Sthrngary

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.

What you say is some what my experience. Allow me to clarify. Virgin Drinks, sure thing. Coffee and Specialty Coffee's yes, no issue. Will the fudge on occasion with higher end sprits, yes; but not all the time. They are much stricter on wine and things like Tequila 1942. Because I really don't want to debate this issue and my intent is to establish realistic expectations, all me to share. In the Haven I have had both the Premium Beverage Package and the Premium Plus Beverage Package. I drink spirits and my wife drinks wines. What the bartender will do is let you know for certain wines and spirits there is a extra charge. How do I know this, because I drink high end tequila's. The drink price for the normal package was up to $15.00. My tequila was $42.00 a shot. They told me and I choose another tequila. The next cruise I purchased the Premium Plus package and drink my high end tequila, high end champagne and wine the entire week. No extra ad on charges. I am not saying a nice bartender might give someone a upgrade on occasions. That happens all the time especially with the Smoking Drinks. I am saying, if it happens, don't have an expectation prior to boarding it will always happen. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello from Sthrngary the OP. Please remember this stream has been updated with the same name put revised at the end. On to your question. Make sure you son has the Soda package. On coffee's, in the Haven, all coffee, specialty coffee's are complementary. This is a perk that is not talked about often. On the Virgin drinks. You will have to get someone else to educate you on this. My strategy if in the Haven would be, to tip the Bar Tender and servers. Ask them if they can provide virgin drinks to your son. Or, if you could order a virgin drink and give it to them. I can not guarantee it but, in the Haven, something tells my they will treat your son like a King. On you and your spouse. Read the stream on the premium plus beverage package. I always get it and feel like a rock star. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

So sorry for the long answer before. I try to cover all bases. The answer is, YES. Just give them some notice. Also understand, the Haven is always a sellout. This is because NCL does the Upgrade Bid process. That means and this comes from experience, the Haven Sundeck is more crowded then let's say the Vibe Beach Club. The bar in the Haven is small so sit in the lounge and have the server bring you drinks to isolate a bit. The Haven Restuarant can also be as crowded or more than a specialty Restuarant so keep that in mind. Eating early solves that issue and the same hold true with specialty Restaurants fYI. Take full advantage of the Horizen Observation Deck for drinks as well, it is never crowded. They don't have a bar but they have servers that get you drinks. If you have any other questions, it would be my pleasure to assist. My wife and I have cruised three times in the last year. We are cruising again in December. We are fully vaccinated, 65 years old and recently both had covid anyway because we went to the World Games in Birmingham AL and saw Sumo in a small inside venue. I totally get your reason and want you both to be safe. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@pbenjaminAllow me to answer your question with what I recently did. My wife loves a desert from the Cagney's. We were eating in the Haven Restaurant and they got the desert for her. Since it was only desert, I was charged. I asked for this to be done the night before we wanted it. On to a more elaborate answer. The Haven Restaurant will accommodate you on almost anything it you request with a 24 hour notice. Do you actually need it, no. It is the right thing to do. It would also make it easier if you knew what you wanted exactly but no critical. Please understand it will take extra time to get it to you and it comes from a different kitchen so it might not be the same temp as if you were in the specific specialty restaurant. I have ordered from the the Main Dining Room also having it served in the Haven Restaurant with notice. Because I really want you to have the very best cruising experience, I would like you to consider actually going to the specific specialty restaurant instead of having it brought to the Haven Restaurant. The other restaurants are lovely and the service is excellent. I fully understand if one of your party is ordering from the Haven Menu and another party is ordering from lets say, Cagney's. I can see that. Or, which happens more frequently, you are dining in your Haven Suite. My big focus on this thread is to assist in realistic expectations. My suggestion above will get you the better outcome however it is not my call, it is yours. My focus is as nice as the Haven is, NCL is very process driven. Every time you approach an adjustment to that process could create disappointment. I hope I assisted in some way. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Agreed, it came as an email. Thank you for clarifying this. Always have a back up for sure. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@njkate You have made a very valid point. If all things were equal, I would never cruise any other what other than the Haven. In life, things are not equal. In life we have to make personal decisions some of which are budget related. I am about to write something that I have never written before and I hope it is taken in the way it was meant to be perceived. My first Haven Cruise was after being extremely sick. I recovered and wanted to reward myself with a cruise that was a cut above what I was used to. I look at the NCL Getaway out of New Orleans. I see the fares and at the end was something called the Haven. The rate per person for a seven day cruise was $1,980.00 and it was for Thanksgiving holidays. I started to research this think called the Haven. At the time, very little was written or online other then Travel Agents that just wanted to sell you a cabin. Anything I read or viewed was diluted. How can a person consider something that is over two or more times the normal cruise rate without a real overview of all the value and amenities from a guest perspective. I was both Excited and Frustrated. That rate today is kind of unheard of but who knew back then. Seemed more than fair so I booked it. My intent was to completely enjoy the cruise and also pay attention to all the value both known and unknown with booking a Haven Suite. When I came back, I wrote the first Op-En on "The Secrets of the Haven VIP Experience". I recently updated it to be more current. I did this to give a guest perspective from my point of view. However, I sincerely say now, if that fare was $3,000.00 plus I would have never considered it. Some may feel differently however I wanted to explain how it all happened. After that experience I was hooked yet like most of us, I am on a budget and our needs constantly evolve. Fast forward to my December 2021 seven day cruise on the NCL Joy. That cruise I booked the elusive (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony. The real story is I originally booked a Two-Bedroom Haven Family Villa on the Encore. My cruise was cancelled four times due to Covid-19. With all the discounts, FCC %, I had a tidy sum I could utilize. First I booked the Encore to Alaska again this time in the Owners Suite. It was going to cost me $6,000.00 more. I said, what the heck, it is a family vacation now for my 42nd wedding anniversary. Gee how times fly's during a pandemic. That cruise was in May 2021 and as most of you know, it was my 4th cancellation. Prior to the cancelation, I did something kind of smart. I booked a back up cruise. It was the one I eventually went on. The NCL Joy, December 2021 with my family of 4. We were in the Owners Suite. What I never talked about was that instead of paying an extra $6,000.00 like on the Encore, it was less then the credits I already had. As the cruise came close, the other Owners suite was selling for literally $8,000.00 more then I paid. If the original price was that much more, I would have passed. Did I have a good time. My family and I had a GREAT time. We also decided we would never book the Owners Suite again. Not because it was not great. It was. Because at the current fares we would rather by a new car. I am a huge Haven Fan. I love it and know who to get every ounce of value from it. I write about it, do YouTube videos on it and help people consider it. The key is, there is a point when the price does not equal the value. Only you can make that decision. There is always the bid upgrade system that could some some money however that worked a lot better when the ships were 40% filled. If you get an upgrade bid, many will be very impressed. I have already put my upgrade bit in for my December 2022 cruise on the Breakaway. I hope I get but if I don't, I have a Cabana in the Vibe and did the Free at Sea Plus package. I share all this with everyone just as a point of reference. I am not the expert, I am just a guest like everyone else. Hope it assists. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@KeithJenner Free at Sea Plus was a mystery to me. Then, in a quest to get my Vibe Beach Club week pass to a Vibe Cabana, I called my Haven Desk associate. She looked at my booking and said, I can lower your costs and increase some benefits with the "New" Free At Sea Plus. I was completely in the dark. I of course purchased it along with the Vibe Cabana on the Breakaway for December 2022. I notices not only was it not published or available on my NCL online booking, it still showed I could purchase Premium Plus Beverage Package, Unlimited Internet, did not show the extra two Specialty Restaurants. Because I don't trust anyone, I called to make sure I had all the items that come in the "Plus" upgrade and they confirmed it. This kind of information really helps cruisers. That is why I really like CruiseCritic. Other then the occasional arguments, I have a heads up on new policy's that my favorite cruise line put in place. By the way, to find out the benefits to the "Plus" program I also found it on a google search. You had to know it existed though. Next step; I just got the Upgrade Bid Email and all things considered, on my cruise that Haven is almost sold out, I did some really low bids including a Haven Courtyard Penthouse and Club Spa Suite. My experience shows me I don't have a shot but what the heck. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ChiefMateJRKYes, I read lots of folk that did not enjoy the experience. I go back to managing ones realistic expectations. Before Crystal Cruises went under, which probably happened because I drank all the vodka; I got to feel what in my opinion true luxury felt like. The food, personalized service, bar service, and experience. Hard to explain or compare. I would expect that same feeling if one went on Regent Seven Seas or Viking. You paid a significant premium which remembers me you get what you pay for. That said, the luxury cruising experience was not for me. It lacked some excitement and was some what boring. I would have rather gone in the Haven or Suite with the Vibe Beach Club. I love the big ship activities and pool games. On cruising there is give and take. Once you know what floats your boat, just go it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I personally would call to see if they can give it to you now. Many folks have had great luck calling. Good luck. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for confirming. A little extra information. I initially booked my week Vibe Beach Club with a representative on the phone. It was 120 plus days before my cruise. I was thrilled because, unless you are in the Haven, I really don't like getting to the port at 08:30 AM to be the first to board just to get a Vibe pass. If I am in the Haven, as most know, I get their about 10 ish because the board first. I digress. I found out after making that Vibe Week booking that you could get a Cabana on the Breakaway for just a bit more. I called back to get the Cabana and had a series of lets say, NCL folks with no clue. They all told me there was no Cabana's available. I gave up. Then out of the blue, I emailed a contact at NCL and bingo, Cabana Booked. Now I look at my online cruise, go to entertainment and there are still Cabana's available but the Vibe Beach Club Passes are not allowing purchases. I suggest if anyone is booked on a future cruise, look at your online booking if you want a Vibe Beach Club Pass. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.