From the Haven to a Regular Balcony... Our Experience

hmmm....you would think that wouldn't be an issue for haven stayers.

Yea, they do a better job of alerting you to your perks in the Haven. I'm really not counting that in my review, though, as that's simply a poor business practice. I did get everything I had coming/wanted, I just had to remind them on a few.

I'm wondering a bit about this. It doesn't sound like you have been eating dinners in the MDR on your previous cruises and it also doesn't sound like you ate any dinners in the MDR on this cruise. What are you basing your opinion on?

We have done an occasional MDR (but no, not on this cruise) - more when we went with friends and that's where they wanted to eat. The difference is pretty noticeable.

Wait, is the new Haven area open on GSC?

You know, I'm not 100% certain. I just saw it and assumed it was, and didn't pay it any mind after that.

Thank you for the comparison. Being Platinum, I found my last cruise in a balcony to be a similar experience to yours when compared to past suite sailings. However I did book a Yacht Club cabin for our next cruise, unfortunately MSC doesn't have coffee makers in any cabin.

They do have coffee makers in YC, I had one on my inside suite

The picture is not great but you can see part of the coffee machine on the right end side, lol

And thanks for the review OP!

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We're people who only do suite level for the bigger room (and DH likes the priority embark/disembark). With suite prices seemingly on the rise across most of the cruise lines, we can book two adjoining balconies for about half the cost of a suite and still get all the room we need and two bathrooms! It's hard to justify paying an additional $4,000-$5,000 (during peak cruise times) for a concierge and a butler we don't use. The private dining for suite passengers is great, but also not worth the price difference (for us).

Hey all,

 

My wife and I have done 7 Haven/suite cruises, and always really enjoyed them (we always got an Aft suite with Haven/Suite privileges). However, the price has climbed higher, and combined with a higher health insurance deductible this year, we canceled our Haven room on this year's cruise (the Breakaway) and re-booked into a regular aft balcony.

 

I've always heard that once you go suite, going back is hard. So, how was our experience? I have to say, it was excellent. Let me break it down into several areas. I'll give each area a 1-10 score (and to make it easy, assume the Haven is a 10 for each.)

 

Disclaimer: My wife and I are Platinum, so that factors into things. Also, aside from the Restaurant, we also rarely used the actual Haven area (it always feels too closed in for us). One more thing: we are in our 50's, and we do not have kids. So all of my experiences/scores factor those in.

 

Embarkation:

This was an area of concern for me - I really hate lines. The Haven always made this easy. And yea, my heart sank a bit as we walked past that Haven sign, and I saw hundreds of people on that snake line in front of me... but wait!!! We were shown the Platinum line, which had three people on it, and we were given boarding group #2. Cool. We were on the ship about the same time as the Haven people. We then went to lunch at Margaritaville, where we had the place to ourselves. This was the only meal we paid for for the week.

Score: 10

 

The Room:

Truthfully, our aft balcony room was wonderful. Yes, we were missing the table/chairs, and didn't have that second bathroom, but all in all, it was still pretty spacious, with a good sized bathroom. Storage was fine. Plus, on the aft, all of the balconies are pretty big - we had 2 chairs, 2 lounges, and a table, so no downgrade there. I did miss the coffeemaker, though - the little drip pot they give is nowhere near as nice. But that's it.

Score: 8 (deducting 2 points for coffee).

 

Breakfast/Lunch:

I worried a bit about this as well. The Haven is great for Breakfast and Lunch. But you know, it wasn't a big deal. We frequented Savor for Breakfast and Lunch, and never had a problem getting a seat (and usually got a window seat). We went to breakfast at 8, and lunch at noon, and it was never crowded. I found the food quality for breakfast and lunch no different than the Haven, and the menu is actually larger. One thing: the service is a little better in the Haven. Just a little - I'll deduct a point for that..

Score: 9

 

Dinner:

We've always eaten specialty almost every night, and used the Haven to fill in the one or two nights we didn't feel like paying (I mentioned the Haven breakfast and lunch being the same as the free restaurants, but that's not so with dinner - the Haven is clearly superior to the free options). But for this cruise, we got 3 meals with the dining package, and another 2 for both being Platinum. That's 5 nights. We ate another dinner ashore in Florida, and our last night, we went to the Noodle bar (free and excellent.) Didn't miss this one bit. But again, we always do mostly specialty anyway, whether we have the package or not. YMMV.

Score: 10 (or N/A if you prefer).

 

Disembarkation:

In the Haven, we always got off the ship right away, carrying our own luggage. Always being homesick by day 6, we LOVED that. So again, I was a bit worried here. Shouldn't have been - it was a breeze. I even grabbed the wrong tags for Platinum, so we were sent to the "anyone who wants to walk off early" line, which, since we got there at 7:20, was not very long. In fact, we walked off right beside the Haven people (and I always remembered as a Haven guest that plenty of non-Haven people got off the same time as us.) The only downside here was no coffee while waiting. I like coffee, so I'll deduct one point for that.

Score: 9

 

Intangibles:

My wife and I are very "we'll do it ourselves" by nature, so we never used the Concierge (although it would appear Platinum gets access there too). We also had little use for the Butler. So we didn't miss those. Platinum also gets priority tender, so no issue there. Yes, we couldn't use the new private area on GSC, but whatever. As I mentioned earlier, the smaller room (and the fact that we didn't feel like "we paid so much for this we should use it") made us get out and explore more. We found so many quiet areas (hint: deck 8, outside of Cagneys... sit in the shade, watch the sea go by, and nobody is ever there.) We really enjoyed exploring the ship more. I also used to think having that Haven card mattered elsewhere on the ship. It doesn't - I noticed no downgrade in service anywhere.

Score: 9

 

Final Thoughts:

Our aft balcony was about HALF the price of a Haven suite. So, based on my scores above, I figure if I sacrifice a little coffee convenience, I can essentially get 2 cruises for the price of one. No brainer. The Haven was nice, but for us, it's now a pleasant memory. Aft balcony from now on.

 

I hope this review helps those in similar situations. If anyone has any questions, I'll try and answer.

We found the regular pool to be mobed. Almost a fire hazzard How was your experience? we couldn’t stand the noise or crowds Loved the concierge service in the Haven Perhaps being Platinum gave you some perks. Also found regular cabins tiny. Only Junior suites were normal sized. We wouldn’t sail NCL unless Haven. Since the Haven is so expensive, we mostly sail Celebrity or Royal with family. The perks help make our vacation special. Perhaps if we sailed non peak periods, The public areas on the ship would be less crowded.

weve had the joy of sailing in a suite/haven twice, both under the old school upsell fairy program. we loved it, but have gone back to regular rooms. i agree with you - in teh suite, we rarely left the Haven area, so you dont see much of hte ship. we do miss the butler and free room service (better menu) but not enough to regularly pay that price. we are splurging for our panama canal cruise in April and doing the suite, mostly for the extra space for 14 days (i think we'd kill each other in a balcony room for 14 days!!).

I agree with everything you stated. We went from aft balconies to the Haven for a few cruises and then back to our afts. I was afraid I would be missing the Haven perks but we too are platinum. I love cruising but the price of the Haven is just way more than we are willing to pay and an aft balcony (especially the larger ones) is the way we plan to go from now on.

I really am torn on whether to try for an upgrade or not. We are currently in a large balcony (B6) so any of the 'affordable' upgrades (H9. H7. H5) would actually decrease the size of our balcony, and I don't think the Haven area will make up for that. I think we'll enjoy the privacy of our own large balcony more than the semi-privacy of a restricted area. Though the Spa Suite is certainly tempting, since there are actual amenities (therapy pool, salt room, etc.) in the thermal suite that we would otherwise have to pay to access.

Just can't decide!

I really am torn on whether to try for an upgrade or not. We are currently in a large balcony (B6) so any of the 'affordable' upgrades (H9. H7. H5) would actually decrease the size of our balcony, and I don't think the Haven area will make up for that. I think we'll enjoy the privacy of our own large balcony more than the semi-privacy of a restricted area. Though the Spa Suite is certainly tempting, since there are actual amenities (therapy pool, salt room, etc.) in the thermal suite that we would otherwise have to pay to access.

 

Just can't decide!

It depends on what's important to you. IMO most important is the size of the cabin and the storage- the balcony second. We had a forward facing suite and the balcony was very small, but the suite was great. Two decent sized rooms lots of storage. While not located directly in Haven, the walk was well worth it. We had all of the Haven's perks as we were Haven guests.

Hey all,

 

My wife and I have done 7 Haven/suite cruises, and always really enjoyed them (we always got an Aft suite with Haven/Suite privileges). However, the price has climbed higher, and combined with a higher health insurance deductible this year, we canceled our Haven room on this year's cruise (the Breakaway) and re-booked into a regular aft balcony.

 

I've always heard that once you go suite, going back is hard. So, how was our experience? I have to say, it was excellent. Let me break it down into several areas. I'll give each area a 1-10 score (and to make it easy, assume the Haven is a 10 for each.)

 

Disclaimer: My wife and I are Platinum, so that factors into things. Also, aside from the Restaurant, we also rarely used the actual Haven area (it always feels too closed in for us). One more thing: we are in our 50's, and we do not have kids. So all of my experiences/scores factor those in.

 

Embarkation:

This was an area of concern for me - I really hate lines. The Haven always made this easy. And yea, my heart sank a bit as we walked past that Haven sign, and I saw hundreds of people on that snake line in front of me... but wait!!! We were shown the Platinum line, which had three people on it, and we were given boarding group #2. Cool. We were on the ship about the same time as the Haven people. We then went to lunch at Margaritaville, where we had the place to ourselves. This was the only meal we paid for for the week.

Score: 10

 

The Room:

Truthfully, our aft balcony room was wonderful. Yes, we were missing the table/chairs, and didn't have that second bathroom, but all in all, it was still pretty spacious, with a good sized bathroom. Storage was fine. Plus, on the aft, all of the balconies are pretty big - we had 2 chairs, 2 lounges, and a table, so no downgrade there. I did miss the coffeemaker, though - the little drip pot they give is nowhere near as nice. But that's it.

Score: 8 (deducting 2 points for coffee).

 

Breakfast/Lunch:

I worried a bit about this as well. The Haven is great for Breakfast and Lunch. But you know, it wasn't a big deal. We frequented Savor for Breakfast and Lunch, and never had a problem getting a seat (and usually got a window seat). We went to breakfast at 8, and lunch at noon, and it was never crowded. I found the food quality for breakfast and lunch no different than the Haven, and the menu is actually larger. One thing: the service is a little better in the Haven. Just a little - I'll deduct a point for that..

Score: 9

 

Dinner:

We've always eaten specialty almost every night, and used the Haven to fill in the one or two nights we didn't feel like paying (I mentioned the Haven breakfast and lunch being the same as the free restaurants, but that's not so with dinner - the Haven is clearly superior to the free options). But for this cruise, we got 3 meals with the dining package, and another 2 for both being Platinum. That's 5 nights. We ate another dinner ashore in Florida, and our last night, we went to the Noodle bar (free and excellent.) Didn't miss this one bit. But again, we always do mostly specialty anyway, whether we have the package or not. YMMV.

Score: 10 (or N/A if you prefer).

 

Disembarkation:

In the Haven, we always got off the ship right away, carrying our own luggage. Always being homesick by day 6, we LOVED that. So again, I was a bit worried here. Shouldn't have been - it was a breeze. I even grabbed the wrong tags for Platinum, so we were sent to the "anyone who wants to walk off early" line, which, since we got there at 7:20, was not very long. In fact, we walked off right beside the Haven people (and I always remembered as a Haven guest that plenty of non-Haven people got off the same time as us.) The only downside here was no coffee while waiting. I like coffee, so I'll deduct one point for that.

Score: 9

 

Intangibles:

My wife and I are very "we'll do it ourselves" by nature, so we never used the Concierge (although it would appear Platinum gets access there too). We also had little use for the Butler. So we didn't miss those. Platinum also gets priority tender, so no issue there. Yes, we couldn't use the new private area on GSC, but whatever. As I mentioned earlier, the smaller room (and the fact that we didn't feel like "we paid so much for this we should use it") made us get out and explore more. We found so many quiet areas (hint: deck 8, outside of Cagneys... sit in the shade, watch the sea go by, and nobody is ever there.) We really enjoyed exploring the ship more. I also used to think having that Haven card mattered elsewhere on the ship. It doesn't - I noticed no downgrade in service anywhere.

Score: 9

 

Final Thoughts:

Our aft balcony was about HALF the price of a Haven suite. So, based on my scores above, I figure if I sacrifice a little coffee convenience, I can essentially get 2 cruises for the price of one. No brainer. The Haven was nice, but for us, it's now a pleasant memory. Aft balcony from now on.

 

I hope this review helps those in similar situations. If anyone has any questions, I'll try and answer.

1/2 of life is attitude and you certainy have a good one. That being said, when our oldest granddaughter went on a girls family trip not to long ago they had a haven suite. Her comment and this comes from a kid who is used to pretty much close to top of the line: it was wonderful but I wouldn't necessarily do it again. Hubby and I do not do Haven but we do balcony or mini suites. Do to the cost of our next cruie being a little higher than we normally pay, we are stepping back to just an outside cabin. Yes, we have bid on an upgrade, yes I am praying we get it but am also sure we will do just fine if we do not.

We found the regular pool to be mobed. Almost a fire hazzard How was your experience? we couldn’t stand the noise or crowds Loved the concierge service in the Haven Perhaps being Platinum gave you some perks. Also found regular cabins tiny. Only Junior suites were normal sized. We wouldn’t sail NCL unless Haven. Since the Haven is so expensive, we mostly sail Celebrity or Royal with family. The perks help make our vacation special. Perhaps if we sailed non peak periods, The public areas on the ship would be less crowded.

Well, we're not that into the pool area, so it's a non-factor for us, but to be honest, I didn't find any part of the ship mobbed at anytime except for the shopping area where they set up the $10 stuff in the hallway :)

We always cruise in October, specifically to avoid a ship full of families with kids. I realize that's not possible for everyone.

I assume that is price/pp, correct?

Yes, it is per person.

Thanks for the comparison. We have done a non-Haven suite once and downgraded to balcony or insides recently. I was considering booking a suite on the Dawn, but when I think about how that extra $3k could pay for my daughter's braces, it's not worth it!

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We are first time NCL cruisers and this will only be our 4th cruise. I know on Carnival I enjoyed the Aft facing balcony so that is what I booked. I read about the Haven and the whirlpool suites and thought that would be like a slice of heaven. When I saw the price, I quickly said no thank you. Even the cost of an upgrade bid seems too high for us. Instead, we will be picking up some Thermal Spa passes and are already booked for our next cruise Dec 2018 on MSC-in a whirlpool suite. So we get 2 cruises and the Thermal Spa on the Escape for just a little more than 1 Haven stay.

Thanks for the great review. I would much rather take two cruises in a balcony rather than one in The Haven. Now if money was no object........

Thanks for the great review. I would much rather take two cruises in a balcony rather than one in The Haven. Now if money was no object........

I had put in a $400pp bid in on the H5, H7 & the H9, but I just cancelled them. I'm going to take that $800 and spend it on tickets and hotel to go to the Dinah with my girlfriends this spring!

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I have been really lucky in the upsell / upgrade bidding for my cruises. I have been luck enough to only cruise in suites, and this past week was my 1st Haven experience. We were on the Breakaway, and this was the first time I was not wowed by my suite. We were in a H5, nothing super fancy, but after the suites we were in on the Dawn, Spirit, and Gem, this one was just blah! The service was great, don't get me wrong, but we spent most of our time doing things around the ship and really didn't utilize the Haven area. I think if I ever sail one of the bigger ships I will be very happy in a mini suite or balcony, but going on one of the others I will choose to stay in a suite again!

I get what you're saying. We loved our mini suite with the large balcony on our 1st Breakaway cruise in October a few years ago. But if we are sailing out of NYC in a cold weather month, November-February, we will only do the Haven. The retractable roof courtyard area with the pool gives us a full cruise with good weather.

We will be cruising on our 4th Breakaway cruise in December, 3rd time in the Haven. It's worth it to us. IMHO

I can be just as happy in an inside cabin and if not in a Haven suite would just as soon stay in the least expensive room on the ship. There's a certain thrill I get knowing how little I'm spending on an excellent vacation. I've always received excellent service no matter what stateroom I'm sailing in. I don't find suite breakfast and lunch any better tasting- just easier.

Regarding the speciality dining I've concluded we much prefer it to the mdr so it's an expense I'm going to pay for regardless of what room I'm in.

I will say our last sailing on the Jade was two weeks with three separate tour groups totaling 1200 non English speaking Chinese which made public areas difficult. The Haven area was truly a respite from an immense crowd and really loud volume in public areas. I was very thankful to have the Haven area for some actual rnr. I don't want my vacation to be a lesson in patience. I knew that I would be shoved around and squished into the elevators and public areas but once I got off on 14 I could relax.

This cruise was more expensive than any vacation I've ever taken and had we not had the Haven I would have bailed in Iceland. its the first time I've experienced something like this en mass but I suspect likely not the last. Some things you can predict- spring break crowds.. but large charter groups are not typically foreseeable.

Very interesting discussion I am glad someone from both sides of the ship is discussing.

My wife and I love the Haven, just not the cost. We love the ability to be pampered and spoiled when we do our rare trips. We both agree that we can cruise way more in a regular room, or, splurge and go less and let it be a "unique treat". Mainly around anniversaries or something.

Haven allows us the exclusivity of a pampered experience we don't really allow ourselves on land except for the rare high end restaurant treats. And, we also don't really enjoy having to fight for chairs or pick between good seats and loud music, or bad seats and quiet areas. Buffets are not really our thing and we never go to them on land, so why on a ship?

We live near Long Beach, Ca, so, we could just hop on Carnival if we want a party weekend cruise. But, again, we save our vacation funds for our special haven cruises.

I get what you're saying. We loved our mini suite with the large balcony on our 1st Breakaway cruise in October a few years ago. But if we are sailing out of NYC in a cold weather month, November-February, we will only do the Haven. The retractable roof courtyard area with the pool gives us a full cruise with good weather.

 

We will be cruising on our 4th Breakaway cruise in December, 3rd time in the Haven. It's worth it to us. IMHO

Totally agree. Our experience is limited to the Breakaway and an H2 suite, but we agree that we would rather cruise once a year in the Haven than take 2 non Haven cruises. Especially in the winter months where the outdoor areas are basically off limits for 3 of the days.

I've noticed a difference in thought on this question between people who book in the Haven courtyard and those with Haven suites outside the Haven. Those of us that stay in the Courtyard get accustomed to the peace and quiet and seeing the same faces as you come and go and catching up on the day over a drink at the bar. It really is a ship within a ship feeling and gives you the benefits of both a big and a smaller ship.

For us, we enjoy venturing out of the Haven for activities, meals, etc, but it is just so shockingly loud and crowded (which I totally understand). We have noted on several occasions that if we had to stay in that area 24/7 we would likely not view our vacation as favorably.

For those staying outside the courtyard I wonder if they are just more used to that environment such that shifting non-Haven isn't that much of a big deal? I also agree that have Latitude perks can certainly soften the blow. I guess everyone has there in calculus for this question but for us, it's Haven Courtyard or nothing.

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Thank you for the comparison. Being Platinum, I found my last cruise in a balcony to be a similar experience to yours when compared to past suite sailings. However I did book a Yacht Club cabin for our next cruise, unfortunately MSC doesn't have coffee makers in any cabin.

I have heard about the Yacht Club, would like to have your opinion.

Totally agree. Our experience is limited to the Breakaway and an H2 suite, but we agree that we would rather cruise once a year in the Haven than take 2 non Haven cruises. Especially in the winter months where the outdoor areas are basically off limits for 3 of the days.

 

I've noticed a difference in thought on this question between people who book in the Haven courtyard and those with Haven suites outside the Haven. Those of us that stay in the Courtyard get accustomed to the peace and quiet and seeing the same faces as you come and go and catching up on the day over a drink at the bar. It really is a ship within a ship feeling and gives you the benefits of both a big and a smaller ship.

 

For us, we enjoy venturing out of the Haven for activities, meals, etc, but it is just so shockingly loud and crowded (which I totally understand). We have noted on several occasions that if we had to stay in that area 24/7 we would likely not view our vacation as favorably.

 

For those staying outside the courtyard I wonder if they are just more used to that environment such that shifting non-Haven isn't that much of a big deal? I also agree that have Latitude perks can certainly soften the blow. I guess everyone has there in calculus for this question but for us, it's Haven Courtyard or nothing.

 

 

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We were also in the Haven 2 bedroom suite within the courtyard although one floor down on deck 15. I like being on 15 with all the Haven trimmings on 16. It seems a bit quieter there as only people that were staying in those rooms were generally the only people in that hallway.

We were also in the Haven 2 bedroom suite within the courtyard although one floor down on deck 15. I like being on 15 with all the Haven trimmings on 16. It seems a bit quieter there as only people that were staying in those rooms were generally the only people in that hallway.

Definitely agree. I want to go on a cruise for relaxation and fun. Not feel like I’m at the local pool.

Now, not to switch gears lol. Is vibe or spice h2o or whatever it is, worth buying if you’re Haven?

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