Haven Class Priority benefits ...

[FM]

My understanding is that Haven Class passengers have priority access for reserving restaurants and entertainment onboard ... how does it work in regards to ...

 

• Booking a Cabana at Great Stirrup Cay ... when do booking windows open up for "shore excursions" ...
  
• Booking spa treatments ...
   
  

 

It also states that you can skip the lines and be personally escorted on and off the ship at the pier and at ports-of-call ... does that include GSC? How well does it actually work?

 

I am most excited though about the new Lagoon Retreat coming to GSC. With Haven and Suite guests (and those booking spa treatments) having exclusive access, this makes it a very enticing perk. The highlight on our previous Disney cruises was Castaway Cay ... and the ability to book a Cabana if you were lucky enough to grab one. So the opportunity to book a beachfront luxury villa on GSC is very alluring ... though I shudder to think at how much this perk would end up being priced at ...

[Two Wheels Only]

... does that include GSC? How well does it actually work?

 

Yes, you are given priority when leaving the ship.

 

There have been cases where Haven guests are given priority when returning to the ship. It usually isn't needed as getting back isn't the mad rush that leaving the ship is.

 

Some Haven guests have been pulled from the line by NCL staff and have been moved to the front of the line. It seems to vary, though.

[BirdTravels]

My understanding is that Haven Class passengers have priority access for reserving restaurants and entertainment onboard ... how does it work in regards to ...

 

• Booking a Cabana at Great Stirrup Cay ... when do booking windows open up for "shore excursions" ...
  
• Booking spa treatments ...
  

Priority reservations means that you can start booking restaurants and entertainment 100 days before your cruise. Non-Havens guest start 90 days before the cruise (you have a 10 day head start).

 

There will be a spa representative at embarkation to take your requests. On the mega ships, you can request a spa treatment in the Havens courtyard (which has separate treatment rooms). Caution is that once the spa therapists are fully booked, Havens privs won't get you an appointment.

 

Once a restaurant is fully booked, even the concierge will not be able to get you a table.

It also states that you can skip the lines and be personally escorted on and off the ship at the pier and at ports-of-call ... does that include GSC? How well does it actually work?

 

The concierge will escort you (via crew passages) to the front of the security line. On -away class ships, you can take the crew elevator from the Havens lounge directly to a private security line. For GSC, this allows you to bypass the line for tender boarding. Once onboard the tender, you still have to wait for it to fill (sometimes as long as 30 minutes).

 

Smaller ships are usually pretty good about having a separate line at that gangway to get you onboard. That means, you bypass the line to the gangway, where you join everyone else going up the gangway and to security. I have not really seen that on the megaships. Sometimes, you will see the concierge outside and can get them to help you bypass the line to the gangway.

 

I am most excited though about the new Lagoon Retreat coming to GSC. With Haven and Suite guests (and those booking spa treatments) having exclusive access, this makes it a very enticing perk. The highlight on our previous Disney cruises was Castaway Cay ... and the ability to book a Cabana if you were lucky enough to grab one. So the opportunity to book a beachfront luxury villa on GSC is very alluring ... though I shudder to think at how much this perk would end up being priced at ...

 

Enjoy the Havens,,, its is wonderful!

Edited September 3, 2016 by BirdTravels

[Annmeat]

The concierge can make your spa appointment but there is no "priority"

Sometimes he/she can get you a dinner reservation when the restaurant tells you it has none.

 

Your excursions will open up 100 days before cruise

 

Spa treatments are not booked ahead on line but you can send requests to the preconcierge who will notify the concierge. Sometimes.

 

A thermal suite pass can be purchased in advance for a discounted fee.

 

The concierge does not always escort you off the ship . For excursions thru the cruise line you need no priority service as you meet with your group in a prearranged area. If you booked privately you can be escorted to the front of the line.

 

You can get priority tender service and get off the ship first in locations such as Belize and GSC.

 

 

 

Have fun!

Edited September 3, 2016 by Annmeat

[darrengs]

Personally I would book cabanas and shore excursions online so you can ensure you get what you want.

 

As far as booking things onboard including spa it is as simple as stopping by the concierge and getting it taken care of.

 

For GSC and tender ports the concierge staff will escort groups down via behind the scenes elevators and bypass any lines. Also for getting back on at GSC there is a Suite only line that bypasses the long line to get on the tender.

 

Same for final debarkation, the concierge staff will escort you off the ship, once off you can bypass the line to enter the terminal as well.

[Demonyte]

Your excursions will open up 100 days before cruise

 

This is incorrect. Excursions become bookable randomly before the cruise, I've been on one cruise where cabanas were booked solid already earlier than 100 days before the cruise and I've booked one 10 months in advance.

 

The 100 days only applies to restaurants and on new megaships also to entertainment.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Demonyte

[Annmeat]

This is incorrect. Excursions become bookable randomly before the cruise, I've been on one cruise where cabanas were booked solid already earlier than 100 days before the cruise and I've booked one 10 months in advance.

 

The 100 days only applies to restaurants and on new megaships also to entertainment.

 

I apologize. It was tired , watching tv , reading CC I was thinking of restaurants and shows.

Thanks!

Edited September 4, 2016 by Annmeat

[FM]

Thanks everyone ... information is very helpful. I do like the idea of being able to disembark "early" bypassing the lengthy lines at the start of a port day. Thanks BirdTravels about the info of the elevator from the Haven lounge - it sounds great.

 

Combined with the Free at Sea promotion when we placed a deposit for a Haven Spa Suite with Balcony aboard the Breakaway, it seems that NCL's Haven class offers a bit more than other cruise line concierge-class cabins - correct me if I am wrong.

[dexddd]

On the BA they had a spa rep in the Haven area on a regular basis so you could possibly make reservations there.

 

As far as concierge class vs. DCL because you mentioned sailing on them, I'd say I prefer the DCL concierge experience especially with the lounge on the new ships but NCL getting off the ships in ports is better.

[Demonyte]

...it seems that NCL's Haven class offers a bit more than other cruise line concierge-class cabins - correct me if I am wrong.

 

 

I don't know first hand about any other cruise lines than Celebrity, but I would say that Concierge Class there is not comparable to actual suites (even on NCL).

 

Many people here say that NCL does suites best from all mass market lines.

[Lizcourt]

. . . it seems that NCL's Haven class offers a bit more than other cruise line concierge-class cabins - correct me if I am wrong.

 

Having been both in the Haven and in the new Star Class on RCCL, I would say that without doubt NCL set the standard for the "suite life" at sea, but that RCCL is now giving them a real run for their money, at least in that highest class. To the superb service of a butler/genie (technically, the RCCL "genies" will tell you they are designed to be a super personal concierge, rather than a butler, but both provide premium personalized service) RCCL adds included gratuities, ultimate beverage package, pay restaurants (some of these are part of recent NCL promotions, but on RCCL they are permanent features of the Star level service), and, of course, priority embarkation and debarkation. Both have dedicated suite-only restaurants (Haven restaurant on NCL, Coastal Kitchen on RCCL). However, I don't know of any RCCL ship that has a separately designated pool area for Star Class guests, while the NCL ships have Haven pool areas and hot tubs.

 

On the other hand, I think (though I could be wrong) that the Star Class (as opposed to the Sea or Sky class, which offer fewer inclusions and amenities) are available to substantially fewer classes of cabins at a substantially higher cost than the Haven suites on NCL. So it appears that that NCL will remain the mainstream industry leader in this area for awhile at least.

[Bootman4U]

Let's get real here: The Haven concept is what RCCL is desperately trying to catch up to and outdo WITHOUT actually having that separate "ship within a ship" geographic area. Hence the designation of Coastal Kitchen for suite guests and Celebrity has designated Luminae and Blu for various classes of staterooms on their ships as well.

 

How does it compare? I've been on both and thus far I'd have to give the edge (no pun intended) to NCL somewhat. Of course, right here on this board, people are calling Haven passengers "cruise snobs" and worse but that's what jealousy does to people.

 

Now, the last time we were in The Haven we were taken down one of the inside crew-only elevators to a restaurant, to a disembarkation station, etc, on more than one occasion by the concierge. They will do their best to get you into shows and restaurants but even they cannot work miracles when a venue really is "full."

 

It's really subjective IMO but we know who the standard setter was.

[tombec1]

Yes, you are given priority when leaving the ship.

 

There have been cases where Haven guests are given priority when returning to the ship. It usually isn't needed as getting back isn't the mad rush that leaving the ship is.

 

Some Haven guests have been pulled from the line by NCL staff and have been moved to the front of the line. It seems to vary, though.

 

In 2015 I was in the Haven on the Getaway. There was a HUGE line in the Cayman Islands to grab a tender back to the ship. We saw a staff member with a "The Haven" sign walking around , showed him our keycards, and we were escorted to the front of the tender line. That probably saved us an hour right there.

 

We didn't get any special tender access back to the ship from GSC last year on the Epic, though - but the line wasn't bad at all.

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

Thanks everyone ... information is very helpful. I do like the idea of being able to disembark "early" bypassing the lengthy lines at the start of a port day. Thanks BirdTravels about the info of the elevator from the Haven lounge - it sounds great.

 

Combined with the Free at Sea promotion when we placed a deposit for a Haven Spa Suite with Balcony aboard the Breakaway, it seems that NCL's Haven class offers a bit more than other cruise line concierge-class cabins - correct me if I am wrong.

 

We are waiting to see how RCCI compares to the Haven. We did sail in the Owner's Suite on Majesty of the Seas, but were forewarned on CC that it would not be the experience to compare other RCCI cruises to (and that was correct....the main perk was the room size and ability to book the cabana at the private island). So we are going to try 1 more time...

 

We have been thrilled with our Haven suites and the attentiveness of the butler/concierge, although they have changed the concierge to you seeing them, versus them coming to you. Love having the secluded area to lounge in and see the sights from!

 

When we were in a suite on Princess, our service was less than stellar; in fact, my hubby now refuses to sail on Princess.

[marc b]

Agree with the posts on the Haven v. other lines top classes of service. The perks in NCL Haven are far better, in the aggregate, than any other line IMO. We were in an OS on Princess last summer, and it was fine, but nothing special. They are just not set up like NCL for that class of service.

 

Suites on Celebrity are nice, and I think Luminae is a better experience than Haven Restaurant (I think NCL should change menu selection a bit throughout the week) in terms of selection and quality, but without a separate "Haven area", Celebrity simply cannot compete. And with NCL's wide variety of specialty restaurants, and free dinners as a booking perk and Platinum perk, solves any shortcomings. Concierge has yet to fail us on peak times in even LeBistro on Port Days (maybe 7:45 instead of 7:30 - life is rough..lol).

 

Celebrity will soon have ships with a separate "Haven" area, so will be interesting to see how they stack up.

 

We have sailed in Haven on Breakaway and Epic (Escape next !), and it is truly a wonderful experience. Once you book Haven, there is no going back :cool:

[marcyjane]

My understanding is that Haven Class passengers have priority access for reserving restaurants and entertainment onboard ... how does it work in regards to ...

• Booking a Cabana at Great Stirrup Cay ... when do booking windows open up for "shore excursions" ...
  
• Booking spa treatments ...
  

It also states that you can skip the lines and be personally escorted on and off the ship at the pier and at ports-of-call ... does that include GSC? How well does it actually work?

 

I am most excited though about the new Lagoon Retreat coming to GSC. With Haven and Suite guests (and those booking spa treatments) having exclusive access, this makes it a very enticing perk. The highlight on our previous Disney cruises was Castaway Cay ... and the ability to book a Cabana if you were lucky enough to grab one. So the opportunity to book a beachfront luxury villa on GSC is very alluring ... though I shudder to think at how much this perk would end up being priced at ...

 

 

Ok, I'm trying to get all this information in my head. If you are in Owner's Suite on the Norwegian Sky then you can go to Lagoon Retreat for NO charge? Or do you have to book a spa treatment in order to have exclusive access. Thank you