The NCL Haven Luxury VIP Experience "Secrets" REVISED for 2022

[acct1975]

41 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Just got back yesterday from the Haven on Breakaway.   It was a great cruise except for the embarkation at NOLA.  I've neve experienced such a mess.   We were in line for over an hour to get to the NCL/Haven check in point.  There were at least three/four check points along the line.  We had to show our passports, vaccination records, boarding pass, and COVID tests at each one.  Each point only had one or two people doing the checks.  We had been assigned an 11-1130 check in time and we arrived at 1130.  The rest of the cruise was fantastic and we booked another cruise on Prima.

Questions?

Yikes, I'm glad my cruise will be out of MIA, hopefully they will have a better handle.

[RocketMan275]

Who has the email address for the concierge staff at Miami?

I want to bring the dismal embarkation process at NOLA to their attention.

 

[Sadric]

Hello Everyone... A bit of background....my wife, son, mother in law and I were sailing on Holland America on January 7, 2017 out of Fort Lauderdale. We arrived on a Delta flight at noon on January 6 only for a mad man to open fire on us at a luggage carousel . 5 people died  that day and 6 others injured. We never got our luggage as it was covered in blood and taken by the FBI. That day was my sons 12th birthday. It was horrendous under anyones definition and haunts all of us today. That being said we got on the cruise and it was terrible. Very high seas. No ports due to weather. Wife and Mother in Law very ill the whole time. My son and I just ran meds and ginger ale back and forth. First time back in the Carribean this year...April 3rd Encore in the Haven. I'm fine. My wife and son are a bit apprehensive (he is 17 now! hard to believe). Are the seas generally calm in early April? 

 

We love the Haven. Never should have left NCL that one dark time. Looking forward to it in many ways. 

 

Thank you and Kind Regards,

Ryan

[mconthehighseas]

@Sadric What a horrible way to start what should have been a special cruise.  I had 4 great cruises with HAL, but I totally get why you are returning to NCL.  As far as the weather goes,  you might want to ask this question on the Florida ports part of CruiseCritic.  January tends to be more tempermental in Florida, but you want to talk with people who regularly cruise out of there.

@RocketMan  I recommend you send your message to the NCL home office, since the concierges probably have no control over what happens in NOLA.

I pulled this info off the finance page at Yahoo:

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

7665 Corporate Center Drive
Miami, FL 33126
United States
305 436 4000
https://www.nclhltd.com

 

Mr. Frank J. Del Rio	Pres, CEO & Director
Mr. Mark A. Kempa	Exec. VP & CFO
Mr. T. Robin Lindsay	Exec. VP of Vessel Operations
Mr. Harry J. Sommer	Pres & CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line

 

Don't feel awkward writing to people this high up.  They will make sure that your info gets to the right person

[Sthrngary]

@aubreyc1988I would like to complement you for an incredibly well done review of your recent NCL Joy Haven Cruise. You have been honest, transparent and fair. I truly hope the executives with NCL read what you have written and especially the comments which are point on. 

 

I have written about the Haven for a few years now.  It provided my family and I with an enhanced cruising experience.  As many of you know, my next cruise is back on the Joy in a Non-Haven Club Suite with Balcony beginning this Saturday.  I am a Solo traveler this time as well.  With all of your help, I am doing what a friend has called Haven Lite.  I will report back on that during my cruise, next week. 

 

Now I want to address the notion of an enhanced cruising experience. What we are all really looking for is something I call, "Personalized Service".  We don't want to be treated like a number.  We want to be treated like a "Rock Star". If only for one week a year. 

 

I had the honor and privilege to cruise on Crystal Cruises prior to its financial issues.  I had to feel what people were saying about the difference between a Mainstream Brand and a Luxury Brand.  Even if some say Crystal was Luxury Lite.  I want to share the differences in this Haven Thread because it is very important to set realistic expectations.  

 

When you do a Luxury Cruise, the ships are smaller.  They don't feel smaller because there are also less guests.  Most brands attempt to be as all inclusive as possible. The entertainment is not as spectacular and pool games are in most cases replaced with extremely interesting speakers.  The average age of the guest are higher and I think that is in large part due to the premium investment to cruise in a Luxury segment. This makes all the aspects of this cruising experience much more reserved. And quite frankly very different. 

 

What stands out to me was what many have said recently about their issues with the NCL Haven.  I want you to hear this from me so you know, I am always transparent.  My goal with the Haven was to make it as much a luxury all inclusive experience as possible.  It took lots of work to get there.  Letters written to the Butler and Haven Concierge. Pre-purchasing excursions and the Premium Plus Drink Package.  Knowing all the in/outs of specialty restaurant reservations timing and using the pre-cruise Haven desk.  I never minded all the work because I loved the result.  That said, I spent hours to make my cruise right and wrote about it to help all of you.

 

When I went on Crystal Cruises, all that work was not needed.  Let's start with the Butler:

 

My Crystal Butler: He was waiting for me in my suite.  I had a butler letter with the gratuities waiting for him just like in the Haven.  Nothing changed with my approach.  What changes was the professionalism of the butler.  He saw I was a bit tense and forced, yes forced me to sit down and relax.  He then did the most fantastic overview of the suite, his services and how to use the suites technology.  He had a note book which he took notes on what my wife and my wants and needs were. The presentation took 20 minutes and it was NOT rushed.  Every single request was handled within 15 minutes of him leaving the suite after our meeting.  Every single day, he would return to our suite at 04:00 PM.  He would make my wife and I a drink out on our veranda. He would bring in the afternoon snacks.  Those snacks were super high quality plus anything we asked for in my opening letter.  For example, I love smoked salmon.  Every day he would bring a small plate of smoked salmon just for me.  I had to let him know to stop bringing the snacks because it was effecting our dinner.  He complied but was still in our suite at 4:00 PM to personally fix us our drinks. If you wanted M&M, he would bring in a wheel barrel full. Nothing was off the table. That my friends, is personalized service. 

 

The Suites and Adult Beverages: Each suite had water, soda, mixers, wine and a bottle of spirits of your choice.  Never once did you have to say, "Please remove the for-sale items".  Why, everything was complementary. 

 

The Main Dining Room: The food here was better then the best specialty restaurants on most Mainstream Cruise lines. Every guest had a few Specialty Restaurants they received regardless of the stateroom they had.  The Penthouses has unlimited specialty restaurants including in suite service. Those specialty restaurants were some of the best food land or sea I have ever had. 

 

Drink Packages: Everyone had the same drink package.  No upgrade to a Premium Plus.  Everyone got specialty coffee's, imported waters, and soda's. No upsell at all.

 

The Staterooms: They were older and in many cases not as big as Mainstream staterooms.  The were all in good repair however you could see the wear and tear.  

 

The Entertainment: Compared to a NCL ship, the entertainment was average to below average in my opinion.  More guests create a much higher entertainment budget.  The pool was so quiet it was uncomfortable. One day we were beside a Royal Ship with a Live Band Playing by their pool.  My wife said to me, "Don't you wish were were over there?" I agreed. 

 

The Personalized Service Provided:  The entire ship, regardless of stateroom type was the NCL Haven on Steroid.  By day two every crew member would call me by my name.  When a bar tenders saw me, he was making my drink before I even sat down.  Personalized Service is so hard to describe until you feel it for yourself. Nothing like it and it makes you feel special for sure.

 

So why give you this long winded description of another cruise brand and segment.  Simple, as much as I loved the attention to detail, the superior food and service.  The feeling that I was truly a "Rock Star" for that week.  I was missing something.  Something that this fine brand could not provide. I wanted the Large Ship Experience.  

 

I wanted water slides, Broadway Shows, Mr. Sexy Leggs Contests, Go Cart Tracks.  Wasn't the personalized service enough.  The answer for me, not you, for me was "No".  I wanted both but that was not really possible.

 

 At the end of that Luxury Cruise week, I came to a conclusion.  Whether it was the NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat, or MSC Yacht Club; I would deal with less personalized service to get the other benefits I loved from the large ship experience. Yet for my 45th wedding anniversary, I would book a Luxury Brand like Regent Seven Seas Cruises, pay the huge premium and do a 10-14 day cruise in Europe that was port intensive. Both types of cruise approaches were valid just for different expectations. 

 

Folks, my goal has always been to set realistic expectations.  As prices go up, we all have to weigh what we receive for our vacation dollar. We have to be clear on the difference between Mainstream and Luxury experiences.  We have to weigh what is most important to each of us.  We just need folks to shoot us straight like @aubreyc1988 and other have done. This is why CruiseCritic.com is such a fantastic tool for those whom love to cruise. 

 

Cruise well everyone and enjoy every minute. 

[vinotinto]

On 3/14/2022 at 4:46 PM, RocketMan275 said:

Just got back yesterday from the Haven on Breakaway.   It was a great cruise except for the embarkation at NOLA.  I've neve experienced such a mess.   We were in line for over an hour to get to the NCL/Haven check in point.  There were at least three/four check points along the line.  We had to show our passports, vaccination records, boarding pass, and COVID tests at each one.  Each point only had one or two people doing the checks.  We had been assigned an 11-1130 check in time and we arrived at 1130.  The rest of the cruise was fantastic and we booked another cruise on Prima.

Questions?

Ooof, that sounds a bit of a rough beginning, but glad that the rest of the cruise was great. We’re in the Breakaway in two weeks. I had heard that you could ask someone about the line for Haven, but it sounds like they didn’t know what was going on. We’ll bring all of our patience!

 

A few questions:

1. DH and I are seriously contemplating upgrading to the Premium Plus. I keep hearing that they may not have many of the premium drinks stocked, so we’re prepared for some of our choices to not be available. We don’t drink much hard alcohol, so it’s all about the beer and wine. Do they have any of the nicer beers like Chimay at the Haven? What about the nicer wines at the restaurant?

 

2. Did you park in NOLA? If so, where, and were there any issues with cars with windows broken? We’re planning on parking at Fulton.

 

3. Is the concierge still handing out a paper where you note your entertainment reservation requests?
 

Cheers!

 

 

 

[mconthehighseas]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

@aubreyc1988I would like to complement you for an incredibly well done review of your recent NCL Joy Haven Cruise. You have been honest, transparent and fair. I truly hope the executives with NCL read what you have written and especially the comments which are point on. 

 

I have written about the Haven for a few years now.  It provided my family and I with an enhanced cruising experience.  As many of you know, my next cruise is back on the Joy in a Non-Haven Club Suite with Balcony beginning this Saturday.  I am a Solo traveler this time as well.  With all of your help, I am doing what a friend has called Haven Lite.  I will report back on that during my cruise, next week. 

 

Now I want to address the notion of an enhanced cruising experience. What we are all really looking for is something I call, "Personalized Service".  We don't want to be treated like a number.  We want to be treated like a "Rock Star". If only for one week a year. 

 

I had the honor and privilege to cruise on Crystal Cruises prior to its financial issues.  I had to feel what people were saying about the difference between a Mainstream Brand and a Luxury Brand.  Even if some say Crystal was Luxury Lite.  I want to share the differences in this Haven Thread because it is very important to set realistic expectations.  

 

When you do a Luxury Cruise, the ships are smaller.  They don't feel smaller because there are also less guests.  Most brands attempt to be as all inclusive as possible. The entertainment is not as spectacular and pool games are in most cases replaced with extremely interesting speakers.  The average age of the guest are higher and I think that is in large part due to the premium investment to cruise in a Luxury segment. This makes all the aspects of this cruising experience much more reserved. And quite frankly very different. 

 

What stands out to me was what many have said recently about their issues with the NCL Haven.  I want you to hear this from me so you know, I am always transparent.  My goal with the Haven was to make it as much a luxury all inclusive experience as possible.  It took lots of work to get there.  Letters written to the Butler and Haven Concierge. Pre-purchasing excursions and the Premium Plus Drink Package.  Knowing all the in/outs of specialty restaurant reservations timing and using the pre-cruise Haven desk.  I never minded all the work because I loved the result.  That said, I spent hours to make my cruise right and wrote about it to help all of you.

 

When I went on Crystal Cruises, all that work was not needed.  Let's start with the Butler:

 

My Crystal Butler: He was waiting for me in my suite.  I had a butler letter with the gratuities waiting for him just like in the Haven.  Nothing changed with my approach.  What changes was the professionalism of the butler.  He saw I was a bit tense and forced, yes forced me to sit down and relax.  He then did the most fantastic overview of the suite, his services and how to use the suites technology.  He had a note book which he took notes on what my wife and my wants and needs were. The presentation took 20 minutes and it was NOT rushed.  Every single request was handled within 15 minutes of him leaving the suite after our meeting.  Every single day, he would return to our suite at 04:00 PM.  He would make my wife and I a drink out on our veranda. He would bring in the afternoon snacks.  Those snacks were super high quality plus anything we asked for in my opening letter.  For example, I love smoked salmon.  Every day he would bring a small plate of smoked salmon just for me.  I had to let him know to stop bringing the snacks because it was effecting our dinner.  He complied but was still in our suite at 4:00 PM to personally fix us our drinks. If you wanted M&M, he would bring in a wheel barrel full. Nothing was off the table. That my friends, is personalized service. 

 

The Suites and Adult Beverages: Each suite had water, soda, mixers, wine and a bottle of spirits of your choice.  Never once did you have to say, "Please remove the for-sale items".  Why, everything was complementary. 

 

The Main Dining Room: The food here was better then the best specialty restaurants on most Mainstream Cruise lines. Every guest had a few Specialty Restaurants they received regardless of the stateroom they had.  The Penthouses has unlimited specialty restaurants including in suite service. Those specialty restaurants were some of the best food land or sea I have ever had. 

 

Drink Packages: Everyone had the same drink package.  No upgrade to a Premium Plus.  Everyone got specialty coffee's, imported waters, and soda's. No upsell at all.

 

The Staterooms: They were older and in many cases not as big as Mainstream staterooms.  The were all in good repair however you could see the wear and tear.  

 

The Entertainment: Compared to a NCL ship, the entertainment was average to below average in my opinion.  More guests create a much higher entertainment budget.  The pool was so quiet it was uncomfortable. One day we were beside a Royal Ship with a Live Band Playing by their pool.  My wife said to me, "Don't you wish were were over there?" I agreed. 

 

The Personalized Service Provided:  The entire ship, regardless of stateroom type was the NCL Haven on Steroid.  By day two every crew member would call me by my name.  When a bar tenders saw me, he was making my drink before I even sat down.  Personalized Service is so hard to describe until you feel it for yourself. Nothing like it and it makes you feel special for sure.

 

So why give you this long winded description of another cruise brand and segment.  Simple, as much as I loved the attention to detail, the superior food and service.  The feeling that I was truly a "Rock Star" for that week.  I was missing something.  Something that this fine brand could not provide. I wanted the Large Ship Experience.  

 

I wanted water slides, Broadway Shows, Mr. Sexy Leggs Contests, Go Cart Tracks.  Wasn't the personalized service enough.  The answer for me, not you, for me was "No".  I wanted both but that was not really possible.

 

 At the end of that Luxury Cruise week, I came to a conclusion.  Whether it was the NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat, or MSC Yacht Club; I would deal with less personalized service to get the other benefits I loved from the large ship experience. Yet for my 45th wedding anniversary, I would book a Luxury Brand like Regent Seven Seas Cruises, pay the huge premium and do a 10-14 day cruise in Europe that was port intensive. Both types of cruise approaches were valid just for different expectations. 

 

Folks, my goal has always been to set realistic expectations.  As prices go up, we all have to weigh what we receive for our vacation dollar. We have to be clear on the difference between Mainstream and Luxury experiences.  We have to weigh what is most important to each of us.  We just need folks to shoot us straight like @aubreyc1988 and other have done. This is why CruiseCritic.com is such a fantastic tool for those whom love to cruise. 

 

Cruise well everyone and enjoy every minute. 

Have you tried Royal Caribbean's Royal Suite class with a Genie?    The Genies are only on their largest ships and only in their largest suites.  While not a butler,  that experience might be the compromise you are looking for - complete attention to your needs, and the entertainment that you only find on a Mainstream line.
 

[FM]

Can concierge really get you in early for a show and seated before the rest of the audience. Would be extremely helpful for those who have mobility issues and not to have to stand for a long period of time or battle the crowds to get a seat.  Thanks.

[RocketMan275]

12 hours ago, vinotinto said:

Ooof, that sounds a bit of a rough beginning, but glad that the rest of the cruise was great. We’re in the Breakaway in two weeks. I had heard that you could ask someone about the line for Haven, but it sounds like they didn’t know what was going on. We’ll bring all of our patience!

 

A few questions:

1. DH and I are seriously contemplating upgrading to the Premium Plus. I keep hearing that they may not have many of the premium drinks stocked, so we’re prepared for some of our choices to not be available. We don’t drink much hard alcohol, so it’s all about the beer and wine. Do they have any of the nicer beers like Chimay at the Haven? What about the nicer wines at the restaurant?

 

2. Did you park in NOLA? If so, where, and were there any issues with cars with windows broken? We’re planning on parking at Fulton.

 

3. Is the concierge still handing out a paper where you note your entertainment reservation requests?
 

Cheers!

I didn't drink any beers so I can't comment on availability.  I will say this, you need to know what is included in each package.  For example, I ordered a Bullet Bourbon and was told that was not included in the Premium Package. I asked for a listing and sure enough Bullet was in the premium package.  The bartender had to call his supervisor but I got the Bullet without a surcharge.  The bar tender said there would be no issues with my Bullet for the rest of the cruise.  Sure enough, each night I would ask for a double bullet to take to the cabin and got it.

We parked at the port.  We saw no damaged vehicles.  We do not like to park off site since we have a reasonably long drive home and don't want to waste time on shuttles, etc.

There was a piece of paper in our room to schedule entertainment.  We didn't do any of the shows but a couple travelling with us had no issues.  Of course the boat was only about 50% capacity.

[vinotinto]

26 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I didn't drink any beers so I can't comment on availability.  I will say this, you need to know what is included in each package.  For example, I ordered a Bullet Bourbon and was told that was not included in the Premium Package. I asked for a listing and sure enough Bullet was in the premium package.  The bartender had to call his supervisor but I got the Bullet without a surcharge.  The bar tender said there would be no issues with my Bullet for the rest of the cruise.  Sure enough, each night I would ask for a double bullet to take to the cabin and got it.

We parked at the port.  We saw no damaged vehicles.  We do not like to park off site since we have a reasonably long drive home and don't want to waste time on shuttles, etc.

There was a piece of paper in our room to schedule entertainment.  We didn't do any of the shows but a couple travelling with us had no issues.  Of course the boat was only about 50% capacity.

Thank you! If we upgrade, I will PRINT the Premium Plus list. Is the one that says $29 upgrade per person at the top the latest?

 

We also have a fairly long drive back to Atlanta, so I totally hear you on not wanting to take a shuttle! I had seen some positive comments about the security of Machu Picchu, but it's far away enough that a shuttle is needed. 

 

On a separate subject - I wonder if the 50% capacity will continue if the Escape has more severe damage and they need to cancel more Escape cruises and move some of the people to our cruise.

Edited March 16, 2022 by vinotinto
clarity!

[apietros]

On 3/14/2022 at 4:46 PM, RocketMan275 said:

Just got back yesterday from the Haven on Breakaway.   It was a great cruise except for the embarkation at NOLA.  I've neve experienced such a mess.   We were in line for over an hour to get to the NCL/Haven check in point.  There were at least three/four check points along the line.  We had to show our passports, vaccination records, boarding pass, and COVID tests at each one.  Each point only had one or two people doing the checks.  We had been assigned an 11-1130 check in time and we arrived at 1130.  The rest of the cruise was fantastic and we booked another cruise on Prima.

Questions?

 

I'm glad the rest of your cruise was great!

 

Can you please tell me who the current concierge is on Breakaway? And also the maitre d in the Haven restaurant?

 

Thank you so much!

[RocketMan275]

16 minutes ago, apietros said:

 

I'm glad the rest of your cruise was great!

 

Can you please tell me who the current concierge is on Breakaway? And also the maitre d in the Haven restaurant?

 

Thank you so much!

We didn't interact with either of them.

Our butler was Alan Gamara.  This was his first cruise as a butler and he was great.

Our steward was Randolf Infante who also was great.

One of the best crew members was a female waiter in the Haven Lounge.  Her name was 
El Marie Caguioa.  We called her the 'Whoop Whoop' girl because every time we saw her she would go "Whoop Whoop."

[RocketMan275]

29 minutes ago, vinotinto said:

We also have a fairly long drive back to Atlanta, so I totally hear you on not wanting to take a shuttle! I had seen some positive comments about the security of Machu Picchu, but it's far away enough that a shuttle is needed. 

I have no idea which is the latest listing.  Perhaps you can inquire on board.

We parked at the Port which was directly across the street from the terminal.  A very easy walk.

Took us about ten minutes from exiting the terminal to walk to our car, load luggage for four, and exit the parking lot.  BTW, you pay in advance.

[rxlowry]

@Sthrngary I feel the opposite way about Europe and port intensive cruises. I’ve done two on luxury and two on NCL in Europe and enjoyed all four.  If I’m on NCL I don’t miss being on the ship while I’m out touring or feel bad about trying local delicacies since the price was much lower.  Europe cruises are very busy and often have no sea days.  If I’m more interested in the ship as my destination then it’s luxury all the way.  I’ve done a few in the Caribbean and they were amazing.  Seabourn had the best marina day off the back of the ship and their private island experience was rockstar.  Caviar in the surf is so much fun and the bbq lobsters and filets were amazing.  
Now with it being a milestone anniversary, I would likely go luxury as well no matter the itinerary.  I’ve done Regent three times and I think they were more sedate then all my Crystal ones. We did like it for Alaska because of the included tours though.  Check out Seabourn before you decide.  

[mconthehighseas]

4 hours ago, apietros said:

 

I'm glad the rest of your cruise was great!

 

Can you please tell me who the current concierge is on Breakaway? And also the maitre d in the Haven restaurant?

 

Thank you so much!

The concierge is Virginia Brotherton, and she is supposed to be there thru June 5.

[apietros]

15 minutes ago, mconthehighseas said:

The concierge is Virginia Brotherton, and she is supposed to be there thru June 5.

thank you!!

 

We are sailing in July - I wonder who it will be then!

[goin-away]

22 hours ago, FM said:

Can concierge really get you in early for a show and seated before the rest of the audience. Would be extremely helpful for those who have mobility issues and not to have to stand for a long period of time or battle the crowds to get a seat.  Thanks.

Last time we cruised in the Haven on the Escape you could meet with the Concierge in  the Haven lounge and they would take you down to the show and you would go right in. 

[FM]

11 hours ago, goin-away said:

Last time we cruised in the Haven on the Escape you could meet with the Concierge in  the Haven lounge and they would take you down to the show and you would go right in. 

Now that's what I call Concierge service!  So were you able to favorable seating, near the front and not battle with the crowds?  (DW doesn't want the front row but a row or two behind).  

[hero78]

The Haven info here is so helpful!

Does anyone have experience with a ship that doesn't have a Haven area but does have concierge and butlers for suites? We're booked on the Pride of America at Easter and our cruise specialist told us the perks are essentially the same as Haven, just no exclusive Haven area. We have a Deluxe Penthouse Suite with Large Balcony. We've seen a review of the room we have and are beyond excited.

Just wondering if there are other differences between POA suites and Haven on other ships.

 

I have my butler letter drafted though, so thanks Gary for providing your version as a starting point. 🙂

[Rabbit58]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR AMAZING INFO.....

We will be taking our 1st Haven cruise after a dozen cruises  with mini suites / with Balconies.

We are doing the Bliss 2 bedroom And I have upgraded-  bid 4 times, yes- no ,do it ,don't do it for the H2..I may pull my bid again after reading your info. It is our 50th wedding Anniversary though.

  so many good tips I can't thank you enough.....May you enjoy many more days on the sea.

Edd

[Sthrngary]

2 minutes ago, Rabbit58 said:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR AMAZING INFO.....

We will be taking our 1st Haven cruise after a dozen cruises  with mini suites / with Balconies.

We are doing the Bliss 2 bedroom And I have upgraded-  bid 4 times, yes- no ,do it ,don't do it for the H2..I may pull my bid again after reading your info. It is our 50th wedding Anniversary though.

  so many good tips I can't thank you enough.....May you enjoy many more days on the sea.

Edd

@Rabbit58Wow, you are more then welcome. Please go to YouTube and watch the video of the Joy H2 Deluxe Owners Suite. I did that video after I was in the H2.  Now to answer your question.  That suite is HUGE.  It is also a once in a lifetime cruising experience.  My wife and I were with my two adult children and it was our 42nd wedding anniversary.  

 

If it was me, I would have an affordable bid that did not break the bank.  If you are lucky enough to win the bid, you will be so excited.  So I would recommend not pulling the bit again as long as it is within your budget. 

 

Now, what my family found out was after the initial shock of this huge suite with it wrap around balcony, it just became our stateroom.  Kind of like buying a fancy car.  A few months owning it and it is just transportation.  We were lucky that I booked this suite very early before the prices went up.  We were also lucky that we had 125% fcc and 20% off that cruise making the booking the same as the Haven 2 Bedroom Family Villa we were in originally.  

 

Would I do it again. Only as an upgrade bid like you are doing.  Good luck, enjoy the video and Cruise well.

[Sthrngary]

Update On The Haven Experience:

• Overview: After two sailings in four months on the NCL Joy, I can makes some conclusions.  My first sailing was a family vacation in the Haven.  My second sailing was a first time "Solo" cruise not in the Haven, instead in a Club Balcony Suite. 
• Concerns by members of CruiseCritic: The Joy is a lovely ship.  I very much enjoyed my time in late November in the Haven with my family. Many have said on this board, the Joy added to many Haven Suites after it was updated from the Asian market.  I have to agree with them.  The extra suites along with NCL's strategy to fill the Haven with upgrade bids, has created a few issues. I noticed: 1) The Haven Bar was crowded more then I was used too.  It is my favorite bar however not if wait time is to long.  Happened enough to be noticed.  2) The Haven Sundeck was much more crowded then I was use too.  Always found a lounge chair but not always two together.  
• Butler Service In the Haven on the Joy: The butlers have to many suites to take care of during a cruise.  I have emphasized my butlers have been Hit/Miss in the past. I began to write a butler letter with the weeks gratuities in it given on day one.  This seemed to solve the issue however I should not have had to do this.  My choice and I will continue to do it knowing I am really adjusting a flaw in how NCL approaches Butlers in the Haven. It is a work-around for me.
• Thermal Spa: I did not miss the Thermal Spa at all.  Do I wish the Joy had one, Yes.  Would I have purchased the Thermal Spa, yes.  All I would say is know when you cruise the Joy, that is a trade off.
• Vibe Beach Club: This is the best part of this ship for those that want a Haven Lite experience.  It is double the size of the normal Vibe with full bar and two hot tubs.  Worth every penny and I will do it again.  It does not take the place of the loss of the Thermal Spa, nothing would.  The Vibe just clicked all of my buttons.
• The Club Balcony Suite: I would book it again.  Especially if I could get a single rate of $800.00. Suite was small, but not too small.  It had all I would ever need.  It was kept clean and I never needed for anything.  Two days a week I got a little snack.  I got one bag of laundry for the week which my wife appreciated. 
• H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony: This was a once in a life time suite for sure.  We had four adults in the room. Two in the master, one on the sofa in the Great Room and one in the second bedroom.  Lots and lots of room for everyone.  We added two lounge chairs on the huge balcony.  So much storage that you could not bring enough stuff.  Full dining room table.  Would I get this suite again.  Not unless I got it on an upgrade bid.  With all my planning, we under utilized it.  We never even ate in the suite once a full meal.  I am glad I did it and now I am good.

It seems that the prices for the Haven have gone up a lot. This seems to have also caused open inventory which leads to upgrade bids.  Add to this that the ships are cruising at 60% with the exception of when another ship is cancelled and NCL adds in 800 or so guests.  During these times when public area's are not as crowded, the Haven seems to be not as important as it was when the ship was completely booked.  

 

Every one on this stream want me to to be transparent.  As my experiences change I will make comments as I always have.  If your budget allows it, the Haven is the place I prefer to be.  That said, never think that any other cabin won't provide you with an outstanding cruise.  All the way you look at it.

 

Cruise well.

[DaisyGoldberg]

On 3/16/2022 at 1:28 AM, FM said:

Can concierge really get you in early for a show and seated before the rest of the audience. Would be extremely helpful for those who have mobility issues and not to have to stand for a long period of time or battle the crowds to get a seat.  Thanks.

On the Breakaway they had a section on the left cordoned off for Haven guests (lifted just before showtime so anybody could fill in the spaces). The concierge escorted a group before showtime or you could just show up and sit there.

 

Smaller ships also sometimes have a dedicated area in the balcony. Usually you can do better yourself so if prime center seating matters to you, you're best going early and just choosing a seat.

[JGmf]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I have emphasized my butlers have been Hit/Miss in the past. I began to write a butler letter with the weeks gratuities in it given on day one.  This seemed to solve the issue however I should not have had to do this. 

 

Gary or others-

For frequent cruisers, do you think NCL has some information in their guest database about what they like, don't like, etc.?  I ask b/c unless the staff in the Haven have the best memory, I'm always astounded about they remember, mid-cruise, that you like extra X on your salad or your daughter's favorite dessert is Y.  They have to have a note sheet somewhere, no?

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, JGmf said:

 

Gary or others-

For frequent cruisers, do you think NCL has some information in their guest database about what they like, don't like, etc.?  I ask b/c unless the staff in the Haven have the best memory, I'm always astounded about they remember, mid-cruise, that you like extra X on your salad or your daughter's favorite dessert is Y.  They have to have a note sheet somewhere, no?

This is a very interesting comment.  The answer is yes.  I noticed it actually in my cruise in 2019 when I was in one of the specially Restaurants. Whether they share this information with the Haven Butlers, I don't know.  Great post though, thank you.