"Levels" of Haven question

[Morgsmom]

Preface: we have not sailed NCL before but have booked the Joy. We most recently have been sailing in the Yacht Club on MSC so that's our point of comparison.  I have several upgrade bidding offers from our "normal" balcony... but can someone please explain if any of the Haven categories are preferential?  And why in some descriptions does it list butler and others do not.  Is there a hierarchy within the Haven?  Which of these potential upgrades would give the best bang for the buck - or is it all about size and location of cabin but amenities are the same? Thanks in advance.

[mshaines]

All of the Haven perks (e.g., butler, priority embarkation and disembarkation) are the same regardless of room.  Differences are in size and location of room.  If you search the Board, there's a lot out there about whether people prefer to stay in the haven proper (i.e.,  in the key access section) or elsewhere on the ship.  Seems to depend how much you want to be in the haven.  We love it so we booked a haven courtyard room on the Joy for August.  Oh, and there are also Haven spa suites outside the haven if you're interested spa access and have a double occupancy.  

[knscruiser322]

Check out this thread by our resident Haven specialist: 

Long thread, but worth the read.

 

 

[Russiamomm]

What do you mean by “normal” balcony?  If the room is not titled “Haven”, it is not a Haven room and will not have access to the Haven or have any of the Haven perks.  I believe the Joy does have at least one category of “suite” that is not a Haven room, but does have some perks, but no access to the Haven or most of its amenities/services.

 

as previously stated, there are various Haven suites that vary in size.  Some are not located in the Haven complex, but do carry access to the Haven and all of the Haven perks.

[Sthrngary]

@Morgsmom Welcome to the NCL Board on CruiseCritic.com.  It seems @knscruiser322 just linked my content on the Haven for you above this post.  The first entry (#1) will give you everything you wanted to know about the NCL Haven and more than anyone really wants to read, LOL.  

 

I have also been in the Haven on the Joy twice and in a Club Balcony Suite on the Joy.  Feel free to ask me any question you might have.  It is my pleasure to assist in anyway possible.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[graphicguy]

All Haven Cabins have total access to all Haven areas.  Those who do not have a Haven Cabin do not have access to any Haven areas.  Concierges seem to have uncanny ability to know who is a Haven guest and who doesn’t.

 

Haven Cabins can be in the Haven Proper area (Haven Restaurant, Haven Bar, Haven Lounge, Haven Pool, etc) or in other areas of the ship.  There are Haven Spa Suites, who also have free access to the Spa.  There are Haven Aft Cabins.  There are Haven Forward Facing Cabins.  None of these are in the “Haven Proper” but have keycard access to the Haven Proper.

[Morgsmom]

Thank you. Very helpful.  I’d only want to be in the Haven proper. 

[Liljo22]

47 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

What do you mean by “normal” balcony?  If the room is not titled “Haven”, it is not a Haven room and will not have access to the Haven or have any of the Haven perks.  I believe the Joy does have at least one category of “suite” that is not a Haven room, but does have some perks, but no access to the Haven or most of its amenities/services.

 

as previously stated, there are various Haven suites that vary in size.  Some are not located in the Haven complex, but do carry access to the Haven and all of the Haven perks.

The OP currently has a balcony room but is bidding on a Haven room upgrade.  

[Russiamomm]

3 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

The OP currently has a balcony room but is bidding on a Haven room upgrade.  

That’s how I read it too, but wanted to confirm.  
 

To OP:  I’ve been in the Haven three times, with another one booked in December.  Twice we’ve won a bid and twice we paid outright.  It’s fantastic.  Just remember that the ships are filling up and the Haven cabins are highly coveted.  Most people bidding do not win,  I think it goes without saying to be prepared not to win.  If you really want a Haven cabin, book it outright.  (Understanding it’s a VERY steep cost.)

[Grimix]

The only other 'levels' of haven are in owners/garden suites. There you get 3 bottles of booze (on a 7-day sailing, more for garden villa I think?) You get a bottle of real champagne (instead of the sparkling wine all the other Haven gets) on embarkation. Also the soda/sports drinks in the mini-fridge are considered mixers and free in those suites. Other than that all the Haven people get the same perks (Ok, I guess the spa suites get complimentary thermal suite passes too, so maybe 3/4 (4 if you count more liquor as another level) different sets of perks in the Haven.)) Too be honest the room is the draw, and not these extra perks!

 

All Haven gets the priority on/off, butler, 'free'-movies, 'free'-room-service, reserved seating at main theater shows, bar and restaurant (on ships with them), access to the Haven pool/sun-deck, and the other stuff that I'm missing. 

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

And why in some descriptions does it list butler and others do not. 

if you’re only bidding on haven rooms, all descriptions should mention a butler.

 

but if you’re currently in a “regular” balcony, the screen is most likely also displaying options for a “club balcony suite” (which isn’t really a suite) and an actual non-haven suite, in addition to haven suites.
 

here’s where the fun begins… on most NCL ships, a non-haven suite will indeed come with a butler (but no access to the haven, if the ship has one). on the NCL joy, it won’t. they have lots of non-haven suites on the joy that are lovely large rooms, but they don’t have butler service.
 

also, many “haven” suites are not actually located in the haven complex. they carry all the benefits, but may be located a deck or two below. (this often makes them a bit more affordable.) you can tell these rooms because the description usually says something like “includes full access to haven facilities and services” or some such verbiage. the descriptions for the haven cabins actually located in the haven proper say they are located in the haven and often say something like you’re only “steps away…” from this or that haven amenity. 

[graphicguy]

From memory, and not sure this is true of all NCL ships (as some have much smaller Haven areas) but I think the Haven cabins are on decks 10,11,12, 14 (Haven Spa Suites) 16 and 17.  The Haven Proper is on deck 16, where the Haven Lounge, poll, restaurant and bar is.  Deck 17 has the Haven lounging chairs and looks down on the Haven Pool area.

 

It's only accessible with your specific cabin key card.

 

If you want to be right in the Haven, then deck 16 is where you want to be.

[chillyw]

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

From memory, and not sure this is true of all NCL ships (as some have much smaller Haven areas) but I think the Haven cabins are on decks 10,11,12, 14 (Haven Spa Suites) 16 and 17.  The Haven Proper is on deck 16, where the Haven Lounge, poll, restaurant and bar is.  Deck 17 has the Haven lounging chairs and looks down on the Haven Pool area.

 

It's only accessible with your specific cabin key card.

 

If you want to be right in the Haven, then deck 16 is where you want to be.

 

In addition to this, the Prima setup is a little different, so make sure you peruse those deck plans if you ever book it after the Joy.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Preface: we have not sailed NCL before but have booked the Joy. We most recently have been sailing in the Yacht Club on MSC so that's our point of comparison.  I have several upgrade bidding offers from our "normal" balcony... but can someone please explain if any of the Haven categories are preferential?  And why in some descriptions does it list butler and others do not.  Is there a hierarchy within the Haven?  Which of these potential upgrades would give the best bang for the buck - or is it all about size and location of cabin but amenities are the same? Thanks in advance.

All Haven class rooms have a butler. There are some Haven room in the Haven complex around the Haven courtyard. On the Joy, the majority of the Haven rooms are sprinkled around the ship, outside the Haven complex 

 

Suites and Club Balcony Suites are not Haven rooms, do not have access to the Haven facilities, and do not have a butler. 

[meglet]

10 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

All Haven class rooms have a butler. There are some Haven room in the Haven complex around the Haven courtyard. On the Joy, the majority of the Haven rooms are sprinkled around the ship, outside the Haven complex 

 

Suites and Club Balcony Suites are not Haven rooms, do not have access to the Haven facilities, and do not have a butler. 

The Pearl in April 2023, deck 10 aft suite had butler. So I think it's really a ship by ship thing. Caveat emptor.

[omahabob]

There are indeed non-Haven cabins on some ships that include butler service, but they're rare.

[REV_Cruiser]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

From memory, and not sure this is true of all NCL ships (as some have much smaller Haven areas) but I think the Haven cabins are on decks 10,11,12, 14 (Haven Spa Suites) 16 and 17.  The Haven Proper is on deck 16, where the Haven Lounge, poll, restaurant and bar is.  Deck 17 has the Haven lounging chairs and looks down on the Haven Pool area.

 

It's only accessible with your specific cabin key card.

 

If you want to be right in the Haven, then deck 16 is where you want to be.

Not to find fault at all, but the Haven Courtyard on the Joy is on Deck 17.  Lounge is on 17, the Haven Restaurant in on deck 18.  The balconies on 17 are larger/deeper than the balconies on 18. We were in a Courtyard Penthouse w/large balcony on deck 17 in 2019 and really enjoyed everything about the location.

[UKstages]

19 minutes ago, omahabob said:

There are indeed non-Haven cabins on some ships that include butler service, but they're rare.

its actually quite common for suites to have butler service. more suites have butlers than do not. the joy is a notable exception.

[omahabob]

Perhaps I should have been more specific. For ships with a Haven, butler service for non-Haven cabins is rare. Breakaway, Breakaway Plus and Epic class have none that I can find. There are a few on the Prima class. But fleet wide, there aren't very many.

[UKstages]

10 minutes ago, omahabob said:

But fleet wide, there aren't very many.

 

oh, no! when did the gem, the jade, the jewel, the pearl, the dawn, the spirit, the sky, the star, the sun and pride of america leave the fleet? such a loss for NCL! they were good solid ships, every one of them, and i will miss them.  

 

all the suites on those ships featured butler service, along with the prima and the forthcoming viva. 

 

we were talking here about non-haven suites, not non-haven cabins.

 

the breakaway, breakaway plus and epic class ships don't have any non-haven suites.

 

can we agree that NCL can't have a suite with butler service if they have no suites?

 

 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, meglet said:

The Pearl in April 2023, deck 10 aft suite had butler. So I think it's really a ship by ship thing. Caveat emptor.

The OP is asking about the Joy. My answer was correct for the Joy. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, omahabob said:

There are indeed non-Haven cabins on some ships that include butler service, but they're rare.

Non-Haven suite normally have butlers. The Joy is the exception, not the rule. 

[BirdTravels]

42 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Perhaps I should have been more specific. For ships with a Haven, butler service for non-Haven cabins is rare. Breakaway, Breakaway Plus and Epic class have none that I can find. There are a few on the Prima class. But fleet wide, there aren't very many.

All of the small ships have suites. Some have both Haven and Suites (Jewel class ships). Some only have suites, no Haven. On small ships with Haven, there is no Haven lounge or bar or restaurant. 

[Morgsmom]

Now do you all understand why I am so confused???? I have bids out on multiple Haven categories not knowing if any are better than the other ... argh...

[omahabob]

17 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Non-Haven suite normally have butlers. The Joy is the exception, not the rule. 

 

If that's true, I got cheated on my last cruise. And if true, why do they not advertise it?