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

[Gemina]

10 hours ago, vinotinto said:

Hi all! Just booked the Escape Haven for March and wondering if anyone has pics of the wine list available at the Haven bar/restaurant by the glass and also by the bottle for the Premium Plus package. We are trying to decide between keeping the free at sea premium package or upgrading and we mostly drink wine. Last time, it made more sense to pay the difference than to commit to $60 extra per day. I’m wondering how much the list and prices has changed since we went in 2022 (I posted pics earlier in this thread).
 

Has anyone returned recently from the Escape, and can comment on how the availability of wines has been recently? We encountered issues with availability of certain wines last time we sailed in 2022.

 

thank you!

We will be in the Haven on the Escape this Saturday and I’ll try to post a wine list for you if you don’t get an answer sooner. It’s our first Haven and NCL experience and I am very excited!

[BornPisces]

Almond Croissants! @Sthrngary
 

Just got off the Breakaway. I was looking forward to the almond croissants I’ve read so much about here.  So at my first Haven breakfast last week, as I had just grasped an almond croissant in the tongs, Wayan the Assistant Maitre’d stopped me and told me the croissants contained eggs. They were already aware of my egg allergy from embarkation lunch the day before. As I set the croissant down I thanked him and told him I’d heard so much about them. 
 

Lo and behold the next breakfast and every breakfast to the last day, I was served FIVE delicious eggless croissants at breakfast and whatever we didn’t eat was brought to our room by our butler. It’s the little things that make the big things. We were blessed to have quite a few “Heroes” that really help make our cruise special. Also the information here help elevate our expectations and make the most of our vacation that went way too fast. 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, BornPisces said:

Almond Croissants! @Sthrngary
 

Just got off the Breakaway. I was looking forward to the almond croissants I’ve read so much about here.  So at my first Haven breakfast last week, as I had just grasped an almond croissant in the tongs, Wayan the Assistant Maitre’d stopped me and told me the croissants contained eggs. They were already aware of my egg allergy from embarkation lunch the day before. As I set the croissant down I thanked him and told him I’d heard so much about them. 
 

Lo and behold the next breakfast and every breakfast to the last day, I was served FIVE delicious eggless croissants at breakfast and whatever we didn’t eat was brought to our room by our butler. It’s the little things that make the big things. We were blessed to have quite a few “Heroes” that really help make our cruise special. Also the information here help elevate our expectations and make the most of our vacation that went way too fast. 

Be sure a recount that story when you do the after cruise survey.

[Grimix]

So we pulled the trigger on another Haven cruise (our 3rd). Thanksgiving Escape France/Spain 9-day. Before our last cruise we were planning on going non-Haven (going the NCL Credit card upgrade to 2 balcony cabins) because it was pretty port intensive, and the wife wanted to be able to enjoy the European food in the ports we visit. Ended up booking the Haven because after the way we were treated on our last 2 cruises she couldn't imagine not doing the Haven. The cost was actually less than an end-of season Alaska we took this last October. I had a 10% off coupon that expired today, so got an extra $1k off which was nice. While not everyone buys the once you go Haven mantra, she does. It is nice to have a reservation to look at on NCL again!

 

We had considered just doing a land vacation, but with our 3 (relatively unhelpful teenagers) we don't relish having to pack and unpack several times during our stay. The wife and I can do that when the kids have flown the coop. Also, she feels better leaving them on the ship while we go out and eat at ports by ourselves (they don't like going out to eat, and what they eat is the kids menu, not adventurous at all) than in a hotel room. 

[Grimix]

1 hour ago, Grimix said:

So we pulled the trigger on another Haven cruise (our 3rd). Thanksgiving Escape France/Spain 9-day.

Sorry, cruise comes back Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but we will still be over there (not that they will celebrate it!) in Europe.

[Sthrngary]

9 hours ago, BornPisces said:

Almond Croissants! @Sthrngary
 

Just got off the Breakaway. I was looking forward to the almond croissants I’ve read so much about here.  So at my first Haven breakfast last week, as I had just grasped an almond croissant in the tongs, Wayan the Assistant Maitre’d stopped me and told me the croissants contained eggs. They were already aware of my egg allergy from embarkation lunch the day before. As I set the croissant down I thanked him and told him I’d heard so much about them. 
 

Lo and behold the next breakfast and every breakfast to the last day, I was served FIVE delicious eggless croissants at breakfast and whatever we didn’t eat was brought to our room by our butler. It’s the little things that make the big things. We were blessed to have quite a few “Heroes” that really help make our cruise special. Also the information here help elevate our expectations and make the most of our vacation that went way too fast. 

@BornPisces This is such a great story.  Thank you for sharing. 

 

 

Hello my lovely, I miss you. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[BornPisces]

10 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Be sure a recount that story when you do the after cruise survey.

We actually had quite a few “Heroes” I listed in my survey. In and out of the Haven. I took a cc’ers advice and took pics of our heroes with name tags when we could so I could have their full name and position. 
 

I think I’m having Haven withdrawals tho. lol 

[nhtravels]

22 minutes ago, BornPisces said:

 

I think I’m having Haven withdrawals tho. lol 

Me too!  We just got off the Encore last Wednesday and I'm already trying to get another one on the calendar for this year (even though we have 2 in 2025).

 

From the first sip of coffee and bite of croissants in the am, to DH popping down to the bar in his pjs every night to grab us one last nightcap, it was 7th Heaven for us on our 7th time in the Haven!

[SaltyPawz]

On 1/30/2024 at 10:23 PM, vinotinto said:

Hi all! Just booked the Escape Haven for March and wondering if anyone has pics of the wine list available at the Haven bar/restaurant by the glass and also by the bottle for the Premium Plus package. We are trying to decide between keeping the free at sea premium package or upgrading and we mostly drink wine. Last time, it made more sense to pay the difference than to commit to $60 extra per day. I’m wondering how much the list and prices has changed since we went in 2022 (I posted pics earlier in this thread).
 

Has anyone returned recently from the Escape, and can comment on how the availability of wines has been recently? We encountered issues with availability of certain wines last time we sailed in 2022.

 

thank you!

We were on the Escape (Haven) in November/December. I don’t have pictures but will share my experience. 

 

To note… Hubby enjoys beer (no wine, no liquor). I prefer wine in this order: red, rose, white, champagne. Since this was our first Haven experience, we did upgrade to Premium because I wanted to enjoy everything offered without an on-the-spot, additional cost coming to mind. (The decision to upgrade was a long one since we both had to upgrade even though hubby would not benefit -we didn’t see any “premium” beers.)

 

The wines offered were okay. In the specialty restaurants, I was given the bottle of wines ordered. At La Cucina, I ordered an Italian red from the premium list, and it went well with dinner. At Cagney’s, I ordered the same red and was given the bottle. (On a funny note, it was strange to walk around with a bottle of wine after dinner.  The second time, we got smart and brought a bag.)

 

At the Haven bar, I would get a glass of red if our daily chef treats included cheese/nuts/crackers, which it often did. And, depending on what I ordered for dinner at the Haven restaurant, I would have a glass. I quickly became “bored” with the wine offerings, but I realize I have specific likes/dislikes. 

 

However, the Haven bartenders made some VERY tasty concoctions based on my tastes (spicy margarita, not-so-sweet vodka spritzer, dark espresso martini). On another side note… I don’t usually enjoy milkshakes, or frappes, or sweet milky/creamy drinks. But, the Haven bartenders made a killer banana mudslide, and I enjoyed a few of those! 

 

For our upcoming Haven trip in September, I haven’t decided if we will upgrade. Not sure if it’s worth roughly $580 (upgrade cost plus gratuity) for one person to enjoy from the premium list. If we enjoyed whisky/bourbon or if the wine selection is widened, I’d have no hesitation.

 

Here’s hoping someone will provide you with pictures/updated list, so you can make the best decision for you. 

[Traveling Fools]

[vinotinto]

5 hours ago, SaltyPawz said:

We were on the Escape (Haven) in November/December. I don’t have pictures but will share my experience. 

 

To note… Hubby enjoys beer (no wine, no liquor). I prefer wine in this order: red, rose, white, champagne. Since this was our first Haven experience, we did upgrade to Premium because I wanted to enjoy everything offered without an on-the-spot, additional cost coming to mind. (The decision to upgrade was a long one since we both had to upgrade even though hubby would not benefit -we didn’t see any “premium” beers.)

 

The wines offered were okay. In the specialty restaurants, I was given the bottle of wines ordered. At La Cucina, I ordered an Italian red from the premium list, and it went well with dinner. At Cagney’s, I ordered the same red and was given the bottle. (On a funny note, it was strange to walk around with a bottle of wine after dinner.  The second time, we got smart and brought a bag.)

 

At the Haven bar, I would get a glass of red if our daily chef treats included cheese/nuts/crackers, which it often did. And, depending on what I ordered for dinner at the Haven restaurant, I would have a glass. I quickly became “bored” with the wine offerings, but I realize I have specific likes/dislikes. 

 

However, the Haven bartenders made some VERY tasty concoctions based on my tastes (spicy margarita, not-so-sweet vodka spritzer, dark espresso martini). On another side note… I don’t usually enjoy milkshakes, or frappes, or sweet milky/creamy drinks. But, the Haven bartenders made a killer banana mudslide, and I enjoyed a few of those! 

 

For our upcoming Haven trip in September, I haven’t decided if we will upgrade. Not sure if it’s worth roughly $580 (upgrade cost plus gratuity) for one person to enjoy from the premium list. If we enjoyed whisky/bourbon or if the wine selection is widened, I’d have no hesitation.

 

Here’s hoping someone will provide you with pictures/updated list, so you can make the best decision for you. 

This is super helpful! Do you remember if they still have Oberon? My plan right now is to NOT upgrade before the cruise and assess the situation once we are in the Haven. Last time, we did not come close to the $500 extra in drink upgrades, and we usually ordered wines that were more per glass than $15. But there weren't a lot of choices as they seem to run out of the higher prices wines rather quickly.

[SaltyPawz]

45 minutes ago, vinotinto said:

This is super helpful! Do you remember if they still have Oberon? My plan right now is to NOT upgrade before the cruise and assess the situation once we are in the Haven. Last time, we did not come close to the $500 extra in drink upgrades, and we usually ordered wines that were more per glass than $15. But there weren't a lot of choices as they seem to run out of the higher prices wines rather quickly.

As a huge fan of Napa Valley reds and French Bordeauxs, I don’t recall seeing Oberon.  Silverado, Duckhorn, Decoy, Louis Jadot are a few reds I remember along with several Italian others (can’t remember the vineyard names).  There was one Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which was tasty. The Norwegian red blend seemed to be randomly available. 

 

If you’re a Chardonnay fan, there were three or four on the premium list. And, there were a couple of Rieslings (Eroica and Chateau Ste Michelle).  

 

I didn’t have any champagne, so I can’t comment on the Veuve Clicquot availability. 
 

If Michael and Suri are still at the Haven bar, you are in for a treat! Michael made a spicy margarita that was divine. And, they were both very patient and curious to learn what type of mixed drink to make. 

 

I hope this helps!

[vinotinto]

@SaltyPawz I love spicy margaritas and spicy bloody Mary’s, so, this sounds great!

[Fogfog]

@Sthrngary We recently read that the Butlers and Concierge for Haven are not included in the grats charged by NCL. 

Is that a newer development or typical for NCL and Haven.

We thought we read a suggested grat rate for the Butlers. 

Any insight on this please and TYVM

[havoc315]

36 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

@Sthrngary We recently read that the Butlers and Concierge for Haven are not included in the grats charged by NCL. 

Is that a newer development or typical for NCL and Haven.

We thought we read a suggested grat rate for the Butlers. 

Any insight on this please and TYVM

 

That's always been the case.  You'll hear widely divergent recommendations for the amount to tip.

Very general considerations:  The butlers are working night and day and do not participate in the automatic gratuity.  They are also doing "invisible" things for you, so I'd recommend tipping even if you don't really utilize them --- and tipping more if you utilize their services a lot.  And generally speaking, you'd want to tip the butler 2-4x what you tip the concierge.  Finally, some people tip full/partial at the start of the cruise. 

 

 

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, Fogfog said:

@Sthrngary We recently read that the Butlers and Concierge for Haven are not included in the grats charged by NCL. 

Is that a newer development or typical for NCL and Haven.

We thought we read a suggested grat rate for the Butlers. 

Any insight on this please and TYVM

@Fogfog as @havoc315 said so well, The tipping situation for the butlers has always been where they have been left off the Automatic Gratuities.  Some folks tip them up front, some folks tip them at the end.  I personally always tip them upfront and get lots of push back on it.  

 

My approach is to develop a letter called a "butler Letter" giving the butler a heads up on my needs.  In the letter I put the full gratuities upfront.  WHY, I had some bad experience with NCL Butlers.  I started to engage with them and found out many guest, were unaware of the gratuities for Butlers.  More than half left and never tipped the butler.  This changed my tipping to upfront from the last night.  Since them I have had much better attention from my butlers.  

 

I hope this and what @havoc315 shared with you assists you on your first Haven cruise.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Butler_NCL_Cruises_Template.docx

[Fogfog]

TY @havoc315 and @Sthrngary  for your help.

 

 

[havoc315]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

@Fogfog as @havoc315 said so well, The tipping situation for the butlers has always been where they have been left off the Automatic Gratuities.  Some folks tip them up front, some folks tip them at the end.  I personally always tip them upfront and get lots of push back on it.  

 

My approach is to develop a letter called a "butler Letter" giving the butler a heads up on my needs.  In the letter I put the full gratuities upfront.  WHY, I had some bad experience with NCL Butlers.  I started to engage with them and found out many guest, were unaware of the gratuities for Butlers.  More than half left and never tipped the butler.  This changed my tipping to upfront from the last night.  Since them I have had much better attention from my butlers.  

 

I hope this and what @havoc315 shared with you assists you on your first Haven cruise.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Butler_NCL_Cruises_Template.docx

And I’m using your letter format for my next cruise!

[Fogfog]

1 hour ago, havoc315 said:

And I’m using your letter format for my next cruise!

Can I get your email to send you a request for that pleas and TYVM

[havoc315]

44 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

Can I get your email to send you a request for that pleas and TYVM

linked in his post above. 

[mktmzm]

5 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@Fogfog as @havoc315 said so well, The tipping situation for the butlers has always been where they have been left off the Automatic Gratuities.  Some folks tip them up front, some folks tip them at the end.  I personally always tip them upfront and get lots of push back on it.  

 

My approach is to develop a letter called a "butler Letter" giving the butler a heads up on my needs.  In the letter I put the full gratuities upfront.  WHY, I had some bad experience with NCL Butlers.  I started to engage with them and found out many guest, were unaware of the gratuities for Butlers.  More than half left and never tipped the butler.  This changed my tipping to upfront from the last night.  Since them I have had much better attention from my butlers.  

 

I hope this and what @havoc315 shared with you assists you on your first Haven cruise.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Butler_NCL_Cruises_Template.docx

What would the recommended Butler tip be for a 7 day aft haven?

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, mktmzm said:

What would the recommended Butler tip be for a 7 day aft haven?

Personal preference. I usually tip $200. Others do less, others do more. 
 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[tedyb]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:38 AM, Gemina said:

We will be in the Haven on the Escape this Saturday and I’ll try to post a wine list for you if you don’t get an answer sooner. It’s our first Haven and NCL experience and I am very excited!

Is Charlie still tending bar in the Haven? He was planning a trip back home to China in Jan 21. The covid may have altered his plans.

 

FTR, will be sailing the Pearl next week, family cruise in the Haven, Disappointed that no bar or restaurant in the Pearl's Haven.

[goldmom]

2 minutes ago, tedyb said:

Is Charlie still tending bar in the Haven? He was planning a trip back home to China in Jan 21. The covid may have altered his plans.

 

FTR, will be sailing the Pearl next week, family cruise in the Haven, Disappointed that no bar or restaurant in the Pearl's Haven.

There is a Courtyard Butler who takes care of the Courtyard area during the day.  He will bring drinks and breakfast or lunch to you in the CY.  Not the same as on the bigger ships with a full Haven area, but at least it's something.

Enjoy

[pezgirlroy77]

Quick question on Port Arrival and Check In Time. So I should know this but you all are so knowledgeable.  We will be on the Breakaway at the end of February. Two parties. Myself and family in a Deluxe Owners Suite and my parents in an adjoining Haven room. I checked in yesterday and the earliest available time was 11.  As Haven can we arrive earlier than that or is that our time? Thank you so much all.