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

[Daniel A]

On 8/23/2023 at 9:25 AM, McGarrett5oh said:

We have an Alaska cruise booked for next summer using a Travel Agent for the first time.  When flights opened up last week, I asked her to compare the Holland America flight options to what I could book directly with an airline.  The prices came back exactly the same as what I saw online.  When I asked the TA what the advantage was to booking through the cruise line, she said "NONE".  Even the included "transfers" only apply if you arrive same day, not if you arrive the day before, which is what we will do via our own airline bookings.  We get what we want, when we want, seats we want etc. by doing it ourselves.  

Three of us will be flying out to a Haven sailing next week.  We took the BOGO Air and DS is staying for free in the second bedroom in the family villa suite.  These incentives made the Haven much more affordable.  We took a two-day pre-cruise deviation to give us some room for delays or cancellations.  Actually, we got a discount on the air fares because we won't be able to take a NCL shuttle from the airport to the cruise ship.  The flights are ok, just not on airlines I would have chosen, but the cost of the NCL Air BOGO couldn't be beat.  We didn't get non-stop or direct, but the layovers are reasonable.  The really screwy thing is that NCL keeps sending out the same air confirmation letters by e-mail.  Just this morning I got the 8th set!  Of course, each time I get another air confirmation I have to check to make sure there aren't any changes to the itinerary - no changes at all...

 

Normally, I would have made my own flight arrangements, but the BOGO air made a very big difference in my case.  YMMV

[Russiamomm]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Social Media is One Interesting Place:

 

  I call the posters, "Unexperienced Experts".

 

 

One of my old bosses called them “Subject Matter Enthusiasts” (as opposed to Subject Matter Experts”.)  Being in a regulated industry, he called them the most dangerous people in the company.  😂

[Daniel A]

17 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

One of my old bosses called them “Subject Matter Enthusiasts” (as opposed to Subject Matter Experts”.)  Being in a regulated industry, he called them the most dangerous people in the company.  😂

I call them politicians.......... 🤣

[Traveling Fools]

On 8/22/2023 at 8:57 PM, Sthrngary said:

After a while and 30 + cruises, you start to get the picture.  Yet still, I had NEVER purchased Cruise Travel Insurance until two years ago.  That was my first time for cruise insurance.  Good thing, I got lucky. 

 

Gary, The first time we purchased Travel Insurance was for a January 2010 Galapagos cruise on X.  We had booked a suite and for some reason just felt it was the thing to do.  It was also the first time in years we, rather than frequent flyer miles, were footing the airfare.  10-days before our departure our oldest daughter sustained a life threatening wound.  Refund of the fares happened without a hitch.  It made a big believer out of me!  You just never know when fate is going to intercede forcing radical changes to your plans and life. 

[Sthrngary]

10 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

Gary, The first time we purchased Travel Insurance was for a January 2010 Galapagos cruise on X.  We had booked a suite and for some reason just felt it was the thing to do.  It was also the first time in years we, rather than frequent flyer miles, were footing the airfare.  10-days before our departure our oldest daughter sustained a life threatening wound.  Refund of the fares happened without a hitch.  It made a big believer out of me!  You just never know when fate is going to intercede forcing radical changes to your plans and life. 

@Traveling Fools Thank you for sharing your story.  I truly hope your daughter is ok.  The importance of your story to the members of CruiseCritic.com can not be overshadowed.  My hope is those that are on the fence about Cruise Insurance listen to you and me.  As I said in the original post.  I got lucky and like you was made whole very quickly.  Folks reading this, you do you.  We shared our stories.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Kauaijim]

The people who had NCL Flights leaving the spirit in Tahiti last November had to leave the ship at 4 am for the charter , lot of mumbling the day before. We have only done 3 trips on NCL only on  small ships w/o haven but we were well taken care of staying in a suite. 

[rattla]

Just a thought.

Didn’t manage to go to the Noodle bar on our last trip on NCL Breakway as was too busy.
Would I be right in thinking it would be possible to order from here to our room?

I guess we don’t have a proper table as in a Courtyard cabin, but assume we could make it work?

[cruiseny4life]

4 minutes ago, rattla said:

Just a thought.

Didn’t manage to go to the Noodle bar on our last trip on NCL Breakway as was too busy.
Would I be right in thinking it would be possible to order from here to our room?

I guess we don’t have a proper table as in a Courtyard cabin, but assume we could make it work?

We did this on Getaway. On embarkation day we let our butler know we would be requesting this service and how best to ask for it on the day we wanted. He told us to give him at least an hour notice and told us it would be best to request it for restaurant opening time. He said this in a way that made it seem our food would be more fresh and better quality. I also believe he said this so he could spread out his room service orders for the night. On the day we decided to have Shanghai Noodle Bar in our room, we rang the butler about an hour ahead of time of restaurant opening (as he suggested), gave him our order, and it was in our room ten minutes after Shanghai opened. 

[McGarrett5oh]

Just got off the phone with Haven Pre-Cruise Concierge.  Man, they are ALL so GREAT!   Really looking forward to our Haven experience next month.   Forgot to ask if there is any rush to check in 21 days out if we want to get on board as early as possible. 

 

For example, is there any need to check in just past midnight on the 21st day out or as Haven guests there is no rush, just go on line the morning of the 21st day before departure, when the check-in opens?

[Sthrngary]

1 minute ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Just got off the phone with Haven Pre-Cruise Concierge.  Man, they are ALL so GREAT!   Really looking forward to our Haven experience next month.   Forgot to ask if there is any rush to check in 21 days out if we want to get on board as early as possible. 

 

For example, is there any need to check in just past midnight on the 21st day out or as Haven guests there is no rush, just go on line the morning of the 21st day before departure, when the check-in opens?

@McGarrett5oh In theory, you can board anytime you want when you are in the Haven.  I am about to say something that simply does not make sense and I know it.  YET, I still do the 21 day check-in the moment I can.  Old habits die hard.  I have no reason or excuse.  It is something I look forward to as much as that unbelievable walk from the port to the ship.  Maybe not quite as much but close.  

 

I am SO VERY excited for you and yours.  It has been so much fun to read your comments, op-eds and responses.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment!!

[McGarrett5oh]

9 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@McGarrett5oh In theory, you can board anytime you want when you are in the Haven.  I am about to say something that simply does not make sense and I know it.  YET, I still do the 21 day check-in the moment I can.  Old habits die hard.  I have no reason or excuse.  It is something I look forward to as much as that unbelievable walk from the port to the ship.  Maybe not quite as much but close.  

 

I am SO VERY excited for you and yours.  It has been so much fun to read your comments, op-eds and responses.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment!!

Likewise.  Thank you for everything you've shared on this wonderful thread.  I plan to reciprocate with helpful input once we're done.  We're 14 days in the Prima Haven, so it should be interesting to see how essentially double a typical 7-day cruise is different.  Meaning, what with the same daily menu in the Haven restaurant, spending 2 weeks with your butler, concierge, restaurant and other staff, not to mention your Haven guest neighbors, etc. 

 

(I'll let you know if I get tired of the almond croissant 😁)

 

I'm really not concerned about the Haven Restaurant menu as we are interspersing specialty dining, in port dining and gosh, I think there might be a few other dining options somewhere on that ship.

 

Cheers!

 

 

[GALSews]

37 minutes ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Likewise.  Thank you for everything you've shared on this wonderful thread.  I plan to reciprocate with helpful input once we're done.  We're 14 days in the Prima Haven, so it should be interesting to see how essentially double a typical 7-day cruise is different.  Meaning, what with the same daily menu in the Haven restaurant, spending 2 weeks with your butler, concierge, restaurant and other staff, not to mention your Haven guest neighbors, etc. 

 

(I'll let you know if I get tired of the almond croissant 😁)

 

I'm really not concerned about the Haven Restaurant menu as we are interspersing specialty dining, in port dining and gosh, I think there might be a few other dining options somewhere on that ship.

 

Cheers!

 

 

We only ate once at Indulge. In hindsight, I wouldn't have minded eating there are few more times. It was crowded, but there were a lot of types of food to choose from. We did use the FAS dining and the latitudes' dining at specialty venues. However, we mostly ate inside the Haven, except for one night on the outside of it under the heater. (Weird happening, the one time we ate outside, there were three tables of us having dining in the chill. (I eventually grabbed some towels from the pool area and used them as a blanket; I was cold in Norway.)  We discovered that an occupant of one of the other tables and I shared a birthday when they brought out a cake for me. Statistically, the case is good for a group of 25 people for 2 2 have the same birthday, but we were a total of 6 people.)

[Daniel A]

@McGarrett5oh before I retired from my job, there were plenty of times where I was told by my boss to "Book 'em Dano."  And He meant it!  👮‍♂️

 

 

[rattla]

2 hours ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Likewise.  Thank you for everything you've shared on this wonderful thread.  I plan to reciprocate with helpful input once we're done.  We're 14 days in the Prima Haven, so it should be interesting to see how essentially double a typical 7-day cruise is different.  Meaning, what with the same daily menu in the Haven restaurant, spending 2 weeks with your butler, concierge, restaurant and other staff, not to mention your Haven guest neighbors, etc. 

 

(I'll let you know if I get tired of the almond croissant 😁)

 

I'm really not concerned about the Haven Restaurant menu as we are interspersing specialty dining, in port dining and gosh, I think there might be a few other dining options somewhere on that ship.

 

Cheers!

 

 

We are on a similarly long cruise from Southampton (16 nights) in a few weeks and I asked a similar question about this recently.  A few people suggested that on longer cruises they’ve seen NCL put on a nightly special in the Haven restaurant.  I guess we will find out soon 😊

 

 

[Russiamomm]

28 minutes ago, rattla said:

We are on a similarly long cruise from Southampton (16 nights) in a few weeks and I asked a similar question about this recently.  A few people suggested that on longer cruises they’ve seen NCL put on a nightly special in the Haven restaurant.  I guess we will find out soon 😊

 

 

We were on a 16 night TA in April. There were nightly dinner specials, but that didn’t start until around a week into the cruise.  Worked for us.  Just about the point in the cruise where we were looking for something different.

 

That being said, we never tired of the menu.  There’s enough of a variety to keep you interested, and they will switch it up if you ask.  

[Traveling Fools]

20 hours ago, Kauaijim said:

The people who had NCL Flights leaving the spirit in Tahiti last November had to leave the ship at 4 am for the charter , lot of mumbling the day before. We have only done 3 trips on NCL only on  small ships w/o haven but we were well taken care of staying in a suite. 

 

We were on that cruise.  Spirit doesn't have a Haven..just suites. 

 

Passengers using NCL air literally got screwed coming and going.  NCL's charter aircraft did not arrive in Papeete until AFTER the scheduled ship's departure time.  Without looking back at my notes, I think two of them arrived between 8 and 10 PM and the third between 10 and midnight. The line of arriving passengers, that time of night waiting at the Ship's Office was very, very, did I say VERY long! 

 

I didn't know that at least one charter left at 4 AM.  That was after spending the day before cruising around in circles because authorities wouldn't permit us to spend a second day at Moorea. 

 

What I learned from that cruise is we should have booked with Paul Gauguin.  They have a corner on Polynesian cruises and the passengers I met who had cruised with them in the past raved about them.   

[Sthrngary]

14 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

We were on that cruise.  Spirit doesn't have a Haven..just suites. 

 

Passengers using NCL air literally got screwed coming and going.  NCL's charter aircraft did not arrive in Papeete until AFTER the scheduled ship's departure time.  Without looking back at my notes, I think two of them arrived between 8 and 10 PM and the third between 10 and midnight. The line of arriving passengers, that time of night waiting at the Ship's Office was very, very, did I say VERY long! 

 

I didn't know that at least one charter left at 4 AM.  That was after spending the day before cruising around in circles because authorities wouldn't permit us to spend a second day at Moorea. 

 

What I learned from that cruise is we should have booked with Paul Gauguin.  They have a corner on Polynesian cruises and the passengers I met who had cruised with them in the past raved about them.   

@Traveling Fools Thank you for clarifying there was not a Haven area on this ship.  This thread is about the Haven Secrets.  Much more importunately, your post and other simply confirm, "Book your own flights and control what you can control".  Also, NCL is a very nice cruise line, however when going to many exotic and foreign ports, we should look at all options and be extremely well informed.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[DaisyGoldberg]

On 8/21/2023 at 5:46 PM, RocketMan275 said:

And, I'm sure the butlers see that bringing food to your room is part of their job description.  The more of that they do, the larger their tips.

The point is, we were going straight back to our room and we wanted our wine waiting for us when we got back to the room not a couple of hours later.

 

We were in the Garden Villa once, and when it was time for dessert decided it would be cool to just take it upstairs and eat it there. But they insisted on calling the butler, so instead of a 2 minute walk/elevator ride then dessert, we waited close to an hour.  I don't blame the poor butler - it was a service we didn't request and he likely didn't have time for. I wish they'd be more flexible with the policy if you're willing to take it yourself. 

 

Another vote for travel insurance - have used it twice now, once when my sister had emergency surgery the week before my mom's cruise and she was the only one who could care for her after discharge from the hospital and needed to cancel, and this past winter when Mom got covid on board and racked up $11k in medical bills. You can't just whip out your Blue Cross card - you have to pay it immediately and then deal with whatever insurance you have (including NCL insurance) after the fact. Either way, be sure you have the capacity for a LARGE onboard bill and even though it's a hassle, the ability to recoup that money after the fact.  

 

(It was very good care, by the way - probably superior to what she would have gotten at home, where she would have sat in an ER for hours)

 

[RocketMan275]

6 minutes ago, DaisyGoldberg said:

 

We were in the Garden Villa once, and when it was time for dessert decided it would be cool to just take it upstairs and eat it there. But they insisted on calling the butler, so instead of a 2 minute walk/elevator ride then dessert, we waited close to an hour.  I don't blame the poor butler - it was a service we didn't request and he likely didn't have time for. I wish they'd be more flexible with the policy if you're willing to take it yourself. 

 

Another vote for travel insurance - have used it twice now, once when my sister had emergency surgery the week before my mom's cruise and she was the only one who could care for her after discharge from the hospital and needed to cancel, and this past winter when Mom got covid on board and racked up $11k in medical bills. You can't just whip out your Blue Cross card - you have to pay it immediately and then deal with whatever insurance you have (including NCL insurance) after the fact. Either way, be sure you have the capacity for a LARGE onboard bill and even though it's a hassle, the ability to recoup that money after the fact.  

 

(It was very good care, by the way - probably superior to what she would have gotten at home, where she would have sat in an ER for hours)

 

I suspect that it maybe the butlers who insist to delivering the desserts or left over wine.  The butlers might think this means you'll appreciate their services more and will tip accordingly.  Or, this might be one of those bright ideas management thinks are great.

Incredbily good point about the travel insurance.  Another reason not to rely upon a debit card.  

And, you might have unanticipated expenses returning home.  

 

[BornPisces]

I would really like to thank the Haven experts for all the tips and tricks. My husband and I “splurge” on the Haven for a few reasons, just as others splurge on their different type happies that we might not understand.

 

For us as two small business owners it’s hard getting away for vacays due to hectic schedules so we need/want downtime, excellent service, and quiet while traveling to multiple ports. We have had one Haven cruise back in 2019. That was all it took for “Us” to book another Haven cruise coming up in early 2024. I only search for Haven ships now. We still laugh about every time we would walk thru the Haven door, we would hear angels quietly singing. We love the Haven priority em/debarkation, Haven courtyard, Haven restaurant, Haven lounge, and Haven sun deck. We do venture to different decks for casino, shows and specialty restaurants so we almost have 2 type vacays rolled into one – party/play vs. relaxing indulgent time. We had very few requests and were pampered royally.

 

With that said I hope to one day be a regular on here answering questions and sharing tips/tricks. Thank ya’ll for making our cruises a lot smoother on what and how to expect. Hats off to ya’ll!

[Sailing12Away]

10 hours ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Just got off the phone with Haven Pre-Cruise Concierge.  Man, they are ALL so GREAT!   Really looking forward to our Haven experience next month.   Forgot to ask if there is any rush to check in 21 days out if we want to get on board as early as possible. 

 

For example, is there any need to check in just past midnight on the 21st day out or as Haven guests there is no rush, just go on line the morning of the 21st day before departure, when the check-in opens?

You'll probably hear different stories, but the Haven priority boarding only happens once you get into the terminal and past security and all checked in. Depending on the port for embarkation, some are more strict than others. 

When we sailed to Alaska out of Seattle, they were checking our boarding passes and wouldn't let us into the building until it was within 30 mins of our stated embarkation time slot. So it didn't matter that we were Haven and as soon as we had our room key could board the ship - we couldn't even get into the building to get our room key in the first place.

 

So long story short - but yes, you do need to still pick an appropriate boarding time to ensure you can get into the boarding to board in the first place. But once you're inside and checked in, your time slot doesn't matter at all - you'll be allowed on the ship as early as you want once it is cleared and ready for passengers.

[Traveling Fools]

On 8/25/2023 at 4:21 PM, Sthrngary said:

Also, NCL is a very nice cruise line, however when going to many exotic and foreign ports, we should look at all options and be extremely well informed.  

 

Gary, I should have qualified my statement.  I'm a diver and learned from new dive mates and passengers on a HAL ship whom I met at the Papeete dive shop that PG caters to divers and has an excellent on-board dive shop.  Other other factors in this instance to consider are 1) PG is a smaller ship and 2) considered a "local" company and as such receives special, maybe even preferential, treatment by local authorities.  

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

Gary, I should have qualified my statement.  I'm a diver and learned from new dive mates and passengers on a HAL ship whom I met at the Papeete dive shop that PG caters to divers and has an excellent on-board dive shop.  Other other factors in this instance to consider are 1) PG is a smaller ship and 2) considered a "local" company and as such receives special, maybe even preferential, treatment by local authorities.  

That's exactly why my last cruise on HAL was banned from Bora Bora, but PG was a tailored fit.  Corruption knows no borders...

[Traveling Fools]

Moving back on topic, here is some initial boarding advise for those who book aft Haven suites.  I search this issue on this thread.  It hasn't been mentioned, so it is new information for all.

 

Ships with the Haven are bigger ships than those without a Haven.  To facilitate a speedy boarding process, the cruise terminal will almost always have aft and forward boarding areas and operations.  The intent being passengers in cabins in the front half of the ship boards and checks in using the forward station and those in the back half use the aft boarding station. 

 

The system works well with none-Haven guests, but not so well for Haven guests in Aft suites.

 

Why????

 

As Haven guests your first stop will be....you guessed it the Haven.  And where is the Haven?  You guessed right again.  It is in the forward part of the ship. 

 

This means when if you use the aft Haven boarding station you will be escorted on board at the aft end of the ship and from there forward to the Haven lounge.  This meant for us, and the others in our group, using 2-non dedicated elevators and dodging passengers the entire length of the ship.  All that while tugging or toting your carryon luggage.  And if you are traveling with young children herding them while they get distracted by every little thing and at the same time trying to keep up with your group.  If you suffer from walking issues, things get exacerbated.

 

The solution is easy. If booked in an Aft Haven suite, inform the pre-cruise concierge of your intent to use the forward boarding station...AND...ask for an acknowledgement of your intent.  By using the forward Haven boarding area to check in, you are escorted to a dedicated elevator that takes you straight to the Haven and its lounge.  After the concierge finishes with her welcome aboard speech, you can leave your carryon luggage in the lounge and begin exploring the ship.  If booked in an aft suite, it is unlikely your suite will be ready for occupancy before those in the Haven proper.  So, you want a place to stow your stuff until you can actually gain access to your suite.

 

Remember, fire doors are closed during the boarding process and you won't have access to the passageways (hallways) going to your suite. You have to pre-plan where you are going to hang out until they open the ship's cabins.  And once the announcement is made cabins are ready for occupancy, it is a goat rope navigating the entire length of the ship through the other several thousand passengers wanting to settle into their cabins.  

[McGarrett5oh]

This may have been covered many pages ago, but I'm going to ask again as I can't seem to find the answers I'm seeking regarding WIFI, specifically on the NCL Prima (and its Haven) and coverage in the North Atlantic (Iceland, Norway or even TA).  

 

1)  Does the Prima have the Starlink WIFI yet?

 

2)  Knowing it's still going to be slower than home, what has the recent experience been with anyone who bought the UNLIMITED Premium Wifi on the Prima or anyother NCL ship sailing IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC for reasonable ability to access video from the Internet and upload videos and/or photos to Cruise Critic or other common sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc)?

 

3) I have a a note from a Harr Travel article about the (generic) Haven benefits that stated or implied that the NCL has deployed additional wifi hotspots within the Haven.  Can anyone substantiate that or how their overall WIFI experience was within the Haven.

 

Thanks in advance!  😀