Haven Access for non-Haven Guests - Thoughts?

[Steff79]

seems that NCL knows how to destroy their product: upset Haven Guests, upset Vibe lovers, upset People at included deck space.

[mertziek]

8 minutes ago, Steff79 said:

seems that NCL knows how to destroy their product: upset Haven Guests, upset Vibe lovers, upset People at included deck space.

Exactly why we will be looking for other cruiselines!

[elwood_98034]

We were planning to eat in the restaurant on the glacier day, as it has an outside part on the ship we are on, and there are reports of it being difficult to find viewing locations elsewhere on the ship. I guess one kid can sit in the bath, one can sit in the shower, and us parents can sit on our mini-balcony. I must remember to take a beanie and gloves. Maybe we can order room service. 

[All-ready2cruise]

I remember a few years ago... 2014-15 maybe, NCL decided to offer a VIP package. It would include breakfast & lunch in Cagney's, priority embarkation .. a few other perks; the price $99 on a 7-day cruise IIRC. 

 

Well, let the uproar was absolutely crazy. By that I don't mean ppl were mean or nasty but just appalled that NCL would do this to those already paying top dollar for a suite.  

 

It didn't last long, does anyone else remember this incident?

[Outerdog]

Just now, All-ready2cruise said:

It didn't last long, does anyone else remember this incident?

 

Oh yeah. You've got it right. Think it was 2016 or 17 but otherwise spot on. It lasted maybe a month or two.

[elwood_98034]

2 minutes ago, mertziek said:

Exactly why we will be looking for other cruiselines!

We are trying to decide on a 21 day Panama Canal or maybe a trans-Atlantic. Those big Royal Caribbean ships are amazing though. We could have got a suite on one out of Miami for what we have paid for our two bedroom Haven.

My sister did a 3 week LA to Sydney a couple of years ago and loved it. I must ask her who they went with. That would be awesome, cruise over, look around and fly back. Nice.

[Linda the Book Lover]

24 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

Honestly, it sounds like you are the one who considers non-Haven "steerage" - I don't remember anyone here saying that.  The Haven is not a different CLASS, it is a different EXPERIENCE.  The premium charge is for that distinctive experience.  I have cruised both Haven and non-Haven (and still do) and it is absolutely a different experience.  I am the same person no matter which I book - but I have different expectations and rightfully so.

The DH and I have sailed in Suites and the Haven and aside from the "extras" the ship when we sailed in a balcony or a mini suite took us all to the same port regardless of our cabin. We recently sailed on MSC in the Yacht Club. What a difference! We are not affluent but we are retired folk who also occasionally enjoy "the something extra" of what used to be called the "Suite Life". We enjoyed the Haven but I know we will not book the Haven again, and not because of the selling tickets to eat (which I disagree with) but because the overall experience we used to have there is no longer the same. We last sailed in the Haven on the Epic and after NCL canceled our Pacific Coast cruise we decided to try another cruise line. I do not regret switching and plan on booking YC on MSC again in 2021. I am sailing on NCL in a spa balcony with my DD and Carnival in a Suite (yep I know they do not have the bells and whistles but my DS is treating me to a birthday cruise!) but the Haven is no longer a spot for me especially at the price NCL is now charging. 

[Wendy&Grumpy]

4 hours ago, cruisingator2 said:

 

That’s an issue. If this is caused by just the Haven guests that’s one thing but if the backup is due to selling incremental spots to the remainder of the ship then NCL needs to look at this again. 

 

How is it different if it's booked Haven guests vs "paying" Haven guests? 15 - 20 minutes is still 15 - 20 minutes. 🤔

[Wendy&Grumpy]

4 hours ago, Shidah said:

I agree with the poster who thinks this is to answer “can I bring a friend to eat with us”, yes you can for 50.  I’ve sailed the Haven where one couple had their non-Haven parents eat and enjoy the Haven the entire week.  I have no idea if they were charged.   The last night in the Haven restaurant is always more busy, and I’ve always viewed non-Haven people there on the last night.  One lady was celebrating a birthday, others not sure why, but I could see their key cards and they were not Haven.  So it has happened in the past, it is just now an official policy.

 

Why would you spend your dinner focused on other diners, what they're doing, where they're from, what color their key cards are, etc?  That seems a bit creepy. 🤷‍♀️

[elwood_98034]

2 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

How is it different if it's booked Haven guests vs "paying" Haven guests? 15 - 20 minutes is still 15 - 20 minutes. 🤔

Our cabin is four doors down from the restaurant. We will just order room service if we can't ever get in. When kids get hungry you need to feed them.

 

Go figure, $12k+ down the toilet and we get to sit in our cabin and eat room service. Got to love that. Maybe I had better pack some PB and J, and pick up a loaf of bread in Ketchikan. For emergencies.

 

And before someone flames me for not going to the cafe, I have social anxiety, and don't like big crowds. That is part of the reason why we booked the Haven. Thank you.

 

[Cruising89143]

1 hour ago, thistimeplease said:

I hope everyone who is upset realizes how snobby you all sound.  From this thread I think I am going to try and avoid anyone who is staying in the Haven as I don't think I want my kids exposed to your behavior.  I think that the only people who have a beef with this should be those who paid for the Haven from the start, not those that are going to be there because they won a bid.

 

Really? A little judgmental is how I read your post. 

 

NCL advertises the Haven in way that allows guests who want to pay for a venue where there are less crowds. What’s wrong with expecting to get what we paid for? I can assure that we did not receive a discount for booking our accommodations and anyone that “won” a bid obviously had to pay out more to win their bid. 

 

NCL can do anything that they want to grow revenue but guests have the right to let the cruise line know if they’re not happy about the change.

[Outerdog]

Why is it so difficult to understand that this isn't about what anyone else is doing, where they are from, or what cabin category they are in? It is about erosion of services and experiences that have already been paid for by Haven guests. I'm not a Haven guest and I understand it perfectly. 

Perhaps if NCL expanded the Haven square footage along with adequate staff to accommodate these new guests and were able to maintain the same level of service Haven guests have come to expect, this wouldn't be such an issue. Well, they certainly haven't expanded the Haven, and if NCL does NCL, you can pretty much guarantee they haven't increased staffing.

 

It is, not surprisingly, another moving of the goalposts by NCL. What you paid for when you book is not what you get when you board. Typical NCL.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Outerdog

[Wendy&Grumpy]

2 minutes ago, elwood_98034 said:

Our cabin is four doors down from the restaurant. We will just order room service if we can't ever get in. When kids get hungry you need to feed them.

 

Go figure, $12k+ down the toilet and we get to sit in our cabin and eat room service. Got to love that. Maybe I had better pack some PB and J, and pick up a loaf of bread in Ketchikan. For emergencies.

 

And before someone flames me for not going to the cafe, I have social anxiety, and don't like big crowds. That is part of the reason why we booked the Haven. Thank you.

 

 

Except "room service" in a suite is anything but. We ordered "Chinese take out" intending to enjoy it on the couch in front of a movie and our butler came in with tablecloth, flowers, and the whole nine yards! 😂

[Cruising89143]

14 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

How is it different if it's booked Haven guests vs "paying" Haven guests? 15 - 20 minutes is still 15 - 20 minutes. 🤔

 

Really? If I have to explain then it went right over your head🙄

[elwood_98034]

2 minutes ago, cruisingator2 said:

 

Really? A little judgmental is how I read your post. 

 

NCL advertises the Haven in way that allows guests who want to pay for a venue where there are less crowds. What’s wrong with expecting to get what we paid for? I can assure that we did not receive a discount for booking our accommodations and anyone that “won” a bid obviously had to pay out more to win their bid. 

 

NCL can do anything that they want to grow revenue but guests have the right to let the cruise line know if they’re not happy about the change.

It is like paying for a BMW, but when you go to pick up your car they hand you the keys to a Corolla, and then point out the fine print to you where it says if you don't like the car they are giving you, they are going to keep your money anyway.

[mertziek]

8 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

How is it different if it's booked Haven guests vs "paying" Haven guests? 15 - 20 minutes is still 15 - 20 minutes. 🤔

Well they can accommodate the known Haven customers more easily.  For me, waiting for other Haven passengers who show up unannounced (as we currently do) is acceptable and expected but non-Haven passengers make the experience less than what has been advertised and sold to customers in the Haven.  If they make it to reservations only in the Haven restaurant too it just becomes another specialty dining experience available to anyone on the ship.  How else will they be able to handle the extra people arriving to eat there?  You pay premium dollars for this “ship within a ship” experience - this will dilute the experience significantly and not worth the extra money.  IMHO

[elwood_98034]

2 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

Except "room service" in a suite is anything but. We ordered "Chinese take out" intending to enjoy it on the couch in front of a movie and our butler came in with tablecloth, flowers, and the whole nine yards! 😂

Maybe they have changed the policy on that as well. I guess we will find out.

[Wendy&Grumpy]

1 hour ago, elwood_98034 said:

Variations of this are popping up all over the YouTube travel agents' channels:

 

"NCL has just opened up the Haven. Anyone on the ship can use its bar and restaurant now. They are advertising it on their website. You can save big $ by not booking the Haven. Just get a standard cabin, and head on up and join the fun. It will be especially good on viewing days as the Haven has THE best views! Burn up that free drink credit in the poshest bar on the ship hanging out with the Gucci crowd, and watch the glaciers slide by."

 

Some of the channels have had as many as a million views in the past.

 

Those TA's will lose clients quick. 😂

[All-ready2cruise]

The biggest issue I see is, the huge difference in what those who book a suite/Haven cabin upfront, those paying (ie only) say $2000 for a suite/haven which someone else paid $7-8000 for,  and those who are just paying $50 for dinner. I would be concerned with my ability to be accommodated/seated in my preferred area in my preferred timeframe. 

 

I've cruised in suites, I know the price we paid, just sayin'. 

[All-ready2cruise]

5 minutes ago, elwood_98034 said:

Maybe they have changed the policy on that as well. I guess we will find out.

What Wendy&Grumpy said is the correct way the Butler is to serve your dinner. What you do after the Butler leaves is up to you but they are trained to the formal white table top service. 

Funny, my DH loved the Butler service, me.... meh, lol. I'm hoping to book a Concierge suite on the Joy, lol. 😂

[NW Pacific]

Our Oct cruise on Getaway now shows this dining option.  Final payment due in 7days.  Pd. a fortune for our Haven experience, with the expectation of the same experience we have had before in the Haven.  NOT opening it up  as a Specialty Restaurant.  the Haven Bar area is quite small and intimate, there is no room for more people to lounge around for an hour or so.  what I booked has changed with no notification from NCL, .  Have never wrote a letter of complaint before, but am ready to now.   Anyone have a better address than what is listed on website. 

[trippen]

"

Haven-Only Areas

Dining in The Haven is a big deal. From small snacks to full exclusive restaurants, there’s no shortage of exquisite cuisine."

I guess its not such a big deal anymore.

We are booked in 2020 so at least we can back out reservation. Will watch to see if this sticks.

[mertziek]

8 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

Our Oct cruise on Getaway now shows this dining option.  Final payment due in 7days.  Pd. a fortune for our Haven experience, with the expectation of the same experience we have had before in the Haven.  NOT opening it up  as a Specialty Restaurant.  the Haven Bar area is quite small and intimate, there is no room for more people to lounge around for an hour or so.  what I booked has changed with no notification from NCL, .  Have never wrote a letter of complaint before, but am ready to now.   Anyone have a better address than what is listed on website. 

Try this - VP of Passenger Services Vivian Ewart

vewart@ncl.com

[All-ready2cruise]

I would encourage everyone who feels their cruise will be impacted by this change to write to NCL!! Absolutely! Get on your Word and write a letter concerning how you feel, what you see are the consequences and suggest that it's not something you find acceptable. 

 

I mentioned the VIP fiasco... this is how it met it's short-lived demise.  Get on it, keep on it and share it with friends. You can dispute this as a degradation of your Haven experience. 

 

Good luck. 

[mertziek]

10 minutes ago, trippen said:

"

Haven-Only Areas

Dining in The Haven is a big deal. From small snacks to full exclusive restaurants, there’s no shortage of exquisite cuisine."

I guess its not such a big deal anymore.

We are booked in 2020 so at least we can back out reservation. Will watch to see if this sticks.

We have 3 upcoming cruises all in the Haven.  The one in October would be hard to cancel but not the two after.  Taking a watch and see attitude here, too!