benel204

We never had a reason to go out onto the balcony when the ship was sailing at night. We were out on the balcony prior to or during sailing away from each port, or while arriving; so ~1-4 hour window depending on the port. At that time of the day/afternoon/evening the ship is moving very slowly so no wind that felt uncomfortable. I supposed one could sit out there at night. The 17th deck forward cabin we were on has a very deep balcony, which might protect from wind. It certainly provided shade (or sun) depending on preference. We loved it.

Hello all, We returned from our first NCL trip over the weekend and thought I would share impressions about our stay in the Haven (NCL Escape, 11-night Mediterranean). First, thanks for all the incredibly helpful information on this board thread!! Based on your input and sharing, we had a Butler letter ready (sent to Concierge in advance as well), had our strategy for how to get a variety of non-Haven dishes in the Haven restaurant, as well insights about tipping and overall Haven ins and outs. We stayed in the DOS (H3 I think), which was a massive 500sq ft forward cabin with enormous balcony. It was a wow, wow, wow, elegant, comfortable, so roomy. We've never experienced a hotel room as luxurious. The bed was so comfortable, we are looking into purchasing a similar one. Some thoughts on "what was great" and "not as great." The "great" a) We emailed our Butler letter to concierge and got a response right away. They advised they would take care of some items in advance, and we should give the letter to our butler when we arrived. That was nice, as it was clear they got the message about extra pillows and food allergy/preferences in advance. The on-site Concierge(s) were terrific and helpful, no matter what we were requesting. b) The Haven dining room staff were exceptional. I couldn't believe how they all knew our name within 24 hours. Every person was so attentive and friendly. The DR itself was comfortable and elegant -- probably the most elegant area on the whole ship. c) The Maitre D inquired about our food preference and instructed us to give him 24 hours notice if we wanted something else. e.g. on two occasions the chef made us fish that is not on the Haven menu: grilled tuna on one evening, pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass on another night. d) Half-way through the cruise I got sick with a sore through and cough, and the Maitre D suggested he make me fresh ginger tea (shaved ginger!) for breakfast and dinner. The tea was so soothing! The staff made sure our butler had the tea pot ready for me before bed. BTW, all the food in Haven was very good, especially the salads. We had booked extra specialty dining beyond the 2 Free at Sea, but canceled those extra. (We thought filet mignon in Haven was better than Cagneys.) e) Loved not having to wait in line to embark on the ship after some of the port days. On a couple of days, the line to get back on was 30-60 minutes (!!) f) Regarding the forward cabin, I was concerned we might feel more motion, but it was smooth as glass the whole time. We LOVED being able to sit outside and lounge on our own loungers with a Proseco when we returned from the port city. And LOVED our captain's view at arrivals at some ports like Malta. Separate from Haven, we enjoyed the entertainment on the ship, although didn't like the fact some places were crowded and hence we didn't even attempt to attend. The "not as great" part of the cruise was the HUGE number of people onboard. It made us feel so relieved to retreat to our Haven bubble. I realize this is a personal taste thing, but it felt like a sea of bodies everywhere. It also made me realize we would have been less happy with Haven experience if we'd been in an aft cabin, and not the "bubble." Again, personal taste. The other "not as great" was the NCL Escape layout itself. We wished there were a couple of quiet, elegant lounge areas where we could listen to jazz or easy listening, and gaze out at the ocean. That was our experience with Celebrity cruises ---- there are several places on the ship, including an observation lounge where you an sit in comfy chairs and enjoy music, coffee, or a cocktail. The NCL Escape was not what I would describe as elegant. But again, I understand it's a different concept for a ship. However, these two "not as great" would dissuade us from sailing NCL Escape again, even if we could be in the Haven bubble.

Thanks I will ask the concierge for these

Hello all On day 9 now of our 11 night Med cruise, first time on NCL and first in Haven. More to come on Haven in a future post (in a word, wow!). For right now though I would appreciate input on who to tip. I know Butler and Concierge do not participate in the daily service charges and we have already tipped them. What about the Maitre D? Do they participate in the daily service charges? If not, what to tip relative to the Butler? Also, someone had mentioned in previous posts about recognizing individual staff members, something about a comment card? Where do I get those. Or is there someone in Haven who is the overall staff supervisor that we can share comments with? The Haven dining room staff have been phenomenal and I want to make sure I acknowledge appropriately in the next couple days. Thanks again for this board thread! Haven made our cruise!

Can we have Haven restaurant dinner brought to our suite? And without advance notice (with 30-60 minute notice I meant)?

I had the same experience trying to reserve specialty restaurants online (or using the app) --- it wanted me to pay then. However, I called NCL directly and was able to make the reservations just fine (we are planning to use our 'specialty dining' credits from the Free at Sea promotion).

Ha ha -- I sure will post first impressions after we get settled and later a longer review!! I'm the one living vicariously through all the travelers posting on this site. I'm flabbergasted about how many cruises people have done, and in a year! When do they have the time? p.s. what is "YT"

My understanding is that the Free at Sea open bar package does not include water to take with you. Hence we were advised (elsewhere on another CC forum and on YouTube reviews) to purchase the boxed water to be delivered to your cabin on Day 1 of the cruise if you wanted bottled/boxed water to have on hand. [The boxed water packages were not not expensive.] Look on your NCL app for "beverage" add ons or upgrades I forget where it is.

Thanks @RocketMan275 We did make our specialty dining reservations back at 120 days from sailing, but may use the Concierge to change one of the dates if they are able.

Thank you for sharing that you were in the H3 cabin (we'll be in cabin next door). Lovely photo -- it would sure be a delight to be in the "captain's seat" a while if the wind permits. What I read is that the 17th deck aft cabins might be better for wind because of the overhang above that protects. I'm glad it will be shaded anyway -- I wouldn't tolerate the sun long.😎 And I will make note of the names of your cabin crew and pass on regards if they are on the May sailing.

Good to know you've not experienced wind issues in aft suites. Thanks for the tip to call them. I believe we will be low maintenance guests but I do want let them know about some dietary/food preferences. BTW how far in advance is a good time to call? We are about 45 days away.

Wow, love your video tour, Gary! So THAT's what your voice sounds like. 😁 I am relieved to hear you say that motion is not an issue. That was my #1 concern about being "in the Haven" proper. Our DOS H3 is not as large as the H2 you had, but for two people, it will be plenty large. In your video I thought it was interesting that you're overall conclusion was 'wouldn't do again' -- but I understand that was 3 years ago and things change. Overall, I've comparing the fare and cabin on this NCL cruise to what we almost did with Viking (almost same itinerary). I know the the cruise lines are apples and oranges. So far we are still spending less on this Haven DOS (all in with gratuities), than Viking in a Veranda-type cabin.

Thanks for your thoughts. Good to know there will be other options for liquor. We aren't big drinkers, but will plan to pack at least one when we disembark. Regarding the aft-facing, I have read that some people experience the wind and we definitely considered that in our decision (between DOS and 2bd-villa, about the same $$). However, with no sea days, I envision we will use the balcony primarily during when we arrive and then prior to departing from ports. From other cruises we've done (not many) that's typically when we sat outside. And Thanks for the concierge email! -- I asked the NCL chat rep and they only game the phone #.

Questions about Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite H3 Hello all, well we've upgraded again.... (for our 11-night Escape Med cruise in May 2024) this time to the Haven Deluxe Owner's suite. Thanks again to @Sthrngary@graphicguy, @Treasure Hunter, and so many others for your posts on this forum. I've combed through and had a couple of questions. As context: We upgraded from Haven Spa Penthouse to Haven Aft, and now DOS H3 (forward on Deck 17). The fares on this cruise have been dropping, dropping, dropping --- (actually quite frustrating for NCL newbies like us). However we've been able to 'ride the fare change waves,' pay a little more and get upgrades. [We prefer the upgrades to FCC as we don't know if/when we'd use FCC (and NCL won't re-fare after final).] Questions about the Haven DOS H3: I've chatted online with an NCL rep about DOS amenities beyond other Haven suites, and it sounds like it's primarily daily water (spring and sparkling) and 3 bottles of "liquor." Question: We had previously purchased the "water package" (boxes of water) so we'd be able to take water with us in the port stops. Are we able to take the now "included" DOS water off the ship? I'm assuming it's the same boxed water. Question: Are the 3 bottles of liquor options primarily wine? Or would the menu of options include liqueurs? We wouldn't drink 3 bottles of wine but may want to take home a sipping liqueur. Question: Any tips for this DOS cabin? Although I am concerned about motion sickness, we won't have sea days. Plus, the ports are close to each other, so hoping for the best re motion. We think it's going to be fun having a front row view of ports as we arrive (especially Amalfi coast and Malta).

Speaking of food on the Haven, I have a question about how to arrange a dish being served in the MDR. We are primarily fish eaters (no shellfish, so if you see us in the Haven DR, you can have my lobster tail).... I see Tuna and Trout on the Haven menu as the only fish options. In the MDR, I assume like many cruise ships they will regularly serve either Branzino/Seabass or Salmon (all farm raised of course). If I request either of those fish options a day in advance, does the Haven dining staff prepare it? Or is it prepared in MDR and then they just bring it upstairs?

Thanks for the guidance, I was not aware 😇

We are on this cruise as well and decided to book private transportation from Trieste port to central Venice (Piazzala Roma where the buses and trains arrive). If you are interested in joining us (max of 7 people in this mini-van) let me know. The total cost is $417, so shared by the group it can be economical and much easier. I haven't yet had a chance to post this on the roll call but will do that this week. We want to make transport as easy as possible primarily so to not have to deal with lifting luggage.

@JGander Since you are an experienced NCL and Haven cruiser who tends not to stay in the Haven proper, I'm curious what will be the top Haven value/benefits/perks you'll take advantage of on this port-intensive cruise coming up? (aside from the large Aft facing cabin) I gave that a lot of thought before we upgraded to Haven, so would appreciate your perspective.

I thought so 😊 I'm curious if there is one butler that services all the aft suites, or maybe a couple of decks of aft suites ?

We are leaving Barcelona on May 5 to Trieste May 16.

Thanks for the information everyone! We are indeed looking forward to our experience and want to plan ahead as much as possible to take advantage of Haven perks every single day. It's going to be a busy, port-intensive cruise and I'd like our Haven stay to enhance our overall vacation.

Hello all, I have a question regarding room service when staying in a Haven suite. We upgraded to a Haven penthouse suite for our May Mediterranean 11-night cruise on the Escape and really looking forward to trip. (Thanks again to @Sthrngary and others on this thread for the great information about Haven and encouragement to treat ourselves!) This is our first NCL cruise and Haven, and I've combed the boards thoroughly, but wasn't clear about Haven room service. One thread stated that they were not able to order Haven for room service because they were not in the Haven area (I believe they had a Haven Aft Penthouse). There are a couple of ports where we want to get an early start, and therefore may opt for room service for breakfast. Question: Our cabin is not in the Haven proper -- can we get room service from the Haven, or only from the room service menu? And if we can order room service from Haven, is room service available from the Haven only during Haven dining room hours? (I realize we can get 24 hour room service from the room service menu, but I am asking specifically about Haven room service.)

I'm curious about your thoughts re staying near San Basilio? The hotel we are looking at (Palazzo Veneziano) is in Dorsoduro area, fairly close to the sites in Venice and still quiet. The taxi will go directly (within 5 min walk) of the hotel, and no bridges.

This is a terrific resource! Thanks. One of the hotels we booked (walking from the Piazzale Roma) is listed. Good to have a description of the walk.

Good resources! Thank you. We wanted to stay inside Venice proper but away from bustle and ideally on the water. Hence the hotel not far from San Besilio.