Compare NCL Haven Penthouse to MSC YC Suite

[mafig]

For those of you who have been on both:

How does the NCL Haven Penthouse compare to MSC's Yacht Club suite with balcony?

 

I'm looking at some videos of the Haven Courtyard  Penthouse and it seems pretty small, with a small balcony (vs. some of their other offerings that are not in the Haven).  The YC suites (on Seaside and Divina) are also on the small side for a suite.  How do they compare?  Balcony size? room size? bathroom?  

 

Hard to believe, but the prices are about the same!

[DPCM]

3 hours ago, mafig said:

For those of you who have been on both:

How does the NCL Haven Penthouse compare to MSC's Yacht Club suite with balcony?

 

I'm looking at some videos of the Haven Courtyard  Penthouse and it seems pretty small, with a small balcony (vs. some of their other offerings that are not in the Haven).  The YC suites (on Seaside and Divina) are also on the small side for a suite.  How do they compare?  Balcony size? room size? bathroom?  

 

Hard to believe, but the prices are about the same!

 

3 hours ago, mafig said:

For those of you who have been on both:

How does the NCL Haven Penthouse compare to MSC's Yacht Club suite with balcony?

 

I'm looking at some videos of the Haven Courtyard  Penthouse and it seems pretty small, with a small balcony (vs. some of their other offerings that are not in the Haven).  The YC suites (on Seaside and Divina) are also on the small side for a suite.  How do they compare?  Balcony size? room size? bathroom?  

 

Hard to believe, but the prices are about the same!

The penthouse suite and the YC suites are similar .  I believe that the YC suite is just a bit larger  .  It's the experience with the Haven and YC that you are paying for . I have heard and agree that once you try either , you can't go back.

[Até]

I did love that NCL has some of the best suites in the industry, my favorite had been the Two Bedroom Suites.   The Dawn class Garden Villa with my family was outstanding.  I've also been in Penthouse and Spa Suites.  So I also felt MSC YC Deluxe might be a little small but we've adjusted fine and actually now have no problem in 190 sq/ft Balcony cabins and even the 175 to 225 sq/ft YC insides. 

 

I felt both the NCL and the MSC cabins you mention were fairly similar in size, the eight squarish YC on Fantasia class do feel roomier though.  The balconies on both MSC classes are definitely deeper than the Breakaway/Getaway.  I've not been on BA+ but they supposedly fixed that problem.  I prefer the cabin layout of the MSC Seaside ships because the NCL Penthouse cabins waste too much space with the hallway into the cabin and the walk in closet entrance into the bathroom.  The walk in closet is nice,  but Haven Spa Suites have a better layout even with the wasted space of the tub.  I don't like Fantasia class bathrooms, I actually prefer their standard cabin bathrooms with a shower.  The double faucet sink on NCL wasn't really that useful to us, I felt the smaller sink on MSC gave more places for storage in the bathroom.  MSC Seaside would be my best bathroom layout  but they were very similar, again with a slight edge to the Spa Suite over the Penthouse Suite. 

 

I feel there is also a distinct advantage of the Seaside class's other YC amenities over the NCL Haven.  With Fantasia class YC is still nice, but I don't like the restaurant location or spa so it's more of a toss up.

 

My last Seaside YC Deluxe sailing was a seven day last Fall and it cost $3650 total.  I have a two week Fantasia class YC booking next Summer for $6075 total.  I haven't seen anything close to that on NCL Penthouse or even Spa suites unless you're relying on bidding.  I have found recently MSC is increasing YC cabin prices as the sail date approaches, so have switched to booking as soon as the itinerary is released.  Many sailings sell out early then eventually cabins pop back into inventory at higher prices.  Booking YC near or after the deposit loss 120 days is now extremely expensive.

[Russ_MT]

We sailed Escape Owners suite.  And standard YC on MSC.    

 

Haven has a dedicated bar and sundeck.  So does MSC.   MSC lounge is full forward  with views. NCL is inside.   NCL butlers will do anything, so will MSC.   MSC butlers are EVERYWHERE.    You can't get your own coffee.  They will bring it to you.   NCL is more on demand. 

 

Both have private sun decks and pools.   I feel MSC does more to please.   Want a bottle of wine, you got it.  NCL would too I guess.   But MSC seems to prioritize YC.   Special elevators, butlers escort you EVERYWHERE including show and off ship. 

 

Both ships are similar  YC is vastly less expensive for great service. 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Have been in an Haven Penthouse and it was plenty spacious ...about 270 sq. feet room size and 58 sq. ft. balcony size. The balcony was small but big enough for 2 people to have morning coffee.  We are trying a YC Deluxe suite in March.  YC Deluxe, approx 226 sq ft with balcony...but it's not broken down by inside specs and balcony specs.  So over all the Haven PH is a little bit bigger.  Youtube videos of the YC Deluxe suggest that there will be enough room for 2...but in the video the space between the two categories seems about the same.  The actual dimensions tell a different story.  So I guess the question is, will you be spending enough time in your room for the size difference to matter?  Or will the exclusive amenities be enough to offset.  I hope to be better able to answer that in the coming months.

 

 

[mafig]

Thank you everyone!

We have been in the YC on Divina and Seaside, but wanted to try the Haven.

 

I was looking at the Forward Penthouse and Aft Penthouse.  Liked the Aft PH, but I remembered how on Divina we didn't care for that walk to the restaurant (especially at dinner when it seemed like the whole ship was walking in the opposite direction!)

So I looked at the Courtyard Penthouse and saw some videos and saw it was quite a bit smaller than the two mentioned.  I wondered how it compared to the YC suite, which was more than enough room for us.  (although we do love a large, aft balcony).  Those NCL suites outside the Haven sure are nice, but I wondered do we really need two bathrooms and all that storage space for just the two of us?  LOL

 

It's nice (but frustrating) to have so many choices.😏

Edited September 8, 2019 by mafig

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Those NCL suites outside the Haven sure are nice, but I wondered do we really need two bathrooms and all that storage space for just the two of us?

Well now that you've mentioned the haven aft penthouses, let me just say that IMO they are the best cabin out there!  We had one on deck 9 on Breakaway back in June.  The space is absolutely beautiful.  Deck 9 has one of the deepest, if not the deepest balconies on the ship.  The master bath overlooks the ocean and the master bedroom is tucked just behind that and is very dark at night.  I loved this bc I like a very dark room when I sleep.  The extra bath came in handy...not really the shower but just the extra toilet/sink.  Usually, my DH will find a place on the ship where he can have his morning constitutional without having to take up the main bathroom.  In this suite, he never had to leave the room for the "special place".  Also, there were a few afternoons when it rained and we watched the down pours from the comfort and protection of our balcony.  Took a few naps out there too.  As far as the walk to the Haven, well there is that but being on deck 9 put us much closer to all the other venues.  We got around the distance issue by packing a pool bag with a change of clothes, usually work out clothes, and kept them in the locker room in the thermal suite area so that we didn't have to traipse back and forth so many times through out the day.  We also had excellent service from our butler despite some reviews that indicated that they are less attentive to guests outside the Haven.  IDK...if you have an opportunity to book one of these cabins, I think you'll find them hard to beat! 

[George C]

YC delux is 269 on seaside, many times size is different on different ships. 

[mafig]

Thanks a lot GP.  Nowyou really have me confused!!!

[gmbhardy]

We haven’t stayed in a Haven Courtyard room so I’m not in a position to offer an opinion, but instead, would like to comment on the two experiences. First of all IMO it is impossible to compare the YC experience against the Haven experience as they are different on each ship. For instance the Haven experience on the Bliss is quite different than the Getaway and I assume the same is true on the MSC ships. We’ve stayed in the YC on the Seaside and three times in the Getaway Haven, so my comparison is between those experiences. Embarkation is a draw. Haven has a wider variety of cabin choices and bigger rooms (yes some are not in the Haven area as such but cabins like the aft suites are spectacular). Restaurant is a draw. YC has a much nicer ambiance but the Haven has better food  and more consistent quality. Butler service is hit or miss in both YC and the Haven. The YC common areas blow the Haven right out of the water (no pun intended). Great pool and sun deck. Pool deck grill serving breakfast and lunch. Observation lounge with entertainment. The Haven, with a more relaxed dress code, is more casual than the YC.  The bartenders in the YC are bartenders. The bartenders in the Haven are mixologists. The YC has a priority elevator. You have free access to the thermal suite in the YC. You onli have access in the Haven if you book a spa suite. Loyalty program has more value on NCL. You have snacks delivered to your room every afternoon in the Haven. In the YC you have free access to anything in the mini bar/ fridge and you can customize its contents. All in all they are both great experiences and it is very difficult to pick one over the other. In the past the YC had a big advantage when comparing price, but that competitive advantage is shrinking. We have both the YC and Haven booked in the next couple years and we are looking forward to both experiences. We find it refreshing to mix things up.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Thanks a lot GP.  Nowyou really have me confused!!!

Oops, sorry.  I suppose you will just have to try them both and decide for yourself.  😁Either way, it's a good problem to have.  Please report back and tell us what you decided.

Update:  I think GMGHARDY (above) captures it well.  It would seem that you can't really go wrong with whatever you choose.

Edited September 8, 2019 by Georgia_Peaches

[cmdchiefthom]

I used to cruise aboard the ships of NCL, and have stayed in the HAVEN suites twice aboard the Epic, twice aboard the Getaway and once aboard the Escape before bailing off of NCL's ships because of the Frank Del Rio takeover of the NCL fleet.  Aboard the Epic, I found the HAVEN rather crowded, around the mini-pool area, the Suite balconies were tiny, and with cabins surrounding the central lounging area, the ocean was not visible unless you went to the top sun deck! It was like a big hole in the center of the HAVEN!  Nothing like openness of the upper Yacht Club sun deck on the Seaside!  As for the Escape and Getaway, I elected to book the stern corner suites with the huge open balcony, around 200 sq ft of space with a two room cabin!  I still utilized the HAVEN for dinner and drinks throughout the day, and didn't mind the walk between the stern of the ship and the HAVEN, so nothing lost!  As I can now compare NCL's HAVEN to MSC's Yacht Club, the convenience of the dining room, the Topsail Lounge and bar area, the Yacht Club Grill and Bar and pool.  MSC has knocked the NCL HAVENs out of the competition!!!! 

[SailBreakaway]

Courtyard Haven and Deluxe YC, for all intent and purposes, SAME. Been in both.

 

Aft Penthouse on a BA or BA+ class, INCREDIBLE.

[xznwfd]

I've stayed in the aft penthouse suite on the Escape, and a regular YC balcony suite on Seaside.  The Escape room was much larger and the balcony was huge!  I loved having a separate bedroom and living room but it was a very long walk to the Haven area, and our butler was pretty scarce - we rarely saw him all week.  

 

On the Seaside, the room was smaller but fine for 2.  The Yacht Club itself was MUCH better, better views, better service, and loved the restaurant.  Menus changed every day, every meal, and everything was delicious.  Our butler, Glen, was amazing - he couldn't do enough for us.  We loved the escort on and off the ship, especially when we disembarked.  The Top Sail lounge was amazing, so pretty and I've never had better service anywhere.  My vote would be for MSC Yacht Club (and I'm booked on Meraviglia in February!).  

 

Cathy

Edited September 9, 2019 by xznwfd
add name

[TrinaLC]

The aft Haven balconies are amazing. Just do the research because some are huge, others not so much (varies by deck). There are a number of posts on NCL board. But it is quite a walk, so factor that in!

 

overall, though, the Haven experience to me is nothing like the far superior YC experience, both as to the butler service (where all Butlers pitch in on YC v having to depend on one in Haven) and the vastly superior physical space and amenities on MSC. 

 

 

[frank808]

On 9/7/2019 at 12:11 PM, Até said:

I did love that NCL has some of the best suites in the industry, my favorite had been the Two Bedroom Suites.   The Dawn class Garden Villa with my family was outstanding.  I've also been in Penthouse and Spa Suites.  So I also felt MSC YC Deluxe might be a little small but we've adjusted fine and actually now have no problem in 190 sq/ft Balcony cabins and even the 175 to 225 sq/ft YC insides. 

 

I felt both the NCL and the MSC cabins you mention were fairly similar in size, the eight squarish YC on Fantasia class do feel roomier though.  The balconies on both MSC classes are definitely deeper than the Breakaway/Getaway.  I've not been on BA+ but they supposedly fixed that problem.  I prefer the cabin layout of the MSC Seaside ships because the NCL Penthouse cabins waste too much space with the hallway into the cabin and the walk in closet entrance into the bathroom.  The walk in closet is nice,  but Haven Spa Suites have a better layout even with the wasted space of the tub.  I don't like Fantasia class bathrooms, I actually prefer their standard cabin bathrooms with a shower.  The double faucet sink on NCL wasn't really that useful to us, I felt the smaller sink on MSC gave more places for storage in the bathroom.  MSC Seaside would be my best bathroom layout  but they were very similar, again with a slight edge to the Spa Suite over the Penthouse Suite. 

 

I feel there is also a distinct advantage of the Seaside class's other YC amenities over the NCL Haven.  With Fantasia class YC is still nice, but I don't like the restaurant location or spa so it's more of a toss up.

 

My last Seaside YC Deluxe sailing was a seven day last Fall and it cost $3650 total.  I have a two week Fantasia class YC booking next Summer for $6075 total.  I haven't seen anything close to that on NCL Penthouse or even Spa suites unless you're relying on bidding.  I have found recently MSC is increasing YC cabin prices as the sail date approaches, so have switched to booking as soon as the itinerary is released.  Many sailings sell out early then eventually cabins pop back into inventory at higher prices.  Booking YC near or after the deposit loss 120 days is now extremely expensive.

Great prices you have.  Since our YC sailing in 2018 the prices have gone up.  This coming June, on Seaside YC, for 3 is about $6k a week.  In 2018 sailed b2b in July for $8500 for both weeks.  Granted my son is now charged a fee instead of sailing for free but that is only $450 more each week.  Total about $3500 more than a year ago so about a 40% increase in price.

[Até]

31 minutes ago, frank808 said:

Total about $3500 more than a year ago so about a 40% increase in price.

I don't sail during Summer and am flexible so search for the better Voyagers Selection sailings and can sometimes still find decent deals.  The $3650 price last Fall was booked one month out, but I think the days of getting deals on last minute YC bookings seems to be over for now.  YC prices now usually sharply increase if you don't book ASAP.  I did manage a decent two week booking on Seaside for Spring 2021 when it first came out, only $500 more than two years ago.  YC is already about sold out and later when a few cabins eventually come back they will probably be priced quite higher.

[Kalum]

YC is still 30 to 40% (most times) less than NCL haven...at least during the weeks I I looked for comparable routes and ships

 

The big advantage NCL has is that there are so many more different suite types are available (but they do cost more of course). And with bliss joy and encore they finally added an ocean view lounge...great...but still in those ships the price difference is somestimes 100%...looked at a carribean cruise on encore vs seaside in feb...10k vs 5k...ok brand new ship...but still a huge difference... now even on epic its still 6.5k...and that ship is older...

not that you cannot get a good price with ncl too...joy about same time...from LA...5k gets you a haven cabin...