Celebrity Retreat vs Norwegian Haven

[Salf777]

Hi all have only done Norwegian Haven and looking at a sailing on Celebrity in the Retreat. Never done Celebrity has anyone done both that can offer an opinion. Does the Celebrity Retreat have a private pool area and dining room etc? Is there priority boarding, things like that. Thank you

[the_dylaness]

Hi- Yes, I have done both, although I will say that my Retreat sailing was with only my husband, and my 2 Haven sailings were with husband + kids...

 

They are really, really different.

 

The actual Haven area itself is much nicer in my opinion than the Retreat on an S-class ship (can't comment on E-class.)  There is a private pool, etc.  The Equinox Retreat area was just really a hot sun deck on the top of the ship, not much going on. This was January 2020 so maybe it has improved since then.  The Haven has its own bar which I liked, and its own restaurant which is nice but not nearly as good as Luminae in my opinion, if nothing else only because the Haven restaurant menu is the same every day and Luminae changes.  

 

Are you going with a friend, partner, kids, family... This may influence your decision as well.

 

Overall NCL ships I find to be a bit more crowded and a bit wilder.  The larger ships have great water slides and such which are fun for kids. I would not take an NCL Haven cruise without my kids- I'd prefer a different line that is a little calmer and perhaps, for lack of a better word, a little classier.  

 

I honestly can't remember about priority boarding for suites on X but I think so (surely Googleable...) on NCL Haven the boarding process was not only expedited but also nicer- a lounge with snacks, etc., compared to non-Haven rooms.

 

If you want a big, fun, busy ship with a calmer area to head to and a changing menu in the dining room isn't an issue for you (if you eat a lot of meals in specialty restaurants, let's say) the Haven is a good choice.  If you want a little bit quieter atmosphere, better (in my opinion only) live entertainment, and a pretty darn good suite-level restaurant, then X.

 

 

[the_dylaness]

Sorry just realized you HAVE sailed the Haven, so I told you some things you already knew... I would really base it upon your desire to try X and probably who you are sailing with (my kids do like Celebrity but there is definitely more for kids to do on NCL and bigger kids club, not necessarily better, just... bigger.)

[lv2cruisgrl]

I have not done Haven but love Celebrity retreat.  Yes priority boarding, plus much more. The list is too long for me to type!

[Salf777]

So we’re looking at sailing on the Celebrity Beyond in the Retreat. The thing we like about the Haven is you really don’t have to leave that area. You have your pool, restaurant, lounges, get walked onto the ship with no wait. Is that all the same in the Retreat

[kenb]

6 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

Sorry just realized you HAVE sailed the Haven, so I told you some things you already knew... I would really base it upon your desire to try X and probably who you are sailing with (my kids do like Celebrity but there is definitely more for kids to do on NCL and bigger kids club, not necessarily better, just... bigger.)

Your review was spot on! We did the Haven on the Breakaway and loved it. The restaurant was nice but super slow for all meals. Rooms were nice and close to the Haven bar and restaurant.

We were on the Summit and found Luminae much faster but got the menu got  little boring. We were able to order from the MDR menu.

The cabins on both were nice but the cabin on the Breakaway had a larger bathroom.

The pool was an indoor pool and rarely was utilized on the Breakaway.

 

[jelayne]

The Beyond is the newest ship and like the other E class ships was built for the Retreat area to be in close proximity.  On the Beyond the  Retreat Lounge is on Deck 15, Luminae ( suite restaurant) is on Deck 16 and the Retreat Sun  deck, pool and bar are on 17.   
Unlike some other lines the Suites are not all clustered around the Retreat spaces.

There is priority boarding for suite guests.  We have not sailed on NCL but on Celebrity in the evening suite guests tend to spend time at the bars and other venues around the ship, not in the Retreat Lounge.

[Salf777]

So in the Haven it’s the front part of the ship and there are actually staterooms in the Haven along with pool area, restaurant, lounge. Are you saying that The Retreat doesn’t actually have any staterooms it’s just an area that only accessible to suite guests? And this is where the dining room is as well?

[jelayne]

Yes, that is what I’m saying. There are about 5-6 hi end suites that have direct access to the Retreat.Access.  Access to the Lounge, Sundeck, and Luminae are restricted to suite guests.

 If you look at the deck plan you will see the suites are  primarily on decks 9-12, but there are also some aft facing suites on lower decks. 

[moneeman]

13 minutes ago, Salf777 said:

So in the Haven it’s the front part of the ship and there are actually staterooms in the Haven along with pool area, restaurant, lounge. Are you saying that The Retreat doesn’t actually have any staterooms it’s just an area that only accessible to suite guests? And this is where the dining room is as well?

Celebrity's newest line of ships, what is known as the "E-Class" (after the first ship named Edge), was designed to emphasize the Retreat area.  Those ships (Edge, Apex, and Beyond) all have large sundecks with a private pool and a private outdoor bar, as well as the indoor Retreat Lounge and the suite-only Luminae restaurant.  The amenities are top notch.  When COVID hit, Celebrity was in the beginning phases of "revolutionizing" all of their ships to build out their own Retreat areas.  Only a few ships had been upgraded when everything shut down.  Those that were have very nice Retreat areas, but they are smaller and generally do not have a private pool (except perhaps, a large hot tub).  The smaller ships DO have Luminae and the Retreat Lounge.  The non-E-class ships that have not been revolutionized also have Luminae and the lounge (as those existed prior to the Retreat), but do not have the private outdoor area.  If you are looking at Beyond, however, you would be getting the latest and greatest Retreat offering that Celebrity has to offer.

 

The suite staterooms are generally grouped together by type of suite, with exceptions of course, but they are not in a secluded area inaccessible to non-suite passengers.  I guess you can decide if that is a good or a bad thing.  Celebrity passengers do not tend to run up and down hallways yelling and screaming, so I personally don't see it as an issue.  The Personal Retreat Host (butler) will make you feel very special from the moment you arrive.

 

I looked at the Haven when we booked our most recent cruise, but decided to stick with Celebrity.  They are both great options.  Happy cruising. 

[the_dylaness]

Yes, on Reflection/Equinox other S-class ships the suite rooms are scattered around, MOSTLY in desirable areas (excepting the deck 12 Sky Suites underneath the Oceanview Cafe patio which are noisy and horrible.)

 

Luminae is a few decks away but I did find it superior to the Haven Restaurant on frankly every count.  The Haven Restaurant is fine but slow as others mentioned, and the menu is the same every. single. night.

 

[the_dylaness]

One of my Haven sailings was with my mom and my daughter who was 7 at the time.

 

She picked up very quickly on the difference between the Haven and the rest of the ship (not the passengers, just the vibe.)

 

I'd get asked questions like "Do we have to leave the Haven to go to XYZ?" or "When can we go back to the Haven?" Our next cruise was on a different line and she asked me "Are we going to be Haven guests?"

 

The contrast between the relative quiet (most of the time!) in the Haven vs the rest of the ship is really obvious.  On Celebrity, like someone said, not too many people running up and down the halls yelling and screaming so it is all fairly reasonably quiet, most of the time. 

 

[Salf777]

Thank you. See we love being in the Haven on NCL and almost never want to leave that area as the vibe on the rest of the ship is not our favorite. We tend to venture out of the Haven and play while the ship is in port. We have heard that Celebrity might be a bit different as mentioned no people running up and down the halls and that’s why we are considering it. While we like being in the Haven we then don’t get to really enjoy the whole ship

[cruising sister]

I don’t think you can generalize Haven or Retreat experience without knowing class of ship. I am in the Retreat on the Infinity and did the Haven on the Joy and there is no comparison. Haven would win on all accounts. There are some NCL ships not built for the Haven and have been modified so they have a much different experience. It all depends on what experience you want and pick the appropriate ship on either line. 

[islabahia]

1 hour ago, the_dylaness said:

Yes, on Reflection/Equinox other S-class ships the suite rooms are scattered around, MOSTLY in desirable areas (excepting the deck 12 Sky Suites underneath the Oceanview Cafe patio which are noisy and horrible.)

 

Luminae is a few decks away but I did find it superior to the Haven Restaurant on frankly every count.  The Haven Restaurant is fine but slow as others mentioned, and the menu is the same every. single. night.

 

[islabahia]

Having sailed both lines, X is a clear winner to us.  We sailed suites and then Haven and after our last experience in the Have (kids running amok, children taking over the hot tub and parents who did nothing) we said never again NCL.  Our favorite X suites on Reflection are the AFT sky suites on Deck 12.  Little to no noise from Oceanview Cafe, very large balcony and just our favorite.  We will be sailing Summit in a CS and looking forward to that as well.

[jelayne]

OP if you are considering booking the Beyond then you will get the true Retreat experience and I think you will find that you enjoy the entire ship, not just the Retreat.  Don’t miss the Martini Bar and Eden .

[Purplsmurf]

3 hours ago, cruising sister said:

I don’t think you can generalize Haven or Retreat experience without knowing class of ship. I am in the Retreat on the Infinity and did the Haven on the Joy and there is no comparison. Haven would win on all accounts. There are some NCL ships not built for the Haven and have been modified so they have a much different experience. It all depends on what experience you want and pick the appropriate ship on either line. 

Unfortunately, they aren’t even comparable. Infinity is an old ship that hasn’t been revolutionized. We last sailed on Infinity Oct 2019 and the cabins were in desperate need of new carpet, curtains, etc. It was very tired looking and nothing has been done.

[jelayne]

13 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

Unfortunately, they aren’t even comparable. Infinity is an old ship that hasn’t been revolutionized. We last sailed on Infinity Oct 2019 and the cabins were in desperate need of new carpet, curtains, etc. It was very tired looking and nothing has been done.

How do you know nothing has been done?  The Infinity returned to service yesterday so unless you are on the ship you don’t know .  Yes the infinity has not been revolutionized but neither has the Constellation.  The Constellation returned to service a few months ago and reports are that  Carpet and other soft goods in the cabins and other areas have been replaced and  she is looking very good. 

[Purplsmurf]

1 minute ago, jelayne said:

How do you know nothing has been done?  The Infinity returned to service yesterday so unless you are on the ship you don’t know .  Yes the infinity has not been revolutionized but neither has the Constellation.  The Constellation returned to service a few months ago and reports are that  Carpet and other soft goods in the cabins and other areas have been replaced and  she is looking very good. 

Because I am following along on some posts of people that are on the ship and they are saying that nothing has been done to the cabins and it’s looking very tired. Some public areas look ok,  but not everywhere.

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, Salf777 said:

Thank you. See we love being in the Haven on NCL and almost never want to leave that area as the vibe on the rest of the ship is not our favorite. We tend to venture out of the Haven and play while the ship is in port. We have heard that Celebrity might be a bit different as mentioned no people running up and down the halls and that’s why we are considering it. While we like being in the Haven we then don’t get to really enjoy the whole ship

Firstly, as others have said there are big differences between suite facilities on different Celebrity ships, you do need to check what there is and what is important to you. 
 

Secondly, I think a lot of Celebrity cruisers have the opposite philosophy re being out and about on the ship…They will sometimes use the general pools, they will visit bars around the ship and whilst Luminae is their dining venue they may also use the speciality restaurants and the buffet. I haven’t been on Haven so I can’t compare but on Celebrity I have never felt the need to ‘stay’ in the specific suite areas. The suite areas are nice venues and generally quieter, especially on sea days, but the whole ship ambiance is nice…

Edited June 27, 2022 by chemmo

[cruising sister]

6 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Unfortunately, they aren’t even comparable. Infinity is an old ship that hasn’t been revolutionized. We last sailed on Infinity Oct 2019 and the cabins were in desperate need of new carpet, curtains, etc. It was very tired looking and nothing has been done.

I agree that is why the general comparison of Haven and Retreat is not helpful. You need to know the class of ship to make an accurate comparison. 

[cruising sister]

4 hours ago, chemmo said:

Firstly, as others have said there are big differences between suite facilities on different Celebrity ships, you do need to check what there is and what is important to you. 
 

Secondly, I think a lot of Celebrity cruisers have the opposite philosophy re being out and about on the ship…They will sometimes use the general pools, they will visit bars around the ship and whilst Luminae is their dining venue they may also use the speciality restaurants and the buffet. I haven’t been on Haven so I can’t compare but on Celebrity I have never felt the need to ‘stay’ in the specific suite areas. The suite areas are nice venues and generally quieter, especially on sea days, but the whole ship ambiance is nice…

It is not like you are isolated in the Haven. You just have your private facilities and staterooms in the same area. There are Haven rooms outside the Haven area so those who don’t want to be in that area they can. Personally I loved being in there to easily be able to pop over to the lounge if I needed anything. Granted I was on  their newer ship so it was extra nice. On their older ships who have been modified are like the modified on Celebrity and aren’t quite as nice and people have the same complaints about unequal Haven experiences.  I sailed in the Haven when the ship was 50% full and we said to ourselves we would not want to be on NCL when they were full.  The rest of the ship felt very crowded and would be a nightmare if they were full. 

[Salf777]

Hi All

Thanks for the input. So we have sailed on several of the NCL Havens smaller ships we werent crazy about but the Haven on the larger ships we like. So we are considering a sailing on the Celebrity Beyond in the Retreat or the Norwegian Encore in the Haven. Basically the same ports in the Caribbean but we really dont get off in most of these Caribbean ports just like to enjoy the ships if that helps clarify

[Coarsegold_Mom]

We have never done the retreat on Celebrity - always balcony or concierge - even with 2 kids. But we have done both the family suite in Haven on NCL as well as a balcony (or mini-suite) as they call it.  I would never travel again in NCL without being in the Haven - there are way too many people on their ships and we were always waiting at the MDR in our trip not in the Haven.  However I’m totally fine being in Veranda, Conceirge  or Aqua on Celebrity. It is a completely different vibe. And even better now on ships with 4 main dining venues.