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@Candy Apple 12 Your question is how do you choose a category of cruise brand. There are no real official categories however most people know the terms Mainstream through Ultra-Luxury. The higher up you go, the smaller the ship becomes. The smaller ships, the easier those ships get into smaller ports. So if you are in Europe, I would choose a smaller ship. Those ships are also more expensive with a higher crew to guest ratio. Then I look for what is included and not included. I used to think I wanted a completely all inclusive ship. The only one that every comes close is Regent. The 10 day Mediterranean Cruise was which did include Restricted Business Class, was $24,000.00. The same agenda on other ships that were not all inclusive with coach class travel was in the 10-12,000.00. Those ships were Luxury or Premium Plus. Oceania is Premium Plus to Luxury. You give up the Business Class Airfare and have to pay for gratuities and excursions. You can do a lot of Excursions for the difference in price. Now if I want high energy with lost of ship activities, I would always default the the NCL Haven on a larger full Haven Ship or Celebrity Retreat. Again, it depends on the destination and what you are looking for in your vacation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Disclaimer: I did not know where to post this so I thought, if it broke any CruiseCritic.com policies, the moderator would transfer it to the correct locations. Also, you will clearly see that my Grammar and Spelling are awful. Please forgive me. I hope my message makes sense. Introduction: As most of you know that read my op-eds, I do very much LOVE the NCL Haven VIP Experience. It sure helps to know the amenities, strategies and YES secrets of the NCL Haven Luxury Experience. I am a believer that once you have cruised in the Haven, it is super hard to go back. Yet back I did go recently to an NCL Club Balcony Suite as a Solo cruiser. Was it hard, not as hard as you might think. Was it fun, you bet. Now it is time to consider a bucket list 10-day European Mediterranean 45th wedding anniversary cruise. The only way I can make the decision, is to do my normal and insane due diligence. Back Story: I met my wife 44 years ago. We have been married 43 years. Our honeymoon was a cruise on the Norwegian (Now called NCL) SS Norway, the largest cruise ship in the world at that time. My goal or more like a dream was to do a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise with my wife for our 40th wedding anniversary. Covid-19 took that off the table. What I wanted to do was, go on an Ultra-Luxury all-inclusive cruise vacation. The brand of choice initially was Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC). RSSC seemed to check all the boxes. Until I saw the investment which was the equivalent of paying cash for a small SUV. Years ago, I did my due diligence and decided an Ultra-Luxury Cruise was not the way for my wife and I to go. The journey to that decision was taking what I called a “Luxury Cruise Test Drive”. I quickly realized that the premium paid for luxury or ultra-luxury did not provide the value I was hoping to achieve at that investment level. That decision was a very personal one. In addition, I did extensive research on many social media platforms engaging with frequent and loyal RSSC guests. It became clear, I might have loved the trip however my wife would have been intimidated. Our friends joining us for this upcoming trip, could not even consider the cost premium for Ultra Luxury Cruising. That left Mainstream, Premium, Premium Plus and Luxury as potential selections. All great choices. I am simply explaining the process my mind went through. After all was said and done, I choose Oceania Cruises for 10-days on their ship the Riviera November 9, 2023. The stateroom category I choose was a Penthouse Suite. The Labor Day four-category upgrade special was the push I needed to book, which I did. I will explain the process below and compare it to the NCL Haven and other choices. I know this is an NCL CruiseCritic.com Blog. I also know if all were equal, I would have booked the Haven. All was not equal for this trip. I hope this does what all my op-eds attempt to do. Create thoughts on how to improve our cruise vacation experience. To do this, we must have realistic expectations. Step One: Make an Excel Spreadsheet with ALL brands being considered You never have to twist my arm to make an Excel to look at different cruise facts. I love the opportunity and it stimulates my brain. I took the dates I wanted (October and November 2023); Itinerary which was Mediterranean with a focus on Greece; Number of day which was 7-10; Different Cruise Categories (mainstream, premium, premium plus, luxury and ultra-luxury); Brands that coordinated with the categories; stateroom categories including VIP areas on Brands (From Balconies to Penthouse Suites; VIP area’s like Haven and Retreat); Amenities and perks provided; Airfare costs; and of course fare Investment. What you learn is every cruise brand includes or does not include, amenities making it hard to develop an apples-to-apples comparison. This is where really drilling down on the details makes a huge difference. An example is RSSC includes unlimited excursions, where Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection does not. To compare both, you must estimate the cost of an excursion at every port. Step Two: Make a list of just amenities on each brand and price point Allow me to put this in simpler terms. It is obvious when going on NCL or Celebrity and in the Haven or Retreat respectively; you will have much better personalized service in those VIP area’s then you will have on the rest of the ship. When you consider cruise segments like Premium Plus to Ultra-Luxury, the entire ship becomes the Haven/Retreat on steroids. You soon realize, regardless of stateroom selected, once you leave your suite/cabin, everyone is treated the same. In our evaluation of what we want in a cruise, if personalized service throughout the entire ship is high on our list, then best to stay with Premium Plus through Ultra-Luxury brands. Until you make a list of what you receive and don’t receive from each brand; you really can’t compare value. I personally learned this on my first cruise after Covid-19 which was in August 2021 on Crystal Cruises out of Miami. Crystal which is now out of business; however, will be returning soon, treated everyone the same outside of their stateroom. It was a completely different cruising feeling and experience. Before I went on the Crystal Cruises, I knew every amenity and asked hundreds of questions on the Crystal Cruises blog. With this current decision, I have done the same for ALL the brands I have chosen to research. How else can we make a good business decision. A couple of great examples are the Thermal Spa and a Butler. If I were in the Haven, I would have a butler. Yet the Thermal Spa is an add-on expense unless you are in a Haven Spa Suite. On Oceania, when you are in a Penthouse or higher stateroom, you have complementary access to the outside Thermal Spa Sundeck, and you have a butler. With Haven, you still need to tip your butler; with Oceania, the Butler’s gratuities are included in the daily gratuities amount added to your room. All I am sharing is that a deep dive into amenities is important to compare value. Step Three: Choosing Big or Small Ship Experience When I am cruising out of Miami, New York, New Orleans, or Seattle; I usually only do the larger ships. Those travel destinations are not always port intensive nor do some of the ports interest me. Therefore, the ship and its activities hold a greater value. When you are cruising the Mediterranean, it is less about water slides, go-cart tracks, pool games, Broadway Production Shows and virtual reality. It is more about getting into smaller ports, spending a much time as possible at that port. It is also much more about, relaxation, comfort, great dining, and personalized service. We choose a center ground of ships that have between 700 and 1200 guest capacity. This also means entertainment will not be the same; the bars close earlier then mainstream brands and crowd is a bit older and reserved. Children are rare. You must ask yourself a question, is this type of smaller ship right for your trip. It was for us on this vacation and itinerary because it was about the ports. Step Four: What does a higher category of stateroom provide you This question is so hard to understand, almost impossible. If as I did, you choose a cruise segment at above Premium Plus, you know your experience out of your stateroom will essentially be as great as the folks in the Owners Suite. Then you look at the difference in investment between a basic Veranda Suite and the lowest level Penthouse Suite. The margins for a premium can be huge. You must ask yourself, “what makes that much more of an investment worth consideration?” Good luck finding this information. It seems all that is out there are folks that complain about these higher priced suites. You see, those with the means to purchase at these prices, really don’t do intense reviews unless they are disappointed in some way. Then they write a book. I really wanted a blend of experience and had a very hard time finding that information. Therefore, I drilled down on every piece of information that compared the two staterooms. My reference point was my experience on Crystal Cruises. Essentially, the differences fell into a few categories: 1. The Stateroom: More square footage. Bigger balcony. More storage and possibly a walk-in closet. A separate shower and soaking tub which sometimes can be a jet tub. More than one Flat Screen TV. Higher inventory and quality of bath products. 2. Personal Butler: Before a guest has had a REAL Butler, they often say, “I don’t need a butler. The room steward is just fine.” Then you get a REAL Butler. When I travel on NCL in the Haven or Celebrity in the Retreat, they provide butlers. These hard-working folks do the best they can do. The mainstream cruise brands give them so many things to do behind the scenes that personalized service is more difficult. Not impossible just difficult. That is why these butlers are usually Hit/Miss. Where when you are on a Premium Plus or above brand, your butlers are OUTSTANDING. For the most part, whatever you ask for you can receive within reason. These butlers quickly determine what we like and don’t like and adjust their service accordingly. It makes a difference in your cruising experience. Now you must determine if the difference is worth the premium paid. 3. Early Access: Getting on and off the ship quickly is always a plus. Having the availability of early access to Specialty Restaurant selections is another benefit. Priority booking while on the ship is yet another plus. You paid more for your stateroom, know what you will receive and use it. Or else, why did you invest in the premium. 4. Specific Suite Amenities: In the higher priced suites, there are some amenities that are not available on the lower-level staterooms. We already discussed a few above, here are some others: a. Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine: I do love a good Champagne, but I really don’t like Sparkling Wine. This is a little thing but is does make a difference. The only Haven Suite that provides real French Champagne was the (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite. The Champagne received was actually a great brand and yet stale. On my Crystal voyage, it was both a great brand and excellent. b. Daily Snacks Delivered: This is a double-edged sword. The first day your butler brings you these snacks, you are impressed. You truly feel like a rock star. You take a drink to the balcony with your lovely assortment of food items. The world is perfect for a few lovely minutes. Then you go to dinner that night and not quite hungry as you thought you would be. From that day forward you eat less and less of the snack until you tell your butler simply not to bring them. I made the mistake of telling my butler I liked smoked salmon. Every day there was like 8 oz of smoked salmon in the normal smack delivered. c. Complementary Mini-Fridge: Your mini-fridge is restocked daily. Depending on the brand and your suite, it usually has water, soft drinks, and juice. In my Penthouse Suite on Crystal, I told my butler I liked Grey Goose Lemon and Bailey’s. Within minutes I had a liter of each on my bar. My wife shared she loved wine. We always had a full bottle in the ice bucket. i. NOTE: This is NOT every brand. I will be on Oceania, the Mini-Fridge will be stock but no alcohol. No issue if you know that prior to sailing. In the Haven (H2) Owners Suite, they provided you with three bottles of spirits. The key is “Realistic Expectations”. d. Dry Cleaning/Laundry Service: Depending on the stateroom, you might get no laundry service to unlimited. On my next trip on Oceania in a Penthouse Suite, I have three (3) bags of laundry, pressing on the day of embarkment, show shines when needed. Just like Crystal, Oceania and many other better category brands have public complementary washers and dryers. On a recent solo cruise on the NCL Joy, I was in a Club Balcony Suite. I was given one bag of laundry with my stateroom selection. Yet the Haven does not include a complementary laundry service. Glad I understood the perks prior to sailing. e. Streaming Media: Seems silly to watch a movie in your stateroom while on a cruise. It really comes in handy sometimes. On many mainstream cruise brands, unless you are in the VIP area suites, streaming movies are charged to your stateroom. On Premium Plus and above, they are usually complementary however you should always check. Streaming movies were All complementary when in a NCL Haven Suite except for adult titles. f. Specialty Coffee/Afternoon Tea Service: On specialty coffee, most Premium Plus and above brands have this as complementary. Afternoon Tea Service in your suite is something that is usually provide for Penthouse and above. There is usually a place on board in a public area that does Afternoon tea. It is lovely to do occasionally. On Mainstream cruise brands even in the VIP areas, Specialty Coffee’s could have a charge. Afternoon tea is usually not an option. This only matters if it matters to you. g. Ship-to-Shore Phone Minutes: This is usually a perk of the more expensive suites. I had this on a cruise with Crystal and simply did not use it. I was glad it was available though. ship-to-shore Phone calls are super expensive usually. No value it you don’t know you have it or don’t have a reason to use it. h. Ship Mobile Phone: This is a stateroom phone that is wireless, and you can take it with you on board. You can be reached and call others on board or call your butler for service regardless of where you are located. The Haven and Retreat also has this as a perk/amenity. i. iPad Usage: You can simply request the iPad and use it while onboard. This is a nice perk yet another one I have never utilized. This little perk is usually for the higher category suites. j. Unlimited Priority Specialty Restaurant Reservations: When at certain stateroom levels, you have NO limits to the number of times you can book a Specialty Restaurant. You can even have the menu served in your stateroom course-by-course with your butler. On Mainstream VIP areas, Specialty Restaurants are not complementary. In some cases, you might get one or two. This goes back to attempting to do an Apple-to-Apple comparison. k. Special Thermal Spa/Outside Spa Area: On most mainstream cruise brands, these areas are extra. On NCL the Thermal Spa is $300.00 per week per guest unless you have a spa suite. The Vibe Beach Club is $209.00 to $275.00 per week per guest. On Oceania they have a private access only outside spa area with a Thermal Spa for upper-level staterooms. The equivalent of a Mainstream inside Thermal Spa. On Premium Plus brands or above are usually complementary. l. Bottles of Spirits: I have only had one suite on a Mainstream Cruise Brand that had bottles of spirits provided. It was the NCL (H2) Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. That was it. On my Crystal Cruises (Luxury) sailing, my butler brought bottles to my suite at my request and yes, they were complementary. On Oceania, the three top level suites NOT including the Penthouse Suites; have 6 bottles of spirits provided to the suite. m. Excursions: Some brands like Viking and RSSC have unlimited or one excursion per port. Others like Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collections and Oceania Cruises you pay for your excursions. From a budget standpoint, I like the lower investment so having unlimited excursions is not a benefit to us. n. Gratuities: I wish everyone would understand that when gratuities are included in your fare, you are still paying for them. They are not complementary. When you attempt to book Celebrity (Premium), you can choose the package where one item is your gratuities or do cruise only. NCL does not include gratuities in their fare nor does Oceania. As a matter of fact, if you have a suite class stateroom, the gratuities are higher because of the guest to crew ratio. Conclusion: After all the research that I did, yes, I choose Oceania Cruises. It was a balance of all the amenities I like, personalized service, excellent dining, nice sized staterooms, and flexibility on excursions. All of this was in a budget range that was in many cases, less than the VIP sections of NCL, Celebrity and MSC. The situation that put me over the top was a four-category upgrade promotion putting my friends and wife in a Penthouse Suite with a Personal Butler. That is like paying for a NCL Club Balcony Suite and getting a Haven Penthouse Suite. NCL does not do that. If I would have chosen the NCL Haven on the Breakaway (Mainstream) the total investment was $14,001.00; NCL Haven on the NCL Viva (Premium) the investment was $16,611.70; The Celebrity Edge (Premium) in the Retreat $14,912.85; Viking (Luxury) $10,596.00; Oceania Cruises (Premium Plus) $10,656.00. The examples given included fare, airfare, specialty restaurants, exclusive area’s on the ship and gratuities. Except for Viking which also included an excursion at every port. Those excursions were all walking excursions so not what I was looking for. I wrote this op-ed from an informational standpoint only. It is my research done over-time. It was based on my wants/needs, NOT yours. It allowed me to decide and book a “Bucket List” cruise opportunity. I did my best to do an Apple-to-Apple comparison. I hope it is helpful and I am willing to answer any questions you might have. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for the kind words. I also hope Crystal will become even a better brand then before. That Cruise gave me a better perspective of what to expect when cruising outside of the mainstream brands. It was different, in a somewhat strange time. I could see what others were talking about yet thought there could be a center ground between Mainstream and Luxury. I am hoping as I am sure you are, that we find that in Oceania. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Please clarify the $400 OBC part of your statement. That was confusing to me. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Mura Well thank you. I wish what I did was about being a great friend. In reality, it was about being selfish. I REALLY wanted to go on a 10-day Cruise to the Mediterranean. I am 65 and my wife is 62. My love of my life has some knee and hip issues so a cruise is the best choice for such a trip. Even though, she tells me all the time, "NO MORE CRUISES". See, I am just a selfish old man. On to my choice with Oceania. It helped me choose because it is a member of the NCL family. It also helped that a few years ago, I did all my due diligence on Oceania. This time around it was a much easier selection. I had mentioned in an earlier posting that I did a "Luxury Cruise Test Drive". It was on Crystal prior to its financial issues. I spent a year on the Crystal Board on cruisecritic asking lots of questions. I realize now, I was a complete pain to those fine folks. Yet they were so nice to me. Some who commented during that year are avid Oceania Loyal Guest. They are most helpful on this board. On Oceania, I asked just a few questions and with my past experience, it all made sense. I was recently asked what would make a cruise the best it can be? I had one answer. "Go with good friends and enjoy the experience together." Since my lovely bride is somewhat of an introvert and I am an extrovert, having our friends with us will make a huge difference in her enjoyment. That makes my trip even better. For my friends, they have not gone on a lot of cruises so my experience will help them enjoy the experience better. Watching non-cruisers enjoy the experience, makes my trip. Some of the YouTube video's I have watched focused on the food and dining. I also focused on the classes for food preparation on the ship. This is not everyone's focus but it is mine. My hope is the world will be a more stable and better place in a year then it is right now. The ships will fill back up, more people will be traveling and enjoying their lives. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I absolutely loved the Vibe especially as a solo. You did the right thing with specialty Restaurant's. All. Did different was I did the Free at sea plus. You have a perfect plan.

@Bronx12 Oh stop now. It was a good question. Never feel bad about the questions you ask. All are fair. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Bronx12 The full name of this lounge is the Bliss Ultra Lounge. It is located on Deck 7. It is just the name of this bar. Similar the the "A List Bar" on the NCL Joy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@graphicguy What a great post and I am so happy for you. I recently did a Solo cruise on the NCL Joy and it was a lot of fun. I have never done the New England/Canada cruise so I am so looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I think is is brilliant what you did by waiting and getting a Club Balcony Suite. I also think it is very educational that you shared how your lined up all your FCC, Fare, Specialty Meals and leveraging your American Express Perks. I will be on the NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans in 80 days. I have cruised on the NCL Getaway so I kind of know the ship size and layout. I really like these ships and I truly enjoyed the Club Balcony Suite. Again, looking forward for your updates. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

We just received the agenda for our Casinos at Sea Slot Tournament Finals. The cruise is in 80 days. The agenda looks like: $100,000 Winner Take All Slot Tournament - Norwegian Breakaway SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: Sunday, December 4th | Welcome Cocktail Party & Registration Bliss Lounge from 4:00PM – 5:00PM Monday, December 5th | Session 1 Breakaway Casino starting at 10:00AM Thursday, December 8th | Session 2 Breakaway Casino starting at 6:00PM Friday, December 9th | Beach Party in Cozumel, Mexico Meet in Breakaway Casino at 9:15AM Disembark ship at 9:30AM Depart to Playa Mia at 9:45AM Depart back to ship at 2:30PM Saturday, December 10th | Pre-Finale Cocktail Party Bliss Lounge from 4:00PM – 5:00PM Saturday, December 10th | $100,000 Winner Take All Finale Breakaway Casino at 5:00PM We have NO idea how many folks will be in the finals. I do not think everyone that won the slot tournament on an NCL Ship will attend. This cruise we NOT complementary. I am hoping many players just skip it allowing for better odds. The fact of the matter is the Haven Suites are almost sold out. With 80 days until the cruise, that is a bit unusual. That tells me, there might be some competition in this contest. FYI, I am sharing this information because there is so little information on this event. I will also do live posting on the ship focused on the Tournament and cruising "Haven Lite". We have done the "Free At Sea PLUS" upgrade, booked a Cabana in the Vibe Beach Club, have upgrade bids for the Haven and Balcony Spa Suite. My wife and I have gone to these ports before, we have not booked any excursions as of yet. The Tournament provides one excursion in Cozumel, Mexico. I may splurge on the Beach Villa on the Private Island if I can find some folks that want to go in with us due to the cost. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Homeport5 The NCL Haven; Celebrity Retreat; and the MSC Yacht Club are obviously all "Ship-within-a-Ship" concepts. Each have Pros/Cons. For example, as much as I love the dining in the Haven Restaurant, the Celebrity Retreat Suites Only Restaurant has a menu that changes every day/night. Where the Haven stays the same all week. The MSC Yacht Club has a much bigger area for the folks in the Yacht Club with a bigger private pool. Yet they are not known for great entertainment. Pros/Cons. One thing we all never really talk about is other brands like Oceania Cruises. Oceania is designed where everyone is treated the same when you leave your stateroom. Kind of like a Haven/Retreat/Yacht Club on steriods for the entire ship. Currently you can cruise with Oceania (Premium Plus Category) in a Penthouse for less then the Mainstream Brands for in some cases less. The Con to Oceania is it is a smaller ship, less entertainment options and an older crowd. The Pros are the dining which is the best and the investment compared to other "Ship-in-a-Ship" options. All I am saying is look at everything, know what you really like and choose accordingly. Last note, I have been traveling in the Haven and writing about it for a very long time. I want folks to know, you can have a great time in another stateroom with a great Haven Lite Strategy. Hope all this makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Warm-Water Diver Your question is subjective but I think you know that. Everyone likes different foods and dining experiences. However, I never let an opportunity to discuss food go by. Please remember, this is my opinion only. My personal favorites are Cagney's for the first night and Teppenyaki for the last night. I love Le Bistro because of the lamb chops. My family does not like Le Bistro. We get a dinner for two on American Express to Le Bistro as a perk. On to your question. I would choose Onda. Ocean Blue is not as good as it once was. At first it was the place to go, now it has been lack luster the last few times. Just my opinion. Onda allows for lots of nice tastes and a really great menu. I can not leave this response by saying, I am going on a 7 day NCL cruise in December 2022. I also have four specialty meals. I have chosen to go to Cagney's twice because they have better lamb chops then Le Bistro and better Prime Rib then the Haven Restaurant. I hope my thoughts give you some of what you were looking for. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This ship is a new concept. Many things will not be perfect. The brand will correct obvious mistakes as they have in the past. As I read all the comments and opinions given, one struck me to have pretty clear assessment of Social Media. People without the experience of cruising on this ship are making comments that sound like they have been on the ship many time. Social Media allows for this kind of response and it is less about having actual experience as is it projecting how one would feel if it happened to them. NCL intent with a Dry Slide was to be different. The same holds true with the larger Go-Cart Track on a smaller ship. Just as with the Joy when originally designed for the Asian Market, when a cruise brand sees that did not work, they adjust their mistake if their is one. Until more people cruise this ship, take video's and pictures; we all who have not cruised it won't know the actual situation. I hope that clear and accurate information comes soon. A situation like this happened to me on another ship. It was not a slide that was an obstruction, it was something else. The response was frustration and anger on the social media board. I was also upset because I wanted my cruise to be perfect. When we got on the cruise, the situation in reality was much less intense and the cruise was great. Just like visualizing how great your cruise is going to be before it happens, then the reality is a let down from our perfect fantasies. Focusing on how bad something is going to be before it happens has a similar effect. Our minds play a harsh game until reality sets in. For every CruiseCritic.com member cruising on the Prima sometime soon, can I ask if you could give use some live information and pictures. We as a group would truly appreciate it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I agree completely. I think what happened is when Covid-19 shut down the cruise companies, they had to find new ways to make back the profits that they lost. So everything went up. I have purchased the Thermal Spa and only used it a couple of times. I also have purchased the Vibe Beach Club and used it every day. Everyone has something that helps them enjoy their cruise. We all have to make decisions on what is affordable to our respective budgets. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@CruiseAFI get you however sometimes it is not what you say, it is how you say it. The issue here is the ship is to new to rate. The other is the premium one pays for the Haven Suite in question. In most cases, the Cruise Brand lets the guest know if there is an obstruction. Like when you go to a Broadway show, an obstructed view seat would be discounted. In this case it is a Haven Suite which is supposed to be the best on the ship. I always remember how many times I was cancelled before I finally could use my FCC. It was close to two years. During those two years I visualized my cruise from start to finish. To think my balcony has any sort of obstruction would have put a "Debbie Downer" on my cruise for sure. Not a First World Issue, but would have been very disappointing. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My pleasure. I used to approach my answers differently. I would say things like, "Search your subject" instead of simply answering the posters question. I realized, as familiar I was at how to navigate CruiseCritic.com, many others simply want their question answered. My response to you was detailed because I am doing the same thing right now for my upcoming cruise on the NCL Breakaway December 4, 2022. With everything I know and learned, I know my odds of getting an upgrade is slim and none. The most important think I want to share on this site is to always have realistic expectations. On my cruise, because it is a special event cruise, only a handful of Haven Suites are left. I know that which makes knowing I most likely will not be successful, easier to take. You can ask me anything and if I don't know, I will be transparent. CruiseCritic.com is a very nice source and most everyone is helpful. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Well done, great information. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The bookings on any cruise are usually almost compete at about 90 days out. That is also the time when full payment is due from those that book the cruise early. From a trend standpoint, NCL starts to slowly decrease the cost of a Haven (and other) suites the closer it gets to the cruise date. A few cabins get sold but not that many. Then sometimes the unforeseeable happens. I was hoping for an upgrade to the Haven for my last cruise. I was a solo. Then a few week prior, one of NCL ships hit a sand bar. The next few weeks were cancelled on that ship and they offered moving to the ship I was on. Quickly all the Haven Suites were gone. Understandable of course. Do I think lots will be sold, no. As the price goes down, some folks upgrade at retail vs. upgrade bid. Happens all the time. I also notice that the folks in the lowest cost Haven Suites, upgrade to the better Haven Suites putting their old room in inventory. So you might not see it now but it will show up the last week or two prior to your cruise. I also notices there sometimes was two waves of "Bid Upgrades". The first wave take the really high bids and the second wave happens about three days prior to sailing. I would much prefer that NCL simple sends out a specific amount they want for an upgrade at the last minute. That is what some other brands do and it is for me, much less stressful. I know I over answered your question. I have a tendency to do that. I hope I helped. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The way to do that is to act like you are booking a stateroom online. Choose the stateroom you want to bid on and when the screen says, would you like to choose a different stateroom, click it. You will now see the number of available cabins. This gives you and indication of suites that could be bid on for a lower bid amount. The other way I get inventory is to go to cruise (dot) com. I put my cruise in and look at each of the categories of staterooms I want. Same notion on bidding. I hope that strategy makes sense and assist you in some way. It has worked for me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

OK, drop the notion of Free At Sea. Highlight the notion of checking inventory. The way to do that is to act like you are booking a stateroom online. Choose the stateroom you want to bid on and when the screen says, would you like to choose a different stateroom, click it. You will now see the number of available cabins. This gives you and indication of suites that could be bid on for a lower bid amount. The other way I get inventory is to go to cruise (dot) com. I put my cruise in and look at each of the categories of staterooms I want. Same notion on bidding. I hope that strategy makes sense and assist you in some way. It has worked for me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I want to approach your question differently. When using the "Upgrade Bid" program, the offer to you is usually a few categories above what you booked. From a strategic standpoint, which is what I think you are asking for. I would book the cheapest stateroom with all the "Free At Sea" perks. This will give you the "Free at Sea" perks for any upgrade you receive. Second, understand what happens and when it happens on upgrade bids. The company that awards the bids is a third party vender whom specialize in this kind of program. They rarely award a bid until just a few days prior to your cruise. Look at the inventory for the stateroom you want online. If low availability, make a bid a bit higher. If high availability, make bid a little lower. Next, realized the third party company upgrades the Haven first, those that got upgraded now have inventory open. They pull everyone up and you will be last. I am sharing this will you because if inventory is not available now, it will be once the upgrades start to be given. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My cruise on the NCL Breakaway is 82 days away. I went to the spa, "Thermal Spa", and the investment for a 7-Day Cruise was $299.00 per guest for the week. Go online, go to spa, then "Thermal Spa" and it should be in the same place. Yours will be more because of the number of days you are traveling. I usually choose the Vibe Beach Club or the Thermal Spa. It depends on the weather when I am cruising. The Vibe is usually a little less then the spa. Both can be purchased ahead of time on your Online Access. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@latebloomer56You are more than welcome. I can not answer your question however I will make a comment. I had the Pearl booked for New England and Canada a few years ago with a Two Bedroom Family villa in the Haven. It was a family vacation. Prior, my wife and I went on the NCL Getaway, in a Haven Spa Suite. I immediately realized I like the full Haven Experience only available on the larger NCL ships. We cancelled the Pearl and booked the Encore. Due to many cancelations due to Covid, we ended up on the NCL Joy. My opinion and only my opinion is the smaller ships with the smaller Haven are a great if the itinerary need those smaller ship to get into the ports with no tenders. If not, the bigger ships with the full Haven Experience suite my family and I better. I know I went off your topic however I wanted to share my experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruiserbear55Thank you for the response. My question on the drink card was just out of curiosity. it was the first I had ever hear of it and I love to learn new information. My wife and I are completely spoiled so we did the "Free at Sea PLUS" package. So that includes the Premium PLUS Beverage Package. I have a habit of finding and drinking as much Tequila 1942 as I can find on the ship, LOL. The Casino Goodies sound lovely. Nice touch. I failed to state, this upcoming trip on the NCL Breakaway is because my wife won the slot tournament on the NCL Joy last December. She has an entry in to the finals for $100,000.00 winner take all. That will be a really fun event I am sure. Thank you again for responding and it was must helpful. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Can you elaborate on the Casino Drink Card and the goodies? I will be at Port of New Orleans, does that qualify. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.