Is The Haven really needed?

[Jana60]

There are 2 segments I can see that this appeals to:

 

1) I'm of an upper-middle class income, and fairly young (35yo). The clientele of NCL are a bit younger. I also enjoy the ships and the people on them. I like that I can upgrade to a premium service without being on a line filled with geezers and activities i'm not interested in. The product works for me in that regard. I'd imagine there are others that fall in this bracket.

 

2) Families who take advantage of the 3rd and 4th free in The Haven

 

In those instances, the move to a more premium line doesn't make sense.

There is a third group that the Haven appeals to. The Escape is a huge ship and when you have Mobility impairment it is very difficult to have to Traverse that distance very often so for those of us with these difficulties The Haven is like a little ship within a ship where within very short distance there is great dining, lovely hot tubs, plenty of lounging chairs, and staff to assist you so that it is as easy as possible to get where you're trying to get to. We are booked in a non Haven room for my next Cruise and I'm hoping I'm able to Traverse the distance to enjoy the activities that are most important to me.

 

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[Dr. Cocktail]

Totally loving this thread and all the strange, uninformed and frankly jealous rationalizations that people are coming up with regarding why people travel in The Haven.

 

Have any of you "Haven Haters" taken a commercial flight in, oh, the last 60 years? There's this new thing called "First Class" or "Business Class" where people pay extra to not stand in line, have better onboard accommodations and service and pay many times the price of a standard seat.

 

How can you sit on the same plane with such people? Have you written to the airlines? Have you challenged the people as you walk by?

 

As a "Socialist Canadian" I am rather surprised by the rather Communist attitudes that many of the Americans posting here are showing!

 

I have sailed on luxury lines and they're boring as all get-out. And yes, they seem to attract a rather entitled bunch that I can most certainly do without. I love the energy, entertainment and fantastic specialty restaurants I get on NCL. The Haven allows me to enjoy the "evening nightlife" while relaxing in quiet luxury during the day.

 

In fact, the majority of affluent North Americans would rather sail on mainstream lines in suites for the exact same reason ... it's not my hypothesis, it's a fact. Look it up.

 

If I can afford it and it makes me happy and it causes you no harm, why does it bother you?

[TheDougOut]

#neverforget

 

[YOUTUBE]xCcyhmK7iaY[/YOUTUBE]

[stickey_mouse]

I'm new to NCL and will be in a standard balcony cabin in January on the Getaway.

 

I must admit, I got sticker shock when I first saw the price of a Haven room. I still can't believe somebody would pay that price for a room on a NORWEGIAN cruise! (No offense, after all, I'm sailing on NCL soon.) But if it were me, for the money, I'd be sailing on a higher end cruise line such as Azamara, Crystal, Oceania, etc.

 

I'm sure I'll catch flack for saying this, but the same thought crosses my mind every time I see the Haven prices.

 

 

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Edited September 30, 2016 by stickey_mouse

[monkeybone]

#neverforget

 

 

 

Oh No!

Edited September 30, 2016 by monkeybone

[suesings]

We paid for the Jungle Fantasy show and arrived an hour early, along with 4 other couples. 20 Mins prior to the doors opening an NCL employee came out and asked us all to move to a hallway out of site of the entrance to allow The Haven people to enter first without us being seen. Several people made comments about that, it was pretty insulting.

 

This is the only part that seems really strange, rude and unnecessary to me. Why in the world would they need to move you all into a hallway out of site? Kind of odd.... Why did they even let people line up an hour early then if they were going to move you to a hallway?

[suesings]

Frankly if someone wanted to make me feel bad about not having those perks , they literally would have to tell me "right now, I am attempting to make you feel left out of something great."

 

This made me crack up!! :D:D:D

[abbyar]

This is the only part that seems really strange, rude and unnecessary to me. Why in the world would they need to move you all into a hallway out of site? Kind of odd.... Why did they even let people line up an hour early then if they were going to move you to a hallway?

 

My bet is the crew member thought they weren't supposed to be in there's or needed the space - usually crew assumes people will get there 20-30 minutes early and set up accordingly- they got there earlier and the line/ whatever else wasn't set up yet. So crew asked them to move. .

 

Op, I really don't see why you're so upset. Haven guests paid more for the privilege of being front of the line. You deemed that perk unnecessary when you purchased your cabin, but then complain when others paid for it and used it.

Edited September 30, 2016 by abbyar

[abbyar]

I'm sure I'll catch flack for saying this, but the same thought crosses my mind every time I see the Haven prices.

 

No flack, but we are in the group with little kids that very much enjoy the peace and relaxation that come with the Suite Life/Haven. No way would I ever take my kids on a luxury liner - it may be great for us but definitely not our kids. We only get to vacation on strict schedules, but thankfully we have a generous travel budget and get lots of travel points from our work travels. Haven allows us to maximize our vacation time. Sure, I'd love to do 2 weeks (or even 3!) at the price of one Haven week, but that's not an option for where we are in our life right now.

[Love.II.Cruise]

Ugh, I was avoiding posting on this thread and instead gave many "+." Here I go....

 

We have sailed on luxury lines, however what the haven gives on NCL is different because we can use "large" ship amenities while on board such as the rock-climbing wall, walk the plank, self-levening pool tables, bowling alley, arcade, Ice Bar, and the lovely thermal suites... Including entertainment that will be much better than any luxury line. All this beats a luxury line! And this is what we want in a luxury line that we cannot get!

 

Not to mention, if you gamble, luxury line gambling is horrible!!! The table minimums are way too high and the slots are ridiculously high. A penny slot on a luxury cruise will be $20 per pull for a max bet. It will be less than $5 on a mainstream line like NCL. We aren't big on playing slots, but we did notice this. Our preference is the tables and those minimums change drastically from a mainstream line to a luxury line.

 

All mainstream lines have suites for a reason. There is a market for it. Same goes for hotels and airlines.

 

Is the Haven needed? Yes.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Love.II.Cruise

[jpcdds6]

We sail exclusively in SF aft corner suites, usually on Dawn or Jewel class. I could afford it, but I have never sailed in the Haven and don't intend to. We prefer the medium size ships. The perks we get, for the price we pay, is one of the best deals at sea. Sort of like a "Poor Man's Haven". I do tape our cabin key card to my forehead so everyone knows I'm a suite passenger, though.

Edited September 30, 2016 by jpcdds6

[momo24]

that is absolutely ridiculous.

 

Life boats....puhleeeez. :rolleyes:

 

Everyone in the haven knows that the jet-packs that are under the suite bed are programed to take haven guests to the nearest private island resort.

 

i wish they had a like button just for comments like this.

[vince_g]

As for priority seating in the theater, I have been seated in the haven section many times and have never seen them leave any ropes at all. Very unlike on Gem, where there is a separate section for suites/haven, with a polite "haven passengers only" sign at the entrance to the section.

 

My favorite haven perk is priority disembarkation. It is so nice to skip that horrible line. Last cruise, an employee in the port building actually held the line for us to pass. That didn't go over too well with the people at the head of the line. There was this woman who was obviously irritated with that, clicking her tongue at us.

 

We have also cruised NCL non haven once, and had an amazing time. We never once felt envious of, or begrudged haven guests the perks which they paid for.

[NLH Arizona]

 

Not to mention, if you gamble, luxury line gambling is horrible!!! The table minimums are way too high and the slots are ridiculously high. A penny slot on a luxury cruise will be $20 per pull for a max bet. It will be less than $5 on a mainstream line like NCL. We aren't big on playing slots, but we did notice this. Our preference is the tables and those minimums change drastically from a mainstream line to a luxury line.

 

You might want to try Crystal. I won $2,000 on a penny slot on Crystal and the max bet was $5.00.

[BrianSimpsonKY]

I did the Norwegian SKY 2'weeks ago and got the owners suite.....they have someone block off a front roll for folks in these suites along with other special things....One pays the money and gets the perks....to some it's worth it and to others it's not!!

 

 

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[tmilak]

IMHO I think the Haven is very fairly priced for what you get. I have sailed in and outside the Haven many times. I believe for the dollar NCL gives you much more than the other lines. Suites on RCCL and Celebrity for my upcoming cruises are almost double what I am paying to stay in the haven and all they really offer is a VIP lounge with free drinks for an hour or two per day. Looks like NCL really does have the best suite amenities for their guests. However, I also agree that because a person is in the Haven, other guests should never be treated as second class or be slighted as they have also paid there hard earned dollar for their vacation. I have really never encountered this during my almost 30 cruises.

[Oppalopa]

For what I paid, I could have purchased a Haven room for less than $1000 more.

 

I assumed the Extra cost covered all the things the Haven area offers them (private dining, Nicer rooms, 24 hour butler, private pool/hot tubs etc)....

 

I did NOT expect to be treated as if we were Beneath them for Public shows and areas that we PAID the same price to see!

I agree:cool:

[Brighton Line]

Looking at the weather forecast for NYC and Bermuda leaving Sunday, I'm glad I will be in the Haven 80% chance of rain, hurricane Matthew etc, I can still lounge in the rain with the roof closed.

[ricfre112]

Looking at the weather forecast for NYC and Bermuda leaving Sunday, I'm glad I will be in the Haven 80% chance of rain, hurricane Matthew etc, I can still lounge in the rain with the roof closed.

 

I agree and will see you there!

[welove2cruise2014]

#neverforget

 

[YOUTUBE]xCcyhmK7iaY[/YOUTUBE]

OMG whatever happened to this guy?!

 

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[NHL Philly Fan]

We just sailed for the first time on The Breakaway 9/18-9/25. I heard a lot of people making sarcastic comments about the Haven and just assumed it was jealousy at first...however, I quickly realized where the hostility was coming from.

 

For Embarkation they block an entire elevator (with Red Velvet ropes and a NCL employee) Just for THE HAVEN people.

 

At ALL shows (Free and Paid) they have the Red velvet ropes and NCL Employee blocking off 4-5 Rows in the theater. Once the show starts they remove the Ropes on the rows that No Haven people chose to sit in, but leave the ropes on the rows where they did, even if only 2 people sat in the entire row.

 

 

We paid for the Jungle Fantasy show and arrived an hour early, along with 4 other couples. 20 Mins prior to the doors opening an NCL employee came out and asked us all to move to a hallway out of site of the entrance to allow The Haven people to enter first without us being seen. Several people made comments about that, it was pretty insulting.

 

The Haven people also have a special line for Customs that allows them to skip the entire line.

 

It gets to the point of being insulting to the rest of the people that paid only slightly less than The Haven members...

 

Anyone else feel that way?

 

 

First off is anything really NEEDED?

 

 

Next you are not paying SLIGHTLY LESS than they are. Price a Haven cruise sometime.

 

Stop worrying about what other people choose to spend their money on and what they get for that. Instead just enjoy your own cruise.

[maja651]

Unless something has changed within the past couple of weeks I don't believe there is any priority line for customs ...no matter who you are ...there certainly is priority disembarkation but once you're off the ship everyone is the same

 

 

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Last year in Tampa we were escorted to the front of the customs line by a Tampa port employee who we were delivered to from the concierge, as we disembarked. Lots of people were mad. But, we were in the Garden Villa so that is what NCL did for us. I'm not going to lie, that was a REALLY nice perk.

[DMH15]

I book NCL suites. But I understand the GV is well, like suites on steroids.

 

For what you paid, that perk and the limo is an appropriate send-off for customers in that category.

 

I have no problem with that.

 

 

 

 

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[maja651]

I book NCL suites. But I understand the GV is well, like suites on steroids.

 

For what you paid, that perk and the limo is an appropriate send-off for customers in that category.

 

I have no problem with that.

 

 

 

 

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Actually we booked before all of the free deals with drinks, etc. so we got a pretty good deal for a GV. If I look now, the price is more than double what we paid, and we booked direct with NCL, not an Upsell. Now, not saying it was close to the non suite prices, but for a GV it was a deal. I doubt we will ever sail in a GV again as the prices are just way too high for our budgets. :(

Edited October 1, 2016 by maja651

[stickey_mouse]

If children are the only reason you sail Haven over a luxury line, I would suggest sailing concierge level on Disney.

 

 

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