The Havens

I’ve never sailed in a Haven, but I’m always seeing posts from people who won’t sail unless they’re in one. Are the Haven rooms that much better that you would spend minimum $15k more on the same cruise that could cost you $3k? The perks cannot add up to $12k alone. [emoji848] I’m not knocking anyone for choosing to sail that way. I’m just genuinely interested in why it’s worth that much extra.

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I’ve never sailed in a Haven, but I’m always seeing posts from people who won’t sail unless they’re in one. Are the Haven rooms that much better that you would spend minimum $15k more on the same cruise that could cost you $3k? The perks cannot add up to $12k alone. [emoji848] I’m not knocking anyone for choosing to sail that way. I’m just genuinely interested in why it’s worth that much extra.

 

 

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Yes.

Words cannot describe why - you'll have to experience it for yourself.

No, not for me it isn't.

The perks don't even come close to what they charge for them. However, this is a decision you have to make for yourself. Do you need a Butler to bring you snacks every day or are you just going to snack around the ship when you are out and about? Do you want to have a dinner in your room or would you rather be out and about among other people with some ambiance? Some people like fine wine, some people like a good beer.

And of course, budget always plays a big factor for some people. Some like to splurge, others would rather have multiple cruises in a lesser category cabin for the same price they would pay for the Haven.

There is no right or wrong answer.

It's a ship within a ship. If you like quiet time, this is the place to be. If you like to be catered to, you will be. I cannot list all the wonderful perks you will be experiencing.

It's not worth it to me. We were able to sail in one as a gift but would never spend that much money on one again. We could care less about the butler/concierge. The pool area was quite nice for relaxing but I could do the same elsewhere. Some people like to be waited on but not me. The "extras" are not worth it, IMHO.

I don't know which cruise you're citing for the jump of $3k vs. $15k. In any case my wife and I choose the Haven for the tranquility and overall (in our opinion) a nicer cruise experience. I've been cruising, mostly on NCL since 1988. Over the years we've traveled with our daughters and other family members as the kids were growing up. At that time there was no Haven but we wouldn't have used it anyway as the kids wanted to be around the crowds on the pool deck and participate in the events. Back then there were 2 formal nights on a 7 day cruise. Now quite a few people choose to look and act more like spring breakers which we don't care to be around. We could move to a more upscale cruise line however over the years we've racked up a lot of Latitude points so we choose to stick with NCL. Again choices.... Anyway if you've never been in the Haven it's very hard to explain.

You'll get a ton of opinions and there's been quite a few threads concerning the same question. Whatever you decide it's all good.

Are the Haven rooms that much better that you would spend minimum $15k more on the same cruise that could cost you $3k?

We're retired and can cruise when the rates are low. Our Haven room is no where near $15K.

We have a room next March in the Breakaway Haven and the grand total for three of us is $7,200. Totally worth it!

I am for sure a "Haven or nothing" type of cruiser and have always completely enjoyed my time in the Haven and felt it was worth every penny.

That said, for $15K more I would simply pass on the cruise! I'm not sure what cruise you are looking at or what category you are looking to upgrade to, but that seems to be an extreme price difference. For a point of reference, I am cruising on the Escape to Bermuda next Sept in a Deluxe Owners Suite for a little over $10K for two.

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I don't know which cruise you're citing for the jump of $3k vs. $15k.

Almost any, our 14 day cruise on the BA cost about $3300 for a Spa Balcony. At the time of booking the cheapest Haven cabin would have cost us a little over 12K. With that said prices have dropped a little but not that much

For me the Haven is more about having a quite place to relax than the 'pampering'....I am not a fan of people. lol I like that I can lounge and read in peace (and easily find shade) any time of the day and not have to fight the crowds searching endlessly for an open lounger. So I'm paying for the extra space outside of my room - which is why on the newer ships, the spa haven rooms are always my first choice. They are the cheapest haven category, and you get both the haven and the spa. While I do enjoy butler, concierge, and private dinning, those alone wouldn't be worth it for me.

Ask me in a week! We’re getting ready to experience the Haven for the first time. At this point, I don’t know if I would pay for it outright because it is very expensive. We were able to bid and 2 of us for one week was $4200. I think that’s a good price. I am so glad we bid, as this is my first time on a mega ship and what I was starting to hear about the crowds was really making me nervous! For me, it’s not so much about the butler service, but the ability to bypass lines and to be in the Haven area, more relaxed and away from the hustle and bustle of such a large ship.

I understand the price that some people are talking about. I have a Haven 2 bedroom cabin on the Bliss this summer and it is $18000 for 5 of us. As with other cabins the first two get hit. The fair for my wife and I was $16000 of that $18000.

The big advantage is the cabin size for me and just being pampered and treated special. We are far from living like this day to day but can afford it once a year for 7 days.

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I’ve never sailed in a Haven, but I’m always seeing posts from people who won’t sail unless they’re in one. Are the Haven rooms that much better that you would spend minimum $15k more on the same cruise that could cost you $3k? The perks cannot add up to $12k alone. [emoji848] I’m not knocking anyone for choosing to sail that way. I’m just genuinely interested in why it’s worth that much extra.

On our upcoming cruise, the Haven starts at about $6500, compared to around $3000 for our mini-suite.

The havens on the older (jewel class) ships are much less. We are paying a little over $8k for 4 people for a 10 day cruise on the Jade in March.

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Until last month, we've only sailed in the Haven (and we've only ever cruised on NCL). We were on the Dawn last month in a suite (no Haven available) and we definitely missed the Haven.

We rarely use the butler, but we look forward to the afternoon snacks! For us, we love the larger cabin, private restaurant and courtyard and the ability to avoid lines.

That being said, for us the Haven prices for the Bliss are not something we will consider. They are currently running $3,000 PER PERSON more than the same cabin on the Getaway for the same week. And to put things in perspective, for the Escape's first season, it was only priced $100 (no, I'm not missing a zero) more than the Getaway for the week we wanted to sail.

Yes, we will continue to sail NCL and in the Haven. I can pretty much safely say that at this point, we will always sail in suites. However, we may look at spending some of our vacation dollars on a land vacation. We won't spend $15,000 just on cruise fare to go to the same three islands again.

We're retired and can cruise when the rates are low. Our Haven room is no where near $15K.

 

We have a room next March in the Breakaway Haven and the grand total for three of us is $7,200. Totally worth it!

I'd book the Haven too if I wanted to sail out of NY in the winter.

Not worth it to me. We won upgrade bid to Haven on the Getaway in March for $610 pp and of course loved it, more than I expected actually. As a result I considered going out of my budget to book Haven again for our December cruise. Being off season thought maybe I could find a decent price. Alas that wasn't possible, with the prices exceedingly high and not worth it to me even if I could afford it. In the course of my research, thanks to other members, I came across a better alternative, MSC's Yacht Club (YC).

Had never heard of MSC so did some research which lead me to booking the YC on the Divina. Higher than I preferred to pay, but much, much less than Haven. The cost for 2 of us was $3720, including all taxes, fees, and unlimited alcohol/beverage package. We even had enough OBC to pay our tips. It was a price I couldn't pass up and I'm so glad I didn't.

In my opinion, the YC enclave and the service we received make the Haven look amateurish. We were blown away by the YC and the entire Divina ship experience. Yes, there are pluses and minuses to each, particularly involving cabin size and finishes where NCL excels, but the overall experience was much higher in the YC. One example is the lounges. The Haven lounge is small and difficult to maneuver among the furniture and lacks any ocean view. YC's on the other hand encompasses the entire front of the ship with lovely views, elegant furnishings, live piano music in the evening, full afternoon tea served by butlers, snack area, full bar service (never need to even show cabin card in the YC), and specialty coffees. Simply sublime. We booked the Seaside for March before taking this cruise and so happy we nabbed the last YC cabin for that sailing because it far exceeded my expectations and is fully worth the price we paid.

The new Bliss 14 day sailing was going to be around 15k for us in a haven vs 7k for a balcony. That’s over twice as much. I think i didn’t proofread when i wrote 3k. Sorry! It still makes my point though

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The new Bliss 14 day sailing was going to be around 15k for us in a haven vs 7k for a balcony. That’s over twice as much. I think i didn’t proofread when i wrote 3k. Sorry! It still makes my point though

 

 

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Ahh, for a 14 night in the newest ship ... now it makes sense! Whatever you decide, have a great trip! [emoji3]

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I will never pay the price for the Haven again. Too many low-class low-lifes ruining the experience. (I could tell you so many stories, including being threatened with assault by a drunken bimbo.) The only thing I will consider anymore is the GV or OS on the Dawn/Star/Jewel class ships.

The Haven is wonderful! I hope that everyone who is getting their bid remembers to tip your butler, concierge, & Haven restaurant staff. Not a have to, of course, but having more privileges also is showing more gratitude. I realize you pay more to get there, but please remember the extra service you receive for it. Enjoy the experience!

I have to agree with CarrieAP completely. In October of 2016 we had a Haven Spa Suite on the Escape. We loved it, mainly for the priority on and off the ship and the Haven Restaurant. The Haven was a surprise for my husband. During the cruise he said he’d never sail again unless it was a suite. Needless to say, I found MSC. In October of this year we were on the Divina in the YC. We had a 2 room suite at the bow of the ship for a little over $4500. That cruise cost us $2000 less than the NCL trip. Now we are booked for a 2019 cruise in the deluxe YC because we have 2 cabins. We’re taking our daughter’s family with us to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

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The Haven solved a lot of my issues with cruising. Standing in lines is difficult for me. Almost no standing in lines. Closed in feeling?. Gone. We get a cabin with a big balcony and have lots of quiet uncrowded places to hang out. Large noisy restaurants? We can sit in a specialty restaurant for meals for free for breakfast and lunch and almost every night for dinner. Feeling like we are stuck if we have a problem or special request? Gone because of the aid of a butler and concierge. All in all a much better experience than our three cruises not in the Haven. If you are flexible you can get a week in a Haven cabin for $3500 each and sometimes cheaper.

I’ve never sailed in a Haven, but I’m always seeing posts from people who won’t sail unless they’re in one. Are the Haven rooms that much better that you would spend minimum $15k more on the same cruise that could cost you $3k? The perks cannot add up to $12k alone. [emoji848] I’m not knocking anyone for choosing to sail that way. I’m just genuinely interested in why it’s worth that much extra.

 

 

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Think of it like sitting in first class on an airplane vs coach. Plane goes to the same place. You use the same lavatory. Is it worth $2000 per FC seat vs $200 in coach?

Or the difference between a suite in a hotel vs the 1st floor room with a view of the dumpster outside.

Has absolutely nothing to do with the value of perks. It has to do with what people value.

We sit in first class (most of the time). We sail in the Havens (some of the time). We stay in hotel suites and upgrade rooms (all of the time). Because that makes us comfortable. On a ship we like a butler to fold our underwear and iron our socks (none of the time) but do appreciate if he brings us a PB&J sandwich with the afternoon snacks.

I could tell you all the reasons I have cruised in Haven suites on NCL but now that NCL has become the Priceline of cruising It is insulting to those of us who outright book suites to see how low the folks next door paid compared to us.

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