What makes it worth and extra $4400.00?

[CruisingSince1982]

Keep in mind that not everyone has to make the same give and take. Some can pay the extra cost and take long and more frequent vacations. I imagine many Haven guests can.

 

That said, I agree with you anyways. The Haven is not a good value when you can sail a luxury line for less.

 

We spent a week in Grenada at Sandals. That was truly luxury! As for the Haven being treated like royalty, whenever we left the Haven people were all over us. We were a little embarrassed by that. They seated us in front of others who were waiting at O'Sheehan's. I didn't care for that, but I know some feel entitled to it because of the cost. :o

[neverlaysup]

For the money, I would rather saiil on Regents, Seabourn or Crystal. They serve premiuom wine and spirits and the food will destroy anything you have ever eaten on NCL. The haven restaurant might be good but last time I checked, Thomas Kellar wasn't advising on NCL's menus.

 

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[welove2cruise2014]

For the money, I would rather saiil on Regents, Seabourn or Crystal. They serve premiuom wine and spirits and the food will destroy anything you have ever eaten on NCL. The haven restaurant might be good but last time I checked, Thomas Kellar wasn't advising on NCL's menus.

 

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I have no clue who Thomas Kellar is, and NCL suites (and the food) do me just fine. :)

 

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[perkydebrajean]

For the money, I would rather saiil on Regents, Seabourn or Crystal. They serve premiuom wine and spirits and the food will destroy anything you have ever eaten on NCL. The haven restaurant might be good but last time I checked, Thomas Kellar wasn't advising on NCL's menus.

 

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Not a wine drinker, and husband doesn't drink at all. We enjoy the casual atmosphere on NCL. We're easy to please when it comes to food. And not to be nitpicky or anything but it's "Keller".

[Travelcat2]

Haven rooms are selling from $6000 to $10000 per person for upcoming Alaskan cruises. Worth every penny.

 

You could sail on NCLH's luxury brand, Regent, for that kind of money and no have to pay a penny out of pocket while onboard the ship (they even have International Business Class air and excursions included). In my opinion, the only reason to pay $6000 to $10,000 per person is because Regent has few (if any) children onboard and nothing for them to do (except during the summer and Christmas break).

[Jetsterkitty]

There are some other things to take into consideration such as the actual difference in booking price for say a mid-ship balcony (BB room) vs. a Haven Courtyard Penthouse (H5 room). The difference in price is $3000 between the 2 rooms on the Escape and as others have mentioned you also get some additional perks such as shore excursion credits, etc. and access to the Haven restaurant, which if you are more of a foodie, is much better than the MDRs.

 

It's just a matter of what you want and are willing to spend. Do you want a quiet, more relaxed cruise without all the hustle and bustle or do you enjoy the chaos and the main pool, water slides, etc.? I've traveled inside, balcony, Haven and when I travel with the Hubby it's Haven or bust... when I take the grandkids I book a balcony room because they only eat chicken fingers... regardless of how nice the restaurant is and they want to ride the slides all day and hit the buffet so I'd be wasting my money taking them to the Haven with me. ;)

 

Each have merit... you just need to do what's right for you.

[LMaxwell]

To me, nothing worth the difference. That is 2 or 3 more 7 day cruises for us.

[leaclingman]

We absolutely love the haven experience and have sailed on Epic, Pearl, Escape and Getaway. (Getaway is my favorite). I’ve listed the benefits , taken pictures of the room so you can compare- and pics of the common areas and menus in haven. It’s definitely worth it is us as we live the quiet. We’ve been on Oceania and there’s just not as much to do at night- so still luxury but more to do. Full review on my post https://gotravellife.com/2018/01/03/about-us/

 

 

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[cruisegal415]

I've been reading this thread and the similar year-two-year old thread that was just resurrected with interest. I can see the Haven if you are with a family, if you have more than just one couple traveling together, if you have kids or special needs or what have you. But if it's just two people, a couple, do you really need all that extra room? We usually travel in a balcony and spend like no time in the room except to shower and dress for the day or get ready for a night out. We like to sit out on the balcony maybe in the morning while the other person is getting ready or for a half hour at night before bedtime. But I wonder if I would feel like it's a waste to have all that room? I know you're also paying for the perks that have been mentioned, and probably that is worth it if you want those, but will we feel like the two of us are just rattling around in all that space?

[welove2cruise2014]

I've been reading this thread and the similar year-two-year old thread that was just resurrected with interest. I can see the Haven if you are with a family, if you have more than just one couple traveling together, if you have kids or special needs or what have you. But if it's just two people, a couple, do you really need all that extra room? We usually travel in a balcony and spend like no time in the room except to shower and dress for the day or get ready for a night out. We like to sit out on the balcony maybe in the morning while the other person is getting ready or for a half hour at night before bedtime. But I wonder if I would feel like it's a waste to have all that room? I know you're also paying for the perks that have been mentioned, and probably that is worth it if you want those, but will we feel like the two of us are just rattling around in all that space?

I found that with the suites, having a nicer/larger cabin with nice balcony actually enticed us to spend more time in the room or out on the balcony. That may not appeal to some folks of course, who would *rather* be out and about all the time. We are of the "cruise nice" mindset vs "cruise twice" [emoji41]

 

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[Brian35]

The Haven (or suites on the smaller ships) is really difficult to quantify from a dollar perspective. From a purely numbers perspective it is almost impossible to justify the cost but the real question is what does it do to the overall vacation experience and that will vary depending upon the expectations of the individuals. DW and I are in our early 40s and our major vacation constraint is her job allows for minimal vacation time so multiple cruises a year is not viable for our situation - i.e. constraint is more time than budget at this point in our lives. We were in an H6 on last week's Getaway sailing - first time in the Haven. The larger room combined with a huge aft balcony was the draw that got us to sign on - honestly I had no idea how beneficial the butler, concierge, etc would be and was less than thrilled with the additional cost when we upgraded (not via the bid process).

 

The real takeaway was that the Haven changed the vacation perspective for us. If someone asks about our Alaska cruise I'll talk about an excursion where we stopped at Emerald Lake and the wonders of Glacier Bay, Eastern Caribbean I'll talk about how much I loved Virgin Gorda. In those the ship was a floating hotel - plenty to do but the excursions were the main memories. This last vacation we had several excellent excursions that are easily on par with other cruises but the Getaway takes center stage. Interestingly enough it's not one big thing that makes the change but numerous little things that all combined to make an exceptional vacation (many of them things I would have never considered if I was non-Haven on that cruise):

 

 

1. The ability to have a real breakfast delivered on port days combined with priority disembarkation definitely ranked high on my list as mornings are not my thing and an extra bit of sleep is priceless when you have an 8 am excusion.
   
2. A simple comment about the poor by the glass UDP wine options (they have really gone downhill over the years) resulted in the full wine list arriving in my cabin along with recommendations based on my taste. Granted I had to buy a couple bottles but the effort was unexpected and recommendations were spot on.
   
3. DW likes to start off by talking about Gabriel (Haven waiter) who first served us lunch after a port day. She ordered lemonade and he did not want to serve the normal concentrate and tried to get her to select a fresh juice (we did have a constantly filled pitcher of the concentrate in the room so the concern was his not hers). When she said she would be fine with just water (trust me he was not going to serve the concentrate) he went to the bar and had them make an exceptional fresh lemonade (being very concerned that the mixture was correct). It wasn't something either of expected or would have thought of - he perceived a problem and was determined to solve it one way or another.That was a common theme both in the Haven as well as in the specialty restaurants when they saw the Haven ship card. I'm not advocating the class difference but it definitely exists as noticed by a table next to us in Cagneys.
   

None of these justify the cost but adding them to all of the other little things combined with the larger room, and numerous unexpected miracles from Gary (butler) that we didn't even know we wanted easily justified the ~4.5k additional expense for us. It won't for everyone as it depends upon what you expect out of the vacation (if you just want a floating hotel Haven probably isn't worth the cost) but for us it was mostly the intangible that stands out for this vacation. Probably the biggest proof is we had barely left the ship and DW was scheduling a 14 day on the Dawn in a DOS and neither of us blinked at the cost although her employer is not exactly impressed at the block of vacation time.

[Cruizen Susan]

I found that with the suites, having a nicer/larger cabin with nice balcony actually enticed us to spend more time in the room or out on the balcony. That may not appeal to some folks of course, who would *rather* be out and about all the time. We are of the "cruise nice" mindset vs "cruise twice" [emoji41]

 

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Yes!! This!! Folks that say they are never in their room have not experienced these suites!! I love your "cruise nice vs cruise twice" expression :) Quality more than quantity!!

[cruisegal415]

I guess I've seen pictures of Haven suites with two bedrooms. We are just two people. Do they have Haven rooms that are just one bedroom? Do they all come with extra sitting rooms? Do we need this? I'd be up for getting a haven for all the perks but just don't know about the wasted extra space?

[MizDemeanor]

This is such a great thread with so many personal and insighful repsonses. I'll add mine as it relates to our experiences on NCL in Haven.

 

Yes. It is worth it to us. We like being Accommodated while on board. Its like being in First Class on an airline, as an example of a 'synonym' and an attempt at a relative association that can be easily imagined.

[IsleyGirl]

I get that.

 

I’ve stayed in solo cabins on both NCL and RCCL. That’s a whole different vibe and experience. I did sort of feel like I was in “steerage” staying in those cabins. Had fun nonetheless. I mean, I was on a cruise. How bad could it be?

 

I have an online TA who really treats me really well. I’ve booked nearly all of my cruises with them. They give me the option of booking everything on line myself, without using one of their agents, and I get all of the promos, and most of the commission they make by me choosing my own cabin and essentially booking my own cruise. While they do have a phone number to call it iron out any issues and answer questions, their “touch” with me is minimal.

 

I’ve also used them, and their agents to book for me (usually multiple rooms with family), where they do most of the work. That costs a little bit more as they have to pay their agent a commission.

 

As such, they give me a lot of OBC that they would have paid in commissions. I keep my eye out for promos. This upcoming cruise I’m taking this weekend, for example, NCL was offering $300 OBC for booking a Penthouse. AMEX Platinum was offering $300 in OBC if I paid for it with my CC. There was another couple of OBC promos ($100 ea) for the state I live in, etc. And, once I board, they’ll add the agent’s commission to my OBC since I booked it all online ($225). Result? $1,025 in OBC in addition to all the NCL “gimmes”.

 

AMEX Platinum also gives me a dinner at LeBistro and a bottle of Champaign in my cabin as a promo, in addition to the OBC. So, in addition NCL is giving me 3 specialty dinners as a promo, too. That means 4 of the 7 nights, I’ll be dining in a specialty restaurant.

 

This is probably the best deal I’ve ever made on Haven/Suite cruising on NCL, however. Got to just pay attention to the offers the cruise lines are making, pay attention to your credit card promos, pay attention to the what the online TAs offer. It’s like shopping for a TV. You peruse all the ads in the newspaper and online to get what you want at a good price.

 

I’ve sailed MSC Yacht Club, twice. It is indeed less expensive than NCL Haven (except for my upcoming NCL cruise). Great Yacht Club area to hang out with 24 hour drinks and snacks. The Divina and Meraviglia (took a European Cruise in the YC last November-December) are beautiful ships and among MSC’s newest. Loved both cruises.

 

NCL’s Haven is still better. Not because MSC doesn’t try. They try hard. They’re still getting their footing on the North American market needs and wants.

 

If you don’t like the Haven, I understand. You don’t have to. I personally love it, and if you shop a little, it can be a pretty good deal for an exceptional amount of service....as good or better than any luxury resort.

 

The biggest draw to Haven for me has nothing to do with exclusivity. I’m hardly an “exclusive” person. It’s all about the level of service and the extra luxuries Haven offers.

 

Although relatively newly single, I’ve taken care of my family. I’ve put my son through college, and he’s doing well. My outgoing $$$$$$ has dropped dramatically and I now find myself in a position I can afford to do the things I had only wished for 5-10 years ago.

 

Well said. Do whatever that makes you happy; life is too short not to do what you want to do...happy cruising..

[Two Wheels Only]

I guess I've seen pictures of Haven suites with two bedrooms. We are just two people. Do they have Haven rooms that are just one bedroom? Do they all come with extra sitting rooms? Do we need this? I'd be up for getting a haven for all the perks but just don't know about the wasted extra space?

On Getaway (your next ship looking at your signature), the H5 and H9 are 1 room. The H3, most H7, and the H6 are livingroom with bedroom.

[debnjoe1438]

Adding my two cents. We are taking our second suite cruise in June. First was on the Dawn in the Owners' Suite with large double balcony to the western Caribbean out of New Orleans and it was the perfect cabin for our family. We are a family of four and have one son in a wheelchair and though the Dawn doesn't even have a Haven, we absolutely loved the extra space for our son and all his medical supplies, plus all the other suite perks. We especially loved the HUGE front and side balconies. The OS has a separate bedroom with a sliding door for privacy as well as a very large living area. We could put our son to bed in the master on his raised-bed inflatable mattress that we pack alongand still hang out in the living room or on the side balcony.

 

When we decided to take another cruise to Alaska (the 3rd for my husband and I, first for our boys), we actually looked at Disney as we're kind of Disney nuts. Because of our older son's needs and the space his wheelchair and supplies take up, we would have needed two separate cabins for the four of us. We just couldn't fit in a regular cabin. The cost for an inside accessible cabin and a balcony cabin on Disney was actually MORE than booking the Owners' Suite again on The Pearl, where we could all be together.

 

The Haven OS does cost a lot but the benefits to me more than offset the cost. Our older son loved everything about our last cruise. It was his favorite vacation by far and we all created wonderful memories (his brother became a full-on shuffleboard nut!). I fully expect our experience on The Pearl to match or exceed our previous suite cruise and can't wait.

 

Disney is NOT cheap :) I can believe it would be more than a suite on NCL or any other main stream cruise line. Thanks for the your thoughts

[debnjoe1438]

The Haven (or suites on the smaller ships) is really difficult to quantify from a dollar perspective. From a purely numbers perspective it is almost impossible to justify the cost but the real question is what does it do to the overall vacation experience and that will vary depending upon the expectations of the individuals. DW and I are in our early 40s and our major vacation constraint is her job allows for minimal vacation time so multiple cruises a year is not viable for our situation - i.e. constraint is more time than budget at this point in our lives. We were in an H6 on last week's Getaway sailing - first time in the Haven. The larger room combined with a huge aft balcony was the draw that got us to sign on - honestly I had no idea how beneficial the butler, concierge, etc would be and was less than thrilled with the additional cost when we upgraded (not via the bid process).

 

The real takeaway was that the Haven changed the vacation perspective for us. If someone asks about our Alaska cruise I'll talk about an excursion where we stopped at Emerald Lake and the wonders of Glacier Bay, Eastern Caribbean I'll talk about how much I loved Virgin Gorda. In those the ship was a floating hotel - plenty to do but the excursions were the main memories. This last vacation we had several excellent excursions that are easily on par with other cruises but the Getaway takes center stage. Interestingly enough it's not one big thing that makes the change but numerous little things that all combined to make an exceptional vacation (many of them things I would have never considered if I was non-Haven on that cruise):

 

 

1. The ability to have a real breakfast delivered on port days combined with priority disembarkation definitely ranked high on my list as mornings are not my thing and an extra bit of sleep is priceless when you have an 8 am excusion.
   
2. A simple comment about the poor by the glass UDP wine options (they have really gone downhill over the years) resulted in the full wine list arriving in my cabin along with recommendations based on my taste. Granted I had to buy a couple bottles but the effort was unexpected and recommendations were spot on.
   
3. DW likes to start off by talking about Gabriel (Haven waiter) who first served us lunch after a port day. She ordered lemonade and he did not want to serve the normal concentrate and tried to get her to select a fresh juice (we did have a constantly filled pitcher of the concentrate in the room so the concern was his not hers). When she said she would be fine with just water (trust me he was not going to serve the concentrate) he went to the bar and had them make an exceptional fresh lemonade (being very concerned that the mixture was correct). It wasn't something either of expected or would have thought of - he perceived a problem and was determined to solve it one way or another.That was a common theme both in the Haven as well as in the specialty restaurants when they saw the Haven ship card. I'm not advocating the class difference but it definitely exists as noticed by a table next to us in Cagneys.
   

None of these justify the cost but adding them to all of the other little things combined with the larger room, and numerous unexpected miracles from Gary (butler) that we didn't even know we wanted easily justified the ~4.5k additional expense for us. It won't for everyone as it depends upon what you expect out of the vacation (if you just want a floating hotel Haven probably isn't worth the cost) but for us it was mostly the intangible that stands out for this vacation. Probably the biggest proof is we had barely left the ship and DW was scheduling a 14 day on the Dawn in a DOS and neither of us blinked at the cost although her employer is not exactly impressed at the block of vacation time.

 

Thank you

[leaclingman]

I guess I've seen pictures of Haven suites with two bedrooms. We are just two people. Do they have Haven rooms that are just one bedroom? Do they all come with extra sitting rooms? Do we need this? I'd be up for getting a haven for all the perks but just don't know about the wasted extra space?

 

 

 

You can see a room floor plan on the Norwegian haven site for each shop..

 

 

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[67Cruiser]

Many times you can do a Google Search and find Video's of individual cabins by ship and cabin number as well. These are very often guest videos taken by fellow cruisers. Many will be current, showing the "latest" remodel after overhaul, and some will be older still, but at least you can get a better feel for an individual cabin or suite as the case may be. Most of the NCL stuff can be rather generic when it comes to suites. Two suites of the same class can be very different from each other. Even bed & bath counts can be different within the same category. In some cases NCL does not show this however, so if your not experienced, or are not familiar with the layout of each individual suite, you might assume that they are all the same.

Edited May 4, 2018 by 67Cruiser

[CRAustin]

BTW....in an aft Penthouse Suite this weekend on the GEM. No Haven restaurant and mid size ship. But, I get everything else. Cost $3,300 plus all the goodies I mentioned, plus $1025 OBC from NCL, AMEX and my TA.

 

 

 

Helluva deal!

 

 

 

That is crazy wow

 

 

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[lenquixote66]

Haven rooms are selling from $6000 to $10000 per person for upcoming Alaskan cruises. Worth every penny.

 

If you can afford it ,why not .However,not everyone can afford it.

[cruisegal415]

On Getaway (your next ship looking at your signature), the H5 and H9 are 1 room. The H3, most H7, and the H6 are livingroom with bedroom.

 

That's very helpful thanks. Would any of these rooms be considered two above a regular balcony (BC)? which is what we have. Just wondering if we would be able to bid on a room in the Haven.

 

Looking at those categories, I see that the balcony on the H7 is the same size as our BC balcony room, although the room itself is almost twice as large in the Haven. I was surprised that the balcony sizes were the same, however!

[Two Wheels Only]

Looking at those categories, I see that the balcony on the H7 is the same size as our BC balcony room, although the room itself is almost twice as large in the Haven. I was surprised that the balcony sizes were the same, however!

You would be able to bid but whether or not you get the opportunity to bid is unknown. If none are available, it won't happen.

 

There are a few potential problems. 13106/13706 on Breakaway/Getaway (H7) have a partially enclosed balcony and 13106 is one large HC stateroom without a separate living room.

 

H6 balconies vary from huge (9 or 12) to rather small (13) depending on deck number. There are also 2 different bedroom/master bathroom configurations depending on deck number.

 

 

With the bid process, you have no control over which stateroom you get.

[QuickieGlenn]

I priced up switching to a haven room from a aft balcony, crazy price difference.

Being that I need a handicapped room you cannot do the bidding process because you cannot be guaranteed a handicapped room and you could lose your room as it goes back into the pool. Also all of the handicapped Haven room have tiny balconies, I doubt my chair will fit, compared to a aft mini suite or regular aft balcony.

 

Could I afford it? that is nobodies business

I think it is funny how people lead off with how many cruises you have taken, how much money you make or spend

what a great deal you got

 

I like the people who have or done all that , and i will never know

Just my opinion