Sthrngary

@LHT28 Yes, thank you for remembering. I do spreadsheets all the time for almost everything I consider doing especially if the investment is significant. Those spreadsheets focus on comparing brands investment, cabins, and amenities. I have already done the spread sheet bringing me to the high likelihood of booking an Oceania Cruise. With Crystal Cruises, it was my very first time on a Luxury Type Cruise and I was really interested on the perception of the differences from the guests. I remember we communicated on posts back then. Thanks for remembering. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Background: I have cruised on NCL for a long time. My usual stateroom is the Haven which I know intimately. I have also cruised with Celebrity in the Retreat. Finally, I cruised on Crystal Cruise last year prior to their financial issues. I have chosen the NCL Haven for the "Ship-within-a-Ship" concept. The better dining, excellent entertainment and less hectic when we had enough of the main ship. We chose Celebrity Retreat to gain an alterative to the Haven. We selected Crystal Cruises to dip our toes into the Luxury segment and called it a "Luxury Cruise Test Drive". Goal: To have a memorable Mediterranean Cruise with our best friends and not have to break the bank. Our friends are on a tighter budget than we are and asked for my help in comparisons. If it were up to me, I would book Regent Seven Seas due to the completely all inclusive approach they take. The issue is budget. Cruises especially these kinds of cruises are best shared with good friends. This means flexibility to suit all budgets. This brings Oceania as a great choose on paper. Now I need real guest comments to seal the deal. REQUEST FROM CRUISECRITIC.COM MEMBERS: Can you give the pro's and cons of Oceania. My concern is being bored on sea days and in the evenings. This came from my Crystal Cruise Experience. I would love to know what you loved about the brand. Any assistance is welcome. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruiseny4life Hello, I am the OP. You can call me Gary and you make a great point. This question comes up a lot so I think it might be time to do some clarifying. I hope everyone remembers my intent is to establish Realistic expectations. Otherwise, we go on an expensive cruise, upgrade to the Haven and feel like we did not get the values others have gotten. That is a downer for most folks. Expectation to the Pre-Cruise Concierge: My goal is to handle a few things pre-cruise so I don't have to on the cruise. The assistance falls in two area's, first to have things done for me in advance. Second, to give me the best approach when I am on the ship. That is my goal. I just want to know the rules to the game. Truly Personalized Service: The NCL Haven and the Celebrity Retreat do a nice job of personalized service. This includes before the and mostly during the actual cruise. They don't hold a candle to Regent, Oceania, SeaBourn, Viking, and other luxury segment brands. The difference subtle and hard to describe. My experience is you can get the same things done Pre/During Cruise but it takes more effort on Mainstream Cruise Brands. The effort by the crew on personalized service is hampered on the Highly Structured Process and Procedure used. Where on the Luxury Brands, the crew has discretionary abilities. It is simply not the same and we need to go into the cruise knowing that. The True Secret To Getting What You Want: Have your request pre-thought out. Start with the Pre-Cruise Concierge and ask for confirmation in writing. Follow up if need be with the on-ship concierge in writing if possible. Finally, ask your butler and again I do it in writing. None of these folks have a crystal ball to know what is uniquely important to me different than others. On a luxury brand, you can simply write and email or ask your butler. They have never missed with a request that was no to over the top. I do something else and this is the first time I have ever stated it out loud. I create a relationship with the folks I talk to on the phone or emails. I ask for them in the future, I praise them to their managers if they go over the top. I gain the supervisors name and contact information. When my request is granted, I show my appreciation with a kind think you. I know have collected names and contact numbers for the majority of supervisors and executives on the brands. I never abuse the relationship, ever. If You Don't Ask, You Don't Get: If something is important to me, I ask. If I get a "No" I am not upset. My thoughts are, I did not know if it was possible anyway. I have asked for "Upgrade/Upgrade Status" and never gotten one unless my upgrade bid was a winner. No special treatment. On the other hand, I wanted to buy the Premium "PLUS" beverage package for two of the four adults in my suite. I was given the right person to call and it was handled onboard. I was told that this was not possible on Social Media yet with a little intuitiveness it was done for me on my cruise. Conclusion: You can get almost anything you want done with a little planning and realistic expectations. Never demand or use anger (no one ever said in this stream they were using anger or demanding), collect confirmations emails of your requests, write a reasonable list of what you want, start with pre-cruise and don't be disappointed it you have to simply ask on the cruise. If you don't get everything you want, let it go. Nothing is perfect. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Sailing12AwayGuilty as charged. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275I thought I was the only one that the robe did not fit. I asked for a "Portly" size and was told "One Size Fits All". All except me, I guess. Then we spend a week on a cruise eating and the provided Haven Robe has NO CHANCE. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com They are pretty quick. Remember my whole MO is to help folks establish realistic expectations. These fine folks can't do everything we ask. What they can do is give us instruction if it is not in their abilities. They usually respond in 24 hours of less. Cruise well and enjoy every minute.

@rbxlady If you have any special request for your suite, call the number or if you want an email address respond to this post. There is nothing in particular you have to ask for however everyone is different. I usually ask for a water and extension cord for my CPAP machine. If in the Owners suite I tell them the three bottles of spirits I want and the mixers. If in a suite with a very large balcony, I ask for additional lounge chairs for everyone in the cabin. There is a pillow menu you can clarify. I have also had both excursion and specialty restaurant reservation changes done in advance. I hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

It is my understanding that All Owners Suites get that perk. In addition, the three bedroom villa's also get that perk. I found a "Welcome Aboard the Haven" document that might help. It is attached. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Sailing12AwayYou are NOT Foolish in anyway. There are many ways to look at a vacation. My recent vacation was for my family of 4, my wife and my 42 Wedding Anniversary, we did the Haven and the Owners Suite. NOT FOOLISH. I loved it so much, I did a solo trip on the same ship in a Non-Haven Club Suite and it was an $850.00 fare for me plus Port/Tax/Gratuities. That also was an extremely nice cruise. There is nothing wrong with a splurge. Some folks looking at the price alone think it is a waste because you could have cruised several times for the same amount. I say, try it once and see it if makes a difference to you. It did for me but will not change the fact I will also look for a bargain for a quick value priced cruise. Funny story. My adult daughter was so upset with me for booking the Haven. She wanted her own cabin with veranda for she and her partner. I was paying so she and the partner got the second bedroom in the suite. I thought the complaining would never stop. Then she saw the room, ate at the Haven Restaurant, Sun on the Haven Sundeck, Had a Smoking Manhattan at the Haven Bar, and room service from the Butler. She loved her cabin and the privacy it gave her. Until she actually saw, and know what the Haven was all about, he criticized it. Let's just say my family had no complaints. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Not a bougie question. Ask the butler on day one, give them a time for delivery. They will accommodate you. Now some homework. Learn about the Premium Plus Drink package, cost what it does and if it would be a benefit to you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello everyone, a little history on this Thread. If you read the original thread back in 2019 and the updated thread 2022, you will notice I adjusted the comments on children. In my original thread which is pages long, all that I was getting was complaints from mom's and dad's on my two sentences focus on unruly children. I hope this does not happen again. There is a lot of good information in the thread. Just my two cents. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The key to children in general is simply cruise during none holiday seasons. Simple as that and issue solved. Glad you liked my thoughts. I had a great time writing it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MarionHWhat I am about to say is from my experience. Others experience will differ. When we asked for coffee in the morning, the butler took about 15 minutes. When we asked them to bring it at a certain time, they never missed. I like the Haven French Press. It is super strong so not for everyone. The one think I will say is that depending on the ship and where your suite is located, the mornings I did not have coffee in the suite I went to either of the Observations Lounges. Lovely view. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@rbxladyI know the answer to this one. Yes, in the Haven you can ask for a small pitcher of Heavy Cream. My wife and I were on Keto, which allows Heavy cream in our coffee. They accommodated us no issue. Sidenote, I made it on my Keto Cruise diet for about 4 hours. Once I saw the cake the Haven had for desert, I was off the wagon so to speak. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Great Summary, Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@scooter6139I have recently cruised on the NCL Joy both in the Haven and outside of the Haven. The % percentage of guest on the Joy has nothing to do with the Haven on the Joy. The Haven is ALWAYS sold out so keep that in mind. NCL does the bid up program and Haven is the prize. On to your more than valid question. I have a unique perspective on this. My first trip was a 100% booked Haven and my family of four was in the Haven Proper. This is my experience and only my experience. Haven Courtyard Pool and Hot tub: This was the week after Thanksgiving on purpose. I did not want all the families that cruise during the thanksgiving holiday. Been there and done that, CHECK. This area was never crowded, ever. The Joy has a retractable roof over the Courtyard and I never saw it closed. Haven Sundeck: This surprised me. It was crowded not over crowded but crowded all the time. More on Sea days of course. You could always get a chair but sometimes it was in the corner. Not my experience on other Haven cruises. I looked over the wall at the Vibe Beach Club which is double the size of most Vibe Beach Clubs and they were empty. Haven Bar: This bar is small. They serve drinks to the Bar, Haven Restaurants and other areas like the lounge in the Haven and the Horizon Observation area. It was always busy, they were very good about keeping people in the order they came to the bar for a drink. I was a bit taken back by two folks that literally never left their seats at the Haven Bar for the entire week. This only left six seats at the bar open at any given time. Haven Restaurant: Never once had an issue getting in. Food and service were over the top in my opinion. Haven Horizon Observation Lounge: Never and I mean never crowded. Great selection of foods but limited. Starbuck High-End Automatize Coffee Machine that was great. I spent lots of time here and just above n the very quiet Haven library. Side Note: After this lovely and "Once in a lifetime family vacation in the Haven", I went back on the NCL Joy a few months later as a "Solo" traveler. I was NOT in the Haven, I did have a Club Suite. I would say 15 to 20 people in the Haven were there because of all the blogs I do on the subject and they gave me reports. On day one, I asked to have "ONE" drink at the Haven bar which the who remembered Concierge allowed. I NEVER went back because I did not pay for the Amenities and there for did not deserve them. My fellow CruiseCritic.com members that were in the Haven told me my observations above were on point. That trip the ship was almost completely filled. Yet nothing changed in the Haven which was also completely filled yet again. On this "Solo" trip I purchased the Vibe Beach Club Pass for a week and basically lived in there. I loved it. I call that Haven Lite. I would have never done the Vibe if I had the Haven Sundeck. Yet, the Vibe experience was better than the Haven Sundeck Experience. That should give you some foundation. You can ask me anything. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am the op-ed on this article on the Haven. Feel free to ask any question at all. Many folks can help you but I wanted to reach out.

@steveknjI am the op-ed. You are absolutely right that my experiences are unique to me. When I wrote this op-ed I was hoping everyone would get something out of an aspect in the article. You said it best. "While I appreciated the sentiment of the OP". Your comments clearly show why I really like CruiseCritic.com. Your writing was clear, understandable and expressed your position in a very logical way. Thank you is all I can say and please comment more. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@LunesseI want to approach your question that way I would handle it. My assumptions are you will be on the NCL Bliss, In the Haven, in the Forward Facing Suite. I just went on the NCL Website for the Bliss. I went to the suite layout link. You have a separate shower and soaking tube. On the walk. The Haven Proper is on the Aft of the ship. This is a big ship. If you are going on the Bliss for the Haven Experience, it will cost you a kind of long walk. The Benefit of the Foreword Facing Suite is the balcony size and suite size. If you were in the Haven Proper, you would have less walking to the Observation Deck, Haven Bar/Restaurant, Haven Sundeck. Your suite and balcony will be smaller. I hope that helps you. I use the room detail links all the time. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Yep, as I stated, I worked with reviews and surveys in my prior life. It is supposed to give an organization a way of knowing where to put some effort. Instead, we feel bad for telling the truth with our scores. Lots of reason for this Need for Top scores. It really is the companies lack of understanding and the way scores are used in Marketing. I say, score what you got but play fair. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for the kind words. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for your kind reply. The real issue is not about the Haven. It is we as CruiseCritic.com member reply, comment or do a stream; don't inflate the experience. Be accurate from you the cruisers experience and opinion. I also cruise in Balcony's, Club Balcony's and in the past Inside Cabins. I have had just as good a time there as in fancy suites in the Haven. It breaks my heart when people outline their experiences that I know are just not going to happen for everyone. Then the person that took the advice reviews their disappointment. Life is so much better when you expectations are realistic and you are positively surprised. I love the way you travel. Very exciting and cool. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I appreciate any and all your comments. You are an excellent writer and appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Sthrngary here and I hope everyone is having a outstanding day. In my life prior to retirement, I spend time learning about meeting and exceeding clients expectations. A focus was on the "Luxury" buyer and how their needs constantly evolve. The reality is every single buyers wants, needs and motivations constantly evolve not just a luxury buyer. We would deep dive into survey systems. We would do the same for review sites. Our goal was to really learn in great detail what would improve the client experience leading to them becoming what is know as an advocate. Someone who would go out of their way to tell other people how much they loved the brand. We on CruiseCritic.com have an obligation to each other, regardless of the brand, to be as accurate as possible with our writings. When I read reviews, comments and posts, it sometimes looks like every aspect of the persons cruise experience was over the top perfect in every way. Things were done for them that were special yet they establish it as a every day thing. On the other extreme hand, others share that their entire experience the worst of a life time with no redeeming value. These two extremes really create a false narrative of what a persons experience will be and when it is not achieved, they are disappoint. Their expectations were unrealistic from the get go. That is not fair to those that read your comments. I see this a lot from marketers, influencers and Travel Agents. I want to give some examples of how our comments can negatively effect a cruisers experience: Vibe Beach Club: I really like the Vibe Beach Club and have written about it many times. One small thing I never wrote about until today is what happened one lunch time. If you have read all my Op-Eds on the "Secrets of the Haven", you know I truly know the Haven and all the amenities so I share them. How do these two items relate. One day I was at the Vibe Bar cruising out-side of the Haven, the Vibe manager asked me if I would like a Haven Burger (exclusive to the Haven) for lunch. This only happened once, it was not a perk of the Vibe. I never until now brought this up because it would set an unrealistic expectation, even for this to happen to me again. It was just someone being extremely nice to me. Haven Access to Smaller Shows: No where on the Haven Amenities does it say you can get access to the smaller show venues like the Beatles in the Cavern Club or the Comedy Club. These venues are first come and first serve. Yet people all the time are asking about this. All this is because just like my Burger in the Vibe, a Haven crew member once brought a Haven Guest through the back door of one of these venues before the crowd came in. Now someone new to the Haven or NCL expects this and they don't get it. Unrealistic expectations. Bottle of Wine In Suite/Cabin: My wife and I don't like the sparkling wine in the room that comes with certain Cabins. I have asked many times if we could exchange this bottle for a bottle of Chardonnay. I have asked five times and it happened once. On all five times we had the Premium Plus Beverage Package which provides a bottle of selected wines with meals instead of a glass. This does not apply to room service, cabin steward or butler. If I say I got a wine swap, everyone expects it and it is no policy. Again, someone was being nice. Escorted Access to the Ship: This is another thing that I have never shared until this writing. It was unusual and will never happen again. Others have written about it and then I read a review where some one was disappointed when they cruised. My family and I, end of November 2021 finally (four cancelation) did our 42nd (should have been 4th) wedding anniversary cruise. We were in the elusive (H2) Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. While in the Haven Port Lounge at the New Terminal in Miami, a Haven crew member was looking for me. I was completely surprised and thought there was something wrong. He said that he wanted to escort my family and I on board and to our suite before anyone else was boarded. Now for the rest of the story. I communicate extensively with the pre-ship Haven desk. I make friends because that is who I am. I also give updates of my experience unsolicited to the NCL executives (long story here for another post). It seems, this was a very special kindness for me this one and only time. When it says Haven guest are escorted on board, it is a group of haven gets not just one family. When you read this amenity it gets convoluted all the time. Unrealistic expectation. There are so many other examples where folk share things that are not policy so they could happen normally. Other folks read it and are disappointed when it does not happen for them. We owe fellow CruiseCritic.com members accuracy and honesty. No cruise is perfect and no cruise is completely a mess. Those are extremes. In survey evaluation we toss the best and worst review out to focus on the 80% in the middle. We should read comments and posts on CruiseCritic.com the same way. My goal is and always will be to promote "Realistic Expectations". I hope this makes sense and helps folks have the best cruise possible. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Lunesse You are more then welcome. I have to clarify something. Were many people are all about following the rules to a "T", if you don't you are not being a good person. I am not that guy. I suggested the Soda Package because when not in the Haven, I wanted you son not to feel uncomfortable. In the Haven, they will make him feel like a king. May adult daughter was on a recent NCL cruise with my wife and I on the NCL Joy in the Haven. When she knew we had the Premium Plus Beverage Package and she did not, she was kind of upset with me. I have spoiled my kids horribly. Yes, with four adults in a room, two of the four can get the Premium Plus Package and the other two get the Premium standard package. You just have to do a few hoops. Back to my story, my daughter wanted the high end champagne which comes by the glass. When we were at dinner, I just ordered two and gave her one. I know that is not the NCL policy but no one said a word. My other updated Haven stream is Please ask me any questions you like. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.