Suite life outside the Haven....

[marc b]

DW and I are just off the Getaway. We had a wonderful cruise on the Breakaway last year - stayed in a Penthouse in the Haven - so decided to try an Aft Penthouse on the Getaway this year. We have been cruising for many years; Platinum on NCL. The Haven experience was wonderful last year. Service was perfect. We got off to a rough start this year.....

 

The aft penthouses are wonderful cabins. Cool configuration and awesome balcony and bathroom. The walk to the Haven is good exercise. Our cabin steward and butler left a lot to be desired.

 

Cabin Steward: I had asked three times for robes....0 for 3.....towels in the spare bathroom not replaced, items from the previous cabin occupants left in the drawers, food stains all over the furniture from last cruse(s). Second night upon getting back from cabin - trash cans not emptied, no ice....called the head of hotel services - to his credit, he sent the head of housekeeping and three others down....problem solved.....steward was just not up to par...always something.....after that issue, things got better.

 

Butler: In a word: lazy. We usually nap late afternoon, put out Do Not Disturb sign, then call for treats when we wake up. Last year, our butler was all over it. Didn't need to even call sometimes....she would just show up. So 1st Day, I mention our favorite treat is chocolate covered strawberries.....2nd day, we call for treats after nap, and butler tells me he hasn't come down because Do Not Disturb sign was out. I say okay, so is now okay ? He comes down to cabin and basically tells us that if we leave Do Not Disturb sign on, that creates problems for him. Wow.....and no chocolate covered strawberries....so I notice we don't have a room service menu, and ask him for one. Later, he has the cabin steward drop off a breakfast door hanger....

 

Next morning we run into concierge - awesome gentleman - Adrian - same concierge we had on Breakaway...and after telling him this story, voila, he changes our butler, and we get the same butler we had last year assigned to us. Problem solved. She was/is wonderful. Amusingly, one afternoon we called for some lunch and she was on break....so the lazy butler tells me he can't get us any lunch items because kitchen is closed. So we order a few things.....five minutes later our new butler calls back - off break, and tells us the lunch menu items are not a problem.....she takes care of it....

 

Basically, concierge took care of problem. Problems happen - was good to see that it got corrected quickly and effectively...

 

Some random thoughts: We had UBP - lots of fun- we followed the drink list on the thread that was posted here. Toasted Almond, Mango Meltdown, Painkiller, Rebellious Fish...good time. Specialty restaurants were great. Cagney's, for some reason, is very loud. We saw Legally Blond - very talented cast, but stuck in a bad plot....Ship is huge, plenty to do, very friendly staff. Did feel crowded at times. Lots of unruly kids this trip. Was surprised at lack of basic parental supervision. We are all for kids running around, until they run into adults.....

 

Let me know if questions....

[garnet115]

Thanks for this write up. I am staying in an aft suite on Getaway in February. Do you have any tips for getting the most of the experience given the distance from the Haven? Anything you wish that you had done differently?

 

I am very excited for the aft suite. Just thinking about that balcony puts a smile on my face! I am a little concerned about the distance from the Haven, but may not mind if the butler service is good and I can just get served on my balcony all week. :D When I stayed in spa suite on Breakaway, we barely used the butlerr, but I have a feeling this trip will be a little different due to location.

[marc b]

You will have a great time. The aft suite is a wonderful cabin. Plenty of room, great balcony and great location. It is a bit of a walk to the Haven (and nearest bars), but no biggie. We did breakfast in Haven every day, and made use of Haven pool and tanning deck on sea days. Also went over to Haven bar for a drink every night. Staff there is awesome !! Not being in Haven is slight negative, but outweighed by cabin. Just go up to 16, walk across, and you are there! Once Butler situation squared away for us, made a world of difference.....on port days, nice to have late lunch brought up....also close to Garden Cafe....

[maxwellito]

I must say Adrian is the best concierge NCL has

I sailed many times with him and he always made sure I was well taken care of because I usually sailed alone. When something is wrong he gets it taken care of in a nano second

I have many cool Adrian stories but dont want to bore you

I also appreciate a CC story of a lack luster butler or room steward. In the past when I posted about this CC members usually are on the attack

I know everyone's experience is different but bad service does happen

My last cruise was on the BA and my butler Arturo was beyond lazy

I saw him maybe twice during the whole cruise and the only think I asked for wasn't done when I asked.

Not tragic because it was one of my better cruises

I always miss Adrian when sailing in the Haven because as I mentioned before he is the Best.

The BA concierge John, just like the butler Arturo was a DUD

[tarps14]

I'm pretty sure I know who you had as the replacement butler and she is the best we have ever had. We've had her twice on two different ships, last time was Jan on the Getaway. "No" does not exist for her. I would be thrilled to get her in Sept when we sail the Getaway aft again. In fact, I may check with the pre-cruise concierge desk and request her if she's still on board.

 

Adrian was very good as well although we didn't use him a great deal.

 

Thanks for the aft review.

[marc b]

Our replacement Butler's name was Lanie (sp?). We have had her twice now. She is awesome! What is fascinating to me is that she (and Adriian) remembered us from the Breakaway. They could give seminars on customer service. And will keep us coming back to NCL Haven. The Haven restaurant is also top notch on service. I heard people asking for no syrup on berries, no problem. Weaker French Press, no problem.....stuff from other dining rooms, no problem....even the bartenders are wonderful...apologizing because one night we actually had to wait longer than two minutes for a drink...lol

 

Should mention UDP reservations were really a non-issue. We had two slight deviations....wanted 8 pm prime evening at Cagney's, and had to wait until 8 30 (we asked at like 3 pm that day). Same with Le Bistro.....7 45 instead of 7 30. Total non-issue....they hold tables back for Haven and come pretty darned close.....

[tarps14]

Our replacement Butler's name was Lanie.

 

That's the one! She really is fantastic. Absolutely the best we've ever had.

[tymike]

Lanie is the absolute best! We had her two summers ago on the BA when we had the DOS and connecting PH suite. She delivered everything with a smile and lots of energy! We only asked for one breakfast in the room (but for 8 people) and it was perfect. She really is the best!

 

I missed her on our recent BA cruise...but we stayed in an H7 and our butler was very sweet and tried really hard to please. It was all good!

[Poop_Deck]

Thank you for the review! We will be in an Aft Penthouse on Getaway in October. We can not wait to eat breakfast on that beautiful balcony every morning!

I have heard that Adrian will not be on board in October...can anyone confirm? If so, has there been any word on the street as to who will replace him?

[garnet115]

I have heard that Adrian will not be on board in October...can anyone confirm? If so, has there been any word on the street as to who will replace him?

 

It was posted on another thread that John D'Souza will replace Adrian.

[alrichards4003]

It was posted on another thread that John D'Souza will replace Adrian.

 

We had John on the Jewel and he was great. When we boarded he gave us his card. He saw us every morning at breakfast to ask if we needed anything in addition to most dinners, and helping us through customs.

[brookie848]

Is Adrian going to the Escape?

 

We've sailed in the Haven on the Epic twice and have had good luck with concierge and room stewards. We don't use the butler for anything but snacks and keeping the fruit bowl full, but we have been lucky there as well.

 

I'm hoping our luck continues on the Escape in February!

[cdnmr]

DW and I are just off the Getaway. We had a wonderful cruise on the Breakaway last year - stayed in a Penthouse in the Haven - so decided to try an Aft Penthouse on the Getaway this year. We have been cruising for many years; Platinum on NCL. The Haven experience was wonderful last year. Service was perfect. We got off to a rough start this year.....

 

The aft penthouses are wonderful cabins. Cool configuration and awesome balcony and bathroom. The walk to the Haven is good exercise. Our cabin steward and butler left a lot to be desired.

 

Cabin Steward: I had asked three times for robes....0 for 3.....towels in the spare bathroom not replaced, items from the previous cabin occupants left in the drawers, food stains all over the furniture from last cruse(s). Second night upon getting back from cabin - trash cans not emptied, no ice....called the head of hotel services - to his credit, he sent the head of housekeeping and three others down....problem solved.....steward was just not up to par...always something.....after that issue, things got better.

 

Butler: In a word: lazy. We usually nap late afternoon, put out Do Not Disturb sign, then call for treats when we wake up. Last year, our butler was all over it. Didn't need to even call sometimes....she would just show up. So 1st Day, I mention our favorite treat is chocolate covered strawberries.....2nd day, we call for treats after nap, and butler tells me he hasn't come down because Do Not Disturb sign was out. I say okay, so is now okay ? He comes down to cabin and basically tells us that if we leave Do Not Disturb sign on, that creates problems for him. Wow.....and no chocolate covered strawberries....so I notice we don't have a room service menu, and ask him for one. Later, he has the cabin steward drop off a breakfast door hanger....

 

Next morning we run into concierge - awesome gentleman - Adrian - same concierge we had on Breakaway...and after telling him this story, voila, he changes our butler, and we get the same butler we had last year assigned to us. Problem solved. She was/is wonderful. Amusingly, one afternoon we called for some lunch and she was on break....so the lazy butler tells me he can't get us any lunch items because kitchen is closed. So we order a few things.....five minutes later our new butler calls back - off break, and tells us the lunch menu items are not a problem.....she takes care of it....

 

Basically, concierge took care of problem. Problems happen - was good to see that it got corrected quickly and effectively...

 

Some random thoughts: We had UBP - lots of fun- we followed the drink list on the thread that was posted here. Toasted Almond, Mango Meltdown, Painkiller, Rebellious Fish...good time. Specialty restaurants were great. Cagney's, for some reason, is very loud. We saw Legally Blond - very talented cast, but stuck in a bad plot....Ship is huge, plenty to do, very friendly staff. Did feel crowded at times. Lots of unruly kids this trip. Was surprised at lack of basic parental supervision. We are all for kids running around, until they run into adults.....

 

Let me know if questions....

 

 

Wow. :eek:

 

If I had to be your steward/butler/dancing monkey for even a day I'd quit. I am certain the lazy butler likely counted being reassigned as a blessing.

[Poop_Deck]

We had John on the Jewel and he was great. When we boarded he gave us his card. He saw us every morning at breakfast to ask if we needed anything in addition to most dinners, and helping us through customs.

 

Thank you for the feedback!

[marc b]

cdnmr - not sure I understand your comment, but it's basic expectation to have robes, (asked for 3x), a room service menu, and afternoon treats in suite amenities - and to not be told that you are putting someone out for basic service. And a clean cabin and ice seem basic as well.

 

Have enough cruises under my belt to know when service is good when it is merely below par, and when something needs to be said about it. If you are paying for a service, and not receiving it, why wouldn't you say something? And in our case, it got resolved quickly and amiably.....

[vinnytman]

Wow. :eek:

 

If I had to be your steward/butler/dancing monkey for even a day I'd quit. I am certain the lazy butler likely counted being reassigned as a blessing.

 

 

Don't think the OP was being unreasonable at all. Suite pax pay the extra amount of $$$ for these services -- and butler service 24/7.

 

So the OP could've said nothing and stiffed the butler for a tip at the end for the lousy service or did what they did -- which was report it to the HD. The cruise lines want you to say something if there's bad service while on the ship so the appropriate staff can correct the problem right then and there.

[bonvoyagie]

At the meet and greets all of the officers tell you they want to know if your service is sub par. They really want you to have a fantastic cruise experience. If someone on the crew is keeping you from having that fantastic experience they want a chance to fix it ASAP - and not have you come back here on CC and grouse about what lousy service you had.

 

It does not matter if you are in an inside cabin or the highest category suite.

 

Complaining to the HD or head of housekeeping, or the concierge is the right thing to do.

 

Lucky for me, I have always been able to praise our cabin staff when talking to these officers :)

[jaja]

cdnmr - not sure I understand your comment, but it's basic expectation to have robes, (asked for 3x), a room service menu, and afternoon treats in suite amenities - and to not be told that you are putting someone out for basic service. And a clean cabin and ice seem basic as well.

 

Have enough cruises under my belt to know when service is good when it is merely below par, and when something needs to be said about it. If you are paying for a service, and not receiving it, why wouldn't you say something? And in our case, it got resolved quickly and amiably.....

 

I agree.

 

Don't think the OP was being unreasonable at all. Suite pax pay the extra amount of $$$ for these services -- and butler service 24/7.

 

So the OP could've said nothing and stiffed the butler for a tip at the end for the lousy service or did what they did -- which was report it to the HD. The cruise lines want you to say something if there's bad service while on the ship so the appropriate staff can correct the problem right then and there.

 

Yup ! The OP had valid complaints that he addressed properly so they could be rectified.

[DebQ5]

Thank you so much for your post! I booked an Aft penthouse suite for next year on the BA to Bermuda. It will be myself, my DD and DS, along with several other people who will not be staying in a Haven Suite. One has a room attached to ours (balcony) with an adjoining door so that will be fun.

 

We have been on many cruises but never stayed in a Suite. I decided to splurge, as I wanted the ability to use the Haven amenities and the big back balcony. I'm a bit intimidated by the Butler. Full disclosure we hate to ask people to do things for us (I clean for the cleaning lady); don't like to put people out. That being said, I do want to utilize the services that I'm paying for (almost 2x what I have paid for a cruise in the past, although some will be offset by the UBP :D).

 

Has anyone else had this issue and how did you deal with it? What are considered "standard" requests and what are considered over the top? Did you tip extra each day or just at the end?

 

We are traveling with others and don't want to "hide" in the Haven the whole time which is why I thought being away from it might be ok. I was thinking of telling them to try for vibe passes but then we'll never see them (at least during sea days).

 

We have a lot of time to think about it all but wanted to get your (OP) and anyone else's take on things...

 

Thank you!

[brookie848]

We are traveling with others and don't want to "hide" in the Haven the whole time which is why I thought being away from it might be ok. I was thinking of telling them to try for vibe passes but then we'll never see them (at least during sea days).

 

Haven guests do not have access to Vibe. If you are going to meet your friends there, you will need to purchase Vibe passes as well.

 

Besides the daily treats, we do not use our butler. It is just not our thing, but we enjoy the other aspects of the Haven.

[DebQ5]

Thanks Brookie848. Yes, vibe passes are separate, and I definitely don't want to spend more money. I've heard over and over how crowded the pool area is and should probably mention to my friends that vibe is available (they aren't big pre-planners). But if they are there and we are in Haven we wont get to interact much on Sea Days. I'm sure we'll figure it out, meet up at trivia or something :)

[cadien]

I'm a bit intimidated by the Butler. Full disclosure we hate to ask people to do things for us (I clean for the cleaning lady); don't like to put people out. That being said, I do want to utilize the services that I'm paying for (almost 2x what I have paid for a cruise in the past, although some will be offset by the UBP :D).

 

Has anyone else had this issue and how did you deal with it? What are considered "standard" requests and what are considered over the top? Did you tip extra each day or just at the end?

 

We had this same issue. Especially DH. The suite was a gift and he was pretty uncomfortable with the butler idea.

 

The snacks come automatically. People disagree whether asking for specific snacks is considered above and beyond. We had bad luck with that. I knew from Cruise Critic what the standard snacks are and just asked that he omit one of them from the rotation. He wrote that down. We still got them twice. But our IL's have great luck asking for non-standard snacks and receiving them. Luck of the draw.

 

Our only other requests were two room service breakfasts and a DVD.

 

We tipped at the end in the envelope provided. We did hand it to him personally. We'd planned on a set daily amount and didn't adjust it based on the room service and DVD because those struck us as pretty standard.

 

Asking the butler to deliver something to you somewhere other than the ship (like in Vibe) would be an example of over the top but not uncommon. Like the sunglasses you left in your room.

Edited July 27, 2015 by cadien

[garnet115]

We had this same issue. Especially DH. The suite was a gift and he was pretty uncomfortable with the butler idea.

 

The snacks come automatically. People disagree whether asking for specific snacks is considered above and beyond. We had bad luck with that. I knew from Cruise Critic what the standard snacks are and just asked that he omit one of them from the rotation. He wrote that down. We still got them twice. But our IL's have great luck asking for non-standard snacks and receiving them. Luck of the draw.

 

Our only other requests were two room service breakfasts and a DVD.

 

We tipped at the end in the envelope provided. We did hand it to him personally. We'd planned on a set daily amount and didn't adjust it based on the room service and DVD because those struck us as pretty standard.

 

Asking the butler to deliver something to you somewhere other than the ship (like in Vibe) would be an example of over the top but not uncommon. Like the sunglasses you left in your room.

 

This pretty much sums up my experience on the Breakaway, as well. I think a lot depends on who the butler is and just how much they are willing to go above and beyond.

 

There are a few threads about the Suite Life that make many suggestions about how to use the Butler and what to ask for. I personally find much of it over the top, but it is a good read to get a feel for the range of services that people use/expect.

[mom2tcdx2]

I have to say we were offered an upsell to a suite years ago on the Star (no Haven) and I really did find the butler to just not be all that great. We were only provided the same breakfast menu that my mom had in their oceanview cabin, one afternoon all of us from both cabins used our balcony when we went up to the glaciers. We ordered room service items, for the 7 of us, which wasn't all that much and the butler acted like we weren't allowed to order for the others. They had the exact same room service menu in their cabin, they could have just ordered from their room and then brought to ours.

 

I really felt like we missed out on a bunch of things, as we didn't really understand what we could and couldn't ask for. When I tried a few things I had read about here on CC the butler told me I was mistaken. I didn't argue since I figured I easily could have been mistaken. Cabin was wonderful, breakfast at Cagney's was good. Other things not so much.

[DebQ5]

I really felt like we missed out on a bunch of things, as we didn't really understand what we could and couldn't ask for. When I tried a few things I had read about here on CC the butler told me I was mistaken. I didn't argue since I figured I easily could have been mistaken. Cabin was wonderful, breakfast at Cagney's was good. Other things not so much

 

- thanks for your reply! I'm thinking ahead about wanting to have breakfast served on the balcony a few mornings, as it looks like such an awesome place to just relax. Or maybe some pizza from La Cucina. But I'll be hesitant to ask and want to get over that!