NCL Haven: Child appropriate

[limu]

Hello! I am considering a November cruise out of NY to Florida/Bahamas in a Haven 2 bedroom. My husband and I will be travelling with our 3 and 5 year old children. Is the Haven atmosphere appropriate for them? I don't want to book if it is not a child friendly atmosphere. They are great kids, but if the tone of the Haven is quiet and relaxing, I don't want to subject other cruisers to my darling little maniacs. Is this an experience you would recommend for an older child, or is it fun and acceptable for that age group? Thanks for any input.

[BirdTravels]

Your kids will be fine. They can enjoy the privat Haven facilities and will get a kick out of having a butler. And can still take part in the kids programs. Your room. Your cruise. Enjoy.

[happy cruzin]

The Haven is not - and never has been - an adult only area. You and your family should feel comfortable there! NCL is obviously encouraging families to book in the Haven with the availability of those cabins.

 

It does tend to be a quieter, calmer location - compared to the open decks. But that does not mean your children are not welcome. We've shared the Haven with many families - infants to teens - and never had a problem. ;) :D

[Starflyr3]

Hello! I am considering a November cruise out of NY to Florida/Bahamas in a Haven 2 bedroom. My husband and I will be travelling with our 3 and 5 year old children. Is the Haven atmosphere appropriate for them? I don't want to book if it is not a child friendly atmosphere. They are great kids, but if the tone of the Haven is quiet and relaxing, I don't want to subject other cruisers to my darling little maniacs. Is this an experience you would recommend for an older child, or is it fun and acceptable for that age group? Thanks for any input.

 

You will get a variety of differing opinions. The "tone" of the Haven depends on who is booked in there. Some believe that only adults should be there - but if you are sailing out of NY, you should be on a boat that dedicated adult space - like Spice H20 or vibe.

 

We went on the Jade over spring break and our kids LOVED the Haven. (they were 4 and 7). They spent a couple of hours a day in the pool or hot tub, and made many friends.

 

That being said, it is important to enforce good behavior in the Haven - no yelling, no running, no jumping into the pool, no splashing that gets water out of the confines of the pool space. Use the tongs (or get adult help) to get snacks...that kind of thing.

 

If they need to step out or take a break because they're having a meltdown or are not responding to direction, then take them back to the room or to splash academy or something. I think that is the key. They can have fun, but keep parenting, and dont leave them alone in the Haven to play.

[limu]

Thank you for the feedback. I'm so happy to hear this information. Their behavior will surely be supervised by us :)

[tel2]

I personally have never had a problem w/ kids in the Haven. Kids will be kids. Most of us had them at some point in our lives and we all know that sometimes they are hyper, and sometimes they have meltdowns.

 

What I have found appalling is parents who seem to think that paying for the Haven entitles them to ignore their children and allow them to behave badly without consequences. You know, mom and dad sitting reading with a drink in their hand completely ignoring child while kid is canonballing into the pool and getting sunbathers wet; screaming, running, running into people, swimming underwater in the hottubs between people, turning the volume on their iphone to screech level (still amazing to me that parents buy iphones for 7-9 year olds,....), etc. Or parents sitting in the Haven restaurant conversing with each other while their child is screaming at the top of her lungs, and the parents casually continuing their dinner and conversation without a glance at or word to their screaming child.

 

Last year on Breakaway, a small child, maybe 5, dropped a handful of cookies. Once dropped, he crushed them up with his foot, and was sitting on the floor in the pool area making a design out of the crumbs. Mom thought it was so cute she went to get her camera to take a picture of his artwork.... while the rest of the adults, some with children of their own present, just shook their heads. Then she and the child got up and left the area, leaving the big mess on the floor.

 

Terry