No butler service or personal escorts at port on the Joy?

[Sigyn]

I was reading this site: https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-accommodations/cruise-suites-and-penthouses and it says "not available on Norwegian Joy" for personal escorts and trained butler service. I have booked the Haven for late March and this makes a big difference in my choice of ships if there is no butler service. The escort is a nice touch, too, but as long as we have priority disembarkation at port and at the end of the cruise, then that's not as important. 

 

Is this new? 

 

Edited to come back and say the "Delicious Extras" also says that other extras are limited on the Joy. No 24-hour room service, daily specialty breakfast and lunch, mobile phone or sparkling wine and spring water at embarkation. I'm confused tho, because under The Haven, it shows these services: https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-accommodations/the-haven

 

Maybe they're differentiating non-Haven suites and penthouses from those in the Haven? And if so, why only on the Joy?

 

Here are the screenshots.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Sigyn

[timf2001]

This page is referring to the non-Haven suites.  Norwegian Joy is unique in that it has rooms classified as "Suites" that do not receive most of the normal suite perks.  As long as you are in a Haven classified room, you will get all the usual benefits including a butler and port escorts.

Edited July 29, 2023 by timf2001

[vacation44]

Yes, all the main amenities were taken away from the non Haven Suites on the Joy in November 2021.   We had one booked which when we booked included all of the amenities including a butler.   Then without any notice they took the amenities away.   After a few emails back and forth, we received $200 OBC.   We ended up upgrading ourselves directly to the Haven (non bid) and got to keep the OBC.

[Two Wheels Only]

40 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

I have booked the Haven for late March and this makes a big difference in my choice of ships if there is no butler service.

 

Haven guests still get the things that you expect. 

[Sigyn]

5 hours ago, vacation44 said:

Yes, all the main amenities were taken away from the non Haven Suites on the Joy in November 2021.   We had one booked which when we booked included all of the amenities including a butler.   Then without any notice they took the amenities away.   After a few emails back and forth, we received $200 OBC.   We ended up upgrading ourselves directly to the Haven (non bid) and got to keep the OBC.

That must have been really disappointing. Particularly since the other ships still offer a butler in non-Haven suites, if I'm reading this right. I'm glad you were able to go ahead and upgrade to the Haven and have the service you had anticipated. But not fair of NCL to change it like that and only give you $200 OBC. 

[vacation44]

31 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

That must have been really disappointing. Particularly since the other ships still offer a butler in non-Haven suites, if I'm reading this right. I'm glad you were able to go ahead and upgrade to the Haven and have the service you had anticipated. But not fair of NCL to change it like that and only give you $200 OBC. 

 

Yes, it was very disappointing and frustrating at that time to get the correct facts.  Another poster at that time was going through it also so we shared information.  I still do not think it was right we booked and paid for a suite with amenities and then they took the amenities away without any notice.  But those non haven suites on the Joy are great cabins as we did stay in one on another cruise later that year using a decent amount of FCC.

[uneamie]

We are booked in a Penthouse suite on the Joy for next June. When we booked it I was unaware that they took all those amenities away because I viewed a YouTube tour of that Penthouse that a Travel agent posted a few years ago.....when those perks were included. That said, the cost is significantly higher than the next level down balcony yet they never reduced the price. We are still going to keep the cabin because it will be 3 adults and we really need the space but I was very disappointed about the perk issues and that they were not taken away on other ships....Why the Joy? If it were not for it being 3 of us I would have canceled it. 

[Shidah]

Other ships do not have non-Haven suites that include butler service.  Joy was unique in that way and NCL made the change to align that ship with the others.

17 hours ago, Sigyn said:

That must have been really disappointing. Particularly since the other ships still offer a butler in non-Haven suites, if I'm reading this right. I'm glad you were able to go ahead and upgrade to the Haven and have the service you had anticipated. But not fair of NCL to change it like that and only give you $200 OBC. 

 

[vacation44]

18 minutes ago, Shidah said:

Other ships do not have non-Haven suites that include butler service.  Joy was unique in that way and NCL made the change to align that ship with the others.

 

That is not correct.   All other non-Haven suites on all other NCL ships include butler service.  The Joy followed suit, then it was taken away only on the Joy.

[Turtles06]

55 minutes ago, Shidah said:

Other ships do not have non-Haven suites that include butler service.  Joy was unique in that way and NCL made the change to align that ship with the others.

 

Yikes!  I wonder who that person was who kept bringing afternoon snacks to our non-Haven suite on the Gem this past winter. 😂
 

 

[ggTexasGal]

5 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Yikes!  I wonder who that person was who kept bringing afternoon snacks to our non-Haven suite on the Gem this past winter. 😂

Luckily, NCL has some Suites that still receive Butler and Concierge services. 

[Nilbog]

11 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Yikes!  I wonder who that person was who kept bringing afternoon snacks to our non-Haven suite on the Gem this past winter. 😂
 

 

We had that same person on the Pearl last November.  Sneaky little ninja!

[Shidah]

Must be on the smaller ships then.  The Escape, Getaway, Breakaway, and larger newer ships do not have these.  

[UKstages]

5 hours ago, Shidah said:

Must be on the smaller ships then.  The Escape, Getaway, Breakaway, and larger newer ships do not have these.  

 

there are no butler services for suites on those ships because those ships do not have non-haven suites (except for the erroneously named "club balcony suite"). so, it's not that they don't have butler service... it's that they don't have non-haven suites.

[Pitzel]

5 hours ago, Shidah said:

Must be on the smaller ships then.  The Escape, Getaway, Breakaway, and larger newer ships do not have these.  

The Prima has butlers and concierge service for non-Haven suites.

[UKstages]

as for personal "escorts" at ports... they do exist and you won't have to search very far. any cab driver can usually help you find one. they do prefer payment in the local currency, however. and they are, of course, forbidden to come back onboard the ship with you.

[valleyvillage]

8 minutes ago, Pitzel said:

The Prima has butlers and concierge service for non-Haven suites.

Do those suites get special breakfast and lunch like on other non-Haven ships?

[UKstages]

yes.

 

on the prima, i believe it's in cagneys, at least for lunch.

 

not sure where the suite breakfast is on the prima..

[Pitzel]

2 minutes ago, UKstages said:

yes.

 

on the prima, i believe it's in cagneys, at least for lunch.

 

not sure where the suite breakfast is on the prima..

Breakfast is also in Cagney's. Since we didn't have Haven access, the assistant concierge would set up a desk in Cagney's during breakfast and lunch hours to help with any requests.