Is Havana worth it.

[SNJCruisers]

It would not be worth it to us. My husband would hate the balcony area, he likes to sit on balcony and look at the water, not a walkway. No privacy between you and your neighbor. I don't mind Lido, usually lay out at back pool which is quieter.

Pat

Easily solved by booking a corner aft or rear balcony on decks 6 and above that are designated for Havana. They are just like regular rear and corner balconies that look over the ocean. There are five different accommodations in the Havana area. Suite, corner aft, rear aft, lanai and inside.

[collect$]

We love the Havana aft wrap cabins. You get the best of of both worlds, a large balcony and the privacy. Will never book another type of cabin. Yes, they are expensive but I don't care. My husband will just have to deal with it. We had one on the Vista and we have booked one on the Horizon. The Havana aft wrap on deck 6 has a couch which is great.

 

Elaine

[MNelson486]

I decided to book in the Havana area -- as I do not want to fight for a chair on lido by the pool.

 

I am cheap so I booked 2 Havana Inside cabins for myself, hubby,, 12 year old son, and 16 year old daughter. We are going at a time (thanksgiving) where they will be tons of kiddos, so I am definitely trying to avoid craziness.

 

This is also my first time on a bigger ship -- Horizon. We will see how we like that!

 

Thanks!

[Sizzlechest]

I decided to book in the Havana area -- as I do not want to fight for a chair on lido by the pool.

 

I am cheap so I booked 2 Havana Inside cabins for myself, hubby,, 12 year old son, and 16 year old daughter. We are going at a time (thanksgiving) where they will be tons of kiddos, so I am definitely trying to avoid craziness.

 

This is also my first time on a bigger ship -- Horizon. We will see how we like that!

 

Thanks!

 

How did you have to book that? The 12 year old with one adult and the 16 with the other?

[SNJCruisers]

How did you have to book that? The 12 year old with one adult and the 16 with the other?

That would be the better way to do it if the husband wants to get Cheers and his wife doesn't. But, if the cabins are next to each other, they can be booked as adults in one and kids in another, just like when adults are in a balcony and kids are in an inside across the hall.

[solesman]

We had an aft-wrap on the Vista June 2017 and our kids (16 & 12) were in the inside across the hall. DW and I loved it. Spend many hours out by the Hanava pool reading, chilling in the pool/hot tub. Another thing we really liked was most of the folks back there were "cruise people" Everyone was friendly and there was no drama at all. I think the worst thing to happen was one guy got pretty drunk first sea day. His cousin took him up to their cabin and came back. That's it. The only drawback was our kids didn't use it much because their friends couldn't go back there. DW and I are on the Horizon on June 25, 2018 (LESS THAN A MONTH!!!!) and we staying in a Havana Cabana. Can't wait!!!

[jes1941]

Oh my goodness yes! We have been twice..June and December 2017. could go back again! NCL offers free drink package..sorry Carnival..

[bobandsherry]

Oh my goodness yes! We have been twice..June and December 2017. could go back again! NCL offers free drink package..sorry Carnival..

Based on comparing similar cruises, NCL was more expensive, therefore NCL drink package isn't free.... [emoji41]

 

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[jes1941]

We checked every line and NCL was indeed cheaper!

 

Based on comparing similar cruises, NCL was more expensive, therefore NCL drink package isn't free.... [emoji41]

 

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[jes1941]

As I mentioned, we checked every line and NCL was cheaper, plus we did not want to go to Key West or Mexico..been there too many times already!

 

Based on comparing similar cruises, NCL was more expensive, therefore NCL drink package isn't free.... [emoji41]

 

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[SNJCruisers]

Based on comparing similar cruises, NCL was more expensive, therefore NCL drink package isn't free.... [emoji41]

 

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The NCL drink package can be a bargain at 250 per couple for a week for the current 20% gratuities versus 840.00 for Cheers. Cheers is much more inclusive with all of the included non alcoholic options and also contains higher quality liquors since NCL tops our at 15.00 per drink and many of their higher end stuff is 16.95 and up. You also need to compare an apple versus an apple meaning similar types of cabins, similar time of year and similar type or age of ship. Because of these variables, sometimes NCL is indeed cheaper and sometimes Carnival is. But because of the 590.00 difference in drink packages, I believe NCL would come out cheaper, but of course YMMV.

[Joebucks]

I only buy interior rooms. Balconies and suites are nice, but I don't want to stay in the room. Nicer rooms are not worth the money to me.

 

With that said, I want to try Havana. The private area seems nice. The main areas can get pretty crowded. A private and nicer pool area are worth more to me than other types of room upgrades

[bobandsherry]

As I mentioned, we checked every line and NCL was cheaper, plus we did not want to go to Key West or Mexico..been there too many times already!

Must be me, but checking ports in Florida and with similar rooms and itinerary never found NCL to be less expensive than Carnival. But I keep looking.

 

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[SNJCruisers]

Must be me, but checking ports in Florida and with similar rooms and itinerary never found NCL to be less expensive than Carnival. But I keep looking.

 

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If you choose a basic inside with drink perk on NCL with paid drink grats with an inside on Carnival with Cheers, NCL is often cheaper.

[SNJCruisers]

I only buy interior rooms. Balconies and suites are nice, but I don't want to stay in the room. Nicer rooms are not worth the money to me.

 

With that said, I want to try Havana. The private area seems nice. The main areas can get pretty crowded. A private and nicer pool area are worth more to me than other types of room upgrades

We have finally found a topic we are 100% on the same page with. Feel the same way and we are booked in inside Havana cabins on our 2018 and 2019 August Horizon sailings.

[bobandsherry]

If you choose a basic inside with drink perk on NCL with paid drink grats with an inside on Carnival with Cheers, NCL is often cheaper.

You've not followed the discussion, it was originally stated that NCL drink package is free, not from what I've found. Rates on Carnival has always come out less than NCL. So whatever the difference is between the two is minimally the cost of NCL package in the price, it's no free.

 

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[SNJCruisers]

You've not followed the discussion, it was originally stated that NCL drink package is free, not from what I've found. Rates on Carnival has always come out less than NCL. So whatever the difference is between the two is minimally the cost of NCL package in the price, it's no free.

 

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Been following the discussion to a tee. The NCL drink package is free as a perk, but you pay the 20% gratuity on it. It comes out to 250 per couple for a 7 day cruise versus 840 for Cheers including 15% gratuity.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We liked it. One of the drawbacks was after 7pm a bunch of kids fill the hotubs and make noise til midnight.

[Computer Nerd]

Oh my goodness yes! We have been twice..June and December 2017. could go back again! NCL offers free drink package..sorry Carnival..

 

NCL "free" drink package costs $125 a person. Just saying. :confused:

[Computer Nerd]

Been following the discussion to a tee. The NCL drink package is free as a perk, but you pay the 20% gratuity on it. It comes out to 250 per couple for a 7 day cruise versus 840 for Cheers including 15% gratuity.

 

If one doesn't drink, the drink package becomes a moot point. With so many other reasons not to sail NCL there is no way they could lure me for a worthless supposedly free drink package.

[bobandsherry]

Been following the discussion to a tee. The NCL drink package is free as a perk, but you pay the 20% gratuity on it. It comes out to 250 per couple for a 7 day cruise versus 840 for Cheers including 15% gratuity.

If one wants the drink package, but I don't so the drink package just adds more to NCL cost. The $250 for gratuities on a "free" package is more than I've spent on drinks in my past cruises except one.

 

Plus I can almost be certain that the cruise will be filled with passengers who largely over indulge, so yet another reason NCL "free" perk isn't attractive for me.

 

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[SNJCruisers]

We liked it. One of the drawbacks was after 7pm a bunch of kids fill the hotubs and make noise til midnight.

That would not matter to me. After 700 it's dinner, Alchemy, piano bar, comedy club, Alchemy.

[SNJCruisers]

If one doesn't drink, the drink package becomes a moot point. With so many other reasons not to sail NCL there is no way they could lure me for a worthless supposedly free drink package.

Everyone has their own opinions and there are many over on the NCL boards that would 100% disagree with you. I have sailed on Carnival 18 times over the years and the Escape 3 times. IMHO, the 3 times on the Escape were better than the majority of my 18 on Carnival. But then again, I have sailed on various lines, don't have blinders on and I don't have any axes to grind, unlike yours when it comes to NCL.

[SNJCruisers]

If one wants the drink package, but I don't so the drink package just adds more to NCL cost. The $250 for gratuities on a "free" package is more than I've spent on drinks in my past cruises except one.

 

Plus I can almost be certain that the cruise will be filled with passengers who largely over indulge, so yet another reason NCL "free" perk isn't attractive for me.

 

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You're a teetotaler, so yes, Carnival will be the cheapest cruise you can find with the exception of MSC if all you want is a basic cabin.

And you do have something in common with those Loyal Royals that like to bash Carnival without ever having sailed on the line. You're 20/20 according to your signature on Carnival, once you've sailed on other lines, you're then able to make a first hand judgement as to whether or not that line fulfills your vacation needs. Untill that time, don't make assumptions about NCL. We both know that the Walmart of the Seas nonsense about Carnival is rubbish, so is your assumption before sailing on NCL.

[Computer Nerd]

Everyone has their own opinions and there are many over on the NCL boards that would 100% disagree with you. I have sailed on Carnival 18 times over the years and the Escape 3 times. IMHO, the 3 times on the Escape were better than the majority of my 18 on Carnival. But then again, I have sailed on various lines, don't have blinders on and I don't have any axes to grind, unlike yours when it comes to NCL.

 

Well, that's what you get for assuming. I've sailed on 22 cruises on 5 different lines (23/6 if you include a US Navy ship) and have no loyalty to anyone other than my family and my wallet (okay, and my best friend). I have sailed NCL 4 times (with an upcoming 5th cruise this summer but that is only because NCL is the ONLY cruise line to run the route) and I'm not even looking forward to this cruise simply because it's on NCL. If disliking policy changes and architectural mistakes that NCL has made is considered "an axe to grind" so be it but I am simply stating facts that you don't seem to like to hear or for others to hear. If stating on a cruise forum why those changes and mistakes make me dislike NCL so much, then feel free to report the post.