Booked Haven Suite on Epic - so angry before even leaving

[Trimone]

2 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

You are aware that all of NCLs ships (other than POA) were built and fitted out in Europe?

 

if anything, the large warehouse would be in Europe, as that is also where most dry docks are carried out. In recent years, they have positioned ships in Europe for their dry dock year. I’m not sure what NCL do when they need replacement equipment. I suspect that they are fairly standard items, but it is probably easier to obtain in Europe than the US.

Wonder why the Italians are building the ships?

[bortman23]

On 7/26/2022 at 4:20 PM, ASD19001 said:

We booked a Haven suite on the NCL Epic over a year ago along with excursions and other extras.  This is rather expensive, but we have been saving for a while to make it happen.  Our room sleeps 6 and we are traveling with a group of 5 adults. 

 

Everything is paid in full, and we are set to sail this week.  Then we get a letter saying that the sports area and one of the clubs will be closed for renovations during our sailing.  I know these things happen but still pretty annoying as these were things we were looking forward to using and were promised when we were being sold on the trip.  So that was annoying but not going to let it ruin the trip. 

 

THEN, we get a phone call today saying that the sofa bed in our room is broken and can only be replaced with a normal sofa (does not open to a bed), so our room that we were told would sleep 6 now only sleeps 4.    They said there are no other Haven rooms available, and they can't (or won't) move a sofa bed from another room even if there is a room that has 4 or less people who wouldn't need the sofa bed.  Also, interesting that they say there are no other rooms BUT they keep sending me "reminders" that I can bid (pay extra money) to upgrade our room to the next higher tier of Haven room.  

 

They offered to give us a balcony room (not in the Haven) for the person who would have been sleeping on the sofa bed and that's all they will do.  So, they are asking me to somehow choose one person from our group to get kicked out of the Haven and sent down to a regular room even though they paid for the Haven just like the rest of the group.  They would not give any discount or money back even though this person would basically be getting downgraded.  They would be in a room by themself while the rest of the group is up in the Haven enjoying all the extra amenities we all paid for.  They specifically said the butler service would not go down to the balcony room. 

 

I was very angry, and I do hate getting upset with the guy on the phone who had the job of calling us with the bad news as it's not his fault personally, but he insisted there was nothing more they could do.      

 

As with others, I understand why you're upset.

 

But the reality is you're getting an extra room for free, to use as you see fit. That's a bonus in my eyes (if it was me, I'd love to be in a room alone, but still get the benefits of the Haven). 

 

I've never been on the Epic, but couldn't the extra balcony room be on the same floor?

[raitch]

OP stopped reading or responding to this thread two days ago 😂

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, bortman23 said:

 

I've never been on the Epic, but couldn't the extra balcony room be on the same floor?

No, the Haven is on decks 16 and 17. Other rooms are on 14 or below

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, raitch said:

OP stopped reading or responding to this thread two days ago 😂

Yeah, this has been a discussion amongst ourselves for some time. I think most people know that.

[latserrof]

This is another reason why NCL should have never started The Haven.

Edited July 29, 2022 by latserrof

[kirtihk]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:11 AM, The Shrike said:

On 7/26/2022 at 11:52 PM, pcakes122 said:

How do you have the exact same experience if you are in a balcony cabin? For example, one of my favorite Haven features is having the butler quietly set the table for breakfast with a white tablecloth, hot, fresh French press coffee and warm almond croissants while I am still sleeping - and then waking me on his way out.  Awesome vacation experience. Not happening while you are sleeping on a balcony.

 

Different story if there was some financial compensation. But for the same price?? Not the same service at all.

Expand  

I don't want anyone creeping around my room while I'm sleeping.  Apparently, you're into that, along with having strange Malaysian men wake you up in the morning. 😲

So let's agree to disagree on what an optimum Haven experience is...creepy as yours maybe.

It doesn't make any sense to argue about this topic.  Everyone feels and expects differently for the matter in this thread.  So, even though I'm in the same boat as any one who doesn't like a butler's presence, I don't confront others who actually enjoy such an experience.  It's absolutely pointless to dispute this topic, because it is a not forum and a vote who is for and who is against butler (or any other factors of this cabin type for that matter); it is a personal matter with bringing up a point of not being compensating appropriately for downgrading a cabin (that I actually agree with).  It was also funny to read comments about how a person doesn't get why someone would like to have 6 people in a cabin - again, it's a personal choice.

[UKstages]

23 hours ago, Trimone said:

Wonder why the Italians are building the ships?

 

my best guess would be old world craftsmanship, the likes of which you no longer get in america because anyone who could have possibly been capable of such a thing died decades ago, without apprentices to follow in their footsteps.

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, kirtihk said:

It was also funny to read comments about how a person doesn't get why someone would like to have 6 people in a cabin - again, it's a personal choice.

The point is that, for at least some of the six, it is probably a crappy choice (and that number would likely expand by day two or three).  Forcing family to spend 24/7 together for a week is generally an awful idea.  For many families, just having to spend a single holiday together rarely ends well.🤣

[The Shrike]

4 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

The point is that, for at least some of the six, it is probably a crappy choice (and that number would likely expand by day two or three).  Forcing family to spend 24/7 together for a week is generally an awful idea.  For many families, just having to spend a single holiday together rarely ends well.🤣

Seconded.  Six family members spread out in two or three cabins on a cruise?  Sounds like a fun time, and I've done it once before and everyone enjoyed it.  Six in one cabin, even one with two bedrooms?  HELL NO!!!

[Homosassa]

17 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

my best guess would be old world craftsmanship, the likes of which you no longer get in america because anyone who could have possibly been capable of such a thing died decades ago, without apprentices to follow in their footsteps.

It is not the craftmanship so much as economic factors.

 

Many of the shipyards in the US were tied to the US Navy during WW II, Korea and Viet Nam Conflicts.  They got to feed at the government trough of overpayment for the ship building.

 

That plus the strong union which based their pay on that government trough meant when the US Navy no longer needed the same number of ships produced, lead to the yards' bankruptcies. 

[LGW59]

19 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

my best guess would be old world craftsmanship, the likes of which you no longer get in america because anyone who could have possibly been capable of such a thing died decades ago, without apprentices to follow in their footsteps.

It's not the craftsmanship, it is because it is cost prohibitive.  We still build US military ships in the US, but the costs are exorbitant.  Look we are not building Old Ironsides here, that's not the craftsmanship we are talking about.  Lots of factors come into play, politics, unions, procuring materials from other countries etc.

[kirtihk]

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

The point is that, for at least some of the six, it is probably a crappy choice (and that number would likely expand by day two or three).  Forcing family to spend 24/7 together for a week is generally an awful idea.  For many families, just having to spend a single holiday together rarely ends well.🤣

I must agree: this is also very funny but true statement especially the last part!

[rikitikitavii]

On 7/26/2022 at 4:20 PM, ASD19001 said:

We booked a Haven suite on the NCL Epic over a year ago along with excursions and other extras.  This is rather expensive, but we have been saving for a while to make it happen.  Our room sleeps 6 and we are traveling with a group of 5 adults. 

 

Everything is paid in full, and we are set to sail this week.  Then we get a letter saying that the sports area and one of the clubs will be closed for renovations during our sailing.  I know these things happen but still pretty annoying as these were things we were looking forward to using and were promised when we were being sold on the trip.  So that was annoying but not going to let it ruin the trip. 

 

THEN, we get a phone call today saying that the sofa bed in our room is broken and can only be replaced with a normal sofa (does not open to a bed), so our room that we were told would sleep 6 now only sleeps 4.    They said there are no other Haven rooms available, and they can't (or won't) move a sofa bed from another room even if there is a room that has 4 or less people who wouldn't need the sofa bed.  Also, interesting that they say there are no other rooms BUT they keep sending me "reminders" that I can bid (pay extra money) to upgrade our room to the next higher tier of Haven room.  

 

They offered to give us a balcony room (not in the Haven) for the person who would have been sleeping on the sofa bed and that's all they will do.  So, they are asking me to somehow choose one person from our group to get kicked out of the Haven and sent down to a regular room even though they paid for the Haven just like the rest of the group.  They would not give any discount or money back even though this person would basically be getting downgraded.  They would be in a room by themself while the rest of the group is up in the Haven enjoying all the extra amenities we all paid for.  They specifically said the butler service would not go down to the balcony room. 

 

I was very angry, and I do hate getting upset with the guy on the phone who had the job of calling us with the bad news as it's not his fault personally, but he insisted there was nothing more they could do.      

Based on the B and M, I’d gladly stay in a balcony cabin by myself!  Lord help having to use an elevator!

[nferr]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:38 AM, pcakes122 said:

If you are OK with paying for a Haven room and sleeping in a balcony, that's great for you. Not sure I understand why you would want to do that, but it's your choice. I just would expect some sort of discount if it happened to me, so I don't think that the original poster is off base at all in expecting that.

Sleeping one person in king bed in a balcony room versus sleeping on a sofa bed with four other people in a cabin?  Doesn't sound like a downgrade to me. And they've already said that person is entitled to all the Haven facilities. I don't get it.

[RocketMan275]

On 7/29/2022 at 10:20 AM, latserrof said:

This is another reason why NCL should have never started The Haven.

If NCL didn't have the Haven, I wouldn't be on NCL.

[Sailing12Away]

I stopped reading after seeing they booked a Haven room on Epic for 6 adults. Anyone who's done research knows that you can't actually fit 6 adults in those rooms. At least not comfortably.

 

You're getting a free balcony room for 1-2 guests to spread out without being on top of someone else's lap while they're taking a piss, and they still get access to all the Haven amenities (without the butler, which is probably fine for 99% of us since they can go take the snacks from the 'main' room anyway if they're really that hard up for gummy bears). I think the overwhelming majority of people would be totally fine with that solution provided they were'nt trying to move 2 kids by themselves.

 

Some people need to find a better hobby than playing advocate to 'warn others' about the horrors of NCL.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Sailing12Away

[deliver42]

I don't see this as a problem either, especially if the balcony cabin is close to the Haven. Heck, I would volunteer to be the "poor" person that gets to sleep alone, rather than with 5 other people in one cabin with one bathroom.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, deliver42 said:

Heck, I would volunteer to be the "poor" person that gets to sleep alone, rather than with 5 other people in one cabin with one bathroom.

You might have to wait in line for that. 🤣

[Dave994]

144 responses on this thread and the OP hasn’t said a thing since page 1. 🤷‍♂️

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, Dave994 said:

144 responses on this thread and the OP hasn’t said a thing since page 1. 🤷‍♂️

and may he rest in peace  ⛪

[cruiseny4life]

18 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

If NCL didn't have the Haven, I wouldn't be on NCL.

Same!

[DCGuy64]

On 7/27/2022 at 1:08 PM, SeaShark said:

In cruising, like life, things sometimes go wrong. This thread is a perfect example of that.

 

What I've seen here:

#1 - People who look at a situation and immediately go to "compensation"

#2 - People who look at a situation and try to make the best of it. Call it the "silver lining response".

 

But what I find interesting is another group, #3 - People who look at a situation and then crap on/put down the people in #2 above...as though they've done something wrong for daring to, as the saying goes, turn lemons into lemonade.

 

 

For the OP...I hope things go well. Don't over-obsess, just try to make the best of it. Also...seek out and speak with the GM onboard. Explain the situation...and then let them do what they do. I think you'll find them very responsive and willing to help smooth things out as best they can.

^^^ This

Cruise Critic, where total strangers argue about things that haven't even happened, but are 100% sure they will, and that their predictions will pan out completely. 6 pages of comments and counting. Wow. No wonder we all need a vacation. 🙂

[graphicguy]

19 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

^^^ This

Cruise Critic, where total strangers argue about things that haven't even happened, but are 100% sure they will, and that their predictions will pan out completely. 6 pages of comments and counting. Wow. No wonder we all need a vacation. 🙂

LOL!

 

Don’t forget…..in CC, you’ll find posters very short on experience but very long on opinions.

[YVRteacher]

On 7/30/2022 at 8:42 AM, LGW59 said:

It's not the craftsmanship, it is because it is cost prohibitive.  We still build US military ships in the US, but the costs are exorbitant.  Look we are not building Old Ironsides here, that's not the craftsmanship we are talking about.  Lots of factors come into play, politics, unions, procuring materials from other countries etc.

It’s actually because another cruise line booked all the spaces available for construction in France, so NCL switched to Italy.  This question was asked at two recent Q and A and both captains responded similarly.