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

[dmms]

We just got off the Breakaway last Sunday. A last minute haven room as we were castaways from the cancelled Escape cruise. 
We had a great time - the BA is a beautiful ship. 
We have sailed in haven/suites before but never tipped on the front end. After reading Sthrn Gary’s posts, we decided to give it a try. Have to say it worked out very well! The butler Willy & room steward Amol were very appreciative & thanked us repeatedly. Zero issues with service!

We were in a forward facing haven room on deck 9. Fantastic week - only regret was we missed Costa Maya d/t high winds. It was so nice to be back cruising again;)

Hope everyone has as much fun as we did!

[vinotinto]

I was under the impression that you could add extra tips for butler, steward and concierge through onboard account. Guest Services just told me they won’t individually get it. That’s a bummer and figured I would post here as we would have brought a lot more cash if I would have known we could not add to our room account. It’s been 6 years since our last cruise, but this was possible in the past but seems like it’s not possible anymore. 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Gary,

Hoping you can provide your experiences with being on the Joy 2 times recently. Haven sundeck and vibe beach club outside smoking. Trying to plan location of our cabin. Did you notice or experience any specifics? port or starboard specifically and your 2 different cabins.

I feel if I call NCL I may not get accurate information.(As someone was recently told wait until you get on board to find out what your PH suite benefits are.)

This is not a for or against smoking inquiry just trying to get any firsthand knowledge.

Thanks.

 

[vinotinto]

1 hour ago, vinotinto said:

I was under the impression that you could add extra tips for butler, steward and concierge through onboard account. Guest Services just told me they won’t individually get it. That’s a bummer and figured I would post here as we would have brought a lot more cash if I would have known we could not add to our room account. It’s been 6 years since our last cruise, but this was possible in the past but seems like it’s not possible anymore. 

Updating my post. Guest Services had no clue but Haven concierge had the forms you fill out and they add the tip to account. Very easy. I guess the Guest Services do not see a lot of people wanting to add gratuities.

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Haven sundeck and vibe beach club outside smoking.

I loved both places.  Please remember that NCL will sell out the Haven.  On sea days, the Haven Sundeck will be a bit crowded but still manageable.  On my first cruise with my family in November 27, 2021, we were in the H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. It was deck 18.  The Haven Sundeck was deck 19 just above us with two hot tubs.  The Horizon Lounge was just below us.  If I was in a larger ship like the Joy, I would skip the Vibe.

 

Vibe Beach Club I went to with a week pass when I did a solo trip NON-Haven in March 2022.  I love the Vibe for lots of reasons.  Two hot tubs (usually only have one but the Joy had two, bar in the Vibe, GREAT service from the Vibe Crew and NEVER crowded.  If I was not in the Haven, I would be in the Vibe. 

3 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Trying to plan location of our cabin. Did you notice or experience any specifics? port or starboard specifically and your 2 different cabins.

Your quest is a hard one for me to answer.  I love the Haven and have stayed in the Haven Area and also outside of the Haven Area.  This is a budget issue.  Outside is less expensive then inside.  You can get a Haven Aft Suite with Large Balcony but you have to walk across the entire ship to get to the Haven Restaurant, Bar and Courtyard.  On the positive side, the Aft has a great view with a large balcony.  I would stay in the Haven Proper but realize that the balcony is small to average sized.  In my humble opinion, it does not matter which side you are on.  View great in both area's. 

 

3 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

As someone was recently told wait until you get on board to find out what your PH suite benefits are.

Each Haven Suite has the same benefits so I have no idea what was told to you.  The only difference is the H2 Owners Suite that has three bottles of Spirit, mixers and waters. This stream is very clear on what you get in the Haven as amenities.  Go to the very first post and read it. 

 

3 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

This is not a for or against smoking inquiry just trying to get any firsthand knowledge.

I smoke cigars and the only place I have ever smoked them onboard was the Cigar Lounge.  There are cigarette smoking area's but I don't know where they are.  

 

Hope that helped you.  

 

Cruise well.

[phissy]

Just checking NCL site for Haven description and inclusions.

 

It bothers me that NCL still includes mini bar as one of the perks of Haven.

Seems like they should have disclaimer that only DOS and Garden Suite have mini bar gratis.

All other Haven suites this is a “ for purchase” item.

 

From NCL Haven page…

• Sparkling wine, bottled water and fruit on embarkation day (For 2-Bedroom villa, Courtyard Penthouse, Spa Suite, and Penthouse only)
• Mini-bar and deluxe coffee/espresso/cappuccino machine
• Special Haven Menus
• Invitations to exclusive cocktail parties
• Cocktail party with ship's officers

[Kzeeguy]

On 4/9/2022 at 3:25 PM, Sthrngary said:

I loved both places.  Please remember that NCL will sell out the Haven.  On sea days, the Haven Sundeck will be a bit crowded but still manageable.  On my first cruise with my family in November 27, 2021, we were in the H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. It was deck 18.  The Haven Sundeck was deck 19 just above us with two hot tubs.  The Horizon Lounge was just below us.  If I was in a larger ship like the Joy, I would skip the Vibe.

 

Vibe Beach Club I went to with a week pass when I did a solo trip NON-Haven in March 2022.  I love the Vibe for lots of reasons.  Two hot tubs (usually only have one but the Joy had two, bar in the Vibe, GREAT service from the Vibe Crew and NEVER crowded.  If I was not in the Haven, I would be in the Vibe. 

Your quest is a hard one for me to answer.  I love the Haven and have stayed in the Haven Area and also outside of the Haven Area.  This is a budget issue.  Outside is less expensive then inside.  You can get a Haven Aft Suite with Large Balcony but you have to walk across the entire ship to get to the Haven Restaurant, Bar and Courtyard.  On the positive side, the Aft has a great view with a large balcony.  I would stay in the Haven Proper but realize that the balcony is small to average sized.  In my humble opinion, it does not matter which side you are on.  View great in both area's. 

 

Each Haven Suite has the same benefits so I have no idea what was told to you.  The only difference is the H2 Owners Suite that has three bottles of Spirit, mixers and waters. This stream is very clear on what you get in the Haven as amenities.  Go to the very first post and read it. 

 

I smoke cigars and the only place I have ever smoked them onboard was the Cigar Lounge.  There are cigarette smoking area's but I don't know where they are.  

 

Hope that helped you.  

 

Cruise well.

I was just on the Joy and in the Haven, On the Haven sundeck, there is only one cigarettes butt can at the very front to the right side of the raised counter and seats that overlook the front  of the ship.  It seemed like the smokers congregated there and was usually only 3-5  people at any given time. They seemed very respectful as to not smoke elsewhere on the Haven sundeck.

 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

thanks. helpful.

[Sthrngary]

28 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

thanks. helpful.

You are more than welcome.  Back in 2019, I started this thread.  In 2022 I revised it.  Now all of you are continuing the information and answering each other questions.  That is a great complement to the work done on this thread by all.  

 

The Cruising Industry has had to evolve over that past few years.  The strong companies have survived and the weak ones have left us.  This thread is about enhancing your cruising experience with the NCL Haven especially on one of their larger ships. To gain this enhanced experience, there is a cost.  That cost is rising in many cases as is the cost or everything in our lives.

 

For all of us, myself included, raising cost can influence if we feel the value for the enhancement is worth the investment.  That Cost vs. Value scenario is very personal. For me, what is much more important is the quality and service provided continues to improve.  That is what guests want.  Improved experience.  In some products, the cost stay the same and the product becomes stale or the quality received goes down hill. That company will start to lose market share. 

 

For me, that is the most disappointing thing.  So, If NCL wants to increase the price of the Haven, they should do so.  If I can't afford it anymore, that is just fine.  However, if I bite the bullet to pay the increase and the quality goes down in anyway, that is simply NOT acceptable. 

 

Whether you go on NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat or MSC Yacht Club; if the service and quality is not what it was on your last cruise, tell folks.  If it is or better, tell folks.  If there are ways to enhance the experience or improve in the future tell folks.  Just make sure what you write and say is because of your "Real" experience and history with the product.  The goal is to set realistic expectations so help the community with your unbiased thoughts. 

 

Cruise well.  

[msteinbok]

Is there a charge for the coffee machines in the Haven Lounge? (if not on the upgraded beverage package)

[PatJim]

There is no charge for the coffee machine in the lounge, including lattes and cappuccinos.  Also, never been charged additional for same at breakfast in Haven restaurant (or at Moderno for breakfast when in a Gem suite).

 

One of the “Joys”😆 was the coffee machine in the Horizon Lounge on the Joy, where I got my wake-up lattes.  When cruising resumed after Covid, the machine had been removed.  Hope it’s now back, so I can have my AM lattes when we sail on the Joy again in June.

 

Last year, I had to opt for hot milk delivery by butler every morning, and made café au lait.  Didn’t hurt that we added almond croissants to the early morning deliveries!

[PatJim]

On 4/10/2022 at 4:48 PM, phissy said:

Just checking NCL site for Haven description and inclusions.

 

It bothers me that NCL still includes mini bar as one of the perks of Haven.

Seems like they should have disclaimer that only DOS and Garden Suite have mini bar gratis.

All other Haven suites this is a “ for purchase” item.

 

From NCL Haven page…

• Sparkling wine, bottled water and fruit on embarkation day (For 2-Bedroom villa, Courtyard Penthouse, Spa Suite, and Penthouse only)
• Mini-bar and deluxe coffee/espresso/cappuccino machine
• Special Haven Menus
• Invitations to exclusive cocktail parties
• Cocktail party with ship's officers

Here’s another falsehood:  Quite some time ago, NCL removed the in-suite coffee machines that had hot milk attachments for lattes and cappuccinos.  Now we can only make black coffees and teas.  

[vinotinto]

We got back on Sunday from the Breakaway. It was lovely. Here are some of my thoughts. Please note that these are my experiences, and they may be different than others and that doesn't mean one is correct and one is incorrect. We may have different experiences and we may do things differently!

 

We loved the room. The 2-bedroom suite was perfect for traveling with teens (or young adults). The second bedroom is much smaller than the master and has a much smaller bathroom, but it was fine for the teens. They each had their own bed (one couch and one bed that pulled from above), which was important as they do not like to share. And we had a lovely hangout "living room" space. And of course, the master bath was huge. Balcony was a bit small, but we could leave the door open and sit in the couch in the living room.

 

Our butler provided excellent service. He tracked us down the first day (we were in and out a lot exploring the ship!). He suggested to bring us hot coffee every morning (yes, please!). He brought us coffee and hot milk and when we were awake, he poured it for us. We also had some food one night from the restaurant delivered to the suite for our teens to have after hanging out in Entourage and a full breakfast in the suite one morning. The snacks they brought us were perfect. Lots of veggies with dip (which I mentioned the first day) and we ordered a cheesecake back to the room one day and after that, cheesecake showed up in our afternoon snacks a few times. I cannot think of a single situation where he didn't meet or exceed expectations.

 

Our steward was lovely. He had the best attitude and left us these elaborate towel animals. 

 

The food at the Haven was very good. I particularly liked the breakfast menu. I found the shrimp toast to be addictive. Cappuccinos and French Press are included (we had the regular premium drink package). I often swapped the sides from a different dish with my protein and they were very accommodating. The lunch and dinner menu were nice, but they became repetitive very quickly. The adults only had dinner 3 out of 7 nights in the Haven restaurant and lunch on 2 out of 7 days.  My mostly vegetarian daughter who eats some fish and seafood had dinner at the Noodle Bar 3 out of 7 nights as that was more varied and interesting than the Haven menu. It felt that because the Haven has a filet and a lobster tail in the Haven everyone immediately thinks it's "better," but they don't have a lot of variety and the preparations could be more interesting. It felt a bit 'meat and potatoes' at times instead of more interesting food. All in all, the Haven restaurant was good, but not something we were wowed at. If they rotated some dishes, and perhaps included some international flavors, it would be better. I think this is what I was most surprised.

 

We found the food in the specialty restaurants and the main dining room (MDR) to be on par with the Haven. I also liked the atmosphere in the MDR - I liked the jazz singer and the mini-dance-presentations from the Burn the Floor dancers. I thought we would be eating in the Haven restaurant all the time, but we wound up eating there less than half of the time. We did enjoy our meals there, but just did not use this feature as much. 

 

Our favorite dish was the dover sole at Le Bistro. OMG, I had this on the last night, otherwise I would have made another reservation or two. It was that good.

 

The bar at the Haven was excellent as was the martini bar. I may have ordered 10 breakfast entrees for 4 people for the following morning after returning a bit tipsy from the martini bar (oh dear!). Fun place. The bartender at the Haven was great and made some great cocktails.

 

We opted NOT to upgrade to Premium Plus. However, my DH and I enjoy nicer wines so we often paid the difference for upgraded ones. I will post a picture. Most were $2 - $9 extra per glass since the drink package covers $15 on each glass. We often had an Oberon (extra $8). Our upgrades added up to under $150 instead of $500 which would have been the cost to upgrade to premium plus. Note that we are not champagne drinkers; I like reds, whites and roses and an occasional cocktail, DH likes reds, cocktails and beers. The house rose (6 sens) was included in the regular package (and $8 if paying out of pocket) and it was delicious, but sadly, they ran out of it early in the cruise and we could not find it at any of the bars. There were some issues with wine and alcohol supplies. We always found something else to enjoy, but if you are upgrading to the Plus for a specific brand, it is best to wait to upgrade in the ship after determining how much supply they have.

 

For those traveling with kids/teens, if we ordered a soda for them, they just put it in our drink package. If they had dinner without us and ordered a soda, they were charged $3+ service charge.

 

The Haven area was great, never crowded.  Servers were constantly coming by to see if you needed anything.  I only have two wishes - I wish they would have opened the roof when we were in Harvest Caye. It remained close the entire cruise and felt a bit enclosed. I also missed having hot tubs outside. The hot tubs were inside and they were tepid. I also have to say that half of the pool lounge area is used for restaurant overflow (which is great because we never had a wait to get seated). But, it's a bit awkward, there's people that could be in the pool right next to a table. I think because of this, no one was ever in the pool. Ever.

 

Concierge handed us a form for the Entertainment reservations and she made them all. We were also escorted through the service elevator to exit in Cozumel and to exit the ship on Sunday. Do not miss the entertainment. Six, Burn the Floor, Howl at the Moon, Syd Norma's and Levity Comedy - all recommended. This is where NCL really shines. Very fun. Only thing lacking that RCCL has is a Latin band.

 

Finally, I know the recommendation from the host of this thread is to provide a tip to the butler in advance. My recommendation is to tip at the end of your cruise, unless you have a very big ask (like a party in your room). We chose to tip at the end because we wanted to tip according to how much we used the butler's services and how well these services were provided, and this worked very well for us. Note that Guest Services has no idea how to add a tip to specific employees, but the Haven concierge staff is easily able to do this.

 

I guess if I had to summarize our experience, we were blown away by the room and service; we took advantage of the dining options throughout the ship, including the MDRs; the upgraded wines and cocktails were quite good; Haven was never too crowded and there was never a wait; we tipped at the end; Breakaway itself was a bit ho-hum; we hated the casino and smell of smoke in the middle; we had a great time and will never book a non-Haven room.

 

Also, for those of you with the flexibility of time, if you want to experience the Haven, do not book in advance. Wait until 2-4 weeks out and look for Haven and select a ship based on Haven prices. Sometimes prices for Haven drop, but if you are already booked on a specific date and ship, you are locked into that ship and won't be able to shift to a ship that is offering these reduced prices (unless your specific ship and your specific sailing is reduced). 

 

Happy to answer any questions!

Edited April 13, 2022 by vinotinto
clarity

[vinotinto]

And here is the pic of the included wines in the Premium package and the cost to upgrade to the Premium Plus wines if you have the regular Premium package:

 

[vinotinto]

And here are some pics from Haven meals:

 

 

Poolside fish

 

shrimp with the grilled cabbage from salmon dish at lunch.

 

lunch lobster bisque

 

typical goodies from butler.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by vinotinto

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, msteinbok said:

Is there a charge for the coffee machines in the Haven Lounge? (if not on the upgraded beverage package)

@msteinbok I am going to be very specific.  The Haven Observation Lounge is called the Horizon Lounge.  The Coffee Machine there is excellent especially for specialty coffee's. No charge for Haven guests.  The Haven Restaurant has both specialty coffee and French press.  No charge for Haven Guests. 

 

Now in other specialty restaurants, bars and Starbucks, there is a charge unless you have the Premium Plus Beverage Package. 

 

I hope that answers your question.

 

Cruise well.

[phissy]

1 hour ago, PatJim said:

Here’s another falsehood:  Quite some time ago, NCL removed the in-suite coffee machines that had hot milk attachments for lattes and cappuccinos.  Now we can only make black coffees and teas.  

YES, this is true.

We were on Pride of America and I was chatting with Hotel Director. We talked about our love of Nespresso and he said he has one for his cabin. 

Later in the week, he came to me with news that NCL had contracted with Nespresso and the Lavazza machines were being replaced with Nespresso. 

Too bad it is original machines. (and the buttons are reversed) 

Edited April 13, 2022 by phissy

[Greenpea2]

On 4/9/2022 at 11:28 AM, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Gary,

Hoping you can provide your experiences with being on the Joy 2 times recently. Haven sundeck and vibe beach club outside smoking. Trying to plan location of our cabin. Did you notice or experience any specifics? port or starboard specifically and your 2 different cabins.

I feel if I call NCL I may not get accurate information.(As someone was recently told wait until you get on board to find out what your PH suite benefits are.)

This is not a for or against smoking inquiry just trying to get any firsthand knowledge.

Thanks.

 

I believe none of the ships allow smoking at Vibe Beach club now. They used to. And I have been in the Haven on several ships (although not the Joy) and all of them have a smoking section on the Haven sun deck. The one on the Bliss was very nice--about 10 lounge chairs were there and plenty of ashtray. Never any problem with smoke/smell or groups of smokers. Now that the Haven seems to be going in the aft (Prima), it will be even less of a problem for non smokers.

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

6 hours ago, vinotinto said:

And here is the pic of the included wines in the Premium package and the cost to upgrade to the Premium Plus wines if you have the regular Premium package:

 

Wow - seems like some of the wines on the "premium plus" list used to be part of the regular drink package.  I tend to drink tempranillo or the East & West Red blend with dinner.  But the $2 and $4 upcharge would still be cheaper for us since iit's only 1 or 2 glasses with dinner vs. cocktails pre/post dining.

[BklynBorn47]

On 4/12/2022 at 8:36 AM, Sthrngary said:

Now all of you are continuing the information and answering each other questions.  That is a great complement to the work done on this thread by all.  

Back in Feb I read this thread and decided to try the Haven if possible
We had booked a balcony cabin on the Apr 25th TA on the Escape (other saga but seems to be a go).  We put in a "good" bid on the Haven but yesterday saw that the Haven price drop was a bit less than our bid SO we are now in a Haven Courtyard balcony (deck 18)

 

After a quick skim of all the posts since Feb, my questions
1) We drink LOTS of coffee when we wake up (around 6-6:30) NOT espresso.
Can we make regular coffee in our room? 
Ask the Butler to bring us a pot with some pastry?
Is there a coffee machine in the lounge we can use.  We don't mind getting it ourselves.
2) There is smoking on the Haven sundeck? 
Will an extremely allergic person like me have to run away? 
3) Tipping the butler on day 1? 
How much would you suggest and how much at the end of the cruise (18 days)?
4) Do we get Haven latitude extra points if we booked as an upgrade and not at original price? 
Thanks in advance.  We are experienced cruisers and always happy in a plain old balcony, but very excited to be trying the Haven.
 

[vinotinto]

11 hours ago, RunBikeCruiseDC said:

Wow - seems like some of the wines on the "premium plus" list used to be part of the regular drink package.  I tend to drink tempranillo or the East & West Red blend with dinner.  But the $2 and $4 upcharge would still be cheaper for us since iit's only 1 or 2 glasses with dinner vs. cocktails pre/post dining.

DH had both of those and enjoyed them very much! I agree it would have been nice to have them fully included. I remember the "proprietary blends" being included in our cruise back in 2016.  But, $2 or $4 is a small upcharge and not worth the cost to upgrade to premium plus. The Oberon is very nice. That is $8 upcharge, We would have needed 7 glasses of those *daily* to make up the difference to premium plus. Not worth it. I feel we upgraded a lot and we did not come anywhere near the $500 price tag for Plus for the week.

 

I noticed the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was gone from all the lists, but available by the bottle and you do get 20%/40% depending on the package. It's a bit crazy what they charge on board for wines that are $12-$20 at the store. The included SV was pretty close. Of course, they ran out of that. By the end of the cruise, they were offering Pinot Grigio, LOL (no, thank you!).

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, vinotinto said:

DH had both of those and enjoyed them very much! I agree it would have been nice to have them fully included. I remember the "proprietary blends" being included in our cruise back in 2016.  But, $2 or $4 is a small upcharge and not worth the cost to upgrade to premium plus. The Oberon is very nice. That is $8 upcharge, We would have needed 7 glasses of those *daily* to make up the difference to premium plus. Not worth it. I feel we upgraded a lot and we did not come anywhere near the $500 price tag for Plus for the week.

 

I noticed the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was gone from all the lists, but available by the bottle and you do get 20%/40% depending on the package. It's a bit crazy what they charge on board for wines that are $12-$20 at the store. The included SV was pretty close. Of course, they ran out of that. By the end of the cruise, they were offering Pinot Grigio, LOL (no, thank you!).

@vinotintoAs I read your comments on the Premium Plus Beverage Program, I could not agree with you more.  The key is why I agree. You and others really love nice wines.  Yet the wines you truly love are above average but definitely not over the top.  It would take a lot of surcharges and starbucks coffee to get to $500.00 (Price for two upgraded to plus package).  You know what you like and you did your due diligence.  This leads to managed expectations on a cruise which makes most cruises even better. 

 

This thread is about the Haven and doing the very same thing.  Manage expectations.  Know what you are going to get and make a business decision knowing the facts from those that actually experienced them.  I also have an op-ed focused on the Premium Plus Beverage Package which is just as popular as this thread is.  I would like to approach the "Plus" package from a different perspective.

 

First, I have no skin in the game.  Just informational.  I always do the "Plus" package with my wife.  My wife drinks wine and I love high end spirits.  Anyone that wants to say the $500.00 for two folks for an upgrade is a great value would be barking up the wrong tree with me.  Can you make it a good deal buy drinking a lot and making sure you make up the upgrade price?  Sure.  Not me either.  I am looking for a much of an all-inclusive experience as I can create without going on a luxury brand like Regent Seven Seas where my fare would be the cost of a small SUV.  

 

I also want do drink things that I would never drink at home.  Glasses of really nice champagne, Tequila 1942, higher end red wines, and the list goes on.  I don't keep an accounting I just want to have a feeling that it gives me.  I call it, being treated like a Rock Star for one week a year.  The Plus Program, the Haven Luxury Experience, the Vibe Beach Club, and the Thermal Spa all can help towards that goal.  All would be great but budgets dictate which if any one chooses.  

 

Like you, I look at all the amenities, ins/outs, of the program and leverage them. Whether imported bottled waters at every meal or a few starbucks coffee every day.  The selected bottles of wine for my wife which then can be taken back to our cabin.  My wants are different then your so for me, the upgrade makes sense.  

 

All of this comes down to management expectations.  Then make a business decision that suits you and our family.  No right or wrong; just know you did you research and you are happy with your decision.

 

Cruise well

[Sthrngary]

4 hours ago, BklynBorn47 said:

1) We drink LOTS of coffee when we wake up (around 6-6:30) NOT espresso.
Can we make regular coffee in our room? 
Ask the Butler to bring us a pot with some pastry?
Is there a coffee machine in the lounge we can use.  We don't mind getting it ourselves.

Congras on upgrading to the Haven.  The reality is you did not upgrade like with a Bid upgrade.  You rebooked due to the price decrease.  There is a difference.  

Your Haven Suite has a Nespresso Machine for coffee.  Want more, ask you butler.

The butler will bring you coffee and pastry's to our suite at any time you want.  Ask for the Almond Croissants which are only in the Haven. Some guest feel the french press is to strong so if it is, tell the bulter just regular coffee. Depending on your ship, the Haven Observation Lounge has a perfect coffee machine that I love and pastries also.

 

4 hours ago, BklynBorn47 said:

2) There is smoking on the Haven sundeck? 
Will an extremely allergic person like me have to run away? 

Yes, but it is usually not an issue because it is outside and limited locations.  You will have no issues with this concern. 

 

4 hours ago, BklynBorn47 said:

3) Tipping the butler on day 1? 
How much would you suggest and how much at the end of the cruise (18 days)?

Not going near this one.  18 days, I am so jealous.  Here is how I will answer your question.  On a recent NCL Haven Cruise with my wife, two people.  The Total Tip given to my butler for seven days was $125.00.  On another trip with four folks in the room, it was $200.00.  When you give it is up to you.  I give it up front and have written many times why.  Others do a different things.  Personal preference. 

 

5 hours ago, BklynBorn47 said:

4) Do we get Haven latitude extra points if we booked as an upgrade and not at original price? 
Thanks in advance.  We are experienced cruisers and always happy in a plain old balcony, but very excited to be trying the Haven.

This is why I started this reply the way I did.  If you did the upgrade bid, you would not get extra Latitude Points.  You rebooked essentially and it was not a bid upgrade.  You should get the Haven points as if you booked it that way from the start. 

 

Cruise well

[BklynBorn47]

23 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Congrats on upgrading to the Haven.

Thank you!  We never would have even considered the Haven if it hadn't been for your original post.  We are as excited as first time cruisers about this new experience. Our first TA too!
After the Escape docks in Rome, we fly to Barcelona to pick up the Star all the way to Reykjavik.  We're bundling all our missed cruises over 21 months into extended "marathon" ones.  

[tlc1972]

On 2/13/2022 at 11:43 AM, Sthrngary said:

The elevator closest to the entry to the Haven Lounge usually has a Haven amenity not stated often. If you are on that elevator, tap your key on the key card device. It skips all a deck and takes you to the Haven Entry Deck. Be kind to others on the elevator and use good business judgment.

Wow! This was something I never knew and wish I had! 

 

I've experienced Haven on Escape and Bliss and would love to have known about this secret back then...though, not sure if this is true for all the Breakaway Plus ships...?

Anyway, I'm heading to Alaska later this year on the Encore, staying in an Haven Aft suite - first time in a Haven cabin outside of the Haven Courtyard, so this little nugget of info is very much appreciated. 

Thank you for the updated review. I am Team Haven through and through - I'll never go back to a standard cabin with NCL ever again.