Haven 101

Just got upgraded to the haven on the gem.....woohoo!! It sounds pretty amazing but we have no idea what to expect. We'll be in a 2 bdr suite with our 2 kiddos (10 and 13).

We are pretty social and enjoy participating in all of the fun activities that the ship has to offer when we cruise. We're obviously not tied down to the haven, but we don't want to miss out on either the haven experience or the rest of the ship's offerings. Any thoughts/tips on how you enjoyed the best of both worlds? Specifically, what did you use the haven for the most? Is the pool "swimmable?" Also, we have UBP.... Do they serve drinks in the haven? Any other thoughts/tips?

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You will have access to the suites restaurant for breakfast and lunch each day (much better than the buffet). Your butler will bring you snacks each afternoon. Let him know if you have any preferences or special requests. Your butler will bring you any food you want (even specialty dining rooms if you pay for it).

We normally have our butler bring us breakfast on early port days. There are breakfast cards in the room with check boxes. Ignore the check boxes and order anything from the suites restaurant or main dining room. Eggs over easy, omelet, filet steak, bacon, ham, sausage, home fried potatoes, hash brown, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, fresh fruit, breads, juices, and a diet pepsi.

Now that you are in the suites, remember that your butler and your concierge are not part of the daily service charge and you are expected to tip them separately.

How did you "get" upgraded? Give me tips!

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You will have access to the suites restaurant for breakfast and lunch each day (much better than the buffet). Your butler will bring you snacks each afternoon. Let him know if you have any preferences or special requests. Your butler will bring you any food you want (even specialty dining rooms if you pay for it).

 

We normally have our butler bring us breakfast on early port days. There are breakfast cards in the room with check boxes. Ignore the check boxes and order anything from the suites restaurant or main dining room. Eggs over easy, omelet, filet steak, bacon, ham, sausage, home fried potatoes, hash brown, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, fresh fruit, breads, juices, and a diet pepsi.

 

Now that you are in the suites, remember that your butler and your concierge are not part of the daily service charge and you are expected to tip them separately.

 

thanks for the tip about the breakfast card and love those pictures - yum! i do know that the butler/concierge are not part of dsc....any tipping recommendations?

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How did you "get" upgraded? Give me tips!

 

 

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not sure if i can really give you tips bc nobody seems to really know how upgrades are chosen.... my philosophy is that they look at both what you paid and how desirable your current cabin is to someone else in order to make the most number of people happy. we were in an aft balcony and i only bid on one suite - h4. I bid the minimum amount per person so was surprised i got the upgrade, but the aft cabin is a highly desirable cabin so i'm thinking that factored into it. Just my hunch...

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Congrats on your upgrade. Enjoy all the suite amenities.

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I am new to NCL and don't know anything about this bidding stuff. Didn't even know it was a thing! We will be on the Jade in October. I wonder if we can bid. When does it start?

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Just got upgraded to the haven on the gem.....woohoo!! It sounds pretty amazing but we have no idea what to expect. We'll be in a 2 bdr suite with our 2 kiddos (10 and 13).

 

We are pretty social and enjoy participating in all of the fun activities that the ship has to offer when we cruise. We're obviously not tied down to the haven, but we don't want to miss out on either the haven experience or the rest of the ship's offerings. Any thoughts/tips on how you enjoyed the best of both worlds? Specifically, what did you use the haven for the most? Is the pool "swimmable?" Also, we have UBP.... Do they serve drinks in the haven? Any other thoughts/tips?

 

 

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Our bid was accepted for Haven upgrade 2 weeks ago on the Breakaway so I understand your excitement! Yes, your UBP package applies in the Haven and you can absolutely get drinks at the lounge, pool, and restaurant. If you make use of the pool area in the Haven, there will be a waiter coming around throughout the day with small sandwiches, fruit kebobs, etc. If the weather is warm he/she may even offer to give you a spritz from a water bottle to cool you down! If you order room service (the $7.95 fee is waived for Haven guests), you'll order through your butler and he will be the one who delivers it to your room. Be sure to ask him/her to show you how the in-room coffee maker works - I wouldn't have had a clue what to do without a quick demo from our butler! I would not consider the pool swimmable. IMO it was more of a spot for a quick dip to cool down; in fact on our sailing to Bermuda, I rarely saw anyone in it! The 2 hot tubs seemed more popular. You can eat lunch out by the pool from a more limited menu than what's available in the actual restaurant. This was handy when we were sitting around the pool and didn't want to have to change to go into the restaurant for lunch. Also, for the big production shows (Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor in the theatre on BA), they will rope off a few rows of seating for Haven guests and will escort you down to your seats prior to the show. For the extra fee dinner/show specialty restaurants - the Cirque show and the wine lunch/play - we were instructed to meet at the concierge desk in the Haven and they took the group of us down through service elevators so we got priority seating. Likewise, at disembarkation time, we were told to meet in the lounge and taken off on the service elevators again so our disembarkation was super speedy. Oh and the concierge in the Haven lounge can make or change any of your dining or show reservations at your request - very handy!

Mazel tov -

Only bad part about the Haven (other than having to get off the ship)....is you can not go back to regular cruising after. Way, way too spoiled!

Warm Regards,

Amy

Don't forget that the haven experience on the Gem will be quite a bit different than the NCL larger ships... the Haven court yard is very small but only the rooms around the Haven which total about 12 or so can use it... there is no dedicated haven restaurant or lounge or bar but breakfast and lunch are served for Haven guests in Modernos... there is usually one pool boy dedicated to the courtyard who will get you whatever you want from about 9 AM to 5 PM....my wife and I recently spent 11 days in the Haven on the Pearl.

and found the courtyard to be incredibly quiet and peaceful as compared to the larger ships...One of the good things is because it's so small your butler will almost always be available just go outside your room and he'll probably be there...on the other hand because there is no dedicated lounge the concierge was much more difficult to find even though she was always available by phone

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Our bid was accepted for Haven upgrade 2 weeks ago on the Breakaway so I understand your excitement! Yes, your UBP package applies in the Haven and you can absolutely get drinks at the lounge, pool, and restaurant. If you make use of the pool area in the Haven, there will be a waiter coming around throughout the day with small sandwiches, fruit kebobs, etc. If the weather is warm he/she may even offer to give you a spritz from a water bottle to cool you down! If you order room service (the $7.95 fee is waived for Haven guests), you'll order through your butler and he will be the one who delivers it to your room. Be sure to ask him/her to show you how the in-room coffee maker works - I wouldn't have had a clue what to do without a quick demo from our butler! I would not consider the pool swimmable. IMO it was more of a spot for a quick dip to cool down; in fact on our sailing to Bermuda, I rarely saw anyone in it! The 2 hot tubs seemed more popular. You can eat lunch out by the pool from a more limited menu than what's available in the actual restaurant. This was handy when we were sitting around the pool and didn't want to have to change to go into the restaurant for lunch. Also, for the big production shows (Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor in the theatre on BA), they will rope off a few rows of seating for Haven guests and will escort you down to your seats prior to the show. For the extra fee dinner/show specialty restaurants - the Cirque show and the wine lunch/play - we were instructed to meet at the concierge desk in the Haven and they took the group of us down through service elevators so we got priority seating. Likewise, at disembarkation time, we were told to meet in the lounge and taken off on the service elevators again so our disembarkation was super speedy. Oh and the concierge in the Haven lounge can make or change any of your dining or show reservations at your request - very handy!

Congrats on your upgrade too!! :) sounds like we're going to love the haven....having priority embarkation/disembarkation and reserved seats at the theater are great perks and the butler and concierge service sounds amazing! i don't think we have a lounge, bar or restaurant in our haven since we're on a much smaller ship ...

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How did you "get" upgraded? Give me tips!

 

 

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There are handful of active threads about bidding and upgrade. Check those out.

As said, the info given in the long post is on the big ships and isn't like the Gem's Haven.

We were in Gem Haven this past December. The area is pretty small and very quiet. Pool is maybe two strokes for a kid end to end. Also hot tub in corner and loungers in area next to that that used to be gym. Loungers around the Haven area and small snacks and light drinks at the table. Up the stairs to outside Haven area port side with more loungers and some shade.

There will be one attendant who can fetch you drinks or food. We found it just as easy to run down to the pool deck during day or down to the bar outside Cagneys at night to get drinks.

Roshan was one of the butlers at the time but I think he was going home in May. Elvina should be the concierge.

Oh, and if you are on 13 you can find a set of stairs port side that will take you to 14 via a key card door to get to 14 if you don't want to take the elevators.

THe haven has free movies and they are pretty much new releases so your kids will enjoy that if they have time.

Right, about 90 when we were on. And you can play and pause them and come back later to watch again. Wifi was really slow on the ship.

we had the two bedroom on Gem over new year's. you can see a video if you go to you tube and search NCL Gem 14006. we got this thru the old school upsell fairy (pre Upgrade DISadvantage program).

we had a wonderful time. we spent all day every day in the Courtyard except for when we were at the casino. we ate all dinners in the MDR except our platinum meals (2). it was nice to have an indoor pool in the wintertime. it is small, but fun. we spent a lot of time with another couple drinking adn chilling in the hot tub. the saunas are nice too.

the valet will bring you breakfast or lunch from Cagneys in the courtyard, or you can have your Butler bring it to your room. the valet can bring you booze on the UBP in the courtyard, but the Butler cant bring booze to your room (well, he can, but you pay for it).

our Butler was Roshan "Rush". he was wonderful.

such great info....thanks everyone!

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