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

[Jetswdo]

Thanks for clearing things up for me.  Really appreciate it.

[Sthrngary]

29 minutes ago, Jetswdo said:

Thanks for clearing things up for me.  Really appreciate it.

No issue.  I am on a cruise in about 30 days.  I have the Free at Sea PLUS so I know all about it.  I love traveling on NCL so I know the normal Free at Sea.  If you have any other questions, just ask.  I am happy to help you.  When you want me to answer your questions, put @Sthrngary at the beginning of your post. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[psac]

2 hours ago, lisa928 said:

Breakaway Haven question that I felt silly creating a separate thread about...

 

I know the Haven Courtyard on the Breakaway has a retractable roof.  Do they normally have the roof open during the day (maybe only when at port) and closed for the evening or when there is bad weather?   

Last October (a year ago) on the Breakaway in Bermuda at least once in the afternoon they opened the roof for a while in port. Maybe even another day there as well, hard to remember.  But I don’t think they ever sail with it open anymore. 

[bundtkate]

I feel like I just won the lottery because I was able to upgrade my fiancee and I to an HI outright from our aft balcony for way less than the minimum bid I'd put in. We are 38 days out from sailing, which means I'd ordinarily have heard from the precruise concierge by now, but of course I was late to the party. If you book the Haven closer to sailing, how soon should you expect to hear from the concierge? A nice bonus of getting this benefit is that our itinerary recently changed so I already needed to reschedule our specialty dinners and while I just love that I can email the concierge instead of calling, I am anxious to get it done as I'm sure things are booking up.

Related to that specific task, is the concierge able to book dining for a larger number of folks than are staying in the Haven? We are actually getting married on this sailing and our guests are sailing with us but (so far as I'm aware) all outside the Haven. We have one specialty dinner booked for everyone sailing with us that was originally scheduled the evening after our wedding. It needs to move one day now so if the concierge isn't able to include more than the 2 Haven guests, I guess I will need to make one phone call.

Forgive me if either of these has been answered elsewhere. I did skim, but this has become a lengthy thread so I could certainly have missed something or not searched well. Regardless, it's an excellent resource. Thanks, @Sthrngary for your dedication to helping all of us. This gal who never expected to be in the Haven and is woefully unprepared really appreciates your diligence.

[Sailing12Away]

2 hours ago, geo.mac said:

From what I understand, you can ask for items from anywhere.   The pretzel bites and chicken wings from the local will be on my list. 🙂  

 

I would worry about those wings... for whatever reason the last 2 sailings we were on they came out cool even though we were sitting right there in the restaurant. Can't imagine what they would be if they had to get all the way to our room.

 

12 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

I feel like I just won the lottery because I was able to upgrade my fiancee and I to an HI outright from our aft balcony for way less than the minimum bid I'd put in. We are 38 days out from sailing, which means I'd ordinarily have heard from the precruise concierge by now, but of course I was late to the party. If you book the Haven closer to sailing, how soon should you expect to hear from the concierge? A nice bonus of getting this benefit is that our itinerary recently changed so I already needed to reschedule our specialty dinners and while I just love that I can email the concierge instead of calling, I am anxious to get it done as I'm sure things are booking up.

Related to that specific task, is the concierge able to book dining for a larger number of folks than are staying in the Haven? We are actually getting married on this sailing and our guests are sailing with us but (so far as I'm aware) all outside the Haven. We have one specialty dinner booked for everyone sailing with us that was originally scheduled the evening after our wedding. It needs to move one day now so if the concierge isn't able to include more than the 2 Haven guests, I guess I will need to make one phone call.

Forgive me if either of these has been answered elsewhere. I did skim, but this has become a lengthy thread so I could certainly have missed something or not searched well. Regardless, it's an excellent resource. Thanks, @Sthrngary for your dedication to helping all of us. This gal who never expected to be in the Haven and is woefully unprepared really appreciates your diligence.

From my past experience, if you get into Haven late to the game, they will not reach out to you. You need to contact them for any questions, concerns, or bookings. Let us know if you need the email and one of the hundred of us can share it.

For reservations, just tell them the date and how many people. It doesn't matter if they're in the Haven or not, you are and the reservation is under your name. Once you get to the restaurant they'll sort out all the individual key cards and dining credits. Just tell the concierge the total number of guests and which restaurant on which day.

[libert1]

Does any one know if you still get a discount at the food republic on the first night if you are in the Haven.  During the past two cruises I did in the Haven we were told that we had a 50% discount in the Food Republic only on boarding night.  We are sailing on the Prima in December and really enjoy the FR and it works with our dining plans for the rest of the week.  

[bundtkate]

39 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Let us know if you need the email and one of the hundred of us can share it.

Thanks! I am fairly certain the email is in the OP so I can grab it from there, but I figured I'd ask before abusing the system. I'll probably give them a week or so to reach out and if I don't hear anything I'll drop them a line.

 

41 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Just tell the concierge the total number of guests and which restaurant on which day.

Perfect! I actually had to have my TA call and book that one reservation for me because I could only do up to 6 people online, I think it was, and I needed a few more, but if the phone folks managed it, I'm sure the concierge will too.  Thanks so much for your help!

[CDR Benson]

9 hours ago, bundtkate said:

I'll probably give [the pre-cruise concierge desk] a week or so to reach out and if I don't hear anything I'll drop them a line.

 

Congratulations on receiving the HI.  You'll love it.  But, as you're only thirty-something days away from your sail date, I'd go direct with the pre-cruise concierge desk right now, vice waiting a week.  The closer it gets to the sail date, the more requests the desk receives (because, as with many endeavours, a lot of folks dither until the last minute).  So, it might serve you better to submit your requests to the desk now, when it isn't swamped with them (or, at least, less swamped).

 

[cruiseny4life]

11 hours ago, bundtkate said:

We are 38 days out from sailing, which means I'd ordinarily have heard from the precruise concierge by now, but of course I was late to the party. If you book the Haven closer to sailing, how soon should you expect to hear from the concierge?

We booked two cruises this year pretty close to sailing date. Our April cruise we booked about 40 - 45 days out. The pre-cruise concierge did reach out to us, but was not particularly helpful. We did make our own reservations, so this is not something we asked for. Also, I know that my experience with the pre-cruise concierge seems to be abnormal (many trusted Cruise Criticers have been very successful contacting them). 

 

In August we canceled a cruise scheduled for August and rebooked to a September sailing (double the cruise length, in a better cabin for only $1,000, including cancellation fee). The pre-cruise concierge reached out, but we didn't request anything. 

So, there is hope the pre-cruise concierge reaches out to you. As others have said, so that you don't worry and wonder, you may just check in with them yourself. On a more than full capacity cruise (April) we had no issue getting the reservations we wanted about 30 days out. The August cruise was about 30% of capacity so we obviously had no issues whatsoever. 

 

If you have the time, and patience, or are just crazy insane like me, I'd suggest reading through the entirety of this thread and Gary's other Haven secrets thread. I did that in March and learned so much about what to expect, what not to expect, and how to have a wonderful cruise. But, I had to dedicate several hours to reading the entire thing (and that was when I worked at a job that made me work). 

 

Enjoy your cruise! Have a wonderful wedding! And, congratulations! 

[Sailing12Away]

10 hours ago, libert1 said:

Does any one know if you still get a discount at the food republic on the first night if you are in the Haven.  During the past two cruises I did in the Haven we were told that we had a 50% discount in the Food Republic only on boarding night.  We are sailing on the Prima in December and really enjoy the FR and it works with our dining plans for the rest of the week.  

I've never heard of FR being free or discounted for Haven guests. On the Joy you can go to the American Diner for free on the first day of sailing. But not Food Republic.

[CDR Benson]

12 hours ago, bundtkate said:

We are actually getting married on this sailing . . . 

 

Congratulations!  A wedding at sea, hopefully the first of many happy memories in your married life.

 

Probably because of the sea water in my veins, the idea of renewing our vows at sea captivates me.  (Regent Seven Seas, with whom we are cruising next, offers a particularly inviting renewal-of-vows package.)  But, the Good Mrs. Benson raises a point with which I must agree:  if we ever do renew our vows, she wants it to be in the company of our family and (yes, folks, believe it or not, I do have some) friends.  It would be logistically impossible to orchestrate all of those folks on one cruise.

 

Enjoy your moment and the best to you both!

[bundtkate]

3 hours ago, CDR Benson said:

The closer it gets to the sail date, the more requests the desk receives (because, as with many endeavours, a lot of folks dither until the last minute).

That is actually an excellent point. I was thinking that with the priority reservations waiting a bit would be okay, but I didn't consider the volume of requests that might come in from other lucky cruisers that snapped up the cheaper Haven rooms. When they first dropped below $3k/person, there were 15+ HIs. By the time I booked there were only 4. The day after, all gone. The concierge is probably going to have their hands full.

 

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

If you have the time, and patience, or are just crazy insane like me, I'd suggest reading through the entirety of this thread and Gary's other Haven secrets thread. I did that in March and learned so much about what to expect, what not to expect, and how to have a wonderful cruise.

Not to out myself as a crazy person, but I kind of went through this process where at first I read bits of this thread just wanting to daydream about the Haven when the cheapest Haven on my cruise was $5.5k/person. Then I put in a bid on various Havens and started getting a bit of hope as months passed and still there were myriad Haven rooms available and I started reading more closely to decide what the value of Haven was for me so that I could adjust my bids appropriately. Finally, the price started dropping and when it dipped down to $2.7k/pp I pulled the trigger then came back here and started reading from the beginning. I searched for the answers to the specific questions on my mind, asked when I didn't find them, then went straight back to the beginning to start reading again. 😅

 

51 minutes ago, CDR Benson said:

Congratulations!  A wedding at sea, hopefully the first of many happy memories in your married life.

Thank you! The wedding will actually be ashore in Antigua, Guatemala, but we will have plenty of time to celebrate at sea during the second half of the 14-day cruise. We did have to accept that some folks we wanted to come wouldn't be able to, but we budgeted to pay for a few folks so we could ensure our nearest and dearest were able to attend no matter what. They won't be in the Haven, but I think 2 weeks should give us plenty of time to explore what the Haven has to offer and hang out with our guests.

We ended up not going through NCL, but FWIW they do allow ceremonies (both weddings and vow renewals) on the ship at the port of departure. Not strictly a ceremony at sea, but it allows everyone you'd like there to attend whether they're joining you on the cruise or not. Perhaps a way to split the difference should you and the Good Mrs. Benson decide to give a maritime renewal a go.

[RocketMan275]

16 hours ago, bundtkate said:

I feel like I just won the lottery because I was able to upgrade my fiancee and I to an HI outright from our aft balcony for way less than the minimum bid I'd put in. We are 38 days out from sailing, which means I'd ordinarily have heard from the precruise concierge by now, but of course I was late to the party. If you book the Haven closer to sailing, how soon should you expect to hear from the concierge? 

Here's my experience.  We booked Haven on Breakaway for last March about six weeks out from sailing.  Since that was well withing the 130 day window where they usually contact guests, I went ahead and called them.  They're the nicest people you will ever deal with. 

 

They were very glad I called because my reservation, coming so late, might have been lost in the suffle.  

 

I would recommend you call them since there are a variety of things to talk about.  Since this is your first Haven experience, they will want to talk you through the various options, some you will not be aware of.

 

You want be interferring if you call.  It's their job to talk with you and make sure your cruise is the best it can be.

 

I talked to them just yesterday and made my dining reservations.  I found out what the pillow menu consists of.  I found out I could have bar mix and mixed nuts which I didn't know about.  They also have access to additional dining reservations reserved exclusively to the Haven guests.  I had tried to make a specific reservation for last March and the website said it wasn't available.  Well, it was, to the Haven pre-embarkation concierge so I got what I wanted.

 

norwegianconciergedesk@ncl.com

 1-855-625-4283.   

 

That's their direct dial number.  I've never had to wait more than five minutes on hold and it usually less than a minute.

 

You'll feel much better after  you call.

[Two Wheels Only]

6 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

I've never heard of FR being free or discounted for Haven guests.

 

I have. It's usually done to lessen the burden on the Haven restaurant for lunch on embarkation day. 

 

It varies probably by ship/concierge and how crowded the Haven is on a particular cruise. 

[mconthehighseas]

3 hours ago, bundtkate said:

.......

 

Thank you! The wedding will actually be ashore in Antigua, Guatemala, but we will have plenty of time to celebrate at sea during the second half of the 14-day cruise. .......

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!  We actually have cousins who married in Antigua.  The groom's family still lives there and they are wonderful people.  What a beautiful place it is!

Wishing you a fabulous time on your cruise, at your wedding, and in your lives together  :)

[Sthrngary]

6 hours ago, bundtkate said:

That is actually an excellent point. I was thinking that with the priority reservations waiting a bit would be okay, but I didn't consider the volume of requests that might come in from other lucky cruisers that snapped up the cheaper Haven rooms. When they first dropped below $3k/person, there were 15+ HIs. By the time I booked there were only 4. The day after, all gone. The concierge is probably going to have their hands full.

 

Not to out myself as a crazy person, but I kind of went through this process where at first I read bits of this thread just wanting to daydream about the Haven when the cheapest Haven on my cruise was $5.5k/person. Then I put in a bid on various Havens and started getting a bit of hope as months passed and still there were myriad Haven rooms available and I started reading more closely to decide what the value of Haven was for me so that I could adjust my bids appropriately. Finally, the price started dropping and when it dipped down to $2.7k/pp I pulled the trigger then came back here and started reading from the beginning. I searched for the answers to the specific questions on my mind, asked when I didn't find them, then went straight back to the beginning to start reading again. 😅

 

Thank you! The wedding will actually be ashore in Antigua, Guatemala, but we will have plenty of time to celebrate at sea during the second half of the 14-day cruise. We did have to accept that some folks we wanted to come wouldn't be able to, but we budgeted to pay for a few folks so we could ensure our nearest and dearest were able to attend no matter what. They won't be in the Haven, but I think 2 weeks should give us plenty of time to explore what the Haven has to offer and hang out with our guests.

We ended up not going through NCL, but FWIW they do allow ceremonies (both weddings and vow renewals) on the ship at the port of departure. Not strictly a ceremony at sea, but it allows everyone you'd like there to attend whether they're joining you on the cruise or not. Perhaps a way to split the difference should you and the Good Mrs. Benson decide to give a maritime renewal a go.

I wish you and your soon to be spouse a fantastic trip.  My wife and I did our first real vacation as our Honeymoon some 43 years ago.  It was on the Norwegian SS Norway, the largest cruise ship in the world at the time. Norwegian is now called NCL.  

 

25 cruises later we sail NCL the most of all the brands.  I hope you have the same wonderful memories as we have.  The fact that you are in the Haven, thrills me.  Let me know if in any way I can support or assist you.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[bundtkate]

53 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I hope you have the same wonderful memories as we have.  The fact that you are in the Haven, thrills me.  Let me know if in any way I can support or assist you.

Thanks so much! This is our first trip on NCL as well as our first Haven so I know we're in for a treat. So far we've done Royal 4 times and MSC once and we loved all of them so I am sure the Haven will blow us away. I am still processing information for the moment, but I'm sure I'll have questions. You and everyone here have already been fantastic so I'm sure I'll get amazing answers.

Honest, I am still waiting for the shock to wear off a bit. The Haven felt really out of reach at first and I'm the type of gal who would bus her own dishes at a restaurant, were it allowed, so it's crazy to think about having a butler. All the same, I have armed myself with your letter template and hopefully they won't judge be too harshly if I'm a bit overwhelmed. 😅

[renji]

On 10/24/2022 at 6:56 PM, Sthrngary said:

To clarify so folks will not be confused.  Starbucks at the official Starbuck Counter is complementary with the premium plus beverage package. Starbucks in the Haven Restaurant is complementary even if you don't have the Premium Plus Beverage Package. On the larger ships, in the Haven Observation Lounge, the machine that does specialty coffee uses Starbucks brand and is wonderful. 

 

As it relates to Butlers.  Starbucks from the Starbucks Counter, falls under the same rules as alcoholic beverages.  The Policy is to charge.  That is why, I always suggest that if you are in the Haven, you insist that all of your Room Service comes from the Haven Restaurant which uses Starbucks beans. 

 

The reason I am clarifying this is to avoid the expectation that the butler bring Starbucks from the Starbucks counter.  That said, it is possible a Butler might do something nice like this yet it is not NCL Policy. Establishing realistic expectations is one of the key reason for this and other topics.  I in no way want to establish myself as some sort of expert or "Know it All".  This is simply something I experienced.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

there woul be a charge if the Butler brought Starbucks from the counter or drinks even if you have premium plus? just want to clairify!

[renji]

On 10/24/2022 at 10:23 AM, Sthrngary said:

The NCL Haven Challenge:  I want to challenge everyone who is in the Haven regardless of ship, itinerary or date. Make new friends with someone on CruiseCritic.com and if they would like one, give them a tour of the Haven.  

 

Sometimes we are fortunate in life and business to budget the Haven.  Other times we got a bit lucky and won an upgrade bid to the Haven.  The whole purpose of this thread was to give a guest perspective of the Haven so others have better more accurate information to consider it in the future. 

 

Pay your Haven Experience forward with a new friend with a tour.  Make sure you get them an Almond Croissant because they are the very best part of the Haven Experience, LOL.  But seriously, These little treats will change your life. 

 

This topic and stream has gone on for years.  That is good because lots of folks have been educated so their experience was improved.  The challenge is this stream is HUGE and lots of little nuggets are within the comments.  Nothing is better then seeing it for yourself.  Just my two cents. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

We'll be on the Prima in an H4 this Dec 3, and I'd be happy to give a tour.  We met two lovely British couples in the elevator on Celebrity Beyond who saw what floor we pushed and asked if our cabin was very posh, so we invited them to see (it was an Edge Villa and "indeed" was very posh!).  

[renji]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:56 PM, RocketMan275 said:

Today is 130 days out on my Breakaway Cruise from NOLA next march.  

Today I received an email from the pre-cruise concierge desk explaining what they can do.  The email provided a phone number and an email.

I called and was able to make my dining reservations plus some specific requests such as unsweetened ice tea in the fridge and only sugar free drinks.  Also was able to request some peanut m&ms. (Yes, I know, sugar free and M&Ms.  It's a cruise.)  Forgot to ask about potato chips.  I'll talk to the butler about that.  

 

One other thing.  There have been a few questions here about the pillow menu which no one could address so I asked about that.  The menu is four choices.  They are:

Hypoallergenic

Memory foam

Overfilled foam

Featherdown

I requested the hypoallergenic for the wife.

I'm bringing my own pillow. It's a travel pillow from My Pillow.

Also had a nice conversation about a future cruise we're planning to Alaska.

sugar free + M&Ms makes sense to me!

[Sthrngary]

12 hours ago, renji said:

there woul be a charge if the Butler brought Starbucks from the counter or drinks even if you have premium plus? just want to clairify!

The NCL Policy is yes, there is a charge.  If you have been reading the answers to this question from others, it is clear, some butlers would take your suite cards to the starbuck counter and bring you a coffee.  That has not been my experience.  

 

Since we have conflicting experiences, it seems it is a hit or miss from a butler standpoint.  This happens on certain topics in the Haven Sometimes.  My goal is on this and other topics to establish a realistic expectation.  If the butler does this for you, you would be thrilled.  If he says NO, you would be disappointed.  Knowing it could go either way, lessens to expectation if it does not happen.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[RocketMan275]

13 hours ago, renji said:

sugar free + M&Ms makes sense to me!

You can also ask for bar mix and mixed nuts

 

[bundtkate]

Alright, I've done my read through (admittedly with some skimming but I think I did a decent job). Question time!
 

1. I understand specialty coffee is free from the Haven restaurant. Is that still the case if you have your butler bring you cappuccinos in the mornings? What about if you add extra espresso shots -- still free? Since alcohol that's included in your drinks package is charged if your butler brings it, I wasn't sure if that rule applies to other things...
2. Does the Horizon Lounge coffee thingy allow you to add extra shots of espresso and the like? Like Gary, we prefer our coffee strong. On our last cruise (RCI Oasis), I'm pretty sure the gal at promenade cafe thought there was something wrong with me when I kept ordering 3 extra shots in my latte every morning. Anyway, I'm just hoping we'll have a non-Starbucks option when the Haven restaurant isn't open.
3. For those who get a pitcher of water in the fridge, is that filtered water, by chance? I know all water on  the ship is potable and that talking about water on cruise critic generally can get you in trouble, but I have yet to find a ship where I can't taste the chlorine. I'm willing to pay for bottled on a cruise despite only drinking tap at home. I am hoping this pitcher will be more akin to, for example, what I got out of the water dispensers in the buffet on RCI which tastes fine to me and save me from buying a water package.
4. Is it okay to go through the normal boarding process instead of Haven? Any reason I really shouldn't? As I mentioned before, we're traveling with our wedding guests and while my family can fend for themselves, I would hate to abandon my matron of honor and her husband to the whims said family. I'll probably send my fiancee the Haven way, but I'd feel a bit guilty if I don't at least offer to wait with my best friend.
5. Does anyone know when the Haven pool and the hot tubs on the sundeck close? We'll be on the Joy, if it matters. I've read a few reviews that seem to indicate it's open "late" but no one gave a time and we're night owls so our "late" might be a bit later than most. Hoping to take advantage of our tendency to be up late to beat the crowds and enjoy some pool time.
6. I know this is subjective, but I'm just looking for thoughts from anyone who has used the pressing service (I know it's an extra charge) as data points. I know my mileage may always vary. Would you trust them with pressing wedding attire? I expect I could ask my wedding planner for a recommendation shore-side, but there's an appeal to be able to hand my dress and fiancee's suit off to the butler the day before and have them ready before we head off the next day. Given both garments will need to travel a fair ways, I'm sure they're going to need pressing.
   
   Thanks so much for this resource, Gary et. al.! I know still asked a lot, but this thread answered so many more of my questions still. I tend to research obsessively as a way to tide myself over until cruise time so you can imagine how much I've enjoyed this. Y'all are the best. 💜

[mtrancher]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

The NCL Policy is yes, there is a charge.  If you have been reading the answers to this question from others, it is clear, some butlers would take your suite cards to the starbuck counter and bring you a coffee.  That has not been my experience.  

 

Since we have conflicting experiences, it seems it is a hit or miss from a butler standpoint.  This happens on certain topics in the Haven Sometimes.  My goal is on this and other topics to establish a realistic expectation.  If the butler does this for you, you would be thrilled.  If he says NO, you would be disappointed.  Knowing it could go either way, lessens to expectation if it does not happen.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Very well put! Knowing the policy is critical. I think it should be the basis of expectations. However as in life many times the policy is able to be broken given certain circumstances. Knowing you are getting more than policy allows should feel great, but having to abide by the policy should not hinder your enjoyment of a vacation. After all, policies aside, it's always our choice to enjoy the day, or not.

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

I understand specialty coffee is free from the Haven restaurant. Is that still the case if you have your butler bring you cappuccinos in the mornings? What about if you add extra espresso shots -- still free? Since alcohol that's included in your drinks package is charged if your butler brings it, I wasn't sure if that rule applies to other things...

Two separate questions here.  What ever the Haven Serves is available.  This includes specialty coffee's.  Ask for an additional shot of espresso.  It should not be an issue.  Adding alcohol to it will be an extra cost regardless of the drink program you have.  Please don't get the two confused. 

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

Does the Horizon Lounge coffee thingy allow you to add extra shots of espresso and the like? Like Gary, we prefer our coffee strong. On our last cruise (RCI Oasis), I'm pretty sure the gal at promenade cafe thought there was something wrong with me when I kept ordering 3 extra shots in my latte every morning. Anyway, I'm just hoping we'll have a non-Starbucks option when the Haven restaurant isn't open.

The machine in the Horizon Lounge will allow you to add as many shots as you want.  The French Press from the Haven Restaurant is some of the strongest I have every out outside of Europe. The French Press can be delivered to your Haven Suite by your butler.  You also can go down one level to the Observation Deck to the actual Starbucks which you will have to pay for unless you have the premium Plus Beverage Package.

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

For those who get a pitcher of water in the fridge, is that filtered water, by chance? I know all water on  the ship is potable and that talking about water on cruise critic generally can get you in trouble, but I have yet to find a ship where I can't taste the chlorine. I'm willing to pay for bottled on a cruise despite only drinking tap at home. I am hoping this pitcher will be more akin to, for example, what I got out of the water dispensers in the buffet on RCI which tastes fine to me and save me from buying a water package.

My advice is to purchase the water package.  The water in the pitcher is filtered, it has to be.  It will be consumed by people.  The water package is simply better water and very inexpensive. 

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

Is it okay to go through the normal boarding process instead of Haven? Any reason I really shouldn't? As I mentioned before, we're traveling with our wedding guests and while my family can fend for themselves, I would hate to abandon my matron of honor and her husband to the whims said family. I'll probably send my fiancee the Haven way, but I'd feel a bit guilty if I don't at least offer to wait with my best friend.

You do you.  Part of the Haven Experience is to be in the Haven Port Lounge, be the first on-board and tour the Haven area's.  You also get to drop off you carryon in your Haven Suite before it is ready to make it easy on you.  Your guest will fully understand.  Have a meeting place and time with them.  Ask the Haven Desk if you can take them for a tour and this is your wedding party.  They will say yes.  Bring them to the Haven Sundeck for sail a way.  All will be forgiven.  I assure you.

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

Does anyone know when the Haven pool and the hot tubs on the sundeck close? We'll be on the Joy, if it matters. I've read a few reviews that seem to indicate it's open "late" but no one gave a time and we're night owls so our "late" might be a bit later than most. Hoping to take advantage of our tendency to be up late to beat the crowds and enjoy some pool time.

No crowds to beat at this pool.  If it is a holiday, you might have some kids in the pool during the day time.  I went on the Joy twice in the last year.  First time in the Haven with my family.  I don't remember the closing time of if they even had one.  My recommendation is look for Dailies for the Joy on CruiseCritic.com.  Go to the  page for hours of operations.  

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

I know this is subjective, but I'm just looking for thoughts from anyone who has used the pressing service (I know it's an extra charge) as data points. I know my mileage may always vary. Would you trust them with pressing wedding attire? I expect I could ask my wedding planner for a recommendation shore-side, but there's an appeal to be able to hand my dress and fiancee's suit off to the butler the day before and have them ready before we head off the next day. Given both garments will need to travel a fair ways, I'm sure they're going to need pressing.

The service is t that said.  Mistakes happen at the best dry cleaners.  I would check with the Haven Desk onboard and make sure they know the importance of the clothing being pressed.  That is what I would do based on how important this is. 

 

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

Thanks so much for this resource, Gary et. al.! I know still asked a lot, but this thread answered so many more of my questions still. I tend to research obsessively as a way to tide myself over until cruise time so you can imagine how much I've enjoyed this. Y'all are the best. 💜

 

You are more than welcome.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.