Haven with young kids?

[spooky27]

Hello,

We are travelling on the ncl breakaway next week. With 3 kids under 6, we decided to upgrade to a haven suite for more space.

Has anyone else experienced the haven with little ones?

If so, how was it? We're there any negative attitudes from the other guests?

Thanks

[Admin]

Hello,

We are travelling on the ncl breakaway next week. With 3 kids under 6, we decided to upgrade to a haven suite for more space.

Has anyone else experienced the haven with little ones?

If so, how was it? We're there any negative attitudes from the other guests?

Thanks

We've sailed on the Pearl in the Haven with our kids a few times and we haven't had any issues. The first time our kids were 2 and 6. The 2 year old wasn't potty trained so no pool for him but my husband and the 6 year old would swim together in the private pool. We took them to Cagney's with us too and no problems. Thankfully we never had any behavior issues in public. I didn't sense any negative attitudes but there may always be someone that thinks kids shouldn't be in such an exclusive area even though they've paid to be there.

 

My advice, you know your kids. Enjoy your vacation like you normally would and have the same courtesy you would for anyone. If they just don't like kids...you can't change that. But enjoy your family time. ;)

[OzCanuck]

We were in the haven (Getaway) in October with our just turned three year old. He has cruised many times before. The service in the Haven Restaurant was exceptional - you will know all the servers and their names, and they will know yours and your children's by the end of the cruise.

 

Honestly it's like anywhere else in the world - look after your kids, be a parent, and be respectful of others in the haven and the restaurant, and you will have no problems.

 

We had no negative attitudes towards us, as far as I could see. It was Canadian Thanksgiving so there were lots of other vacationing families in the haven.

[Queen of Oakville]

For those that have sailed Haven, what is your overall experience?

 

I'm looking at a sailing for next march break (not sure what ship).

 

Is the experience overall superior? My tastes lean to HAL/X but we've never stayed in a suite.

 

The price I got was on star (2 bedroom villa - not haven) and it was around $6 for the four of us. I have NEVER paid that much to sail before. We normally are in a verandah, and the cost is somewhere around the $3K mark.

 

I'm all for the one-time splurge (in which case I don't think it will be on Star). but just wondering if the overall perception that the Haven is worth the extra money.

[OzCanuck]

We've cruised six times on NCL, each time in a 2-bdrm suite - but only once in the Haven (Getaway). Our other ships were Pearl, Jade, Jewel, Star & Dawn. We are sailing again on the Star in May, again in a 2-bdrm.

 

To be honest, I didn't find the extra expense for the haven worth it. Others on the NCL board would shoot me down for saying that. I doubt we will ever pay for the Haven on one of the older ships - unfortunately to get the 2bdrm on the Breakaway et.al. you have to be in the Haven.

 

For our family, there wasn't really much for us. Yes, the service was great, and yes, you get to feel that warm fuzzy feeling of being Elite as you swagger through the Haven doors. But once you're in there, big deal. The pool area wasn't that conducive to having a three year old, and we are not sun folks so the deck upstairs, while beautiful and inviting - just wasn't for us.

 

For us, it is the ease of boarding, disembarking, tendering.. having the butler at hand to order in lunch or a nice dinner (after the kid goes to sleep in the other room). Using the concierge to get us a table without waiting or seats for the show without worrying... etc. etc.

 

Breakfast and lunch at Cagney's (or Moderno) is slightly inferior to the Haven Restaurant just from an ambiance standpoint. Big deal - if you're with a kid, it's not really fine dining anyway! (And the breakfast and lunch menus are the same).

 

NCL does the 'suite' produce better than any of the mass market lines, from what I can tell - but perhaps on par with MSC. If you're coming off X or HAL you may need the Haven as the cabin areas for the masses probably aren't as nice. But for us - not required.

[Queen of Oakville]

Thank you for the reply.

 

We just found X and could not be happier. It's just the talk I read here that has me wondering if we should experience the Haven.

 

For the same money or less, I could get the family verandah on X. I just wasn't sure what "experience" came with the Haven.

 

To be honest I'm happier on a ship with far less kids (so are my kids) ... so maybe we should just stick with X.

 

Now that I think about it, if we are sailing Silhouette in November maybe March is too early for another cruise. Maybe I'll look at an AI instead.

[Essiesmom]

Next week is not too early for another cruise...EM

[Queen of Oakville]

: )

 

 

It's all timing apparently. I also looked at booking the Haven, later in the year (we tend to always do a fall cruise) and pricing was better. Might do an AI for March break 2016 and then a fall cruise.

 

i'm going to talk to a TA to get more info.

 

thanks!

Edited March 20, 2015 by Queen of Oakville