Haven Booking - I am the only idiot?

[js]

Hi.

 

While we do balconies on RCCL, we sail Haven on NCL and are Platinum.

 

I currently have an H5 and an H4 booked for an Encore August 2020 sailing and in reading the pages and pages of CC, wondering if I'm the only idiot that actually books and pays full price for the Haven?

We love the Haven so yes, I guess it's my decision to be an idiot 🙂

or not but wondering if there are actually people, like me, that book the Haven when doing their initial booking.

Misery loves company so just wondering LOL

Thank you!

Edited July 17, 2019 by js

[laurabegorrah]

I am also that idiot lol  I don't want to risk not getting an offer, or not having an offer accepted.  I feel like, on the bigger, newer ships, it's too people-y around the pool and sun deck and the Haven helps me keep my sanity.

[graphicguy]

4 minutes ago, js said:

Hi.

 

While we do balconies on RCCL, we sail Haven on NCL and are Platinum.

 

I currently have an H5 and an H4 booked for an Encore August 2020 sailing and in reading the pages and pages of CC, wondering if I'm the only idiot that actually books and pays full price for the Haven?

We love the Haven so yes, I guess it's my decision to be an idiot 🙂

or not but wondering if there are actually people, like me, that book the Haven when doing their initial booking.

Misery loves company so just wondering LOL

Thank you!

Not at all.  I sail the Haven sometimes.  I just keep an eye out on pricing and book when the "price is right" (usually in the $4K-$4.6K all in range for a Haven Spa Suite).  I have bid on Haven Suites in the past when their prices seemed high, but have never had a winning bid.

 

So, to answer your question, I think most Haven Suites are booked outright.

[KeithJenner]

I don't think that the Haven prices are worth it for us, even at upgrade bidding prices, but I agree with the view that if I want a particular room or category it is best to just buy it rather than hope for an upgrade.

 

I have status with a hotel chain that means I am very likely to get upgraded, but often pay for a better room if I really want it, rather than rely on getting an upgrade which may not happen.

[BostonGal35]

we have booked haven/suites outright on 3 occasions.

we look for when the price is right - $2200 pp.

[LeesaB]

I also booked the Haven outright. 

 

I'm going to be on the Getaway during Spring Break next year.  I NEED the Haven.

[vamom76]

We have booked the Haven outright (sometimes for a pretty penny). I am also surprised when I see the prices people quote on CC, but we have loved every vacation - keep remembering that when you are soaking up the sun!

[Notnewtoit]

Yup, we book Haven from the get-go, 'cos we like specific cabins and I'm genetically unlucky so don't leave things to chance. That said I watch like a hawk for and take price reductions all the way to the line...

[david_sobe]

Not an idiot at all especially sailing Encore.  Its fools gold to think there are going to be Haven openings for upgrades for first year or so.  Or they bidding process will be greatly reduced until the novelty of the new ship fades away.   I booked my Haven Encore suite directly with NCL over one year ago.  Today my sailing has went up around $1000 for the same suite.  Once the Encore debuts all the cabins including the Haven will start selling like hot cakes.

 

[js]

Wow, thank you for your responses, which honestly, I wasn't expecting.

It makes me feel better 🙂LOL

 

We sail NCL in the summer since my dh can only sail at that time, so prices for the Haven are extremely high in the summer.  My mom and I started sailing YC on MSC in winter and it is fabulous but my adult kids that come with us, much prefer the nightlife on NCL (so do my dh and I).

While we don't sit by the pool we enjoy looking out to the ocean with shade and, especially on the Encore, think this request will be hard to fulfill.

 

I enjoy reading your responses.  Thank you.

 

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

We book Haven out right and pay their going rate.  I know what I want when I cruise NCL so I will pay up front rather than hope for success with the bidding process.  For my June (2019) cruise on Breakaway I booked a spa suite in February.  It was a little more pricey than I remembered but it included the thermal suite so I went with it.  Later, the prices fell.  Of course it was after final payment but my TA managed to get us upgraded to an H6 (aft penthouse) for the price I paid on my original booking.  The only downside was that I then had to buy thermal suite passes.  I love everything about the Haven!!

[erdoran]

Hubby and I love Haven and will ONLY book Haven, so yes, we book at full price (or whatever TA deal we can get) the least expensive Haven suite that we would be happy in.  We've never gotten an upgrade in the Haven by bidding.  Hubby would be so miserable out of the Haven that it wouldn't be worth the trip.  

 

Yep, when I hear the deals of folks getting upgraded to Haven I ask myself the same question, but the flip side is "how stupid would I feel if I didn't get the upgrade and then the trip sucked because we really wanted Haven?"

[love to read]

My wife and i love the Haven. We book outright and don’t worry about the bidding process. 

[GA Dave]

2 hours ago, js said:

Hi.

 

While we do balconies on RCCL, we sail Haven on NCL and are Platinum.

 

I currently have an H5 and an H4 booked for an Encore August 2020 sailing and in reading the pages and pages of CC, wondering if I'm the only idiot that actually books and pays full price for the Haven?

We love the Haven so yes, I guess it's my decision to be an idiot 🙂

or not but wondering if there are actually people, like me, that book the Haven when doing their initial booking.

Misery loves company so just wondering LOL

Thank you!

Us too.  We lucked into an upgrade to Haven from a mini-suite on our last cruise when prices dropped dramatically overnight a couple of months out.  Now we cannot imagine not going Haven.  So we are paying the current "rack rate" for our Sept. 2020 eastern Med cruise.

[js]

Thank you all! Yes, we pay "rack rate" too but my TA discounts over $1,000 on Haven cabins (depending on the cabin) so we do get a discount instead of OBC (I can choose either) but the discount comes from the posted NCL rate.  Would love for a Guest 3-6 sail free, but don't remember if I'm getting that confused with RCCL LOL

 

Like I said, misery loves company and while it stinks we are all paying the high prices, I'm happy I'm not the only one LOL
 

 

[erdoran]

I read an article about suites & cruising, and it was noted that ships tend to sell from "top down" meaning in my mind lots of people are in the same boat 😆 we are regarding buying suites at "rack rates".

[StolidCruiser]

13 minutes ago, js said:

Thank you all! Yes, we pay "rack rate" too but my TA discounts over $1,000 on Haven cabins (depending on the cabin) so we do get a discount instead of OBC (I can choose either) but the discount comes from the posted NCL rate.  Would love for a Guest 3-6 sail free, but don't remember if I'm getting that confused with RCCL LOL

 

Like I said, misery loves company and while it stinks we are all paying the high prices, I'm happy I'm not the only one LOL
 

 

 

Why does it stink? You are getting exactly the product you want for the price you are comfortable paying.  That has been our approach on our Haven bookings. 

 

If you feel somehow slighted that someone else, through a last-minute effort to unload inventory, paid less than "rack rate" (translation... less than you did), you can be somewhat pacified that you didn't have to gamble on a lottery-type system to "win" the stateroom you want.

 

I think your "idiot" point was a feeling that most don't book Haven outright and play the bidding game, which couldn't be farther from the truth based on the responses you have received.   The bidding concept is not as widely embraced as you think - it's just widely discussed here by a preponderance who enjoy booking something less than they want in hopes of getting what they really want "cheap". 

[js]

4 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

Why does it stink? You are getting exactly the product you want for the price you are comfortable paying.  That has been our approach on our Haven bookings. 

 

If you feel somehow slighted that someone else, through a last-minute effort to unload inventory, paid less than "rack rate" (translation... less than you did), you can be somewhat pacified that you didn't have to gamble on a lottery-type system to "win" the stateroom you want.

 

I think your "idiot" point was a feeling that most don't book Haven outright and play the bidding game, which couldn't be farther from the truth based on the responses you have received.   The bidding concept is not as widely embraced as you think - it's just widely discussed here by a preponderance who enjoy booking something less than they want in hopes of getting what they really want "cheap". 

I'm also from NY, one of the five boroughs.

 

For lack of a better word just typing in a post, it "stinks" since the prices are high IMO.

 

Nope, never said or feel slighted.  Really could care less what others do or pay, just wondering if most get upgraded to Haven or just book outright. From reading CC, looks like quite a lot book a lower cabin and try/do upgrade.

 

Wasn't aware of what the outcome of my post would show, thus my question.

 

Maybe I'll see you in the Haven one day.

 

Happy planning 🙂

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by js

[js]

29 minutes ago, erdoran said:

I read an article about suites & cruising, and it was noted that ships tend to sell from "top down" meaning in my mind lots of people are in the same boat 😆 we are regarding buying suites at "rack rates".

 

Interesting.  Thank you.

[mertziek]

We, too, pay the Haven rate from the start because it’s important to us to have the cabin we want.  We don’t want to leave it to chance.  People always say book the least expensive cabin you can be satisfied with and don’t rely on getting your desired cabin from the bidding game.  Think that’s a good way to look at it.  If we get a chance to bid, that’s nice but we will be happy with our original selection if we don’t win a bid.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Won a 2br on the Gem, then booked a H6 Haven Aft on the Escape for our belated honeymoon.[emoji41] Looking at another H6 on the Bliss for another big event![emoji106][emoji111]

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
 

Edited July 17, 2019 by *Luv2Cruz*

[GA Dave]

23 minutes ago, mertziek said:

We, too, pay the Haven rate from the start because it’s important to us to have the cabin we want.  We don’t want to leave it to chance.  People always say book the least expensive cabin you can be satisfied with and don’t rely on getting your desired cabin from the bidding game.  Think that’s a good way to look at it.  If we get a chance to bid, that’s nice but we will be happy with our original selection if we don’t win a bid.

We feel the same way.  We booked our next cruise in the same exact Haven cabin, on the same ship as our last cruise because we absolutely loved the location and the service.  We may bid on the DOS and OS for our cruise, but that would be it, as we do not want to risk our prime location for anything less.

[etravel]

We also are booking the Haven (H9 Haven Spa Balcony) from the get go..and since those are limited in number, we feel like it best to book as far out as possible to secure that type of cabin...We like that we are getting a nice cabin in the Haven, and being able to enjoy the Thermal suites as well! Did the same type of suite on the Getaway last year...Right now on our sailing of the Encore in May 2020, the H9's are sold out...So we are happy with our rate and will just continue to monitor it in case any better rates happen to come up..I have never been lucky at gambling so feel better to go with the sure thing! We love the services of the Haven and are looking forward to sailing on the new ship! 

[drvmywifecrzy]

So on the topic of buy outright or bid.  On my upcoming Escape cruise from NY.  30 days out there are currently about 40 H5 thru H9 left out of 60 inventory.  That seems pretty high for an open rate of Haven Rooms.  Here is to hoping a bid get accepted for me

[Peachypooh]

We always pay the going rate and try to book as soon as the itineraries are posted. That said, since we

are flexible we look at the cabin we want for the cruise we want and then look at all the different sale dates and try to book

the date with the lowest cost for the cabin we want. A Haven  2 bedroom on the Encore varied a lot.