Is the Haven on the Breakaway worth the cost??

[WeehawkenCruiser]

Hi everyone!

We are sailing on the breakaway in December out of NYC and are currently booked in a mini-suite.

We are considering upgrading to the 2 BR Family villa and are wondering if it is worth the cost difference.

 

There are 4 of us (3 adults and 1 baby) and the cost is a little more than double. (about 3k now to about 7k)

 

Does anyone have any insight as to if the perks and extras are worth it?

Edited September 9, 2016 by WeehawkenCruiser

[jpcdds6]

That's a decision only you can make. I am platinum, and only sail in suites, since we booked one about ten years ago. There is nothing like it. That said, the cost difference for you would be extreme. One bit of warning, if you do switch to a suite or haven class cabin, you will find it hard to sail again any other way.

[mom2tcdx2]

I too wondered on it, but overall I can't see how anyone can justify the expense of the haven. Guess people have a lot more money to spend than I do. We have 4 booked in a mini-suite at $3500, and it is now down to $7900 to do the 2 BR. I would have paid maybe $4500-5000 for the 2BR, but never $8000 and higher. Basically I could take 2 cruises for that cost. Even the extra perks don't make it worth it IMO.

 

Don't get me wrong I would love a suite and the room, just wish their prices were more on the reasonable side. We have had a suite 3 times as an upsell and loved them, but could never afford them at full price (except Carnival who has more affordable suites, just not the perks). Though truly we didn't really use much in the way of perks on NCL - we did like the breakfast at Cagney's, but other than that we didn't really use anything else.

[Kiwi-Reggie]

We have cruised many times and have only stayed in the Haven. The Haven is well worth the extra money especially if you are cruising in December. We were on the December 26, 2010, blizzard cruise. While everything outdoors was closed, we were enjoying swimming and relaxing in the Haven pool. It is nice to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a separate living area. You have plenty of room to move around. The staff is extremely attentive and helpful.

[cpj]

We did once on the Escape and it was well worth the money. Dont know if I would do it again cause I can be just as happy in a balcony cabin. But they do make you feel important and the service was top notch.

[WeehawkenCruiser]

We have cruised many times and have only stayed in the Haven. The Haven is well worth the extra money especially if you are cruising in December. We were on the December 26, 2010, blizzard cruise. While everything outdoors was closed, we were enjoying swimming and relaxing in the Haven pool. It is nice to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a separate living area. You have plenty of room to move around. The staff is extremely attentive and helpful.

 

That is one of the biggest pluses we are considering. I have cruised from NYC in the winter before and have not been able to enjoy the pool at all both sea days because it was too cold. I figured that this way, especially with a baby, I will at least have a pool to sit around.

[Son of a son of a ...]

We did the Haven and liked it, but it was not worth the money compared to a mini-suite or balcony. We loved the dining room for breakfast, but we don't three meals while cruising ... usually breakfast and dinner at a specialty. We like people and moving about the ship so the seclusion was lost on us and we don't spend much time in our room.

 

If you have kids or special needs, then it may be worth it ... we'd rather save the $$ to spend on another cruise!

[WeehawkenCruiser]

We did once on the Escape and it was well worth the money. Dont know if I would do it again cause I can be just as happy in a balcony cabin. But they do make you feel important and the service was top notch.

 

The added level of luxury and service is definitely appealing!

[mommyto2kids]

We did the Haven on the Escape. We loved it, it's hard to describe, but it just made everything better. No lines, no need to go to the buffet, full meals in our room (loved this for breakfast)

 

The courtyard and restaurant are awesome, snacks in the room are great.

Having space in our cabin as a family was also amazing

 

 

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[takeadip]

Hi everyone!

We are sailing on the breakaway in December out of NYC and are currently booked in a mini-suite.

We are considering upgrading to the 2 BR Family villa and are wondering if it is worth the cost difference.

 

There are 4 of us (3 adults and 1 baby) and the cost is a little more than double. (about 3k now to about 7k)

 

Does anyone have any insight as to if the perks and extras are worth it?

 

we sailed BA last March (cold month) warm enclosed haven pool no kids were outside in main pool the first and last day of cruise...but we were swiming in the Haven...

 

Yes its worth it...we had DW myseld and (6) yr old son...called upsell daily for 3 weeks prior to sail and wanted a courtyard haven which was the cheapest to get into...they kept wanting 1000 or 750 pp and that was crazy...so like 2 or 3 days out from sailing...i called..at 9am (when they open) and was offered the last 2 bedroom family villa haven suite for $500 pp and our son was free...and we were orig booked in a mid ship mini...the cruise was the best of our life...i did a detailed review..

 

its been 6 mos since we were there...and we still talk about it...worth. every. penny.

 

do it...you only live once..please do it...and then tell us about it...

 

Best,

Mark

[dcipjr]

We upgraded to the Haven for our recent Escape cruise; it was a 2 week cruise, and they offered us a $1000 per person upgrade from a balcony to a courtyard penthouse.

 

We took it, and it really was an amazing experience. We joked that we'll have to do an inside cabin next time to bring ourselves back down to earth.

 

I would encourage you to try for it -- maybe not necessarily now, but at some point. We certainly will do it again in the future if the price is right.

[vince_g]

We have cruised many times and have only stayed in the Haven. The Haven is well worth the extra money especially if you are cruising in December. We were on the December 26, 2010, blizzard cruise. While everything outdoors was closed, we were enjoying swimming and relaxing in the Haven pool. It is nice to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a separate living area. You have plenty of room to move around. The staff is extremely attentive and helpful.

 

Swimming in the haven pool??? That tiny little thing they call a pool is a joke! You must be very very small.

 

OP, I would NOT put too much stock in what others tell you. You really need to make this decision on your own.

[rsato]

The Breakaway doesn't offer non-Haven suites like the Jewel class ships do so the decision is more clear cut. As said by others, only you can really decide whether it is worth it or not. I've been in a H4 on the Pearl, Jade and Gem, and a SC (non-haven 2 bedroom suite) on the Pearl and Jewel and frankly don't see a whole lot of difference except maybe use of the solarium during sea days in the cold winter weather of Europe.

 

That being said, I have been in a H4 on the Breakaway and with the dedicated restaurant for all 3 meals, the much bigger retractable room solarium / pool and the very spacious sun deck with chairs I find it a much more compelling upgrade especially if you are traveling in a pretty crowded Caribbean cruise (ever tried to find a group of lounge chairs on the Breakaway?) Of course, kids (and adults) who want the slides - which are quite fun on the BA, will ditch the Haven pool area anyway. I actually enjoyed the Breakaway slides better than I did at the port call in Bahamas - the Atlantis resort.

[Kiwi-Reggie]

Swimming in the haven pool??? That tiny little thing they call a pool is a joke! You must be very very small.

 

OP, I would NOT put too much stock in what others tell you. You really need to make this decision on your own.

Did you really need to make such a snarky reply??? The size of the pool has nothing to do with whether I am tiny or not. It is just a nice perk to be able to take a dip without having to search for chairs or worry about the weather.

[pcakes122]

Swimming in the haven pool??? That tiny little thing they call a pool is a joke! You must be very very small.

 

OP, I would NOT put too much stock in what others tell you. You really need to make this decision on your own.

 

Did you really need to make such a snarky reply??? The size of the pool has nothing to do with whether I am tiny or not. It is just a nice perk to be able to take a dip without having to search for chairs or worry about the weather.

I think the point is that the OP is looking for insight as to whether or not to spend an additional $4K to be in the Haven and I do agree with vince_g that it's misleading to say that you can "swim" in the Haven pool. It is a very small "dip" pool - two strokes and you'd be at the other side.

 

As for whether I think the Haven is worth it overall, I don't think it is worth anywhere near $4K additional. It is very nice - service and perks are definitely enjoyable and it makes your cruise a "different" experience. I've been many times (and also in Jewel-class non-Haven suites) but I can honestly say I have never paid full-price for them and can't ever see myself doing that. (I've had either full casino comps or upsells from casino prices.) Is it worth $500 more per person as Mark posted? ABSOLUTELY! But for $4K additional? Not worth THAT much, seriously. (But definitely try for an upsell close to your sail date!)

Edited September 12, 2016 by pcakes122

[Granny DI]

DH will only sail in the Haven on the Breakaway. We've sailed the last 3 Mays to Bermuda in an Aft Haven suite. I went to book May 2017 in our favorite suite and it had increased $1500 pp. I can't justify the cost increase. We're sailing on the Jade out of Hamburg in 2017 in an aft suite to Iceland instead of our favorite Breakaway Haven aft suite to Bermuda.

Only you can decide what is comfortable for you. Our first cruise was in a suite, but happily spent the next ten years in balconies. The Haven has driven us back to suites.

[DMH15]

This is a very subjective question. What is worth the cost to me might not be to you. For me, yes it is.

 

 

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[Linda the Book Lover]

The truth is that cost is always something that slows someone down from a high-end purchase. In the end it is your decision you are just asking for opinions. We are retired and not rolling in dough but we do love suites. This cruise the ship we are going on has the Haven and no suites. DH wanted to make it a special cruise for our anniversary so we booked the Haven. The cost was worth it for us. If you can sleep at night and you have the money go ahead and book the Haven, spread out and enjoy your vacation.

[luckyinpa]

If you can sleep at night and you have the money go ahead and book the Haven, spread out and enjoy your vacation.

 

this is the key to the decision. if the extra 4K would be a hardship or you have to put it on a credit card at 30%, no way. i see in the OP sig that they have been on many cruises so it's not like this is the once in a lifetime thing this will be for me. maybe you can do the haven in the future if the 4K is too much now? but if it's not a hardship then i have to say you should do it and try it once. thats what i'm doing :)

 

i booked haven, had to downgrade, but then upgraded again at full fare, paying 2700 extra for my room. the agony i went through for 2 or 3 months figuring if i could re-upgrade after my downgrade was a nitemare for my gf and friends. gotta say when i booked and paid the 2700 i figuratively slept better at nite. zero regrets.

 

also haven only has 2 rooms left as of today so i'm glad i got the room i wanted. that's important too for some of us.

 

please let us know when you decide

[WeehawkenCruiser]

this is the key to the decision. if the extra 4K would be a hardship or you have to put it on a credit card at 30%, no way. i see in the OP sig that they have been on many cruises so it's not like this is the once in a lifetime thing this will be for me. maybe you can do the haven in the future if the 4K is too much now? but if it's not a hardship then i have to say you should do it and try it once. thats what i'm doing :)

 

i booked haven, had to downgrade, but then upgraded again at full fare, paying 2700 extra for my room. the agony i went through for 2 or 3 months figuring if i could re-upgrade after my downgrade was a nitemare for my gf and friends. gotta say when i booked and paid the 2700 i figuratively slept better at nite. zero regrets.

 

also haven only has 2 rooms left as of today so i'm glad i got the room i wanted. that's important too for some of us.

 

please let us know when you decide

 

We spent some time thinking about it and decided to take the plunge. We ended up cancelling our reservation with NCL and booking with a TA (it was $300 cheaper and we got a $600 OBC plus the current NCL promotional offers) and I can't wait!

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice and opinions and I am looking forward to reporting back on my experience when I return!

[stardust3000]

To me, the Haven is lovely, but it's not worth the cost of a whole second cruise! But to you, it might be.

 

We had a Haven suite on the Epic, and it was lovely. But we got it for a steal, and I don't think I would ever be able to justify the cost again. The cabin was great, but we were hardly ever in it. We hardly saw our butler, because we never requested anything. The snacks were great, but there is so much food on a cruise that we didn't need them at all (still ate them though!) The food was lovely in the Haven restaurant, but we prefer to eat in the specialty restaurants in the evening, and we are more than happy with the buffet or MDRs for breakfast and lunch.

 

To us, the Haven is worth a little bit more, but definitely not 4K. But I can see that to some people it's worth every penny. I'd rather spend the extra on a Spa balcony room, to me, that's worth splurging a bit on .

[Linda the Book Lover]

Great news! Have a fantastic cruise.

[Medtech2]

Hi everyone!

We are sailing on the breakaway in December out of NYC and are currently booked in a mini-suite.

We are considering upgrading to the 2 BR Family villa and are wondering if it is worth the cost difference.

 

There are 4 of us (3 adults and 1 baby) and the cost is a little more than double. (about 3k now to about 7k)

 

Does anyone have any insight as to if the perks and extras are worth it?

Money is such a relative term and would be my deciding factor. We've sailed once in a Spa Suite with Haven access on the Getaway. Upsell from an inside to the suite and ended up at $1399/person. Definitely worth it to me at that price but not more than, say $1500/, for me.

 

So, is it worth it for a medical technologist married to a mailman? No...

 

But is it worth it for an investment banker married to a cardiologist? Most definitely.

[Medtech2]

We spent some time thinking about it and decided to take the plunge. We ended up cancelling our reservation with NCL and booking with a TA (it was $300 cheaper and we got a $600 OBC plus the current NCL promotional offers) and I can't wait!

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice and opinions and I am looking forward to reporting back on my experience when I return!

Oh, I just read your outcome. Sounds like you got a great deal and when you "do the math" of the lower price, OBC, and all the promo's you really made out well! Congratulations!

[dreadnot]

The added level of luxury and service is definitely appealing!

I will probably book the spa have suite in March for my wife's birthday. It is a couple of thousand more , but appears well worth it. If you long for the bygone days of service it appears well worth it . Most people I have spoken too have said they would only book another cruise in the Haven after doing it once. I am also going to try the MSC Divina Yacht club at some point ,seem pretty reasonable. like the idea of NCL leaving from NY better however