Haven Suites-Perks, Newbie Info and Hidden fees??

[Laszlo]

10 hours ago, Kfeldmar said:

This was amazing, thank you! Just confirmed that I will be spending half my day in there! 

Glad you enjoyed it

[dexddd]

18 hours ago, dmms said:

We sailed in the Haven Owners Suite last year on the Escape 

Best money spent cruising hands down!!!

Even if there are kids around- you can escape them on the Escape 😉

Have nothing but fun on your first cruise!

You are literally & figuratively starting out at the top 😁

Maybe, maybe not as far as the kids.  Haven on Escape packed with families last June and even one managed to shut down the Havem pool area the last 24 hours.

[amygutman]

On 6/5/2019 at 3:08 PM, gizfish said:

The biggest hidden expense of the Haven is that once you have traveled like that, you will be spoiled for life and paying for it forever ; )

🙌

Agree...we are not "of age" to start cruising Viking, and the luxury cruise lines are way too formal for us - so the Haven suits us perfectly. RCL's suites may have a genie, but they don't have a separate pool - which is the best perk especially while 75% of the cruises are either hogging deck chairs or freezing in their cabins while we are enjoying the warm enclosed deck. 

 

That being said - we are trying the MSC Seaview's Yacht Club next year for Barcelona - 1/2 the price of the Epic for the same date / sailing, and apparently a very similar though "Europeanized" version of the Haven. 

 

Oy...the Haven is Heaven. 

Amy

[kitty-sail]

On 6/7/2019 at 1:20 PM, Kfeldmar said:

We picked the Escape because it seemed to have more Haven benefits than other ships. We had researched a few ships and decided on a 5 day sailing on Escape vs a 7 day sailing on another ship. It also seems like escape was renovated more recently than other ships on NCL. I’m glad you hear you had a good experience on the ship, makes me feel like we’re making the right choice!! Now we just have to convince our friends to go haven as well so we will be able to hang out with them in the haven not just the other parts of the ship. 

Escape has a lot of great places to explore. I like hanging out at O'Sheehans  and watch the games and activities going in the Atrium from upstairs. Try the Supper club where Haven guests get front row seats. Get to know the bartender in the lounge. Great place to hang out for an evening cocktail. I like the venues and layout of this ship very much.

[rfkeith10]

On 6/5/2019 at 12:08 PM, gizfish said:

The biggest hidden expense of the Haven is that once you have traveled like that, you will be spoiled for life and paying for it forever ; )

Amen to that---with a big smile on my face

[sulala]

On 6/8/2019 at 2:54 PM, amygutman said:

🙌

Agree...we are not "of age" to start cruising Viking, and the luxury cruise lines are way too formal for us - so the Haven suits us perfectly. RCL's suites may have a genie, but they don't have a separate pool - which is the best perk especially while 75% of the cruises are either hogging deck chairs or freezing in their cabins while we are enjoying the warm enclosed deck. 

 

That being said - we are trying the MSC Seaview's Yacht Club next year for Barcelona - 1/2 the price of the Epic for the same date / sailing, and apparently a very similar though "Europeanized" version of the Haven. 

 

Oy...the Haven is Heaven. 

Amy

We are interested in doing the same thing next year!  MSC Barcelona so thanks for the tip!

On 6/5/2019 at 2:08 PM, gizfish said:

The biggest hidden expense of the Haven is that once you have traveled like that, you will be spoiled for life and paying for it forever ; )

Absolutely a problem moving on after Haven.  We really were sold when our first (and only) upsell was for the Garden Villa!  We’ve only done Haven 2 BRs since.  There is just something about the Haven that we don’t want to live without.

Edited June 14, 2019 by sulala
Misspell

[getaway4fun]

On 6/5/2019 at 6:06 PM, Kfeldmar said:

Ok so based on the responses-removing the elevators lol and adding the included on demand movies to the list. 

There is a slot above the elevator call button on most of the ships.  If you insert your Haven key card into the slot and push the button, the elevator is summoned immediately. Once in the elevator, there may or may not be a slot for your key card, and once again it gives that elevator priority to the Haven floors.  On the Epic only, there is a dedicated elevator from the Epic Lounge to the pool deck.  Only the Haven guests have access to this elevator.  

[don't-use-real-name]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 4:54 PM, Greenpea2 said:

Re the Haven key card... I’m probably in the minority here but I am uncomfortable getting on an elevator and swiping my key then pushing the Haven floor. So often the people in there are suddenly silent and several times someone ( clearly drinking) has said in a loud voice “well, la-di-da!”  I find it embarrassing, and uncomfortable. I realize it’s not my issue, but rather is that of those who are obnoxious but I still don’t like it. Im not into showing off and I’m not into people acting like I think I’m special. 

Yes a bit unsettling in my recent experience having to put the card in the slot (WHILE THE ELEVATOR DOOR IS OPEN)

and then press the deck/floor to the fancy digs at the top of the ship. Miss the opportunity to timely do this then having

to cause the door to open and try again or wait to the next stop to do it. All this time other guests in the elevator wonder

what are you doing thinking you are commandeering the elevator to bypass their floor.

 

While the elevator door is open insert key card wait for the little LED light to illuminate and press the button for your floor

selection - NCL DAWN GV.

 

The other awkward issue is guests riding the elevator to your floor where they ordinarily would not have access.

Hitchhiking intruders accidently or intentionally and then there are those that avoid crowds by riding the elevator

up and then back down (best idea for the handicap wheelchairs and scooters).

 

But this is the system in place - none of this beam me up Scotty stuff ! 

[vamom76]

 

 

 

On 6/6/2019 at 12:44 PM, Kfeldmar said:

I was wondering about that!! the room we were looking at was close to the spa, and it didn’t appear to be in a separate Haven floor but was a row of 8 or so rooms near the spa. They shared the level with other amenities so I was wondering if it was separated the way other haven rooms are. 

This is something to consider.  When we stayed in the Haven (on the Escape), we got a room near the lounge and pool.  It was so nice to walk out of your room and just cut through the lounge to get to the pool. From the lounge, you can take the stairs or elevator to the restaurant.  By staying on the same floor, it truly felt like "a ship within a ship."

[vamom76]

 

 

 

2

On 6/7/2019 at 2:00 PM, Navis said:

Ramona, our first butler, was amazing and would take care of things before we even knew it was an issue or was something we didn’t even know we wanted. For example, she noticed we were always back to the cabin early (around 9pm). Asked us if we were having fun and why we were back so early. We told her we like to relax at night with a drink and watch a movie. Next night, we return at 9 to find a huge bowl of popcorn and candies waiting on the table with some movie recommendations from her. Did we need that? No. Was it nice that she thought about us and how she could make our vacation a little more special? Absolutely.  We had similar exceptional experiences with Peter. Ramona I know for sure is gone from NCL and i’m not sure where Peter is now.

 

We had a butler like yours on the Escape, Oliver.  He was on top of it 100%.

[Greenpea2]

1 hour ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Yes a bit unsettling in my recent experience having to put the card in the slot (WHILE THE ELEVATOR DOOR IS OPEN)

and then press the deck/floor to the fancy digs at the top of the ship. Miss the opportunity to timely do this then having

to cause the door to open and try again or wait to the next stop to do it. All this time other guests in the elevator wonder

what are you doing thinking you are commandeering the elevator to bypass their floor.

 

While the elevator door is open insert key card wait for the little LED light to illuminate and press the button for your floor

selection - NCL DAWN GV.

 

The other awkward issue is guests riding the elevator to your floor where they ordinarily would not have access.

Hitchhiking intruders accidently or intentionally and then there are those that avoid crowds by riding the elevator

up and then back down (best idea for the handicap wheelchairs and scooters).

 

But this is the system in place - none of this beam me up Scotty stuff ! 

You are right of course. But I’m glad you understand! I haven’t been in the Haven for a few years and will be in February. I’d forgotten it is a bit tricky at times! Ugh. Well, there are worse problems to have so I will figure it out! 🙂

[elwood_98034]

They have just opened the Haven bar and restaurant to everyone. 

Get in line and have fun. Oh, keep your cabin door locked, you never know which one of your 5,000 new best friends might wander in to visit.

[Kfeldmar]

9 hours ago, elwood_98034 said:

They have just opened the Haven bar and restaurant to everyone. 

Get in line and have fun. Oh, keep your cabin door locked, you never know which one of your 5,000 new best friends might wander in to visit.

Seriously?! When did they make that change? If that’s the case they better reduce the price of the haven. We wanted the haven to avoid busy floors and pools and have a ‘slightly’ quieter experience.....now they are letting everyone into the bar? If that’s what’s happening I might rethink the trip, save the money and just get a spa balcony-if I’m going to have to deal with crowds might as well save some money...

[dexddd]

There is already a seven page thread on it.  NCL will get money from anywhere.  Based on our experience past four years, from time you book until sailing, prices of things will go up and services will be diminished.

[dexddd]

8 minutes ago, Kfeldmar said:

Seriously?! When did they make that change? If that’s the case they better reduce the price of the haven. We wanted the haven to avoid busy floors and pools and have a ‘slightly’ quieter experience.....now they are letting everyone into the bar? If that’s what’s happening I might rethink the trip, save the money and just get a spa balcony-if I’m going to have to deal with crowds might as well save some money...

Yep, check page three of the post with Ally reporting...surprise, surprise, surprise, they got to experience it first hand last week on Bliss.

[GUEST71919]

On 6/5/2019 at 7:04 PM, Kfeldmar said:

 

I didn’t anticipate ‘locking out’ other floors. I had read a review by someone who said they had access to elevators near where the shows were. They stated those elevators ONLY went to the haven floor. Their description seemed as though there was a separate bay of elevators from the activities straight to the haven floors. Seems as though their review was bad, and may have been referring to a service elevator without explicitly stating it was a service elevator. This is what I was basing my information off of-clearly a bad/mistaken review by someone else. 

Just saw this and without looking at other responses wanted to add that this here - When on NCL we only sail Haven and there is NO big elevator “perks.” Now, on a couple of ships there could be a small elevator that takes someone from the Haven area to the sun deck or some that require a card in the elevator to access the Haven decks. But there are no perks like the Haven card bypassing other floors (unless the concierge staff is getting people out priority for excursions or disembarking). 

 

Have fun, we love the Haven.  FYI - the food on NCL is pretty good, we live the MDR and sometimes choose it over the separate dining room on ships that have one for the Haven. Did you say did you mention which *****, but if your concierge’s happens to be Bruno D. give him a hug for me 😊

[shythom]

On 6/5/2019 at 7:36 PM, Sailing12Away said:

The biggest key is to keep your expectations in check. A lot of the 'perks' you listed as being important to you I never got to take advantage of on our last cruise. Priority boarding only works if your airlines cooperate with getting you there on time. Our flight was delayed 2 hrs, so when we finally made it to the port there was no one there at all. We popped into the Haven lounge just to say we were there, but there was no employees, no food, and no drinks. 

 

Butler service is hit or miss. For us, it was a big giant miss. Outside of bringing breakfast to our room a few days, she did nothing for us. NOTHING. 

 

The Nespresso machine was actually quite odd.... it had 2 buttons, which I presume were for an espresso sized drink or a full mug of coffee. When you press the smaller button, it overflowed the espresso mugs. When you push the larger button, it overflowed the full size coffee mugs (without even adding any milk/cream). We ended up having to use the small button with the larger cups and forgo actually having espresso.

 

Welcome bottle of champagne.... we got one in our non-Haven room on our first NCL cruise. Not sure that's a perk reserved just for Haven folks.

 

Welcome snacks was a bowl of fruit. Each day the butler would bring a snack while we were out at port, but I didn't eat most of them. Yes, I'm a picky eater, but it would have been nice to be given a choice of food instead of having her bring us stuff I don't eat. I even told her I don't eat seafood, and she still kept bringing shrimp and lox. The one thing she did get right was a bowl of M&Ms for me and gummy bears for hubby. Other than that, the snacks in the room were highly overrated for us.

 

In-room dining.... the only meal our butler was willing to bring was breakfast if we left the card filled out and hanging from our door the night before. I tried to get food in the Haven pool area and was told the restaurant was closed and I could only get room service. Ok.... the staff then walked away and wouldn't let me place an order. I wasn't about to go back to my room to go back to the pool, so I went to the buffet and got my own burger and fries.

 

Haven restaurant.... on the Jade there is none. So again, maybe we missed out a bit based on the ship we were on, but again, know your ship before you assume there is one. We had Moderno available for breakfast and Cagneys available for lunch, but there was no 'private Haven dining room' for dinner that was different from what others could have.

 

Haven pool area.... you got me there. That was a godsend. I would gladly pay extra for access to the Haven pool and forgo the butler service in a regular room if that was an option. The pool was tiny, but every time we went either we were the only ones in there or there was a single person with us. The Jade had a covered area for those who liked shade, and sunny upstairs lounging for those wanting sun. That was definitely the best perk of being in Haven due to the crowds in the main area.

 

Priority seating was a bit of a joke. It was all the way off to the left side on the Jade, we would of been better off sitting with the regular folks in the center of the stage for some of the shows. Don't think your getting first row orchestra seats... again, look for reviews of your particular ship to know if it's really a perk.

 

Cocktail party... meh, I could have did without it. We had the beverage package, so didn't need the free drinks. We actually ended up not even meeting the officers at our party as we were talking with the cruise next consultant at the door and he let us in the side way rather than waiting on line. By doing so though, we bypassed the crew meet & greet. Not a priority to us, but if mingling with those folks is your thing, knock your socks off.

 

Haven only elevator? Where?? Didn't see one on the Jade, and our keycard didn't even work half the time to bring us to the Haven deck. Had to get off at 13 and walk a flight up to 14.

 

Concierge was another good perk. We had already booked everything before boarding, but he helped us change dinner reservations so we could make the cocktail party with no effort. The biggest perk with him though is getting off at the ports and final disembarking. You get walked off the ship through the secret back passageways and save a ton of time. So again, you got me there with this one.

 

Not trying to dissuade you, but again, just keep your expectations in check. Our first Haven experience was quite bad, but others tend to rave that 'once you go Haven, you never go back'. If the price is right for you, try it. But if you're justifying the price based on a list of 20 things and you only end up getting to use 2 of them... will you still be ok with what you paid? If so, go for it.

 

*Edit* The only extra fee is a tip for the butler and concierge, if you use them. We gave extra to the cabin steward as he was way more helpful and kind to us than the butler, but that is not required.

Wow - I'm so sorry you did not get a good butler. For so much money that truly sucks! May I ask, did you try to arrange for additional room service other than breakfast? What I mean is, if you ordered for lunch from whatever restaurant/menu, did your butler just refuse to bring food? Isn't that against what they are supposed to do? With the fruit - did you specify what you liked/didn't like? I ask because I'm allergic to many fruits so I would require specific types I am able to eat without an allergic reaction.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

The last time we were in the Haven it was the Bliss. The sundeck is 16+ and you can be served lunch and drinks up there. The Concierge was fabulous . I like to sit-up front for theater shows so he would gather a group of us ten minutes before the theater opened and take us down in the crew elevator and down a hall way to the front of the theater. We had our pick of seats. The Bliss had a spectacular front viewing lounge with food where you could read, nap play quiet games and look at the ocean. The Haven restaurant had delicious food. Double rib lamb chops, steak, jumbo shrimp cocktails with great service. Even on the small ships, I was sitting by the pool and asked for a chicken club sandwich.. nothing was too much trouble. You are off the ship in a flash and lead to the front on the line. Get a porter for $10/20 and you will be whisked past customs. 

[Sailing12Away]

11 hours ago, shythom said:

Wow - I'm so sorry you did not get a good butler. For so much money that truly sucks! May I ask, did you try to arrange for additional room service other than breakfast? What I mean is, if you ordered for lunch from whatever restaurant/menu, did your butler just refuse to bring food? Isn't that against what they are supposed to do? With the fruit - did you specify what you liked/didn't like? I ask because I'm allergic to many fruits so I would require specific types I am able to eat without an allergic reaction.

 

Outside of breakfast we had tried to get some lunch or snacks at the Haven courtyard and the staff member working in there told us no. They told us to order room service from our room. But there were other guests sitting at the tables in there eating burgers, so not sure why they were allowed and we weren't. Our experience on the Jade was vastly different from our experience on the Epic.

 

Headed onto the Encore in about a month for the tie breaker cruise to see if Haven is 'worth it' (my gut is telling me an astounding 'yes').

[eynsteinp]

 

 

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

Outside of breakfast we had tried to get some lunch or snacks at the Haven courtyard and the staff member working in there told us no. They told us to order room service from our room. But there were other guests sitting at the tables in there eating burgers, so not sure why they were allowed and we weren't. Our experience on the Jade was vastly different from our experience on the Epic.

 

Headed onto the Encore in about a month for the tie breaker cruise to see if Haven is 'worth it' (my gut is telling me an astounding 'yes').

 

I would be very upset with those answers and would suggest you talk to the Concierge if something like that happens again.  I have only sailed in the Haven and have never experienced that type of answer/attitude.  It is not acceptable and the Concierge should  be the one to take care of that issue.  Your requests seem to not only be normal and not out of line but to be the exact thing they should accommodate.  I have ordered lunch at the Haven pool many times and was never told that I had to go to my room and order room service.  I love the Haven and sail NCL over other cruise lines largely due to the Haven.  I hope that you don't get this type of service in the future but certainly would speak up at the time if it happens so it can be addressed.  Just my two cents!

[don't-use-real-name]

13 minutes ago, eynsteinp said:

 

 

 

I would be very upset with those answers and would suggest you talk to the Concierge if something like that happens again.  I have only sailed in the Haven and have never experienced that type of answer/attitude.  It is not acceptable and the Concierge should  be the one to take care of that issue.  Your requests seem to not only be normal and not out of line but to be the exact thing they should accommodate.  I have ordered lunch at the Haven pool many times and was never told that I had to go to my room and order room service.  I love the Haven and sail NCL over other cruise lines largely due to the Haven.  I hope that you don't get this type of service in the future but certainly would speak up at the time if it happens so it can be addressed.  Just my two cents!

That failing see the Hotel Manager and have a discussion - somebody may have been misinformed

about the services to be rendered or expected !

This could be a matter that the Butler was not kept in the loop !

The mops and brooms staff member that said to order room service should have instead -

I'll get someone to attend to your request.

[esimon]

and how much more do you pay for these 'perks'   - sorry- not my choice but to each his own

[Greenpea2]

On 6/5/2019 at 3:45 PM, phissy said:

There are supposed to be covered. However, there is an expectation from them that would like to receive something more at end of cruise. Our Butler and Room Steward both came to cabin on last day to "we hope everything was OK and that you were happy" interaction. Both were clearly expecting their tip.

That's interesting--that has not been the case for us! In fact I have always had to do what I can to track them down that last afternoon/evening to make sure they get their tips! I guess it depends on the steward and butler...

[kitty-sail]

On 6/5/2019 at 4:51 PM, Kfeldmar said:

We're looking at the Norwegian Escape which has the Haven Restaurant. 

Escape is my favorite.

1. With Covid restrictions, there might not be any 'pre-boarding lounge' time in the terminal. I think NCL will want to get you in and boarded ASAP.

2. Not every ship has every 'Haven" perk.  The older smaller ships may not have a restaurant or lounge area but can be great too. The newer bigger ships will have every perk imaginable and then some. The Escape has a restaurant, lounge, 2 story haven, sun deck.

3.  There are also Haven cabins that are located outside of the "Haven pool proper" and have all the Haven perks. I prefer either a forward or aft cabin which are away from the constant activity of being inside the Haven. 

4. Tip your butler well.  Also tip the Haven bartender and pool drink server.

5. The only flaw is that the menu in the Haven dining room never changes. I recommend getting a few 'specialty dining' nites.

6. Once you go Haven, you won't be able to down-grade.

[QueenDoOver]

On 6/5/2019 at 4:36 PM, Sailing12Away said:

 

 

The Nespresso machine was actually quite odd.... it had 2 buttons, which I presume were for an espresso sized drink or a full mug of coffee. When you press the smaller button, it overflowed the espresso mugs. When you push the larger button, it overflowed the full size coffee mugs (without even adding any milk/cream). We ended up having to use the small button with the larger cups and forgo actually having espresso.

 

The Nespresso machine is adjustable so that you can have your coffee just the way you want it.  Normally button one is a short pour, or espresso.  Button two, on right is the long pour.   It is some odd combination of pushing and releasing the buttons that sets the stop.  If someone has been messing with it, it could get all messed up.  I'd for sure ask to have it fixed or replaced if it doesn't pour as you like it.  Or google the directions and fix it your way yourself.