Haven Access for non-Haven Guests - Thoughts?

[trippen]

Not a bad deal - 2 hours (or more) in the Heaven including dinner. I guess this answers the question in another popular thread " How much would you pay for the Heaven"  $50.00 😎

Limited availability: Non-Haven guests can enjoy an exclusive dining experience including a delicious 3-course dinner in an upscale, contemporary atmosphere. Come an hour early or stay an hour late and enjoy drinks at the exclusive Haven Lounge. Reservations can be made on board.

$50 per person for non-Haven guests (limited availability)

[NLH Arizona]

2 minutes ago, trippen said:

Not a bad deal - 2 hours (or more) in the Heaven including dinner. I guess this answers the question in another popular thread " How much would you pay for the Heaven"  $50.00 😎

Limited availability: Non-Haven guests can enjoy an exclusive dining experience including a delicious 3-course dinner in an upscale, contemporary atmosphere. Come an hour early or stay an hour late and enjoy drinks at the exclusive Haven Lounge. Reservations can be made on board.

$50 per person for non-Haven guests (limited availability)

I think they should put a disclaimer on this, because some will take it as they get free drinks in the Haven Lounge.

[Steff79]

it´s like a Zoo, watch the people in the Haven 3 hours 😃

[trippen]

Next, they will be renting out the Haven rooms by the hour. Dinner, drinks, and ................. 

[Wendy&Grumpy]

1 hour ago, mertziek said:

Exactly!  It’s not “creepy” to not like this policy change.  Likewise, if others don’t mind the longer waits, I’m fine with that, too.  Let’s just acknowledge it’s ok for some to not be happy about this change without calling it “creepy” behavior or “hyper-focused” on what color Passenger card they have.

 

Now aren’t you glad you started this thread?  🤫🤭😂

 

Not liking/being happy about a policy change is not what I called creepy.

 

Watching other cruisers so closely during dinner that you know their cruising story and color of their room key is creepy. 

 

I can honestly say the only thing I ever remember noticing about other diners on any of my cruises is the stuffed piggy a little girl had, because it's the same stuffed piggy my now-30yo daughter has had since she was a baby and is no longer made. 😉 

[Outerdog]

9 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

Watching other cruisers so closely during dinner that you know their cruising story and color of their room key is creepy. 

 

You are the only one who has (repeatedly) mentioned creeping out on other cruisers and their key card colors. Just you.  Everyone else knows what the topic is about and they are not being deliberately obtuse.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Outerdog

[mertziek]

9 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

Not liking/being happy about a policy change is not what I called creepy.

 

Watching other cruisers so closely during dinner that you know their cruising story and color of their room key is creepy. 

 

I can honestly say the only thing I ever remember noticing about other diners on any of my cruises is the stuffed piggy a little girl had, because it's the same stuffed piggy my now-30yo daughter has had since she was a baby and is no longer made. 😉 

Give it a rest already!  Calling it creepy was meant to be derogatory and no need to denigrate others on here.

[mertziek]

4 minutes ago, Outerdog said:

 

You are the only one who has (repeatedly) mentioned creeping out on other cruisers and their key card colors. Just you.

My point exactly.  🤫🙄

[Wendy&Grumpy]

6 minutes ago, Outerdog said:

 

You are the only one who has (repeatedly) mentioned creeping out on other cruisers and their key card colors. Just you.  Everyone else knows what the topic is about and they are not being deliberately obtuse.

 

Really? 

[mertziek]

Sometimes you have to recognize when it’s time to disengage from conversation with some people.  I’m there!

[Wendy&Grumpy]

7 minutes ago, mertziek said:

My point exactly.  🤫🙄

 

8 minutes ago, mertziek said:

Give it a rest already!  Calling it creepy was meant to be derogatory and no need to denigrate others on here.

 

You're the one who chose to take my comment personally, become defensive about it, and come at me - causing me to respond and defend myself, when it wasn't even in reference to anything you said. 🤷‍♀️

Edited June 16, 2019 by Wendy&Grumpy

[trippen]

Keep to the topic. Haven guests get screwed. 😀

[pcakes122]

1 hour ago, NLH Arizona said:

FWIW, I don't think that many folks are willing to pay $100 per couple for dinner.

I do think quite a few people might very well be willing to burn $100 OBC or even spend that to have a nice dinner and "check out the Haven and see what the fuss is about."  If I'd never been in the Haven, I might have done that!  NCL must agree or they wouldn't be trying this. 😉

Edited June 17, 2019 by pcakes122

[Wendy&Grumpy]

11 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

I do think quite a few people might very well be willing to burn $100 OBC or even spend that to have a nice dinner and "check out the Haven and see what the fuss is about."  If I'd never been in the Haven, I might have done that!  NCL must agree or they wouldn't be trying this. 😉

 

I agree that quite a few likely would, and will, try it once for the novelty. I don't believe that anyone is going to book an inside cabin hoping to book dinner in the Haven every night, or that Haven cruisers will have their dinner seats sold out from under them, or that there will be so many that it will interfere and/or cause long waits. NCL powers that be are not stupid. 

[fondtravel]

I agree that one major advantage of the Haven is the ability to avoid lines, including lines for sit-down dining. We’ve appreciated the being able to go to the Haven restaurant at a flexible time for dinner without making advance reservations. If Haven guests will now need to compete for tables with all other guests on the ship, this may be lost.

There are a number of other cruisecritic threads where people have posted that there’s little point to booking a Haven category suite on an NCL ship if the ship doesn’t have a dedicated Haven restaurant and bar. It seems like all NCL ships adopting the new policy will effectively cease to have a dedicated Haven restaurant and bar. Instead these will become a premium restaurant and bar available to all on a paid basis, with Haven guests getting complimentary access. 

[tymike]

There were a couple of posts (page 2 maybe) about NCL using this invitation as bait for non-Haven passengers to book the Haven in the future.  I sailed on the BA twice in the Haven and both times there were tours in the last couple of days where staff brought probably 15 or so people into the area.  They saw the restaurant, the pool complex, the deck etc.  I sailed the BA on her third sailing and a few years later.

 

It was clear why they offered the tour...to get folks to be excited about the area and book it for their next cruise.  

 

NCL always wants to make the bucks...and it was not a nuisance or disturbance to see the tours coming through.

 

In my opinion, the tours were very different than having non-Haven passengers actually use the amenities.

 

BTW...my first Haven experience was perfect and my second was a total disaster only because there was a huge family party that totally took over the courtyard for the duration of the cruise.  No pool available, no tables in the courtyard, flying nerf balls, screaming kids and never an  available hot tub.  And no support from staff to stop the nonsense.  It was in no way a "haven".  So no more Haven bookings for me!!  It's a crapshoot even if you pay full price!

But opening it up for more people cannot make it more enjoyable for those that paid the price to be there.

[littlelulu01]

I know ncl reads these boards- especially after a big product change like this Haven dining for all. My suggestion that makes more $ and avoids losing Haven reputation?  Make a non alcoholic ultra premium package available for non drinkers.  Right now they capture most drinkers, even lite drinkers.  The upgrade $34/day pkg Is likely not the cash cow they anticipated.  But there’s a lot of folks who just don’t drink alcohol but would like a more inclusive pkg.  give them a cabin choice to take a non alcoholic pkg that includes all the premium choices (soda, waters, coffees...minus the alcohol. They’ll make just as much on them as with the ubp. This will make ncl more $ than Haven dining for all (bad choice imo) and keeps the Haven reputation in tact.  It also makes the beverage pkgs more competitive with other lines. I could see the current  ubp OR the ultra premium non alcoholic beverage pkg available as a cabin choice. I’d think with those two perk choices most passengers would take one or the other.  

[newty25]

On 6/15/2019 at 6:25 PM, elwood_98034 said:

We are committed now. They have one last chance, and then we take our money elsewhere. We can't cancel at this point. This is our third cruise with NCL, and there is an excellent chance that it will be our last. 

It's unfortunate. We love the Haven and it's the only reason we cruise NCL. We are full paying customers and in the last year we've booked two cruises have cost us over $20k (1 taken, 1 booked).

 

We book the Haven to avoid the crowds but enjoy the lively atmosphere of NCL. And we can enjoy the lively atmosphere for about 1/5th what we pay currently in a nice balcony. So it's worth the money if we don't experience lines and crowds. The new policy seems like it will bring the crowds into the Haven. 

 

If I won a Haven bid, I wouldn't care in the least about this new policy. For the full the cost, we'll be cruising elsewhere.

[Bigbluegal]

8 hours 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.

Interesting as we were in the Haven on the Bliss week of June 2.  On glacier day there were many more guests in the windows of the Haven restaurant blocking views of those eating.  One guest remarked and those folks were discovered as non-haven guests.  They were asked to leave.....at that time i did not realize that the topic of this thread was even an option but it could explain a few things.  On another day while in the horizon lounge taking a little snooze....I was awakened by loud conversation of a fairly large group of 6-8 folks being served by waitstaff.  I know at least some of them were not haven guests because of statements made such as....."did you go in and look at their rooms, if I had a tub like that I would stay in it and not worry about getting off the ship"  "you all have it made in this area"

[fondtravel]

I don’t have much direct experience with other cruise lines yet, but I’ve researched other lines to decide whether to make NCL suite bookings go with suite reservations elsewhere. And it doesn’t look like other lines with suite-only restaurants or facilities are doing anything like this.

 

For example, next year I made reservations in the Haven on an NCL Alaska cruise. But I’ve also made a suite reservation on a Celebrity cruise with a similar itinerary. I’m going to wait and see how things pan out before I make a final choice. At first the cost appeared mildly favorable for NCL what seemed like similar accommodations and itinerary. But I’m concerned that every amenity offered may actually be worse in some way.

 

Earlier I felt like differences were ones I could deal with (e.g., beverage package being truly all inclusive on one line versus having substantial exclusions on the other).  More generous internet package included in suite booking for one line versus the other. But it’s a bigger deal if the Haven only restaurant and bar lounge will no longer Haven only (whereas Luminae on Celebrity isn’t being widely hawked around for ship-wide booking like a specialty restaurant).

 

And while I don’t 

[ceilidh1]

Question 1 for Haven veterans (my first Haven experience is coming up end of September and I've paid a small fortune upfront for it). How do the powers that be KNOW that you are a legitimate Haven guest? I understand the concept of needing to scan your card for entry, but say you are traveling with non-Haven folks and you all go up together on the first day. The Haven person scans the card, all of the group walk in....how does anyone in the Haven area know that some are not legitimate Haven people??

 

Question 2 - if this non-Haven folk dining takes off, what will this mean for actual Haven people? Can we make reservations for the Haven restaurant? I had thought that we just show up whenever and get seated whenever, since it's an exclusive restaurant? If they are taking actual reservations for those willing to pay $50 then does that "trump" those of us that have "complimentary" access? If I have to reserve a specific time then I just as well go eat in Taste/Savor!

 

Question 3 - has anyone yet been on a sailing where this is already in place and has seen any negative consequences?

[Skipper305]

Apparently drinks are included with the $50 deal, no mention of a beverage package required to enjoy drinks in the Haven lounge.

[geneticfreak]

When I first saw this was a thing I immediately thought of this

 

[sverigecruiser]

12 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

 

While it is off-topic, I just felt the need to stress that booking the Haven doesn't in any way increase safety at sea.  Everyone should use common sense and caution when travelling no matter where they are booked.

 

I agree with you that everyone shall use common sense but I do think that booking the Haven will increase safety, a little.

 

Less passengers and more attentive staff is good for safety, I think.

[JohnIreland]

6 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

Question 1 for Haven veterans (my first Haven experience is coming up end of September and I've paid a small fortune upfront for it). How do the powers that be KNOW that you are a legitimate Haven guest? I understand the concept of needing to scan your card for entry, but say you are traveling with non-Haven folks and you all go up together on the first day. The Haven person scans the card, all of the group walk in....how does anyone in the Haven area know that some are not legitimate Haven people??

 

The staff in the Haven know everyone by name by the second day of the cruise.  Not sure how they manage it with so many people the on mega ships.