Eating at the Haven

[2boyzmom]

On 8/30/2022 at 6:32 AM, david_sobe said:

One reason why the Breakaway/Getaway are some of my least favorite ships.  The Haven is an afterthought and big steps back from its predecessor Epic.  Besides the tiny restaurant, it's courtyard is small and the Haven sundeck has no water features. 
If I was considering the Haven on any NCL ship these ships would be last on my list.  The Escape corrected most of these shortcomings in the Haven.  Then Bliss/Encore took the Haven to another level.  Now Prima took it even higher.  But anyone that has sailed Bliss or Encore or even Epic in the Haven and sailed Breakaway or Getaway, they will be surprised.

The Epic was our first Haven and it was amazing. We felt a bit cramped on the Getaway and are now bidding on an upgrade for the Breakaway,  but after seeing these pics of all the tables around the pool this totally turned me off. I may stick with my aft cabin and pocket the extra $$ and place a deposit on the Prima! 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, ashleyriley said:

Are these Haven menus the same throughout the NCL fleet? We are sailing the Prima in December. Thank you! 

 

PRIMA_Haven-Restaurant_Mobile-Menu_082222.pdf

[ashleyriley]

Oh Thank you, Bird Travels! 😀

[thatjoeguy]

On 8/26/2022 at 10:57 PM, BirdTravels said:

Breakfast at the Haven

 

Are the Starbucks drinks and fresh squeezed juices included in the Haven restaurant? I normally see prices on the standard menus.

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, thatjoeguy said:

Are the Starbucks drinks and fresh squeezed juices included in the Haven restaurant? I normally see prices on the standard menus.

Complimentary. No additional cost. 

[thatjoeguy]

12 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Complimentary. No additional cost. 

Awesome. Thanks for the speedy response!! Long time NCL traveler, first time Haven guest this December!

[BirdTravels]

7 minutes ago, thatjoeguy said:

Awesome. Thanks for the speedy response!! Long time NCL traveler, first time Haven guest this December!

Enjoy! We had great fun on the trip in August. I will respond on your other thread. 

 

[spanishguy1970]

we are currently bidding on the Escape Haven, i hope we get to experience this.

[BirdTravels]

4 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

we are currently bidding on the Escape Haven, i hope we get to experience this.

Good Luck!

[2 Fun Guys]

Those are some great food photos! Seriously, you could make bank on a cook book or foodie magazine!

 

But I have to say as far as the Haven goes, save for the glass plates, both breakfasts look like just what I get at the buffet, albeit more neatly piled than I do.

 

And nothing says "fine dining" like a scoop of mashed potatoes...

[haolenate]

Thanks for all of the detail and information!

 

About having non-Haven guests dine with you; according to our travel agent materials, you are allowed no more than *4* guests total, and not more than TWICE during your sailing.  This is as of Sep 9, 2022 update.

[dexddd]

On Prima we were offered a special one day for lunch which was a lobster roll.

[philps]

We are going to be on the Getaway 10/22 in the Haven for the first time.

Do you make dinner reservations or just show up when you want to eat?

Are there enough tables to accommodate all Haven guests?

[cruiseny4life]

30 minutes ago, philps said:

We are going to be on the Getaway 10/22 in the Haven for the first time.

Do you make dinner reservations or just show up when you want to eat?

Are there enough tables to accommodate all Haven guests?

No reservations accepted. Generally speaking, you'll have no issue, except around the major trough feeding times. My husband and I (so just two in our party) never had to wait more than two minutes for a table. We eat breakfast early, lunch early, and dinner early. For dinner, almost every time we left the restaurant (typically around 6:30/7) there would be guests waiting to get in. 

 

The Haven Restaurant on the Getaway is small and gets loud. Since it's small, on nice weather days, they open up breakfast/lunch in the Haven Courtyard. It's typically too hot/muggy for us to want to eat out there so we just stay where we are. 

[rbxlady]

2 hours ago, philps said:

We are going to be on the Getaway 10/22 in the Haven for the first time.

Do you make dinner reservations or just show up when you want to eat?

Are there enough tables to accommodate all Haven guests?

Hey, we will be there in the Haven, too! ETA that we are first-timers on NCL and therefore also new to the Haven.

Just FYI, we have a post for our upcoming cruise 🙂 (and if you’ve already joined it, and I missed you, my apologies):

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by rbxlady

[haolenate]

I did Getaway in Aug, but not in Haven.  Booked on Nov 28th in the Haven, decided a 10 day is worth the splurge, so will await everyone's advice and feedback.  I'm not in the Enclave, but a lower deck Fwd facing "penthouse".  Looking forward to the tub and shower, to be honest.   Just wondering if being on deck 10 means we don't get to use the "special" elevator for Haven Guests, as it was quite the line in Great Stirrup Cay when tendering and then waiting for an elevator.

[cruiseny4life]

10 minutes ago, haolenate said:

I did Getaway in Aug, but not in Haven.  Booked on Nov 28th in the Haven, decided a 10 day is worth the splurge, so will await everyone's advice and feedback.  I'm not in the Enclave, but a lower deck Fwd facing "penthouse".  Looking forward to the tub and shower, to be honest.   Just wondering if being on deck 10 means we don't get to use the "special" elevator for Haven Guests, as it was quite the line in Great Stirrup Cay when tendering and then waiting for an elevator.

In April we were on deck 14, in a penthouse (not forward-facing). Then, in September we were on deck 13, aft. Both trips on the Getaway. If you're Haven, you get to use all the perks of the Haven regardless of where your room is located. You'll just have to get yourself to the concierge desk where they'll then whisk you away on the freight elevator. You'll then get to skip the line of everyone, but fellow Haven guests. There's a perfect place to stand to get on the first Haven trip down the elevator regardless of how long you've been waiting for the special trip, but I'm not telling my secret to the world. 🙂 

[BirdTravels]

33 minutes ago, haolenate said:

I did Getaway in Aug, but not in Haven.  Booked on Nov 28th in the Haven, decided a 10 day is worth the splurge, so will await everyone's advice and feedback.  I'm not in the Enclave, but a lower deck Fwd facing "penthouse".  Looking forward to the tub and shower, to be honest.   Just wondering if being on deck 10 means we don't get to use the "special" elevator for Haven Guests, as it was quite the line in Great Stirrup Cay when tendering and then waiting for an elevator.

To use the crew elevator, you will have to meet in the Haven lounge and wait to be escorted off via the crew elevator. The forward facing rooms are great... lots of extra space for less money than being up in the Haven enclave. Same is true for being escorted to shows. 

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, philps said:

We are going to be on the Getaway 10/22 in the Haven for the first time. Do you make dinner reservations or just show up when you want to eat? Are there enough tables to accommodate all Haven guests?

Haven dining room seating is first come first serve. 

 

The dining room is actually too small and, weather permitting, sometimes overflow into the pool area. That being said, if you want to eat in the restaurant, the wait should be minimal. On our recent cruise on the Breakaway, we made friends with the restaurant manager and he went out of his way to clear tables and seat us. 

[spanishguy1970]

22 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Good Luck!

Thank you birdtravels, the menu definitely looks different from the MDR. Wonderful.

[BirdTravels]

25 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

Thank you birdtravels, the menu definitely looks different from the MDR. Wonderful.

We actually won a "poor-range" Haven upgrade on the Escape pre-pandemic. 

[spanishguy1970]

35 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We actually won a "poor-range" Haven upgrade on the Escape pre-pandemic. 

yes, that's where we are, poor range. :-). We never win, believe me we have bid on other ships, just not willing to pay more than we can afford.

[Oceansaway17]

21 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

yes, that's where we are, poor range. :-). We never win, believe me we have bid on other ships, just not willing to pay more than we can afford.

I agree. I would rather pay for an inside room and then eat in specialty restaurants and still have a lot of money left over.  Just do not get the Haven status symbol thingy.  Besides front of ship can be windy.  New Carnival ships have their fancy aand expensive areas in the aft where there is less wind

[Two Wheels Only]

7 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

New Carnival ships have their fancy aand expensive areas in the aft where there is less wind

 

The same is true with the newest NCL ship and the similar ones that will follow.

[Traveling Fools]

We have been travel with our two youngest grandchildren since they were infants (crises and extended cross country motorhome trips).  Both of them at a very young age developed very complex tastes including a liking for smoked salmon, mussels and lamb chops.  It so impressed the Haven's Maître' D that he told DW and I to let him know before 5 PM if they wanted those items for diner.  Yup, thats what they ate every night.

 

We have been on more than one haven cruise where, through friends our grands made of other Haven gusts with children, we have ended up wanting to break bread at diner at least one night of the cruise.  A word to the Maitre' D made getting a table large enough to accommodate all of us happen.  That is the only time we have asked for reservations.  Just FYI, Have Guest traveling with younger children will generally be waiting in the Haven's lobby at 5:30, just to get their children fed early enough so they don't fall asleep at the table.  Our young grandson, now 9, was one of those who crashed almost every night at the diner table.  Learned something from the Maitre' D of one of the specialty restaurants when fell asleep and it was a hike back to the Haven.  He called for a wheel chair that we were able to put him in.  Pushing him back to our cabin rather than carrying him made so much of a difference for all of us!