Delayed Haven Review NCL Gem 2 BR 14512

[Hockey19]

We sailed on the 5/5 Gem out of NYC to Florida and the Bahamas. After 15 cruises we finally were able to get into a Haven suite. It took a bit of effort and accommodation from my family to make it happen. The cruise was a celebration of both my wife's and my 60th birthday. Our daughter, son in law and almost 2 yo grandson were more than thrilled to join in a free cruise for them. Originally I had 2 balconies but after receiving an NCL upgrade notice I dug into prices and realized I could get a Haven 2 bedroom for the same price as my 2 balconies since guests 3 and 4 sailed free.

 

With much anticipation, we came into NYC on embarkation day around 11 am. Luggage was picked up at curbside and we walked into the terminal which we have been in many times before. Once through pseudo TSA, we showed our Haven docs to a rep and were immediately walked to the far end of the terminal for a quick sign in at the Haven check in desk. We immediately felt the Haven experience. Typical NCL fruit, mini sandwiches and cookies were there as we had about a 30 minute wait for boarding to begin.

 

Walked on first with escorts as Haven guests and we headed to Cagney's where we have enjoyed many sail away meals. Lunch was wonderful but Cagney's no longer is serving it's huge shrimp cocktail at lunch. While we were disappointed, hardly a buzz kill to our coming adventure.

 

Following lunch we head up for the first time to the Haven Deck. We immediately saw the pool area which had the roof closed as the weather was a bit iffy. Can't say enough about that perk. The ability to sit by the pool under all conditions was such a nice treat.

 

We entered our room and for someone who plans like crazy, I was hit by a bit of an unexpected reality check. The 2 BR is a 2 BR but there are things you need to know. BR 2 is perfect for kids. It has a convertible bed and a bunk style bed. We actually had planned for that as we had the baby sleeping in that room. NCL provided a Graco Pack and Play which was perfectly fine but since we drove, we brought our own identical unit. The plan was for our adult kids to sleep on the pull out sofa in the center of the room. What I did not realize was that the sofa was a single and not a double. My kids were great throughout the week as they managed sleeping in separate rooms but I regret missing that fact. We still would have booked but wish we knew to be prepared.

 

Our 4th NYC sail away was as special as always. You cannot sail up past the Statue of Liberty and then under the Verranzano without an amazing sense of pride and joy.

 

Day 1 ended with a very enjoyable dinner in La Cucina. Dining with a baby is tough in the specialties as things do take time but the staff was incredible at all times in making sure he was taken care of throughout. Throughout the cruise, they brought off menu food quickly and were always available to distract and make him smile if he started to get a bit cranky.

 

Will add more thoughts over the next few days. Tried to upload some pictures but my camera, it seems,take photos to large in size for the site. If someone who posts photos can advise on this I would appreciate it.

[skynyrd]

Thanks for your review. Looking forward to hearing more.

[Savaann618]

We cruised in the same room right after you! We left on May 12th. FYI, there was a package of swim diapers left in the room when we got in. I gave it a family with toddlers that was traveling in the Haven and they got used! There was also a small sunblock stick left behind, in case someone is looking for it. Looking forward to your review!

[NancyL2]

Thanks for your review on the Gem.

[Hockey19]

We cruised in the same room right after you! We left on May 12th. FYI, there was a package of swim diapers left in the room when we got in. I gave it a family with toddlers that was traveling in the Haven and they got used! There was also a small sunblock stick left behind, in case someone is looking for it. Looking forward to your review!

 

That is too funny- we had way to many bags and not surprising we missed soemthing

[Hockey19]

Day 2 began on a sour note. Pouring rain and a cold front rolled in all day. Having the Haven enclosure helped make for a pleasant day as we were able to read, nap and patrol the ship at leisure. We enjoyed the small but always wonderful CC meet up followed but an almost winning slot pull (we lost just a few bucks each).

 

Lunch was at Cagney's (as was daily breakfast for DD, SIL and the wonderful Nyle. ) The Cagney's access remains for me one of the nicest perks of suite life. The staff gets to know you instantly, the food is always a cut above and the pace and comfort add to the trip.

 

Kids and grandson had kicked it in early on Day 1 and we saw the opening night show which featured Tim Kaminsky, a comedian we have seen before. He killed it in his 15-20 minute set first night and we could not wait for his fulls how on Day 2. He did not disappoint. He mixed in bits we have seen with some new work but as always his ability to play with the audience sets him apart.

 

Casino for DW (beginning of a rough stretch :) and I did my late night run around for music. I was mildly disappointed by the music acts on the ship. Nothing wrong with the skill level but it was mostly low key, with a quiet vibe. I ended up most nights in Bliss for an hour or so for a sometimes good, often struggling but always fun Karaoke . I'm to old for the real late night action so cannot comment what happens after midnight.

 

Day 3 brings us to Port Canaveral. We have done this before and this is a frustrating stop. The 2 big attractions are Kennedy Space Center and Orlando. The ship lets you off at 1 PM. Having 5 people, I knew the process to rent a car and playing all cards right, still did not pull in KSC until 2 PM. We chose to take the bus tour (which runs just under 2 hours) as opposed to walking around the exhibit area. My impression of the bus tour is that they have cut things but the highlight remains the Apollo Launch exhibit presentation. The rest is seeing the magnitude of the launch area. Back at the exhibit area we did not have time to get into the exhibits but walked through the static displays of rockets which was truly inspiring. It is hard to believe that these guys (and gals) got into those things. I squeezed into a replica of Alan Shepard's Mercury capsule and DD and SIL got into a Gemini replica. They could not believe you sat in that seat for days.

 

For those that went to Orlando, I leave it to them for reviews but I cannot see any reason to go there for 2-3 hours.

 

I dropped everyone off at the ship, ran the car back to Hertz and with the help of Uber got back for our 6:30 at Le Bistro. Le Bistro has its fans and haters but we truly love it. With all the cuisine choices out there, classic French is hardly at the top of most lists. Enjoying something different, but oh so good is all we need. The escargots are a staple-everything goes better with garlic and butter- why else would you eat a snail. Coq au Vin, great beef, and while service always seems to lag a bit, we do walk out happy.

 

We caught the 9:30 show Swing (real good) and headed off to what is our routine- donations to NCL in the casino and Karaoke.

 

Disappointing part of day is Captain's continued warnings about weather. Best part of Day is that NCL (thankfully) has the worst weather prediction department on the high seas.

 

More to continue

[Hockey19]

Time to talk about the Haven experience. This was our first time and I have to admit, it's really really nice. We were able to afford it because the two balcony rooms I was purchasing could roll into one Haven 2 BR. We were not Haven haters in the past but not really enthusiasts as we often said why? Well we got some answers. With our kids and grandson, it was perfect to not have him annoying others. Each time we walked into the pool/enclave area you felt like you were on a private yacht. Having a wonderful attendant in the pool area for drinks, snacks, etc., nice ( gummy bears always available???) . The roof over the pool, nice. The upstairs area, an open deck with large chairs and lounges, all so quiet- nice. The room stewards on NCL are almost always great but you literally never had to hunt one down for any request-nice. We loved the pool area. We actually used (and we have had access before) the butler as Nyle's schedule was not always his parents. Cagney's breakfast and lunch- great. When we cruise, part of the experience is always sharing the experience. This was a time where we wanted more us time to share with our kids and grandson and having a private world made for an incredible experience. The fact is you you don't "need" the Haven but boy, it is really nice. Our next trip is on the Star and we will be in our usual aft balcony. We will miss the Haven, but we will have a blast either way.

[TYSONBOXER]

If you loved the haven on the Gem, you will go crazy with the haven on the bigger ships like Escape, Getaway,Bliss. I personally didn’t like haven on the Gem because I was on the Breakaway first. They have a haven lounge, bar and private restaurant. The food in the haven restaurant is the best on the ship. Service is great too. The haven courthouse is much bigger then the smaller ships.

They also serve lunch by poolside if you want.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hockey19]

We are on board we the Haven experience, the problem is the price tag. We were footing a family bill so it actually worked out really well but with just 2, it is a bit of a stretch for our regular vacation budget.

[Hockey19]

Back to continue the trip. Arrived to Stirrup Cay and easy transport to the island. Captain's warnings on weather again were totally wrong - to our enjoyment. The island has been expanded but our goal was not to explore but to secure a shaded group of chairs near the water. No issue. My DD and SIL were happy to leave Nyle with us while they scored last seats on the stingray snorkel adventure. Wonderful for them to get that last minute experience that they love with great memories and pictures.

 

BBQ seems not to have changed much. Did not see much activity beyond everyone enjoying the water.

 

Back for evening activities and really enjoyed the Broadway show.

 

Day 5 brought us into Nassau. We booked Atlantis which is a location we have never been to. No love for the process to get there through ship tour. What should have been an easy process turned into an hour plus "adventure" for a 15 minute ride which can be done with any taxi.

 

Atlantis is a pretty spectacular resort with a variety of worlds to partake of. Based on who is in your group you can tailor your time and purchases to what can be a really a fun day. With a baby, choices do limit but we ended up having a great time. We were able to enjoy some amazing water slides, walk around the sharks, and sit around a beautiful pool. Our highlight was the shallow water swim with the dolphins. For almost 2 hours , approximately 30 people divided into smaller groups were able to interact in a variety of short encounters with the trained dolphins. I am not ready to make a decision about whether it is a good thing or bad that the encounter occurs. I will leave that to others to debate. I can tell you it was an amazing experience to share time with some beautiful creatures of nature. The trainers and dolphins do seem to have a real connection and relationship. Watching them deal with the dolphins, loving them, sometimes making them behave "properly" without being mean or violent was awe inspiring.

 

Easier trip back to ship then arrival and we headed to Orchid Garden for a pretty good meal. It wasn't anywhere near great Chinese food but the fresh sushi ordered was a huge hit.

 

Blazing Boots in the Stardust was fun as always but one of the tough things about liking a ship is that you are at the whim of when they change a show to see something different. We would be happy to see a change.

 

2 lovely days at sea are upon us. Weather is great. We Haven out relishing in the solitude of the pool area and upstairs deck.

 

As we headed home our 2nd favorite meal (behind Le Bistro) was Cagney's for dinner. It was unfortunately disrupted by Nyle's only dinner outburst. As we worked around the meal my DW left to care for him. We stayed to enjoy the meal as best we could but the staff of Cagney's was so wonderful in making sure we got a delicious dinner packed up and delivered (with dessert for all) to my lovely DW who was up in the room with a bit of a cranky child.

 

I hate to write about the last day because it was the last day. As we head home, I need to say we experienced a trip that we will likely not get to enjoy soon. The Haven is beyond wonderful. The staff are amazing. The amenities are everywhere, often subtle, and given by a truly caring staff. If money is no object, why would you not. For most of us, it is. This was a once in a lifetime confluence that allowed us to give our kids a special week as well as us.

 

In December, we will be back in our favorite room- an aft balcony, in this case on the Star. We will wish we were in the Haven but we will be thrilled to just be cruising.