WTH! Haven Restuarant CLOSED our entire sailing!

[megansdad1]

I think this kinda falls under the category of missing a port.  You paid for a service/experience and that has been changed.  I would be disappointed myself.  But I would not get upset by it personally.  Especially since they have made some reasonable accommodations to help compensate this.

 

For all those shamming the Haven guests. No one should get attacked or guilted for being upset or disappointed for something that they have paid for.  

[FLcruisergrl]

13 hours ago, Sauer-kraut said:

And totally piss off all the passengers that have booked that restaurant.  What's better piss off a few who feel entitled or piss off many more passengers over the week.

Ok, I don’t agree with closing one of the specialty restaurants for a week as a solution, but why do you label the Haven passengers entitled? Simply because they pay more for exclusive service than you do? Are Haven passengers entitled? YES, they are ENTITLED to get what they pay for, just as non-Haven passengers are ENTITLED to get what THEY pay for- i.e. access to all specialty restaurants.

[david_sobe]

With most passengers already having a specialty meal package and now all Haven guests get 7 days of specialty dinners.  I think its going to be very hard to get reservations for many on the ship.

I love the Haven restaurant.  The specialty restaurants are so packed, they are almost MDR like these days.

[dexddd]

16 hours ago, TPgal said:

Well, to be sure it will not be very full and should be extremely quiet on their sailing.   

 

TBH, I'm sure I'd be put out by the change as well, but hopefully the staff won't lock the dining area off so the Haveners will have access to the tables for cards, cocktails or whatnot.  

I'm thinking the whole area will be closed off.  Other than maybe the outside area on Escape, we didn't see anyone in Haven restaurant just drinking or playing cards ala like the buffet.  You really wouldn't want to unless maybe right by the window since it is kind of dark.  Better sitting options in Haven.

[newmexicoNita]

19 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Thanks for pointing that out: there are times, even though we hate it, when businesses have no choice.  I always find it amazing the attitude posters take on topics, depending on the attitude of the OP. Here more negatives about the closing and on the other post on the subject it is pretty much a different story. As the old saying goes: it isn't what we say but how we say it that leaves an impression. 

[sverigecruiser]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

What compensation would you seek? Preparing food in the main galley 12 decks down and 1/2 the length of the ship away would only mean very slow service and cold food at service. 

 

The cruise line has replaced a complimentary restaurant in the Haven with a menu that never changes with any of the for-fee specialty restaurant on the ship, every night. We cruise often, and never eat at the Haven Restaurant for dinner more than once or twice on a cruise because the menu is always the same. We would be ecstatic to eat at other specialty restaurants for free every night.

 

If the closest galley they can use is that far away from the Haven I may agree with you.

 

If I booked the Haven I should not really care if the specialty restaurants were included. I should still prefer to eat in the Havenrestaurant. The menu they have is enough for me and we eat dinner there at least five times during a weeklong cruise.

[Sea saw 56]

I believe what I would miss the most is the ability to show up for a nice dinner whenever you chose, without a reservation.

That is the advantage of the dedicated haven dinner restaurant.

We always have a meal package + latitudes vouchers to use, so each night a reservation is necessary.  

Sometimes it's just nice to be able to wing it, not have a plan, and still be able have a nice, quiet, dinner.

We had our first "big ship" experience on the Epic in April.  I must admit that the dedicated dinner restaurant & bar were a treat.

When you book a haven room on the Joy, that is what you expect.  I would be disappointed too.

[CruisingSince1982]

22 hours ago, aero777 said:

Give us 7 specialty dinners, hell yes! 

 

And for for those in an aft H6 Cagney’s will be more convenient than the Haven restaurant. 

 

 

 

That's a good way of looking at it .... If I were in the Haven itself, I would be upset. In the H6, doesn't make much difference! 

[CruisingSince1982]

22 hours ago, Dgius said:

UPDATE:  I just called to try and make reservations for the specialty dining rooms......AND THERE ARE NO SLOTS AVAILABLE LEFT.......IN ANY OF THE RESTAURANTS until 9:45PM!!!!!!   Which is not an option for my husband and me.   I was trying to be opened minded....NOW I am just ticked off!!!   

 

FWIW, we never had a problem getting into any restaurant with a Haven key card - even if they were "sold out". 

[CruisingSince1982]

21 hours ago, KarlChilders said:

But of course they will have to rub elbows with the hoi polloi, the horror!

 

There it is - the inevitable green-eyed monster 😊

[cruisetheworld67]

15 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

They don't feel entitled. They ARE entitled in that they PAID for the service which they are now not receiving.

 

Why do people crap all over Haven guests with the steerage comments and all that nonsense? Consider for a moment what your ass looks like to all the people in the slums of Rotán when that entitled ship of yours sails away off into the sunset.

 

 

 

Because in a  nutshell ....they are jealous.   Jealous that you can afford something that they will never be able to afford. Same reason why people are jealous of others who live in a bigger house,  drive a better car, have  a  better job.  The list is endless. Jealousy is a  strong  human  emotion.  Screw  'em.

[sverigecruiser]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We cruise often, and never eat at the Haven Restaurant for dinner more than once or twice on a cruise

 

Maybe that is the reason why you don't understand the problem.

 

We have been eating once or twice in Le Bistro, the rest of our dinners has been in the Havenrestaurant.

[Greenpea2]

2 hours ago, Sea saw 56 said:

I believe what I would miss the most is the ability to show up for a nice dinner whenever you chose, without a reservation.

That is the advantage of the dedicated haven dinner restaurant.

We always have a meal package + latitudes vouchers to use, so each night a reservation is necessary.  

Sometimes it's just nice to be able to wing it, not have a plan, and still be able have a nice, quiet, dinner.

We had our first "big ship" experience on the Epic in April.  I must admit that the dedicated dinner restaurant & bar were a treat.

When you book a haven room on the Joy, that is what you expect.  I would be disappointed too.

Well said. I would be too. OP,  this is disappointing for sure. Having a restaurant in the Haven itself is a big perk. Some people don't use it much, so ok. They would be fine about it. But a lot of people look forward to having it right there even if they only eat a couple of dinners there and that is indeed part of what they thought they were paying for. I'm sure having Cagney's as your dedicated restaurant will be nice, but it is just not the same. 

 

[SeaShark]

31 minutes ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

 

 

Because in a  nutshell ....they are jealous.   Jealous that you can afford something that they will never be able to afford. Same reason why people are jealous of others who live in a bigger house,  drive a better car, have  a  better job.  The list is endless. Jealousy is a  strong  human  emotion.  Screw  'em.

 

That isn't how I'd describe it. I don't think most people are jealous at all. I think most people could really care less and might just be annoyed at the way that Haven guests always seem to go out of their way to remind others that they are in the Haven. Seems like a lot of Haven guests wear it on their sleeve like a badge of honor and they think that everyone needs to know that they are special because they are in the Haven.

 

It really isn't about being able to afford it...there are many people who, in pursuit of status (real or imagined), live outside their means. If people only undertook what they could afford, we wouldn't have a big Student Loan Crisis in this country. There are folks in Haven cabins who are overextended to be there...instead of in a cabin they can actually afford. Of course, this isn't to say ALL Haven guests...just SOME Haven guests.

 

Looking at the ships it is easy to see that the Haven represents a small percentage of the overall number of cabins, yet if you read these boards you'd think every other person sails in the Haven. You hear waaaaay more Haven mentions here than the percentage would lead you to believe. It is almost like people in the Haven go out of their way to let everyone know about it.

 

Heck...just look at the number of "What does a butler do?" threads here. You'd think that wealthy people would KNOW what a butler does. The number of times this gets asked makes you think that the only time these people are exposed to a butler is while watching Batman.

[KarlChilders]

5 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

That isn't how I'd describe it. I don't think most people are jealous at all. I think most people could really care less and might just be annoyed at the way that Haven guests always seem to go out of their way to remind others that they are in the Haven. Seems like a lot of Haven guests wear it on their sleeve like a badge of honor and they think that everyone needs to know that they are special because they are in the Haven.

 

It really isn't about being able to afford it...there are many people who, in pursuit of status (real or imagined), live outside their means. If people only undertook what they could afford, we wouldn't have a big Student Loan Crisis in this country. There are folks in Haven cabins who are overextended to be there...instead of in a cabin they can actually afford. Of course, this isn't to say ALL Haven guests...just SOME Haven guests.

 

Looking at the ships it is easy to see that the Haven represents a small percentage of the overall number of cabins, yet if you read these boards you'd think every other person sails in the Haven. You hear waaaaay more Haven mentions here than the percentage would lead you to believe. It is almost like people in the Haven go out of their way to let everyone know about it.

 

Heck...just look at the number of "What does a butler do?" threads here. You'd think that wealthy people would KNOW what a butler does. The number of times this gets asked makes you think that the only time these people are exposed to a butler is while watching Batman.

I think you nailed it SeaShark.  I was just thinking that I bet on virtually every cruise there is someone in the Haven who will be paying credit card interest for ages to take that trip. Others I'm sure could sail the Haven weekly without straining their budget.  But we have all read comments on here that would make one think the rest of the ship is a leper colony, lol, particularly the comments like "I'm sure they only got in the Haven through the upgrade program".  

[Two Wheels Only]

3 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

Heck...just look at the number of "What does a butler do?" threads here.

 

I think that the high number of "Haven threads" is due to a high number of people who are unfamiliar with the "ship within a ship" concept even if they have been on many cruises. Many threads are started by first time Haven guests who have no idea of what to expect. They also don't really know how to "fit in" with other Haven guests because the (incorrect) belief is that Haven guests are different.

 

There are also a high percentage of Yacht Club threads on the MSC board. There are also a high percentage of "dress code" threads over there because people (many NCL guests) are unfamiliar with what to wear on MSC whether in the Yacht Club or not.

 

DSC threads are also popular because people are unfamiliar with "forced tipping" which is how they see it. Not to get into that topic but the mystery of what the DSC is can be seen as a reason for so many threads just as the mystery/mystique of the Haven leads to so many Haven threads.

 

As for what people can afford, it is impossible to know. I know a Ferrari owner who wears the same old jeans and old t-stirt nearly every day. I also know women who walk around with shopping bags from expensive stores even though they haven't purchased anything from that store in months.

[lgdesign]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

As for what people can afford, it is impossible to know. I know a Ferrari owner who wears the same old jeans and old t-stirt nearly every day. I also know women who walk around with shopping bags from expensive stores even though they haven't purchased anything from that store in months.

 

Exactly... a lot of people make assumptions based on pre-concieved notions and prejudices with little or no specific information about the individuals (or groups of people) they're judging.  Generalizing about "Haven" people or the people in "steerage" does no one any good.  I've seen the best behavior and poorest behavior in ALL areas of the ship... and it had nothing to do with what was in people's bank accounts.  Rudeness and demanding entitlement can show up any where onboard and it's always disturbing.

 

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by lgdesign

[Named-Tawny]

2 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 You'd think that wealthy people would KNOW what a butler does. The number of times this gets asked makes you think that the only time these people are exposed to a butler is while watching Batman.

 

TBQH, if a Haven butler would furnish me with, and help me put on, a batsuit, I'd upgrade in a hot second.

[AmazedByCruising]

2 hours ago, SeaShark said:

Heck...just look at the number of "What does a butler do?" threads here. You'd think that wealthy people would KNOW what a butler does. The number of times this gets asked makes you think that the only time these people are exposed to a butler is while watching Batman.

 

How many wealthy people have a butler nowadays? Anyway, the main function of a butler is to run the household. On a ship there's a Hotel Director for that. I don't think it's a strange question.

[rxlowry]

That is a real shame for you!  After looking at the pictures from the Breakaway thread of the Haven restaurant, it looks like the best plating NCL does.  

[KarlChilders]

4 minutes ago, Named-Tawny said:

 

TBQH, if a Haven butler would furnish me with, and help me put on, a batsuit, I'd upgrade in a hot second.

Post of the day!!!!

[Peachypooh]

In the end people divide themselves into us vs. them all the time.

I know I don't need to list the ways they do this because if you

think even past political parties, religion etc. you can probably think

of a dozen other ways. This is just the perceived  rich vs. everyone else example.

You really can't tell by a cabin someone reserves on vacation what their financial

status is. Someone can be in a Haven Cabin because family members chipped

in because that person has a terminal illness and there can be people in inside

cabins that have lots of money but choose to spend it differently like funding

grandchildren's educations. In my estimation there are only two distinctions

between people that mean anything at all. Those who are kind and those who

are unkind. And you DO see both of those on ships.

[SeaShark]

8 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

How many wealthy people have a butler nowadays? Anyway, the main function of a butler is to run the household. On a ship there's a Hotel Director for that. I don't think it's a strange question.

 

I have to give you credit...I've never seen anyone try to equate the function of a butler to that of a hotel director before.

 

 

FWIW...you don't have to "have a butler" to be educated enough to know what they do. Even poor people can know what a butler does. Money is not a requirement for knowledge.

[pcakes122]

9 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

How many wealthy people have a butler nowadays? Anyway, the main function of a butler is to run the household. On a ship there's a Hotel Director for that. I don't think it's a strange question.

I do think that the questions about butler service do reflect on what types of service folks you probably employ in your day-to-day life.  If you have regular housekeeping service, laundry, pool or gardening, meal/food/grocery delivery service, eat out frequently, etc. you are familiar with and comfortable with tipping those in service professions.  It's something I've thought about many times when reading those threads. The tipping and butler questions do come across a bit like "the Clampett's are coming to town and we don't know nuthin' about this here fancy stuff."  (Not to say that there's anything fancy about hiring service folks - but I think people who do NOT think that there is.)

 

And I don't really ever see any Haven guests posting that they are "special."  It's the non-Haven guests who THINK that Haven guests think they are special.  I cruise in the Haven and I'm not special. 😉  I just enjoy a higher level of service and I'm willing to pay for it - both when I am on vacation AND when I am home.   (Translation: I do ALOT of tipping every day 😂 so I don't need to ask anyone on the internet how to tip.) 

 

 

[david_sobe]

The convenience is the main issue.  Some are overly harsh thinking its only about Haven status. Imagine booking a resort on the beach with pools, restaurants, bars, etc and upon arrival they tell you their restaurant is closed but you can eat at the restaurant down the street for no extra price.  Or:  The pool is closed but you can use the hotel pool next door.  Is it the end of the world?  NO   Does it impact your vacation experience?  YES  If any amenity is closed or rerouted, it has an impact.  The Haven restaurant inside the complex has great atmosphere and service.

Also, saying the concierge can get you into a specialty restaurant at any time with no problems is NOT true.  A few times the concierge told us the restaurant was sold out completely and no room.  That may be a rare occurrence but I can verify its true.

Edited September 6, 2019 by david_sobe