Never-Haven Cruiser sails in the Haven. Here are her thoughts.

[justhappy]

13 minutes ago, DMH15 said:

My mom and I had a suite on The NCL Sun for a 14 night south American cruise.  There were other family / friends who were not in a suite. It was quite doable.  Of course there was no Haven area.  We would dine in Moderno for breakfast and lunch with suite access and meet up after.  We would eat dinner together in Main or specialty.  We had all our tours, spa, trivia, etc. together.  

 

We had a huge aft balcony so we hosted guests a few times on sea days.  It was my honor and priviledge to set up for guests.  I had purchased a bar set up and was allowed to bring a mini blender on board.  A few times I ordered snacks which I was happy to pay for and I remembered to thank the butler with a generous tip.  So, I was able to share.   The same way I was introduced to The Haven was through friends.  
 

 

 

 I imagine we will make it work, it helps that our friends are in a cabin outside of the Haven proper so we can go visit them in their stateroom.

 It is totally my fault for getting them hooked on the Haven as years ago when you could call a few weeks out before sailing and get upgraded to an available Haven for about $500 per person, I paId to upgrade their balcony cabin to a Haven cabin along with our own. It was a birthday surprise for them.
 

[kismetique]

5 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Who is stopping you from joining the end of the line?

Absolutely!  I agree.  If you didn't want to be embarrassed, then by all means, decline the opportunity and join the end of the line.  We used to cruise a lot, then we purchased a vacation home and stopped cruising and just went there every year for vacation.  We sold that house and now we've started cruising again.  So - there was a gap of like 10 years where we didn't cruise, so all this was new to me.  We had been in suites before, but back then NCL gave perks based on your Tier level and not so much the cabin.  I booked the suite ONLY because we needed the living area to gather as a group of 8 - only 3 of us stayed in the suite and the rest had other nearby cabins.

 

Here is how oblivious we were -  we stood in the regular passenger check-in with our party.  The agent couldn't locate our key cards and asked if we were in the Haven.  I said -  goodness no - don't think so...those are very expensive cabins!  After 10 min, she finally went to the concierge and had him look - sure enough, there were our key cards.  We weren't in the Haven obviously since it was an older ship - the Jewel.  But they lump them all together I'm guessing - I didn't know!  They gathered us up and said - follow her.  We obeyed.  I had no idea what the hell was going on.  Suddenly, we are having to excuse ourselves left and right for passing this string of passengers longer than the ship to get on.  5 Sec at our muster drill station then they wanted to escort us to Cagney's for lunch.  I finally caught on and said - Whoa!  No.  I have 5 others in my party that don't get that perk and I'm not going to exclude them - that much I DID know!  However - I also DID know enough to sweeten the pot to my Butler and Concierge to get them included in many of the perks - not Cagney's - as I know very well that was not going to fly and besides - my family prefers to eat at the buffet?!?!?  Lord know, why!  I dearly missed eating at the special restaurant!

 

Opting out of dining, drink, and airfare packages is a conscious effort.  You are literally unchecking a box, or not checking a box.  But if you aren't aware of certain perks, you can be lead blindly into a very embarrassing situation as we were.

 

We loved that bathroom and separate living area so much, my husband and I booked it again for our next cruise just for the 2 of us.  Knowing now what I didn't know then, we are arriving 2 days before the cruise leaves with our privately purchased plane tickets and declined drink package and will arrive VERY EARLY to the port to embark PRIOR to having to be embarrassed!

 

The bathroom in that 2 bedroom suite is to die for!  The Dawn hasn't been upgraded yet, so rather than having this HUMONGOUS shower, we will still have a bathtub, but the bathroom is still glorious!  We love having breakfast in our room, so the separate living area allows the butler to set it up while we stay in bed - we just tell him to come on in the cabin and set it up.  The noise will wake us and when he's done, we get up and go eat.  It's wonderful!  

[DMH15]

30 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Well, that's the story my wife told me when she came back from the store. I have no reason to believe she was lying, and I think I know my wife a little bit better than you do. 😉 It's possible he was joking, but she didn't say it sounded like he was joking. Mind you, my wife is a die-hard couponer. Have you ever been in line at a store and there's an announcement over the loudspeaker like "manager on duty, please come to register 4 for an override"? That would be my wife. When we were at a Safeway the other day, she turned around as we were walking out to say one of the discounts hadn't been applied, so we got our $3.07 refunded to the card. Yes, she's that kind of customer. Sometimes the store has to pay her back due to multiple coupons and discounts. What you say might be true about the store getting reimbursed, but that doesn't mean the store manager didn't say what I was told he said.

I TOTALLY agree.  Especially back in the day.  Something on sale?  Have a coupon. Back then they doubled and tripled them AND you could use a STORE coupons and a MANUFACTURER coupon on the same product.  Sometimes we got most products for FREE.  
 

In fact, at one time, they would take off MORE than the price of an item and that was basically applied against other items in the cart.  Then stores got smart and only took off coupon(s) up to the price of an item.  
 

My mom had a huge orange tool box for her well-organized coupons.  She was the “Coupon Queen”.  I was only a “Princess”. 
 

Dallas has always been a competitive grocery city.  
 

We also used a lot of BOGOs dining out. 
 

I still shop deals for travel and cruises.  If one is flexible and has the time there are deals.  

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, kismetique said:

Suddenly, we are having to excuse ourselves left and right for passing this string of passengers longer than the ship to get on.  

...

Opting out of dining, drink, and airfare packages is a conscious effort.  You are literally unchecking a box, or not checking a box.  But if you aren't aware of certain perks, you can be lead blindly into a very embarrassing situation as we were.

I just don't see the need to apologize.   Those standing in those lines made the concious decision to book rooms that didn't have those perks.

 

[DMH15]

25 minutes ago, justhappy said:

 I imagine we will make it work, it helps that our friends are in a cabin outside of the Haven proper so we can go visit them in their stateroom.

 It is totally my fault for getting them hooked on the Haven as years ago when you could call a few weeks out before sailing and get upgraded to an available Haven for about $500 per person, I paId to upgrade their balcony cabin to a Haven cabin along with our own. It was a birthday surprise for them.
 

I love that. 

[kismetique]

5 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

Would you never fly first class because the economy people have to pass you already in your seat drinking your first cocktail

Well - that's a funny story as well.  And no - people sitting in their seats already having a drink is hardly the same as families bunched up together wrangling their carry on items on this little gang plank and me having to negotiate around them while I cut the line.  Economy people merely walking by in the same space that is used to get to a luxury seat will be me this next trip!!!   My husband will be sitting in First Class as I trip by him on my way to Economy!  He has blood clots in his legs to the point of having had double pulmonary embolisms, so I gladly give him the airline points for the First Class ticket and since we are retired and spend 24 hours a day together - I'm quite looking forward to few ALONE hours!  🙂

[DMH15]

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I just don't see the need to apologize.   Those standing in those lines made the concious decision to book rooms that didn't have those perks.

 

Anybody can choose to book a Haven or Suite.  Cruise lines only care if your money is green. 
 

People choose to spend money on different things in life.  I have never smoked so wonder how much money I have saved over the years.  I don’t buy expensive cars or jewelry.   But I love playing the PICK 3.  My vice. LOL. 

 

IT IS FUNNY.  People talk about Haven people looking down on those not in there.  But why do so many look down on us who choose The Haven?   I think there are as many if not more of those comments.  Sigh.  

[DCGuy64]

7 minutes ago, DMH15 said:

I TOTALLY agree.  Especially back in the day.  Something on sale?  Have a coupon. Back then they doubled and tripled them AND you could use a STORE coupons and a MANUFACTURER coupon on the same product.  Sometimes we got most products for FREE.  
 

In fact, at one time, they would take off MORE than the price of an item and that was basically applied against other items in the cart.  Then stores got smart and only took off coupon(s) up to the price of an item.  
 

My mom had a huge orange tool box for her well-organized coupons.  She was the “Coupon Queen”.  I was only a “Princess”. 
 

Dallas has always been a competitive grocery city.  
 

We also used a lot of BOGOs dining out. 
 

I still shop deals for travel and cruises.  If one is flexible and has the time there are deals.  

Your mom and my wife would have gotten along famously. We play a game called "how much did you save" where we look not just at how much (or rather, how little) we spent, but how much we saved. Anything over 40% is pretty good. I know what you mean by the stores limiting how much you can save. Now the stores mostly limit the double coupons to $1, but back in the day, you could get a .95 coupon doubled to $1.90. We also get gas rewards, so I love when I fill the tank at $2.79/gal and everyone else is paying $3.79 for the cheap stuff. I kinda wish NCL would let people do that. Carnival is the only line that my main credit card participates with in rewards, you can get $100 gift cards and stack them. 🙂

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, DMH15 said:

IT IS FUNNY.  People talk about Haven people looking down on those not in there.  But why do so many look down on us who choose The Haven?   I think there are as many if not more of those comments.  Sigh.  

They look down on those booking the Haven because it makes them feel good about their decisions. 

They might as well look down on those living in better houses or driving more expensive cars.

Or, look down on someone who  has steaks instead of hamburger in their grocery carts?

[kismetique]

17 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I just don't see the need to apologize.   Those standing in those lines made the concious decision to book rooms that didn't have those perks.

While you are absolutely 100% correct, I grew up pretty poor.  It was an odd situation, we somehow lived in an upper level neighborhood, but we barely fit in.  All my friends I went to school with in my neighborhood were very well off and I was always the kid with the second hand bike, handmade clothes, and always jealous of everyone else.  I just don't want others to feel that way - I just had enough of it growing up and I will go out of my way to prevent even the appearance that I have it better than others.  We have rental houses all on the same block and I myself live in one of them, although I do not have to.  I don't want my tenants to think I'm better than they are - or that they support me living in a better house.  It's crazy, but sometimes your childhood can really affect those types of issues your entire life.  It's a personal flaw and while you're correct - we paid a lot of money for that cabin and that perk, courtesy of my tenants 🙂 - if I can't enjoy it guilt free - is it really a perk?  We all know why NCL parades us past the other guests - and I just don't like it - not even a little bit. 

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, kismetique said:

While you are absolutely 100% correct, I grew up pretty poor.  It was an odd situation, we somehow lived in an upper level neighborhood, but we barely fit in.  All my friends I went to school with in my neighborhood were very well off and I was always the kid with the second hand bike, handmade clothes, and always jealous of everyone else.  I just don't want others to feel that way - I just had enough of it growing up and I will go out of my way to prevent even the appearance that I have it better than others.  We have rental houses all on the same block and I myself live in one of them, although I do not have to.  I don't want my tenants to think I'm better than they are - or that they support me living in a better house.  It's crazy, but sometimes your childhood can really affect those types of issues your entire life.  It's a personal flaw and while you're correct - we paid a lot of money for that cabin and that perk, courtesy of my tenants 🙂 - if I can't enjoy it guilt free - is it really a perk?  We all know why NCL parades us past the other guests - and I just don't like it - not even a little bit. 

I grew  up in a four room house on a dirt road.  Neither of my parents graduated high school.  My dad dug ditches for a living and my mom checked groceries.  They made sure I had enough to eat.  Dad drove old used cars so I could go to college.  I worked every summer slinging a sledge hammer on a road crew.  I earned my perks and I'm not embarrased by them.

I do not believe NCL has a neferious motive in 'parading' Haven passengers past the other guests.  Nor do I really care if they do.  NCL will sell anyone a cruise in the Haven.  It's a matter of choice so no need to be embarrased.

[Two Wheels Only]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I earned my perks and I'm not embarrased by them.

 

I agree.

 

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I do not believe NCL has a neferious motive in 'parading' Haven passengers past the other guests.

 

Well,......it can be that NCL wants suite/Haven guests to feel better or NCL wants non-suite/non-Haven guests to feel worse to the point that non-suite/non-Haven guests will want (and pay for) that benefit in the future.

 

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Nor do I really care if they do.

 

I agree. Either way, I don't care. 

 

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

NCL will sell anyone a cruise in the Haven.

 

Yup. (Motleyfan flashbacks 😁) 

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Well,......it can be that NCL wants suite/Haven guests to feel better or NCL wants non-suite/non-Haven guests to feel worse to the point that non-suite/non-Haven guests will want (and pay for) that benefit in the future.

Or, it could be there are only so many ways to get off the ship.  There is only one gangway or are you suggesting there should be two or more?

[Two Wheels Only]

8 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Or, it could be there are only so many ways to get off the ship.  There is only one gangway or are you suggesting there should be two or more?

 

Personally, it doesn't matter to me if NCL crew members sneak me in or out via a hidden side door or if NCL crew members carry me past everyone like Xerxes in "300"....

 

 

... I'm going to get on or off before those who don't have priority. 😉

[RocketMan275]

17 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Personally, it doesn't matter to me if NCL crew members sneak me in or out via a hidden side door or if NCL crew members carry me past everyone like Xerxes in "300"....

 

... I'm going to get on or off before those who don't have priority. 😉

Sedan chairs for embarking/disembarking Haven Guests.  Great idea.

Does fanning by scantily clad crew come with that?

[kismetique]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

I earned my perks and I'm not embarrased by them.

See, I think this is great!  Some of us have gotten past their idiosyncrasies and others, like me, haven't. I absolutely agree with you 100% and wished I were more like you!

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, kismetique said:

See, I think this is great!  Some of us have gotten past their idiosyncrasies and others, like me, haven't. I absolutely agree with you 100% and wished I were more like you!

Practice, practice, practice.  

[justhappy]

2 hours ago, DMH15 said:

I TOTALLY agree.  Especially back in the day.  Something on sale?  Have a coupon. Back then they doubled and tripled them AND you could use a STORE coupons and a MANUFACTURER coupon on the same product.  Sometimes we got most products for FREE.  
 

In fact, at one time, they would take off MORE than the price of an item and that was basically applied against other items in the cart.  Then stores got smart and only took off coupon(s) up to the price of an item.  
 

My mom had a huge orange tool box for her well-organized coupons.  She was the “Coupon Queen”.  I was only a “Princess”. 
 

Dallas has always been a competitive grocery city.  
 

We also used a lot of BOGOs dining out. 
 

I still shop deals for travel and cruises.  If one is flexible and has the time there are deals.  

Oh my yes, Memphis in the early 80’s was the same way. Lots of grocery stores even had coupon tables where you could leave ones you didn’t use and find ones you wanted.

My mother and I would both end up with so many cheap or free items. And refunding was big then too. 

[RocketMan275]

13 minutes ago, justhappy said:

Oh my yes, Memphis in the early 80’s was the same way. Lots of grocery stores even had coupon tables where you could leave ones you didn’t use and find ones you wanted.

My mother and I would both end up with so many cheap or free items. And refunding was big then too. 

I use a Publix app to prepare my shopping lists.  It also allows one to 'clip' coupons to apply  to your bill.

[Smitheroo]

3 hours ago, DMH15 said:

Anybody can choose to book a Haven or Suite.  Cruise lines only care if your money is green. 
 

People choose to spend money on different things in life.  I have never smoked so wonder how much money I have saved over the years.  I don’t buy expensive cars or jewelry.   But I love playing the PICK 3.  My vice. LOL. 

 

IT IS FUNNY.  People talk about Haven people looking down on those not in there.  But why do so many look down on us who choose The Haven?   I think there are as many if not more of those comments.  Sigh.  

I agree with you 100%. Which is why I made the comment that I dont fault people for booking the Haven. Whatever floats your boat (ha ha).  It would be a different story if NCL was singling out passengers based on some arbitrary factor.   I just gave the reasons why it doesnt interest me   Like you wrote, people make choices what to spend their money on.    

[Smitheroo]

5 hours ago, kismetique said:

Absolutely!  I agree.  If you didn't want to be embarrassed, then by all means, decline the opportunity and join the end of the line.  We used to cruise a lot, then we purchased a vacation home and stopped cruising and just went there every year for vacation.  We sold that house and now we've started cruising again.  So - there was a gap of like 10 years where we didn't cruise, so all this was new to me.  We had been in suites before, but back then NCL gave perks based on your Tier level and not so much the cabin.  I booked the suite ONLY because we needed the living area to gather as a group of 8 - only 3 of us stayed in the suite and the rest had other nearby cabins.

 

Here is how oblivious we were -  we stood in the regular passenger check-in with our party.  The agent couldn't locate our key cards and asked if we were in the Haven.  I said -  goodness no - don't think so...those are very expensive cabins!  After 10 min, she finally went to the concierge and had him look - sure enough, there were our key cards.  We weren't in the Haven obviously since it was an older ship - the Jewel.  But they lump them all together I'm guessing - I didn't know!  They gathered us up and said - follow her.  We obeyed.  I had no idea what the hell was going on.  Suddenly, we are having to excuse ourselves left and right for passing this string of passengers longer than the ship to get on.  5 Sec at our muster drill station then they wanted to escort us to Cagney's for lunch.  I finally caught on and said - Whoa!  No.  I have 5 others in my party that don't get that perk and I'm not going to exclude them - that much I DID know!  However - I also DID know enough to sweeten the pot to my Butler and Concierge to get them included in many of the perks - not Cagney's - as I know very well that was not going to fly and besides - my family prefers to eat at the buffet?!?!?  Lord know, why!  I dearly missed eating at the special restaurant!

 

Opting out of dining, drink, and airfare packages is a conscious effort.  You are literally unchecking a box, or not checking a box.  But if you aren't aware of certain perks, you can be lead blindly into a very embarrassing situation as we were.

 

We loved that bathroom and separate living area so much, my husband and I booked it again for our next cruise just for the 2 of us.  Knowing now what I didn't know then, we are arriving 2 days before the cruise leaves with our privately purchased plane tickets and declined drink package and will arrive VERY EARLY to the port to embark PRIOR to having to be embarrassed!

 

The bathroom in that 2 bedroom suite is to die for!  The Dawn hasn't been upgraded yet, so rather than having this HUMONGOUS shower, we will still have a bathtub, but the bathroom is still glorious!  We love having breakfast in our room, so the separate living area allows the butler to set it up while we stay in bed - we just tell him to come on in the cabin and set it up.  The noise will wake us and when he's done, we get up and go eat.  It's wonderful!  

  You are still in bed and the butler comes in (I understand you are out of sight) and sets up breakfast?  No offense meant but nope, nope, nope  

[kismetique]

1 hour ago, Smitheroo said:

No offense meant but nope, nope, nope  

Why why why?  We close the door between the living area and the bedroom/bathroom area.  He cannot see us and as heavy as that door is between the two areas, we would KNOW in a second if he tried to open it.  It's the greatest!  No early phone call to say he is there and no ringing of the doorbell.  Just sudden smells of breakfast and coffee and then he's gone and we get up and saunter into a hot breakfast!  It's the absolute pinnacle of being pampered!  You really should try it!!!

 

It sure beats throwing my robe on and letting him in and standing there looking oddly at him while he sets the table then serves the breakfast!!!

[Smitheroo]

5 minutes ago, kismetique said:

Why why why?  We close the door between the living area and the bedroom/bathroom area.  He cannot see us and as heavy as that door is between the two areas, we would KNOW in a second if he tried to open it.  It's the greatest!  No early phone call to say he is there and no ringing of the doorbell.  Just sudden smells of breakfast and coffee and then he's gone and we get up and saunter into a hot breakfast!  It's the absolute pinnacle of being pampered!  You really should try it!!!

 

It sure beats throwing my robe on and letting him in and standing there looking oddly at him while he sets the table then serves the breakfast!!!

I said no offense because I dont want you to get the wrong impression from what I was saying.  I'm glad you enjoy it.  "Being pampered" is not what I want for my cruise experience but for those who do, that is fine.  

[Sthrngary]

4 minutes ago, kismetique said:

Why why why?  We close the door between the living area and the bedroom/bathroom area.  He cannot see us and as heavy as that door is between the two areas, we would KNOW in a second if he tried to open it.  It's the greatest!  No early phone call to say he is there and no ringing of the doorbell.  Just sudden smells of breakfast and coffee and then he's gone and we get up and saunter into a hot breakfast!  It's the absolute pinnacle of being pampered!  You really should try it!!!

 

It sure beats throwing my robe on and letting him in and standing there looking oddly at him while he sets the table then serves the breakfast!!!

@kismetique This just happens to be a topic I was writing about this morning so it is fresh on my mind.  Many folks that have a butler for the first time simply do not know how to leverage this very unique amenity.  I was one of those folks with my first butler.  In my home, I was the Cleaning Person, Chef, Butler and Maid.  To let someone else do those things for me was uncomfortable.  This is why with butlers, folks say things like, "I don't need or use a butler.  We do these things for ourselves.  So it is a waste."

 

Then one day, you kind of wake up.  You read some blogs, research what butlers do and don't do for you.  You hear what other guest enjoyment was from their butlers. A few cruises later, you become a fan in a very big way.  I now write a butler's letter and give it to them when I meet them.  Makes my cruise elevated and makes me feel like a Rock Star for 7 days a year. 

 

My butler letter (I am the crazy person that developed this idea) for my upcoming cruise askes for coffee and a small plate of pastries to be brought to my suite at 7:30 AM every morning.  I want the coffee from the Illy Barista Coffee Bar.  We are in a upper end suite so the Bedroom and the Dining Room are two separate rooms with a door.  I give my butler permission to knock twice and come in.  My wife will ask once or twice during this 10 day cruise to have a bubble bath done.  We will give the butler lots of notice.  Once or twice we will eat on our balcony from a Specialty Restaurant.  I can go on and on.  

 

Would I have the butler bring in coffee if we did not have two separate rooms, YES.  The difference would be I would call when I got up so it was not awkward.  Having the different rooms, makes it much nicer.  Learning to be pampered was not the easiest thing in my life.  I kind of like it now thought.  Just my two cents.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[kismetique]

2 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

"Being pampered" is not what I want for my cruise experience but for those who do, that is fine.  

Oh, I wasn't offended, just curious why anyone wouldn't enjoy that.  I say that, but my son would prefer to go to the buffet of all places!  So, yes, I get what you're saying.  As we've gotten older, we like to sleep late and have breakfast service.  I don't mind the buffet, but I just think it sorta all starts tasting the same after awhile.  I really enjoy finding a server in the main dining room that I like and asking for their table each evening.  On our last cruise, we were a party of 8 and our preferred server would hold a table of 8 open for us because she knew we tipped so well.  When she would see us arrive, she would order our drinks and have them on the way by the time we were seated.  That's the way dining used to be and we really miss that aspect of cruising.