Sthrngary

@Mugennosora Cooler heads will prevail. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sthrngary. I am the author of this stream and other focusing on the Premium Plus Beverage Package and the Haven in General. I am also a cigar smoker and have used every cigar lounge on every ship I have ever sailed regardless of the brand. Sometime the written word does not allow us to know the intent of the writer. Allow me to clarify and if you have ever read my posts, I can be a bit wordy with terrible spelling and grammar. My goal in this response is to create "Realistic Expectations" for all that read it. Can a Butler as part of their job bring you things in certain parts of the ship? The answer is yes however it is very nice if you clear that with them when you met them on day one. Can a Butler as part of their job bring you food while lets say you are on the Sundeck? The answer is yes and again confirm this with them on day one. Can a Butler as part of their job bring you and adult beverage in the cigar lounge? The answer is sometimes. This one is tough because it is against NCL policy for the butler to provide drinks without charging your room as if it is room service. HOWEVER, Have I had it done it. YES. I asked my butler on day one how he could do it for me and he said he could do it from time to time. Is it guarantied, NO. It is the way you ask and asking upfront. This is why, when I cruise with NCL, In the Haven I do a Butler Letter with their tip in it on day one. I have had folks hate the idea and love the idea. I really don't care. Since doing it, I get almost anything I want. Before, my butlers were hit or miss. Now for the real deal. When you go on other brands that are Luxury or Ultra-Luxury brands, they have different rules. Those butlers would do all we ask and some. They would do things you never even ask. They, in my mind were true butlers. They had less Staterooms and were paid more upfront as part of our fare. That is the truth of the Butler situation. The way to get way we want is simply a matter of professional and kind communications. That is the general rule to get almost anything you want. Many folks think using a butler is one way or another. It is best to read up on it as I did with my first butler. True they are not our personal servant however a hamburger and drink seems reasonable in my humble opinion. Hope all that makes sense. Cruise well, Smoke a good Cigar, and enjoy every moment.

Are you new to cruise vacations? Welcome. On the boards you will see many post that start with, “This is my cruise cruise…..”. I have written a lot about cruising over my 44 years and 30 cruises. When I think of my first cruise, which was again, a very long time ago, it seems everything was perfect. Memories do that to people. In today’s cruising world, doing due diligence is a very proactive and positive approach. I will give you some hints and you can ask me anything you like. First let’s start with education. Education: In my humble opinion, there are several levels of cruise brands. · Mainstream: NCL, Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Carnival. These cruises are usually family oriented and very classic from a standpoint of layout, entertainment, pool games, Itinerary onboard and the list goes on. Most folks have their favorites for one reason or another. It is relative. · Premium: Celebrity, Disney, and Holland America. Debatable, however, more reviews these with slightly better food and services. Holland America usually has a bit older crowd and Disney is focused on Entertainment as one would expect. · Premium Plus/Luxury: Viking, Crystal, and Oceania. Food, drink, and personalized service is raised, and you pay for it. The ships are smaller and can go into smaller ports. I have found the activities and entertainment better in the other categories. The crowd seems to be 60 and above. · Ultra-Luxury: Ritz Carlton and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. There are more brands that fall into this category, and some feel the brands in Luxury should be included. Loyalty to a brand is a big thing in cruising. Ultra-Luxury usually is close to all inclusive and it better be at the cost often of a brand-new SUV. Everything is up a notch. Dining and food are usually good to great. Personalized server is over the top. Most everything is part of your fare from Gratuities to drinking programs and in some cases even excursions. The more you charge the more can be included. Now, many of the brands have a concept made famous by NCL called a “Ship-Within-A-Ship”. It allows you to have more of a luxurious cruise in a private VIP area and still have access to the rest of the ships’ activities and shows. NCL has the Haven, MSC has the Yacht Club, Celebrity has the Retreat. You have a serious premium you must pay, and some say they love this option because it is the best of both worlds. Essentially there is an experience for everyone that depends on your personal budget, wants, needs, and motives. This brings me to my next section called, “Know Yourself”. Know Yourself: Take out a piece of paper and write down all the things you want in your next vacation experience. My wife and I do this anytime we are going to spend a significant amount of money. Whether homes, cars, appliances, and yes vacations. Now match your list to the brands, amenities, perks provided and reputation online. Wait, you are new so hard to do that. Well, you have the perfect environment to research here on CruiseCritic.com. Go to the brand boards, click the button for boards on your top right of your screen and choose a brand. Now read some of the postings for the brand you selected. Go to the reviews and read some of them. You will get the idea very quickly. Other social media video sites are also extremely helpful. Remember to keep in mind your list created. You will NOT click all the boxes, but you might come close. About now you might say, “why so much effort, I just want to go on a vacation?” My reason is based on the phrase, “Realistic Expectations”. The more due diligence you do, the higher likelihood you will be happy at the result of the experience. I used to love Disney World however it takes some strategy to fully enjoy that vacation. Best time to go to the park, restaurants, which rides get the most crowd and where to stay. The best strategies, based on good research, get the best results. A word of advice before we move forward. I was SO excited prior to one of my many cruises that I messed it up for myself. I had “unrealistic expectations” by looking for perfect. Daydreaming about a cruise is NOT reality. Every cruise has positives and negatives just because of the nature of being on the sea. Some things are not controllable by humans. So, stay flexible and go with the flow. That was some GREAT advice. Where to buy your cruise: Please lose the thought of “Best Price”. Years ago, that might have been some crazy deals to be had. Over those decades pricing got super competitive even between like brands. Computers now control pricing so looking for the ultimate deal has less likelihood of being found. So, let’s choose where to buy first then when to buy for the best strategic result. The main outlets to purchasing a cruise are as follows: · Third Party Sources: We have guidelines here on CruiseCritic.com and I am not sure I can mention the names of the major third-party companies. So do a google search on your own. These companies are good, however, since their discounting clearly lets you know, not the places to gain unbelievable service after the fact. Yet, the pricing is better because of several reasons. o The source gives up some commission because they do huge volume. o Often you book with a deposit that is non-refundable. o The perks given by other sources are not always provided. o The rule here is “read the fine print before you make the booking”. Be educated and know what you are buying. I have booked with some of those sources and was pleased. Yet in the back of my mind was, “If the price is discounted, how much of the service, if needed, would be discounted?” · Cruise Travel Agents: Like with any industry there are good and bad agents. Look for one with a great reputation. Community guidelines do not allow endorsement of any agent or agency so again, google is your friend. Look at reviews of their service especially when something went wrong. Communication promptness is a key. A word of caution, when you are watching videos made by Travel Agents or Cruise Influencers, it does not mean they are great with their customer service. Check them out as you would with a real estate agent. Your selection makes a difference especially when, not if, something is not quite right. As with third parties, cruise travel agents can give up some of their commissions, or their agencies might be doing some sort of promotion from time to time. Don’t count on it but do ask. · Cruise Brand Direct Booking: I have used Third Party, Cruise Travel Agents and Booked Direct. The issue for me is American Express Platinum Card Cruise Perks. When you book direct or Third Party, they do not give the perks which for me can be as much as $300 of On-Board Credit and dinner for two at a specialty restaurant/Wine Event. So, if the AMX perk are NOT available for a sale/promotion, that is when I book direct. The key is the ONLY time you can communicate directly with the cruise brand on an issue or change is when you book directly. With the other two cases, the Third Party or Travel Agent is the direct customer of the cruise brand. This can be frustrating when you are more passionate about your issue then your Agent. No discounts or perks other than what is available to every other client that books directly. You can book direct and transfer your booking to an agent within a time of 30 days with some restrictions. Call the cruise brand for more details. How To Reduce Your Cost after Booking: There are websites that you can join to get price fluctuations. This is why having a refundable security deposit is so important. Here is what I do and the key to remember is once the full balance is due and you have paid it, all bets are off. I go on CruiseCritic.com daily to the cruise brand I booked and look for posts on special sales. When I see one, I call my Cruise Travel Agent and see if I qualify. If so, I have gotten stateroom upgrades, reduced fairs, and On-Board-Credit. Sometimes, I am not eligible. Either way, this is the real key to getting a great fare, but it takes some work. So cruising is a rare opportunity to reduce your fare after you purchased it. That is why I usually book as far in advance as possible. Pre-Cruise Flights and Hotels: After 30 cruises you learn from your mistakes. Too much money is on the line to take any chances. The personal rule is to fly into the port at least a day before the cruise leaves. This is a result of almost missing a cruise twice. The stress and anxiety it put me throw was not worth saving in time. I have heard all the excuses in the world because clients think flying on a cruise the day of is a good idea. I have read all the horror stories when it does not work well which usually ends up blaming the cruise line or the airline. · Pre-Cruise Flights: Sometimes it seems the cruise brand has a deal on air which is sold as a promotion. If you take the cruise brand air, remember it will not have all the control you might like to have when booking air travel. The cruise brand chooses the air brand, itinerary, day, times, and does it to be as cheap as possible. You often can make changes however they have a premium or cost. It is a good idea to plan your cruise as early as possible and gain your own flight reservations so you can control them. Look to see if they are competitive prices. I recently did a Europe flight, with a fully refundable ticket, that was about the same as the so-called promotion with the cruise brand. The challenge with booking a non-refundable fare is you are stuck with it if you cancel your cruise reservation. This provides food for thought when booking a pre-cruise flight. · Pre-Cruise Hotel: I usually use a discount hotel site that allows for full refunds. My choice is to get as close to the port as possible to make my travel time short for the morning. This goes with my approach to getting on the ship as soon as possible with a drink in my hand. Pre-Cruise Registration: The moment you can pre-register, do it. It is usually 21 days in advance of your departing date. The reason is at that time, you can choose an early boarding time at the gate. The cruise lines tend to be strict at these times so remember this advice. This is a good start, if you have any other 1st Timer Question, just let me know. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

You were in the Haven so you will be taken down via the service elevator on your last morning. I probably would tell your driver to meet you at 9 o’clock. You might even have to wait for me for 45 minutes. It makes all the difference in the world going down that service elevator. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

@basor Exactly. My TA goes directly to their contact at Oceania. Sometimes there is a wait, other times they get right in. The point is, on things that are not crystal clear on a social media site, need to go through the Cruise Brand. If it takes a while, so be it. Better to know now then wait until it is to late. @jonthomas Fight the good fight and get your answer. Some days it is easy to get into the right person, some days it is not. In any case, stay calm and get your answer. All that matters is all the details are done and accurate when we cruise so we simply have a great time. All the waiting will be forgotten by then. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@jonthomas I can see how frustrating this must be for you. I felt the same way on Airfare, "O" Perks, and Drink Packages. My advice is call Oceania, be very specific on what you want to do and get the answer straight from the Horse's mouth. On a very personal note, I had the "O" air option for my November 2023 cruise. I cancelled it and took the lower fare. I booked myself with Delta on a Fully Cancelable fare. Not to much different and controlled everything. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@fletcher32 I am NEW to Oceania and my first voyage is November 2023. We have two Suites. Suite one is my wife and myself the others is for our best friends. As you most likely know by now, the Select (Perk) Drink program is ONLY Wine and Beer at lunch and dinner. If you choose that package, you can upgrade to the Prestige Package on-board. There is some confusion on the Upgrade Amount and it has all the benefits of the buying the Prestige Package upfront. Specifically the benefit of a % off certain dining special events. The other choice is the Prestige Package which is Unlimited Spirits, Wine and Beer. My understanding which is from this board is the bars onboard open at 11:00 AM. I am sure but can not verify that you could get something like a Mimosa for breakfast. Yet, I am quite sure someone will confirm or deny that on this board. I am not sure but I think the cost per day for this package recently went up. There are mixed information. A link to the drink package was a few posts earlier. My wife and I Pre-Purchased the Prestige Drink Package a month or so ago. It shows on our online Oceania "Managing Your Cruise" information. I used the $600.00 OBC PLUS paid the rest in cash. Why am I telling you this? Because I choose NOT to get the drink perk and upgrade on the ship. Why bother, just get what you want upfront. Cost about the same. The second suite is our friends. The wife drinks and the husband does not. I am assisting with their booking. I got the Wife the Prestige Package and the husband has no drink package. Again, used what we could of her OBC and paid the rest with a credit card. Your question, I can't answer. If both want Unlimited Spirits, Wine, and Beer than yes. Upgrade when on board or do what we did and buy what you want now, not an upgrade. If one wants it and the other does not, all indications is that is not an issue. I travel on NCL all the time. NCL forces all members in the cabin to have the same drink package. Oceania does not. Lots of things different. I hope I answered your question. Cruise Well and Enjoy Every Moment.

Yes, much nicer option than other brands. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am the one who said this because it was something that I read some where. My bad and I apologize to the board. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

There are lots of YouTube video's on this subject. On cruise ships, especially with casino's I have gotten ATM and Cash advances many times. However, when you research on YouTube, you might find a better strategy when in another country. I would also talk to your band on fees when out of the country so you have no surprises. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Based on how your asked your question, I am going to assume you are new to Oceania as I am. Oceania has several ways/approaches to get to the same place on drink packages. Choose the "O" perk drink package as your, One out of Three perks. This provides you with the package that gives you Wine and beer at lunch dinner. Choose the Prestige Drink package. This package gives you unlimited Spirits, Wine and Beer when ever a venue is open. Two ways to get this drink package. First, get the perk above and upgrade when you are onboard. Second, as I did, I purchased the Prestige Drink Package pre-cruise. I used the $600.00 OBC I choose as my perk and paid with my credit card for the balance. Happy Hour. I really like that every evening the bars have a happy hour. From what I understand, it is two for one drinks. The give you both drinks at one time. Most folks just want a drink or two and this seems very efficient for those occasional drinkers in my opinion. Soft drinks, juices and waters are provided complementary to all guest regardless of what drink packages selected or not selected. One more thing, there are some event when wine and beer are provided complementary. I hope this makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Trivan My pleasure. Ask any questions you like and I or one of the other members will give you an answer. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Yes you are reading lots of issues with ALL Cruise Brand Flights. To be fair, it every flight was a mess, the cruise line would stop offering them. The majority of the flights get the guest from point A to point B in time to board. Just like everything else online or in Social Media, the real emotions are when things don't workout. If you are angry, you write and want everyone to agree with your emotion. Just human nature. Part of your issue is you have not gotten your flights yet and the anticipation of a bad itinerary. I hesitate to make the following recommendations because I only have 5 million miles and 40 years of air flight experience. It seems, those year don't matter to some online so called experts yet I will risk giving some thoughts. In live never believe everything you read and think what makes the most business sense. When you get your flights, adjustments are usually not allowed. The key word is usually. You only really know when you ask. It the weather looks bad or your flights seem to not give you enough cushion to get to the ship on time, call the airline direct and be nice. They don't have to do a darn thing. You see, the airlines really does not want you to be delayed or miss your cruise. It creates bad guest experience. There is the business motivation. Second, this instant send an email, and more importantly "Certified Next Day" request directly to NCL head quarters asking for your flight to get in a day earlier. You have not gotten your flights because they "Most Likely" have not been booked yet. The POWER of a well written and framed business letter is under utilized. For all those that want to say my advice on sending a letter won't work, I am not the guy to say that too. I have used this technique for decades with great results. Remember, a real live letter on paper, never threaten, explain your situation, and make a reasonable request. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Jordan61 I am very happy you were pleased. Your request was done with kindness and understanding. In my humble opinion, that is what made the difference. Not everyone gets the request they ask for. That is why when I responded to your earlier post, I said 50%/50%. Being treated like a "Rock Star" makes every ones trip. Congrats. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@jonthomas Fortunately or unfortunately social media cuts both ways. The other unfortunate thing is the written word does not always show the writers true intent. I am in no way an expert on the subject of Social Media. Heck, I deleted my twitter, FaceBook and other accounts when I felt the true topics were to make everyone scared and mad. That is an emotion I don't do well in my life. CruiseCritic.com regardless of which blog, brand or stream you are on, is a kinder and gentler place. The best way to make that happen is to always try to provide supportive advise and when receiving a less then kind response, always take the high road. This approach for me is not the easiest approach because it take discipline, creativity and self reflections. I have to really work on those characteristics every day because my gut wants me to attack, which is the low road. Sometimes, people are simply taking our words and reading to much into them. Other times they are not reading enough. Either way I would rather have a discussion here than many other places on the internet. Just my thoughts and not tied to anyone else. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello Haven Lovers, My online name is SthrnGary. You can always reach out to me at @Sthrngary in any post on CruiseCritic.com. I am the author of the original Secrets of the Haven and updated it in very early 2022. Allow me to give some interesting history on this thread and children in the Haven. Those that have read the first post written in either Haven Thread know they are long and detailed. When I wrote the original thread I spent maybe two sentences review my experience with Children in the Haven Courtyard. Maybe 25 words out of thousands. Those 25 word initially got the most comments mostly by parents who have taken their children on an NCL Cruise in the Haven. Years later this is the topic again. I love creating engagement however for the right reason. So this Sunday Morning on Mothers Day, I figured, "Clean the Kitchen", "Take Out the Garbage", "Vacuum the House", and "Make my wife breakfast in bed" followed by addressing this issue again on CruiseCritic.com. We are all familiar with the term, Pool Chair Hog. Add to those folk the person from a large group that holds and entire row for the group that never show up. Let us not forget the new term for the Haven bar, the Bar Chair Hog for those that not only spend their entire cruise on one of the few bar chairs at the Haven Bar but also get upset when they get to the bare and someone else is sitting in that chair. All of these examples are adults acting like entitled children. I know a thing or two about entitled children, I raised two. Yet as adult's, they are some fine human being. So why so many justifications that you children of well mannered, respectful and still great kids? That is the majority of the children onboard and the norm. Yet on more than one cruise, usually in holiday or spring break times, there were two to five children that did not fall into the kind and well mannered criteria. I in not way criticized the kids, kids will be kids and as outlined adults can be way worse then children. I criticized the parents for not paying attention, thinking the Haven Courtyard staff was they babysitters and never corrected the behavior. I know that for me to say something to a child would not go over well so in my notable few situations, I just went to another area. The way I solved this issue was both simple and economical. I only book cruises with NCL ships that have giant Hot Tubs on their sundeck that restrict the add to 16 and above. I stopped cruising during high family times like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break. Choosing another time was far less expensive as well so everyone wins. Finally, I have chosen to take other brands when I want an adult only cruise which I can do now with Adult Children. Do I hate kids, not at all. Are there times when I want to be with only adults, yes. It is up to me to not get upset when I choose a cruise that is designed to be family oriented if this is an issue to me. NCL is a family cruise line. Other brands have far less kids if that is what you are looking for. So please understand the intent and it was not to put down your children. It was to make better business decisions if that is an issue for me when cruising. I hope that clarifies the intent of the those lonely 15 words that has create such controversy over the years. Cruise well even the kids and enjoy every moment.

@Daniel A Haven Concierge will have your back. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@lgdesign I agree on my older sister enjoying the Haven. Please be clear, the price I outlined were advertised sale prices "In the Past". The Haven prices now are higher. Yet, I just found one for the Joy in 2024 for Under $3,000. The key is look often and be flexibly. I hope that makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@complawyer Hello my old friend. Yep, agreed. First enjoy your trip. Second, my comment was for a 7 day Miami or New Orleans round trip to the usual Caribbean places. I hope you saw the poster who said that they would only consider it at $2,100 to $2,800 for a 21 day cruise. In either case, those days I am afraid are gone. It was fun while it lasted thought. Glad to read your post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My question is not a Starlink question however it is an internet/streaming question. I thought this would be a good place to ask instead of creating a new stream. Here is the questions. It is my understanding that regardless of which stateroom category, you receive on device unlimited internet (Non-Streaming). Therefore every on the ship amenity is on device? It seams you can upgrade that one device to streaming for an additional amount daily? It also seems you can upgrade your stateroom to two devices to unlimited or streaming again at an additional cost? Thank you in advance for your assistance. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RB9643 My amount was for a 7 day cruise. Could never happen on a 21 day cruise unless it was a very lucky upgrade bid. The average price for a Haven Suite, on a larger NCL ship, for a 7 day cruise is $3,100 per guest. The Haven is usually sold out. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@NCL4EVA Oh boy this is one heck of a question. In my humble opinion, even on the Pearl which does not have a Haven Bar or Restaurant, it totally depends on the amount of the upgrade bid accepted. This is when you have to look at what the Haven gives you on a smaller ship and the investment that you have to make to gain the amenities. To better emphasize my comments I always believe I should give a personal experience. My original Haven Suite was indeed a Haven Two Bedroom Family Villa. We had four adults in the suite. My adult children, my wife and me. Prior to the cruise, I stayed in the Haven Spa Suite on the Getaway which is one of the larger ships. When I returned, I cancelled my Pearl Cruise and rebooked the NCL Joy. If I was going to pay that kind of money, I wanted the entire Haven Experience. The same Haven Suite on the Joy was about the same as on the Pearl. Hence my advice above. So bid low, accept if you get the bid or not. Be happy with what you get. If you get the Haven you will love it. I am just a Haven Guy on a larger ship unless the price is right. My two cents only and other opinions will be different. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@McGarrett5oh In an effort to stay with my goal of transparency and assisting others to set "Realistic Expectations", here are my thoughts. You can of course make your request to the Concierge Desk via email and if you don't here back call them. My best results for table location was by talking to the Haven Concierge when I get on board. They then call the restaurant and make the request. For the actual reservation, do it 130 in advance on your online account, if that does not work, send an email. If you don't hear back call. I take nothing for granted. Additional advice is to look online for past dailies for your ship. See the times for the shows. Choose the show and coordinate the dining times accordingly. Give ourself at least 2 hours for dining and a pre-show drink. I believe I have addressed all your questions. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MEFIowa I have every intention to find you. I know the November 9 cruise will be your second half of your B2B. There is an adult beverage waiting for us both. Meeting new people is a joy of cruising. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Nashna All of your posts have been kind, thoughtful and well written in my opinion. I especially liked you topic about how truly nice folks are on this board and how that will hopefully find its way to your cruise on the brand. I feel very much the same way. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Exactly. I am NO WHALE. LOL.