rbxlady

On 5/6/2024 at 5:00 PM, Sthrngary said:

I hesitated to kick in but after reading some of the comments, I figured I would. I kind of authored that notion of "Haven Lite".  As part of my plan in that thread, I had the Vibe Beach Club.  So a true Haven Lite needs the Vibe.  Here is my reasoning.  

 

My focus for so many years on the Haven was to eliminate some of the Mega Cruise Ship blues from excessive crowding at the pool, chair hogs, difficulty in getting a drink, kids controlling all the general population hot tubs.  The Haven fixed those issue for me.  Then came the constant price increases.  When the price exceeds the value by one penny the client might not buy.  

 

This created the notion of Haven Lite.  The Vibe portion is for nice lounge chairs both in and out of the sun.  Access to a bar.  Access to one or more hot tubs that are adult only.  The staff in the Vibe always treated me like a super star which is always nice.  It is NOT like the Thermal Spa at all.  It is a private place that much less crowded with folks that if you treat them well, they treat you really well.  

 

You can still do Haven Lite without the Vibe.  Works fine.  Just give me that little bit of quiet I missed in the Haven.  I hope that all makes sense.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

This absolutely makes sense, and I appreciate your valuable input! (I remember the "Haven Lite" thread very well-- such a great thread!) I just found a video of the newly expanded Vibe on the Joy, and it's huge. I think there will be enough space to move around and find a place that is comfortable for us while not feeling like a like we're packed like sardines with all the other passengers.

We are doing "Haven lite" in late 2025 for a 7-day on the Joy (Haven prices were insane!) and possibly getting my sister and her family to join us for their first ever cruise, unless they hop aboard another ship in the interim. ("Haven lite" will include a Silver Cove villa at GSC, and yay for "extra lite" if she books so we can split the cost!)

Anyway, we're not big into sunning ourselves, but is a Vibe pass worth it if we want to stay in the shade and have a quiet place to relax, chat quietly, and/or read? My husband and I have purchased thermal spa passes twice before and didn't use them enough to justify the cost, so we don't intend to use that as a relaxing space. Our kids will all be old/independent enough to occupy themselves on the ship without causing trouble, so we could arguably spend a good bit of time there. However, if the space isn't great for shade-lovers, I'm not sure it'll be worth the investment.

Thanks in advance!

I had this same confusion before we embarked on the Epic in March, having cruised in the Haven before on the Getaway. I hadn't taken the old Haven priority tags off our bags, and those were gold and had our info handwritten on them, but the ones I got in the mail for the Epic were dark purple and pre-printed. It hit me when we got our luggage tags for disembarkation that those are the ones that are gold and say PRIORITY with blanks for your info to be handwritten on them.

In short, the Haven tags you get pre-cruise are pre-printed and in whatever color is designated for your ship. You remove these before disembarkation. (It's possible that one ship's color is gold.)

The disembarkation tags are the gold ones with blanks for you to write your info. If you're doing self-disembarkation, you don't need them.

Our family was just in 2BR Haven suite 16013 on the Epic from 3/31-4/7, and we were one door down from the pool area. In other words, if you exited the pool area on the starboard side, there was a suite door right in front of you, and ours was the next one to the left. The hallway between these two doors was abutting our suite. I know there is a YouTube video of this cabin that was taken in the spring of 2023, IIRC, when the Epic was docked in Civitavecchia.

Anyway, we had no problem with noise from the pool area at all. The only noise issues we had were the suite next to us, because they had teenagers going in and out constantly and being noisy on the balcony, and the suite above us must've had kids doing wind sprints. It was a little frustrating because we were cruising with our kids and made our expectations for their behavior very clear, but my expectations were low to begin with as far as child/teenager behavior from others' kids, so I wasn't exactly surprised at this.

If you're not cruising during a school break, you should be just fine on deck 16 as far as noise is concerned.

Actually, in thinking about it, it would only take one shore excursion to be ahead because that would be $50pp. We'll definitely exceed that.

15 hours ago, JandC_Cruising said:

@rbxlady

Based on the above pricing chart, each cabin would pay a net $78 per day.  (Adult at $49/d and minor at $29/d)  

That nets to $546 total upgrade cost for a 7-day cruise for each cabin

With this upgrade you will receive

- Premium Plus Beverage package for the adult

- 2 extra specialty dining meals each  (adult and minor)

- upgraded WiFi for both (adult and minor)

- Extra $50 ShorEx credit

Compare to purchasing upgrades a la carte:

- Upgrading adult only to Premium Plus - $243.60 (7day @ $29 + 20% per day)

- 2 extra specialty dining means for adult and minor - $82.80pp = $165.60

- Upgraded Wifi for both adult and minor - $109.93pp = $219.86

Total upgrade of $629.06  and that doesn't include the extra $50 Shorex credit (if planning on using )

 

Looks like Free-at-sea plus is the better deal if all the perks are desired.

Enjoy!

Thank you-- I really appreciate your doing the math for me! I don't care too much about the additional specialty dining, so if I deduct that, we're still roughly $82 ahead going à la carte, not counting shorex. However, it would only take two shore excursions to come out ahead with FAS+, and we do plan on taking shore excursions (there are four ports), and then if we want to do a third or fourth specialty dining meal, we can.

I wish NCL didn't require you to get FAS+ for the second passenger if only the first passenger wants it, but I understand that if they didn't, it would be easy to abuse. It makes sense to require it and get the extra revenue. Honestly, as the kids become teenagers and young adults, we're just going to have to get used to eating the cost of upgrades for them as well as ourselves.

11 hours ago, lisa928 said:

This is exactly what we do with our twin girls.  Are you platnium?  If so it is even better as you both get dining certificates since you are in seperate cabins!

 

Do you both need the internet at the same time, as my husband and I share one package, just cannot be logged in at the same time.  Kids also often "borrow" it.

Unfortunately we aren't platinum, but I'm not worried about the dining certificates so much. I probably wouldn't be able to share my internet package because honestly I need to be logged in all the time to be able to check in with the office, for our dog sitting company to check in with me, to check in on my dad (complicated health issues), etc., and not all of those people have iPhones that would allow communication even if I didn't have wifi. Our kids didn't have internet at all on our cruise last month, so they'll be just fine with 150 minutes each. It's definitely a real possibility for most people to share if they don't need to be connected all the time, though-- I'm a bit of an outlier there.

8 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Since the kids are both guest #2 in the staterooms, the kids should already have the soda package and the SDP with the standard Free At Sea promo. 

 

I think that the question is asking if the adult can upgrade to Plus but not the child in each stateroom? 

 

The added SDP meals, Wi-Fi, and excursion credit aren't worth the cost of the upgrade for the child if NCL forces them all to upgrade.  

 

 

Right, the way I read this is that if I buy FAS+, I am forced to upgrade my son at the lower rate ($29/day vs. $49/day). That is the crux of my question. I understand he wouldn't get upgraded beverages, but since he has the soda package with regular FAS, as you say, it might not be worth it.

My husband and I would unfortunately need to upgrade to unlimited internet for professional reasons, so if we're also forced to buy in for the kids on an internet-only upgrade, then we might just bite the bullet and buy FAS+. I don't care that much about the extra specialty dining credits, but we do like getting the premium drinks, sparkling water, and unlimited Starbucks, although we could live without those. I'll have to sit down and do the math.

I wish the non-Haven suites were not interior because that would make this a lot easier! The Haven more than doubles the cost for this cruise, so that's a no-go. I have justified the cost on past cruises but cannot do it for this one.

I know this has been asked and answered, but I promise I really tried looking for this and couldn't find it. I can't get the search terms right, I guess.

I just booked a cruise for late 2025 on the Joy for me, my husband, and our two kids, who will be 12 and 14 by then. We're usually Haven people, but this time we are booking two connecting club balcony suites with my husband with one child in one cabin and me in the other. We get to double up on double up CruiseNext, and all four of us get FAS, so this works out really nicely for us. (We were going to do the non-Haven 2BR suite, but it's interior.)

Anyway, my husband and I typically upgrade to FAS+ and buy the kids soda packages, but since our kids are under 21, can we each buy FAS+ for ourselves since we are each the only adult in our two cabins?

29 minutes ago, Barney Gallagher said:

Great detailed post.

 

We are on The Breakaway on March 19-26, 2024.  We are staying in The Haven.

 

We would like to board as early as possible.   Is there any trick to doing that or do we just call as soon as possible when the 21 day checkin window starts in ten days?

 

Thanks!

Just show up to the port whenever, of course after people in general are allowed to show up. I haven't seen anyone report being denied entrance to the terminal because they showed up before the time they picked (or were assigned) at online check-in (21 days out). Haven guests get a separate area to sit (how nice this is depends on both the port and the particular terminal) and are the first to board.

We sailed on the Epic on 3/31 and were walking on the ship around 10:50AM, so if I were doing that sailing again, I would aim to arrive around 10:15AM to get through the thing where they have to take your picture and check your documents, then get a cup of coffee and a snack in the Haven lounge but also not sit around for too long.

19 hours ago, Daniel A said:

In September on Getaway, we had to sit with our carry-ons in the Haven Lounge until all of the Haven cabins were ready.  I did note you said 'usually' - I guess it all depends on the ship and the concierge.  The checked luggage did arrive fairly soon thereafter, interfering with my enjoyment of my beverage on the balcony!  Ugh!

 

I guess the Haven checked luggage gets priority as well as the passengers.

For our Haven cruise on the Getaway in October of 2022, they let us put bags in our suites. The steward was in there and started to (gently) protest our presence until I clarified we were just dropping bags, which she said was fine.

On the Epic a couple of weeks ago, we had to keep our bags with us in the Haven lounge and then through lunch at the Haven restaurant. It was a bit of a pain but not a huge deal. Next time I'll be better prepared for that possibility because the carry-on I chose was not ideal overall.

On 4/16/2024 at 2:34 PM, zqvol said:

Much prefer a soft side duffle style with two wheels, and a bright color. It has plenty of room for clothes and my snorkel gear which eliminates the need for a dive bag. Can’t do that with a hard side bag, and I never go over the airline weight limit. 

I agree with someone else's comment that everyone's opinion will be different, but if you're interested, I bought three of these, each in a different color (blue, sea green, and mustard), and gave them to my husband and two sons at Christmas, since we do travel frequently on weekends and obviously because we had a spring break cruise planned.  (I paid $50.99 apiece +tax.)

It's honestly too big for a weekend bag unless you are doing a bunch of stuff, but for a 7-day cruise, it worked well for all three of them with no additional baggage, helped by the fact that I'm mom who carries all the things (read: all the first aid/meds and accessories like pop-up hampers and clotheslines with hooks) so had a large suitcase plus a backpack.

They liked the amount of pockets/compartments, but they did not like that it would not stand up on its own. However, since you are in the market for a two-wheeled bag, I figured I'd mention it.

We ended up doing self-disembarkation, and we don't fly to the port, so they didn't go through any type of baggage claim, but the colors would be enough to stand out without being ridiculously colorful. I also added holographic curling ribbon to make them stand out in case we didn't do self-disembarkation.

On the Epic right before you, I noticed the carpet didn't have any way of indicating fore vs aft, at least not that I picked up on. I did have to re-orient myself because it was my 6th cruise, and I realized that we've always stayed on the port side, not by choice but by chance. We were starboard this time, and it totally threw me because I kept thinking the ship's orientation was opposite.

I also wondered if any of the non-NCL entertainers would stay on for the TA, but we had a different magician.

On 4/10/2024 at 7:13 PM, ggTexasGal said:

If you are in the Haven, you can be escorted ahead of the crowds to the proper disembarkation area.  With Silver Cove tickets you have automatic priority, even if not in the Haven.

Further information will be provided with your tickets!

To add to this, when you are leaving GSC, there is a separate path to the right of the main tender line for Haven guests to skip the line to get a tender back to the ship, but I would just walk up there and say you're a Silver Cove guest (you'll have a bracelet to prove it). I don't recall seeing a sign that it was for both either time we went, only Haven, but I assume Silver Cove would get priority back to the ship as well. For what the villas cost, I would hope so.

We ended up doing self-disembarkation when we disembarked on the 7th, but in case we didn't go that route, I bought holographic curling ribbon, so our luggage looked like birthday presents: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holographic-Silver-Curling-Ribbon-100-Yards-by-Gwen-Studios/314621998

1 hour ago, Pitzel said:

There is no need to get anyone listed as villa guests. You should plan to tender over to GSC together, using the excursion ticket to be able to get a priority tender. Once at GSC, you will get wrist bands at the excursion/villa/cabana post. Once everyone in your group has wristbands, you will hop on the shuttle that will take your group to the villa. Once people have their wristbands and know where they are going, they can come and go as they please for the remainder of the day.

Right, for us they just needed a number, not names, and when we arrived at the initial check-in to be shuttled over the Silver Cove, they counted the number of us to make sure it matched the number we registered. So thank you for adding that you should all arrive together!

I loved reading this so far, first because I would love to do a TA (actually I'd love to do a TA, hang out in Europe for a minute, then do another TA if I could work it out), and second because we just disembarked the Epic on Sunday. It was a FULL ship-- zero free staterooms. I'm sure 3680 feels empty in comparison, especially with very few kids.

I remember the casino being smoky (I only walked through, didn't play), but compared to the Getaway, I prefer the Epic layout with the smaller atrium because the smoke doesn't really travel to different decks. I can see why others would disagree, though.

My sister and I collect Starbucks "You are Here" and "Been There" mugs, so I bought one for each of us, even though she's never been on a cruise. All of mine are Disney World ones, so this is a new addition to my collection. Do I need that many coffee mugs? Absolutely not. Do I care? Absolutely not. I love them because they're adorable and hold a lot of coffee! They were announced last summer right before my brother boarded the Getaway, which I had been on in late 2022, so I was going to ask him to buy one for me. However, his cruise was a week or two too before they were actually available, so I didn't get one, but it's a good excuse to book more cruises!

I laughed because we ate at Taste one night, and I had your exact meal. That tiramisù was the best dessert I had on the ship! (It even beats the Haven decadent chocolate cake, and I'm a chocoholic.)

We also had "breakfast potatoes", and now I understand why people get up in arms over not having hash browns. I started calling them "sad potatoes".

Glad you are feeling back to normal and looking forward to reading more of your live, especially the ports!

Just to give extra (and recent) confirmation, we were on GSC a little over a week ago in a Silver Cove villa, and what NCL told you is exactly how it works.

We just disembarked the Epic this past Sunday, having stayed in a 2BR Haven suite. Our only past Haven experience was on the Getaway in late 2022, so y'all were right that the Epic has a superior Haven!

If I had to complain about something about the Epic space, it is that, because it is so spread out and because of the placement of the elevators, there are too many locked doors to go through to get around the Haven, especially if you're carrying drinks. The one upside to the Getaway's size is that our suite was only about 15 steps from the bar through one unlocked door (not counting our room door).

One weird thing was that we did not get Haven robes. I don't know if this is a thing on the Epic or fleet-wide or what. I asked for one in my pre-cruise concierge e-mail because my husband loves it, and to be fair to NCL, it didn't occur to me to ask our butler. My husband probably didn't care enough to ask, either, so it's possible that we were supposed to get one, and it was an oversight. In other words, I don't mean to sound any alarms, but just something to keep an eye on because, as of a couple of months ago, Haven robes and certain other items disappeared from the NCL Home site. About a month ago, the whole site got taken down. I'm not sure if there's any connection there. There were Haven slippers, though 🙂

We did not get hash browns this time, just “breakfast potatoes” (cubed potatoes) 😞 I didn't realize what we had until it was no more!

Just to confirm what we all already know, we disembarked this past Sunday, and my husband, my kids, and I were all able to text each other (no pictures, though) on our iPhones on the NCL wifi even though only my husband and I had internet packages. In other words, the kids did not have to download the NCL app (and we did not have to pay $10/child) to be able to message each other. Hopefully this latest iOS update didn't mess with that loophole!

3 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Uber dropped us off on the bottom floor of the parking garage where everyone gets dropped off/picked up. Then you have to walk to the part I circled in red to take the escalator up to the check in area. Once you get inside you'll see the Haven check in area to the left, I think I took a photo of it when we got there. We left out of terminal 3.

 

They'll check you in on their ipads, retake photos if necessary, confirm you're not pregnant or walking on with the poops or cooties, then you go through security scanners. After that, there's someone waiting to escort you to the Haven lounge area. It was a decent size, lots of places to sit and relax if you wanted. No one there when we got there around 2pm I think. So we just looked around then walked on board with an escort that took us to our muster station for a scan of the card and then up to the Haven area. They'll give you a quick tour if you need it, it was our 3rd time on Epic so no need for us. We hit the bar and then off to find our friends.

 

On embarkation day there's NCL crew with an elevator reserved for Haven guests. So once you're on the ship you can go right up to the Haven areas without waiting for an elevator. You have access to Posh, so that's a nice spot to watch sail away from. We got lucky with a launch from SpaceX that day as we were waiting to pull away, so everyone was up there to see the rocket take off.

Thank you! It hit me that the terminal you were in might not be the same as we were in last time (Getaway in 10/2022). There was one sign for Haven guests when we went through the scanners (so we didn't have to wait in line), but beyond that, there was nothing indicating where Haven passengers were supposed to go. The person pointing us as to where to go didn't ask us if we were Haven and pointed us and the couple in the Haven in front of us to the main check-in desk. Confusion and non-hilarity ensued, and, long story short, it took us a while to find and be allowed in the Haven area.

Let's hope it's a lot more obvious this time, but regardless, I really appreciate your detailed description!

@Sailing12Away some questions, as we'll be sailing on the Epic in the Haven in 2.5 weeks:

Is it obvious when you get to the port terminal at Port Canaveral where Haven guests are supposed to go? Is that an enclosed Haven lounge? If it's not obvious, where is it when you enter the port?

What time did you arrive at the port terminal?

Thanks! (I'm gonna go scroll back and read!)

2 hours ago, Laszlo said:

We had a Haven Spa cabin on our last cruise. We were taken up to the Haven restaurant (Getaway) with our rolling carry on's. A butler came up to us and said your cabin is not ready you can put your luggage in the room if you want. I took both bags, and went down two decks to our cabin. Our room steward was finishing the cabin and I dropped my bags off

In late 2022, we had a 2BR Haven suite and were allowed to do this. The cabin steward was in there at the time and got slightly panicked when we opened the door, but when I said we didn't intend to come in and just wanted to drop our bags right inside the door, she looked relieved and told us that was fine. By the time we were done with lunch, we were able to go in and meet our butler.

On 3/10/2024 at 12:26 PM, Bryton-1 said:

FAS+ doesn’t work for freshly squeezed juice anymore? I thought P+ allows it?

I attached a screenshot from this link to a NCL pdf about the P+: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Premium_Plus_Bar_Package_111522.pdf

Also, what cruise on the Epic will you be on? We'll be on the 3/31.

Edited to clarify that fresh juices look to be included. I'm guessing refreshers would be available at Starbucks, but I'd definitely ask before ordering.

To piggyback off this thread:

Is there a limit to the number of Starbucks drinks I can get per day? If not, is there a certain amount of time I need to wait before getting a subsequent drink?

My kids will only have a soda package, as they are not even close to drinking age, but can I get a coffee for myself and then later get something one of them might want, like a refresher? I wouldn't be obvious about it, i.e., buy it and immediately hand it off.

We'll also be on the Epic, if it matters.

Thank you!