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

[wolft927]

17 hours ago, Girr said:

The funny part, with a little due diligence, sometimes the Haven isn't that much more.  Actually, I've sailed in DOSs for less money than two balcony cabins (especially after you add in beverage package) when travelling with extended family (parents, myself & one grandchild).  For the money the 2-bedroom suites are also a fabulous deal.  By no means was I born wealthy, and if you look up frugal in the dictionary, you'll probably find my picture, but when it comes to travelling the days of all of us crammed inside a small truck camper are long gone.  We save up for our trips, and do a lot of research to get a "deal".    

 

Some people just don't do enough research, and yes as mentioned, love to complain.   

Completely Agree. We are sailing in the 2 Bedroom Haven Suite on the Escape in January with another couple we have cruised with before and they are our neighbors. We were able to get the Haven for about the same price as 2 balcony Staterooms. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Why is the Prima getting such bad reviews? It looks so pretty and I think they might base it in NY year round!!!

I fully expect to provide a glowing review of Pr1ma in a few weeks. We leave on Nov. 20th, staying in the Haven. First time we're in the "complex" since all Haven rooms on Pr1ma are located in the aft of the ship. I can't wait - despite all the not so great reviews. 

[kasimir]

4 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Why is the Prima getting such bad reviews? It looks so pretty and I think they might base it in NY year round!!!

You will get twice the impressions from the same cruise as @cruiseny4life and us are on the same cruise. 😉

 

But summarized on the Prima (non Haven), the ship seems quite controversial, as it is conceptually completely different compared to the previous ships. While you have quite a lot of people that actually really like the Prima class (but don’t voice it), there are loud voices out there that give the Prima bad reviews. And trust me, some of the complaints are warranted, like the size and layout of the buffet, the size of Syd Normans and the small pool area. 
Some individuals are complaining about “noisy” and/or “smelly” cabins, but we had no issues, and I am not sure if it happens more on the Prima compared to other ships. 
A lot of the complaints are actually not related to the ship, but to the cold weather itinerary choice made by NCL to go to Iceland and rendering lots of those beautiful outside areas useless. 
But yes, the ship is absolutely gorgeous, feels a lot like a take on Celebrity and Virgin! Everything feels a bit more premium, the cabins are larger, the Indulge Food hall is an absolute highlight and the food choice and quality is fantastic, the outside promenade is really nice and we loved those heated infinity pools (even on our Iceland cruise). There is a lot more… 
 

We like it, and we feel the Prima class has a lot of potential. So if NCL fixes some of those major issues on the next ships, they have a real winner on their hands. 

[PatJim]

On 10/8/2023 at 6:26 PM, InfrequentPNWCruiser said:

Our other family traveling with us was in the balcony cabin next to that room. Guest Services was kinda ehhhh until we additionally complained and brought the concierge in. The words that our family member heard through the walls was repeated back to me from the concierge after they apparently mouthed off this upgrade issue to them. I think they got a stern warning with if it continues then the "outcome will be different." This probably also saved the vacation for the couple next to us and likely the cabin below . We're not heavy complainers but this was off the charts.

We’re not complainers, either. But once our cabin neighbors were smoking on their balcony.  This is a big no-no and safety issue on ships.  I politely knocked on the balcony divider, then politely reminded them they couldn’t smoke there.  After going inside, they came out  and started smoking again.  That’s when I called security, who came immediately.  Between the time I called and security knocked on their cabin door, I heard their toilet flush.  Naturally they denied having been smoking.  Security visited us to thank us profusely for alerting them.  
After dinner that night, we returned to our cabin to find there had been no turn-down service, dirty dishes still on table, etc.  Then we noticed someone outside our cabin door had changed our sign from Turn Down to Do Not Disturb.  Wonder who???  We just had to laugh.

[CDR Benson]

23 minutes ago, PatJim said:

We’re not complainers, either. But once our cabin neighbors were smoking on their balcony.  This is a big no-no and safety issue on ships.  I politely knocked on the balcony divider, then politely reminded them they couldn’t smoke there.  After going inside, they came out  and started smoking again.  That’s when I called security, who came immediately.  Between the time I called and security knocked on their cabin door, I heard their toilet flush.  Naturally they denied having been smoking.  Security visited us to thank us profusely for alerting them.  

 

No-one knows better than me the hazards presented by smoking in indiscriminate areas on board a vessel.  While I do not criticise your initial low-level attempt to correct the smokers' actions, I also know that most smokers hold an inviolable belief in their "right" to smoke, so any polite request for them to cease is pretty much a doomed effort.

 

As soon as I had detected the tobacco smoke coming from the adjacent balcony, I would have notified security and asked them to quietly report to my cabin, so the officers could smell the smoke for themselves, without tipping off the offending neighbours.  Then the security officers could do their job.

 

Bravi to you both for reporting it, and I'm glad it worked out for you with no more retribution than your stateroom missing a cleaning.

 

 

[PatJim]

6 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Same here. We are still in our starter house ( added on a family room 30 years ago) and our cars are 2009 and 2015. We accidentally found out about the Haven about six years ago. My daughter was in an elevator and was invited to see a room by another cruiser. Now unless we are traveling with a big family group, that’s what we book. We are closer to the end than the beginning . Just walking past the long lines at debarking is worth it to us. And yes I charge everything I buy  to accumulate airline miles and go business class if the flight is longer than three hours . We sacrifice in other ways. I cook a lot at home. Buy very few clothes or jewelry and have given up broadway shows . I’d rather go on NCL and see Choir of Man. And the Haven restaurant is terrific ( I also love the Ruebens at O’Sheehans.) To each their own. 

This is called Value Spending.  A wonderful financial advisor once explained it to me, and it started us tracking our spending habits.  The premise is 2-fold:  #1 If you know you’re saving for the things you truly want, you won’t mind saving by not wasting $ on things you don’t really need.  #2 You won’t know how much you’ll have for what you want, until you look at how much you’ve wasted spending on things you didn’t really value.  Her example was when she started tracking her spending, she was shocked at how much she spent on clothing she didn’t need or really enjoy wearing, so she put that $ towards things of greater value to her.

For us, we put it toward booking suites and being able to share with family and close friends.  There are lots of other things we could spend discretionary $ on, but cruising in a suite tops our list for now🥰

[PatJim]

13 minutes ago, CDR Benson said:

 

No-one knows better than me the hazards presented by smoking in indiscriminate areas on board a vessel.  While I do not criticise your initial low-level attempt to correct the smokers' actions, I also know that most smokers hold an inviolable belief in their "right" to smoke, so any polite request for them to cease is pretty much a doomed effort.

 

As soon as I had detected the tobacco smoke coming from the adjacent balcony, I would have notified security and asked them to quietly report to my cabin, so the officers could smell the smoke for themselves, without tipping off the offending neighbours.  Then the security officers could do their job.

 

Bravi to you both for reporting it, and I'm glad it worked out for you with no more retribution than your stateroom missing a cleaning.

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, CDR Benson said:

 

No-one knows better than me the hazards presented by smoking in indiscriminate areas on board a vessel.  While I do not criticise your initial low-level attempt to correct the smokers' actions, I also know that most smokers hold an inviolable belief in their "right" to smoke, so any polite request for them to cease is pretty much a doomed effort.

 

As soon as I had detected the tobacco smoke coming from the adjacent balcony, I would have notified security and asked them to quietly report to my cabin, so the officers could smell the smoke for themselves, without tipping off the offending neighbours.  Then the security officers could do their job.

 

Bravi to you both for reporting it, and I'm glad it worked out for you with no more retribution than your stateroom missing a cleaning.

 

 

Brilliant idea.  Thank you so much for your informed advice.  We’ll definitely follow it if we run into this situation again.  Thankfully, it’s only happened once to us, so far.  Most smokers understand the seriousness of NCL’s smoking rules and obey them.

[psac]

11 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Why is the Prima getting such bad reviews? It looks so pretty and I think they might base it in NY year round!!!

As someone who hasn’t been on the Prima, I feel like I’m an expert on the ship. 😜😁. We love the indoor sundeck areas on the Breakaway/Escape/Encore/Bliss/Joy ships. It’s a great option in poor weather. The Horizon Lounge is a nice addition for the ships which have that. More indoor space. The outdoor sundeck has plenty of shade as well. The Prima, in comparison, is perfect for sun lovers and warm itineraries (and as mentioned, it started with cold weather itineraries, bad choice.). It doesn’t have those spaces I mentioned, and the outdoor sundeck has next to zero shade. That makes it a terrible ship for us, and when we saw the reviews, we switched our booking to the Joy, and it was great we did, both our original Prima week and our Joy week had terrible weather for parts of the trip, and we were able to enjoy the bad parts of our Joy week indoors. The same design flows through the whole ship, it’s really made for outdoors

 

If we didn’t see the reviews, and were unprepared (like the majority of passengers), we wouldn’t have enjoyed the ship. Hence the bad reviews. For warm weather and the right audience, it probably is a great ship. Just not for us, and that’s okay!

 

[Treasure Hunter]

Thanks. Then it makes zero sense to sail from NY in winter. I too love the lounge at the front of the ship ( big windows, comfy couches): also we don’t sit in the sun anymore ( meds and a bout with skin cancer) . Even in the Celebrity retreat ( we alternate) there isn’t enough shade on the new ships. Finding a lounge under an umbrella is a blood sport. The cruise lines are trying for a younger ( uninformed about sun danger) crowd. Thats really a shame.

[pezgirlroy77]

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

 

I will say the comments regarding kids make me extremely nervous and worried about how my family will be perceived. We absolutely will not allow the kids to go onto the sundeck. My assumption is that there is no reason they would need to be there. One challenge with a few of the Disney ships is that to get to the concierge area (without having to walk to the other end of the ship) you do have to walk through the adult outside area. So we would do that with the kids but we as quick as we could. Will I allow my kids to use the pool and the hot tub. Yes will I allow them to hog it no. Will I allow them to spend time with their grandparents in the lounge of course. I will try my hardest to have them behave but I would also hope others would understand that they are kids. 

 

So my point of posting this is just to say thank you for all of the information. We just got the form for us to fill out for our haven suite for our cruise so just now need to decide on the liqour choices for the grown ups. 🙂

[wolft927]

2 minutes ago, pezgirlroy77 said:

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

 

I will say the comments regarding kids make me extremely nervous and worried about how my family will be perceived. We absolutely will not allow the kids to go onto the sundeck. My assumption is that there is no reason they would need to be there. One challenge with a few of the Disney ships is that to get to the concierge area (without having to walk to the other end of the ship) you do have to walk through the adult outside area. So we would do that with the kids but we as quick as we could. Will I allow my kids to use the pool and the hot tub. Yes will I allow them to hog it no. Will I allow them to spend time with their grandparents in the lounge of course. I will try my hardest to have them behave but I would also hope others would understand that they are kids. 

 

So my point of posting this is just to say thank you for all of the information. We just got the form for us to fill out for our haven suite for our cruise so just now need to decide on the liqour choices for the grown ups. 🙂

We have Cruised Many times in the Haven. We have cruised during Spring Break as well as Off peek seasons where minimal kids. Do not worry. You sound like you are a responsible parent! Let your kids have fun! They pay the same fare as an adult so they are equally entitled to the same amenities. I Grew up cruising with my parents from the age of 10, and love seeing well behaved children having a blast! 

 

[mrshorsy]

9 minutes ago, pezgirlroy77 said:

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

 

I will say the comments regarding kids make me extremely nervous and worried about how my family will be perceived. We absolutely will not allow the kids to go onto the sundeck. My assumption is that there is no reason they would need to be there. One challenge with a few of the Disney ships is that to get to the concierge area (without having to walk to the other end of the ship) you do have to walk through the adult outside area. So we would do that with the kids but we as quick as we could. Will I allow my kids to use the pool and the hot tub. Yes will I allow them to hog it no. Will I allow them to spend time with their grandparents in the lounge of course. I will try my hardest to have them behave but I would also hope others would understand that they are kids. 

 

So my point of posting this is just to say thank you for all of the information. We just got the form for us to fill out for our haven suite for our cruise so just now need to decide on the liqour choices for the grown ups. 🙂

In all our cruises 🚢 I’ve never had a problem with children being about. Annoying adults on the other hand have been plentiful. 
Please don’t feel you need to squash their energy and enthusiasm to the point of not enjoying your holiday! 

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, pezgirlroy77 said:

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

We did the same, DOS and adjoining penthouse for son and his wife.  Worked well. The next door penthouse has a connecting doorway to the DOS.  

[Treasure Hunter]

Kids in the Haven rarely pay the same rate as adults. We have a two bedroom haven suite in February from Miami for ourselves and my daughter and two grandkids. The three of them  are costing us about $500 each including insurance. Don’t worry, the kids will have a wonderful time ( and so will you just watching them). Our grandkids loved the kids club ( 7 and 10). The swimming pool, hot tubs and restaurant in the Haven. Service was fantastic and kind to them. They never went outdoors on the sundeck. No need to. And I told them not to. The front lounge is great for reading, card games, puzzles on a cool or rainy dat if you get shut out of the kids club. There was often a long line for the club because there were 1800 kids on board!!!!

[Treasure Hunter]

I should have stated that last winter we were on the Breakaway from NY . This winter break there is no one week cruise from NY so we are on the Encore from Miami ( I’ve been on it before and the Encire and the Bliss are my favorite ships

[McGarrett5oh]

We were on the Prima in the Haven for 14 days returning October 1st, 2023.  I've posted some thoughts previously, but if you have any specific questions about the Haven or the ship, I'll try to answer them.   

[Daniel A]

22 hours ago, pezgirlroy77 said:

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

 

I will say the comments regarding kids make me extremely nervous and worried about how my family will be perceived. We absolutely will not allow the kids to go onto the sundeck. My assumption is that there is no reason they would need to be there.

 

Will I allow my kids to use the pool and the hot tub. Yes will I allow them to hog it no. Will I allow them to spend time with their grandparents in the lounge of course. I will try my hardest to have them behave but I would also hope others would understand that they are kids.

I just came off the Breakaway staying in the Haven.  One good thing about the Breakaway Haven's hot tubs is that the one on the port side has a sign which says that hot tub is for adults only.  The starboard side hot tub is not posted.  So, there shouldn't be an issue for any adult to find a hot tub to use.  There were some children on our cruise, and they did use the starboard side hot tub and pool at times, but not continuously.  One never really noticed the children on that sailing as the parents were always with them and weren't relying on the other passengers and the hot tubs to be their babysitters.  You shouldn't have any problem at all.  

 

You should have a great time with your children, don't worry about how you'll be perceived - it will be just fine.  I also think there are enough fun activities near the main Lido pool, that your children may prefer to spend a lot of their time there.

[Yesimapirate]

23 hours ago, pezgirlroy77 said:

This really is such a helpful thread. We will be on the Breakaway end of February with myself, husband, 13 year old and 7 year old (in a Deluxe Owners Suite) and my parents in an adjoining suite in the Haven. 

 

I will say the comments regarding kids make me extremely nervous and worried about how my family will be perceived. We absolutely will not allow the kids to go onto the sundeck. My assumption is that there is no reason they would need to be there. One challenge with a few of the Disney ships is that to get to the concierge area (without having to walk to the other end of the ship) you do have to walk through the adult outside area. So we would do that with the kids but we as quick as we could. Will I allow my kids to use the pool and the hot tub. Yes will I allow them to hog it no. Will I allow them to spend time with their grandparents in the lounge of course. I will try my hardest to have them behave but I would also hope others would understand that they are kids. 

 

So my point of posting this is just to say thank you for all of the information. We just got the form for us to fill out for our haven suite for our cruise so just now need to decide on the liqour choices for the grown ups. 🙂

If your kids behave and you parent them, they'll be treated amazingly well by the other guests.  If they run wild and you don't parent them, people will look at you with disdain.   

 

Despite what's written here sometimes,  no one really has a problem with children.   They have a problem with children who misbehave constantly and the parents who turn a blind eye to it or expect the staff to be babysitters.

 

Sure, kids will be kids.  But parents also need to be parents.   If the children are being inappropriate,  correct them and everything will be fine. 

[Sthrngary]

Hello All:

 

When I wrote this OP-ED in 2019 and updated it in 2022, my focus was on leverage every once of value from the Premium We all pay to enjoy the NCL Haven.  If you don't know what you get, it is hard to leverage it.  That is why it is called "The Secrets".

 

My goal for the OP-ED and my subsequent replies to questions was to always be professional, honest and balanced.  Not all of my responses have be complementary to NCL or the Haven.  But when you take the good with the bad, much more good then bad.

 

My next cruise is not on the NCL Haven.  It is on a NCL sister brand called Oceania Cruises. The cruise is a 10 day Mediterranean Cruise and it Embarks in 14 days.  Here is why I am sharing this topic.  I am going to evaluate Oceania compared to the Haven.  I want to see if somethings are as good, better or worse.  I am looking forward to doing a deep dive. 

 

Part of why I am sharing this is because of the many comments given on this stream.  Whether it has been Personalized Service, Food, Kids issue, butler issues and others.  A comparison by someone who loves the Haven might be helpful.  

 

I will link that topic here after I write it.  To everyone.  see you all soon in a Haven Suite near you.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[PatJim]

Looking forward to your review.  To date, Oceania is out of our price range, but then, we haven’t looked that closely at the line as an alternative to NCL Haven.  
Wishing you safe sailing.

[CDR Benson]

18 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

A comparison by someone who loves the Haven might be helpful.  

 

I will link that topic here after I write it.  To everyone.  see you all soon in a Haven Suite near you.

 

It will, indeed, be helpful, my friend.  I've been interested in Oceania for some time, particularly as the luxury it offers is within my price point.  Unfortunately, the voyages we wanted were served only by its R-Class vessels, which, bizarrely, put its penthouse-level suites on the deck beneath its lido deck.  I'm not going to spend that kind of money to be constantly annoyed by raucous music, blaring theatre, dropped weights, and/or scraping tables and chairs.

 

More's the pity, because, as I expect your review will show, the Oceania experience appears to be exceptional.

 

A safe and idyllic voyage to you and yours, my friend.  I'd be envious, except our cruise on Regent ships out in thirty days.

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by CDR Benson

[Sthrngary]

21 minutes ago, PatJim said:

Looking forward to your review.  To date, Oceania is out of our price range, but then, we haven’t looked that closely at the line as an alternative to NCL Haven.  
Wishing you safe sailing.

@PatJim I thought so also until I did a comparison.  Just like when we do a comparison of other cruise brands, it is very hard to do an "Apple to Apple" comparison.  Example: if you get a Penthouse on Oceania, the butler gratuity is within the Pre-Paid Gratuity.  In the Haven, we do the tip ourselves for the butler.  On Oceania, the soft drinks in the mini-fridge are free and in the Haven except the Owners Suite is has a cost.  These are not better or worse but you can see now it is hard to compare. 

 

Both are excellent choices for different reason's. The cost is much closer and in some cases less then I expected it.  Not selling either why just thing everyone has to have realistic expectations.  Due Diligence is the key.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Sthrngary]

22 minutes ago, CDR Benson said:

I'd be envious, except our cruise on Regent ships out in thirty days.

@CDR Benson Hello Sir:  You and I are going to have some stories to tell.  You with Regent which was my first choice and me with Oceania chosen for budget considerations of the guest joining us.  We both know the Haven very well and our comments will reflect that.  For you and myself, we will be on much smaller ships.  The vibe (not vibe beach club) will be much different.  Gone are the Go-Cart Tracks and in is "Full Contact Trivia that take no prisoners". 

 

With everything in life there are compromises, pros and cons.  We together will offer some great insight for this and other threads.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Treasure Hunter]

You will find close to zero kids. More modest entertainment. Much better food ( in general) . Tiny casino. No lines. Minimal smoking. Some more interesting ports. Very few days at sea. Older crowd. Obsession with trivia. If you have a butler it will help with the loss of the Haven concierge and the special perks of being in the Haven. But you will always find a lounge chair. There is no raucous music anywhere. It’s a snooze fest. But people are very friendly. 

[Traveling Fools]

3 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I am going to evaluate Oceania compared to the Haven.  I want to see if somethings are as good, better or worse. 

 

Gary,  Having sailed "O" in  Vista Suite, similar to the one you have booked, I think you will find it difficult to make a comparison of the difference sailing on "O" and in the Haven.  Your suite will be spacious and almost like a DOS.  But, the atmosphere on "O" will not (can not) be similar to that in the Haven.  The food on "O" might be a little better, but the overall dinning and lounge experience on "O" is not as intimate as in the Haven.

 

It will be interesting to read your review and compare it to my one experience with "O".  We have a March 2024 Amazon cruise booked with "O".  The cruise is part pf an Enchanted Journey, so there was no discretion in choosing cruise lines.  All suites were sold out and we are booked in a penthouse.  I, like you, will write and share a review.