Sthrngary

Allow me to add. My strategy when cruising in the Haven is to first, drop my bags off in my Suite followed by getting a drink at the Haven Bar. Please remember while in port, there will be a tax put on your suite portfolio. It is not much. Depending on the ship, there is a small setting of food in the observation lounge. In the past, they would serve sliders in the Haven Courtyard. As a Haven Guest, you will have the choose of having Lunch at the Haven Restaurant or one of the specialty restaurants complementary for that one lunch. It is usually the American Diner. I suggest always the Haven Restaurant because the food is better. I would usually sit outside because of the view. Lunch usually takes 1.5 hours so your suites are usually ready at 1:00 PM. That is good timing. When you enter the Haven Courtyard, the Haven desk is usually busy with folks changing and or adjusting thing. That is why I attempt to get onboard as soon as I can. Try to get all your reservations for Specialty Restaurant done pre-cruise. Things you can't do pre-cruise are go-carts, spas, Lasor Tag. Shows can be done later if you don't have a reservation. My advice in staying in the Haven is, use this special area as your relief when the ship gets to hectic or crowds are to large. That said, explore the entire ship and don't lose the excitement of being on a huge hotel on the sea. If you have any other questions, just ask. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello all, Sthrngary here. I have cruised both in and out of the Haven Proper. I have also cruised in a Haven Spa Suite on the Getaway. Most recently I cruised on the Joy, in the H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with my family. Haven Spa Suite: Nice suite with the hot tub by your bed. Small balcony and near the Spa/Gym. An elevator ride to the Haven Courtyard, Restaurant and pool. My wife and I did not feel disconnected at all. Just the way it was. It is important that the investment of this lovely room and experiences was $2,099.00 for a week which was shockingly low at the time. Haven Penthouse In the Haven Courtyard: The suite was bigger then the Haven Spa Suite. Nice to be in the Haven Proper but after the first day, forgotten. I think the fact that we love exploring the entire ship and not just staying in the Haven 24/7 has us feeling this way. If we never really wanted to leave the Haven, this would be our choice. Haven Deluxe Owners Suite: I only bring this up because it was a goal and bucket list experience. Surprisingly, this was a "One and Done" experiences. We got lucky and all the moons were in the right place. For us, being right next to the Haven Library with the view of the front of the ship was my favorite benefit. Quiet and calm place to write. The suite was lovely, huge and after the first day or so, was like any other suite. I know that sound horrible to say but it is the way we felt. Glad we did it though. As long as a guest knows there is some walking to get to the Haven if not in Haven Proper and they have no issue with that, go for it. If price is and issue to stay out of the Haven Proper, consider it. To get the huge balconies in the back of the ship, consider it. Just know the pro/cons. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@joyous Love the name by the way. You have taken my quote out of context. I made that quote after reading lots of comments from the OP. Every cabin, with any obstruction to the view especially the balcony needs to be stated. I hate to say it but especially if it is in the Haven which normally would cost a premium of 2 to 3 times the normal fare. The Cruise Company not doing so is unacceptable. The poster is not sure if they have obstruction. There issue is NCL can't tell them if they do either and was unwilling to accommodate them into another similar cabin. Shame on NCL for not having better Customer Service. My point and still is my point; let's wait and see if this is actually an issue after the ship goes out and video's/pictures of these rooms are available. For your information, I shared inside contacts with the OP on who to contact on the matter privately. I thought I had to clarify my point so it would not be misunderstood. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@AACJ Allow me to do my best to assist you. Bottles Of Wine: At restaurants and bars, they have a list of drinks and wines. You can order a glass of wine all the time. On the Bottle situation. If you have the Premium Plus Beverage Package, you can choose to order a bottle of "Selected Wine" from the list. The list indicates that bottles that are ok under the program. NOT every bottle so you have to check the list and that list changes frequently. Whole Bottle Of Champagne: I always do the Premium Plus program. Over the past year, there were two French Champagne's available. One by the glass (not a selected one for a bottle). The other by the Bottle. When they delivered the bottle to my table, they ask how many glasses I would like to have. When I went solo, I did the Glass selection and had several of them. When I went to the Asian Flat Grill Restaurant, I ordered the bottle (selected) and shared with those with me. My approach: My wife loves Chardonnay. She also loves to have a glass or two on the balcony prior to bed. Since you are charged for room service or butlers bringing Alcoholic beverages to your suite/cabin regardless of drink program, we have a strategy. At dinner, my wife orders a few of the nicer Chardonnay's by the glass. Towards the end of dinner (lunch or breakfast), she orders a bottle and has on glass. They put the cork back in and we take it to our stateroom. Problem solved. I hope that clarifies your question and confusion. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I have read all the replies. All are possible. I have one more think but I am not sure that you qualify. With the new Free At Sea PLUS. You get another $50.00 per excursions. So when you order/purchase an excursion, you get $100.00 off. Just wanted to give you one more possibility not knowing your situation. Cruise Well and Enjoy Every Moment.

@RocketMan275 I am not a Champagne kind of guy. Then, when in the NCL French Restaurant, I simply had to have a nice Champagne with dinner. I had the Premium Plus Beverage package. I truly enjoyed my French Champagne. So much so that every meal from that point forward, I ordered the bottle that was available as a selected wine. One of the main reason's I get the Premium Plus program is my wife likes wine in the room. She, god bless her, has a bottle at dinner and we order another bottle which most of which we take back to the suite. You can gain that bottle at Breakfast, Lunch or dinner. You can even order it at the Haven Bar. So it does not need to be a meal or dinner. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The Breakaway and the Getaway have tables in the Haven Courtyard. Not sure why they would need to move lounge chairs out but that is one nice place to have lunch. That is my memory anyway. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I cannot answer that question. Look at current list for the Premium Plus Drink Program. It changes yearly but their are selected wines you can order by the bottle French champagne included. I usually order one for the table when we do the Japanize Dinner night. I used to have a list but it would be different now. Hope that all makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Renaissance by Marriott. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

There is a bottle of Champagne you can get from the bar. It is super nice. If not, your plan will work great. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

If I am not mistaken, the Veuve is available by the Glass. No need for 40%. To more specifically answer your question, yes, the 40% would work on a full bottle. If I win in the Casino, I buy a bottle of Dom. I get 40% off on it. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Question for the Oceania Frequent Cruisers: I know that NCL has an program where you can upgrade your cabin with a bidding system. Crystal Cruises offered an upgrade for a specific amount based on the cabin you did book. What is the procedure if any for Oceania. Thank you for your support and responses. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The Haven Restaurant does not take reservations. Please keep that in mind. Also, if your friends are not in the Haven, there is a cost and you have to gain permission for them to join you in the Haven Restaurant. As it relates to reservations on Specialty , just ask the Concierge. I think a better strategy is to book your Specialty Restaurants online 130 days prior to the cruise for priority day/times. The big productions shows in the Main Theater have a Haven section on the left side of the stage. It is nice to have access but depending on the show, I simply sit where I want anyway. For example, one show I sat in the third row center (advice i got from a comment) another show I was the last row by the exit. The one thing that must be said, the smaller venues like the Comedy Store or Cavern Club is first come first served even for Haven. Lots of post on this issue and one must not expect special seating for these smaller venues even if someone online claims they were allowed in before the door opens. We all have to remember that setting realistic expectations to what you get and don't get allows for less disappointment when the reality of the cruise happens. I hope that post is helpful. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Joe: Thank you for sharing so much. Also, you obviously have read many of my posts. I have also booked the Celebrity (Celebrity Suite) and it was on the Equinox. This was Pre-Covid and Pre-Retreat. My experience was not the best and I also wrote the CEO a not explaining why I was disappointed. The Suite was a nice blend of space, storage, balcony and living space outside of the Master Bedroom. The ship was a month away from dry dock and the crew was less then excited which was shown in their attitudes. As a Haven Guest, I have always had a great experience. Partly because I did so much work to figure out how to gain every bit of value from my stay. Whether early morning coffee in the Haven Library above the Horizon Observation Lounge or pre-dinner drinks at the Haven Bar having my favorite Tequila 1942. The Haven gave me a balance of quiet, private and relaxing time with the opportunity to be a kid on the Water Slides, Go Cart, Laser Tag and VR center. I might be old but I love that stuff. My Selection of Oceania Cruise for my friends and my Mediterranean Cruise was much more about them, then about me. I did an excel Spreadsheet on 10 different cruises, during the same time, going to similar locations. My hope was we could find a away to go on the New NCL Viva in the Haven. I took NCL Breakaway; NCL Viva, Celebrity Edge, Oceania, Regent, Viking, Ritz-Carlton and a couple of others. I looked at staterooms from Spa Suites to full Penthouse Suites. I looked at the Haven and the Retreat. My focus was on staying within our friends budget. The best choice for a cruise that has a lot of port days ended up being the Oceania Riviera. If this cruise was my wife and I, we might have simply paid more and gone on the Viva. We both know, we will have a better time with our friends. On another note, I have stayed in the Haven (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite (Video on YouTube) with my family on the NCL Joy December 2021. That was an experience and a half. I can see how the Vista Suite on Oceania might be lovely. I am hoping for a paid upgrade opportunity if that exists on an Oceania Cruise. I love all the other travel you outlined. Lovely way to enjoy our time and rewards on life. I have no grand kids, so we often take our adult children with us. The central theme as we get older is friends and family make the cruise. Thank you again for taking the time to share your story. A great story it was as wall. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Your point is extremely important. That is why I list all the amenities. My choose would be focused on my likes and dis-likes. Yours is focused on the things that enhance a trip for you. If everyone could learn that simple thought, more folks would be much happier. I could give you a few but they don't bother me. I have learned that these situation happen and just say NO. Also, on the internet minutes. I could not agree with you more. I liked it better years ago with no cell phone, phones or internet. I do the unlimited for my wife, not for me. As a matter of fact, I do a lot of the choices I make for my lovely bride. The Haven is and has been my favorite way of cruising. When I did go on Celebrity in the Retreat, it was ok but I like the Haven better. However, when I went on the Crystal Cruises voyage, I understood the difference. The entire ship was the Haven/Retreat on steroids. My choice of Oceania for this trip was much more about the Itinerary, investment and being held to a budget because we were going with our friends. What I am trying to say is there is a very big difference in personalized service when it is the entire ship. Hard to quantify. Hope that all makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@IrishKathy You are absolutely doing the right thing for a 50th anniversary. Congrats. It took me a long minute to figure out the O Life but with some questions on cruise critic, I got it. No I would have chosen regent also but our friends can not go that high on their budget. We chose friends over the cruise brand I wanted. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin I have never used the Cruise Brands air. I want to fly in the day before and control my own Itinerary when flying. I am a Delta Airline Life Time Platinum 5 mil miler. I know when to book the flights and have saved hundreds of thousand points for this upcoming trip to go full Business Class. I have to wait a few months to book it because flight open up 8 months before the take off. I have heard so many horrible stories on Cruise Booked Airfare that I simply stay clear. Also, Airlines are much more flexible now if your cruise is cancelled. That was the only benefit to Covid. I saw the "O" business class options and just laughed. I am taking the $2000.00 off by not using their coach air. I hope that all makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Candy Apple 12 Your question is how do you choose a category of cruise brand. There are no real official categories however most people know the terms Mainstream through Ultra-Luxury. The higher up you go, the smaller the ship becomes. The smaller ships, the easier those ships get into smaller ports. So if you are in Europe, I would choose a smaller ship. Those ships are also more expensive with a higher crew to guest ratio. Then I look for what is included and not included. I used to think I wanted a completely all inclusive ship. The only one that every comes close is Regent. The 10 day Mediterranean Cruise was which did include Restricted Business Class, was $24,000.00. The same agenda on other ships that were not all inclusive with coach class travel was in the 10-12,000.00. Those ships were Luxury or Premium Plus. Oceania is Premium Plus to Luxury. You give up the Business Class Airfare and have to pay for gratuities and excursions. You can do a lot of Excursions for the difference in price. Now if I want high energy with lost of ship activities, I would always default the the NCL Haven on a larger full Haven Ship or Celebrity Retreat. Again, it depends on the destination and what you are looking for in your vacation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Disclaimer: I did not know where to post this so I thought, if it broke any CruiseCritic.com policies, the moderator would transfer it to the correct locations. Also, you will clearly see that my Grammar and Spelling are awful. Please forgive me. I hope my message makes sense. Introduction: As most of you know that read my op-eds, I do very much LOVE the NCL Haven VIP Experience. It sure helps to know the amenities, strategies and YES secrets of the NCL Haven Luxury Experience. I am a believer that once you have cruised in the Haven, it is super hard to go back. Yet back I did go recently to an NCL Club Balcony Suite as a Solo cruiser. Was it hard, not as hard as you might think. Was it fun, you bet. Now it is time to consider a bucket list 10-day European Mediterranean 45th wedding anniversary cruise. The only way I can make the decision, is to do my normal and insane due diligence. Back Story: I met my wife 44 years ago. We have been married 43 years. Our honeymoon was a cruise on the Norwegian (Now called NCL) SS Norway, the largest cruise ship in the world at that time. My goal or more like a dream was to do a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise with my wife for our 40th wedding anniversary. Covid-19 took that off the table. What I wanted to do was, go on an Ultra-Luxury all-inclusive cruise vacation. The brand of choice initially was Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC). RSSC seemed to check all the boxes. Until I saw the investment which was the equivalent of paying cash for a small SUV. Years ago, I did my due diligence and decided an Ultra-Luxury Cruise was not the way for my wife and I to go. The journey to that decision was taking what I called a “Luxury Cruise Test Drive”. I quickly realized that the premium paid for luxury or ultra-luxury did not provide the value I was hoping to achieve at that investment level. That decision was a very personal one. In addition, I did extensive research on many social media platforms engaging with frequent and loyal RSSC guests. It became clear, I might have loved the trip however my wife would have been intimidated. Our friends joining us for this upcoming trip, could not even consider the cost premium for Ultra Luxury Cruising. That left Mainstream, Premium, Premium Plus and Luxury as potential selections. All great choices. I am simply explaining the process my mind went through. After all was said and done, I choose Oceania Cruises for 10-days on their ship the Riviera November 9, 2023. The stateroom category I choose was a Penthouse Suite. The Labor Day four-category upgrade special was the push I needed to book, which I did. I will explain the process below and compare it to the NCL Haven and other choices. I know this is an NCL CruiseCritic.com Blog. I also know if all were equal, I would have booked the Haven. All was not equal for this trip. I hope this does what all my op-eds attempt to do. Create thoughts on how to improve our cruise vacation experience. To do this, we must have realistic expectations. Step One: Make an Excel Spreadsheet with ALL brands being considered You never have to twist my arm to make an Excel to look at different cruise facts. I love the opportunity and it stimulates my brain. I took the dates I wanted (October and November 2023); Itinerary which was Mediterranean with a focus on Greece; Number of day which was 7-10; Different Cruise Categories (mainstream, premium, premium plus, luxury and ultra-luxury); Brands that coordinated with the categories; stateroom categories including VIP areas on Brands (From Balconies to Penthouse Suites; VIP area’s like Haven and Retreat); Amenities and perks provided; Airfare costs; and of course fare Investment. What you learn is every cruise brand includes or does not include, amenities making it hard to develop an apples-to-apples comparison. This is where really drilling down on the details makes a huge difference. An example is RSSC includes unlimited excursions, where Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection does not. To compare both, you must estimate the cost of an excursion at every port. Step Two: Make a list of just amenities on each brand and price point Allow me to put this in simpler terms. It is obvious when going on NCL or Celebrity and in the Haven or Retreat respectively; you will have much better personalized service in those VIP area’s then you will have on the rest of the ship. When you consider cruise segments like Premium Plus to Ultra-Luxury, the entire ship becomes the Haven/Retreat on steroids. You soon realize, regardless of stateroom selected, once you leave your suite/cabin, everyone is treated the same. In our evaluation of what we want in a cruise, if personalized service throughout the entire ship is high on our list, then best to stay with Premium Plus through Ultra-Luxury brands. Until you make a list of what you receive and don’t receive from each brand; you really can’t compare value. I personally learned this on my first cruise after Covid-19 which was in August 2021 on Crystal Cruises out of Miami. Crystal which is now out of business; however, will be returning soon, treated everyone the same outside of their stateroom. It was a completely different cruising feeling and experience. Before I went on the Crystal Cruises, I knew every amenity and asked hundreds of questions on the Crystal Cruises blog. With this current decision, I have done the same for ALL the brands I have chosen to research. How else can we make a good business decision. A couple of great examples are the Thermal Spa and a Butler. If I were in the Haven, I would have a butler. Yet the Thermal Spa is an add-on expense unless you are in a Haven Spa Suite. On Oceania, when you are in a Penthouse or higher stateroom, you have complementary access to the outside Thermal Spa Sundeck, and you have a butler. With Haven, you still need to tip your butler; with Oceania, the Butler’s gratuities are included in the daily gratuities amount added to your room. All I am sharing is that a deep dive into amenities is important to compare value. Step Three: Choosing Big or Small Ship Experience When I am cruising out of Miami, New York, New Orleans, or Seattle; I usually only do the larger ships. Those travel destinations are not always port intensive nor do some of the ports interest me. Therefore, the ship and its activities hold a greater value. When you are cruising the Mediterranean, it is less about water slides, go-cart tracks, pool games, Broadway Production Shows and virtual reality. It is more about getting into smaller ports, spending a much time as possible at that port. It is also much more about, relaxation, comfort, great dining, and personalized service. We choose a center ground of ships that have between 700 and 1200 guest capacity. This also means entertainment will not be the same; the bars close earlier then mainstream brands and crowd is a bit older and reserved. Children are rare. You must ask yourself a question, is this type of smaller ship right for your trip. It was for us on this vacation and itinerary because it was about the ports. Step Four: What does a higher category of stateroom provide you This question is so hard to understand, almost impossible. If as I did, you choose a cruise segment at above Premium Plus, you know your experience out of your stateroom will essentially be as great as the folks in the Owners Suite. Then you look at the difference in investment between a basic Veranda Suite and the lowest level Penthouse Suite. The margins for a premium can be huge. You must ask yourself, “what makes that much more of an investment worth consideration?” Good luck finding this information. It seems all that is out there are folks that complain about these higher priced suites. You see, those with the means to purchase at these prices, really don’t do intense reviews unless they are disappointed in some way. Then they write a book. I really wanted a blend of experience and had a very hard time finding that information. Therefore, I drilled down on every piece of information that compared the two staterooms. My reference point was my experience on Crystal Cruises. Essentially, the differences fell into a few categories: 1. The Stateroom: More square footage. Bigger balcony. More storage and possibly a walk-in closet. A separate shower and soaking tub which sometimes can be a jet tub. More than one Flat Screen TV. Higher inventory and quality of bath products. 2. Personal Butler: Before a guest has had a REAL Butler, they often say, “I don’t need a butler. The room steward is just fine.” Then you get a REAL Butler. When I travel on NCL in the Haven or Celebrity in the Retreat, they provide butlers. These hard-working folks do the best they can do. The mainstream cruise brands give them so many things to do behind the scenes that personalized service is more difficult. Not impossible just difficult. That is why these butlers are usually Hit/Miss. Where when you are on a Premium Plus or above brand, your butlers are OUTSTANDING. For the most part, whatever you ask for you can receive within reason. These butlers quickly determine what we like and don’t like and adjust their service accordingly. It makes a difference in your cruising experience. Now you must determine if the difference is worth the premium paid. 3. Early Access: Getting on and off the ship quickly is always a plus. Having the availability of early access to Specialty Restaurant selections is another benefit. Priority booking while on the ship is yet another plus. You paid more for your stateroom, know what you will receive and use it. Or else, why did you invest in the premium. 4. Specific Suite Amenities: In the higher priced suites, there are some amenities that are not available on the lower-level staterooms. We already discussed a few above, here are some others: a. Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine: I do love a good Champagne, but I really don’t like Sparkling Wine. This is a little thing but is does make a difference. The only Haven Suite that provides real French Champagne was the (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite. The Champagne received was actually a great brand and yet stale. On my Crystal voyage, it was both a great brand and excellent. b. Daily Snacks Delivered: This is a double-edged sword. The first day your butler brings you these snacks, you are impressed. You truly feel like a rock star. You take a drink to the balcony with your lovely assortment of food items. The world is perfect for a few lovely minutes. Then you go to dinner that night and not quite hungry as you thought you would be. From that day forward you eat less and less of the snack until you tell your butler simply not to bring them. I made the mistake of telling my butler I liked smoked salmon. Every day there was like 8 oz of smoked salmon in the normal smack delivered. c. Complementary Mini-Fridge: Your mini-fridge is restocked daily. Depending on the brand and your suite, it usually has water, soft drinks, and juice. In my Penthouse Suite on Crystal, I told my butler I liked Grey Goose Lemon and Bailey’s. Within minutes I had a liter of each on my bar. My wife shared she loved wine. We always had a full bottle in the ice bucket. i. NOTE: This is NOT every brand. I will be on Oceania, the Mini-Fridge will be stock but no alcohol. No issue if you know that prior to sailing. In the Haven (H2) Owners Suite, they provided you with three bottles of spirits. The key is “Realistic Expectations”. d. Dry Cleaning/Laundry Service: Depending on the stateroom, you might get no laundry service to unlimited. On my next trip on Oceania in a Penthouse Suite, I have three (3) bags of laundry, pressing on the day of embarkment, show shines when needed. Just like Crystal, Oceania and many other better category brands have public complementary washers and dryers. On a recent solo cruise on the NCL Joy, I was in a Club Balcony Suite. I was given one bag of laundry with my stateroom selection. Yet the Haven does not include a complementary laundry service. Glad I understood the perks prior to sailing. e. Streaming Media: Seems silly to watch a movie in your stateroom while on a cruise. It really comes in handy sometimes. On many mainstream cruise brands, unless you are in the VIP area suites, streaming movies are charged to your stateroom. On Premium Plus and above, they are usually complementary however you should always check. Streaming movies were All complementary when in a NCL Haven Suite except for adult titles. f. Specialty Coffee/Afternoon Tea Service: On specialty coffee, most Premium Plus and above brands have this as complementary. Afternoon Tea Service in your suite is something that is usually provide for Penthouse and above. There is usually a place on board in a public area that does Afternoon tea. It is lovely to do occasionally. On Mainstream cruise brands even in the VIP areas, Specialty Coffee’s could have a charge. Afternoon tea is usually not an option. This only matters if it matters to you. g. Ship-to-Shore Phone Minutes: This is usually a perk of the more expensive suites. I had this on a cruise with Crystal and simply did not use it. I was glad it was available though. ship-to-shore Phone calls are super expensive usually. No value it you don’t know you have it or don’t have a reason to use it. h. Ship Mobile Phone: This is a stateroom phone that is wireless, and you can take it with you on board. You can be reached and call others on board or call your butler for service regardless of where you are located. The Haven and Retreat also has this as a perk/amenity. i. iPad Usage: You can simply request the iPad and use it while onboard. This is a nice perk yet another one I have never utilized. This little perk is usually for the higher category suites. j. Unlimited Priority Specialty Restaurant Reservations: When at certain stateroom levels, you have NO limits to the number of times you can book a Specialty Restaurant. You can even have the menu served in your stateroom course-by-course with your butler. On Mainstream VIP areas, Specialty Restaurants are not complementary. In some cases, you might get one or two. This goes back to attempting to do an Apple-to-Apple comparison. k. Special Thermal Spa/Outside Spa Area: On most mainstream cruise brands, these areas are extra. On NCL the Thermal Spa is $300.00 per week per guest unless you have a spa suite. The Vibe Beach Club is $209.00 to $275.00 per week per guest. On Oceania they have a private access only outside spa area with a Thermal Spa for upper-level staterooms. The equivalent of a Mainstream inside Thermal Spa. On Premium Plus brands or above are usually complementary. l. Bottles of Spirits: I have only had one suite on a Mainstream Cruise Brand that had bottles of spirits provided. It was the NCL (H2) Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. That was it. On my Crystal Cruises (Luxury) sailing, my butler brought bottles to my suite at my request and yes, they were complementary. On Oceania, the three top level suites NOT including the Penthouse Suites; have 6 bottles of spirits provided to the suite. m. Excursions: Some brands like Viking and RSSC have unlimited or one excursion per port. Others like Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collections and Oceania Cruises you pay for your excursions. From a budget standpoint, I like the lower investment so having unlimited excursions is not a benefit to us. n. Gratuities: I wish everyone would understand that when gratuities are included in your fare, you are still paying for them. They are not complementary. When you attempt to book Celebrity (Premium), you can choose the package where one item is your gratuities or do cruise only. NCL does not include gratuities in their fare nor does Oceania. As a matter of fact, if you have a suite class stateroom, the gratuities are higher because of the guest to crew ratio. Conclusion: After all the research that I did, yes, I choose Oceania Cruises. It was a balance of all the amenities I like, personalized service, excellent dining, nice sized staterooms, and flexibility on excursions. All of this was in a budget range that was in many cases, less than the VIP sections of NCL, Celebrity and MSC. The situation that put me over the top was a four-category upgrade promotion putting my friends and wife in a Penthouse Suite with a Personal Butler. That is like paying for a NCL Club Balcony Suite and getting a Haven Penthouse Suite. NCL does not do that. If I would have chosen the NCL Haven on the Breakaway (Mainstream) the total investment was $14,001.00; NCL Haven on the NCL Viva (Premium) the investment was $16,611.70; The Celebrity Edge (Premium) in the Retreat $14,912.85; Viking (Luxury) $10,596.00; Oceania Cruises (Premium Plus) $10,656.00. The examples given included fare, airfare, specialty restaurants, exclusive area’s on the ship and gratuities. Except for Viking which also included an excursion at every port. Those excursions were all walking excursions so not what I was looking for. I wrote this op-ed from an informational standpoint only. It is my research done over-time. It was based on my wants/needs, NOT yours. It allowed me to decide and book a “Bucket List” cruise opportunity. I did my best to do an Apple-to-Apple comparison. I hope it is helpful and I am willing to answer any questions you might have. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for the kind words. I also hope Crystal will become even a better brand then before. That Cruise gave me a better perspective of what to expect when cruising outside of the mainstream brands. It was different, in a somewhat strange time. I could see what others were talking about yet thought there could be a center ground between Mainstream and Luxury. I am hoping as I am sure you are, that we find that in Oceania. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Please clarify the $400 OBC part of your statement. That was confusing to me. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Mura Well thank you. I wish what I did was about being a great friend. In reality, it was about being selfish. I REALLY wanted to go on a 10-day Cruise to the Mediterranean. I am 65 and my wife is 62. My love of my life has some knee and hip issues so a cruise is the best choice for such a trip. Even though, she tells me all the time, "NO MORE CRUISES". See, I am just a selfish old man. On to my choice with Oceania. It helped me choose because it is a member of the NCL family. It also helped that a few years ago, I did all my due diligence on Oceania. This time around it was a much easier selection. I had mentioned in an earlier posting that I did a "Luxury Cruise Test Drive". It was on Crystal prior to its financial issues. I spent a year on the Crystal Board on cruisecritic asking lots of questions. I realize now, I was a complete pain to those fine folks. Yet they were so nice to me. Some who commented during that year are avid Oceania Loyal Guest. They are most helpful on this board. On Oceania, I asked just a few questions and with my past experience, it all made sense. I was recently asked what would make a cruise the best it can be? I had one answer. "Go with good friends and enjoy the experience together." Since my lovely bride is somewhat of an introvert and I am an extrovert, having our friends with us will make a huge difference in her enjoyment. That makes my trip even better. For my friends, they have not gone on a lot of cruises so my experience will help them enjoy the experience better. Watching non-cruisers enjoy the experience, makes my trip. Some of the YouTube video's I have watched focused on the food and dining. I also focused on the classes for food preparation on the ship. This is not everyone's focus but it is mine. My hope is the world will be a more stable and better place in a year then it is right now. The ships will fill back up, more people will be traveling and enjoying their lives. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I absolutely loved the Vibe especially as a solo. You did the right thing with specialty Restaurant's. All. Did different was I did the Free at sea plus. You have a perfect plan.

@Bronx12 Oh stop now. It was a good question. Never feel bad about the questions you ask. All are fair. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Bronx12 The full name of this lounge is the Bliss Ultra Lounge. It is located on Deck 7. It is just the name of this bar. Similar the the "A List Bar" on the NCL Joy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.