dpepper64 Posted October 5 #1 Share Posted October 5 My wife and I decided to upgrade to a haven Penthouse on our cruise on the joy the week before Thanksgiving. We looked at the numbers and cancelled our Vibe and upgrade for the free at sea and it worked out to about 300 dollars a person. So now what. We did cancel our extra 2-night specialty dinners. Figure we will eat 3 times at the Haven and the other 4 specialty. Do we need to make a reservation before for the haven restaurant? What about the shows, can we just wait till we get on the ship? What else should we do, first time in the Haven so not sure what we need to do other than just show up and enjoy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare New2cruise2022 Posted October 5 #2 Share Posted October 5 Congrats! Sounds like you have an amazing cruise in store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nilbog Posted October 5 #3 Share Posted October 5 (edited) There's no need to make reservations a the Haven restaurant. Like the MDR, no reservations required. For the shows, you can make reservations ahead of time if you'd like, or you can speak with the concierge once you board. There is usually someone from the concierge staff in the port Haven waiting area that will ask your preferences for shows and dining if you've not already made reservations. Show up, sit back, and enjoy. You'll love the Haven. Edited October 5 by Nilbog 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexddd Posted October 5 #4 Share Posted October 5 Our last trip, despite menu not changing, we skipped two specialties and had dinner in Haven. Quite good. If you are considering Cagney's, skip it and go Haven. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted October 5 #5 Share Posted October 5 19 minutes ago, dpepper64 said: My wife and I decided to upgrade to a haven Penthouse on our cruise on the joy the week before Thanksgiving. We looked at the numbers and cancelled our Vibe and upgrade for the free at sea and it worked out to about 300 dollars a person. So now what. We did cancel our extra 2-night specialty dinners. Figure we will eat 3 times at the Haven and the other 4 specialty. Do we need to make a reservation before for the haven restaurant? What about the shows, can we just wait till we get on the ship? What else should we do, first time in the Haven so not sure what we need to do other than just show up and enjoy. We had four specialty dinners on our last Haven cruise. That was at least two, maybe three too many. On our next Haven cruise we will only do one specialty dinner. The Haven is better than the specialty restaurants. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sand and Seas Posted October 5 #6 Share Posted October 5 Agreeing with the comments above. On our first couple of Haven cruises, we had deliberately skipped a specialty meal to eat another dinner in the Haven. Now, when we are in Haven, we do not book additional specialty meals. We only use our two Platinum meals. Haven is much better than Cagneys. For a change, you might want to go to try Teppanyaki or Q. On Joy, we will probably use a specialty credit for Food Republic at lunch. And speaking of lunch, we love to have a late lunch ordering from the Haven Courtyard 'snack' menu. Good burgers, chicken caesar wraps and tempura vegetables😋 We especially love the Haven on Joy & Bliss (and Encore?) as they have the Horizon Observation Lounge. A wonderful quiet place to read a book and watch the ocean. You will find nice snacks there in the morning & afternoon. Also an awesome coffee/express machine that also makes whipped hot chocolate. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumming cruisers Posted October 5 #7 Share Posted October 5 When you check in should see a Haven sign. Check in and most cruises I have been on Concierge will hand everyone a list of Entertainment. you sign up for the ones you are interested in give it to Concierge with your names and on night / go to concierge desk and they will escort you to theater and there is special seating area for Haven guests, until 10 minutes, Then they take off Haven sign and other guests can sit in that area if any seat are available. Concierge should explain it all when they take you to Haven area when you first board. Just a sample attached. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davencl Posted October 5 #8 Share Posted October 5 For shows you'll get priority seating. However be careful, if seated in front row of a comedy show expect to get roasted. 🙂 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russiamomm Posted October 5 #9 Share Posted October 5 I agree with the others. I’ve been in the Joy Haven twice with a third coming up on Friday. 😃. We always cancel the FAS meals, unless it’s a long cruise where we’re looking for a little more variety, As others have said, the Haven Restaurant is as good or better than the Specialty restaurants, and no reservations are needed. There’s plenty of variety for a typical seven night cruise. We usually use our Platinum vouchers for Food Republic at lunch. As far as shows go, there’s no need to make a reservation. The concierge will escort you down to the theater around a half hour before showtime. Just check with the concierge to see what time you need to be in the lounge. Enjoy! The Joy is our favorite ship and favorite Haven! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Plato123 Posted October 6 #10 Share Posted October 6 20 hours ago, Sand and Seas said: Agreeing with the comments above. On our first couple of Haven cruises, we had deliberately skipped a specialty meal to eat another dinner in the Haven. Now, when we are in Haven, we do not book additional specialty meals. We only use our two Platinum meals. Haven is much better than Cagneys. For a change, you might want to go to try Teppanyaki or Q. On Joy, we will probably use a specialty credit for Food Republic at lunch. And speaking of lunch, we love to have a late lunch ordering from the Haven Courtyard 'snack' menu. Good burgers, chicken caesar wraps and tempura vegetables😋 We especially love the Haven on Joy & Bliss (and Encore?) as they have the Horizon Observation Lounge. A wonderful quiet place to read a book and watch the ocean. You will find nice snacks there in the morning & afternoon. Also an awesome coffee/express machine that also makes whipped hot chocolate. Our recent cruise on the Joy in an aft Haven penthouse suite was quite enjoyable but we were not too impressed with the food. We thought service in the Haven restaurant was outstanding but the food was hit and miss. We did not like Cagney's nor Ocean Blue and were surprised how crowded the tables were . Le Bistro was excellent with good food, endless Veuve Cliquot and great service, and La Cucina was also good but we felt a little rushed. My wife had an outstanding filet with blue cheese ravioli. I thought the spaghetti carbonara was excellent too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpepper64 Posted October 6 Author #11 Share Posted October 6 I see that we usually get on the ship around 11 but rooms not ready until 1. Do the haven rooms get ready early? or do we just enjoy lunch and the haven area? I also figure the people take you to the haven area first and show you around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nilbog Posted October 6 #12 Share Posted October 6 1 hour ago, dpepper64 said: I see that we usually get on the ship around 11 but rooms not ready until 1. Do the haven rooms get ready early? or do we just enjoy lunch and the haven area? I also figure the people take you to the haven area first and show you around Haven rooms don't always get ready early. Enjoy lunch, explore the ship, pick up a drink, have a good time. Yes, the people that escort you onto the ship take you to the Haven lounge (at least that's been my experience). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownEyedGirl686 Posted October 8 #13 Share Posted October 8 On 10/5/2024 at 12:40 PM, dpepper64 said: My wife and I decided to upgrade to a haven Penthouse on our cruise on the joy the week before Thanksgiving. We looked at the numbers and cancelled our Vibe and upgrade for the free at sea and it worked out to about 300 dollars a person. So now what. We did cancel our extra 2-night specialty dinners. Figure we will eat 3 times at the Haven and the other 4 specialty. Do we need to make a reservation before for the haven restaurant? What about the shows, can we just wait till we get on the ship? What else should we do, first time in the Haven so not sure what we need to do other than just show up and enjoy. We rarely use our specialty dining - last time (on the Joy) we didn’t even use one. no there’s no reservation needed for the Haven restaurant and waited to make any necessary accommodations until we get on the ship and speak to the concierge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BostonGal35 Posted October 8 #14 Share Posted October 8 i really hate to be the bearer of bad news... you are NEVER going to want to sail anything but the Haven again! Haven restaurant is amazing, we eat all our dinners there except for Teppanyaki (for variety) and Cagney's. I agree with a PP that the Haven restaurant is as good if not better than Cagneys. however, my other half likes a good strip steak or ribeye. that said, if you let the Haven manager know the day before or the morning of, that you'd like a strip or ribeye they will have it sent up to the Haven kitchen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumming cruisers Posted October 8 #15 Share Posted October 8 On 10/6/2024 at 1:08 PM, dpepper64 said: I see that we usually get on the ship around 11 but rooms not ready until 1. Do the haven rooms get ready early? or do we just enjoy lunch and the haven area? I also figure the people take you to the haven area first and show you around Sometimes they show you around, sometimes they don't. You can drop off your carryon luggage in cabin if not ready yet. You can get drink at Haven bar/have lunch at haven restaurant while waiting for cabin. or you can walk around haven area, go to observation lounge on deck 17. check out decks 18 and 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wolft927 Posted October 8 #16 Share Posted October 8 We love the Haven and at least for us it was true, we sailed the first time in the haven about 4 years ago and since then our last 5 cruises have all be haven. We typically eat at least 5 of 7 dinners in the Haven, last cruise on the Joy we tried Q and loved it! Not the greatest BBQ but great atmosphere with a very good band playing country and rock and I will say the portions were stupid big! next haven cruise for us is February on the getaway! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted October 8 #17 Share Posted October 8 On 10/6/2024 at 3:08 PM, dpepper64 said: I see that we usually get on the ship around 11 but rooms not ready until 1. Do the haven rooms get ready early? or do we just enjoy lunch and the haven area? I also figure the people take you to the haven area first and show you around You can drop your bags before the rooms are ready, just don't hang around in the room. Great time to do the muster drill too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiseny4life Posted October 9 #18 Share Posted October 9 17 hours ago, RocketMan275 said: You can drop your bags before the rooms are ready, just don't hang around in the room. Great time to do the muster drill too. Not necessarily true. We haven't been able to access our room on four of our five cruises until the rooms were ready. Except on Pr1ma we don't sail in the Haven "complex," so it's possible there's a difference between being "in" the Haven and having a Haven suite outside. We also don't press the issue as we only carry on one backpack with our swimsuits as we have lunch, then swim/hang on the sundeck until we're ready to go to our room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wolft927 Posted October 9 #19 Share Posted October 9 3 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said: Not necessarily true. We haven't been able to access our room on four of our five cruises until the rooms were ready. Except on Pr1ma we don't sail in the Haven "complex," so it's possible there's a difference between being "in" the Haven and having a Haven suite outside. We also don't press the issue as we only carry on one backpack with our swimsuits as we have lunch, then swim/hang on the sundeck until we're ready to go to our room. This is True, in the Haven Complex they don;t shut the fire doors so dropping off your luggage is very easy. I have stayed in the complex many times as well as aft and forward haven suites, we didnt try to go past the closed fire doors as it wasnt that big of a deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted October 9 #20 Share Posted October 9 Just now, cruiseny4life said: Not necessarily true. We haven't been able to access our room on four of our five cruises until the rooms were ready. Except on Pr1ma we don't sail in the Haven "complex," so it's possible there's a difference between being "in" the Haven and having a Haven suite outside. We also don't press the issue as we only carry on one backpack with our swimsuits as we have lunch, then swim/hang on the sundeck until we're ready to go to our room. 2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said: Not necessarily true. We haven't been able to access our room on four of our five cruises until the rooms were ready. Except on Pr1ma we don't sail in the Haven "complex," so it's possible there's a difference between being "in" the Haven and having a Haven suite outside. We also don't press the issue as we only carry on one backpack with our swimsuits as we have lunch, then swim/hang on the sundeck until we're ready to go to our room. When we were 'in' the haven complex, we were able to briefly access our rooms and drop our bags. When we haven't been 'in' the haven complex, that wasn't allowed. You're only allowed to access the rooms 'in' the haven complex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiseny4life Posted October 9 #21 Share Posted October 9 1 hour ago, wolft927 said: This is True, in the Haven Complex they don;t shut the fire doors so dropping off your luggage is very easy. I have stayed in the complex many times as well as aft and forward haven suites, we didnt try to go past the closed fire doors as it wasnt that big of a deal. 1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said: When we were 'in' the haven complex, we were able to briefly access our rooms and drop our bags. When we haven't been 'in' the haven complex, that wasn't allowed. You're only allowed to access the rooms 'in' the haven complex. Thank you both for the confirmation and to set expectations clearly for new Haven cruisers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisnHallelujahs Posted October 9 #22 Share Posted October 9 We’ve never stayed in the haven complex and have always dropped our bags in our room before it is ready. I knew it was an included perk so I never thought to ask. Just opened the fire door and went to our room. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted October 9 #23 Share Posted October 9 6 minutes ago, CruisnHallelujahs said: We’ve never stayed in the haven complex and have always dropped our bags in our room before it is ready. I knew it was an included perk so I never thought to ask. Just opened the fire door and went to our room. We tried opening the fire door to drop our bags and were immediately confronted by crew and told we couldn't, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisnHallelujahs Posted October 9 #24 Share Posted October 9 5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said: We tried opening the fire door to drop our bags and were immediately confronted by crew and told we couldn't, Well that’s bad luck. If we see anyone we usually smile and say good morning and they reciprocate. I do always have a haven luggage tag on my backpack, maybe that helps. Never hurts to try…worst is someone says no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketMan275 Posted October 9 #25 Share Posted October 9 11 minutes ago, CruisnHallelujahs said: Well that’s bad luck. If we see anyone we usually smile and say good morning and they reciprocate. I do always have a haven luggage tag on my backpack, maybe that helps. Never hurts to try…worst is someone says no. We were in an aft Haven suite. When confronted, we told the crewman that we were haven just wanted to drop bag and return to Haven. No go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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