To NCL Vets. Is Haven the only way to go now?

[Kingofwylietx]

This all sounds right.

 

Haven = all the luxury without all the formalities and pretense.

 

We wouldn't enjoy a stuffy cruise on one of those luxury lines.

[legion3]

Currently for my family of 4 the Haven is double what an M6 Minisuite is on the cruise. Even with the kids sailing free.

 

No doubt the Haven is the way to go but not at that cost.

 

I wish MSC's Yacht Club had "better" ships attached to them, ships that had water slides(s) - not just one lame one, ropes course, splash park and plenty of optional dining like NCL has on the bigger haven ships. MSC's YC has always booked out cheaper than the Haven when I have looked.

[Leavethekidswithmom]

Personally, though we can afford the Haven, we've yet to travel in it. The Haven on the Jewel class ships is too small in our opinion. The balconies within the Haven itself are way too small for our liking. Yes, I know the Aft Haven suites have larger balconies but so do the normal suites. The Haven on the Breakaway class ships is awesome but again, the balconies are less than desirable in our opinion. Honestly, the only trip I plan on doing in the Haven is when I book the Garden Villa for our 20th anniversary. Plenty of room and worth every penny.

 

 

How can you give advice when you obviously have no clue?

 

We only do the Haven, with or without any promos, it's the only way we cruise now!

[david_sobe]

I always love these kinds of threads. I have traveled NCL in Haven suites and regular balcony cabins. Of course I love the Haven especially with priority disembarkation!!! But you must decide what is important to you. I love many features of the Haven but we never use the Haven pool area. NCL charges big bucks for this especially on the ships where there are suites with no Haven pool access. Its a huge jump in price. We do like the Haven sundeck though. Embarkation is pretty swift for everyone unless there is a problem with boarding. We love the extra space the suite provides. Breakfast at the Haven restaurant is great too especially the service. But you can get many of the same things at the MDR. Is this worth more than double the price? When I get back from a Haven cruise, I tend to say no and I will book a regular cabin next time. But somehow I still end up booking a suite.

But this time the prices are so much higher and the cheapest Haven cabin on Escpae is $5800, I don't think I could rationalize that kind of spending when you can have a similar experience for half or book 2 cruises for that price.

Sometimes you can get a deal that justifies the Haven expense. How much are all of the little things added up mean to you? If they mean a lot, then you will love the Haven.

[cadien]

Because I never have to dress up or worry about if I'm wearing something appropriate on an NCL ship. I find nothing enjoyable or relaxing about changing clothes three or more times a day. At NCL I only have to go from swim suit and cover up to shorts/jeans and top. That fits our personalities much more than a luxury cruise line.

 

In addition, luxury lines aren't an option for those of us bringing children along.

[zqvol]

Because I never have to dress up or worry about if I'm wearing something appropriate on an NCL ship. I find nothing enjoyable or relaxing about changing clothes three or more times a day. At NCL I only have to go from swim suit and cover up to shorts/jeans and top. That fits our personalities much more than a luxury cruise line.

 

You don't on most of the luxury lines either, they are always resort casual, in fact it is more trouble for me to dress for dinner on NCL than it is on Sea Dream, Regent, or Silversea.

[Dr. Cocktail]

I have been reading this thread with interest as this very topic is EXTREMELY important to all of the cruise lines competing for "Affluent Cruisers". Why do people who could afford to go on any luxury ship choose not to?

 

This is a quote from Cruise Industry News from March of 2014:

 

“These are people with a household net worth of $800,000, as defined by the Federal Reserve Board, but basically one million or more,” Kurtz explained. “They represent 11.5 million households and the top 10 percent of all U.S. households.”

 

He said that with this market segment generating so many passengers, the luxury brands need to understand better why these people are going on mid-market ships. With a market capacity of less than 300,000, is the luxury market missing the boat?

 

 

 

I have sailed on Azamara, Oceania, Regent, Travel Dynamics and Royal Viking. I have enjoyed some more than others but the luxury lines really have not kept up with the lifestyle activities and entertainment options that cruise passengers want.

 

Unfortunately "luxury" is frequently synonymous with boring. Our last Oceania sailing had basically minimal evening entertainment options (and I was attacked on the O boards for expressing this!) and the grumpiest, most miserable bunch of entitled passengers I have ever met.

 

People have clearly stated the various reasons what they like and love about The Haven and I'm am going to agree with every positive reason!

 

When I sailed in the Haven, I had: a fabulous cabin either 1.5 to 3 times the size of a standard cabin with amazing beds, my own espresso machine, the Haven dining room where I basically burned and reburned my tongue every day as the food is truly made "a la minute", my own peaceful sundeck where treats were brought around on an hourly basis, a covered pool for inclement weather and (generally) a really neat group of fellow passengers.

 

Then, in the evening I could enjoy The Waterfront, all the different bars, shows and specialty restaurants. We went on Breakaway last May with two demanding and committed Oceania cruisers. Like us, they have returned on the Getaway and have many more Havens booked.

[jmele999]

Here is my take on this.

 

Considering how NCL is now either charging or charging more for things that were previously included in the cruise fare, and that booking a suite or a Haven Suite comes with additional perks (because of the current promotion), I think that booking a suite is the best way to go right now. We have been on 7 NCL cruises - 4 of them in suites - and I have found that considering what you get it is a still a good deal.

 

We are currently booked on Escape on a Haven Spa Suite and paid $4900 for the two of us. Considering all the perks that are currently included, I must say that we got a bargain. Without the additional perks from the current promotions, I would have to think twice as to whether or not we can justify spending that kind of money for a Haven suite.

[GrabMyWrist]

How can you give advice when you obviously have no clue?

 

We only do the Haven, with or without any promos, it's the only way we cruise now!

 

How do you know what I have a clue about? I've been in the Haven on both class ships. I've seen the cabins, balconies, pools and sun decks in both.

 

I wasn't offering advice, I was merely stating our personal preference.

[rxlowry]

I'd disagree. For the price, I'd cruise a luxury line. We've cruised three different luxury lines with our daughter so kids are welcome. All but one had a kid's program and on that cruise we were at a port every day so it was not necessary. The food and service is superior to NCL. On NCL, you get the same food everyone else gets. Yes, I've seen the Haven menu and can't say I'm impressed. I've had breakfast and lunch in Cagney's many times and it doesn't compare to the luxury lines. But, it is a different experience. If you want a more "in your face" good time, stick to mainstream. We have an inside booked on the Getaway as well as a luxury line booked later this year.

[GrabMyWrist]

To further elaborate and clarify. Yes, I know the Owner's Suites have larger accommodations than a typical Haven suite. Still, I personally find the suites in the Haven that are like the other suites on the ship to be of little value. The added perk of being in a secluded area of the ship does not appeal to us. Especially considering I can get suite perks in a normal suite and get a location on the ship that I like to travel. Again, I wasn't offering advice, I was merely answering the question asked.

[brookie848]

It's not so much the dollars as it is the nuisance of being billed some change here, some change there. I prefer to go all in and not be bothered with anything extra onboard. So perhaps I worded it wrong. Is the Haven the only way to go if I want everything paid in advance??

 

 

Unless you book during the current promotion, you will still pay as you go. We were in the Haven a few weeks ago and still happily paid for our one visit to a specialty restaurant and all of our drinks, plus the DSC.

 

On our Escape cruise, we booked during the current promotion, so all of that is included.

 

Just because you are in the Haven does not mean that things are all included. And in most (all?) cases, paying for a Haven cabin will be much more than what fees you will pay to be in a regular cabin.

[justhappy]

I have been reading this thread with interest as this very topic is EXTREMELY important to all of the cruise lines competing for "Affluent Cruisers". Why do people who could afford to go on any luxury ship choose not to?

 

This is a quote from Cruise Industry News from March of 2014:

 

“These are people with a household net worth of $800,000, as defined by the Federal Reserve Board, but basically one million or more,” Kurtz explained. “They represent 11.5 million households and the top 10 percent of all U.S. households.”

 

He said that with this market segment generating so many passengers, the luxury brands need to understand better why these people are going on mid-market ships. With a market capacity of less than 300,000, is the luxury market missing the boat?[/i.

 

 

Interesting point the article brings up. If I had to guess, I think a good chunk of people who could cruise luxury lines but don't are in my shoes, nearing 60 or in their 60's, and most of us grew up in a more relaxed time when it comes to dress and activities.

We have more money to spend as we near retirement (those of us in the 10% bracket mentioned) but I think we are for the most part different than our parents or grandparents generation were at our age, we still like to stay active and party into the evening, bad backs and knees permitting!

The thought of having to dress up for cruising and a stuffy older clientele keeps me from ever wanting to do a luxury cruise (I realize this is all just my perception from those glossy brochures, since I have never cruised on a lux line).

I have only cruised on Disney, as I am a big Disney fan, so that was a big draw, plus I love the fun energy the ships give off, as their ships attract a younger demographic. And stuffy is the last term I would ever use to describe a DCL cruise.

That said we typically pay 3k for a balcony cabin for the two of us on DCL, but wanting to go concerige for our 40th anniversary cruise, we decided to give the Haven on the Getaway a try- $5800 for a Penthouse suite w/balcony with free UDP, UBP, free gratuties, $300 OBC, is a bargain compared to the $10,200 for the same size cabin with concerige on DCL for the exact same week, same basic intenerary.

Also the concerige perks on The Getaway blow DCL's out of the water (pun intended).

So while some may see the price for the Haven as excessively high, I see it as a bargain.

[dexddd]

Interesting point the article brings up. If I had to guess, I think a good chunk of people who could cruise luxury lines but don't are in my shoes, nearing 60 or in their 60's, and most of us grew up in a more relaxed time when it comes to dress and activities.

We have more money to spend as we near retirement (those of us in the 10% bracket mentioned) but I think we are for the most part different than our parents or grandparents generation were at our age, we still like to stay active and party into the evening, bad backs and knees permitting!

The thought of having to dress up for cruising and a stuffy older clientele keeps me from ever wanting to do a luxury cruise (I realize this is all just my perception from those glossy brochures, since I have never cruised on a lux line).

I have only cruised on Disney, as I am a big Disney fan, so that was a big draw, plus I love the fun energy the ships give off, as their ships attract a younger demographic. And stuffy is the last term I would ever use to describe a DCL cruise.

That said we typically pay 3k for a balcony cabin for the two of us on DCL, but wanting to go concerige for our 40th anniversary cruise, we decided to give the Haven on the Getaway a try- $5800 for a Penthouse suite w/balcony with free UDP, UBP, free gratuties, $300 OBC, is a bargain compared to the $10,200 for the same size cabin with concerige on DCL for the exact same week, same basic intenerary.

Also the concerige perks on The Getaway blow DCL's out of the water (pun intended).

So while some may see the price for the Haven as excessively high, I see it as a bargain.

 

Congratulations on your 40th. I'd have to disagree about NCL concierge blowing DCL out of the water from our excperiences. We did BA DOS last March and DCL Fantasy concierge six months later. NCL was lackluster compared to DCL. DCL was excellent at everything they did - NCL not even close.

 

I know the pricing is usually much higher on DCL compared to NCL for comparable rooms, but not always. We were able to go on DCL for a couple hundred less total than what the GA would have cost us for the same dates and the same ports (except going to GSC vs. Nassau which is a bonus anyway).

[esp13]

This topic comes up in various ways every now and then and the answer, to me, is generally the same. Whether the Haven is worth it is entirely dependent upon what is important to the particular cruiser.

 

My first Haven experience was on the Getaway last December and it was worth every penny to me. We loved our Aft Suite and loved the Haven itself. We ate in the Haven restaurant multiple times, hung out in the lounge, and really, really, really enjoyed the sundeck. It was so great to have a quiet (not silent, just not loud) area with plenty of room, and plenty of service. We also enjoyed the benefits of the concierge desk and the convenience of having breakfast delivered to our suite, as well as the afternoon snacks.

 

As far as picking the Haven over a luxury cruise, I'll echo what others have said: it's the best of both worlds. You get a secluded area, but you also get all of the entertainment and dining options of a big ship. We had the casino, the Grammy Experience, Howl at the Moon, and other things to enjoy outside the Haven. I really like that combination.

 

We recently booked another Haven suite (Forward Facing PH suite) on the Escape for December 2016. Without the current promotion, I'm honestly not sure whether we would have booked the Escape. But with the promotion, the value was too good to pass up for another chance at the Haven. After this cruise, whether we do the Haven again will largely depend on where the prices end up. But, I can guarantee that if we can make the budget fit, we will always choose the Haven (or at least a non-Haven suite on one of the smaller ship) over a regular cabin.

[rxlowry]

Most luxury lines do not have formal nights but if a collared shirt and slacks is considered "dressed up" to you then you're best to stay on NCL. I find it to be a very relaxed elegance and have met very friendly people. It is typically very easy to socialize when everyone is getting drinks, no checks to sign so it allows much more conversation at bars and lounges.

[Granny DI]

I've cruised luxury ships and not a fan. Don't think I'd like Carnival but who knows. My DH and I wear the same thing on NCL that we wore on Azamara...country club casual. QM2 was very formal so we don't cruise Cunard anymore. I'm wondering if luxury vs Haven might be an age thing. The age demographic on Azamara was about 25 years older than the Haven area on the Breakaway. Our Grown children would hate the Azamara but probably love NCL. The grandkids are all about the water, kids clubs, ice cream machines and the buffet area. They love the Oasis, Carnival and Disney...but neither their parents or grandparents will pay extra for Disney. We enjoy the Haven and the suites on upscale lines are just suites.

We are giving the Royal Princess a try in 2016....perhaps I'll find the experience as good as the Haven.

[Dgius]

We are booked in the 3 bedroom Haven Villa leaving Venice on May 23. Does anyone know about internet connection? Does it come included as a Haven guest? If I purchase, is it spotty? or decent? Never been on NCL, we are bit worried actually as we usually do the higher end lines but this space worked well for my family of 7 so we took the chance Cost = 26K for the week. Airfare in business class was the killer from California!! More than the cruise! Any thoughts or suggestions from those who have Haven'ed' before is most appreciated.

[Leavethekidswithmom]

We are booked in the 3 bedroom Haven Villa leaving Venice on May 23. Does anyone know about internet connection? Does it come included as a Haven guest? If I purchase, is it spotty? or decent? Never been on NCL, we are bit worried actually as we usually do the higher end lines but this space worked well for my family of 7 so we took the chance Cost = 26K for the week. Airfare in business class was the killer from California!! More than the cruise! Any thoughts or suggestions from those who have Haven'ed' before is most appreciated.

 

 

Laptop is included, minutes are not. Buy a package or pay as you go, connection should be normal slow satellite signal. You'll love the GV.

[SuiteTraveler]

Personally, though we can afford the Haven, we've yet to travel in it. The Haven on the Jewel class ships is too small in our opinion. The balconies within the Haven itself are way too small for our liking. Yes, I know the Aft Haven suites have larger balconies but so do the normal suites. The Haven on the Breakaway class ships is awesome but again, the balconies are less than desirable in our opinion. Honestly, the only trip I plan on doing in the Haven is when I book the Garden Villa for our 20th anniversary. Plenty of room and worth every penny.

 

Deluxe Owner's Suite (Deck 15) on Jewel Class ships (former concierge lounge) has a HUGE balcony AND its own hot tub AND is in The Haven. At any rate, the Jewel Class Haven Sun Deck is massive and blissfully uncrowded - often it was just me and my husband or just me up there, so it doesn't matter if your suite's balcony is small. The Haven was also mostly empty most of the time other than a few ladies taking tea in the afternoon or someone reading a book from time to time. We had the hot tub and pool and seating to ourselves most of the time. I realize the usage of The Haven can vary by cruise - my expectation being more use of The Haven on a Caribbean cruise, but this is how it was on a Med cruise.

[Leavethekidswithmom]

Deluxe Owner's Suite (Deck 15) on Jewel Class ships (former concierge lounge) has a HUGE balcony AND its own hot tub AND is in The Haven. At any rate, the Jewel Class Haven Sun Deck is massive and blissfully uncrowded - often it was just me and my husband or just me up there, so it doesn't matter if your suite's balcony is small. The Haven was also mostly empty most of the time other than a few ladies taking tea in the afternoon or someone reading a book from time to time. We had the hot tub and pool and seating to ourselves most of the time. I realize the usage of The Haven can vary by cruise - my expectation being more use of The Haven on a Caribbean cruise, but this is how it was on a Med cruise.

 

 

Now I'm curious! When did they convert the lounge on the Pearl to two DOS? We were in the Haven when she was two years old and the DOS were there then, we were in an A5. In 2014 we stayed in 15000 and I noticed what looked like a big bulkhead door could have been to the right of the sliding glass door. I could see the weld lines and I was trying to figure out why that was there. So I guess those welds do kind of make sense now, but they didn't add the DOS to the Jewel! Your statement was the first I ever heard of this.

[Merriem]

You don't on most of the luxury lines either, they are always resort casual, in fact it is more trouble for me to dress for dinner on NCL than it is on Sea Dream, Regent, or Silversea.

 

Having had the misfortune to cruise once on Silversea...it is not resort casual. Did not like that cruise line. We are booked in the Haven and did so because we like the privacy, and other perks.

[House_Atreides]

I don't see how having so much more space and more personalized service is a gimmick. Other cruise lines have similar areas, it's not just NCL. Just because it doesn't suit you doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

 

Where in my post did I say it was a "bad thing?"

 

The larger ships in general don't "suit me," however, I in no way implied that having more space is a bad thing.

[GoldenRose]

This is a really interesting thread. I guess we qualify as a family that could easily sail the luxury lines, but so far prefers to stick with suites in more mass market lines. We've actually been struggling with that decision, but I have yet to feel like we'd have a better time on a luxury line. We don't mind dressing up. We love to ballroom dance. We are "foodies", and actually care about the quality of food on a ship. But more than that, we travel with our young children, and we are constantly trying to find routes or ships that we think will be fun for the whole family. We're in our 40's, and our children are 4 and 10, and we'd rather be with other youngish families.

 

Lately, we've mostly sailed in the Royal Suites on DCL, or in Royal Family Suites on RCCL, although we did try one sailing on Celebrity. We've been happy enough those three lines. The only time was have sailed with NCL was about 15 years ago, before suites were in our budget, and we did not care for it. We had to wait a long time to be seated in the MDRs every time we wanted to eat, and we always felt rushed through meals. We are now considering trying the NCL Haven suites specifically because they seem like such a good deal. We would not consider NCL without sailing in the Haven, based on our, admittedly outdated, previous impressions. Our kids wish we would stick with DCL, but while our next currently booked cruise is with them, we think the prices they have recently released are pretty ridiculous, and the Haven looks like a bargain.

Edited April 4, 2015 by GoldenRose

[LakeWobegon]

I would love to try the Haven and we might book a room there on our next cruise depending on our NCL experience. We'll be second time cruisers next March on the Escape, first time with our kids (8 and 11) then. For that, we booked connecting large balcony rooms which gives us about the same amount of space at about half price of a Haven room and without all of the private amenities. If we decide to cruise another time other than high demand Easter break week, I'll definitely look into it. We could afford it this spring break, I just have a hard time spending twice as much when our kids will want to be running all about the ship most of the time. And we can pay for the specialty restaurants every night for a couple of hundred bucks each if we want. I may feel differently once our kids are a little older. Good luck whatever you choose. I agree, I like "private" when its just my wife and I. No lines, fewer people and more relaxed, etc.