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

[SaltyPawz]

Question for anyone who has cruised in a Haven room on a ship with no courtyard/restaurant/bar. After our recent cruise, we are sold on the Haven and are considering a Canada/New England cruise. The ship has Haven rooms but no courtyard/bar/restaurant. Is it worth it?  Or, is this the time to go Haven-Lite? 

[Treasure Hunter]

We cruised a few years ago on the Gem. We had never been in the Haven and didn’t know any better. We ate breakfast in Moderna ( spectacular with great service and dinner in Cagney. Because it was small and uncrowded I think the service was a step above. Because the ship didn’t have all the toys there were very few kids and seemed more upscale. We loved it. If you asked for something special for lunch at the pool ( like a chicken BLT) someone ran to get it for you. The New England cruise is great. We’ve gone twice. I wouldn’t worry. You’ll have a wonderful time and next cruise you can do a larger ship. 

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, SaltyPawz said:

Question for anyone who has cruised in a Haven room on a ship with no courtyard/restaurant/bar. After our recent cruise, we are sold on the Haven and are considering a Canada/New England cruise. The ship has Haven rooms but no courtyard/bar/restaurant. Is it worth it?  Or, is this the time to go Haven-Lite? 

@SaltyPawz I was on the Pearl, in the Haven, for a trip to Canada/New England.  Before that cruise, I did a 7 day cruise on the much larger ship the Getaway in the Haven.  After the getaway, I cancelled the Pearl and booked the Joy in the Haven.  The bigger ships have the best Haven's when they have a Haven Restaurant and Bar. Unless your investment is great, I would recommend you reconsider a ship like, the Bliss, The Encore or the Joy.  

 

Now either way including the Gem, you will have a good time.  I just wanted to give you my opinion and we all know what opinion are.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[McGarrett5oh]

13 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Unless your investment is great, I would recommend you reconsider a ship like, the Bliss, The Encore or the Joy.  

How about the Escape and its Haven?

[Sthrngary]

47 minutes ago, McGarrett5oh said:

How about the Escape and its Haven?

@McGarrett5oh I cannot answer the question.  But I can say I have read many post where folks like the Escape Haven the best.  My past post about the Mega Ships and the Haven being better than the smaller ship and the Haven is all about the size, Haven restaurant and bar. 

 

After years of traveling multiple brands and ship sizes.  If one wants a smaller ship, other brand offerings provide Haven Like Approach but for the entire ship.  That is why I choose a brand, not NCL Haven for my recent Europe Trip.  

 

Just my feelings, not everyone and there is a brand, ship size and experience for every cruiser.  That is why make cruising such a good choice. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[McGarrett5oh]

@Sthrngary  Thanks.  We have an FCC we must use up and are considering the Haven on Escape or Encore with the same/similar itineraries.   Just starting the research into the two ships.  
 

BTW, this FCC came in part from your coaching on what to do if the price of your Haven suite drops after final payment.  I don’t think I ever reported back on that nor did I THANK YOU for the advice!   Cheers!

[Katrina1547]

Hi all, I'm currently cruising the Jade in a Haven suite, 3rd NCL cruise, 1st Haven and yeah, this is the life! If it weren't clearly impossible I would try scheming to stowaway on the ship, so I'll just have to figure out how I can maximize my days cruising per year going forward. Off season is fine, don't care about ports... we've only been on Jewel class so far but booked Breakaway for October, so we'll get Full Haven Experience. We got massive FCC from overpaying on this cruise, covers half an Aft ste on Breakaway. I thought 2 cruises within 1 year was 'alot', now thinking 2 or more per year would be fine!!!! Our previous 2 cruises were 5 and 10 yrs ago. 

Our butler Rogievel is wonderful but all the staff are so friendly and helpful. Enjoying all the food, everywhere. I also love walking up to MDR w/out reservation, everyone else gets a pager and a wait, Haven gets seated immediately! 

This cruise is definitely exceeding our expectations. 🤩

[RocketMan275]

5 hours ago, Katrina1547 said:

I also love walking up to MDR w/out reservation, everyone else gets a pager and a wait, Haven gets seated immediately! 

This cruise is definitely exceeding our expectations. 🤩

Are you saying that Haven guests are seated immediately in the Main Dining Rooms such as Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Room? Or, are  you referring to the Haven Restaurant?

[Traveling Fools]

On 12/16/2023 at 3:35 PM, SaltyPawz said:

Question for anyone who has cruised in a Haven room on a ship with no courtyard/restaurant/bar. After our recent cruise, we are sold on the Haven and are considering a Canada/New England cruise. The ship has Haven rooms but no courtyard/bar/restaurant. Is it worth it?  Or, is this the time to go Haven-Lite? 

 

You can't really appreciate the Haven "Experience" aboard a ship that doesn't have the full blown Haven, or if you have booked an aft Haven suite on a ship that does.  Been there done that. 

 

However, on the smaller ships, Cagney's turns into the Haven restaurant for breakfast and on a port intensive cruise DW and I (sans grandchildren) found it more pleasurable to have breakfast there than have it served in our suite.

 

In order to enjoy Haven amenities when booked in an aft suite that has the full Haven, you have to traverse the full length of the ship and actually go to the Haven.

[justhappy]

21 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

You can't really appreciate the Haven "Experience" aboard a ship that doesn't have the full blown Haven, or if you have booked an aft Haven suite on a ship that does.  Been there done that. 

 

 

In order to enjoy Haven amenities when booked in an aft suite that has the full Haven, you have to traverse the full length of the ship and actually go to the Haven.

So sorry that the Aft Haven suite didn’t do it for you, but before you decide that no one else can  “appreciate the Haven experience” when in an aft balcony, consider that some people prioritize a large aft balcony over proximity to the Haven complex. 
After 5 Haven cruises, three of them aft, I’m gladly walking the full length of the ship to get my Haven lounge, restaurant and sundeck access.

Honestly, after 2 cruises in a Haven Courtyard penthouse, I’m happy to have some distance from the Haven confines and remind me there’s a whole big ship to enjoy. In March I’ll be back in an aft Haven penthouse again, and I’ll be enjoying AND appreciating my Haven experience, even if I’m not behind some fancy door that says Haven on it.

 

[Katrina1547]

14 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Are you saying that Haven guests are seated immediately in the Main Dining Rooms such as Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Room? Or, are  you referring to the Haven Restaurant?

On the Jade, it is Alizar and Grand Pacific, and there is no Haven restaurant. But yes, everytime I walk up to GP, others are getting pagers and I am getting seated directly. The wait is not bad for the pager ppl, probably 30 mins or less even between 6-7pm. It's not an advertised 'benefit' of Haven here but that's how it has worked so far. 🙂 and the food in MDRs has been very good on this cruise. Eating Haven breakfast or lunch in the designated specialty venues has been even better but I don't generally eat much early in the day.

[DaisyGoldberg]

On the jewel sized ships I'd do a regular suite (non-Haven). You still get the dedicated dining for breakfast and lunch in Moderno/Cagneys, just not the access to the lounge. On a NE/Canadian itinerary, one factor to consider would be how much you're getting off the ship. If you anticipate wanting to stretch out on a lounge chair or get in a hot tub inside, the haven may be worth it to you. If you're getting off at every port and anticipate participating in many ship activities during the day, it may not be worth it.

 

Just got off the Getaway for the second time this year and I can't wait to sail again on a Jewel class ship, as the activities are so much more enjoyable and accessible since they're held in the theatre and not the atrium. It makes us FAR more social to have that kind of breathing room to enjoy it.  I do enjoy the dedicated dining room on the big ships, but I think the tradeoff of the rest of the ship design/overcrowding/weird insistence on scheduling everything in the atrium has put me off them.

 

Re; first class discussion up above, just as Gary introduced Haven lite, I highly endorse "first class/business light" where you buy an extra ticket in coach. If you're alone, it gives you all the elbow/wiggle room you want. If you're a couple, book the middle seat as well. For a few hundred dollars on a flight it's far cheaper than first class but still a relief to know that nobody in that line of boarding people is going to squeeze in beside you. 

[cruiseny4life]

14 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

You can't really appreciate the Haven "Experience" aboard a ship that doesn't have the full blown Haven, or if you have booked an aft Haven suite on a ship that does.  Been there done that. 

 

13 hours ago, justhappy said:

After 5 Haven cruises, three of them aft, I’m gladly walking the full length of the ship to get my Haven lounge, restaurant and sundeck access.

 

I've now cruised in the Haven "complex" onboard Pr1ma. I did not enjoy the experience nearly as much as when we booked an aft balcony and when we were in penthouses outside of (but close to) the Haven. I found myself missing the long walk to and from, which meant I often just wandered the ship from stern to bow so I'd have activity. 

 

I can definitely see why some would not want to sail outside the Haven if they have mobility concerns or just want to be ensconced within the "ship-within-a-ship" concept. I'm definitely not one of them. I can thankfully still wander my portly self around. Maybe waddle is a better descriptive word than wander. Anyway! I do enjoy the walks. I also missed the ease with which you can access stairs on the non-Pr1ma class ships. 

Weird things to miss, but miss I did! Hope everyone enjoys their Haven cruise wherever they decide to take advantage of the Haven amenities! 

[psac]

On 12/17/2023 at 9:05 AM, McGarrett5oh said:

@Sthrngary  Thanks.  We have an FCC we must use up and are considering the Haven on Escape or Encore with the same/similar itineraries.   Just starting the research into the two ships.  
 

BTW, this FCC came in part from your coaching on what to do if the price of your Haven suite drops after final payment.  I don’t think I ever reported back on that nor did I THANK YOU for the advice!   Cheers!

The biggest differences are the Encore/Joy//Bliss have the indoor observation deck (both the public one and the Haven Horizon lounge), which the Escape does not have, and the outdoor Haven sundeck wraps around both sides, with two hot tubs outside, while the Escape only has one side and one hot tub.  
 

It was before Covid, so I’m sure they had a complete turnover many many times since, but we had the best Haven restaurant staff on the Escape. The assistant Matre D who ran the restaurant was amazing, if she ended up back there, you would be very happy.  I would have no issues sailing the Escape again!

Edited December 18, 2023 by psac

[Daniel A]

I'm getting into the Holidays spirit, and I thought we could have a little fun.  I'd like to see what one thing people enjoy most about Haven sailings, and the one thing about the Haven they can do without.  It should be interesting getting some viewpoints about what counts most and least with the Haven experience.

 

( @Sthrngary - No. you can't list the almond croissants!  They're already a given 😊 )

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

I'm getting into the Holidays spirit, and I thought we could have a little fun.  I'd like to see what one thing people enjoy most about Haven sailings, and the one thing about the Haven they can do without.  It should be interesting getting some viewpoints about what counts most and least with the Haven experience.

 

( @Sthrngary - No. you can't list the almond croissants!  They're already a given 😊 )

Counts the least:

Being escorted by the concierge to entertainment.

We don't do the shows so we certainly could skip this.

Counts the most:  No need to fight the crowds.

Edited December 18, 2023 by RocketMan275

[rbxlady]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

I'm getting into the Holidays spirit, and I thought we could have a little fun.  I'd like to see what one thing people enjoy most about Haven sailings, and the one thing about the Haven they can do without.  It should be interesting getting some viewpoints about what counts most and least with the Haven experience.

 

( @Sthrngary - No. you can't list the almond croissants!  They're already a given 😊 )

 

Based on my limited experience, if I had to give up something, I would give up the butler. That is not to say that the butlers do a bad job or that we don't appreciate them because we do! However, I suspect there is a lot more the butler does that we don't even realize, so this is a very hesitant "could do without".

 

Otherwise, the most crucial thing to me about the Haven is the restaurant, followed by being escorted on/off the ship without having to wait in line.

[justhappy]

Haven thing I could do without or not need- the butler. That includes the daily snacks they bring.

Best Haven thing, the Haven  restaurant.

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I'm getting into the Holidays spirit, and I thought we could have a little fun.  I'd like to see what one thing people enjoy most about Haven sailings, and the one thing about the Haven they can do without.  It should be interesting getting some viewpoints about what counts most and least with the Haven experience.

 

( @Sthrngary - No. you can't list the almond croissants!  They're already a given 😊 )

Absolute must have - the dedicated Haven Restaurant

Don't give a fig about - the canapes in the afternoon

[vacation44]

5 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Absolute must have - the dedicated Haven Restaurant

Don't give a fig about - the canapes in the afternoon

Same answer but we do enjoy the cookies!

[Sand and Seas]

1 hour ago, justhappy said:

Haven thing I could do without or not need- the butler. That includes the daily snacks they bring.

Best Haven thing, the Haven  restaurant.

It definitely  depends on who the Butler is for us.  We just had a butler on our 5 day Breakaway that was pretty  much useless. Had a great time anyway.   However, our October  Joy butler was awesome and really  added to  our experience.   He listened to our likes and  dislikes. 

 

We love the Haven restaurant and easy disembarkation.   We don't need escorts to shows.

[cruiseny4life]

4 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Same answer but we do enjoy the cookies!

I know my husband would miss the chocolate covered strawberries. I don't think he'd miss them enough to complain though....I like Levain-style cookies. NCL's are tasty, but too crispy for me. I know, I'm difficult.

[Sand and Seas]

Has anyone  been told of a new Haven restaurant dinner dress code?   Just got off Breakaway  and was surprised  to be sent to change  from sandals to shoes.  It was a bit of a hike  back  to our forward facing suite  on a different  deck but we did go and change to shoes.

 

  They said  change  was fleetwide 3 months ago?  Sandals  were allowed in Joy haven restaurant  in late  October.   (I did see a lady in a sundress and flip flops that same night....but I didn't  report her🙄)

 

[cruiseny4life]

10 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Has anyone  been told of a new Haven restaurant dinner dress code?   Just got off Breakaway  and was surprised  to be sent to change  from sandals to shoes.  It was a bit of a hike  back  to our forward facing suite  on a different  deck but we did go and change to shoes.

 

  They said  change  was fleetwide 3 months ago?  Sandals  were allowed in Joy haven restaurant  in late  October.   (I did see a lady in a sundress and flip flops that same night....but I didn't  report her🙄)

 

How dare you not report her? All violators must be summarily punished. 

 

Anyway - on Pr1ma from Nov. 20th to Dec. 1st, my husband wore Crocs several times to the Haven Restaurant, including at dinner. I don't make a habit of looking at people's feet, so am unsure if others had sandals on. 

 

On Pr1ma, I did notice this sign at the Haven's hostess podium. The actual photo is from Hudson's (I think), but same exact wording. 

 

[RocketMan275]

12 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Has anyone  been told of a new Haven restaurant dinner dress code?   Just got off Breakaway  and was surprised  to be sent to change  from sandals to shoes.  It was a bit of a hike  back  to our forward facing suite  on a different  deck but we did go and change to shoes.

 

  They said  change  was fleetwide 3 months ago?  Sandals  were allowed in Joy haven restaurant  in late  October.   (I did see a lady in a sundress and flip flops that same night....but I didn't  report her🙄)

 

From the NCL website:

Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising

Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor restaurant, but a shirt or a cover-up and footwear are required.

Be sure to pack a sweater — the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

Please Note: We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants.

All Decked-out: Smart Casual

Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

 

IOW.  Looks like they're applying the upscale restaurant code to the Haven.  Closed toed shoes isn't a great inconvenience.