bliss.haven..christmas

[luckyinpa]

quiet place away from the maddening crowds or since it's a holiday there's no escaping crowds?

 

 on a NY trip you have 4 days of cold so i was just curious first hand experience of what its like in haven then. 

[Two Wheels Only]

Get Spa access.

 

The 16 and up sundeck won't be desirable if it is cold outside. The same is probably true for the Waterfront. The courtyard will probably be filled with people of all ages.

[Vyhanek]

The Haven will be crowded with families.   You can count on the courtyard being completely not relaxing or quiet.    It will be a buzz of children, marco polo in the tiny pool, kids in the hot tub.    Thats what you get cruising any holiday week and all during the month of March and thru mid April for Spring Break.     Even the sundeck, over age 16, will be very crowded.   There isn't adequate space up there for all the haven guests who want to enjoy it, then make it a big holiday week.    

 

Set realistic expectations.

 

For relaxing and quieter, get a spa pass and get a Vibe pass.   

[luckyinpa]

is the spa capacity controlled? ive been on the BA in the spa but it was october, not christmas. i forgot about vibe. if i recall you gotta rush to customer service as soon as you get on to buy it?

[tallnthensome]

They only sell so many thermal spa passes ..... so yes. 

[NYcruzzer]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

is the spa capacity controlled? ive been on the BA in the spa but it was october, not christmas. i forgot about vibe. if i recall you gotta rush to customer service as soon as you get on to buy it?

 

Leaving from NYC in the early Winter I do not think you will have enough warm days to make the Vibe worth the money. I was on Escape last NYE and will be on Bliss this NYE.. A better purchase would be the Spa pass.. It's a little slice of heaven. Just be aware that even though the Spa is Capacity controlled you may find crowds during peak times on sea days. It's also possible you will encounter heated lounge-hogs in the Spa as well.

[luckyinpa]

well i just did a bit of research. i had no idea vibe is 209..thats insane! def wouldnt buy it. i had heated lounge hogs on an october trip but no one actually sat on them bizarre. 

[luckyinpa]

so how do you think the cruise the week before would be? prices are much better so i'm assuming less demand

[marktwothousand]

I did Bliss last Christmas. It was packed like you would expect it to be. I wouldn't not do a Christmas cruise again, but I wouldn't make it an annual thing. It wasn't so much that the ship was busy, its that I was with a group of adults and the amount of kids and families on the ship didn't make it as fun of an adult and mature crowd I am used to. For example, there were numerous teens slipping into the nightclub during adult hours.

[BrownEyedGirl686]

On 9/16/2019 at 6:36 PM, luckyinpa said:

so how do you think the cruise the week before would be? prices are much better so i'm assuming less demand

 

 

That is the cruise we are on. I am not sure who is more excited Dh and myself or

the children lol

 

[mafig]

On 9/9/2019 at 1:09 PM, Vyhanek said:

The Haven will be crowded with families.   You can count on the courtyard being completely not relaxing or quiet.    It will be a buzz of children, marco polo in the tiny pool, kids in the hot tub.    Thats what you get cruising any holiday week and all during the month of March and thru mid April for Spring Break.     Even the sundeck, over age 16, will be very crowded.   There isn't adequate space up there for all the haven guests who want to enjoy it, then make it a big holiday week.    

 

Set realistic expectations.

 

For relaxing and quieter, get a spa pass and get a Vibe pass.   

I'd love to do the Haven.

 

However, when I read posts like the above, I find myself drawn to MSC's Yacht Club. 

Smaller suites.....less $$$ too!

[luckyinpa]

sadly in the NE there are little options unless flying. MSC is on my list though if i ever decide to fly and i did a video tour of the YC and like it!. but for variety of cabins i have to say NCL seems to have them beat if you need that aspect and this trip i do. 

 

the pricing of YC did kind of make me wonder why its so cheap compared to haven (who includes the mini bar and snacks!!!) then i realized they can 'make' any cabin a yacht club one (their slider thing is fun to play with online). but paying 4000 for an inside on a holiday doesnt excite me even if it is YC.

 

one of our parties is waiting to hear about time off and hope they get the week before christmas because it's half price of the following week for what i want.  

[Two Wheels Only]

4 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

...then i realized they can 'make' any cabin a yacht club one (their slider thing is fun to play with online)

 

It isn't just any stateroom. There are YC interior staterooms but they are only certain ones. 

[luckyinpa]

On 9/19/2019 at 3:18 PM, BrownEyedGirl686 said:

 

 

That is the cruise we are on. I am not sure who is more excited Dh and myself or

the children lol

 

 

i know some threads here state when you are on board they tell you how many kids. i'm assuming 1500 for christmas would be  a fair number. i just want a few moments in the haven hot tubs is all. but i notice in courtyard is only one tub so it has to be all ages. i know on the BA they did kick kids out of the adult one. and i also want my steak and eggs for bfast as well as those little fruit cups! so healthy and my mom would be proud.

 

i'm still waiting on final word from my other party  to finally book, but my theory on haven vs not for christmas is that at least you get the perks along with the crowds. and if the days are cold up and back to NYC then the extra interior space should be worth it.

 

ill be squished in H5 with 3 and stuck on the sofabed but isnt that better than a regular room 🙂

thats what i'm gambling on.  people keep telling me you just sleep in the room and this cruise i think that will be true. 

 

the fact that the aft haven is over 3K more than the courtyard is a bit insane.  and if you go the week before i could get the aft for 5700 bucks! 

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as an aside, browneyed, were you on/or reseaching a bermuda cruise for oct 2016 on the BA? name sounds familiar.