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

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, Fogfog said:

@Sthrngary

 

Thank you Gary for this thread.

We are trying Haven, having sailed MSC Yacht Club most often.

From what we read, there are some distinct differences. We appreciate your comment about adjusting expectations to another brand's style. 

Will be considering all of your salient advice. 

TYVM

 

@Fogfog It was my pleasure.  Glad it assisted you.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

Hello every one, great to visit with all of you again.  The topic of the last few entries was the Premium Plus Beverage Package.  If you do a search on the NCL Board for the Premium Plus, you will see an op-ed I did on the subject.

 

I always said, I would ONLY do the Premium Plus Beverage Package.  Those of you that know me, read my stuff, I have a way of finding out how to use ever once of value for a package and year of course the Haven in General.  The problem has been, I think NCL was reading the topic as well.  My last cruise, all the brands and personal favorites gained by the Premium Plus were not longer part of the program.  My wife, could not find a white wine that was not super cheap stuff.  

 

Sorry to say from my standpoint, the package lost its benefit for me.  It is most likely my fault.  I drink to much Champagne and Tequila 1942.  Sorry, I messed up the program, but had a blast doing it.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[DMH15]

On 1/18/2024 at 8:37 AM, Sthrngary said:

@SaltyPawz Ask anything you want on this board.  Good topics go off the reservation from time to time and come back.  I grew up in Long Island New York 50 minutes from NYC.  I now live in the south.  I have visited NYC many times in all those years.  I have an approach and hope it helps you.

 

1. Come In at Least a Day Early:  I think this is your plan.  If you do, any of the Airports will do.  I personally due to business travel for what ever reason like LGA the best.  
2. Ground Transportation:  Do some research and find a limo.  If you search you will see the cost is very reasonable from the airport to NYC.
3. Hotel: You are 25 minute to NYC.  One of the greatest places to visit (not live).  This is a rare opportunity.  Do a hotel in the theatre district and look for deals.  Regardless the rooms will be on the smaller size yet for one night who cares.  
4. Theatre: I love Broadway.  Get to the city early so plan it that way.  Go to the Half/Priced ticket line and get some seats to a Broadway show.  If you want a specific show, book it pre-cruise but get ready to pay a lot for those tickets.  Also if you flight is late, you might miss the show.  So back to the Half Price ticket line. 
5. Food: You are about to take cruise and the food is usually good on the ship.  If you have never had deli foods, a great choice before a show.  I personally go to a REALLY GREAT Italian or steak place and forget about the cost.  Peter Lugers for Steak, or Carmines (family style) in the Theatre District or just google best Italian.  Leverage the experience of being in this city.
6. Ground Transportation to the Port:  Same approach as to the Hotel. Have a bag with your city clothes so you don't have open up your big bags. 

 

Those are my thoughts and I hope in some way it helps you.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Love your guidelines.  

[66Olds442]

12 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

My last cruise, all the brands and personal favorites gained by the Premium Plus were not longer part of the program.  My wife, could not find a white wine that was not super cheap stuff.  

Sthrngary,

 

Completely agree with you. The Pommery rose is not very good, despite Pommery Brut Royal being better and cheaper on land than the rose. Limiting other included Champagne brands to speciality dining is a scam...  Otherwise IMO there are only two wines worth paying to upgrade for (Barolo & Banfi Brunello di Montalcino). Thus I've decided to pay 1/4 of the cost of the Premium Plus upgrade to buy and bring on my own Champagne/wine. I'd also argue that when you're staying in the Haven this elevates the beverage experience you get as the servers and bartenders seem to want to talk to you about the wines you brought.

[PatJim]

Also completely agree with you.  For our next cruise on the Joy to Bermuda in May, we’re bringing our own wine.  A good bottle of champagne and a Rombauer Chardonnay.  NCL years ago used to carry very good wines, including Rombauer.  Guess for a cruise line known for “value,” not enough passengers were willing to pay for more upscale wines.  
 

We had a great time, for a while, tracking down discounted brands they were dropping, like Penfold Grange and Robert Mondavi cabs.  Several times, we were helped by the Beverage or Food and Beverage managers, after we met at the Captains’ Haven receptions.  

 

it’s puzzling that as NCL tries to rebrand itself as a more upscale cruise experience, they are downscaling their alcohols and wines.  On our last cruise, on the Getaway in November, even that dreaded $4 bottle of bubbly, reappeared in our Haven cabin😱. 

[Kauaijim]

Penfold Grange price drop , never have seen that 

[Sailing12Away]

We're brining a bottle of port and ice wine along with a bottle (or 3) of bubbly on our next trip in February. Lots of wines on board to pick from, but NCL is desperately lack in those 3 categories. 

[Daniel A]

14 hours ago, DMH15 said:

Love your guidelines.  

If you come in a couple of days early, try to take the Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise.  It is a sunset cruise which only goes around the Southern Tip of Manhattan, turns around at the UN building and the lights of the financial district start coming on.  It is a breathtaking view of the Statue of Liberty and the financial district buildings at night.  You can read more here:

 

Harbor Lights | NYC at Night Boat Tour | Circle Line Cruises

 

Here is a 45 second preview.  This is really what it will look like:

 

[graphicguy]

Playing Devil’s Advocate for a moment, the flip side is bourbon.  Buffalo Trace used to be “extra charge”.  It’s now included on FAS, as is 1792 Small Batch!

 

Don’t know how they ascertain what is FAS+ and what is FAS!  Some great choices and some not so great choices seems to be the rule of thumb!

[PatJim]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:56 PM, McGarrett5oh said:

Some may recall our thoughts & somewhat mixed review on the Prima's Haven last September on a 14 day itinerary to Norway and Iceland out of Southampton.

Jim and I will be on the Prima for the first time in November, in a Haven 2-bedroom cabin, so we love the reviews that you and others have posted here.  I’ve read that the master bathroom in this suite doesn’t have hooks or anywhere nearby to put the bath towels after showering.  Was this a problem for you?  We can bring Command or 3M hooks for a temporary fix, but are they needed?

[PatJim]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:56 PM, McGarrett5oh said:

Some may recall our thoughts & somewhat mixed review on the Prima's Haven last September on a 14 day itinerary to Norway and Iceland out of Southampton.  Tomorrow we depart for 10 days on Celebrity Beyond in their Retreat.  While the weather in the Caribbean will be different than Northern Europe, I hope to be able to share some "compare and contrast" about the non-weather experiences on these two ships, that both debuted in 2022, to this community, if it's of interest.

 

I would say at this point the lead up to the departure has been quite similar between the two, with the takeaway being that it really is up to the passenger to control their destiny.  I did not/have not heard from either prior to departure but have found both to be very professional and accomodating when calling their on-shore concierge phone.

 

3 hours ago, Kauaijim said:

Penfold Grange price drop , never have seen that 

It was on the Dawn’s Le Bistro, and the discount also included waiving the surcharge for eating at the restaurant.  Sometime around 2009-10.  Sale was so good, we bought several bottles to bring home.

[PatJim]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

We're brining a bottle of port and ice wine along with a bottle (or 3) of bubbly on our next trip in February. Lots of wines on board to pick from, but NCL is desperately lack in those 3 categories. 

❤️❤️❤️ ice wine!  Inniskillin is available at the Haven bar.  It’s pretty good.

[CAKEisgood]

On 1/20/2024 at 8:17 PM, Sthrngary said:

My last cruise, all the brands and personal favorites gained by the Premium Plus were not longer part of the program.  My wife, could not find a white wine that was not super cheap stuff.

We’ve had a similar experience on last two cruises..in December and January. A som told us on our cruise in December the wineries that used to be offered by the glass opted to bottles only because they (the winery) couldn't supply NCL with enough wine to be offered by the glass. I wonder if the grape harvest in last years (meaning futures for drinking) was smaller and that is impacting the number and quality of wines offered by NCL. 

[Laszlo]

 

[Fogfog]

10 hours ago, CAKEisgood said:

We’ve had a similar experience on last two cruises..in December and January. A som told us on our cruise in December the wineries that used to be offered by the glass opted to bottles only because they (the winery) couldn't supply NCL with enough wine to be offered by the glass. I wonder if the grape harvest in last years (meaning futures for drinking) was smaller and that is impacting the number and quality of wines offered by NCL. 

 

I wonder if this is harvest related or just cheapness on the part of lines

 

We had an ultra premium type of package on MSC for our first B2Bs (feb 2020) and that allowed use to use the somm and do wine pairing with outstanding choices as well as for DH to drink the JW Blue etc included, great  cognacs etc. 

In 2022 that package had disappeared. And on that B2Bs.. many things offered on the new prem plus bev package were not stocked...

 

A few years ago we had a great pre plus on NCL and Veuve Cliquot as well as the best whiskey choices were included..and we had excellent wine choices all around....that seems to have disappeared. That's no longer the case for the prem plus as I am reading here.

 

So even if pax want to spend the $ for it-- the F&B dept isn't purchasing/stocking it.

 

Can be pretty disappointing

 

[RocketMan275]

34 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

 

I wonder if this is harvest related or just cheapness on the part of lines

 

We had an ultra premium type of package on MSC for our first B2Bs (feb 2020) and that allowed use to use the somm and do wine pairing with outstanding choices as well as for DH to drink the JW Blue etc included, great  cognacs etc. 

In 2022 that package had disappeared. And on that B2Bs.. many things offered on the new prem plus bev package were not stocked...

 

A few years ago we had a great pre plus on NCL and Veuve Cliquot as well as the best whiskey choices were included..and we had excellent wine choices all around....that seems to have disappeared. That's no longer the case for the prem plus as I am reading here.

 

So even if pax want to spend the $ for it-- the F&B dept isn't purchasing/stocking it.

 

Can be pretty disappointing

 

California vineyard fires:  The damage to the industry in California alone was $3.7 billion, according to an analysis that Jon Moramarco of the consulting firm bw166 conducted for industry groups. The losses stemmed mostly from wineries having to forego future wine sales.

[Fogfog]

6 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

California vineyard fires:  The damage to the industry in California alone was $3.7 billion, according to an analysis that Jon Moramarco of the consulting firm bw166 conducted for industry groups. The losses stemmed mostly from wineries having to forego future wine sales.

True, yet many drink wines from the "new world" , S Amer etc. or "old world" style from France , Italy etc. or wine coming from New Z etc. 

 

[RocketMan275]

4 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

True, yet many drink wines from the "new world" , S Amer etc. or "old world" style from France , Italy etc. or wine coming from New Z etc. 

 

True as well.  The point remains the fires could partially explain the increased costs of wine and the reduced availability.  Those fires were several years ago.  It takes several years for wine to mature.  The timing fits.  Not all adverse things are the fault of the cruise lines.

[graphicguy]

This has been floating around everywhere, but here's the latest I've seen....

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/790164-BEV_Package_Flyer_UOBP_PPBP Update_V7_no_crops.pdf

[Fogfog]

TYVM  @graphicguy  

 

Was just reading that tiny text on it.

 

BTW

Can someone confirm that Haven has priority boarding at port calls? Is there a tent/awning somewhere or butlers looking for Haven pax?  

 

 

TYIA

Edited January 22 by Fogfog

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

TYVM  @graphicguy  

 

Was just reading that tiny text on it.

 

BTW

Can someone confirm that Haven has priority boarding at port calls? Is there a tent/awning somewhere or butlers looking for Haven pax?  

 

 

TYIA

There is usually a Haven Flag at the ports where Haven passengers can board.  I don't know that having a Butler look for Haven Passengers is doable because we don't all look alike....LOL!

[Fogfog]

8 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

There is usually a Haven Flag at the ports where Haven passengers can board.  I don't know that having a Butler look for Haven Passengers is doable because we don't all look alike....LOL!

haha true

Though I do know MSC YC butlers do know who is sailing in YC and at ports of call know who is planning on going ashore... and while we have a YC tent/ awning at all ports and express elevators, they have been known to look for pax coming back. 

They also know who is in YC and actively remove non YC pax who sneak in 🤪

 

While we have sailed NCL, we haven't tried Haven- so trying to manage expectations

[Sailing12Away]

19 hours ago, PatJim said:

❤️❤️❤️ ice wine!  Inniskillin is available at the Haven bar.  It’s pretty good.

Yeah, but that's it, just the one option and it's an upcharge. I can buy the whole bottle here at home for $50.

[graphicguy]

20 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

haha true

Though I do know MSC YC butlers do know who is sailing in YC and at ports of call know who is planning on going ashore... and while we have a YC tent/ awning at all ports and express elevators, they have been known to look for pax coming back. 

They also know who is in YC and actively remove non YC pax who sneak in 🤪

 

While we have sailed NCL, we haven't tried Haven- so trying to manage expectations

Been in both the YC (Meriviglia and Divina) and Haven (Epic, Breakaway, Getaway).  Never saw YC Butlers ferry YC guests from a port.  I do know they have tents, as does Haven.  But, I never quite understood those.  You either just disembarked from the ship, or are within 50 feet of re-embarking.  Do you really need a tent that close to the ship?  Why not just embark or disembark on the ship?  The ship is "right there".

 

NCL....Once on board (re-embarking), there's a concierge holding a Haven elevator for you vs waiting for one.

[Traveling Fools]

On 1/20/2024 at 8:17 PM, Sthrngary said:

My last cruise, all the brands and personal favorites gained by the Premium Plus were not longer part of the program.  My wife, could not find a white wine that was not super cheap stuff

 

This just happened to us on the Epic.  Same thing happened to us in November aboard Azamara's Onward.  It dampens the value of the PP package and borderline makes the advertisement for the PP package misleading and false.  It is ridiculous to know I can drink Johnny Walker Blue label all day in the Haven lounge, but then have to pay $30.00 for a wine NCL pays $5 bucks for.

 

2 hours ago, Fogfog said:

BTW

Can someone confirm that Haven has priority boarding at port calls? Is there a tent/awning somewhere or butlers looking for Haven pax?  

 

 

Yes.  A staff member with a Haven sign will guide you to the express line.  Same holds true in the afternoon shoreside when tendering. 

Edited January 22 by Traveling Fools
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