The Haven

[wezie]

Does anyone know what this is about?

[FoodieNJ]

It is NCL's new name for the Courtyard.

 

See: http://thehaven.ncl.com/

[Rileyz]

It seems to be NCL's new way to describe the courtyard area on ships.

[wezie]

Is this only for passengers with suites?

[FoodieNJ]

Is this only for passengers with suites?

It depends upon which NCL cruise ship. On the Epic, I believe all suite passengers have access to the Haven. On other NCL ships, many times the Penthouses that are not directly connected to the "Haven" do not have access.

[bonvoyagie]

Yes and in particular Courtyard Suites - not the Penthouse and Owners Suites on lower decks.

[Journey11]

The owners suites (deluxe and "regular") have access to the courtyard. For the Jewel class ships, that includes those on decks 9, 10 and 15.

[beachchick]

Yes and in particular Courtyard Suites - not the Penthouse and Owners Suites on lower decks.

 

This is not correct. On Jewel-class ships, all Owner's Suites have access to the Courtyard (now Haven?). Deck number is not the deciding factor; suite category is. The Courtyard on Jewel-class ships is for Courtyard Villas (Haven Villas?), Owner's Suites, Deluxe Owner's Suites, and Garden Villas. Other suite categories do not have access. On Epic, I believe that all full suite categories have Courtyard/Haven privileges, but it's also a much, much larger set of venues. On the Jewel-class ships, the Courtyard is small and designed only to hold the 50 or so passengers from the CVs, OSs, DOSs, and GVs.

 

beachchick

[Emmaizzy]

If you follow the link by OP you can download an amenities chart which tells you which suites have access to what.

[cruising 2013]

When you look a a category on the ship you are interested in it will tell you if the room has access to the Haven or not. Having a Butler does not necessarily mean that you have access to the haven, it depends on the ship.

[dadatsea]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

[mfk68]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

Its no different than an airline having business class and first class cabins on their planes. If someone is willing to pay more there is no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to have a different/better experience than those that are not willing to pay more.

[beachchick]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

 

It's not elitism and it's not "class" cruising as you mean it. All passengers are still treated as first class. Suite passengers have paid more to have a larger cabin with more amenities and various perks the cruise line includes in the price of the suite. Some suite passengers are no doubt "snobs" about it, but most are not. Many have saved and saved for one really big splurge. Just as some people, including us, will save longer in order to cruise in a balcony cabin or mini-suite, others will pay more for 1st class on a plane. In your line of thinking, all cabins should be identical because otherwise those in larger cabins or suites are being treated "better" than those in the smallest inside cabins.

 

beachchick

[spacepotatoes]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

 

DH and I always sail in inside cabins and we have not been treated like steerage passengers on either of our cruises. We were treated just as well as everyone else. We didn't get the same perks that people who paid more did, but we were treated just as well.

 

There is a difference between how you are treated and the amenities you are entitled to. Just because you get more "extras" does not automatically mean you are being treated better. Personally, I have no problem with people who want to spend more money getting more for that money. Nothing elitist about that.

[rsinj]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

 

Last I checked, our country was not Socialist ... yet.

 

Howard

[kittymeowpurr23]

on my next cruise I am going to be in a penthouse suite on the Gem. I just looked at the amenties chart and it says the Gem does not offer the Haven to penthouses with balconies. does this mean they did away with all suite perks to penthouses?!?

[sjbdtz]

Sounds like The Haven is "Class" cruising which is not cool to me! My 1st cruise was on The Norway back in 1992 and what impressed;) me the most was that ALL cruisers were treated like 1st class. NO matter if you were an inside cabin (which we were} we were treated the same as those that had balconies..{Big at that time}. No snobs but real cruisers that liked to meet everyone and had a great time doing it. This Elitism bothers me as if you pay more you are treated better than the rest which is how Cunard Lines used to be, The speciality dining is another example of ala carte cruising. NCL Norway was a fantastic cruise but I feel those days have gone to the scrap heap as did that Grand Ship SS NORWAY! ;)

 

 

Even today Insides and Balconies are treated exactly the same.

 

But I wonder whether those in the Owner's Suite on the Grand Ship SS NORWAY were treated the same...or with a few extras?

 

 

 

 

.

[time2cruise1]

on my next cruise I am going to be in a penthouse suite on the Gem. I just looked at the amenties chart and it says the Gem does not offer the Haven to penthouses with balconies. does this mean they did away with all suite perks to penthouses?!?

 

 

No it just means that you don't have access to the Haven/Courtyard just like today. For the most part on the existing ships The Havens is nothing more then a marketing name change.

[dadatsea]

Even today Insides and Balconies are treated exactly the same.

 

But I wonder whether those in the Owner's Suite on the Grand Ship SS NORWAY were treated the same...or with a few extras?

 

 

 

 

.

Point well taken.. as it was our 1st cruise and we were new to cruising perhaps we were naive. It just bothers me with all these add on specility eateries where you pay extra for a better cut of meat or an upgraded ice cream cone or cookie. Where will it end. I know airlines have all their extra add on fees to increase their revenue also. I just remember it used to feel

like cruising was different than it is now. Better? Maybe, but I would like to have a more all inclusive cruise like it used to be than being charged extra for every thing they can think of.:rolleyes:

[peg013]

Maybe, but I would like to have a more all inclusive cruise like it used to be than being charged extra for every thing they can think of.:rolleyes:

 

We prefer to only pay for what we choose so NCL works great for us.:)

[CruisinMaterial]

This is not correct. On Jewel-class ships, all Owner's Suites have access to the Courtyard (now Haven?). Deck number is not the deciding factor; suite category is. The Courtyard on Jewel-class ships is for Courtyard Villas (Haven Villas?), Owner's Suites, Deluxe Owner's Suites, and Garden Villas. Other suite categories do not have access. On Epic, I believe that all full suite categories have Courtyard/Haven privileges, but it's also a much, much larger set of venues. On the Jewel-class ships, the Courtyard is small and designed only to hold the 50 or so passengers from the CVs, OSs, DOSs, and GVs.

 

beachchick

 

At the HAVEN announcement CEO Kevin Sheehan stated that they did try to give people who were not staying in the HAVEN complex access to the Courtyard area but it became too crowded so from now on the only ones with access to the HAVEN pool area will be those actually staying in the HAVEN only. That means all other suites onboard will no longer have access on the JEWEL class ships.

 

On the NORWEGIAN EPIC, the HAVEN is reserved for those in the complex plus an additional 15 suites. The categories were not mentioned specifically.

 

The Jewel class does represent a policy change from NCL.

[peg013]

At the HAVEN announcement CEO Kevin Sheehan stated that they did try to give people who were not staying in the HAVEN complex access to the Courtyard area but it became too crowded so from now on the only ones with access to the HAVEN pool area will be those actually staying in the HAVEN only. That means all other suites onboard will no longer have access on the JEWEL class ships.

 

On the NORWEGIAN EPIC, the HAVEN is reserved for those in the complex plus an additional 15 suites. The categories were not mentioned specifically.

 

The Jewel class does represent a policy change from NCL.

 

This is incorrect. The Owners Suites are still included as a Haven Suite. If you look at the slides from the webinar, it clearly shows there is no difference in the Jewel Class ships from the current policy. Those that were allowed in the Courtyard are now allowed in the "Haven". Only the name has changed. I can't figure out how to post only one page of the 58 slide presentation to show you or I would.

[sverigecruiser]

At the HAVEN announcement CEO Kevin Sheehan stated that they did try to give people who were not staying in the HAVEN complex access to the Courtyard area but it became too crowded so from now on the only ones with access to the HAVEN pool area will be those actually staying in the HAVEN only. That means all other suites onboard will no longer have access on the JEWEL class ships.

 

On the NORWEGIAN EPIC, the HAVEN is reserved for those in the complex plus an additional 15 suites. The categories were not mentioned specifically.

 

The Jewel class does represent a policy change from NCL.

 

Yes, they tried to give all suite guests access to the Courtyard and that was a disaster!!! The Owner suites was not a part of that experiment since they always have had access to the courtyard.

 

The Owner suites still have access but the cheaper Penthouses doesn't and they never had access except for when they did the experiment. (All suites have access to the "Haven" on the Epic and as I understand it also on the coming ships.)

[beachchick]

on my next cruise I am going to be in a penthouse suite on the Gem. I just looked at the amenties chart and it says the Gem does not offer the Haven to penthouses with balconies. does this mean they did away with all suite perks to penthouses?!?

 

The Courtyard/Haven was never a perk for penthouses on the Jewel-class ships (Jewel, Gem, Pearl, Jade). They didn't take away any perks, but since penthouses on Epic do have Courtyard/Haven access, I'm guessing they added the "no access" note for Jewel-class ships to avoid some confusion. The Courtyard/Haven on Gem is small, has no additional attached venues (such as POSH, cafe, bar, restaurant, etc.), has no Concierge Lounge above, and is designed only to accomodate the Villa and OS/DOS passengers.

 

You will have all perks that regular penthouses on Gem have always had. The only things you won't have are Courtyard/Haven privileges (and the services in there), reserved seating in the theater, and no alcohol or soft drinks other than the welcome bottle of bubbly and one bottle of water. Only OS/DOS and GV have included bottles of alcohol (OS/DOS=3; GV=6) and unlimited soft drinks.

 

Now worries. You'll have a wonderful suite life.

 

beachchick

[beachchick]

At the HAVEN announcement CEO Kevin Sheehan stated that they did try to give people who were not staying in the HAVEN complex access to the Courtyard area but it became too crowded so from now on the only ones with access to the HAVEN pool area will be those actually staying in the HAVEN only. That means all other suites onboard will no longer have access on the JEWEL class ships.

 

On the NORWEGIAN EPIC, the HAVEN is reserved for those in the complex plus an additional 15 suites. The categories were not mentioned specifically.

 

The Jewel class does represent a policy change from NCL.

 

They did try it on one cruise, one time, and the result was so horrible that they thought something like, "Well, that was a big fat mistake...never mind." The CV, OS/DOS, and GV passengers were furious because the Courtyard on the Jewel-class ships really is only large enough to accomodate the maximum number of passengers that can cruise in those categories. By allowing all suites, which are numerous on those ships, they added more than 300% more passengers. Those CV, OS/DOS, and GV passengers couldn't even access the area and they had paid a pretty penny for the privilege. We had the pleasure of cruising in a CV only once, but loved it. There is absolutely no way it could work with all suite passengers having access.

 

I'm 99.9% positive that Owner's Suites on Jewel-class ships will still have access to the Haven. It's one of the selling points.

 

 

dadatsea:

 

One thing that's evolved is mainstream or mass market cruising on larger ships designed to attract "average" vacationers and families with children. They've added more dining venues than just the MDR and outdoor grill. Many older ships didn't even have a buffet, so it was "Dine in the MDR when we tell you or starve until the midnight buffet." There are also many, many more things to do onboard than there used to be. These things cost money. The cruise lines could either raise everyone's fares (no thanks) or keep the base fare lower and offer extras or add ons for an additional charge. As an example, many people want the cruise lines to charge everyone more money and include all alcohol. My hubby doesn't drink and I don't want him to have to subsidize anyone's alcohol consumption except mine. Ditto for many other things. If someone wants the extra, he or she can pay for it. We can all choose which extras are worth it for us. And that again has not a thing to do with how passengers are treated onboard. Everyone pays the surcharge at surcharge restaurants, so no one is being treated "better" than someone else.

 

beachchick