand. I will give up a new ship for a great crew any day of the week. Cheer leaders for ANY brand really don't help the brand. They tend to create unrealistic expectations. A new guest cruises the brand and what they read and reality don't match. The folks that help a brand are those that say something like, "This was not great so you might want to avoid it. But this made up for it". My experience on Oceania was like that. Red Ginger was to me great over the top. My experience with the Polo Grill was underwhelming. So I cancelled my second reservation for Polo Grill and had it changed to Red Ginger. Everything can't be perfect but having realistic expectations makes the entire experience better. My next cruise will be on the Oceania Vista, will I go to the Polo Grill, you bet I will. People make the cruise and that is a big unknown. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JGander My motto is "Realistic Expectations" on everything cruise related. I have found, the butlers on every NCL Ship have been grossly over worked with way to many Suites to work with. Some are better then others. Butlers in general are hit or miss on all cruise lines I have been on. Please also remember, Butlers on NCL do a certain set of duties and the rest is done by the Haven Concierge Desk. By splitting the duties where other cruise brands have the Butler doing everything, the NCL Butlers can have more suites. In theory anyway. If you have never had a butler, you will enjoy the nicety. If you have had one on a Luxury line, you will instantly notice the difference. The best approach is clear and transparent communication upfront on what is important to you and your elevated cruising experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@justhappy You are way over thinking this situation. Get to the ship and board first. Go directly to the Haven Concierge Desk. If there is a wait, there will be, wait. It goes fast. Explain what you want to do and that you were put on waitlist. I give you a 95% chance of getting your reservation for that first night. They always hold back reservations and if you are in the Haven, you will have priority. I am about to be controversial. That means I am about to give a very personal opinion. With that said, here it is. The butler will serve you from Ocean Blue in courses. Let him/her do their job. Second, skip that. It is NEVER as good having the food brought to your room, ever. Go to the restaurant. Have your first night at the Haven Restaurant and look for another night at Ocean Blue if the that night is not available. Just my humble opinion. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.