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First cruise, 44 years ago for my wedding anniversary. I am about to go on my 26 cruise. My favorite cruise brand has consistently been NCL so I posted this here on the NCL Blog. So much has changed and so much has stayed the same. Here are some things I remember compared to today. Like dining, my memories and experience are personal to me and your opinion may differ. Stateroom: Inside cabin, no windows or veranda and bunk beds. Only rich folks had balconies. Your room steward did towel sculptures every day and you could not wait to see them. Dining: No specialty restaurants to speak of. The main dining room felt and tasted like a nice restaurant in your town. There were fixed times for dinner (Early and Late). You sat at the same dinner table with all strangers who were your friends by weekend. The words, “I will have a double cut of prime rib” was echoed in the Main Dining Room. The Prime Rib night was GREAT. The last evening dinner has the entire dining crew do a show in the Main Dining Room with Baked Alaska. Mid-night Buffets with carved ice and watermelon was a big thing. Room service was complementary, awful but complementary. You could get Steak and Eggs for breakfast in the Main Dining Room at no charge. Drink Packages: Drink packages were non-existent. You could have a choose of wine packages by the bottle. Everyone purchased that expensive sail-away glass with the horrible drink. Excursions: Limited inexpensive excursions were considered but budget was always a huge issue. Inexpensive Beach Cabana’s were a thing. Food on the Private Islands were complementary. Gratuities/Tips: Gratuities were in cash the last full day of the cruise. We created a relationship with the crew members because of our consistent contact with them back then. We would all take single dollar bill for pool side or bar tips throughout the week. Dress Code: You had to dress up for dinner and one night a week was formal, including some nice portraits to take home. Internet Access: Never complementary. Paid by the minute. Always horrible Activities: Bingo had nice cash prices and you never felt ripped off. Metal drums were like a doorbell telling you that your vacation was about to begin. Winning $100.00 in the casino make you feel like the luckiest person on the ship. Most casino had opening cigarette smoking. To engage everyone, the cruise direct would have a contest for free cruise. You had to ask everyone you saw if they were Mr. or Ms. Cruise. That was my memory. Entertainment often had nationally known entertainers or bands. Guest Issues: Pool Chair Hogs were alive and well. Members of big groups saved entire rows in the main theatre and get embarrassed because their group never showed up. Folks on the buffet line would touch food and put it back on the buffet line. Someone was always so drunk their family had to carry them back to the stateroom. Folks had loud conversations in the halls and never let folks pass. Guest Relations Desk was always the busiest place on the ship. Your stateroom portfolio was always SCARY with items you can’t remember purchasing. My list might not be completely accurate however at my age, I can’t remember what I ate yesterday. Cruising today is not better or worse, just different. Today. Stateroom: Most folks have a balcony or the ability to upgrade to a balcony. The notions of a VIP exclusive area called a “Ship within a Ship” is very popular. Room stewards no longer do towel sculptures. Your stateroom is only serviced once a day vs. twice in days gone by. Dining: Main Dining Room Food quality has taken a hit. Special Restaurants are all the rage and have an extra cost. Fixed dining times are OUT and eat when you want is in. You rarely sit with strangers or get to know other based on mealtimes. Prime Rib night is still a thing however it tends to not be the best cut of meat. The last evening dinner show in the main dining room is gone. Mid-night Buffets are gone and in its place is a 24-hour restaurant. Room service has a service charge for most stateroom. Drink Packages: Drink packages are usually included in the cruise fare price. It is extremely hard to get a drink due to everyone having a drink package. Everyone still purchased that expensive sail-away glass with the horrible drink and find out later it was not included in their drink package. The perk drink package has an upgraded drink package for premium brands. Tax is charged on drinks when in ports especially in the U.S. Excursions: Excursions are more expensive and not well organized. The Beach Cabanas now cost as much as the cruise. Private Islands have theme restaurants that are not complementary. Drink packages rarely work on the private islands. Gratuities/Tips: Gratuities can now be pre-paid. Recommended gratuities have gone up three times in two years. Spa gratuities are always included in the price however you get the impression you are still supposed to tip. Relationships with waiters are gone because you only see them once. Butlers if you are so fortunate to have one, are rarely included in the pre-paid gratuities program yet the suite prices are often triple normal staterooms. We now take $5.00 with us instead of $1.00 to even be recognized for a drink by the pool. Dress Code: Nonexistent with people coming to dinner in bathing suits, wet tea shirts and beach flip flops. Social media debates dress code daily with a 50%/50% split on opinions. Formal photographs happen very rarely, and we tend to point out those dressed nicely for dinner. Internet Access: Often provided for several minutes a perk. Upgradeable for unlimited. Upgradable again to unlimited streaming. Usually only one device which is inconvenient when both guests want access at the same time. Always horrible even NOW!!!! Activities: Bingo had much lower cash prices, crowds are bigger and other games like “Deal or No Deal” feel like ripped off. Metal drums seems to be gone as does the frequency of live music at the pool. Odds in the casino are known to be horrible compared to Las Vegas however many brands have private smoking areas. Cruise directors seem to show up only at the big shows to make announcement or on the loudspeaker promoting bingo. The entertainment is Broadway style shows except on smaller ship with less budget. Guest Issues: Pool Chair Hogs are still alive and well. Members of big groups are still saved entire rows in the main theatre and get embarrassed because their group never showed up. Folks on the buffet line are much more careful and rarely touch food which is a marked improvement. Someone was always so drunk which has cause highly publicized fights on ships. This has caused an increase in ship security and guest being tossed off ships. Folks still have loud conversations in the halls and never let folks pass. Guest Relations Desk are rarely crowded except the last day of the cruise. End of the cruise portfolios are emailed instead of putting under your door. The biggest difference for me is Social Media. It seems sites like Reddit and CruiseCritic.com seem to provide clearer and more accurate information than the cruise lines. Yet, social media has also created an abundance of Trolls and Haters that simply want to make guests angry. What ever you do, don’t bring up the NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat or MSC Yacht Club on any other social media site other than CruiseCritic.com unless you want to be criticized. Like my list of before and now; social media is both good, and bad. The one thing that is true for ME is cruising, if one can stay flexible on those occasional issues, is still one of the best vacation experience available at all price levels. “Cruise well everyone and enjoy every moment.”

In retirement I started to have a lot more time on my hands. My life work had me spend lots of time away from home. Hotels and air flights were my way for decades. I always loved cruising and my cruising experience started on my Honeymoon 44 years ago. It was very humble however still a lovely memory. Since then, my life and career improved as most do and I wanted to improve my cruising experience. For what every reason, I always wanted to have a top tier experience. The best way to put it is a high lever of personalized service. It is not that crew members did not treat my wife and I nicely. I believe that treatment on a cruise ship is in direct proportion to the guest treatment of the crew. Kindness brings out kindness in people. Still something was missing. Over decades I realized the issue was unrealistic expectations on my part. This is a luxury cruise blog. If their is one thing that is constant is luxury is not very clearly defined. Like dining, it is subjective. The issue with Luxury Clients is everyone has a different need or want. The ability of the crew members to obtain what those are is an art form. Most recently it became clear that a ship that had just gone through huge renovations and looked fabulous, get bad reviews because of human interaction. Yet another ship that showed its age was given very high levels of satisfaction. After all these years one more aspect of cruising especially when your venture out for higher end brands is the that brands previous and loyal guest. I hope a lot of those folks read this post. The DNA of a Luxury Client is to want more every time they cruise. It has been my experience both in my professional life with the study of luxury client; to my personal life as a luxury client to notice this attribute of "What will you do for me better today." What ends up happening is the Luxury Client instead of looking for what is good in the situation, they make an enormous deal on what is different. One stream that for me highlights this is a brand where it had a debate on how horrible it was that the Logo paper the lined the bottom of the suites trash can was not being used anymore. These same folks really did not help their favorite brand with their petty complaints. When someone new, who was not super wealthy so the fare was serious to them, wanted to consider the brand. Those new client which would sustain the brand in the future were run off. I know, I was one of them. The guest attitude during the cruise was so rude and pointless it created an environment of dissatisfaction. The moral of this post is the brand, crew, corporate office and guest all have a part on making a luxury brand work. Part of that is realizing, nothing about a luxury cruise can be planned perfectly. That is the nature of the cruising industry. Be kind, thoughtful and understanding. Don't let simple stuff make your experience horrible. Take the high road yet you deserve a value for your luxury dollar. Do your best to be positive and not sweat the small stuff. If not for your self, for the other guest onboard. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@nmuller328 I am so excited for you. My first Haven Suite was on the Getaway. I really loved that ship. Allow me to make some suggestions for you. When You Board: You will be taken up to the Haven Lounge. Usually they give you and hello talk. Feel free to drop off your carry-on in your suite even though if you get on early, it might not be ready. Lunch When You Board: You can eat in the Haven Restaurant or the American Dinner. Everyone has a different preference. For me, the best cheese burgers on the ship is at the Haven Restaurant. Remember, food in general is subjective. Butler: Sometimes the butlers are really busy the first day and they miss you. If you have special requests or need the butler, ask at the Haven Lounge for them to make short visit to your suite. Haven Bar: My favorite bar on the ship. Please during the week ask for a "Smoking Drink". It is a show and everyone at the bar enjoys watching it being made. Haven Restaurant: Regardless of meal, it takes a little longer to eat at the Haven Restaurant. The service and food is usually excellent. If you like Prime Rib and Lobster Tails, this is the place for you. My favorite items is the Almond Croissants only available in the Haven. Specialty Coffee and juices are complementary in the Haven Restaurant. Room Service: This is provided by your butler and there is no service fee. Tell your Butler on day one that you want the room service food from the Haven Restaurant as long as it is open. Remember, the Haven Restaurant menu at each meal never changes which is why NCL gives you a few specialty restaurants during your cruise. Shows: The main shows are not to be missed. If the Beatles show is on board, get to the Cavern Club early to see them all. There is so much more to share but sometimes it is just nice to learn as you go. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Funny Story: Most you know me as the author of this revised thread and the original one done in 2018. When I took my family on the NCL Joy it was the first time for my adult children to stay in the Haven. It was my wife an my 43 wedding anniversary and my daughters 31 birthday on the cruise. No one in my family reads CruiseCritic.com. They all make fun of me for doing so much prep and due diligence. My daughter thought it was not necessary to have a Haven Suite. All she could talk about was how her bed would be uncomfortable because it was a pull down bed. The only thing they don't make fun of me for is paying for everything. When we got on the ship, I said, "Let's go drop off our carry-on luggage in our Haven Suite!" It was not a question, it was a statement. Now all of us on this thread know that dropping off your carry on even before your suite is ready is a benefit of the Haven. However, when I made the statement each of my family members said, "No dad, that is against the rules. Why do you always go against the rules?" They all actually got mad at me. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "Respect, no respect at all!" The vacation was one of the best family experience we have had in a long time. The ship was only 50% filled, We all had a adult drink package, my wife and I were able to upgrade to the Premium Plus Drink Package, the ship had two bottles of Tequila 1942, everyone had four nights of specialty restaurants, my wife won the slot tournament, I rented the Beach Villa on the private Island, and we were in the Haven Suite or all Suites the Deluxe Owners Suite. It simply does not get any better than that. For all those planners and organizers out there. Don't stop. But remember, nobody gets credit for a well organized vacation. They just get heat when something goes wrong. Cruise well everyone and enjoy every moment.

Interesting video. Something tells me it was not that bad when you went in the water. Something else tells me even when it got close to this, you would have gotten out. I really believe the reason for your video was the crazy waves. That was my take anyway. I have experience this on other ships. My wife and I was on the deck above, with a drink watching the water. Not something you see every day for sure. Stay safe and this is an event I am sure you will share in the future. Cruise provide those unusual situations. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I wrote a comment on staffing, read it and deleted it. The author is take their time to give real time information on a cruise they are on. A ship that many of us either have gone on or in my case will go on. There observations and other who are cruising are the gold in this thread. So far, the improvements in staterooms and public area's are lovely. A itinerary change is at the discretion of the brand and always seems to have a reason that is mostly valid. Again, thanks to the author for taking the time out of their vacation to indulge all of us. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@CDR Benson Hello sir. Great response. The discussion on dress on NCL and other mainstream brands have always created debate. It creates the same emotions as children taking over the Haven Courtyard/hot tubs/pools. Your response kind of in its own way said it all. It does not get more formal than your Dress Blue. I fully realize dressing for meals especially dinner used to the the standard for cruising any brand. At the time, it made the meal seem more eventful and special. Yet the masses complained and that was their right to do so. To each his own. However when the dress code became more relaxed, it basically went to no dress code at all. That is a shame from my perspective. All that said, I have seen folks come to breakfast in their night clothes or to lunch in their swim suits. It was noticeable however did not effect my pleasure in the experience in anyway. For me and not saying a thing should change, I would hope the dinner meal could be a bit different. Country Club casual would be nice. However, if someone wanted shorts, a tea shirt and flip flops it again would not effect my pleasure in the evening. I again and will continue to say I hope we can cruise together some time. I assure you, I will be dressed accordingly as we have dinner because that would my pleasure. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruiseny4life I can see why you phrased your question the way you did. I did the Haven on the Getaway, Breakaway and Joy most recently. The Haven is a place were 99% of the folks at dinner time have nice pants, collared shirt and close toed shows. Lunch and breakfast are more casual. The issue is not so much NCL policy. It is what the normal is. Bathing suite, or workout shorts are not quite formal enough however I don't think the staff will say anything to you during breakfast and lunch. Dinner is another story. It is the other Haven Guest that will give you the evil eye as I have seen so many time. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@babysteps You make a really good point and I so glad you added it. In my case, I tried everything while waiting for the dates to open. The only hope I had was as soon as the return was available, book it. So glad I did, weeks later is was so much higher and now it is insane. I have made a huge mistake in past cruises. I would think about them every day from start to finish. This was even worse right after all our cancelations due to covid. When I finally got on the ship, it was anticlimactic. This Oceania Cruise I am taking a different approach with all aspects of it. I have handled the normal stuff like the airfare on this thread, finding pictures of the newly done state rooms and deciding on the drink package that makes sense to us. No more visualizing the cruise 1000 times before going on it. My mind and future experience will be SO much better. This is a Bucket List Cruise and long time in coming. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My spelling and grammar is completely awful. Great post on your approach. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

You are right, 330 days. I just kept going to the Delta site until I saw the dates would open the next day. Good luck on your flights. Keep the faith. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ORV Thank you for taking the time to share. It both thoughtful and educational for those reading. I hope you will take the time to take it all in and focus on your own enjoyment. I want to thank you for showing the prices of the drink packages and upgrade from select to Prestige. That was very informative and supports the many posts done prior. I heard you were missing a port from one of your previous posts. I loved your response. Anyone who has ever cruised, regardless of brand, has had the same thing happen. It is one of the surprises of cruising. It can never be planned perfectly. My wife and I are still sorry we missed swimming with the pigs in the Caribbean however we still completely enjoyed that cruise. Again, please enjoy, have an afternoon tea service, listen to some nice music with new friends and possible an adult beverage in you hand. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Allow me to give what I did. Let me say, my approach is not perfect. It does come from four decades of flights domestic and international. Hear was my approach: I booked my Oceania Cruise Labor Day 2022. My cruise will depart November 9, 2023. Over a year later. We fly into Athens, and out of Barcelona. I went to my favorite Air Brand, Delta and looked at what was available. The answer was "NOTHING". Delta does not post their flights until 8 or 9 months prior to the flight. Live and learn. I then looked at all the other air brands to see when their flight schedule opened up. Seemed to be similar. This got me to my next approach. What would it cost me in money or points/air miles to book the flights as far out as I can go. I wanted to see: a) What if I flew from my home base vs. driving to Atlanta, GA; b) What was the flight schedules from a stand point of connections and wait time at the connected airports; c) Where their weird ways of booking the flights to save money even if I had to wait longer on a lay over or take another connection; d) How many points/airline miles would I need and did I have enough; e) If I booked fully refundable coach, how did that compare to the $1,000.00 discount I get from Oceania if I choose to do my own flights. I did the same approach as above for other brands. Please remember, I am retired, have time on my hands and this approach was part of my life prior to retirement. I know this seems like over kill. Before it is brought up, I also look at Oceania Cruise only fares however it was six of one, half a dozen of the other for my situation. I went on YouTube.com and watched reviews of Different International Coach, Coach Premium Plus and Business Class. I must admit I also watched some of the better brands First Class just because we all have to have goals. It was fun. I realized, Delta was my brand, not perfect but my brand. It helps that Delta's largest hub was two hour drive time from my home. I also realized that I could us "ALL" my miles saved for years and transfer some from my American Express Rewards Program to get a Delta ONE Business Class ticket round trip for my wife and I. The second set of tickets was for the same itinerary for the friends joining us which was a fully refundable coach ticket incase they bugged out on use for this cruise. I booked both sets of tickets at 12:01 AM the moment they became available. For anyone that wants to approach things this way please remember. You can only book the flight when your return becomes available. Just the way it works. I was pleasantly surprised we could all fly out of my home base rather then Atlanta for less money and points/miles. Shocked me and glad I looked. To get the lowest cost on both we fly in the day before arriving in the morning, 08:00 AM and Fly out the day after the cruise comes back. An extra day in Athens and one in Spain. The Very Best Itinerary was Birmingham, AL to Atlanta with an over two hour layover. Atlanta to JFK with a four hour lay over. JFK to Athens Direct. Any flights late or delayed have flight after them so I felt the decisions were good. On the way back we have a Direct Flight back to Atlanta and a connection to Birmingham. Much better and less time. Delta had no direct flights from Atlanta to Athens. Since booking these flights I have check on how much it would cost me now. The Fully Refundable fare would cost $500.00 per person more now. The Business Class fare would cost over a half a million more miles/points. Now you know why I planned it the way I did. I have used cruise lines promotional airfare before. It only took once to realize it was indeed a little less expensive and a lot more stressful. There were surprises for me that I did not like. No points received and cost for checked luggage. No seats early and no corrections unless you paid a fee. When taking everything into consideration, it was a no brainer to do it on my own and do the early due diligence so I have the information I needed to make a good business decision. I hope this adds to this stream. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

It seems your question is not really being answered. There are lots of post/treads that talk about Cruise Line Air. This includes Oceania Air. I studied them most likely for the same reason you are asking the question. I will be flying into Athens and out of Barcelona. If you book it yourself as far out as you can, you can book for the same prices as what Oceania will give you back instead of doing their airfare. For me it was $1,000.00 each and I got two coach fully refundable tickets for $1,150.00 each. On to your specific question. The feed back was not great and average at the best situation. There was not many direct flights and more then one connections. The general consensus was very stressful. Folks complained about having to pay $100 per piece of luggage even when their status with the airline was high. They did not get their airline points and the list goes on. Then others contradicted those claims. It is very hard to know who to trust so I figured, trust myself and book with Delta. Remember Cruise brands do cruise and Airlines do air. When you think a cruise line will do anything other then what cost them the least, we usually get disappointed. Hope that assist is some way. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@McGarrett5oh My pleasure. That is correct. There is also no service charge for room service when in the Haven. Yes if open and you were crystal clear with your butler upfront. Go to the Haven Desk in the Haven Lounge for that information. I usually would go to or call the Haven desk the morning of to see if the ship cleared. They would have all the info. They would take you down the service elevators and right off the ship. Very nice especially on the last day when you have an early flight out. Depends on the ship. Most ships do the normal stuff like Orange or Apple juice. They are usually very accommodating. Hope that helps and I know others will be giving you great advice. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I have been cruising for 43 years, the first time I purchased Cruise Travel Insurance was 2021. It was the best decision I had made in those 43 years. My wife go Covid 8 days before the cruise. I would have lost half my money paid. Instead, it was back in my account in15 business days. @DCGuy64 Makes a valid point on if you want the cancel at any time clause. If that is not important then you can consider purchase up to your final payment. The question at hand is pre-existing concisions and the time that has to pass for them to be covered. Please read the fine print on that topic. The reason I suggest purchasing at final payment is for the most part, once you purchase the insurance and it passed it 30 day right to cancel, you own it. If you wanted to cancel your cruise deposit for a full refund prior to full payment, you would not get back the insurance premium. Hope that makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@westcoastmom They will have a ball. I recently took my three adult children on the NCL Joy. It was there first Haven Experience. My daughter thought I was being bougie. Until she was treated like a Rock Star. It was my 43rd wedding anniversary cruise. A great time was had by all. Ask me anything you like. Happy to help you make this a great cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

You have every right to feel I was judgmental. I did not explain my comment as I would have normally done. That was my bad completely. Let’s start over. I wrote the op-Ed the secrets of the Haven VIP experience. My emphasis as to assist cruisecritic.com members with all the value and amenities available in the NCL Haven. The first publishing was 5 years ago. It was revised, early 2022. I really wanted to make a difference in how Haven Guest can enjoy the experience. Then many folk would post items that were rare, or were unrealistic. New Haven Guest would have an unrealistic expectations that led to disappointment. My concern was to explain, which I did poorly, that sushi could be ordered, at a cost to the Haven Guest, from the Sushi restaurant if on board and opened at the time. You were right to call me out for my comment. My heart was in the right place but my worded didn’t reflect it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment

Hello kind sir. I hope you got my email soon me time back. All my best and looking forward to your upcoming reviews. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I was also on the Joy, in the Haven. I also upgrades my wife and my drink package yet not my three adult children. We ordered water and Champagne and every one got a glass. However, it seems since then, the rules have changed. More like the rules are now being enforced. So be aware sharing might be an issue now. Just an FYI.

Call NCL and or book the Vibe Cabana that comes with two weekly vibe passes.

Hello All, every now and again I post something here on the "Haven Secrets" stream I wrote years ago. It is going to be very hard for new and existing Haven Guest to go back and read the original posting and all the extremely helpful comments. Please remember when asking a question or commenting to an inquiry to set realistic expectations. I love the Haven and even though I have taken a break from NCL and the Haven Experience for a short time, it is for me the best of both worlds. Mega Ship experience with a lovely private and exclusive section for a fortunate few. Great experience and concept. To answer some question posed throughout this and other posts, here is simply my two cents: Butlers: Yes, I wrote the Butler Letter. It is not for everyone however worked for me. That is an important distinction. Yes, I tip my butler on day one which I NEVER used to do. I do it now because of conversations with butlers on guest leaving without providing gratuities. Before you ask, with four people in my suite, I gave a gratuity of $200.00. Don't hate the messenger. You do You. Adult Beverages In the Room: If you request your butler to bring adult beverage to your suite, regardless of the drink package you have, it will be charged to your room, PERIOD. Some post say the butler will do it for you. If they do, they can get fired. Canned Soda: Unless you are in the H2 Owners Suite, Owners Suite or THREE bedroom villa (a very few others), you will not have complementary soda/mixers in your suite. If you want a pitcher of coke or other soda, ask your butler. I have gotten both YES and NO for this request. The same thing holds true for juice. Start with low expectations and be surprised if it happens. Specialty Coffee's: If made in the Haven Restaurant, they are complementary. NOT, at the Starbuck store. Juices are also available at the Haven Restaurant. On ships like Encore and Joy, the Haven Observation Deck has the best coffee machine I have ever used for specialty coffee. Room Service: On day one, tell your butler you want room service ONLY from the Haven Restaurant if they are open at the time. When you order, it is the same as ordering from the Menu when at the Haven Restaurant. PLEASE REMEMBER, the Haven Restaurant has a fix menu which does not change. So if you want something for room service that is not on the menu, like sushi, that is not going to happen or you will be charged. If you want regular room service menu items, it is just fine. Mid-Day Snacks: The are for the most part fixed. They are also nothing great. Will your butler make a change, sometimes. The word sometimes is important when creating realistic expectations. When I hear all the special stuff people are asking for then the next guest gets a "NO" from their butler, it makes me sad. Escort to Small Show Venues: Don't expect this no matter what you hear on this or other social media site. Has it happened, "YES". Is it a NCL Haven Policy, "NO". It is hit or miss. Again, if it is your expectation, and you don't get this service. You don't like the experience. The big shows you can have an escort but you don't need one. The Haven section is off to the left but depending on the show, you might want a different seat. Again, realistic expectations. Same Server in Haven Restaurant: Not the way the Restaurant is structured. Great service is the norm. Same server is not the policy. Did some folks have that experience and enjoy it, yes. Don't expect it. Also, if you want a quick meal, go to another venue other than the Haven Restaurant. That is good advice. Drinks Served on the Haven Sundeck: I have done the Haven many, many times. It is rare for me to have had a server ask me for a drink order while in the Haven Sundeck. That is why I love the Vibe Beach Club which has a dedicated bar. Since I know that, I simply go to the Haven Bar one deck down and get my drinks. If I win the lottery and a server shows up, I order a drink. Also, I have used the wireless Haven Suite phone in my Haven Suite to ask my butler to bring food to the Haven Sundeck. He was always happy to do so. However, an adult beverage has been a charge except once. Clear as mud, right. Expectations. Request for For Sale Items Out of Suite: Sorry to say, they simply put them up somewhere and don't remove. That is their new policy. It is the way it is. Request for Filet with Eggs for Breakfast: This is possible most of the time if you give the head waiter a 24 hour heads up. I have also been turned down on this request due to supply chain issues. Pillows Menu: It is nice but I have never thought it made to much of a difference. If it does for you, go for it. Finding Haven Check-In: Depends on port. Security seems to be the same for everyone on the ship so this topic needs to be where to go after security has been complete. The port staff is consistently worthless. All I do is look all around for the Haven sign and eventually find it. I personally choose early boarding so the line at the actual Haven Check In is less crowded. Just me, my approach. Complementary Lunch Embarkment: On most of the larger ships, the embarkment lunch is offered at a complementary specialty restaurant like "The American Diner". I have done that only once. I much prefer the Haven Restaurant for lunch day one. Personal preferences here. Booking Specialty Restaurant Reservations: You can book 130 days prior to your embarkment date to have priority reservations. When on the ship, you can change however you will notice that you can't always get the change you want. The more crowded the ship is, the harder it is to get the day and time you want at the last minute. Just the way it is. My Personal Opinion: I love the Haven. Yet my next few cruises are on another cruise brand. I had an experience in 2021 on the now defuncted Crystal Cruise Lines. I wanted to take a Luxury Cruise Test Drive. Crystal is back now with new owners, FYI. The investment for seven days was less then the Haven's lowest cost suite. I got the chance to upgrade to a Penthouse with a butler. I wanted to see and feel the difference in the Luxury segment. The butler was a game changer in every way. The afternoon snacks were over the top and I could have smoked salmon every afternoon if I wanted. They brought all the canned soda I wanted and even brought my wife bottles of wine and me a bottle of vodka at no extra charge. The specialty restaurants were outstanding for a cruise. The personalized service was very special from every crew member. This cruise was totally boring for me and my wife. No energy and we missed the normal cruise activities. Some of the guest who had cruised this brand previously acted like they owned the brand making newcomers like me feel uncomfortable. This experience would have been much better suited for a longer Mediterranean cruise with lots of time at each ports. Not for the Caribbean. I bring this up because if you want the "best of the best": service, food, drinks, specialty restaurants, amenities, less kids onboard, ect., choose a luxury or ultra-luxury brand. In todays market, be prepared to pay the same about for a New SUV as for your cruise. Do not have that same expectation from the NCL Haven. Do your due diligence so you have realistic expectations. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

NO, only at specialty restaurants. Soda's, only with soda or drink package. I think you are expecting more then you will receive at the Haven. My concern is your expectation of what they will do or not do is going to disappoint you. Remember, this is the VIP section of a Mainstream Cruise Brand. Not ultra-luxury all inclusive which cost the same as a new small SUV. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@westcoastmom I will do my best to give you my first hand experience. First, you were asked which ship you are on because only the larger ships have a full Haven Area with bar and restaurants. The smaller ships, give you breakfast and lunch at specialty restaurants but not dinner. That makes a difference. My comments will be based on ships like Encore, Bliss, Joy, Breakaway, and the brand new ships. Not ships like the Pearl. The Haven Restaurant has juices and specialty coffee which does not cost more. When in a Haven Suite, you tell your butler to do all room service from the Haven Restaurant. Problem solved it the Haven Restaurant is open when ordering. If you have a Haven Observation Area, it usually has those items available. I have NEVER had an issue asking my Butler to brink a pitcher of Orange Juice. Just ask and you will receive. I have stayed in the Haven Two Bedroom Family Villa, Spa Suite and the Deluxe Owners Suite. With and without my children. Canned soda is a cost in most suites and restaurants except in an Owners Suite or Three Bedroom Villa. I hope this helps you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Wow, this thread sure has take an interesting turn. I started this topic to gain as much incite on setting my expectations realistically for a first time "O" cruiser. Thank you to everyone who shared your opinions. All your opinions. They have been most helpful. Decades of cruising taught me a very valuable lesson, set expectations low and always be happy with the result. My cruising history is to pay more on a Mainstream Cruise Brand and for that have a Suite Only Restaurant that had consistently better food as well as a better level of personalized service. However, I like many others, do our due diligence prior to booking other brands. My hope was once a guest leaves their stateroom, they are ALL treated the same. Simply hope, and it seems that is what my wife and friends will receive from Oceania. On dining, I have been on most all the mainstream brands for decades. I agree, food is relative to every ones personal experience and tastes. What I will say is when given the option, I usually never eat in the Main Dining room of a Mainstream Cruise Brand. It is my vacation which I usually wait 18 months to go on. I usually get myself a package of specialty restaurants. Costs a bit more but for my enjoyment has been worth the premium. Unless of course if I have access to the Suites Only Restaurant which my experiences in the past have been as good or better than the specialty restaurants on that brand. Because it was brough up in earlier post, I am in a Penthouse on my upcoming Oceania Cruise. I got this stateroom during the Labor day sale which was a 4-Catigory Upgrade. I personally choose "O" because of the smaller ship, itinerary in the Mediterranean, an expectation the personalized service would be equal too or slightly better than the Suites on Mainstream Brands, and slightly elevated dining in all venues. If what I wanted was the "Best of Everything", I would have chosen a brand that is Ultra-Luxury. You know, the brands that cost you the same as a new SUV. Yet if any of us go to their respective blogs, you might here the same thing about their experiences. Instead, it was clear this choice of Oceania was slightly elevated from past experience. Not perfect, not obscenely prices, and not in the truest sense of the words "All Inclusive" . We all make those kinds of choices in life. The key is do your due diligence, accept others opinions, and process all the information given by others that love cruising as you do. Enough feedback by enough cruisers gives a pretty good general idea of what to expect. Cruise well everyone, I hope we meet for a coffee or cocktail on a mutual sailing.