anyone?

Have any Regent/Silversea cruisers sailed on the modern day NCL? We actually got started so many years ago on the elegant old Norway. There are some quite reasonably priced cruises that are an easy drive out of New York. I do know that one difference is there are a lot of kids but that wouldn't have to be a deal breaker. Sometimes a stress free embark and debark can be quite worth it. Thanks

Fizzy,

you answered your own question. Enjoy NCL.

I just did an Oceania out of New York to Montreal. Doing another one later this year on Crystal. We've sailed out of NY on Regent a few times. Once New England and Canada and another time Bermuda. A few years back but there are some others too.

Have any Regent/Silversea cruisers sailed on the modern day NCL? We actually got started so many years ago on the elegant old Norway. There are some quite reasonably priced cruises that are an easy drive out of New York. I do know that one difference is there are a lot of kids but that wouldn't have to be a deal breaker. Sometimes a stress free embark and debark can be quite worth it. Thanks

We do Norwegian a lot out of NY... easy impulsive getaways.

The Gem sails to FL / Bahamas in the Summer months and to the Caribbean in the Winter. The Breakaway sails from NYC to Bermuda in the Summer months, and to FL / Bahamas in the Winter.

As a lux buff, be sure to only book a Haven cabin...especially on the Breakaway.

Have not sailed Regent yet - our first cruise is next April. Originally had a cruise booked on the Norwegian Spirit as we have sailed her before and really enjoyed the ship. The Spirit is a smaller ship - which we like - we booked an aft penthouse suite and loved the suite life on NCL.

ChatKat...we actually met you on the Navigator to Bermuda trip. It was so wonderful that we did it 3 years in a row and were so sorry when they stopped. The Gem looks quite a bit smaller then the Breakaway and would probably be a closer fit. I guess it's all relative after sailing on the smaller ships. A decent size cabin and balcony and some good weather would work just for total relaxation. I think we will do some looking into this.

The Gem looks quite a bit smaller then the Breakaway and would probably be a closer fit. I guess it's all relative after sailing on the smaller ships. A decent size cabin and balcony and some good weather would work just for total relaxation. I think we will do some looking into this.

The Gem is much smaller than the Breakaway... still a large ship by other standards... ~2400 pax

The Haven on the Gem is small and intimate. We sailed in a 2 bedroom Haven suite this February to the Carib from NY... great trip.

The one bedroom suites are almost the same size... very nice.

We just returned from one week on Norwegian Getaway and it was quite enjoyable. We had a Haven penthouse on deck 16 along with the beverage and specialty dining packages. Our cabin was spacious enough with comfortable bedding, extensive storage and a well-designed bathroom.

The ambience in the Haven, while small, rivaled Regent. The Haven restaurant did a very nice job, although the menu does not vary from day to day. There is great French-press coffee and warm, attentive service. The concierge was always available and very helpful.

We were not impressed with the specialty restaurants and avoided any of the other dining venues. Outside the Haven, many areas of the ship were crowded and dirty. We had prepaid our tips but sensed some ‘lobbying’ from steward and butler as the cruise came to a close.

Their Burn the Floor show was excellent and my husband absolutely loved the ropes course.

The cruise cost half of a comparable one we took on Navigator. We think it’s a good value if you can adjust your expectations.

We think it’s a good value if you can adjust your expectations.

Therein lies the "bingo."

Folks who view Norwegian as something it was not designed to be ...create mammoth misconceptions.

You can have a great vacation if you understand the "ground rules."

We have a Haven Penthouse booked on the new ship, Escape, for next February. 7 day Carib

With all the giveaway perks over the last quarter... the total package was a bargain. We seriously thought about switching that cruise to a 7 day on the Navigator... but after the analysis...our whole Penthouse fare was half the fare of one person on the Regent ship... in a window cabin.

The perks make the NCL trip "all-inclusive" ...so we are happy with that.

But, as you say, the trick is to know the ship and the culture and be sure it fits.

ChatKat...we actually met you on the Navigator to Bermuda trip. It was so wonderful that we did it 3 years in a row and were so sorry when they stopped. .

That was a lovely cruise! We had a water spout on the way back to New York I recall. I probably remember you but not by the name Fizzy

We're more Oceania than Regent, having only 17 days on the latter, but maybe we qualify to respond...

We sailed our first cruise on NCL in 2010, on Jewel on a 10 day from NYC to Quebec, including Newport, Halifax and Sydney. We sailed in a standard aft balcony, between the penthouses, category BA. We had received an email with almost unbelievable pricing, only 8 days before the cruise! It turned out the reason was Jewel had a vibration in one of her pod propulsion units that went away at slower speeds, so they to cut a stop at Cornerbrook and cut the Sydney, NS stop to a half day. In what I thought was a class move, they offered all the booked passengers a chance to cancel with no late minute penalty. Enough did so that they offered the slashed price at the last minute.

It exceeded our expectations. I base a lot of my expectations on price, the price was low so were my expectations, but I actually enjoyed it. We did not dine in any of the specialties, we did our own excursions (although NCL's are very reasonable), the food was good enough and the service was excellent.

We learned a lesson about NCL -- Jewel had recently been stationed in the Caribbean, and it had a "Sponge Bob Square Pants" kid's program. Her last cruise in the Caribbean had 1,400 kids. The repositioning cruise from Florida to NYC had 400 kids, according to staff. Our cruise, in September, had 13 children on board.

NCL sells a "Future Cruise Certificate" for $250. It guarantees your deposit on your next NCL cruise (within 4 years) will be only that certificate. But, they give an immediate OBC of $100 on your present cruise, which actually makes the $250 deposit cost only $150. We purchased one. So, we kept loose tabs on NCL to find the best deal for us.

We discovered a 2013 12 day North Atlantic cruise on NCL Star out of Copenhagen, stopping at two ports in Norway, The Shetland and Faroe Islands, Iceland, Oslo, Helsingborg, Sweden and back to Copenhagen. Then, we discovered that was the last cruise before repositioning, and Star's next cruise was 12 days back to Miami, with one stop in the Azores -- for a truly incredible price (less than the cost of flying home from Copenhagen). The 11 sea days didn't bother us, we like sea days. I booked both cruises as a Grand Voyage, in a standard balcony, more than a year before sailing.

Then, as I studied reports about Star, I discovered they had converted her forward Deck 12 observation lounge into suites. They have no balconies, but the same floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows as the observation lounge, and they are large, 406 square feet, including a 100 sf bathroom with tub, large shower, double sinks -- and a scale! Because they have no balcony, the price was less than a penthouse and not much more thanthe balcony suite I had booked. Here's a shot of part of the suite...

The suite perks on NCL are among the best in the cruise industry. A butler, dedicated Concierge, breakfast and lunch in the specialty steakhouse Cagneys, priority tendering, reserved seating in the theater, a Lavazza coffee/cappuccino/espresso coffee machine in the suite, double loyalty points, and much more. The same is true of the Haven, of course, but not every ship has a Haven -- Star does not (although they have a couple of 2,300 sf garden suites, 3 bedrooms, dining for 6, and a 3600 sf garden balcony). Non-Haven suites get the same perks as the Haven, at a slightly lower cost...and I personally don't care for the layouts of the Havens I have examined online.

Because we made the reservation more than 9 months before the cruise, and because we upgraded to the SJ suite, we received triple loyalty points for the 24 days -- 72 points, added to the 10 we had from Jewel, and voila! We were Platinum (75 required) in just two cruises! That brings additional perks, such as a free night in a specialty dining room and free laundry, in addition to some of the suite perks.

That cruise was luxurious -- I bought spa basses for access to the fabulous thalassotherapy tub and the indoor pool, prepaid my gratuities, prepaid all our excursions, got $500 OBC that booked the cruise and another $100 by buying another FCC and prepaid additional OBC for drinks, last minute excursions and such. My goal was to make it as much like a Regent cruise as possible, which includes all that stuff by pre-paying a larger cruise fare. Betsy is a miser (she prefers thrifty) who will spend $15,000 on a cruise but won't spend $8 for a beer once on board; I took that attitude away from her by pre-paying everything to make it all-inclusive.

Lesson learned from the earlier NCL cruise, the Star cruise was out of the country, longer than 7 days, and scheduled when school in in session. It was great. There was a group of ladies who formed an ad hoc fabric arts "club" and were given the use of a board meeting room by NCL. The fellow guests were well-traveled and mature, very much like the guests on Oceania or Regent, and we made some close friends. We had a big table in the suite and spent several sea day afternoons learning new card games from new friends. Betsy had fruit delivered by the butler every day; I'm a junk-food junkie, so I got a plate of potato chips.

We've now used that FCC to book an 11 day cruise round-trip from Miami to Colon, Panama and into Gatun Lake this November, with close college friends who have never visited the canal. They are even more thrifty than us and wouldn't break loose with the cost of a suite, so we booked adjoining standard mid-ship balconies. We're following our NCL rules -- longer than 7 days, traveling while school is in session, and traveling outside the standard Caribbean ports. We expect our fellow guests to be like those on our previous NCL cruises.

Then, in January, we switch gears and board Oceania Insignia for her 180 day around-the-world cruise. Our expectations will be greater and we're certain they will also be exceeded.

Jim and I are considering cruising NCL's The Haven when embarkation / debarkation can be had from California ports.

Jim and I are considering cruising NCL's The Haven when embarkation / debarkation can be had from California ports.

Sadly, only ONE cruise in the next 2 years leaves from SF... 10/15 Canal trip.

Otherwise... LA and San Diego are choices... Oct thru April, each year

LA and San Diego work very well, thanks.

We do Norwegian a lot out of NY... easy impulsive getaways.

 

The Gem sails to FL / Bahamas in the Summer months and to the Caribbean in the Winter. The Breakaway sails from NYC to Bermuda in the Summer months, and to FL / Bahamas in the Winter.

 

As a lux buff, be sure to only book a Haven cabin...especially on the Breakaway.

I've done some investigating per your recommendation re: the Gem and it looks like it may be doable. The lack of flying makes things so much more simple. The Haven does seem quite wonderful. For a variety of reasons the price point seems to be quite good as you say. By the way, despite an absurd ongoing thread on the NCL board... you got quite a nice mention from another cruiser who very much enjoys your photos and commentary.

Nice to hear... thanks. That thread is a pure laugher... Has a life of its own. :p

When you pick a ship/cruise from NY... tell me which ship it is.

Both have Haven suites... but the experience differs between them.

Both good... just different.

Therein lies the "bingo."

 

Folks who view Norwegian as something it was not designed to be ...create mammoth misconceptions.

 

You can have a great vacation if you understand the "ground rules."

 

 

 

But, as you say, the trick is to know the ship and the culture and be sure it fits.

That is the key. Yes your "all-inclusive" on NCL will be much cheaper on the Getaway, but you really cannot compare it to Regent.

The Atmosphere on the two is apples and oranges. As you say, setting expectations is everything. I have been on the Getaway in the Haven. Nice, but.......

I have been on the Getaway in the Haven. Nice, but.......

Yup... me too... and I agree.

Ron/Commodore - Ok, You've piqued my curiosity......Which "Haven" on which NCL ship would you recommend? .....And just to keep the "board critics" at bay

.....which NCL Haven/ship would you consider to be the "closest" to a "Regent experience" (knowing full-well, going in, that it's not going to be the same as Regent - but a whole lot cheaper!) :D

Best Regards to you both.

The Haven on the newer ships... (Epic, Breakaway, Getaway and Escape...coming in Nov) have a much bigger area and also have a private restaurant for all meals and a private lounge. The pool area of the Haven is much much larger.

On the Jewel class ships (Gem, Pearl, Jade and Jewel) the Haven is quite intimate and a much smaller area.

Both are on a key-card access only private deck.

In either case, it is the privacy and the exclusivity that is the draw... plus the butler and concierge service that you would never see in a standard cabin.

I wouldn't compare either to a "regent" experience... but the Haven choice is a damn fine way to travel on any of these ships.

Thanks, Ron - I very much appreciate your info.

I think I'd be quite happy to take/try 2-3 (informed/researched) "Haven" cruises for no more than the cost (or even less) than one single Regent cruise.

Some of us (actually, probably most of us) don't have (or simply don't want to spend) the unlimited amounts of cash to simply waste/experiment/"write off" with a high-end/high-cost organization which increasingly turns out (for many of us) to be oftentimes disappointing.

If an NCL cruise doesn't turn out to be very good (after all, just how "bad" can it be sitting on a balcony with a good single-malt in hand :p)) well, you're only "out" $2-3K pp for the experience, as opposed to "losing" nearly $12K pp (or even more) on the ostensible "luxury" cruise?

Getting the good/relevant facts and thoughtful insights from posters like you, Commodore, and others who have been willing to sample various "offerings" is really helpful and is one of the most beneficial strengths of CC. Regards to all.

I've appreciated this thread, pro and con, and understand both approaches. I'm bookmarking NCL Haven for a cruise at some point and looking forwaed to the experience.

While I am not trying to be a wet blanket regarding NCL, we did have an interest in the Haven but, after a lot of research, would prefer not sailing on NCL - regardless of the suite level. If we were going to sail on a non-luxury cruise line (besides for Oceania), it would definitely be Celebrity (also based on research and knowing people that have sailed on both lines).

If we had young children, we would sail on Disney (again). Their programs are amazing for kids and they are not posting "limits" that require parents to wait in line for up to 2 hours in order to insure that their child gets into the program they want.

After watching videos of passengers on different NCL ships, the crowds are overwhelming and the noisy, loud music is unbearable. Yes - if you are in a suite, you receive special privileges, but you are still on a ship with too many people.

I respect both hondorner and computerworks very much - they are both incredibly nice men (have met hondorner and his lovely wife and computerworks posts photographs for me on cruises -- we will meet him on the Explorer next year). I do wonder (and am asking via this post) if they have sailed on Disney and/or Celebrity.

I do believe that NCL will improve over the next year. For now, as my DH would say " I would not touch them with a barge pole" (well, he is British and they have a different way of saying things):D

With respect, travelcat2, Jim and I are unmoved by your post and will keep The Haven on our horizon.

With respect, travelcat2, Jim and I are unmoved by your post and will keep The Haven on our horizon.

Just giving an opinion (is that okay with you)? Do hope that you try NCL and enjoy it. It is simply not our cup of tea!