Back from the Heaven, oops the Haven-Getaway review May 29-June 5th, 2016

[Seminole1975]

Folks gave you a hard time because you broke the rule about non-Haven guest being able to be in the Haven for drinks, etc. It really doesn't matter if everyone enjoyed the four gentlemen, it is about rules are rules and no one is exempt from them. If some are allowed to break the rules, then everyone should be allowed to break them and then you will have a lot of unhappy Haven passengers. No one is more important than another when it comes to rules.

 

Oops! Busted! I wrote this before I was throughly educated (and shamed) over and over by the good people on another thread (Haven access for Non-Haven Passengers) that what I did was completely against the rules of the Haven! I was wrong to bring anyone into the Haven that was not a Haven guest, even my son. I had a serious lack of judgement. Rules are rules. I get it now. I will never do it again. I agree with you NLH Arizona. No one is better than anyone else. I am sorry I dragged you into this GAPeach.

 

I truly did love staying in the Haven. I love the Getaway. I had a wonderful time with family and friends. I hope to stay in the Haven again when we cruise to the Baltic in 2017 on the Getaway. I will continue my own private review very soon.

[Seminole1975]

Before I begin: a word to the wise: if you are staying in the Haven and are tempted to bring someone in who has not paid to be in the Haven: don't, no matter what the circumstances! It is against the rules. I have been throughly educated and in some cases chastised on another thread, when (long story short) I shared that we brought our son and the cast of MDQ in the Haven the last night of the cruise. I am mentioning this here because the issue bled over in this post. I have learned my lesson! Whew! Enough said.

 

I would like to work on my own personal review now. Here I go. We went with the NCL excursion: rainforest and cave tubing. You tender into Belize. I was a somewhat nervous about this because the last time I was tendered in, I got a little seasick. We were on the Windstar cruise and they use their little lifeboats to tender in to Santorini. I should not have worried. NCL used a lot of local boats. They were nice sized boats and came one after another. It was about a 15 minute ride to Belize.

 

It was kind of confusing when you got there, but we eventually found our tour.

There were 100's of people trying to find their tours at one time. There were guides with signs all over the place. I think it was about an hour before we settled in on our bus and took off. I will also say that it was HOT! And muggy! I do not know how people are going to stand the heat in July and August, but that is just me. I do not like hot weather.

 

The bus was nice and cool. It takes about an hour to get to the caves. Our tour guide talked the entire time. We were informed about the government, economy, agriculture, imports and exports, culture, and food. It was quite the social studies lesson! Since we were in this country only a short time, I appreciated the ride, looking at the countryside and learning this information. Belize is also quite the diving destination. This part of the world has the largest living coral reef in the world. Most of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is dead. I thought that was interesting.

 

One thing I really wanted to tell you about this tour is to bring plenty of liquids and snacks if you are so inclined. We got to Belize around 8:30 am I think, and we did not get any food or liquids until after 1 pm(except for the bottled water we brought) That was when we had lunch. I would have liked to have a snack before I went trekking through the rain forest.

 

There were tons of people at the cave site, but it was very organized. On this tour you do have to carry your own tubes. You are placed in groups of eight and supplied with tubes, life jackets and a helmet with a light on it. It is about a 20 min hike to the river. The path is flat but rocky. You have to wear water shoes, not flip flops. If you have on flip flops, you will have to rent closed toed water shoes. The guide tells you about all the plants you see along the way.

 

The river was beautiful! The water was not cold to me after the heat of the rain forest. Our guide tied our tubes together and off we went! The river is shallow in some spots and the phrase given is "butts up"! They had a photographer there to take your pic as you entered the caves. It was a great experience and well worth the journey. We saw bats, stalagmites and stalactites (boy it has been a long time since I thought about those words!). It is hard to describe the caves. They are like long tunnels. You can see outside in parts of the caves. Our guide had to pull us along in spots because the current is not very strong. I wished I could have played in the open part of the river more. I hope all of you can go there and experience this. National Geographic did an article on these caves some years ago. There are still parts of these cave systems that are being explored. You also get the history of the Mayans and the caves. They thought the caves were hell. This brings up all kinds of jokes-we went to hell and back etc, etc.

 

We got out at a different spot and it was a short walk up to the lockers. We changed into dry clothes and then went up to lunch. This lunch was not very hardy: one piece of chicken, rice and beans, maybe some cole slaw. You could buy more food, like tacos if you wanted. Fruit punch was free, and you could buy beer.

 

The guide was quiet on the way back so we could rest. When we got to Belize, we looked around the shops. I was amazed at the drug store! You could get prescription drugs there! Depressed? ******. Anxious? Valium. ED? ******. Have an infection? Amoxicillin. And on and on. Amazing. Of course, who knows what was in them really.

 

The line was long for the tenders and did I mention it was hot? NCL is kind enough to put up tents so you do not stand in the sun. I have to admit here that I pulled the Haven card. I had read in CC that Haven guests get priority tendering. I showed the NCL crew member in a white uniform my Haven card and he whisked the five of us to the front of the line. We got right on the tender. My DN heard someone in the line call us A-holes, but hey, what can I say? It was nice not to have to wait in the heat.

 

My DS had not yet gotten off the ship in Belize yet. The crew has to wait until all the passengers are off the ship before they can leave. This leaves not much time to explore with his other duties on Wednesdays.

 

It is fun reliving our experiences. I did not have time to do a diary while on board. My eyes are getting blurry so I will sign off for now.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Seminole1975
change a phrase

[Seminole1975]

Before I begin: a word to the wise: if you are staying in the Haven and are tempted to bring someone in who has not paid to be in the Haven: don't, no matter what the circumstances! It is against the rules. I have been throughly educated and in some cases chastised on another thread, when (long story short) I shared that we brought our son and the cast of MDQ in the Haven the last night of the cruise. I am mentioning this here because the issue bled over in this post. I have learned my lesson! Whew! Enough said.

 

I would like to work on my own personal review now. Here I go. We went with the NCL excursion: rainforest and cave tubing. You tender into Belize. I was a somewhat nervous about this because the last time I was tendered in, I got a little seasick. We were on the Windstar cruise and they use their little lifeboats to tender in to Santorini. I should not have worried. NCL used a lot of local boats. They were nice sized boats and came one after another. It was about a 15 minute ride to Belize.

 

It was kind of confusing when you got there, but we eventually found our tour.

There were 100's of people trying to find their tours at one time. There were guides with signs all over the place. I think it was about an hour before we settled in on our bus and took off. I will also say that it was HOT! And muggy! I do not know how people are going to stand the heat in July and August, but that is just me. I do not like hot weather.

 

The bus was nice and cool. It takes about an hour to get to the caves. Our tour guide talked the entire time. We were informed about the government, economy, agriculture, imports and exports, culture, and food. It was quite the social studies lesson! Since we were in this country only a short time, I appreciated the ride, looking at the countryside and learning this information. Belize is also quite the diving destination. This part of the world has the largest living coral reef in the world. Most of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is dead. I thought that was interesting.

 

One thing I really wanted to tell you about this tour is to bring plenty of liquids and snacks if you are so inclined. We got to Belize around 8:30 am I think, and we did not get any food or liquids until after 1 pm(except for the bottled water we brought) That was when we had lunch. I would have liked to have a snack before I went trekking through the rain forest.

 

There were tons of people at the cave site, but it was very organized. On this tour you do have to carry your own tubes. You are placed in groups of eight and supplied with tubes, life jackets and a helmet with a light on it. It is about a 20 min hike to the river. The path is flat but rocky. You have to wear water shoes, not flip flops. If you have on flip flops, you will have to rent closed toed water shoes. The guide tells you about all the plants you see along the way.

 

The river was beautiful! The water was not cold to me after the heat of the rain forest. Our guide tied our tubes together and off we went! The river is shallow in some spots and the phrase given is "butts up"! They had a photographer there to take your pic as you entered the caves. It was a great experience and well worth the journey. We saw bats, stalagmites and stalactites (boy it has been a long time since I thought about those words!). It is hard to describe the caves. They are like long tunnels. You can see outside in parts of the caves. Our guide had to pull us along in spots because the current is not very strong. I wished I could have played in the open part of the river more. I hope all of you can go there and experience this. National Geographic did an article on these caves some years ago. There are still parts of these cave systems that are being explored. You also get the history of the Mayans and the caves. They thought the caves were hell. This brings up all kinds of jokes-we went to hell and back etc, etc.

 

We got out at a different spot and it was a short walk up to the lockers. We changed into dry clothes and then went up to lunch. This lunch was not very hardy: one piece of chicken, rice and beans, maybe some cole slaw. You could buy more food, like tacos if you wanted. Fruit punch was free, and you could buy beer.

 

The guide was quiet on the way back so we could rest. When we got to Belize, we looked around the shops. I was amazed at the drug store! You could get prescription drugs there! Depressed? ******. Anxious? Valium. ED? ******. Have an infection? Amoxicillin. And on and on. Amazing. Of course, who knows what was in them really.

 

The line was long for the tenders and did I mention it was hot? NCL is kind enough to put up tents so you do not stand in the sun. I have to admit here that I pulled the Haven card. I had read in CC that Haven guests get priority tendering. I showed the NCL crew member in a white uniform my Haven card and he whisked the five of us to the front of the line. We got right on the tender. My DN heard someone in the line call us A-holes, but hey, what can I say? It was nice not to have to wait in the heat.

 

My DS had not yet gotten off the ship in Belize yet. The crew has to wait until all the passengers are off the ship before they can leave. This leaves not much time to explore with his other duties on Wednesdays.

 

It is fun reliving our experiences. I did not have time to do a diary while on board. My eyes are getting blurry so I will sign off for now.

 

Somehow this post will not let the names of several drugs come thru. Interesting. ******. ******.

[lara_lox]

I'm just gobbling up your review! Thanks for taking the time to do it, it's helping these last few days before I board at pass by a little quicker. And don't worry about the people telling you off on the other thread, sometimes you can't do right for doing wrong on these boards. I'm glad you had a great cruise and got to spend time with your son :)

[Seminole1975]

I'm just gobbling up your review! Thanks for taking the time to do it, it's helping these last few days before I board at pass by a little quicker. And don't worry about the people telling you off on the other thread, sometimes you can't do right for doing wrong on these boards. I'm glad you had a great cruise and got to spend time with your son :)

 

Thank you Lara. I am glad I am helping. Anticipation is part of the fun! I am trying to write a little each day and enjoying the process!

[rmmom1962]

Please more more.... Cruising next week in Haven on the Escape.

[tinkr2]

I agree GAPeach68! I am enjoying writing the review and reliving the experience! It was soooo wonderful! I wish you would post that you enjoyed your visit with the MDQ guys in the Haven lounge on a thread called Haven Access for Non-Haven Passengers. We brought all four of them (one of them my son) into the lounge the last night of our cruise to show them around. Some people on that thread gave me a hard time for that. All the Haven passengers in the lounge seemed to really enjoy talking to them for a few minutes. It would be good for the people on that thread to hear it from your perspective. Thank you in advance if you will.

Oh my, people have lost their minds. I had no idea there was such a strict rule, our family was in the bar a number of times, no one cared. I would have loved to meet the entertainers on board and disagree with other posters, they should not be excluded and are more important. I hope your son and his friends had a lovely time because the haven is not ...all that.

Edited June 24, 2016 by tinkr2

[Seminole1975]

Oh my, people have lost their minds. I had no idea there was such a strict rule, our family was in the bar a number of times, no one cared. I would have loved to meet the entertainers on board and disagree with other posters, they should not be excluded and are more important. I hope your son and his friends had a lovely time because the haven is not ...all that.

 

Thank you tinkr2. I had dinner last night with Ben's mom (the guy that plays Elvis and is my son's best friend). I told her about the experience with the guys in the Haven lounge and she could not believe it either. They are sailing in September and are going to stay in the Haven. I gave her the "heads up". All's well that ends well.

 

I will continue my review this evening. I have the best part to go! The Million Dollar Quartet!

[Seminole1975]

Oh my, people have lost their minds. I had no idea there was such a strict rule, our family was in the bar a number of times, no one cared. I would have loved to meet the entertainers on board and disagree with other posters, they should not be excluded and are more important. I hope your son and his friends had a lovely time because the haven is not ...all that.

 

One more thought and I appreciate your positive feedback so much!

 

I don't think the cast is more important necessarily, but they are "on board" celebrities. People are excited to meet them and take pictures with them as opposed to some random family from Alabama and Florida for example (that would be us!).

 

My DB wrote a letter to the Hotel Manager and suggested that he schedule an official "meet and greet" for the Haven guests with the cast of MDQ. The fact is that everyone in there Saturday night enjoyed meeting them so much and taking their pictures. This meet and greet would have to be set up and approved by management because they are crew members after all. They could put the meet and greet on the daily sheet!

[Sand and Seas]

Oh my, people have lost their minds. I had no idea there was such a strict rule, our family was in the bar a number of times, no one cared. I would have loved to meet the entertainers on board and disagree with other posters, they should not be excluded and are more important. I hope your son and his friends had a lovely time because the haven is not ...all that.

 

Very well said! I would have enjoyed being on that same cruise with you and having the chance to chat with the MDQ stars in the Haven area. Your posts have been especially interesting to many of us. We love the behind the scenes view and appreciate that this talented cast has mothers (and other family members) that miss them while they are at sea. The Haven is great, but spending time with your son is much more important.

 

When we were in the Haven it would not have occurred to me to worry if someones family member had the 'right' to visit the Haven area.

[vaborn2cruise]

Subscribed. Loved the location of the hotel and Bayside Market. Question -- Florida State 1975?

[Seminole1975]

Very well said! I would have enjoyed being on that same cruise with you and having the chance to chat with the MDQ stars in the Haven area. Your posts have been especially interesting to many of us. We love the behind the scenes view and appreciate that this talented cast has mothers (and other family members) that miss them while they are at sea. The Haven is great, but spending time with your son is much more important.

 

When we were in the Haven it would not have occurred to me to worry if someones family member had the 'right' to visit the Haven area.

 

Thank you Sand and Seas. His father and I have been very supportive of his career. I appreciate that you understand that I do miss him very much. I feel somewhat disconnected with him being out of touch during the week. We do talk to him every Sunday. I am looking forward to continuing my review this weekend. Thank you for your kind words.

[Seminole1975]

Subscribed. Loved the location of the hotel and Bayside Market. Question -- Florida State 1975?

 

You got it! Go Noles!

[Seminole1975]

Hi! I think that the entire cruise went by faster than this review! Haha.

 

I have been reading that a lot of people did not see their butler very much during the cruise. We ordered breakfast in the room Mon-Thursday. I love room service breakfast! I like to have a few extra minutes to sleep and get ready. Willie was right on time and the breakfasts were good. The portions were huge, so we learned to order less each day. I also requested a bucket of ice each afternoon which he brought with our treats. A reminder, if you are in the Haven, you can order room service and not be charged a service charge.

 

I read that the butler could unpack your clothes for you (no thank you), but other than bring food and such, I am not sure what he could do. The only butlers that I am familiar with are the ones on Downton Abbey. They helped the Lords get dressed, but I am sure the NCL Butlers would not do that! :eek: If anyone had their butler do anything other than the above, I would be interested to know just out of curiosity and future cruises.

 

Wednesday night we had reservations for eight at the Italian restaurant, La Cucina. DS, his friend Ben/Elvis and wife Katie/Dyanne joined us. We had the most wonderful time laughing and talking! We surprised Kurt with a birthday cake, since we would not be celebrating with him on his real birthday. He was pleased and embarrassed. The servers sang Happy Birthday to him. It was weird having a birthday cake without candles. Later I learned that nothing with flames is allowed on the ship. Fire is the biggest danger that can occur on a cruise ship.

 

Most of the food was good. I got lasagna. My DSIL got swordfish. She did not like the fish. In fact, my DSIL was not impressed with the food overall on the ship. My brother and she are both fantastic cooks so they are used to their own delicious cooking. She did tell me that her fav restaurant was Noodles. They really liked the dumplings and all the other things they ate. We did not go there, we ate in the Haven restaurant on Friday night.

 

A few words about the logistics of the show. On Monday and Tuesday night in the theater, is Burn the Floor. On Thursday and Friday nights is MDQ. On Wednesdays they have to change out the sets. I looked at the Dailies and on Wednesday night all of the happenings in the theater were apparently done in front of the curtain.

 

This means that there is a major technical rehearsal every week to make sure all the sound, lights, instruments, and equipment works properly. This is similar to Touring Companies who go to different cities around the country. They stay in town for a week or so and move on. MDQ and Burn the Floor have to strike the set and put it back together again every week!

 

This process is a lot of what DS is involved with on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I would have loved to ask him more questions about this, but I did not think about the details at the time.

 

He is the Stage Captain and responsible for maintaining the integrity of the show and the safety of the cast, among other duties. During the Welcome show on Sunday night, some of the sound was not right and DS had to change out a guitar during the show. They are constantly working to get everything perfect.

 

Also during the welcome show, the MDQ cast come up out of the floor trapdoor on a lift. Jarad/Jerry Lee Lewis told me that this procedure could be dangerous and appreciated the work that my son was doing to keep everything running smoothly.

 

Kurt was in MDQ in Chicago for two years. The show ran for seven years there. He was understudy for Perkins and Elvis, so he knows the show inside and out. He and Katie are the only ones who have been in MDQ before (she was understudy for Dyanne on the National tour), so Kurt was the logical person for Stage Captain. As you all have may have picked up on, I am a proud mama, but the entire cast is working so hard and are so talented. NCL is lucky to have them all.

 

Next up: Chacchoben, Private Beach Club and Lunch in Costa Maya, Mexico and I FINALLY get to see the show!!

Edited June 25, 2016 by Seminole1975
punctuation

[Viva_la_Vida]

Hi! I think that the entire cruise went by faster than this review! Haha.

 

I have been reading that a lot of people did not see their butler very much during the cruise. We ordered breakfast in the room Mon-Thursday. I love room service breakfast! I like to have a few extra minutes to sleep and get ready. Willie was right on time and the breakfasts were good. The portions were huge, so we learned to order less each day. I also requested a bucket of ice each afternoon which he brought with our treats. A reminder, if you are in the Haven, you can order room service and not be charged a service charge.

 

I read that the butler could unpack your clothes for you (no thank you), but other than bring food and such, I am not sure what he could do. The only butlers that I am familiar with are the ones on Downton Abbey. They helped the Lords get dressed, but I am sure the NCL Butlers would not do that! :eek: If anyone had their butler do anything other than the above, I would be interested to know just out of curiosity and future cruises.

 

Wednesday night we had reservations for eight at the Italian restaurant, La Cucina. DS, his friend Ben/Elvis and wife Katie/Dyanne joined us. We had the most wonderful time laughing and talking! We surprised Kurt with a birthday cake, since we would not be celebrating with him on his real birthday. He was pleased and embarrassed. The servers sang Happy Birthday to him. It was weird having a birthday cake without candles. Later I learned that nothing with flames is allowed on the ship. Fire is the biggest danger that can occur on a cruise ship.

 

Most of the food was good. I got lasagna. My DSIL got swordfish. She did not like the fish. In fact, my DSIL was not impressed with the food overall on the ship. My brother and she are both fantastic cooks so they are used to their own delicious cooking. She did tell me that her fav restaurant was Noodles. They really liked the dumplings and all the other things they ate. We did not go there, we ate in the Haven restaurant on Friday night.

 

A few words about the logistics of the show. On Monday and Tuesday night in the theater, is Burn the Floor. On Thursday and Friday nights is MDQ. On Wednesdays they have to change out the sets. I looked at the Dailies and on Wednesday night all of the happenings in the theater were apparently done in front of the curtain.

 

This means that there is a major technical rehearsal every week to make sure all the sound, lights, instruments, and equipment works properly. This is similar to Touring Companies who go to different cities around the country. They stay in town for a week or so and move on. MDQ and Burn the Floor have to strike the set and put it back together again every week!

 

This process is a lot of what DS is involved with on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I would have loved to ask him more questions about this, but I did not think about the details at the time.

 

He is the Stage Captain and responsible for maintaining the integrity of the show and the safety of the cast, among other duties. During the Welcome show on Sunday night, some of the sound was not right and DS had to change out a guitar during the show. They are constantly working to get everything perfect.

 

Also during the welcome show, the MDQ cast come up out of the floor trapdoor on a lift. Jarad/Jerry Lee Lewis told me that this procedure could be dangerous and appreciated the work that my son was doing to keep everything running smoothly.

 

Kurt was in MDQ in Chicago for two years. The show ran for seven years there. He was understudy for Perkins and Elvis, so he knows the show inside and out. He and Katie are the only ones who have been in MDQ before (she was understudy for Dyanne on the National tour), so Kurt was the logical person for Stage Captain. As you all have may have picked up on, I am a proud mama, but the entire cast is working so hard and are so talented. NCL is lucky to have them all.

 

Next up: Chacchoben, Private Beach Club and Lunch in Costa Maya, Mexico and I FINALLY get to see the show!!

 

 

First of all, I laughed so much at your Downton butler reference, that's exactly what I think of too! What an interesting profession, I bet those guys see SO much. The NYTimes did a whole series on NYC Doormen and Women. Maybe they should do one on cruise butlers :p

 

I just want to say as a theatre director, I am so intrigued by your son's job and love your unique insights on this topic, especially with the sets and how they're struck. Thank you so much for taking the time to review! Do you know if any behind the scenes tours are offered specifically in the theatre?

 

Also, I totally agree with your SIL. The food was not great on NCL. Coming from Celebrity, we were very disappointed in the food in general.

 

The entertainment though was WAY better :D We haven't been on the Getaway to see MDQ, but it sounds really interesting.

[tinkr2]

We had our butler around but I kind of felt like I was bothering him. My daughter, who was in her own cabin, not haven, hated our butler and felt he was in the wrong profession. I am in the hospitality industry and felt he needed work. But then again I have no idea what to do with a butler lol. I did ask for m and ms and he brought them. He was not very helpful when our cabin flooded . I moved all my suitcases and tossed them in the tub so they would not be soaked. He left them in there....

A guy on another thread said his butler tied his shoes. LOL imagine asking for that!!!!

Oh and by the way. GO GATORS!:D

[Seminole1975]

First of all, I laughed so much at your Downton butler reference, that's exactly what I think of too! What an interesting profession, I bet those guys see SO much. The NYTimes did a whole series on NYC Doormen and Women. Maybe they should do one on cruise butlers :p

 

I just want to say as a theatre director, I am so intrigued by your son's job and love your unique insights on this topic, especially with the sets and how they're struck. Thank you so much for taking the time to review! Do you know if any behind the scenes tours are offered specifically in the theatre?

 

Also, I totally agree with your SIL. The food was not great on NCL. Coming from Celebrity, we were very disappointed in the food in general.

 

The entertainment though was WAY better :D We haven't been on the Getaway to see MDQ, but it sounds really interesting.

 

Thank you! I did not ask about behind the scenes tours of the theater. I would have liked to see what it was like back there.

[Seminole1975]

We had our butler around but I kind of felt like I was bothering him. My daughter, who was in her own cabin, not haven, hated our butler and felt he was in the wrong profession. I am in the hospitality industry and felt he needed work. But then again I have no idea what to do with a butler lol. I did ask for m and ms and he brought them. He was not very helpful when our cabin flooded . I moved all my suitcases and tossed them in the tub so they would not be soaked. He left them in there....

A guy on another thread said his butler tied his shoes. LOL imagine asking for that!!!!

Oh and by the way. GO GATORS!:D

 

That's great! My Dad who recently passed away was a HUGE Gator Fan. He has a man cave/den full of Gator memorabilia we call the Swamp! He went to U of F. He was very gracious when I choose FSU, but would write "Go Gators" in the subject line of every tuition check he wrote! :)

 

I remembered one more thing the butler did. He organized our case of bottled water on the shelves and took the carton away. There was also a note in the bathroom about how he could run all kinds of baths for you in the hot tub. Again no thank you. More on the review coming this afternoon. Thanks everyone who reads it.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Seminole1975
punctuation

[hmsdos]

Hello. We were on the same cruise, in the Haven and said "hello" to your husband a couple of times, also disembark day told your son (who was in the Haven saying goodbye to his family ;) ) how much we enjoyed the show. Anyway... enjoying reading your review ( I did one previously about this cruise which is in the CC reviews)... but.... just a comment re the Haven and "visitors". We have been in the Haven several times. And have to say that even though we have met several people visiting others in the Haven, each time we have had friends on board who could not find space in the Haven we have been clearly told that it is not an option for them to visit, eat or explore the Haven. All concierges we have cruised with have the same rules. So, we have never "violated" the rules. Just not worth the stress. But, that said, the "meet and greet" idea mentioned sounds fun ;-) Congratulations on having such a talented and successful son. Sorry we could not have spent some "over the bar" time with him :D

[Two Wheels Only]

And don't worry about the people telling you off on the other thread, sometimes you can't do right for doing wrong on these boards. I'm glad you had a great cruise and got to spend time with your son :)

 

Nobody "told someone off" in the other thread. :rolleyes:

 

People explained the rules until "Seminole1975" fully understood them.

 

 

Oh my, people have lost their minds. I had no idea there was such a strict rule, our family was in the bar a number of times, no one cared.

It's a strict rule because even as a strict rule, people still break it (wrongfully so). If it wasn't a "strict rule", how many people would break it?

 

I would have loved to meet the entertainers on board and disagree with other posters, they should not be excluded and are more important.

You are incorrect.

 

 

I hope your son and his friends had a lovely time because the haven is not ...all that.

There were plenty of other places on the ship....that they had access to. They were free to meet and greet there, not the Haven.

 

 

My DB wrote a letter to the Hotel Manager and suggested that he schedule an official "meet and greet" for the Haven guests with the cast of MDQ. The fact is that everyone in there Saturday night enjoyed meeting them so much and taking their pictures. This meet and greet would have to be set up and approved by management because they are crew members after all. They could put the meet and greet on the daily sheet!

 

If something like that was approved, the thread would have been completely different. There was never anything personal against the cast nor their parents. The problem is people taking liberties that they don't have.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Two Wheels Only

[Cruise-mom]

Great review, thank you.

 

We were on the Getaway last week and really enjoyed MDQ, your son is very talented, we had a photo taken with him after the show. Nice to hear that they have friends on-board and even in the same show, it must help with them missing home. Great that you got to spend time with your son.

 

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review.

[Seminole1975]

Two Wheels Only: Have you ever stayed in the Haven?

 

Also in another thread entitled Haven Access-some people did try to 'tell me off". One person tried to shame me like I was a little kid or something. Read through it again. Most people were really rude.

[Two Wheels Only]

Two Wheels Only: Have you ever stayed in the Haven?

Not that it matters but I put my review of the Haven on CC last month.

 

Also in another thread entitled Haven Access-some people did try to 'tell me off". One person tried to shame me like I was a little kid or something. Read through it again. Most people were really rude.

 

Telling you that you were wrong wasn't "telling you off" nor was it rude.

You eventually realized that you were in fact wrong and/or you stated such...

 

I really do get it now. I broke the rules. I should not have brought anyone into the Haven who was not a Haven guest including my son. I had a serious lapse in judgement. I will not do it again. I was wrong.

^^...Those are your words.

 

Perhaps you misinterpreted what others were posting. Please give an example of someone being "rude" and give an example of how that person could have gotten the point across without being "rude".

[Annmeat]

You got it! Go Noles!

 

Canes !🙌🏼. 86.

[Seminole1975]

I suggest that NCL post the rules of the Haven in big red letters on the back of the room door. That way everyone would see the same thing at the same time and would not have to depend on the concierge to give them the entire list of rules. Of course, they would have to keep the rules up to date. They sure do write down and give you a list of all the perks! Perhaps a Sticky Note thread entitled "Rules of the Haven!" would be helpful, as another poster suggested, since these issues obviously keep coming up. It was my first time in the Haven and I would have found it helpful. I digress.

 

On to my review for those of you who are interested: We decided to go on the Chacchoben ruins, Beach and Lunch tour through NCL. We got off the ship and walked to a market area. It was very easy to find our tour. We did not have to wait and got right on a nice cool bus. They gave out ice cold water bottles to everyone and off we went. It was about 45 minutes to an hour to the ruins. The guide narrates during the ride about the Mayans and the ruins.

 

They did stop at a market place area close to the ruins, where we could use the rest room, get drinks and snacks or buy souvenirs. The ruins were very interesting and over 1000 years old. My DN has been studying ancient civilizations in school, so this tour was especially for her but we all wanted to go! You could walk up on some of the ruins if you so desired. We had a guide telling us about what we were seeing. We even saw a monkey up in the tree. It was very hot even in the shade.

 

I find it very interesting that the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Egyptians all built structures in the shape of a pyramid. They had no way of communicating with each other obviously. A good friend of mine just came back from Machu Picchu. She thinks about alien influences. I am going to do some research on this. It is very strange when you think about it.

 

After the ruins, we went to a beach club about an hour away. The guide was quiet during this part of the trip and we were glad. His voice had been somewhat annoying. We went to the Uvero Beach Club. Under a large pavilion, we had a delicious Mexican Buffet. Unlike the cave tubing excursion, this lunch was hearty and delicious. The beach was beautiful. We swam and enjoyed ourselves. There were plenty of chairs in the shade and it was not too crowed.

 

We got back in time to get showered and ready for dinner. We had reservations for MDQ at 7:30 pm. We made our first trip to the Garden Cafe for dinner. It was OK. We also really looked around the pool deck and slides for the first time. It was in full swing! Very crowded and hot with a loud band, people dancing, drinking, and having fun. Some folks would definitely find the Haven pool and sundeck boring compared to Deck 8!

 

And for the moment we all had been waiting for: Million Dollar Quartet! The Haven has a reserved area in the left side of the theater in the center, but we moved closer to the front. It is not reserved seating: it is first come, first seated.There is also a bar in the theater if you want drinks. The theater ended up being mostly full, with just a few seats on the sides near the walls.

 

I had seen MDQ about six or more times in Chicago. This version is of course, the same show just jazzed or "broadwayed" up. I would think that it is very similar to MDQ in Vegas. DS kept telling me "just wait until you see it! It is different from Chicago!". It Chicago they were in a small intimate theater that sat about 425 people. There were no lights or special effects. I think the Getaway theater seats about 900. All the performers in Chicago where as great as the ones on the Getaway.

 

I once had the opportunity to talk to the casting director for MDQ in Chicago at Ben and Katie's wedding. She told me that it was a "nightmare" to cast the show because of the level of talent needed. You do not want impersonators, but rather someone who can portray the essence of the character. They also have to be able to sing, act and play their own instruments: what they call in the theater "a triple threat ".

 

It was fabulous! I don't want to give away too much, but do not leave when you think it is the end. They all come back out and do an encore. With a different brilliant set! Each performer does another signature song and people are clapping and dancing. They got a standing O every night! The theater lights are synchronized with the music and this is something to see!

 

I have also experienced that some folks ask if the performers play their own instruments. I guess they cannot believe that they are really that good?! They do play their own instruments! It would be really cheesy otherwise to be playing to "canned" music IMHO. You all get a true concert!

 

I have to mention, Aaron, who plays Sam Phillips. Aaron did a great job. Sam is the glue that holds the show together. He was from Alabama originally. He discovered all of these performers and more at Sun Records Studio in Memphis (which is recreated in the MDQ set) He was a genius in his own right. I recently visited the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and there is an entire wing/shrine dedicated to Sam Phillips with a lot of his memorabilia.

 

Zach and Shaun, who play the upright bass and the drums are fantastic musicians. And Katie is beautiful, so talented and is wonderful as Dyanne, Elvis' girlfriend! My DB, DSIL and DN had not seen Kurt perform in a long time and were blown away by the entire experience. We all had reservations for the show on Friday night as well.

 

After the show, we went out and watched as people had their pictures taken with the cast. It was so fun! I must admit that DH (proud dad) and I stayed for the 10 pm show. There was no where else on that ship that we wanted to be!!

 

Thanks for reading this. Next up Friday in Cozumel.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Seminole1975
punctuation and add stuff