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

[NikkiPoooo27]

It was explained to me that your beverage package allows you to get 2 drinks at a time, and sticking drinks would not fall within that policy. Additionally, with allowing the beverage package to be used for in-suite service there is the concern that people would order drink after drink and just serve drinks to every who visits their suite using their own individual beverage package.

[Sthrngary]

8 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

If I have the beverage package and ask the butler to stock drinks in the room, is that covered under the beverage package?

@Daniel A You are not going to like this answer, nobody does.  "NO".  No canned sodas, no beer or wine, no spirits can be provided by your Butler without you paying for them even if you have a Beverage Package.  I want to be clear, some folks have had soda's brought with meals.  I have ALWAYS been told NO, but some butlers have broken that rule.  Just not an expectation.  

 

If you want to ask any more question about this, feel free. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Sthrngary]

11 minutes ago, NikkiPoooo27 said:

This is not just a bougie people opinion either... it's objectively awful. People on my music cruises (where they'd give every cabin a bottle for free) often left it behind after the cruise. It's undrinkable except as mimosas.

LOL, so I am considered  "Bougie" ?  I take that as a complement.  I support what you said.  We usually find a couple on their honeymoon and give them the bottle. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[NikkiPoooo27]

59 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

LOL, so I am considered  "Bougie" ?

Lol, I'm pretty sure having a butler (even if it's just for 7 days) = bougie. I don't make the rules! 😉

[JoieNsk]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

@JoieNsk  My advice is, tell the butler to take out all your "FOR PURCHASE" items so you don't get charged. 

 

The Sparkling wine you get on day one which is horrible is complementary. 

 

Hope that helps. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you again!

 

The comments about the free wine are taken into consideration :))) I will just get myself something I will drink - either buy from NCL, or bring with me. As I want some sparkling wine for the sailaway.

 

And I will definitely make sure to get everything out of the fridge first thing after we get into the cabin.

 

"Empty the fridge" - it's the same for every cruise line we tried. I think only with Disney you get fridge content included - in the concierge class rooms. On every other cruise line we tried - it is the hotel mini-bar type deal.

 

But I still appreciate the info particularly for NCL. As this is going to be our first cruise with them. 

[JoieNsk]

2 hours ago, NikkiPoooo27 said:

 

Many people give the butler a short letter on the first day with information like what they like for breakfast and what time they'd like it, any food allergies or dislikes, what days you'll be getting off the ship, and general information like that. That way he doesn't need to just remember everything about everyone. 

That might not be a bad idea!

 

I don't want them to try to read my mind. The more that I am sure there would be no success with that :))) My husband still can't figure me out. (to tell the truth I myself get confused with me sometimes :))))

 

So the letter might make it easier just for everybody. 

[scooter6139]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

@Daniel A You are not going to like this answer, nobody does.  "NO".  No canned sodas, no beer or wine, no spirits can be provided by your Butler without you paying for them even if you have a Beverage Package.  I want to be clear, some folks have had soda's brought with meals.  I have ALWAYS been told NO, but some butlers have broken that rule.  Just not an expectation.  

 

If you want to ask any more question about this, feel free. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

 

Our Butler on Joy happily stocked and restocked our fridge with any canned sodas we wanted once he knew we had the FAS+ package.  So it all depends on the butler I guess.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Gary,

Do you know who assigns which butler to which cabins?

Have you ever heard of a pre cruise request to the concierge?

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

The Sparkling wine you get on day one which is horrible is complementary. 

I've yet to hear a convincing reason why they provide that horrible wine.

Is it a punishment for something, a form of penance?

 

Last March, there was a bottle on ice in our cabin.

I asked the butler to remove it.

It was still there when we disembarked.

I feel bad since that meant the passengers coming aboard would have to drink two bottles of that swill.

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@Daniel A You are not going to like this answer, nobody does.  "NO".  No canned sodas, no beer or wine, no spirits can be provided by your Butler without you paying for them even if you have a Beverage Package.  I want to be clear, some folks have had soda's brought with meals.  I have ALWAYS been told NO, but some butlers have broken that rule.  Just not an expectation.  

 

If you want to ask any more question about this, feel free. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thanks for the response.  I have learned a long time ago that a good tip to a bartender on the first day can get unopened bottles of beer at request.  Oh well.... I guess I'll just have to lug all that beer back to my stateroom.  😄 🍺 

[amygutman]

19 hours ago, JoieNsk said:

Wow! I want the tea kettle too!!!

 

When do they usually contact you? I got some e-mail related to Haven. But never read it :)))

Maybe that was the concierge? :))) 

 

Now I will make sure I rummage through my emails to find it. 

 

Thank you for the tip. You made my day with this tea-pot info. I was under impression on NCL tea-pots are not allowed (though we had them on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean). 

@JoieNsk I suspect it's an electric kettle vs a tea-pot, but you've gotten me thinking. Even if our pre-concierge meant an actual teapot for brewing (offered at all meals in the Haven and at the bar too!), it's still a win for my British friend. 

 

Will clarify this week as we have to put in our spirit orders - my friends finally settled on their requests. 

 

Warmest, Amy

[amygutman]

11 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Can you explain please If pre cruise concierge is for booked sailings in the Haven. What is all of this: She has fantastic access re: upcoming sales, sailings, "hidden" perks and special events? 

It's things like - hey...just letting you know a 70% off is coming up on European sailings"..."Oh...did you know that you can order movies any time without charge?"...."Don't forget all of your parties with the officers and to book your behind the scenes tours". Things also like "no excursions yet for that port...but we will give you a call when they do happen and put you in touch with the shore excursion suite "concierge".

Things like that. Honestly, after a ton of NCL cruises I still miss taking advantage of the perks available so it's nice to have a reminder. Did not mean to imply special perks for using the pre-concierge - other than amazing personalized service of course. 

Warmest, Amy

 

[JoieNsk]

So I just added the special dining for about $37 bucks. Before I looked through everything on the web-site trying to figure out what this "free" dining includes. No info anywhere to be found. 

 

I called my big agency travel agent, they called NCL, and finally I know that this specialty dining includes only two meals, and some restaurants are still excluded. No surprises here :)))

 

After that I tried to make the reservation - the only one we are really interested in. No luck :))) Apparently I have very typical taste and habits: there is no time available till 8.30 pm. There is no way I go to dinner at 8.30 pm :)))

 

So I tried to call concierge desk - to see if they might be any help. It's 5.30pm with us. And they are closed already :)))) And they don't even work on the weekends!

 

Luckily I am off tomorrow too. As I work in the hospital and my hours are varied during the week. So I will call them tomorrow. 

 

But I wonder how other people who work during the day - every day are supposed to reach that concierge desk?! 

Edited June 13, 2023 by JoieNsk

[JoieNsk]

10 minutes ago, amygutman said:

@JoieNsk I suspect it's an electric kettle vs a tea-pot, but you've gotten me thinking. Even if our pre-concierge meant an actual teapot for brewing (offered at all meals in the Haven and at the bar too!), it's still a win for my British friend...

Sorry, I meant electric kettle too!

[NikkiPoooo27]

3 minutes ago, JoieNsk said:

After that I tried to make the reservation - the only one we are really interested it. No luck :))) Apparently I have very typical taste and habits: there is no time available till 8.30 pm. There is no way I go to dinner at 8.30 pm :)))

 

Fortunately a large block of specialty dining reservations are held back for onboard booking. Don't worry about that too much until you get onboard. You're also able to have those meals brought to your suite as well, though that doesn't work out so well for things like teppanyaki, brazilian steakhouse, and the newer smokehouse with the band.

 

You can also e-mal the concierge desk, though it's not a super quick response time.

[JoieNsk]

2 minutes ago, NikkiPoooo27 said:

 

Fortunately a large block of specialty dining reservations are held back for onboard booking. Don't worry about that too much until you get onboard. You're also able to have those meals brought to your suite as well, though that doesn't work out so well for things like teppanyaki, brazilian steakhouse, and the newer smokehouse with the band.

 

You can also e-mal the concierge desk, though it's not a super quick response time.

Thank you!

 

Maybe that will be the way to go - once we get onboard.

 

As I hate to make dining plans so far in advance. I will still try to give them a call tomorrow, and see what happens.

 

Also maybe they will be able to answer some more questions I still have, even after consulting those great and helpful boards!

[NikkiPoooo27]

4 minutes ago, JoieNsk said:

As I hate to make dining plans so far in advance. I will still try to give them a call tomorrow, and see what happens.

I've noticed that availability changes quite a lot from day to day once onboard as well... I think lots of people cancel.

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, scooter6139 said:

 

Our Butler on Joy happily stocked and restocked our fridge with any canned sodas we wanted once he knew we had the FAS+ package.  So it all depends on the butler I guess.

Exactly.  I was on the Joy three times.  When in the H2 Deluxe Owners Suite, it was part of the amenities.  When in a Penthouse the Butler said no. I always have the Premium Plus Drink Package.  My reason for commenting like I do is because, way back when, someone said online that they got something and it was refused to me.  I made me sour.  So I just want folks to know it really does depend on your Butler.  Thank you for saying it that way.  Much appreciated. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[psac]

2 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Gary,

Do you know who assigns which butler to which cabins?

Have you ever heard of a pre cruise request to the concierge?

Not Gary, but the butlers seem to be assigned by geography. We just got off the Joy, and the starboard-side 18th floor block of cabins in the Haven all had the same butler and room steward. (Which is probably way too many cabins for just one and one, but that’s a separate issue. We never had any problems with service, just they seemed way overworked.). Anyway, back to the point, if you request a butler, and that puts them off their normal block of rooms, it might make it difficult for both you and them for them to go back and forth. 
 

Of course, if you’re a good tipper, they may not care.  😁

[psac]

Regarding the Spa posts from the prior page, we’re not spa people, but the last two times when we boarded the Joy, and they brought us up to the Haven, they were doing restaurant reservations, they had a paper form to fill out for show reservations, and they had a spa representative there for spa reservations.  I don’t know if you have any better or worse chance at reservations that way vs going directly to the spa. But it might save the extra trip. I don’t know if that is standard practice, though!

[cruiseny4life]

16 hours ago, JoieNsk said:

So I just added the special dining for about $37 bucks. Before I looked through everything on the web-site trying to figure out what this "free" dining includes. No info anywhere to be found. 

 

I called my big agency travel agent, they called NCL, and finally I know that this specialty dining includes only two meals, and some restaurants are still excluded. No surprises here :)))

 

After that I tried to make the reservation - the only one we are really interested in. No luck :))) Apparently I have very typical taste and habits: there is no time available till 8.30 pm. There is no way I go to dinner at 8.30 pm :)))

 

So I tried to call concierge desk - to see if they might be any help. It's 5.30pm with us. And they are closed already :)))) And they don't even work on the weekends!

 

Luckily I am off tomorrow too. As I work in the hospital and my hours are varied during the week. So I will call them tomorrow. 

 

But I wonder how other people who work during the day - every day are supposed to reach that concierge desk?! 

If the pre-cruise concierge isn't able to get you the reservation, you'll be able to get it when you board so don't think all hope is lost. Just talk to the concierge or fill the piece of paper some concierges hand out in advance of you boarding. I'm sure you'll get your reservation.

 

As for those of that work during the day....well, we might, maybe just are bored at work. You can see all my posts are done during the day, whilst at work. I rarely post on nights or weekends. 

 

Hope you have a productive day off today!

[omahabob]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:12 AM, NikkiPoooo27 said:

Has anyone here been in the Haven out of Seattle recently? I was reading that they don't have anytime Haven boarding there, and they make everyone wait in the main line outside the port and inside at security. If that's the case I'll need to call and change the arrangements I made for my mom's scooter.

Was wondering the same thing for San Juan. Do they have the same or similar perks for Haven guests in the port?

[JoieNsk]

6 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

If the pre-cruise concierge isn't able to get you the reservation, you'll be able to get it when you board so don't think all hope is lost. Just talk to the concierge or fill the piece of paper some concierges hand out in advance of you boarding. I'm sure you'll get your reservation.

 

As for those of that work during the day....well, we might, maybe just are bored at work. You can see all my posts are done during the day, whilst at work. I rarely post on nights or weekends. 

 

Hope you have a productive day off today!

Thank you!

 

I did call them. And the guy told me that I will not have a problem getting the time I want as I am a Haven guest :)))  And he said he would request the time and day I wanted from the restaurant.

 

But the confirmation he gave me was for 9.30pm, because nothing else was available so far :)))

 

So I don't really have any confirmation anyways, before I get onboard. He told me that once I get on-board, I get the confirmation of some kind.

 

I figured - if it works, great! If it will not work - I am not planning to eat at 9.30pm. I'll just loose 37 bucks. I'll survive :)))

Edited June 14, 2023 by JoieNsk

[RocketMan275]

31 minutes ago, JoieNsk said:

Thank you!

 

I did call them. And the guy told me that I will not have a problem getting the time I want as I am a Haven guest :)))  And he said he would request the time and day I wanted from the restaurant.

 

But the confirmation he gave me was for 9.30pm, because nothing else was available so far :)))

 

So I don't really have any confirmation anyways, before I get onboard. He told me that once I get on-board, I get the confirmation of some kind.

 

I figured - if it works, great! If it will not work - I am not planning to eat at 9.30pm. I'll just loose 37 bucks. I'll survive :)))

I needed a confirmation for my last cruise on Breakaway.  The pre-cruise conceirge said they would contact the ship and that there was a 99% probability I would get what I wanted.  Sure enough, the confirmation was waiting when I boarded.

[mconthehighseas]

I called the pre-cruise concierge today,  and I learned a lot of what most of you posted today!
I had tried to make a reservation online, and since I could not make reservations for 3 people, I called.
The only restaurant that she recommended we make right away is for the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, since seats are limited.  
 

We will be cruising soon, and my family does not like to plan, so I did not have many options.  But now we at least have an OK reservation for that restaurant, and hopefully someone will cancel at a better time.

The woman I talked to was Robin, and she was VERY helpful.  I  learned  from her that the people at that desk take turns answering emails, on different days.  I know some of you mentioned Maria earlier,  but if she is not available, it looks like she has some good colleagues.

I am a few days from check in, and I am so grateful for this thread @Sthrngary.  I have cruised other lines before, and each one has its quirks, but I needed a lot of help planning our first cruise on NCL for some reason.