Eoic Haven Quick review, Not that great

We were in the Epic Haven med cruise, Sept 12 -19 cabin 16008 Family Suite.

Butler was good, But basically all that was done was bring us fruit and snacks, They show rose petals in the tub on the advertisement but when i asked for this they wanted 99 dollars. Thats basically how this cruise went, 2 days the Housekeeper did not even make up our room, even though we were gone for the day and had the door sign to make up room, Wife made the beds and I complained then they sent 2 others to clean room. The elevator service was not good, it took forever to getthe elevator up to 16 even though they say we can bypass floors with our haven card this did not work, The answer from the concierge was walk down one flight and you will have better elevator service. The ship layout was bad, I so much more prefer Oasis Class on RCCL. They really do not have priority lines to restaurants, and getting on the ship, You would think when one spends 9K for a week trip there would be more perks. The food on the ship was very good except for teppanyaki restaurant, It was very Bland. The worst part In my opinion was the Princess Show, It was in very bad taste, Which limited most Families to one show of burn the floor which was very Good, I Do not think We will sail NCCL at any time in the future We really prefer RCCL and the Oasis type ships, lower price and nicer ship. We also had the UBP which was very good, and 250 free minutes of internet which was very slow. We also must say Posh was very Nice and relaxing.

Thanks for sharing. Too bad things were not up to par for your cruise. I agree Posh is really amazing. I stayed in a 2 bedroom suite on Epic and I think they are the best cabins at sea. The bathrooms are amazing. Its a shame some of the service fell short. I cant imagine housekeeping not cleaning a room especially in the Haven. The prices are very high. We sailed a 2 bedroom on Epic with 5 people for less than 6k (not including on board spending of course). I think it was around 2600 pp in 2012. Its impossible to believe that. NCL doubled their prices :eek:

Thanks for sharing. Too bad things were not up to par for your cruise. I agree Posh is really amazing. I stayed in a 2 bedroom suite on Epic and I think they are the best cabins at sea. The bathrooms are amazing. Its a shame some of the service fell short. I cant imagine housekeeping not cleaning a room especially in the Haven. The prices are very high. We sailed a 2 bedroom on Epic with 5 people for less than 6k (not including on board spending of course). I think it was around 2600 pp in 2012. Its impossible to believe that. NCL doubled their prices :eek:

I whole heartedly agree! :D Ever other variable aside, the 2br Haven Villa is the best overall cabin we have sailed in and to which we compare all else! It’s not perfect (I’d rather have the balcony of the OS of an RCL ship), but all and all the 2 br Haven still wins best overall cabin (even when we ran into a less than friendly and helpful butler as happened to us last June). As you say, the bathroom is the very definition of amazing (but maybe we should not spread the word, eh?!) ;)

We have not sailed on the Epic yet, but we are booked in this suite early next year and I very much hope we do not have the kind of experience described by the first post!

Lynn

Thanks for sharing. Too bad things were not up to par for your cruise. I agree Posh is really amazing. I stayed in a 2 bedroom suite on Epic and I think they are the best cabins at sea. The bathrooms are amazing. Its a shame some of the service fell short. I cant imagine housekeeping not cleaning a room especially in the Haven. The prices are very high. We sailed a 2 bedroom on Epic with 5 people for less than 6k (not including on board spending of course). I think it was around 2600 pp in 2012. Its impossible to believe that. NCL doubled their prices :eek:

My family of 6 sailed in a 2bedroom Haven suite on Epic last summer and, unfortunately, I can confirm that their prices definitely did double! A few years ago we all stayed in the DOS on Star for around $5k...I miss those days, lol.

We absolutely loved the 2bedroom on Epic. Sorry your cruise was not so great.

We were in the Epic Haven med cruise, Sept 12 -19 cabin 16008 Family Suite.

Butler was good, But basically all that was done was bring us fruit and snacks, They show rose petals in the tub on the advertisement but when i asked for this they wanted 99 dollars. Thats basically how this cruise went, 2 days the Housekeeper did not even make up our room, even though we were gone for the day and had the door sign to make up room, Wife made the beds and I complained then they sent 2 others to clean room. The elevator service was not good, it took forever to getthe elevator up to 16 even though they say we can bypass floors with our haven card this did not work, The answer from the concierge was walk down one flight and you will have better elevator service. The ship layout was bad, I so much more prefer Oasis Class on RCCL. They really do not have priority lines to restaurants, and getting on the ship, You would think when one spends 9K for a week trip there would be more perks. The food on the ship was very good except for teppanyaki restaurant, It was very Bland. The worst part In my opinion was the Princess Show, It was in very bad taste, Which limited most Families to one show of burn the floor which was very Good, I Do not think We will sail NCCL at any time in the future We really prefer RCCL and the Oasis type ships, lower price and nicer ship. We also had the UBP which was very good, and 250 free minutes of internet which was very slow. We also must say Posh was very Nice and relaxing.

Sorry to hear that the cruise didn’t live up to some of your expectations.

Can I ask with the butler did you ask for your preference or discuss what you liked?

Priscilla is a renown movie/show and they advise it’s an adult themed show and some research on here would have given you the information on what shows are available.

Did you escalate the cleaning issue? As others have mentioned after spending heaps of money I’d be politely raising it.

Thanks for the review

Sorry to hear that the cruise didn’t live up to some of your expectations.

 

Can I ask with the butler did you ask for your preference or discuss what you liked?

Priscilla is a renown movie/show and they advise it’s an adult themed show and some research on here would have given you the information on what shows are available.

Did you escalate the cleaning issue? As others have mentioned after spending heaps of money I’d be politely raising it.

 

Thanks for the review

Romel was our Butler he was on point, the Housekeeper missed our room twice I even submitted to the concierge pics of wife cleaning room, They then sent a crew of 2 men to finish the cleaning, They really did not seem to care, Plus since we got on in Rome we get on the middle of the cruise. I did not like the show Priscilla it was not very tasteful, I wonder how they decided to put a show like that an a ship, Grease, chicago but priscilla was not a moral show. A family should be able to see 2 shows. The entertainment was not even close to RCCL oasis class shows.

I received the usual Upgrade email yesterday after reading this post. Honestly, I'm pretty good sticking with our regular midship balcony for our Nov Epic cruise. My wife debated putting a bid in on the Haven penthouse but decided we'd get more value out of spending those funds on port days.

plus, I've never done the Haven. I wonder if we'd get "spoiled" if we did. I find regular balcony rooms very tolerable on cruises but I am an admitted high end hotel junkie when in urban areas.

We were in the Epic Haven med cruise, Sept 12 -19 cabin 16008 Family Suite.

Butler was good, But basically all that was done was bring us fruit and snacks, They show rose petals in the tub on the advertisement but when i asked for this they wanted 99 dollars. Thats basically how this cruise went, 2 days the Housekeeper did not even make up our room, even though we were gone for the day and had the door sign to make up room, Wife made the beds and I complained then they sent 2 others to clean room. The elevator service was not good, it took forever to getthe elevator up to 16 even though they say we can bypass floors with our haven card this did not work, The answer from the concierge was walk down one flight and you will have better elevator service. The ship layout was bad, I so much more prefer Oasis Class on RCCL. They really do not have priority lines to restaurants, and getting on the ship, You would think when one spends 9K for a week trip there would be more perks. The food on the ship was very good except for teppanyaki restaurant, It was very Bland. The worst part In my opinion was the Princess Show, It was in very bad taste, Which limited most Families to one show of burn the floor which was very Good, I Do not think We will sail NCCL at any time in the future We really prefer RCCL and the Oasis type ships, lower price and nicer ship. We also had the UBP which was very good, and 250 free minutes of internet which was very slow. We also must say Posh was very Nice and relaxing.

I agree with you completely. We did the Haven on Escape and left feeling Oasis class offers way more in just a regular cabin for a heck of a lot less money. I haven't been on Epic, but the layout of Escape was terrible, too.

That said, I WOULD sail NCL again if the price/itinerary were unbeatable for a certain date or something like that. I wouldn't waste money on Haven again, though, that's for sure.

I like your comment about paying $99 extra for the roses. Not with roses, but we felt the same "pay extra" shenanigans, too. 250 minutes... oh whoopie. That'll be hundreds of dollars to upgrade your 2 devices to unlimited (slow) internet. When we booked, the dining package advertising/wording implied it was "specialty dining throughout your cruise" - I was thinking like Royals Ultimate Dining package. Nope, just 3 visit. Since we wanted to eat at other venues, had to shell out cash for that AND pay an upcharge at one of the specialty dining restaurants with the package anyways.

But at least now I have a better idea of what to expect with NCL if we give it another chance, I can better understand the value and price difference.

Royal and the Oasis ships cannot match the Haven suites and most definitely cannot match POSH. I think the food on RCCL and NCL is equal. I do agree with you about Teppanyaki. Its no better than any teppanyaki place. A decade ago teppanyaki was unique and NCL had it before it exploded in the states. Now every town has multiple teppanyaki places. Still, NCL food compares quite equally with RCCL these days.

I would take a Crown Loft over anything Haven in a heart beat. I don't even think it's in the same ballpark. I'm not sure what you think is so special about Posh. A little outdoor sun deck with padded chairs and a bar. I mean, between the Oasis suite sun deck and the solarium with it's pools, bar, hot tubs, etc. it's not even close. NCL can't compete in any way.

NCL took a tiny little unused upper deck, put a tiny bar and some padded lounge chairs and this cannot be matched? I mean, even Carnivals Serenity is better, lol.

At least NCL still calls it Teppanyaki and not Hibachi.

The Epic has quite a large and amazing Haven complex. Its far superior to some of their newer ships (excluding Bliss).

One thing I applaud NCL for is the entertainment that some find "edgy." Personally I cannot stand show tunes or musicals. However on a cruise ship I tend to enjoy them over the regular cruise line entertainment. Never saw the Legally Blonde movie but the musical on Getaway was fairly entertaining and very professional.

The more people complain the Rock of Ages has curse words or pretend drug use, Cirque Dreams has drag performers, or Priscilla is too gay actually makes me really appreciate NCL. If I wanted dancing bears or children singing, I will cruise Disney. I don't understand how people freak out over curse words or a gay performer in a show. Not just talking about this thread, its been brought up over the years. People stated they walked out of Cirque Dreams because a man was dressed as a woman, complained dancing Rabbi's were offensive, and say this Priscilla show is too offensive for families. I have no idea what the show is about but that makes me want to see it. I applaud NCL for not censoring shows because someone gets offended over the dumbest thing. Some in society are snow flakes that cant handle a man in drag on stage performing. Its really silly and if you don't want to see the show then don't go.

The Epic has quite a large and amazing Haven complex. Its far superior to some of their newer ships (excluding Bliss).

One thing I applaud NCL for is the entertainment that some find "edgy." Personally I cannot stand show tunes or musicals. However on a cruise ship I tend to enjoy them over the regular cruise line entertainment. Never saw the Legally Blonde movie but the musical on Getaway was fairly entertaining and very professional.

The more people complain the Rock of Ages has curse words or pretend drug use, Cirque Dreams has drag performers, or Priscilla is too gay actually makes me really appreciate NCL. If I wanted dancing bears or children singing, I will cruise Disney. I don't understand how people freak out over curse words or a gay performer in a show. Not just talking about this thread, its been brought up over the years. People stated they walked out of Cirque Dreams because a man was dressed as a woman, complained dancing Rabbi's were offensive, and say this Priscilla show is too offensive for families. I have no idea what the show is about but that makes me want to see it. I applaud NCL for not censoring shows because someone gets offended over the dumbest thing. Some in society are snow flakes that cant handle a man in drag on stage performing. Its really silly and if you don't want to see the show then don't go.

I also don’t understand why a show positively showcasing the LGBT community as being not family friendly? And yet shows about crime/infidelity/murder are fine? I think my kids would love Pricilla (big musical theater fans).

No excuse for the housekeeping issues.

Romel was our Butler he was on point, the Housekeeper missed our room twice I even submitted to the concierge pics of wife cleaning room, They then sent a crew of 2 men to finish the cleaning, They really did not seem to care, Plus since we got on in Rome we get on the middle of the cruise. I did not like the show Priscilla it was not very tasteful, I wonder how they decided to put a show like that an a ship, Grease, chicago but priscilla was not a moral show. A family should be able to see 2 shows. The entertainment was not even close to RCCL oasis class shows.

Grease is moral but Priscilla isn't? LOL! I see what you're about now. At least you wear it proudly.

I also don’t understand why a show positively showcasing the LGBT community as being not family friendly? And yet shows about crime/infidelity/murder are fine? I think my kids would love Pricilla (big musical theater fans).

That show had a man pretending to be a woman and tricking other men that he was a woman and they beat the crap out of them in the show then they posted that they were faggets on the on the bus not to mention that the woman was shooting ping pong balls out of every orifice at the end of the show you need to have two family friendly shows on every bone you want to have that kind of freak Show put it on an adult themed Cruises Only

That show had a man pretending to be a woman and tricking other men that he was a woman and they beat the crap out of them in the show then they posted that they were faggets on the on the bus not to mention that the woman was shooting ping pong balls out of every orifice at the end of the show you need to have two family friendly shows on every bone you want to have that kind of freak Show put it on an adult themed Cruises Only

The world must be a frightening place for you. God, protect us from all the evil out there! [emoji57]

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That show had a man pretending to be a woman and tricking other men that he was a woman and they beat the crap out of them in the show then they posted that they were faggets on the on the bus not to mention that the woman was shooting ping pong balls out of every orifice at the end of the show you need to have two family friendly shows on every bone you want to have that kind of freak Show put it on an adult themed Cruises Only

Ummm, you are painting your moral position, that is not necessarily the position of others or even the majority. It's fine for you to have your position, but it is not universal. Evidently NCL put on one family show and one adult themed show; the last time I looked there were more adults on the ship than kids. Personally the family shows make me want to throw up... because I'm an adult with no kids. Each to their own. Priscilla was a popular stage show and hysterical yet starkly poignant movie. Even a modicum of knowledge or research would have revealed this to you. NCL makes a point of NOT being like every other vanilla cruise line and that is why so many love them for it.

Clearly you're mega-happy on RCCL, entirely cool, they turn me off, c'est la vie.

Each to their own dude, each to their own... no crime was committed and your morals aren't NCL's problem if you choose to walk into one of their clearly named shows, take a seat and not move.

PS: you probably wanna steer clear of Kinky Boots too...