Breakaway restaurants vs Haven restaurant

[Zenica]

As the title suggests, the Breakaway restaurants vs Haven restaurant, is the Haven better?

If so, is it better in the way some people find the premier dining better than the fare-inclusive dining?

 

Personally we did not find any of the premier dining options to be significantly better than the ships complimentary dining options. So is the Haven restaurant similar in this regard? Where it might better but that difference is negligible.

 

I'm hoping to have a passable breakfast in the Haven. For me, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns/homefries, fruit and coffee. All favorites of mine and all were a disappointment in every restaurant we tried. Cold, overcooked, no flavor and unworthy of the real syrup I packed for the trip!

 

So, will my Haven experience mirror this? I will skip breakfast if that's the case.

 

I'm hoping for objective replies, not just posts from people shocked or offended by my breakfast expectations. We each have our own standards of what we like and dislike.

 

On a related note, I was warned from another pancake connoisseur to expect disappointment but that was limited to the ships non Haven options.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Shocked, not offended :)

[ColinIllinois]

While I haven't done the Haven myself I have read many reviews on the Haven restaurant food and the only real complaint I have seen is that the menu is static.

 

Many have raved about the crab cake eggs benedict and the steak filet with eggs.

[NEcruiser7515]

As the title suggests, the Breakaway restaurants vs Haven restaurant, is the Haven better?

If so, is it better in the way some people find the premier dining better than the fare-inclusive dining?

 

Personally we did not find any of the premier dining options to be significantly better than the ships complimentary dining options. So is the Haven restaurant similar in this regard? Where it might better but that difference is negligible.

 

I'm hoping to have a passable breakfast in the Haven. For me, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns/homefries, fruit and coffee. All favorites of mine and all were a disappointment in every restaurant we tried. Cold, overcooked, no flavor and unworthy of the real syrup I packed for the trip!

 

 

 

So, will my Haven experience mirror this? I will skip breakfast if that's the case.

 

I'm hoping for objective replies, not just posts from people shocked or offended by my breakfast expectations. We each have our own standards of what we like and dislike.

 

On a related note, I was warned from another pancake connoisseur to expect disappointment but that was limited to the ships non Haven options.

 

Have sailed on BA twice. Both times in the HAVEN in a Spa Suite. Loved every aspect of HAVEN. From priority boarding to your own butler, free room service and quieter pool area, the main pool I remembered gets packed. The Haven restaurant is great, right in the middle near the Haven courtyard, pool, etc. We dined in the Haven restaurant many times, especially for breakfast every day of our cruise. I thought the food was great. I think it was in line with the specialty restaurants. Breakfast was good, fresh coffee, they even had a "buffet" area during breakfast with fresh meats, cheeses, pastries, cereal, fruits in martini glasses, breads etc. Yes it would be nice if they offer a a special or two for bfast, lunch, and dinner, but its the same menu every day. The eggs Benedict was good, also had the steak and eggs, i remember it being yummy. Don't forget: the HAVEN will also have menus for the other restaurants. Your waiter will gladly show you the other menus and get whatever you order. I think the only thing they won't get from another restaurant is raw seafood.

 

 

I'm booking a room in Haven for may on the Escape, can't wait.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2018 by NEcruiser7515

[Timbek2]

The havens restaurant is what sells the haven for us. The breakfast is no exception. From steak n eggs to French toast and fresh berries. It’s all delicious. And the bonus is that on port days they will deliver it right to your stateroom at a time you specify. We never had reason to eat anywhere else. Loved it all!!

 

 

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[FLcruisergrl]

I found the pancakes with caramelized bananas to be fantastic! My only disappointment was not discovering them sooner than the morning of disembarkation.

[Cruzncutie]

I can’t remember the last time I had a meal in one of the MDR’s so I can’t speak on the quality. For the past several years it’s been The Haven’s restaurant or speciality dining. I order breakfast every morning and the only disappointment I’ve had is when the kitchen gets my order wrong. That happened twice on the same ship. Can’t recall which one. The pancakes were kind of doughy and the caramel bananas on top made them too sweet. I’m sure you can order them plain though. Scale of 1-10, I’d give them a 7. The other basics you mentioned were pretty good and the food was never cold. Honestly, if it weren’t for the speciality dining perk, I’d be totally happy with The Havens restaurant for all three meals.

 

 

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[Mom2B&Z]

The Haven restaurant is better than the MDR, but the menu never changes.

Try the frittata with salmon, asparagus and Boursin cheese. Amazing!

 

 

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[DMH15]

Breakfast is my favorite meal.

 

I love the Haven menu. I have taken a few longer cruises and I did not get bored with the menu. Tried everyting and happily repeated favorites.

 

When I cruised last year on the Epic my sister's plan was to do the same. But, she made up her own breakfast on day one, (they happily accomodate special requests if they can), and she literally repeated it every single day.

 

We love avocado and they have this killer grain bread on the haven buffet which is great used in avocado toast. Add crispy bacon, poached eggs and sliced tomatoes, hash browns and a side of holandaise and it is magic!!!

 

 

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[KellyABelly]

We sailed on the Breakaway in the Haven May 2016. It was great!! Loved the breakfast with the martini glasses of fruit along with the dinners we ate there. Had scheduled specialty dining before switching to Haven or probably wouldn't have bothered (except the Cirque show which was excellent!!)

 

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Enjoyed the Haven restaurant for breakfast so often, we even had a favorite table. Even though the menu doesn't change, there was plenty of variety and don't be afraid to "customize" your meal. The espresso/cappuccino drinks have a price on the menu but we were never charged for them. I'm not a "coffee person" but people rave about the french press coffee.

[17cruisesnsl]

Breakfast on vacation is my favorite meal of the day! The Haven did not disappoint. I love coffee but usually can't drink "cruise coffee" -- never a problem with the French press. Not to mention the expresso I already had in our cabin. The fresh fruit carved poolside on our first sea day plus the coffee and seafood eggs Benedict (which I've read is no longer available?) and I was totally satisfied until dinner.

We did not take advantage of breakfast in our cabin on either of our Haven cruises. We had two cruises booked this year and I had planned to enjoy this perk. Unfortunately, we had to cancel but looking forward to the next opportunity.

Enjoy your cruise, especially breakfast!

[Zenica]

I see I'm not the only breakfast person....

 

Hearing the Haven restaurant has french press coffee is a good sign. I always found the other coffee a bit too mild but it didn't stop me from drinking it ;) I've had the french toast with the bananas foster sauce at the Garden Cafe and found it more of a dessert item due to it being very sweet, borderline on too sweet. All of the complimentary restaurants had very similar breakfast options and none of them came close to being a satisfying breakfast. I don't mean satisfying in the sense of leaving feeling hungry, more like my taste buds were not satiated.

 

I tried just about every sweet and savory breakfast option they offered and some I really enjoyed like the crepes but my staples remain some sort of waffle/french toast/pancake with an egg and some meat. These were the areas lacking for me.

 

 

I am spoiled by my own cooking. Pancakes are so easy to make, a few simple ingredients but 2 fold vanilla & buttermilk has to be among them or you end up with something too dense and thin. A small cafe in Montgomeryville PA has perfect omelets. These things come out so perfect every time, I had to research omelettes. Turns out its a style called souffle omelette. Delicious.

 

I really like authentic Liege waffles with Belgian sugar pearls. From a very good friend I picked up a recipe that reminds me of the time I spent in Zeebrugge. I'll share with anyone interested. These waffles are so delicious that they've ruined my taste buds for anything else.

 

I keep recipes on my phone, I wonder if I could get their chef to try one of them out. I'll even bring the 2 fold vanilla!

 

Otherwise I'll have to stick to eggs,toast & fruit then wait for lunch.

[BirdTravels]

The quality of the food in the Havens restaurant is good. The restaurant manager will tell you to order the Prime Rib Havens restaurant for free since it is the exact same rib roast that they prepare in Cagney's steakhouse for an additional fee, and you can eat as much as you want in the Havens.

 

The drawback is that the menu is static.

 

The restaurant on the Breakaway is understaffed and service is inattentive and slow. For the price of a suite, I am looking to be catered to, not "just another customer in another restaurant". When we were on the Breakaway a few months ago, I found it almost offensive that the restaurant manager would walk by piles of dirty dishes on tables "because it was not his job and beneath him to bus tables". And when there was a long line of people waiting to get in, he would not setup tables to help turn them faster.

 

And I found it annoying that on disembarkation day, since they were done with us, they didn't even set up the cold buffet at breakfast. Kinda a slap in the face.

[FLcruisergrl]

Breakfast on vacation is my favorite meal of the day! The Haven did not disappoint. I love coffee but usually can't drink "cruise coffee" -- never a problem with the French press. Not to mention the expresso I already had in our cabin. The fresh fruit carved poolside on our first sea day plus the coffee and seafood eggs Benedict (which I've read is no longer available?) and I was totally satisfied until dinner.

We did not take advantage of breakfast in our cabin on either of our Haven cruises. We had two cruises booked this year and I had planned to enjoy this perk. Unfortunately, we had to cancel but looking forward to the next opportunity.

Enjoy your cruise, especially breakfast!

 

Seafood eggs Benedict is still on the menu! So good!

[Zenica]

Anyone ever have something made to order which wasn't on the menu?

[DaisyGoldberg]

I can't speak to the fancier breakfasts because I generally order basic scrambled eggs and sausage, or sometimes steak and eggs. They were fine in the Haven restaurant, not impressive compared to land restaurants. Two mornings I had a box of cereal with fresh fruit from the buffet table. Other mornings I went to the ship's buffet -- more variety, more flavorful options.

 

It all comes down to what you want. I've concluded I don't really need linen napkin service for breakfast, but it's certainly handy and more serene than regular restaurants, especially when you have a busy day ahead.

[laurabegorrah]

Anyone ever have something made to order which wasn't on the menu?

 

I think it would depend on what you are asking for - if it's within reason, I think they would make every attempt to accommodate you.

 

I think for lunch and dinner, the Haven is only ok. And with the static menu, i'd rather get out to enjoy other options. But I feel they excel at breakfast - I get the french toast or the frittata almost every morning.....combined with the mini buffet and the pastry girls makes for a very yummie morning

[Zenica]

lol

 

@Daisy, I don't need white linen at breakfast either, I tend to avoid empty carbs all year except when on vacation. So I do like those empty carbs to not be also be empty of satisfaction! At least taste good for the price I'm paying. (Not price as in $ but rather the calories)

 

@Laura, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for pancakes that are at least as good as the chain Cracker Barrel! I didn't mention IHOP because cornmeal has no place in pancake batter!

[Minoushka]

I never order from the menu in Haven or equivalent ...

I help myself in the spread ....cheeses, crusty bread, pros uiutto , chorizo, tomatoes, caper and onions

I add fresh fruit ....i love this breakfast rarely have anythingelse ..on every ship inluding non NCL this is my favorite

I love fresh strawberries, blueberries and papaya mango

 

If I want hot stuff .I go to buffet so I pick and choose stuff ..like what goes in my omelette etc