roger001

Here's a You Tube of the Haven food.  Will make your mouth water.  

https://apple.news/ArOevR0AGSyeS1zawnEJ-xQ

Exciting or what.  Ok. Stayed in suites our last 6 or so cruises.  Nice. Gonna give the Haven a try on the Bliss.   With exclusive area and same staff, I’m guessing, what’s the usual tipping protocol?  Yea, yea, I know.  All individual choice.  I’ve seen all the threads through the years.  But I want some fresh thoughts from you previous Haven folks.   Exciting or what to be back.  I might do Haven chair hogs next.  

After many cruises, I should remember this...but I don't.   If you have both refundable and non refundable OBC on you account, and a shipboard purchase is made, which is used against the charges first?   And can you specify which to use first against you account?  Thanks.   Wow!   Exciting to get to actually talk about cruise issues again!

14 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

This one is clear. I’m referring to that Haven letter. It makes it sound like everything on the left side is complimentary to all Haven guests. 

Yes.  Rereading it...you're right.

9 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Look closer.  It shows Suite names H1, H2.  Look at it closer.  

Thanks.  Thought that was it before.  

Question.   Reading the Haven Welcome aboard letter, it implies that the room can be stocked with various choices of liquor and also selected soft drinks, like Diet Pepsi.  Are these items like no charge?  Unlimited Diet Pepsi available in room?

I booked a Haven 2 days ago, 70 day out.  I got the welcome email with the concierge info today.  

Thanks y’all. Appreciate the thoughts.   

We've done quite a few suite cruises in the past.  However, as all of this resumes, thinking about booking a Haven on the Bliss for a 7 day cruise.   I see Haven prices on that ship and others all over the place.  Realizing this is very subjective, what do you consider a reasonable Haven cabin cost, just standard room with balcony, not an Owners Suite?   

For you Haven folks, what do you consider a good price for a 7 day Haven suite, the basic, not the Owners?  

3 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

Oops, I clicked on the NCL forum link and somehow it took me to the Dear Abby forum.  LOL

 

 

🙂

I swear I thought the same thing!   

I'd say that 317 replies/thoughts in this thread, that still can't offer any conclusive answers,  certainly testifies to the stress, complexity, and uncertainty of the cruising situation right now.  I was about to book a Haven on the Bliss yesterday, now here I go again, wait another month or so and see where the virus is then going....and I'll have a booster by then.  Cruising for us, not that many but still 23 so far, has always been among other things like ports, was the total complete relaxed adventure it was.  Show up at the dock and just get a big grin on your face.  Now, arriving at the dock is loaded with uncertainty, both there and even on board some.   Guess I'll be anxiously awaiting your reports from the next few weeks  and maybe I'll do it....or not.   Only did Bermuda once but was definitely one of our favorites.  But it is mostly all about the time you have there in port and the ability to wander....including the required trip into the Swizzle Inn.   

Is the motion uncomfortable in the Haven on the mega ships like the Bliss?  High and forward?

With the current situation there, hard to imagine Bermuda letting ship guests off to go on tours.  

I would not think that the mask policies, while on the NCL ships, would vary because of port destinations/stops.   But then again, as you said, who knows what that will be next March.  At the moment, as I last heard, no masks on the ships.  

In this day and age of cruising, anything and everything associated with our collective (all cruise lines) doing it one way or another is relevant even if we are trying to book only with NCL. That is if we're  to try and anticipate what is next.  Not at all unlike your including Crystal's issues into the discussion.   It all goes towards establishing the "big flick" and trying to make decisions, expensive and now stressful ones.   My opinion......

As evidenced by this and other threads, this whole mess is out of control insane, with no one actually having the big flick as it changes from day today. How in the world the other non CC cruisers, who don't follow this with such interest, will ever get it all right, don't know.  And now Carnival is dropping at the pier testing because of logistics with a 2000+ number of guests.  Meet the new CDC requirement, how?  

Carnival Cruise Line has dropped its plans to carry out COVID-19 testing at its terminals, according to a letter sent to guests by the cruise line’s President Christine Duffy.

“While we had previously raised the possibility of more on-site testing at our terminals, the logistics of making this service widely available to a large number of guests does not make this a viable option,” Duffy wrote.

Previously, Carnival’s website said that the cruise line was “working to set up mobile testing sites at all our embarkation homeports to conduct a rapid test the day before or day of your departure.”

The need for the availability of this service was enhanced by the new CDC rules stating that, as of Sept. 13, pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests must be taken within two days prior to the sailing date.

As the cruise line revealed its plans for at-terminal testing, it said that the service would be chargeable for a “per-person fee,” which was "to be established." The mobile labs were planned to be located either in or adjacent to Carnival's terminals or within walking distance.

38 minutes ago, Shellbelle28 said:

If they are the BinaxNOW AG tests, the expiration date marked on the packaging has been extended.

EUA-abbott-binaxNOW-Rev-2021-04-06.pdf 149.14 kB · 3 downloads

It did get me thinking.  I have four Everly Well PCR test kits that our health department gave me for future use if desired.  Just looked at their packaging.  It's sealed but no expiration date on it anywhere.  

35 minutes ago, roger001 said:

Carnival has just warned that the self tests that they have been selling, some have very soon expatriation dates, some before the scheduled cruise date of the guest using them.  If you buy a self test, check that it is going to last long enough to use.  

Expiration....not expatriation....auto correct....dam....uh...damn!

Carnival has just warned that the self tests that they have been selling, some have very soon expatriation dates, some before the scheduled cruise date of the guest using them.  If you buy a self test, check that it is going to last long enough to use.  

Arrival at the port is never going to be exact.  Too many types of travel and possible delays getting there.  I'm guessing it is a, not before, but any time after, kinda thing.  

When is NCL's first, or next Bermuda cruise?

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

The government of Bermuda has consistently had some of the world's most stringent protocols for both air and sea arrivals from Day 1 of their reopening in addition to strict protocols to be followed while in the country.

Bermuda has seen a substantial rise in COVID cases in recent days. https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20210903/covid-cases-surge-seven-in-hospital-one-in-icu/ .

 

Having read that article, I would not be surprised to see Bermuda shut down visits completely.  If I did the math right, 12 of the current cases are from arriving visitors via airline, of which 80% of those were vaccinated.  Bermuda not being bigger than a small city can't let that continue.   And...they sound like they are buried right now just taking care of contact tracing and their other Covid issues.  It said for residents to expect delay with test results.  I can't see how they can approve several thousand TAs in just the needed one  or two days to get them back to shop visitors.  

Although it is a Bermuda requirement and a requirement that the guests must accomplish, NCL is aware of the requirements.  They also must understand how difficult it is becoming to accomplish this Bermuda requirement.  They must work with Bermuda is insuring it can be accomplished in a timely manner.  They can't advertise Bermuda cruises and then leave half the guests behind, standing on the pier.  Also, with all the other cruise lines now going to a 2 day time frame for preboarding testing requirements, testing is going to have to be available at the pier.  Two days just will not work for many guests.  Of course, the whole thig sucks with the virus continuing to spread and today a new one announced as happening in Calif.  Planning, for a cruise line, is a total uncertainty.