What were your haven requests?

[Loonbeam]

I'm torn on this whole food thing.

 

If I understand correctly, technically its the job of the butler to arrange food from other venues delivered to your cabin. So it's the butler that has access to runners. Asking the restaurant staff to do so seems kind of like asking Cagney's to get an entree from LeBistro. They may do it, but certainly not the way the system is intended to work.

 

There is also a difference between requesting at tableside and requesting in advance. I'd be much more comfortable saying "If possible, tomorrow night could we have...." as opposed to asking off menu as soon as I sat down. Or even placing a request that afternoon.

 

That gives them time to have the request staged in the Haven kitchen (based on the location I assume it has its own galley somewhere fairly close).

[hypercafe]

I think it's not my place to decide what the line can do or how they do it. I ask for what I would like, the answer is either yes or no.

[SuiteTraveler]

That's an interesting idea ordering off menu in the Haven restaurant. I would not have thought to do that. But back to the original question...

 

What we ask the butler to do is:

1. Bring foam pillows

2. Bring fruit and cheese and a turkey sandwich each afternoon when he brings the canapes.

3. If we have an early shore excursion before the Haven restaurant is even open, we ask the butler to bring room service breakfast the next morning. We like to place the order the night before so the butler can plan ahead and knows what time in advance.

4. If we go on an excursion and meet nice people, we will throw a cocktail party in our suite and invite them and we have the butler set this up and, of course, tip him generously for his efforts.

5. If we are in a suite with a dining table (i.e. not a spa suite) we might have dinner in our room if we are tired after a day of touring - usually on longer cruises.

 

We try to always be mindful that our butler may be serving suites at both ends of the ship, so we try to think things through before placing an order so he can do everything in one trip.

[Leavethekidswithmom]

This is a joke right?

 

I work 80 hours a week 50 weeks a year, and when i book the Haven I book it to sit back and enjoy myself.

 

How is that taking advantage? that is their job, that is what is expected of them.

 

They are not going and getting it themselves, there are runners to do that, they are not neglecting other tables to get me what I want.

 

What a nasty comment to make. I pay a lot of my hard earned money to be spoiled in the Haven.

 

 

Sometimes you just have to shake your head at what some people expect and demand even if it effects others enjoyment.

 

You know they do have yachts with private charters that have 10 crew members catering to any and all of your needs and it effects no one else.

[rvsullivan]

The sense of entitlement by some is amazing. There are not "runners" in the Haven or any of the suite dining facilities waiting to make special trips around the ship just for you. There are a set number of servers to take care of the facility they are in, in this case, the Haven Restaurant. When you try to force special trips to get your "favorite" food from around the ship, you do take away from the other guests. Your butler is available to get food for your room. The servers in the Haven are there to take care of the Haven and diners there. It has nothing to do with how much you spend. If you believe it does, then the GV, DOS and OS should always trump the service to all other suite guests. There is nothing in any of the documentation regarding the Haven that says Haven servers are to run around the ship fetching food for you. If the food on the menu for the meal are not to your satisfaction, go to the restaurant that has the food you want. Can you imagine if everyone in the dining room at one point in time each ask for a plate of food from different venues at one time, who would ever get fed? Being spoiled in the Haven does not mean they are your personal servants. They are there to serve that meal to everyone in the Haven, not run around the ship catering to one persons personal needs.

Edited November 24, 2015 by rvsullivan

[BeachyGurl]

I'm sure that the Haven restaurant is fully stocked, even with chicken tenders, so it wouldn't be necessary for anyone to go fetch food from another kitchen.

If not, then they fail food service 101.

I would think they have dumbwaiters on the ship as well, to get food to all parts of the ship, be it via room service or Haven requests.

If not, then a fail again.

Edited November 24, 2015 by BeachyGurl

[DMH15]

I'm sure that the Haven restaurant is fully stocked, even with chicken tenders, so it wouldn't be necessary for anyone to go fetch food from another kitchen.

If not, then they fail food service 101.

I would think they have dumbwaiters on the ship as well, to get food to all parts of the ship, be it via room service or Haven requests.

If not, then a fail again.

Maybe you should invest in a "Behind the Scenes Tour".

 

1. Dumbwaiters do not go side to side just up and down. So, restaurants at different locations would not be served by the dumbwaiter.

2. Why do you think every restaurant requires tenders? Thank goodness.

[BirdTravels]

I'm sure that the Haven restaurant is fully stocked, even with chicken tenders, so it wouldn't be necessary for anyone to go fetch food from another kitchen.

If not, then they fail food service 101.

I would think they have dumbwaiters on the ship as well, to get food to all parts of the ship, be it via room service or Haven requests.

If not, then a fail again.

 

Not sure that mechanical engineering 101 would allow an elevator to go from Deck 16 forward to Deck 6 aft unless it was a 60 degree angle. Which may cause the bowl of MDR soup to spill going up to the haven.

 

I have been in the Haven many times and can't recall anyone requesting chicken nuggets.

[Pugzila1022]

 

I have been in the Haven many times and can't recall anyone requesting chicken nuggets.

 

I'm on Breakaway in the Haven in a couple weeks. I will ask them if anyone has ever asked for chicken nuggets and see what happened when the did. :)

[janpo]

Makes me glad I sail steerage.....well almost. :)

[hpecorari]

Makes me glad I sail steerage.....well almost. :)

 

Don't be put off......not everyone is like some. :)

 

Harriet

[Medtech2]

One evening my husband wanted to eat off the Haven menu while I wanted something from the MDR so I didn't order anything. My server asked why and when I told her she insisted upon getting what I wanted. Her idea, not mine, and she was smiling the whole time. Maybe it depends on the cruise or the server, I don't know, but I don't see the uproar here.

 

I also noticed our butler hanging around the Haven restaurant at times, helping out. I thnk they do, or did on that cruise, a good job of floating where needed.

 

As far as getting, say, a special item sent to your cabin, our butler said a lot of that depends on each individual butler's relationships with the staff in the specialty restaurants. This was back when people were raving about getting the Oreo cheesecake from wherever. I asked him about it as I was curious what was so special about it. He said it depended who was working in the kitchen as to whether he could get it. That didn't sound kosher to me so I told him not to. Well, that evening it appeared.

 

Since there is new management I do not know what is or is not allowed but I see no harm in passengers making requests. Something is either possible or not. Personnel either have time or not and I would expect them to make that call and say no if it is not possible. I would also expect to be okay with that answer.

 

I think the key here is to yes, expect a higher level of service, but also accept that the Haven personnel will do their best to accomodate requests because they truly want their guests to be happy and satisfied. However if something is not possible be gracious and accepting of that.

[MiniJeffrey]

I can't believe someone is saying that this is taking advantage of crew. As I've said: when you pay up to 10 times or even more the price of a regular cabin, you can and should expect exceptional service. Is this taking advantage of someone, NO! I expect the haven to have enough staff so that they are prepared for these kind of requests from guests and so that there are no consequences for other guests. The butler is indeed 24/7 on duty, but aso the haven restaurant and bar should provide service that suits the haven.

 

This being said, my last cruise our waiters and haven maitre D was more than happy to go all the way to satisfy our needs. We had the best time and had lovely conversations with all staff.

[mommyto2kids]

Haven doesn't have a kids menu so by some of the comments I should feel horrible requesting kids meals for my children in the Haven restaurant?

[Loonbeam]

By paying that amount, you are not guaranteeing 'whatever I wish'. You are purchasing a set of specific services those other cabins do not get, not everything under the sun. For example, you are purchasing the services of a 'shared' butler not a private one. A shared restaurant not a private one, a private space, etc.

 

This is the extra service you are paying for (whether the value is there is up to you). Now, the staff may be willing to go beyond that, but that is different than expecting or demanding them to. And the more flexibility you can give them, the better they can possibly pull it off without affecting those shared resources.

 

I am reasonably certain the Haven galley is pretty small so they don't normally stock items not used for the menu. However, if, lets say, you let them know at lunch the first day that your kid may only want chicken fingers some meals, at some time before dinner they can arrange for a stock to be moved up there, and then they can prepare as needed.

 

In short, work with them instead of demand, and understand they will sometimes say no, and you will probably end up getting what you want more often than not. And ask the right people for the right things.

 

I can't believe someone is saying that this is taking advantage of crew. As I've said: when you pay up to 10 times or even more the price of a regular cabin, you can and should expect exceptional service. Is this taking advantage of someone, NO! I expect the haven to have enough staff so that they are prepared for these kind of requests from guests and so that there are no consequences for other guests. The butler is indeed 24/7 on duty, but aso the haven restaurant and bar should provide service that suits the haven.

 

This being said, my last cruise our waiters and haven maitre D was more than happy to go all the way to satisfy our needs. We had the best time and had lovely conversations with all staff.

[BeachyGurl]

Guess I fail engineering 101. And need a tour, which would be fun!

[pieshops]

By paying that amount, you are not guaranteeing 'whatever I wish'. You are purchasing a set of specific services those other cabins do not get, not everything under the sun. For example, you are purchasing the services of a 'shared' butler not a private one. A shared restaurant not a private one, a private space, etc.

 

This is the extra service you are paying for (whether the value is there is up to you). Now, the staff may be willing to go beyond that, but that is different than expecting or demanding them to. And the more flexibility you can give them, the better they can possibly pull it off without affecting those shared resources.

 

I am reasonably certain the Haven galley is pretty small so they don't normally stock items not used for the menu. However, if, lets say, you let them know at lunch the first day that your kid may only want chicken fingers some meals, at some time before dinner they can arrange for a stock to be moved up there, and then they can prepare as needed.

 

In short, work with them instead of demand, and understand they will sometimes say no, and you will probably end up getting what you want more often than not. And ask the right people for the right things.

 

Anybody that "Demands" or expects "anything they wish" is an "ass%$#e, asking for anything within reason has never been a problem, nor should it be. With that being said If I asked for something and was told that was not possible, I would also not raise a big stink about it.

 

Here is an example, my wife asked for corned beef hash the first morning for breakfast, she was told no problem, it may be a few minutes as they had to go and get it, we said don't worry about it, and they insisted on getting it and every morning for the rest of the cruise corned beef hash magically appeared for my wife.

[ksmcali]

I don't usually comment on "flaming" topics like this, but this has taken a surprising turn that places the answer of, "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" have items from other venues available in the Haven Restaurant, on the individual passengers. It's my opinion (and of course this is just an opinion, not a fact) that none of us are really equipped to answer that. It seems the question of "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" lies with NCL. There seems to be a lot of insinuation regarding passengers being demanding, their idea of entitlement or lack of, but really NCL decides the entitlement. If they deem that it is reasonable for a Haven passenger to partake in food items from other venues, then the request would be fulfilled. It's NCL's decision to make whether they are staffed accordingly to accommodate the request. From previous comments, the option has been made available and it has been fulfilled. I do not begrudge a passenger for requesting an option that NCL has made available to them. Unfortunately, at other times, the request has not been fulfilled. Therefore, I believe the true issue here is inconsistency, not the nerve, class, or feeling of entitlement from the passenger that asked. Inconsistency in the policy to provide this option can only be addressed by NCL, not the individual passengers.

[bnorris10]

I would never demand that they do anything for me but if I ask and they say it's no problem then I should not feel bad to ask for chicken tenders or what ever else we may or may not want

 

If I asked and they said they could not do it then I would be perfectly fine with that - However as a person paying way more to be in haven I don't see them denying to many requests unless they are crazy like go get me tenders from here, get me dessert from le bistro, get met a dish from here and get me this from that place ... then your being unreasonable and selfish

[hpecorari]

I don't usually comment on "flaming" topics like this, but this has taken a surprising turn that places the answer of, "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" have items from other venues available in the Haven Restaurant, on the individual passengers. It's my opinion (and of course this is just an opinion, not a fact) that none of us are really equipped to answer that. It seems the question of "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" lies with NCL. There seems to be a lot of insinuation regarding passengers being demanding, their idea of entitlement or lack of, but really NCL decides the entitlement. If they deem that it is reasonable for a Haven passenger to partake in food items from other venues, then the request would be fulfilled. It's NCL's decision to make whether they are staffed accordingly to accommodate the request. From previous comments, the option has been made available and it has been fulfilled. I do not begrudge a passenger for requesting an option that NCL has made available to them. Unfortunately, at other times, the request has not been fulfilled. Therefore, I believe the true issue here is inconsistency, not the nerve, class, or feeling of entitlement from the passenger that asked. Inconsistency in the policy to provide this option can only be addressed by NCL, not the individual passengers.

 

One must also remember, however, that NCL's motto is 'never say no' and to always please the passenger......with a smile. I'd think, more so, in the Haven. Just because something is 'done' and 'done with a smile' does not mean it's something that actually is appreciated by the employee. And as you, this is my opinion.

 

Harriet

[Loonbeam]

I disagree.

 

Given that as far as I know, you can generally not order cross restaurant on the rest of the ship, this can be assumed to be standard practice at all venues (in effect, the Haven restaurant is a specialty venue). What you then have is staff that operate on tips/goodwill trying to please as many pax as possible by not saying no, even when they should. In short, that is never an expectation of service that should be had, even if some staff members go out of their way to accommodate it.

 

If the obtaining of items from other venues was an NCL endorsed thing, they could put it on the menu - "We are pleased to offer you the option of selecting from our other venues as well, please allow additional time." THEN NCL would be responsible for making sure that happened.

 

The takeaway is still the same, be cognizant of the effects your actions may have on others, and try to work with the crew instead of demanding something as your right, and accept no as an answer if it seems reasonable (or at least rephrase the request - I understand you are too busy to get it now, but would it be possible to have on future meals?).

 

 

 

I don't usually comment on "flaming" topics like this, but this has taken a surprising turn that places the answer of, "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" have items from other venues available in the Haven Restaurant, on the individual passengers. It's my opinion (and of course this is just an opinion, not a fact) that none of us are really equipped to answer that. It seems the question of "if you should" or "if you shouldn't" lies with NCL. There seems to be a lot of insinuation regarding passengers being demanding, their idea of entitlement or lack of, but really NCL decides the entitlement. If they deem that it is reasonable for a Haven passenger to partake in food items from other venues, then the request would be fulfilled. It's NCL's decision to make whether they are staffed accordingly to accommodate the request. From previous comments, the option has been made available and it has been fulfilled. I do not begrudge a passenger for requesting an option that NCL has made available to them. Unfortunately, at other times, the request has not been fulfilled. Therefore, I believe the true issue here is inconsistency, not the nerve, class, or feeling of entitlement from the passenger that asked. Inconsistency in the policy to provide this option can only be addressed by NCL, not the individual passengers.

[boopsahoy]

I disagree. Haven guests pay a lot of money for their cruise so they can expect superior service. And if that includes a waiter having to cross half the ship to get something special, then yes I think this should be done. It's up to the Haven Manager to have enough staff so that these kind of request can be fullfilled without causing problems for other haven guests.

 

This might sound a bit posh but Haven guests are not paying thousands of dollars to receive a no upon simple food requests. I'm not saying that you should ask an entire orchestra playing while you receive your meal, but small things like food from other restaurants: big yes for me. Up to now I have never had problems with these kind of requests, and ofcourse we tip according to our requests.

 

That's why they pay extra for the butler. We stay in "just" a PH :D and we have had Cagney's breakfast in the room, and we always ask for fruit and cheese for our snack.

 

By the third day of the cruise you will know what you like! We even had a movie night in the room and the butler brought chips and dip :)

 

Just tip according to how much you use them. Have a great cruise! Just relax and go with the flow.;)

[bnorris10]

That's why they pay extra for the butler. We stay in "just" a PH :D and we have had Cagney's breakfast in the room, and we always ask for fruit and cheese for our snack.

 

By the third day of the cruise you will know what you like! We even had a movie night in the room and the butler brought chips and dip :)

 

Just tip according to how much you use them. Have a great cruise! Just relax and go with the flow.;)

 

So if we have a movie night in the room do they have popcorn they can bring to us and if so what kind of popcorn is it?

[boopsahoy]

So if we have a movie night in the room do they have popcorn they can bring to us and if so what kind of popcorn is it?

 

I don't remember if they had popcorn :o

[MiniJeffrey]

One can expect and ask, but not demand. Just to be clear :).