New to NCL. A few questions re; Port Canaveral terminal, GSC experience, Haven forward facing penthouse with balcony.

[Traveling Fools]

We departed Port Canaveral on Sunday, Jan 7th from Terminal 3.

 

Step One-Parking:  We entered the ground level of Cruise Terminal 3's garage and with the help of a steward unloaded our baggage.  If you are traveling in a group, you have the option of some of your group remaining near the elevators adjacent to the parking garage, having them remain in the car with you. The parking manager informed us Terminal 3 is used primarily by Carnival and they had two ships that had departed the day before.  Therefore the garage was full and we would be be directed to an adjacent open parking lot.  What this meant for us is that instead of driving up into the Terminal 3 garage, we looped around an onto the exit/entry ramp of the adjacent Terminal 2 garage where we formed up in three lines of vehicles.  The lines of vehicles did not move until parking fess were paid to attendants who walk up each line of vehicles taking payment.  Once payment from all vehicles was made we seamlessly merged together and entered the adjacent open parking lot and parked.  A shuttle picked us up and drove us back to Terminal 3 and let us off near the elevators.

 

Step Two-Checking-In:  You can either take the stairs or elevator up to the terminal level.  As you enter the terminal, the Haven check-in line will be directly in front of you. (For us, this was a choke-point goat rope.  The Haven check-in line was long with only 2-shore staff attendants processing guests.  Initially the adjacent and lineless Priority Check-in station consisting of up to 4-shore staff attendants refused to check-in Haven Guests.  It took a shore staff manager to direct them to process Haven guests.)

 

Step Three-Security:  After checking-in, you will be escorted by a shore staff attendant to a security station used only by Haven and Priority Check-in guests.  It was easy and quick for us.

 

Step Four-Shore Side Haven Lounge:  After clearing security, you will be escorted by a shore staff attendant to the Haven Pre-Boarding Lounge.  There is comfortable seating, snacks, and soft beverages available for you while waiting.  At this step, you fall under control of SHIP staff.  You will be escorted aboard and to an express elevator that will take you to the Ship's Haven Lounge.

 

Step-Five-On Board Haven Lounge:  Once in the Ship's Haven Lounge you will be greeted by members of the Haven staff who will offer you a tour of the Haven.  The Haven Bar will be open and you can order beverages of your choice. You can leave your hand carry luggage in the lounge.  For us the Haven Restaurant began serving lunch at 12:30.

 

For us, the entire boarding experience (Step 1 to 4) took close to an hour.  Most of the time was spent waiting for our group of vehicles to be processed, parked, and shuttled back to the terminal and at the check-in choke point.  All our other boarding experiences (all Haven or suite), including bag drop-off and parking have taken much less time. 

 

 

[erisajd]

@Big Red 85

coupla points:

 

1.  Don't feel limited by available times and excursions in the app or too bound by the 130 day rule.  AFTER the 130 day period opens- just call the concierge desk [ have your booking number and date of sailing and ship] and have them book your reservations.  Should not be a problem for a Haven guest to get them.  We booked our cruise only 98 days out - took 3 weeks to decide where we wanted to dine - I called and they were 'when do you want to dine, Sir.' 

 

2.  Seems like driving is the limiting factor on time consumption for Haven boarding - might want to see if there is an off site parking area and take an uber/lift/taxi to the port to simply walk on.

 

3.  Cabin access for Haven guests is 1pm.  You ARE able to drop bags on boarding.  If you arrange for a 1030a check in time you will likely be escorted right on to the ship after check in since it starts [usually] 1030 - 11 am.  Can go to your cabin and drop your bags - then go back to the Restaurant / Haven lounge.  I'm not real big on guided tours - so I may just poke around on my own and figure out where things are - the restaurant, bar, lounge, forward observation deck, pool and hot tubs seem pretty self -explanatory.  

 

4.  You might want to take a look at this thread on the Haven from 2022 - its little outdated [with the Covid discussion] but it is a good primer on what to expect.  

5.  You might want to completely review and understand the 'What your Butler' will do for you section - and then create a preferences letter for that butler - drop $100 up front in the letter and ask him to share with the cabin attendant - and then see how it goes -they are MUCH attentive when they know what you want - I won't mind having the butler unpack for me - but all we really want is a pot of coffee delivered by 530a with half and half for my bride.  I drink it black.  I can live with wandering the ship for meals mid day - I love a ship on a port day - get every one off - I figure the Haven on a port day will be fantastic - 

 

You're a long way off - we're less than 60 - we're going to Alaska - so the experience will be very different - 

 

We've never been a member of a royal family or a billionaire so I've never had a butler - and have no idea how I'd use one - so we will be pretty easy if all he has to do is order room service or make a show reservation . . . 

 

Edited April 11 by erisajd

[Sailing12Away]

17 hours ago, erisajd said:

@Big Red 85

coupla points:

 

1.  Don't feel limited by available times and excursions in the app or too bound by the 130 day rule.  AFTER the 130 day period opens- just call the concierge desk [ have your booking number and date of sailing and ship] and have them book your reservations.  Should not be a problem for a Haven guest to get them.  We booked our cruise only 98 days out - took 3 weeks to decide where we wanted to dine - I called and they were 'when do you want to dine, Sir.' 

My only caution to this is that the last 2 times I've utilized the pre-cruise concierge to 'assist' with getting or changing dining reservations for me they have royally screwed them up each and every time.

 

In September we had a large group of 8 some nights and I needed their help in changing my reservation for 6 people at 7pm to a group of 8 people. They told me 'no problem', but once on board I found out they changed every single of my reservations to all be at Cagneys for 8 people. Not what I asked for... so the on board concierge had to scramble to get everything back to where it was supposed to be.

 

The most recent trip in March same thing. Smaller group of people, but had to shuffle our reservation for 4 to a different day based on the show times. Was told 'no problem', and again once on board they completely cancelled the reservation and booked it for another restaurant completely on the same night as something else. 

 

So don't rely on the pre-cruise concierge for a lot of help. Better to make *some* type of reservation, then when on board ask the in person concierge on the ship to help shuffle. If you have an existing reservation they can trade that in for something else. But if there's nothing left at all because you waited too long, they can't force a table to be there for you that doesn't exist. It obviously will depend on which restaurant you're trying to go to as some are more popular than others, but just use that pre-cruise desk with some caution and triple check things when you get on board. I'm giving up on them personally. Burn me once, ok, but now it was twice in a row so I'm done.

[BirdTravels]

18 hours ago, erisajd said:

1.  Don't feel limited by available times and excursions in the app or too bound by the 130 day rule.  AFTER the 130 day period opens- just call the concierge desk [ have your booking number and date of sailing and ship] and have them book your reservations.  Should not be a problem for a Haven guest to get them.  We booked our cruise only 98 days out - took 3 weeks to decide where we wanted to dine - I called and they were 'when do you want to dine, Sir.' 

 

The pre-concierge actually has no ability to do anything you can't do yourself. If a restaurant is sold out online when you check, the pre-concierge can not do anything. Only the onboard concierge can oversell a restaurant. The pre-concierge will placate you by sending an email to the onboard concierge.

 

It is best to wait until embarkation day and work with the onboard concierge to get the reservations you want. 

[erisajd]

33 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

The pre-concierge actually has no ability to do anything you can't do yourself. If a restaurant is sold out online when you check, the pre-concierge can not do anything. Only the onboard concierge can oversell a restaurant. The pre-concierge will placate you by sending an email to the onboard concierge.

 

It is best to wait until embarkation day and work with the onboard concierge to get the reservations you want. 

That's funny - because looking up reservation times at specialty restaurants there was NOTHING available at our preferred times - but a phone call to the concierge magically opened up times not available @ NCL.com or in the app.  

 

I must have called at the exact moment that preferred times in two specialty restaurants opened up - how lucky was I . . .

 

Edited April 12 by erisajd