Eating in the Haven 2023

[Candy Apple 12]

Thank you for the pictures! They’ll have to do until my next cruise!

[GALSews]

27 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The smoked salmon had been removed from the buffet pre-pandemic. It made a reappearance after the pandemic restart. But is gone again. 

Interesting. I was on the Prima in June, so it is not that long ago. But, I still bet if you asked the day before, as they have it at the regulat buffet, they'd probably accommodate a person.

 

[Yinster]

If smoked salmon is in the keto omelette then they should have some in the kitchen anyway 

[Sand and Seas]

@BirdTravels, your photos are so helpful!  

 

DH, who loves a good burger, suggests to others that they ask for the Pretzel Roll bun with the lunch Brie Burger.  (See the bun with the fish sandwich.)    Says it holds up much better.  

 

That's what I love about the Haven restaurant and what I have learned here on CC.  If they have the ingredients, they are happy to specialize your order.      For me, I want extra Avocado and some cream cheese in my omelet.  So  good😋

[Russiamomm]

4 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

@BirdTravels, your photos are so helpful!  

 

DH, who loves a good burger, suggests to others that they ask for the Pretzel Roll bun with the lunch Brie Burger.  (See the bun with the fish sandwich.)    Says it holds up much better.  

 

That's what I love about the Haven restaurant and what I have learned here on CC.  If they have the ingredients, they are happy to specialize your order.      For me, I want extra Avocado and some cream cheese in my omelet.  So  good😋

Good suggestion on the burger!  I always ask for onion rings instead of fries.  With a side of sour cream.  YUM!  Only 3 months to go!

[BirdTravels]

One thing that I would mention is that all of the Haven Restaurant food is available for white tablecloth, in-room dining though your butler (along with food from any other restaurant). 

 

On our most recent cruise, we had in-room breakfast for glacier watching day. Just take the hang tag, fill in your name, room, number of guests, and time. Flip it over and write in what you want (i.e., don't bother with the check boxes). And give the order to your butler. 

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

24 minutes ago, Yinster said:

If smoked salmon is in the keto omelette then they should have some in the kitchen anyway 

There is smoked salmon on the Haven cold buffet. But not in the Garden Café. 

 

[Sand and Seas]

We will be in our first two room (forward facing) Haven later this year so I want to order our first ever in room breakfast to be delivered to our outer room before I have my mascara on😉

 

Since we are outside the Haven proper, will the 'hang-tag' work with our Butler?  

What would be the easiest way to arrange this with our Butler?  

[df5250]

All looks so good!  I loved the escapes haven dining area. I sat outside as often as the weather would allow, and I was often the only one out there!
Looking forward to my next Haven in December in Prima.  I did notice a typo on the dinner menu… Prime rib was listed twice.  
 

I am not a seafood fan, so I ordered turf without the surf and then mixed and matched the various veggies and potatoes from the menu for dinner. 
 

for lunch, I order a dinner portion size  of Caesar salad with grilled chicken. I’m going to add a hard boiled egg to it on my next trip!

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, Sand and Seas said:

We will be in our first two room (forward facing) Haven later this year so I want to order our first ever in room breakfast to be delivered to our outer room before I have my mascara on😉

 

Since we are outside the Haven proper, will the 'hang-tag' work with our Butler?  

What would be the easiest way to arrange this with our Butler?  

We just leave it on our table and the butler picks it up when he cleared the snack plates during evening turn down. We were in a forward facing Haven on this cruise. 

 

The one person who we felt very sorry for is our cabin steward. He had 30 rooms including ours. Normally, after he is done with 30 rooms (8-10 hours), he would be done for the day. But because he had our room, he had to come back and service our room, only, in the evening rather than resting like the rest of the cabin stewards. 

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We were recently on the Norwegian Encore and had the great fortune to dine at the Haven.

 

what a great thread and what a great service you have provided with your comprehensive overview of haven dining options. brava!

 

i see a lot of familiar dishes here, and also a few that i've never ordered (and now wished i had).

 

my favorite remains the mushroom flatbread.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

One thing that I would mention is that all of the Haven Restaurant food is available for white tablecloth, in-room dining though your butler (along with food from any other restaurant). 

 

On our most recent cruise, we had in-room breakfast for glacier watching day. Just take the hang tag, fill in your name, room, number of guests, and time. Flip it over and write in what you want (i.e., don't bother with the check boxes). And give the order to your butler. 

 

I'm reluctant to order breakfast in the room.  I ordered french toast on our last Haven cruise and it was cold as sin.  I hate cold eggs.  

[Monica887]

I had that pavlova multiple times on my trip this summer. So light and bright, well balanced. I'll be back for it next summer!

[Seminole1975]

Thanks for the memories. We just got off the Getaway in the Haven August 27. 

[dobiemom]

Only 429 days to go! 😳😃 

[Traveling Fools]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL's Avocado Toast is to die for!

 

[Traveling Fools]

6 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

BTW, did I mention she is German?

Mine too!

[Traveling Fools]

3 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm reluctant to order breakfast in the room.  I ordered french toast on our last Haven cruise and it was cold as sin.  I hate cold eggs.  

Never had a problem with cold breakfast food.

[nhtravels]

Thank you for posting the menus and great pictures. I've tried many of these, but am now excited to expand our Haven horizons.  29 days to go until we have lunch in the Haven on the Joy.  I can't wait to have my traditional Shrimp Scampi, I just need to pick my 1st cocktail!  I'm open to suggestions!

[Yinster]

6 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

There is smoked salmon on the Haven cold buffet. But not in the Garden Café. 

 

 

Sorry I misread your post and the other post related to it. 

 

Looking forward to my avocado and toast in the mornings

[amygutman]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We were recently on the Norwegian Encore and had the great fortune to dine at the Haven. The Encore has an amazing Haven Restaurant with both inside dining room and outside dining room for al fresco dining.

 

Oh...Food happiness!!!!!

🥰

Warmest Amy

[tomk3212]

WOW!!!  HOLY SNEEZE!!  I knew the food in the Haven was a cut above what NCL serves in the MDR & specialty restaurants but THIS is spectacular!!!  Couple of quick questions @BirdTravels:

 

1) Do the menus change or is the same menu every day?

2) Am guessing that since you added a lobster tail to several entrees you can mix between the different entrees/offerings?

 

GREAT job with the pix, menus, etc!!!  THANKS A BUNCH!!!

 

Now I gotta check my IRAs to see if I can do a withdrawal to pay for a Haven cruise...lol

 

Also gotta show these pix to my cardiologist & PCP to see what they'll allow me to eat...

[Yesimapirate]

Am I the only one who's underwhelmed with the food?  I find a few of the dishes weird and the quality is hit or miss depending both on the ship and the day.  Add the fact that the menu doesn't change and it just bores me by mid-cruise.

 

Or maybe I'm just overly picky?

[rattla]

Is the fresh squeezed orange juice, properly fresh squeezed?  Also, is it included with haven even if just on the Premium Package?  As I know the Premium package mentions Fresh squeezed juices are not included in Premium package?

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, Yesimapirate said:

Am I the only one who's underwhelmed with the food?  I find a few of the dishes weird and the quality is hit or miss depending both on the ship and the day.  Add the fact that the menu doesn't change and it just bores me by mid-cruise.

 

Or maybe I'm just overly picky?

Dinner entree quality has always been quite good. In fact, I swear the best pork chop I've ever had was in the Haven. The prime rib and filet mignon are alright - they don't really impress me, but they're fine. I miss the chargrilled flavor and sometimes they are both a wee bit tough (all four cruises, I've found one of them to be tough). The lamb ribeye is excellent, as are the crab cakes. 

 

The menu not changing doesn't bother me for dinner or breakfast. The lunch menu is just atrocious. And the food is fair. I've had one good burger (with extra cheese, extra bacon, extra mayo) out of five or six I've ordered. The scampi is meh. My husband enjoys the Chicken Milanese. I did order the salmon once and found it to be the best lunch dish. 

 

In November, I think I'm going to be looking at the appetizers and desserts for lunch. I'm sure I'll try a burger, because the idea of a pretzel bun sounds excellent! 

 

I do find the Haven Restaurant to have the best quality of any NCL specialty restaurant - though that's quite a somewhat low bar when considering the food offered onboard is not that great. Not that great is a relative term, when comparing the specialty restaurants to a land-based restaurant at similar prices. The Haven Restaurant has always been a step above the specialty restaurants.