MadisonBay

…and we are returning to Regent in September!

I realize appreciation of food is very subjective. Here's our experience...we ate at Ocean Blue in November on Encore and last month on the Bliss. I found the food in the Haven Restaurant far superior especially the lobster tails. It's not a great loss to substitute the Haven Restaurant for Ocean Blue. Plus you can always request (in advance) different offerings. Now that I'm home and eating my own cooking, I miss those problems - Haven vs. Ocean Blue.

@Sthrngary, I can't thank you enough for taking the time and sharing your Haven Secrets. My husband claims that I love planning for cruises almost as much as taking them. I read your Haven Secrets many times and even printed it off and included it in my carry-on. Here's a weird confession - when I was stressing out about not making the ship after missing plane connections and spending the night before the LA cruise in CHARLOTTE not LA, I pulled out your Haven Secrets on the final flight. It distracted me and gave me comfort. Bet you never heard that before. Back to the Haven thoughts FWIW - We disembarked yesterday from the Bliss after a very enjoyable 16-day Panama Canal Cruise. We are Sapphire Latitudes cruisers from our early years of cruising. Since Covid, we have been cruising primarily on Regent and the QM2 suites. This was our first Haven cruise. We were looking at the Haven as a possible alternative. We currently have 2 Regent cruises and a QM2 cruise booked but they can always be cancelled if we prefer the Haven. Everything you said about the Haven applied to our experience on the Bliss. The early emails to the Pre Cruise Concierge were crucial in securing show/specialty dining reservations, lounge chairs on the balcony, and prearranging all our 'needs.' Embarkation went very quickly maybe because we were the second to the last Haven guests to board. 😬 (Still stressed at the thought.) One addition to your Secrets is the Butler whisked us up from the terminal to Deck 6 on the Haven Only elevator to check in with our Life Boat Monitor, then back to the Haven Only elevator to Deck 17. Another update to the Secrets is that on some nights the chef offered a special entree at dinner. I understand that on other ships a special appetizer, entree, and dessert were offered. It did not matter. The consensus of folks on our cruise was that the 'special' was underwhelming and sometimes lukewarm. The food on the regular menu was outstanding and with some creativity avoided boredom on a 16-night cruise. We also had 5 dinners at specialty restaurants which served to reinforce the high quality of the food and the impeccable service in the Haven Restaurant. Last addition to the Secrets - Yesterday was a total catastrophe disembarking from the Bliss. Some non-Haven guests spent 3 +/- hours standing in lines before getting out of the terminal. Haven benefits only extend to escorting on the ship. Gian, the world's best concierge, took us down the service elevator and escorted us to the gangplank. He apologized that he had no authority to do anymore. So we joined the line that moved at a glacial pace. Then out of nowhere, Gian with his magic Haven sign appeared and pulled us out of the line to join his other charges and marched us past the tired, frustrated, unhappy people in line down to claim our luggage. As you said, all the Haven luggage was in one place. Then Gian appeared again with his magic Haven sign and told the port security people that we were from the Haven and were to be put in the priority lane. It was 15 minutes from when Gian initially rescued us, we gathered our luggage, went through immigration, and were out on the street. For 16 days, the concierge, our butler, the room steward, the bartenders, and servers all provided outstanding service. Gian's commitment to all of us to the very end of the cruise (after tips had been distributed) showed a level of service we have experienced on no other cruise line. @Sthrngary, to continue your research on luxury cruise experiences here are my thoughts... Comparisons - Haven vs. Regent vs QM2 Suites All 3 are great cruising experiences. Here is the best IMHO: Concierge + Butler - Haven Room Steward - Haven + QM2 Food Quality - Haven Variety of food - Regent Personalized Service - Haven Restaurant ambiance - (Britannia vs Compass Rose vs Haven restaurant) - Haven hands down the winner Excursions - Regent WIFI - Haven (Bliss) Evening Shows - Haven (Bliss) Daytime Activities - QM2 (enrichment lecturers, Royal Shakespeare Company, Planetarium, library, watercolor classes, dance classes) Specialty Restaurants - Regent. (Bliss specialty restaurants are inconsistent and QM2's Veranda was awful.) Cabin size and finishes - Regent (both Concierge and Penthouse Suites) Bathrooms - Regent Balcony - Haven Itinerary - Regent Dress Code - Always a hot-button topic. I prefer Regent's 'Country Club/Smart Casual' (What's dumb casual?) QM2's formal nights can be a fun change but a hassle to pack. I don't like 'Daisy Dukes' in the Haven restaurant for dinner. Not just one person. How far does Freestyle Cruising go? Bar and Bartenders - Haven! Haven! Haven! Because of the personalized service. Regent charges no cost/gratuities for drinks. QM2 has no limit on bringing alcohol aboard. Pre and Post Cruise excursions - Regent Outside seating - Haven Inside seating - Haven Lounges Note - didn't use fitness center or spa or attend trivia on any cruise We loved the Haven experience more than we thought. The only con was the size of the cabin. It was small, with minimal storage but a great balcony. The bathroom with the tub/shower was dangerous. The bathroom arrangement in the Bliss Club Balcony rooms is far superior. What's the verdict on the best cruise experience? It depends on the itinerary, the length, and the price. And it depends on what is important to you. It's not a bad problem to have to decide between these three @Sthrngary, thank you so much for your Haven Secrets. Now off to do 16 days of laundry.

Thanks. I was afraid of that.

Thank you both for your help. Another question - My daughter wants me to pack 'Shelf stable whole milk juice boxes' to avoid running to the buffet to fill a bottle. (We're driving to Miami. The rest are flying.) Would NCL allow you to bring milk boxes on board? I know you are no longer able to bring soda and water on board.

Great tips. I've added them to my 'survival file.' Thank you.

Thank you. Looks like an opportunity for Grandma playtime.

15 month old girl and almost 4 year old boy

Great advice. The tiny humans are 15 months and almost 4. Only one is potty trained. Good to know that we will have to avoid the pool area with the little one. Also good advice on GSC. I could always pray for rain 🤪. Thanks so much for your thoughtful guidance.

DH and I are seasoned cruisers. (Read that as old!) Although we have Diamond status, it has been 5 years since we have been on NCL. It seems that a lot has changed. Since the pandemic, we have been on several cruises on Regent and the QM2. We have booked 4 cabins which include 2 toddlers on the Encore for Thanksgiving. The reviews of the Encore cruises have been less than glowing. I take reviews with a grain of salt. But there are so many recurring negative themes, that I'm concerned. I need advice on how to manage expectations (This is not Regent!) and how to maximize the experience (Keep everyone happy or at least not ornery). Can you help me? What do I need to do immediately upon embarkation? Does Diamond status give you any leverage? What do I need to do or avoid over the week? Any advice on GSC with 2 little humans? Whatever advice you can give me, I will greatly appreciate the help. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. Elaine

On our April Voyager cruise, there was a LARGE gold Regent tote in our cabin. I hesitated taking it home because of its size. Glad I did! I carried it all around our recent QM2 25 day cruise. It hauled my watercolor supplies, books, room key, phone, water bottle, and other tschocke. Who knew??? It was perfect! I don't know if I need a second one though...

Thanks John.

Ray, As a lifelong 'rower', we have just booked a QM2 Princess Suite for a 30-day 2025 cruise. Your posts have been enlightening. Do Princess Grill Suites include complimentary alcohol and specialty coffees? Enjoy the rest of your trip, Elaine

We just disembarked from the Voyager on Monday. This was our second cruise on her since October 2022. The ship is in great shape. The food was amazing and the staff service was exemplary. The captain faced a challenge on the last night to get the ship to Athens on time in spite of a 3 hour ‘search and rescue mission’ off the Greek coast for a man overboard from another ship. The only downside was the lack of internet in our cabin on the second cruise even though we paid for enhanced internet service. Splendor is still our favorite Regent ship, but our cruise selections our itinerary based. I highly recommend the Voyager.

We just disembarked from the Voyager in Athens on May 8. The cruise director said the entire ship was chartered by one company for May 8 - May 14.