New to NCL & Haven on The Jewel

[Jimmycruiser]

Planning an 11 night cruise on Jewel in a Haven suite. This will be our first NCL experience. Have the following questions:

1. Can mini bar or suite be stocked with a couple of your preferred included bottles of wine at no charge?

2.  Is a coffee maker provided in your suite?

3.  Are Washer & Dryers available to use and are they free?

4.  Does the private Lounge have Live music in the evening?

5. I understand no exclusive restaurant for dinner on the Jewel so what choices do you have for dinner? 

 

Appreciate any other Haven input specific to Jewel since my understanding is that the "Haven Experience" varies by ship.

[KeithJenner]

There is a Nespresso machine in suites.

No diy washing facilities on any NCL ships. There is a laundry service.

 

There isn’t a private lounge in the Haven on this class of ships. There is a pool area and a sundeck, but as far as I’m aware never any entertainment there.

 

You get breakfast and lunch for suite guests, but nothing in the evening.

[Turtles06]

The dinner options are the same as for all guests. The MDRs, the buffet, and the other included venues, and the specialty dining venues. 
 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/jewel/whats-on-board/dining

[goldmom]

Unless you have an Owners suite or above there will be a charge for any items in the mini-bar.

The Haven area on the Jewel class ships are very small.  There is the Courtyard area with a small pool, hot tub, a couple of tables and some loungers.  There is a Courtyard Butler who will bring drink orders and serve breakfast and lunch.  There is also a small buffet with morning pastries and afternoon snacks.  No music in the evening.  The Courtyard is pretty much empty in the evenings.  We have found it's a great time to use the hot tub, although on some ships we've been on they closed off the hot tub in the evening.  On others it was open.

 

There is usually a laundry special at least once I believe it's $29 for a bag of laundry.  While they do a pretty good job I wouldn't send anything delicate.

 

You can eat anywhere you choose on the ship for dinner.  The Concierge can make reservations for you.  You will, of course, be charged for any specialty restaurants.

[Laszlo]

2 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Planning an 11 night cruise on Jewel in a Haven suite. This will be our first NCL experience. Have the following questions:

1. Can mini bar or suite be stocked with a couple of your preferred included bottles of wine at no charge?

2.  Is a coffee maker provided in your suite?

3.  Are Washer & Dryers available to use and are they free?

4.  Does the private Lounge have Live music in the evening?

5. I understand no exclusive restaurant for dinner on the Jewel so what choices do you have for dinner? 

 

Appreciate any other Haven input specific to Jewel since my understanding is that the "Haven Experience" varies by ship.

The Haven courtyard on the Jewel class ships is Nothing like the large ships, its very small

[wilmingtech]

3 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Planning an 11 night cruise on Jewel in a Haven suite. This will be our first NCL experience. Have the following questions:

1. Can mini bar or suite be stocked with a couple of your preferred included bottles of wine at no charge?

2.  Is a coffee maker provided in your suite?

3.  Are Washer & Dryers available to use and are they free?

4.  Does the private Lounge have Live music in the evening?

5. I understand no exclusive restaurant for dinner on the Jewel so what choices do you have for dinner? 

 

Appreciate any other Haven input specific to Jewel since my understanding is that the "Haven Experience" varies by ship.

@Jimmycruiser I have been on the Haven on both the Jewel and the Joy.  Here is what I know from my eperience - 

 

1. No.  Unless you are in an owners suite.  Anything in and out of the mini bar is an additional charge.

2.  Yes.  They come with a Nespresso coffee maker.  You could ask for a regular cabin coffee maker if you didnt like the nespresso but they also have fresh coffee by the pool if you have a room there at the Haven area.  I don't mind some of the nespresso but I would just wake up, walk out to the pool for my coffee and then walk back to our balcony to drink it on the Jewel.  

3. No.  Only laundry service at a charge.  I think sometimes they may offer a half off or free laundry in the haven for longer trips (Over 9 days?) But this might be my memory failing me. 

4.  Not that I can remember.  I believe they sometimes had very soft music in the background but no live music.  

5.  On the Jewel we had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys when we went.  It may be in a different location now.  For dinner you were on your own.  I think the the breakfasts and lunches on the Jewel were much better than on the Joy in the Haven restaurant.  

 

While the Haven on the Jewel was much smaller than the Joy, I think we really enjoyed the Haven on the Jewel just as much for a few reasons.  The first was that when we went on the Haven on the Jewel it was much smaller which meant no one was really in the haven.  This may be different depending on the types of cruisers and time of year but we met about 3 or maybe 4 other groups on the Jewel with us and most times there was never more than one or two groups of people in the lounge or by the pool.  it never felt crowded and the service was spectacular in that we got to know all the people working in the Haven pretty well.  My daughter would go out early to the pool with her towel and talk the Pool butlers ear off and order all kinds of snacks and get her pool drinks and he and I would laugh about it and he just loved it.  The kids got to know everyone back in the Haven and we felt like we were part of the family back there and were spoiled.  And when we walked around the ship if we saw anyone that worked in the haven, they would always say hello to us by name and we would get into conversations with them.  Going to specialty dinners at night as a Haven guest on the Jewel was great because we never made reservations.  There would be a line and we would wait and when we go to the hostess she would tell us that they don't have any reservations available and we would show our Haven card and she would take us right away to a table.  We never had to wait.  It was the same way in the shows as well.

 

When we were on the Joy the service was just as good but there were a lot of people.  The pool was always crowded, it was the week before the holiday and there seemed to be quite a few teenagers and my wife and I were pretty sure they were "sneaking" their cruise made friends into the haven and it was a different vibe.  The Haven hot tub was always full.  Our kids did not go on the Joy with us and while we had excellent service and got to know our butler and bartender it just wasn't the same.  We did love the Horizon lounge but it was always quite busy at breakfast and lunch times on sea days.  The Haven space on the joy was great but we felt like smaller fish in a bigger pond than our experience in the Jewel.  And while the restaurant was good, it was always pretty busy at dinner where we had to wait at times and make reservations.  On the Jewel there would be 15-20 people at breakfast and we would ask for some specific items and the cook/chef would come out and actually check with us how we wanted it cooked (I would get a filet with eggs and hollandaise sauce and he had asked if I wanted the english muffin and the sauce on the steak or on the side and asked my wife about her requests) but on the Joy it was too busy for that type of service.  I also think we had 2 or 3 different serves in the Haven on the Joy where that was not the case on the Jewel.

 

So both were great and I would do Haven again in a heartbeat.  We have a cruise coming up in December on the Escape and the Haven was sold out but I have a bid on a room in case one opens up.  I wouldn't say no to Haven on a Jewel Class ship.

Edited November 13, 2023 by wilmingtech

[Jimmycruiser]

34 minutes ago, wilmingtech said:

@Jimmycruiser I have been on the Haven on both the Jewel and the Joy.  Here is what I know from my eperience - 

 

1. No.  Unless you are in an owners suite.  Anything in and out of the mini bar is an additional charge.

2.  Yes.  They come with a Nespresso coffee maker.  You could ask for a regular cabin coffee maker if you didnt like the nespresso but they also have fresh coffee by the pool if you have a room there at the Haven area.  I don't mind some of the nespresso but I would just wake up, walk out to the pool for my coffee and then walk back to our balcony to drink it on the Jewel.  

3. No.  Only laundry service at a charge.  I think sometimes they may offer a half off or free laundry in the haven for longer trips (Over 9 days?) But this might be my memory failing me. 

4.  Not that I can remember.  I believe they sometimes had very soft music in the background but no live music.  

5.  On the Jewel we had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys when we went.  It may be in a different location now.  For dinner you were on your own.  I think the the breakfasts and lunches on the Jewel were much better than on the Joy in the Haven restaurant.  

 

While the Haven on the Jewel was much smaller than the Joy, I think we really enjoyed the Haven on the Jewel just as much for a few reasons.  The first was that when we went on the Haven on the Jewel it was much smaller which meant no one was really in the haven.  This may be different depending on the types of cruisers and time of year but we met about 3 or maybe 4 other groups on the Jewel with us and most times there was never more than one or two groups of people in the lounge or by the pool.  it never felt crowded and the service was spectacular in that we got to know all the people working in the Haven pretty well.  My daughter would go out early to the pool with her towel and talk the Pool butlers ear off and order all kinds of snacks and get her pool drinks and he and I would laugh about it and he just loved it.  The kids got to know everyone back in the Haven and we felt like we were part of the family back there and were spoiled.  And when we walked around the ship if we saw anyone that worked in the haven, they would always say hello to us by name and we would get into conversations with them.  Going to specialty dinners at night as a Haven guest on the Jewel was great because we never made reservations.  There would be a line and we would wait and when we go to the hostess she would tell us that they don't have any reservations available and we would show our Haven card and she would take us right away to a table.  We never had to wait.  It was the same way in the shows as well.

 

When we were on the Joy the service was just as good but there were a lot of people.  The pool was always crowded, it was the week before the holiday and there seemed to be quite a few teenagers and my wife and I were pretty sure they were "sneaking" their cruise made friends into the haven and it was a different vibe.  The Haven hot tub was always full.  Our kids did not go on the Joy with us and while we had excellent service and got to know our butler and bartender it just wasn't the same.  We did love the Horizon lounge but it was always quite busy at breakfast and lunch times on sea days.  The Haven space on the joy was great but we felt like smaller fish in a bigger pond than our experience in the Jewel.  And while the restaurant was good, it was always pretty busy at dinner where we had to wait at times and make reservations.  On the Jewel there would be 15-20 people at breakfast and we would ask for some specific items and the cook/chef would come out and actually check with us how we wanted it cooked (I would get a filet with eggs and hollandaise sauce and he had asked if I wanted the english muffin and the sauce on the steak or on the side and asked my wife about her requests) but on the Joy it was too busy for that type of service.  I also think we had 2 or 3 different serves in the Haven on the Joy where that was not the case on the Jewel.

 

So both were great and I would do Haven again in a heartbeat.  We have a cruise coming up in December on the Escape and the Haven was sold out but I have a bid on a room in case one opens up.  I wouldn't say no to Haven on a Jewel Class ship.

Thank you for taking the time to provide such detail. Very helpful! 

[FLAHAM]

The Jewel Haven pool is a swim-against-the-current lap pool.  It is one of the only places in the fleet to get a real swim.

[graphicguy]

Just as an FYI, I sailed in a non-Haven Aft Suite on the Gem a few years ago.  As others pointed out, the Haven area pool was quite small and there was no Haven Bar and Restaurant.

 

But, my suite also had access to Cagney's for Breakfast and Lunch. Plus, I had access to the Concierge, also.  She set up by the Cagney's bar area every day.

 

I also had access to a Butler.

 

So, moral of the story, if you don't need/want access to the Jewel Class pool area, you can save some money and just book a suite and get all the other amenities outlined above. 

[Turtles06]

11 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Just as an FYI, I sailed in a non-Haven Aft Suite on the Gem a few years ago.  As others pointed out, the Haven area pool was quite small and there was no Haven Bar and Restaurant.

 

But, my suite also had access to Cagney's for Breakfast and Lunch. Plus, I had access to the Concierge, also.  She set up by the Cagney's bar area every day.

 

I also had access to a Butler.

 

So, moral of the story, if you don't need/want access to the Jewel Class pool area, you can save some money and just book a suite and get all the other amenities outlined above. 

Agreed. The non-Haven suites on the Jewel-class ships have the same benefits as the Haven suites, except for access to the Haven courtyard area and sun deck.  
 

And just to clarify for newbies about breakfast and lunch — while the physical spaces of Moderno and Cagney’s are used for breakfast and lunch, respectively, the menus are special breakfast and lunch menus for suite guests. I think the breakfast is one of the best benefits of being in a suite.  I’ve found the lunch menu too limited and heavy, but others of course may feel differently. 

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I think the breakfast is one of the best benefits of being in a suite.  I’ve found the lunch menu too limited and heavy, but others of course may feel differently. 

Breakfast was never really my favorite meal....but in the Haven, it is my favorite meal! I agree with you about the lunch menu being limited, but I find it too light. We have the same opinion, but for vastly different reasons. People are such interesting creatures. 🙂

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

Remember that the suite meals at this level do not change so on a long cruise become quite boring.

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Thank you for taking the time to provide such detail. Very helpful! 

There is no Haven lounge on the Jewel. 

[wilmingtech]

21 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

There is no Haven lounge on the Jewel. 

Ahhh.  You are correct I was confusing it with the lounge on the Joy.