Sell me on the Haven

[sverigecruiser]

12 minutes ago, B Midged said:

If you enjoy a stale plate of snacks delivered to your room every night or a small pool where half of the people think it should be a playpen and the other half think it should be a library, than go for it. If not, then maybe not so much....

 

On which ships have you dissliked the Haven?

[latebloomer56]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I was on the Getaway and in the Haven.  I figure if you are doing the Haven, you are booking a 2-Bedroom Family Villa.  The key difference for you will be 1) The Haven Restaurant; 2) The Haven Bar; 3) The Haven Host desk in the Haven area; 4) The larger Haven courtyard.  Your situation with families taking over the courtyard can also happen however it always depends on the sailing and if it is a holiday.  The experience is much better on the larger ships like the Getaway, Bliss, Encore and Joy.  One more thing, the shows I saw on the Getaway were GREAT and I am no push over.  Enjoy.

Yes we will be in a 2 bedroom this has worked for us over the years. Looking at the Getaway it looks like the cabin is smaller but the Haven itself has more space. We are sailing March 6 th. fingers crossed 😊. 

Thanks for your post as well I had our son read it now he gets the idea why we are sailing in the Haven and he knows he will still have access to the entire ship.

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I wonder what the new terminal will be like. I've never had too negative an experience boarding in Miami. Usually get there fairly early, get through security, and then just end up sitting for a long time after checking in.

The Miami terminal is brand new. It is only for large NCL ships. They have a separate entrance for the haven, with separate security for the haven. Haven guess can board any time at all. They are squirted on the ship from the special haven port lounge.  All other guess will be given specific times to come to the port due to Covid restrictions. I hope I clarified thisAll other guess will be given specific times to come to the port due to Covid restrictions. I hope I clarified this

[jmele999]

23 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I have never been able to justify the additional price for a Haven suite on an NCL sailing. I just returned from an all inclusive that had a similar concept to some of the Haven perks. I allegedly had a "butler", who I never even met, but I did take advantage of the "virtual butler" via WhatsApp to do things like make restaurant reservations, request supplies for my room, and ask questions. So that was pretty handy. Mostly, though, our upgraded experience got us access to things like a more speedy and luxurious check-in, a private lounge, priority reservations at restaurants, and a private pool and beach area.

 

Having had that level of amenities at the all-inclusive has me thinking about splurging on the Haven for our next cruise. The main difference being that at the all-inclusive, it only cost us about $200 extra per person for the week and the Haven costs a minimum of about $1200 extra per person. So explain to me why I need to spend the extra money. What makes the Haven worth it to those of you who have done it or do it regularly?

Hi Jamie,

 

We have been in the Haven twice - Jewel and Escape - and loved the experience.  The Haven restaurant, bar, and pool area are great. 

 

If you are really considering the Haven, now is the time to try it before prices go up.  We are probably never going to see Haven cabins for $2,100 per person again anytime soon.  We are on the August 7th cruise out of Jamaica and looking forward to enjoying the Haven experience again.

 

Are you considering doing your B2B in the Haven or just one week?  Might be interesting to do one week in the Haven and the other week in a regular cabin so that you can compare experiences. 

 

In terms of cost, I am willing to pay $350 - 400 pppd, so somewhere between $2500 and $2800 per person for a seven day cruise.  Also, consider how much time you will spend onboard.  I might not consider the Haven if the cruise is visiting a lot of countries that I have not previously visited before.

 

Good luck with the decision.

 

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

47 minutes ago, jmele999 said:

Hi Jamie,

 

We have been in the Haven twice - Jewel and Escape - and loved the experience.  The Haven restaurant, bar, and pool area are great. 

 

If you are really considering the Haven, now is the time to try it before prices go up.  We are probably never going to see Haven cabins for $2,100 per person again anytime soon.  We are on the August 7th cruise out of Jamaica and looking forward to enjoying the Haven experience again.

 

Are you considering doing your B2B in the Haven or just one week?  Might be interesting to do one week in the Haven and the other week in a regular cabin so that you can compare experiences. 

 

In terms of cost, I am willing to pay $350 - 400 pppd, so somewhere between $2500 and $2800 per person for a seven day cruise.  Also, consider how much time you will spend onboard.  I might not consider the Haven if the cruise is visiting a lot of countries that I have not previously visited before.

 

Good luck with the decision.

 

 

 

 

I agree.   I have never seen Haven Suites going for ~$2,100/pp ($300/pppd).  I jumped on that deal for August, too.

[Yinster]

No one can fully described the Haven experience. You just have to take a leap of faith and get a haven suite for a price that you are happy to.

 

On our first NCL cruise, we were originally booked into a norma balcony but as the cruise got nearer, I noticed the price dropping for all cabins including haven ones. Till they were about £500pp difference from my balcony to a haven spa. We told our TA to upgrade our cabin to a haven spa. It meant another £1000. But breaking it down it was another £100 per night but now we had the full packages. In the UK if you pay haven you get the drinks package, at that time, every night could be speciality dinner, credit on excursions and WiFi. And we also had spa passes on the epic. That to us was value even though we paid extra.

 

Now we always look at haven prices. It's true, we try not to cruise non haven. But we never go above what we are comfortable to pay. For us, it must have value. And we know what the limit is for us.

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

My wife and I have booked the Haven only twice out of our two dozen NCL cruises.  The Breakaway was a 14 day trip from NYC to the Caribbean and back with six sea days.  The Getaway was a TA scheduled for 12 days (modified to just 10) with seven sea days.  The Haven made sense to us on these two cruises because of the large proportion of sea days.  If you're going to be spending a lot a time on board just hanging out, the benefits of the Haven really make a difference.  I don't think we would do it on one of the smaller ships, though.  They don't have a dedicated Haven restaurant like the mega ships do and the Haven lounge area on the small ships is not nearly as accommodating as it is on the big ships.  We also were lucky to be on cruises that were not fully booked, so we were able to upgrade at the last minute from a Balcony to the Haven at a very reasonable cost.

[Trimone]

Looking down lunchtime from the Haven restaurant, boarding in Miami February 14th 2020

[jasperess]

We've been on six cruises - the last two were in the Haven or a suite.  

 

Like you, we're not buffet people, whether on land or on cruise ship.  One of the main reasons we love the Haven is because the Haven restaurant is the best restaurant on the ship, and having good food on the ship is extremely important to us.  We also like to drink on vacation so I'll echo what people say about the Haven bartender, and having the bar so close means that drinks that you order with any meal of the day at the Haven restaurant come quickly as well.  This hasn't always been the case for us especially in the MDR or some specialty restaurants.  We don't really use the pool or the other facilities, so it's mostly about the restaurant for us.  

 

The room, however, cannot be undersold.  The larger room and potentially larger balcony (depending on room type) is a huge bonus.  Although we're big on activities around the ship as well as doing things in the ports, we also find we spend more awake time in our room and balcony, especially if we book one of the large balcony rooms.  The balcony is a nice place to lay out and read or admire a beautiful starry sky with a nice beverage in the evening.  We also enjoy the excellent coffee maker with the afternoon treats as our little vacation ritual.  If we're not big on the nightly entertainment and have tired with the casino, we bring drinks back to the room and watch a free movie (again, another perk of the Haven/Suite life).

 

There are some other items that others have mentioned as well, but these are the highlights for us.  Hope you find this helpful!

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Trimone said:

Looking down lunchtime from the Haven restaurant, boarding in Miami February 14th 2020

 

What even is happening there? I have never had to stand outside at the Miami port.

[mistertoaster]

We have sailed in the Haven six times and the MSC Yacht Club five times. We just booked our sixth Yacht Club trip departing next February. We have top tier status on both cruise lines so this is not a factor in our booking decision. Both experiences are great, but the Yacht Club experience has surpassed the Haven as follows:

 

1. NCL's Haven rooms are bigger than the standard Yacht Club room. However, we are rarely in our room during a cruise so this is not a big issue in our decision. Both rooms are well appointed. 

2. Both experiences grant you a butler and concierge. We rarely use either so not a big factor in our decision. 

3. Dining on NCL is more diverse if you venture outside the Haven. However, the Yacht Club dining is superb. Therefore, no need to venture outside the Club for dining. Although we do have one meal each cruise at Butcher's Cut, and steaks have always been superb. 

4. The Yacht Club is substantially less expensive than the Haven.

5. The Top Sail Lounge is significantly better than the Haven lounges. We are on the Seashore in February and the new Yacht Club spans three decks and will be the largest Yacht Club at sea.

6. Check-in experience is better in the Yacht Club. You arrive at the Yacht Club awning, are met by MSC staff and whisked aboard the ship avoiding all lines.

7. Both experiences offer drinks and internet as part of your package.

8. MSC's private island reserves a dedicated section of the island for Yacht Club members which includes a well appointed restaurant on the island for Yacht Club members. 

9. MSC ships are stunning in architecture and design. NCL ships have more bells and whistles on top deck water parks and other amusement areas. We are not traveling with children, but we have in the past. NCL holds the edge on top deck amusement areas.

10. NCL's decision to go with Broadway style production was nice for a few nights entertainment. However, after those shows you have little main theater entertainment. MSC has a new show every night. 

 

Our last three cruises have been with MSC, and we are likely not going back to NCL anytime soon. 

 

 

 

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, Trimone said:

Looking down lunchtime from the Haven restaurant, boarding in Miami February 14th 2020

Enough said. PERFECT

[B Midged]

16 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

On which ships have you dissliked the Haven?

Either the breakaway or getaway. I forget exactly which one. 

[sverigecruiser]

36 minutes ago, B Midged said:

Either the breakaway or getaway. I forget exactly which one. 

 

I haven't been on the Getaway so I can't say anything about that. I prefer the Epic over the Breakaway but I liked the retractable room over the pooldeck on Breakaway and the area on the second floor of the courtyard was nice. The lounge is much better on the Epic but I can't say anything I really dissliked with the Breakaway Haven.

[KeithJenner]

10 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I haven't been on the Getaway so I can't say anything about that. I prefer the Epic over the Breakaway but I liked the retractable room over the pooldeck on Breakaway and the area on the second floor of the courtyard was nice. The lounge is much better on the Epic but I can't say anything I really dissliked with the Breakaway Haven.

I may be wrong, but I think the Breakaway and Getaway havens are fairly well identical.

 

I seem to remember some discussion regarding one having a retractable roof and the other not, but other than that I think they are the same.

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I may be wrong, but I think the Breakaway and Getaway havens are fairly well identical.

 

I seem to remember some discussion regarding one having a retractable roof and the other not, but other than that I think they are the same.

I think, the Breakaway Plus (Encore, Joy and Bliss) have the retractable roofs.  The reason is these ships were always designed to go to Alaska.  This created the need to have climate control for the pools.  The Breakaway series is different in several ways.  The Getaway for example has a smaller Haven Courtyard.  Yet they have two hot tubs in that courtyard.  They instead do not have any hot tubs on Deck 19 Haven sundeck.  This becomes an issue when the Courtyard hot tubs have lots of children.  The Sundeck is 16 and up.  Please don't take this the wrong way, kids are not a huge issue.  This normally can happen on those holiday weeks so no angry parents please, LOL.

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I think, the Breakaway Plus (Encore, Joy and Bliss) have the retractable roofs.  The reason is these ships were always designed to go to Alaska.  This created the need to have climate control for the pools.  The Breakaway series is different in several ways.  The Getaway for example has a smaller Haven Courtyard.  Yet they have two hot tubs in that courtyard.  They instead do not have any hot tubs on Deck 19 Haven sundeck.  This becomes an issue when the Courtyard hot tubs have lots of children.  The Sundeck is 16 and up.  Please don't take this the wrong way, kids are not a huge issue.  This normally can happen on those holiday weeks so no angry parents please, LOL.

I just googled and it seems that the Breakaway has a roof but the Getaway doesn’t. I couldn’t remember which way round it was, but this makes sense considering Breakaway was originally based in NY and the Getaway in Miami.

 

Of course ships move around, so any thinking like that is not flawless. 🙂

 

And yes, Breakaway plus ships are different.

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I think, the Breakaway Plus (Encore, Joy and Bliss) have the retractable roofs.  The reason is these ships were always designed to go to Alaska.  This created the need to have climate control for the pools.  The Breakaway series is different in several ways.  The Getaway for example has a smaller Haven Courtyard.  Yet they have two hot tubs in that courtyard.  They instead do not have any hot tubs on Deck 19 Haven sundeck.  This becomes an issue when the Courtyard hot tubs have lots of children.  The Sundeck is 16 and up.  Please don't take this the wrong way, kids are not a huge issue.  This normally can happen on those holiday weeks so no angry parents please, LOL.

 

Breakaway has a retractable roof over the courtyard. There is no hot tub on the Breakaway Haven sundeck.

 

Kids were not an issue on our cruise on the Breakaway. There were a few kids in the Haven but they behaved well and was absolutely no problem. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by sverigecruiser

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I think, the Breakaway Plus (Encore, Joy and Bliss) have the retractable roofs.  The reason is these ships were always designed to go to Alaska.  This created the need to have climate control for the pools.

 

Escape is also a Breakaway Plus ship that has a retractable roof but Escape was never intended to go to Alaska. 

 

 

[forgotmyCCname]

On 5/4/2021 at 9:26 PM, ceilidh1 said:

Curious - how do you arrange that? This was an aspect we never made use of and didn't know it was an option!

This depends on the ship. Thre is not always a Haven line or butler available . I would say 50/50 for us in perhaps 16  Haven cruises.

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Escape is also a Breakaway Plus ship that has a retractable roof but Escape was never intended to go to Alaska. 

 

 

Thank you for the clarification.  You are exactly correct. 

[oteixeira]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Escape is also a Breakaway Plus ship that has a retractable roof but Escape was never intended to go to Alaska. 

 

 

It does go to the Baltic region almost every year though.  Not sure.  I think design wise it is a good idea for all the ships because then your fleet movement has more flexibility.

[Two Wheels Only]

36 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

It does go to the Baltic region almost every year though.  Not sure.  I think design wise it is a good idea for all the ships because then your fleet movement has more flexibility.

 

Getaway is the anomaly as far as the Breakaway/Breakaway Plus Haven roof. NCL trying to save a few dollars was a bad idea. What else is new?

[JamieLogical]

@Two Wheels Only While I have you here, do you have the link to that great thread about the sizes of the aft balconies on the Breakaway Plus ships? I used to have it bookmarked, but I seem to have lost it.

[latebloomer56]

8 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I just googled and it seems that the Breakaway has a roof but the Getaway doesn’t. I couldn’t remember which way round it was, but this makes sense considering Breakaway was originally based in NY and the Getaway in Miami.

 

Of course ships move around, so any thinking like that is not flawless. 🙂

 

And yes, Breakaway plus ships are different.

Oh no we are on the Getaway from NY/Bahamas March 2022? Does that mean we can't use the Haven the first day or two? No roof could be mighty cold to swim that time of year.