Current Haven benefits

[jcathers1]

We have not sailed in the Haven since 2017, but have another cruise booked next year. I've watched several YouTube videos on the ship (Bliss) and the Haven experience, but I've found some conflicting info. Can someone answer the following questions?

 

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

 

I'm leaning toward "no" for each of these questions, which I am finding shocking. We've sailed in the MSC Yacht Club consistently since our last NCL experience. YC guests get access to virtually everything on the ship, have the highest beverage package, etc. It just seems strange that the most expensive class of staterooms on the ship  don't receive all the benefits. Admittedly, it's been quite some time since we've sailed in the Haven, so I don't recall how it was when we first sailed. 

 

Thanks in advance for the help. 

[RocketMan275]

9 minutes ago, jcathers1 said:

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

The answer to all those question is No.  I'm assuming you're asking if the items in the mini-fridge are provided at no cost.  They are not.

[CatBoiler]

1. It depends on your category & ship. We're H5 on the Prima in October and the concierge already emailed and asked what complimentary liquors &/or non alcoholic drinks I would like stocked.

2. No. This has always irritated me. I'm paying over $1000/night and I can't even go to the thermal spa?

3. No

4. No but the menu is large enough you could have something different every night on a 7 night cruise

[amygutman]

@jcathers1 Agree that the Yacht Club amenities are in general broader than in the Haven. There are been very "vigorous" CC forum discussions re: pros and cons of the Haven vs the YC, including perks. We fall in the middle - love the NCL ships and Haven areas so much more than MSC, but agree that the YC perks in general can be more enticing for (often) a better price.  

 

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

In the Owner Suites or Garden Villas, Yes. Otherwise, No. As kiddo loves diet soft drinks and DH and I love vodka seltzers, we find that if we give our butler 100$ and say "can you make sure that we never run out of drinks", we generally have a never ending supply. Not presuming this will work for everyone (though as @Sthrngary has stated that it never hurts to ask politely) but it's never failed us when we book non-OS rooms. 

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

No, but on many of the ships there is a lovely sauna in the Haven pool area. On MSC you get 1 hour / day at the thermal spa (it's no longer unlimited) which has to be reserved in advance by the concierge. It's a nice perk, but it's always been so busy in the MSC thermal spa that it's neither relaxing nor quiet. Compared to NCL where it's rare to run into another cruiser in the Haven sauna. I prefer walking out of my door, having a lovely bake, then back onto my balcony without traversing the ship in a robe and bathing suit to go to the ship spa. 

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

I believe it's premium plus, so not the highest, but pretty darn good. I believe it depends on how you book your cruise. We use a TA and his agency and always have the premium plus as part of our package. Perhaps another CC forum member can give a definitive answer. 

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

No, but there are specials every night plus a basic non-rotating menu. You can also ask for special meal "tweaks", and if you really love something not on the menu, speak to your waiter. It's amazing how hard the restaurant staff works to keep you happy and your requests (when within reason) met. That's how I ended up with curried Indian veggies and dal with pappadams on the 3rd night of a cruise - had mentioned at lunch that we were planning on going to the buffet for dinner as the Indian selections looked so enticing. Our waiter told us to come to her in the Haven instead for dinner and "she would make it worth my while". And yes....she absolutely did!

 

Warmest Amy

[FLAHAM]

What do you expect for $1,000/day?

[cruiseny4life]

14 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

What do you expect for $1,000/day?

Golly, I've stayed in the Haven four times, soon to be five and never come close to $1,000/day/per person. Actually, I've never paid more than $400/day/per person. I suppose if I was paying $1,000 I'd expect the Premium Plus package too. Yikes!! 

 

But, I know it's possible...this guy wants to retire at some point in the next thirty years though! 

[P_Mcruisers]

Just now, cruiseny4life said:

Golly, I've stayed in the Haven four times, soon to be five and never come close to $1,000/day/per person. Actually, I've never paid more than $400/day/per person. I suppose if I was paying $1,000 I'd expect the Premium Plus package too. Yikes!! 

 

But, I know it's possible...this guy wants to retire at some point in the next thirty years though! 

More power to you.

We recently sailed on the Joy to Bermuda. This was our most expensive (per night) cruise and we paid 1,000 per night in the Haven. Our 5th cruise in the Haven.  Looking forward to more Havens in the future. 

[cruiseny4life]

46 minutes ago, P_Mcruisers said:

More power to you.

We recently sailed on the Joy to Bermuda. This was our most expensive (per night) cruise and we paid 1,000 per night in the Haven. Our 5th cruise in the Haven.  Looking forward to more Havens in the future. 

Same here! We love the Haven. Thankfully, we're able to be flexible with our sailing dates and really don't care the itinerary. We get to really great deals this way. Our upcoming 11 day cruise, Transatlantic, from Barcelona to NYC is one of them. 

Here's to many more Haven experiences for both us! 

[jcathers1]

1 hour ago, amygutman said:

@jcathers1 Agree that the Yacht Club amenities are in general broader than in the Haven. There are been very "vigorous" CC forum discussions re: pros and cons of the Haven vs the YC, including perks. We fall in the middle - love the NCL ships and Haven areas so much more than MSC, but agree that the YC perks in general can be more enticing for (often) a better price.  

 

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

In the Owner Suites or Garden Villas, Yes. Otherwise, No. As kiddo loves diet soft drinks and DH and I love vodka seltzers, we find that if we give our butler 100$ and say "can you make sure that we never run out of drinks", we generally have a never ending supply. Not presuming this will work for everyone (though as @Sthrngary has stated that it never hurts to ask politely) but it's never failed us when we book non-OS rooms. 

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

No, but on many of the ships there is a lovely sauna in the Haven pool area. On MSC you get 1 hour / day at the thermal spa (it's no longer unlimited) which has to be reserved in advance by the concierge. It's a nice perk, but it's always been so busy in the MSC thermal spa that it's neither relaxing nor quiet. Compared to NCL where it's rare to run into another cruiser in the Haven sauna. I prefer walking out of my door, having a lovely bake, then back onto my balcony without traversing the ship in a robe and bathing suit to go to the ship spa. 

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

I believe it's premium plus, so not the highest, but pretty darn good. I believe it depends on how you book your cruise. We use a TA and his agency and always have the premium plus as part of our package. Perhaps another CC forum member can give a definitive answer. 

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

No, but there are specials every night plus a basic non-rotating menu. You can also ask for special meal "tweaks", and if you really love something not on the menu, speak to your waiter. It's amazing how hard the restaurant staff works to keep you happy and your requests (when within reason) met. That's how I ended up with curried Indian veggies and dal with pappadams on the 3rd night of a cruise - had mentioned at lunch that we were planning on going to the buffet for dinner as the Indian selections looked so enticing. Our waiter told us to come to her in the Haven instead for dinner and "she would make it worth my while". And yes....she absolutely did!

 

Warmest Amy

I'm not sure where you got that information about 1 hour/day on MSC, but that's not been our experience, and we just got off a cruise a few weeks ago. The thermal suite has always been unlimited and no need for reservations.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Golly, I've stayed in the Haven four times, soon to be five and never come close to $1,000/day/per person. Actually, I've never paid more than $400/day/per person. I suppose if I was paying $1,000 I'd expect the Premium Plus package too. Yikes!! 

 

But, I know it's possible...this guy wants to retire at some point in the next thirty years though! 

You have booked 4 haven rooms for under $2800 pp for a week?

[sansroof]

5 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You have booked 4 haven rooms for under $2800 pp for a week?

That is what the poster said - are you implying that he is lying?  I just checked my 11 night cruise in October and currently you can get a Haven room for $2189 pp, which ends up being less than $2800 pp with fees and taxes and Free at Sea gratuities, and that is, again, for 11 days not 7.

[cruiseny4life]

10 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You have booked 4 haven rooms for under $2800 pp for a week?

I'll do the math again tonight when I get home and verify. But yes, I believe that is the case. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, sansroof said:

That is what the poster said - are you implying that he is lying?  I just checked my 11 night cruise in October and currently you can get a Haven room for $2189 pp, which ends up being less than $2800 pp with fees and taxes and Free at Sea gratuities, and that is, again, for 11 days not 7.

Trust, but verify, right? I'm fine with being fact checked on it! 

[Russiamomm]

We’ve also been in the Haven several times and have never paid anywhere close to $1000 pp/pn.  Our upcoming 16 night TA is pricing out around $250 pp/pn, all in with drink package and DSC.  Granted that’s after a Military discount and a 20% off coupon, but even before those discounts, it’s nowhere near $1000 per person per night.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Russiamomm

[amygutman]

4 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

I'm not sure where you got that information about 1 hour/day on MSC, but that's not been our experience, and we just got off a cruise a few weeks ago. The thermal suite has always been unlimited and no need for reservations.

@jcathers1 We were told that info on our April Meraviglia and July Seaside cruise, both by the spa staff (on day 1 when we toured the facilities) and the YC concierge during their introductory welcome. Raja (the chief concierge on the Seaside) was very direct in saying he and his staff were more than happy to make the reservations but they did need to be made to avoid overcrowding. 

 

There has been mention on other forums about YC members being turned away without reservations whilst some never are questioned. Everyone's experience is different of course, but just passing on the information given to us on our last two cruises. 

 

Warmest Amy

[cruiseny4life]

Typical long cruiseny4life post ahead....but you wanted detail @BirdTravels, so I'm giving you details. 🙂

 

Alrighty, I'm home and have been able to check out my invoices. When considering the total price of the cruise, like everything, the cost did go over $400 per person, per day for some of our Haven cruises. When I think about $400 per person, per day, I'm thinking about the accommodations and taxes/port fees. I don't really consider spa services, BOGO Air, additional dining packages, shore excursions, Free at Sea service charges, etc. as part of that, but if you do, then I was wrong. We're 50/50 on the under $400 per day.

 

I'll also add that we adjust the shore excursions constantly. I did choose the confirmation just prior to the cruise for each of these cruises, but we did adjust a lot due to weather/what we wanted to do on the cruise. I doubt the shore excursion price is as high as it was. BUT, we have gone to the spa for massages each cruise, so perhaps those cancel each other out.

Anyway, here's the data for the four cruises we've taken, plus our upcoming Transatlantic!

 

Cruise 1: 7 days, Getaway, Bermuda, Haven Penthouse Suite (HI) - April (Easter break), 2022 $466.88 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $347.89 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 2: 9 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - September, 2022 $355.00 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $371.91 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 3: 8 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - New Year's Eve 2022/2023 $397.83 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, one shore excursion, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $306.73 per person, per day.

 

Cruise 4: 7 days, Joy, Western Carribean, Haven Suite (HJ) - March, 2023 $439.34 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, one transfer from port to airport, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $270.49 per person, per day.

 

The invoice looks different, so there's two different screenshots. One is the itemized list, the next is the total payments. I'm not sure why it is different. I didn't include all our payments/refunds for changing shore excursions (hapy to if you'd like it though). Joy doesn't have a thermal suite, so alas, no thermal suite.

 

 

And, finally! The fifth one. The most exciting one! Because.....it's our upcoming cruise in 97 days and it's our longest cruise on Norwegian's second newest ship, PR1MA!!!

 

Cruise 5: 11 days, PR1MA, Transatlantic from Barcelona to NYC, Haven Stateroom (HE) - November, 2023 $387.82 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, thermal suite, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $262.69 per person, per day.

 

Norwegian must have altered how they structured their invoice between December, 2022 and March, 2023 as this one will also be broken into two separate images.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by cruiseny4life

[kasimir]

29 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Typical long cruiseny4life post ahead....but you wanted detail @BirdTravels, so I'm giving you details. 🙂

 

Alrighty, I'm home and have been able to check out my invoices. When considering the total price of the cruise, like everything, the cost did go over $400 per person, per day for some of our Haven cruises. When I think about $400 per person, per day, I'm thinking about the accommodations and taxes/port fees. I don't really consider spa services, shore excursions, Free at Sea service charges, etc. as part of that, but if you do, then I was wrong. We're 50/50 on the under $400 per day.

 

I'll also add that we adjust the shore excursions constantly. I did choose the confirmation just prior to the cruise for each of these cruises, but we did adjust a lot due to weather/what we wanted to do on the cruise. I doubt the shore excursion price is as high as it was. BUT, we have gone to the spa for massages each cruise, so perhaps those cancel each other out.

Anyway, here's the data for the four cruises we've taken, plus our upcoming Transatlantic!

 

Cruise 1: 7 days, Getaway, Bermuda, Haven Penthouse Suite (HI) - April (Easter break), 2022 $466.88 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $347.89 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 2: 9 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - September, 2022 $355.00 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $371.91 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 3: 8 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - New Year's Eve 2022/2023 $397.83 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, one shore excursion, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $306.73 per person, per day.

 

Cruise 4: 7 days, Joy, Western Carribean, Haven Suite (HJ) - March, 2023 $439.34 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, one transfer from port to airport, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $270.49 per person, per day.

 

The invoice looks different, so there's two different screenshots. One is the itemized list, the next is the total payments. I'm not sure why it is different. I didn't include all our payments/refunds for changing shore excursions (hapy to if you'd like it though). Joy doesn't have a thermal suite, so alas, no thermal suite.

 

 

And, finally! The fifth one. The most exciting one! Because.....it's our upcoming cruise in 97 days and it's our longest cruise on Norwegian's second newest ship, PR1MA!!!

 

Cruise 5: 11 days, PR1MA, Transatlantic from Barcelona to NYC, Haven Stateroom (HE) - November, 2023 $387.82 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, thermal suite, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $262.69 per person, per day.

 

Norwegian must have altered how they structured their invoice between December, 2022 and March, 2023 as this one will also be broken into two separate images.

 

 

 

Since we are on the same cruise in November (TA prima from Barcelona), I also have to say that the cruise was very cheap, and since we had a 50% voucher that we received on our last cruise, we thought we might as well upgrade to Haven (HE cabin), see below breakdown. 

 

This is extremely reasonable and also we were able to apply triple Cruise Next certificates. If we are happy with this, we will book Haven more often if we can find bargains. 

So this comes down to $162 per person per night. But keep in mind we paid for our own flights and still need to add the gratuities, but you can believe me we are not complaining and looking forward 🙂

So if someone pays $1000 per night for a cruise in the Haven, I would also wonder what the perks are. This will be our first time in Haven, but I really wonder if it’s worth $1000 per night!? If we had the money, we would have considered going on an ultra luxury cruise line at those prices. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by kasimir

[DMH15]

10 hours ago, CatBoiler said:

1. It depends on your category & ship. We're H5 on the Prima in October and the concierge already emailed and asked what complimentary liquors &/or non alcoholic drinks I would like stocked.

2. No. This has always irritated me. I'm paying over $1000/night and I can't even go to the thermal spa?

3. No

4. No but the menu is large enough you could have something different every night on a 7 night cruise

Agree with you.  I was in the Epic Deluxe Owners suite and paid for the Thermal spa and I regretted it.  It was loud and crowded.  I think I got a ceramic lounger once and never a day bed.  Always people in hot tubs drinking and laughing.  
 

I finally booked my 2nd and 3rd massages in the Haven treatment room.  
 

MSC included the thermal spa and it was never crowded, serene and well, spa-like.  
 

I realize sailings can be different but I was bummed I paid extra.  So did my sister and niece.  
 

 

[jcathers1]

10 hours ago, amygutman said:

@jcathers1 We were told that info on our April Meraviglia and July Seaside cruise, both by the spa staff (on day 1 when we toured the facilities) and the YC concierge during their introductory welcome. Raja (the chief concierge on the Seaside) was very direct in saying he and his staff were more than happy to make the reservations but they did need to be made to avoid overcrowding. 

 

There has been mention on other forums about YC members being turned away without reservations whilst some never are questioned. Everyone's experience is different of course, but just passing on the information given to us on our last two cruises. 

 

Warmest Amy

Very interesting. As I said, that wasn't our experience, but we are on Meraviglia in November, so we will see what they say then. Thanks. 

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, kasimir said:

Since we are on the same cruise in November (TA prima from Barcelona), I also have to say that the cruise was very cheap, and since we had a 50% voucher that we received on our last cruise, we thought we might as well upgrade to Haven (HE cabin), see below breakdown. 

Haven prices have decreased further since we booked. It really is a phenomenal deal!

 

I'm really looking forward to our 11 days of bliss.

[amygutman]

13 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Typical long cruiseny4life post ahead....but you wanted detail @BirdTravels, so I'm giving you details. 🙂

 

Alrighty, I'm home and have been able to check out my invoices. When considering the total price of the cruise, like everything, the cost did go over $400 per person, per day for some of our Haven cruises. When I think about $400 per person, per day, I'm thinking about the accommodations and taxes/port fees. I don't really consider spa services, BOGO Air, additional dining packages, shore excursions, Free at Sea service charges, etc. as part of that, but if you do, then I was wrong. We're 50/50 on the under $400 per day.

 

I'll also add that we adjust the shore excursions constantly. I did choose the confirmation just prior to the cruise for each of these cruises, but we did adjust a lot due to weather/what we wanted to do on the cruise. I doubt the shore excursion price is as high as it was. BUT, we have gone to the spa for massages each cruise, so perhaps those cancel each other out.

Anyway, here's the data for the four cruises we've taken, plus our upcoming Transatlantic!

 

Cruise 1: 7 days, Getaway, Bermuda, Haven Penthouse Suite (HI) - April (Easter break), 2022 $466.88 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $347.89 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 2: 9 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - September, 2022 $355.00 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $371.91 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 3: 8 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - New Year's Eve 2022/2023 $397.83 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, one shore excursion, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $306.73 per person, per day.

 

Cruise 4: 7 days, Joy, Western Carribean, Haven Suite (HJ) - March, 2023 $439.34 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, one transfer from port to airport, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $270.49 per person, per day.

 

The invoice looks different, so there's two different screenshots. One is the itemized list, the next is the total payments. I'm not sure why it is different. I didn't include all our payments/refunds for changing shore excursions (hapy to if you'd like it though). Joy doesn't have a thermal suite, so alas, no thermal suite.

 

 

And, finally! The fifth one. The most exciting one! Because.....it's our upcoming cruise in 97 days and it's our longest cruise on Norwegian's second newest ship, PR1MA!!!

 

Cruise 5: 11 days, PR1MA, Transatlantic from Barcelona to NYC, Haven Stateroom (HE) - November, 2023 $387.82 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, thermal suite, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $262.69 per person, per day.

 

Norwegian must have altered how they structured their invoice between December, 2022 and March, 2023 as this one will also be broken into two separate images.

 

 

@cruiseny4life Thank you so much for sharing. I'm a very data-driven person so this was really interesting to read. Appreciate the information. 

Warmest Amy

[graphicguy]

20 hours ago, amygutman said:

@jcathers1 Agree that the Yacht Club amenities are in general broader than in the Haven. There are been very "vigorous" CC forum discussions re: pros and cons of the Haven vs the YC, including perks. We fall in the middle - love the NCL ships and Haven areas so much more than MSC, but agree that the YC perks in general can be more enticing for (often) a better price.  

 

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

In the Owner Suites or Garden Villas, Yes. Otherwise, No. As kiddo loves diet soft drinks and DH and I love vodka seltzers, we find that if we give our butler 100$ and say "can you make sure that we never run out of drinks", we generally have a never ending supply. Not presuming this will work for everyone (though as @Sthrngary has stated that it never hurts to ask politely) but it's never failed us when we book non-OS rooms. 

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

No, but on many of the ships there is a lovely sauna in the Haven pool area. On MSC you get 1 hour / day at the thermal spa (it's no longer unlimited) which has to be reserved in advance by the concierge. It's a nice perk, but it's always been so busy in the MSC thermal spa that it's neither relaxing nor quiet. Compared to NCL where it's rare to run into another cruiser in the Haven sauna. I prefer walking out of my door, having a lovely bake, then back onto my balcony without traversing the ship in a robe and bathing suit to go to the ship spa. 

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

I believe it's premium plus, so not the highest, but pretty darn good. I believe it depends on how you book your cruise. We use a TA and his agency and always have the premium plus as part of our package. Perhaps another CC forum member can give a definitive answer. 

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

No, but there are specials every night plus a basic non-rotating menu. You can also ask for special meal "tweaks", and if you really love something not on the menu, speak to your waiter. It's amazing how hard the restaurant staff works to keep you happy and your requests (when within reason) met. That's how I ended up with curried Indian veggies and dal with pappadams on the 3rd night of a cruise - had mentioned at lunch that we were planning on going to the buffet for dinner as the Indian selections looked so enticing. Our waiter told us to come to her in the Haven instead for dinner and "she would make it worth my while". And yes....she absolutely did!

 

Warmest Amy

[graphicguy]

19 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Golly, I've stayed in the Haven four times, soon to be five and never come close to $1,000/day/per person. Actually, I've never paid more than $400/day/per person. I suppose if I was paying $1,000 I'd expect the Premium Plus package too. Yikes!! 

 

But, I know it's possible...this guy wants to retire at some point in the next thirty years though! 

Yeah…I don’t think I’ve ever paid anything close to that, either.  I know I’m right around $400/nite in an H6 (2 BR) for my upcoming 11 night Epic cruise in the Mediterranean.  That includes FAS.

 

There are some Haven deals out there if you look.  @kasimir…you got a GREAT deal!

 

$1,000/nite?  That would be a hard pass for me.

Edited August 16, 2023 by graphicguy

[Laszlo]

20 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Same here! We love the Haven. Thankfully, we're able to be flexible with our sailing dates and really don't care the itinerary. We get to really great deals this way. Our upcoming 11 day cruise, Transatlantic, from Barcelona to NYC is one of them. 

Here's to many more Haven experiences for both us! 

Have a great time, not sure I could endure a transatlantic

[DMH15]

2 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Have a great time, not sure I could endure a transatlantic

I loved my Transatlantic from Miami to Athens.  Started with 6 days at sea with mom. 
 

This was actually a pivotal cruise for us.  In a few ways.  We were with 4 others, friends and family, in outside cabins, no balcony.  

 

We met two gents in the haven who had us up for lunch (what?  A BUTLER???) and after that cruise we booked suites and did not turn back.  I was no longer my mother’s personal concierge and butler after that… LOL. 

 

Also, mom got sick 3/4 into the cruise. Just not a good experience after another sick pax passed it on to her.  Shame on Nick!

 

Anyways, we loved the TA.  We both love longer cruises, love the ship life, love the spa and love trivia.  
 

i was 50 and one of the youngest on board.  It was peaceful and quiet.  Only a handful of families / kids.  It was wonderful to be on board at a slow pace.  Now, if you are the opposite.  You will not like it.  
 

There is no way my (same) job would allow me to be gone for more than a week as our business and staff have greatly changed.  But I will seek out more TAs when I retire.  

Edited August 16, 2023 by DMH15