The Ship within a Ship Concept

[sjde]

Do any cruise lines besides NCL have the ship within a ship concept, like The Haven on Breakaway?

We loved it!

[triptolemus]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5728

[sjde]

Wow- and they'll even include internet and alcohol. Though I suppose that will be reflected in the price.

[kiyoko]

Do any cruise lines besides NCL have the ship within a ship concept, like The Haven on Breakaway?

We loved it!

 

Also Cunard, to an extent, with Queen's and Princess Grills. Although I prefer the Haven.

[FreestyleNovice]

MSC with their Yacht Club

[maestrotim]

Some of Celebrity's pricing looks very good for these suites, especially considering their new amenities and included beverages. I, for one, am hoping it will encourage more competitive pricing between the lines as there is a now a comparable product. Perhaps NCL will be forced to offer the UDP and UBP as standard Haven level amenities and have that worked into the price.

 

I love NCL and the Haven but will admit that I am giving X a second glance now!

[Dolebludger]

On what ships other than the Breakaway does NCL offer "the Haven" (if any)?

 

I am specifically interested in a specific cruise on the Pearl because of the entertainment on that particular cruise. But am just not interested in the "usual" NCL cruising experience. I felt the same about MSC until we cruised them in the Yacht Club, which made a huge difference.

[GeezerCouple]

The Pearl does have a separate Haven area, and there are also 4 other suites that have Haven access, but are not actually IN the Haven area itself.

 

You can check each ship Deck Plans and see on the upper Decks if there is an actual "Haven" area.

 

GeezerCouple

[triptolemus]

On what ships other than the Breakaway does NCL offer "the Haven" (if any)?

 

http://thehaven.ncl.com/accommodations/

[Dolebludger]

I must confess that I am not good at navigating NCL's web site, but from all I can tell it looks like getting in the Haven area on the Pearl would require booking an owner's suite (at least), and that is a bit larger than we need (or want to pay for) on the contemplated 5 night cruise. Am I wrong here?

 

Also, anybody know if the Haven on the pearl includes separate restaurants, access to other restaurants, separate and "open bar lounges"?

[Demonyte]

I must confess that I am not good at navigating NCL's web site, but from all I can tell it looks like getting in the Haven area on the Pearl would require booking an owner's suite (at least), and that is a bit larger than we need (or want to pay for) on the contemplated 5 night cruise. Am I wrong here?

 

 

 

Also, anybody know if the Haven on the pearl includes separate restaurants, access to other restaurants, separate and "open bar lounges"?

 

 

There are lower category suites inside the Haven on Jewel class ships too, at least H4 category cabins (two bedroom suite, exactly the same layout as cat SC suites that have no Haven access). All cabins that have a code starting with letter 'H' have Haven access.

 

On pre-Epic ships there is only a complimentary, exclusive restaurant for breakfast and lunch for suites, nothing on dinner.

 

No free alcohol either, except for the captain's party and complimentary bottle of sparkling wine in lower suites or complimentary bottle of champagne and some liquor bottles in Owner's Suites and above (three highest cabin categories on the ship).

[FireEater]

MSC with their Yacht Club

 

Just looked at them yesterday for a cruise to Bermuda out of Miami. I can have the "Aurea" Experience for $180 add on from the original $899 and will have:

 

Unlimited drinks of specialty coffee, soft drinks, wine, non-premium cocktails, beer and gelato

 

My Choice Dining (Dinner anytime during dining room hours in a dedicated area of the restaurant)

 

Spa package (60 minute massage, sauna and steam room, welcome cocktail and spa consultation)

 

Private sundeck access

 

Priority boarding

 

 

That is a GREAT price for a 7 day cruise with 3 days in Bermuda and 1 day in Nassau for April 2016 out of Miami.

 

Total price $1079 pp plus taxes for a balcony cabin.

 

I was looking at the Yacht Club, but I can live without the butler and concierge to save $1,100 pp

[jackson bernard]

Just looked at them yesterday for a cruise to Bermuda out of Miami. I can have the "Aurea" Experience for $180 add on from the original $899 and will have:

 

Unlimited drinks of specialty coffee, soft drinks, wine, non-premium cocktails, beer and gelato

 

My Choice Dining (Dinner anytime during dining room hours in a dedicated area of the restaurant)

 

Spa package (60 minute massage, sauna and steam room, welcome cocktail and spa consultation)

 

Private sundeck access

 

Priority boarding

 

 

That is a GREAT price for a 7 day cruise with 3 days in Bermuda and 1 day in Nassau for April 2016 out of Miami.

 

Total price $1079 pp plus taxes for a balcony cabin.

 

I was looking at the Yacht Club, but I can live without the butler and concierge to save $1,100 pp

 

Sounds like a winner. I could do without the butler and concierge as we'll. we were just in the haven had no use for either

[Hawaiidan]

Do any cruise lines besides NCL have the ship within a ship concept, like The Haven on Breakaway?

We loved it!

 

Oceaina, SeaDream, Seabourn, Regent, and Silversea

 

On these ships/lines they are all focused on classy up scale nautical not garish and crude.

All provide their passengers with an almost all inclusive experience from tipping to unlimited specialty dining, large spacious luxury cabins, even liquor.

 

 

They provide it on the whole ship... because they carry 1/5th the passengers that the Breakaway has but with the same crews.... almost 1to 1.. service is over the top... Food.... you can have grilled lobster served to you every day in every restraint...even the pool grill will serve Lobster sandwiches and Kobe beef

THese lines and ships too, the whole ship is in a par or superior to that offered in the Haven.... and not for much different price

 

I have found , from experience, that it is far better and more productive to move up in lines rather than move up in cabin class. Going from mass market offered little enclaves of partial luxury cant hold a candle to going to a true all luxury class ship...

[Dolebludger]

I pretty much agree about not really needing a butler. I also agree that nothing beats a lux line like Regent, Silverseas, And Paul Gauguin. But we Sailed the MSC Divinia last spring in the Yacht Club, and found almost everything we like about the lux lines. Open bar, open restaurant seating and dining times three meals a day with great food, no crowds or lines (in the YC area), and no tipping. The only thing the YC didn't have that the lux lines do was "hot meal" room service, and this is not a deal breaker for us.

 

In the early 2000s, we got sick of the increasing "nickel and diming", crowding, declining food quality, and such on the mass market lines like NCL. We went for fewer cruises and the lux lines. But since then, the lux lines are charging about 2 1/2 times the fare they did back then. We took the MSC Divinia YC last spring because it was a special music cruise for a fare more like the lux lines had in the early 2000s, and found it quite acceptable.

 

Now, there is a music cruise we are considering on the NCL Pearl (Jewel class), and are wondering if the Pearl has acomodations and inclusions like the Divinia YC did.

 

So if anybody here has ever experienced the MSC Yacht Club AND the Haven on a NCL Jewell class ship, I'd appreciate a post about the similarities and differences. In return, we are calling the TA for the NCL music cruise tomorrow with our questions, and I'll post our findings here.

 

On a more general note, I like the "ship within a ship" concept. Some of us became so sick of the "mass market" experience that we switched to fewer cruises on the lux lines. Then the lux lines got so expensive that we just quit cruising. Something like the MSC YC gives us an alternative that allows us to cruise once more!

[Hawaiidan]

I actually found that considering all costs ( remember the lux lines all include free airfare rt) that booking a mass market top class attempt at luxury ( remember when you leave your enclave you back on a mass market ship with 3-4000 folks.) Its in the end very close to in am many cases cheaper to go for a standard suite in a lux line. I took a Oceana cruise earlier this year, is a balcony suite, rt air to Tahiti, 34 days, all tips, all inclusive for all restaurants and bars and all drinks, coffee's.. for about $90 a day less than a standard balcony, on Holland America for a similar length trip...... and on a ship of 1000 not 2000 or 3000 people.....

As I said.... mass market lines selling up to their standard of luxury will many times be more expensive than just going direct to a full luxury ship... Where outside the cabin the whole ship is luxury not a small section.

 

That's why I sail now on better ships... not better cabins which sound great but....well you decide.

[Dolebludger]

I agree that the lux lines that include air, especially when on special, can be the better deal. And certainly the better cruise. But, for example, MSC's Yacht Club includes a rather large separate area, nice suites, good open seat, open time dining, and open bar for less than half the fare of a lux line -- but includes no air -- but is still less than a lux line. The YC area is separate, requires an electronic key to enter, has separate entry/exit to ports, and is large enough that one needn't ever go to the other parts of the ship. Don't get me wrong. We just got off the Paul Gauguin on a ten day cruise and it is better than MSC Yacht Club. But, like most, we can't afford cruises like that one as often as we'd like. So, for some of our cruises, something like the YC is a viable alternative. I don't want to sound like a snob, but we don't consider the "regular" mass market cruise experience a viable thing for us. Ditto for most premium lines.

 

But we did like the MSC YC when we tried it last spring. So when we learned of a music cruise we would like on NCL's Pearl in 11/15, we were curious whether the Pearl had the equal of the YC. If it does, we may go. If not, we will stay home.

 

Will call the TA handling this music cruise and get the details, and I will report them right here.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Dolebludger