What do you request from your butler for in the Haven? And other stupid questions.

[tampadee]

18 minutes ago, xcell said:

I think the movies on the TV are free for Haven but it's been a while...so that might have changed.

On the Bliss, on-demand movies were free.

[janice2348]

14 hours ago, Greenpea2 said:

Wow--you could get shrimp cocktail as a snack? That's awesome. I somehow don't think they would do that anymore, though ... especially with it being an uncharge at Cagney's now.

You could br right about that but being in the Haven they might not charge for it.  

[Greenpea2]

3 minutes ago, janice2348 said:

You could br right about that but being in the Haven they might not charge for it.  

Well, I like the idea! I think I will order that one evening for cocktails on the balcony and see what happens. If they charge me, that's fine. I should have thought of this before! 🙂

[FranknBeans]

We too do not like eating in our suite.We only use our butler to keep coffee machine well stocked and we'll get our own milk for cappuccino from buffet area. We don't want snacks or candies in daytime as there is enough to eat onboard.  Espressos , cappuccinos are our drug of choice all day even at home.

 

We also don't use the  concierge and as for priority  theater seating we always find that the seating is on the sides or in the corner of the upper balcony and we can get better seating on our own.

 

Needless to say they don't make much money from us.

[janice2348]

14 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

Well, I like the idea! I think I will order that one evening for cocktails on the balcony and see what happens. If they charge me, that's fine. I should have thought of this before! 🙂

Make a list of any other afternoon snacks you want and give it to your butler on embarkation day.  Some butlers are more willing than others to accommodate your requests. 

I would pay the upcharge too 😁

[Greenpea2]

6 minutes ago, janice2348 said:

Make a list of any other afternoon snacks you want and give it to your butler on embarkation day.  Some butlers are more willing than others to accommodate your requests. 

I would pay the upcharge too 😁

Yes, I have a list but SHRIMP COCKTAIL is being added! 😉 So happy to have this idea, thank you!

[janice2348]

3 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

Yes, I have a list but SHRIMP COCKTAIL is being added! 😉 So happy to have this idea, thank you!

My pleasure.  I actually got this idea from someone else here on CC.  Enjoy your cruise!

[CILCIANRQTS]

The same things I have our butler do at home.

Wait, we don’t have a butler at home... 😎

[Harratine]

On 3/29/2019 at 5:13 PM, slugg said:

I recently upgraded to a Haven suite. Woohoo! But the first thing that comes to mind is "what do I even do with a butler?" I'm just not that fancy. I've never had a butler and I have no concept of them. I've seen Batman, and Alfred is a badass, but I doubt that training to become a superhero is the best way to utilize a butler on NCL. So.... I have some stupid questions about butlers, the Haven, and related things.

 

1. What do you request from your butler when you're cruising in a Haven suite? I'm trying to get a feel for ideas.    Coffee in mornings with continental breakfast.  Our 14 yo daughter would get a pot of hot chocolate as well.

 

2. I've read in a couple random places that not only is the room service charge waived, but the menu is expanded. Is this true, and if so, what's the expanded menu?  Yes, fee waived and free on demand movies

 

 

5. Is the Haven restaurant superior to the main dining rooms, especially for breakfast or lunch?  Breakfast has a really good menu.  Favorite is the seafood Benedict.  It sounds a little weird but it’s awesome.  Also you may have a private outdoor dining area (escape) which is awesome for breakfast

 

6. Is there anything else you think I should know?  Share your wants with the butler.  Like if you are planning on eating breakfast in room, want more bathrobes you name it.  They anticipate a lot and they don’t read minds.  It makes their job easier and your cruise wonderful.

 

 

By the way - my wife still thinks we're in an interior cabin on a lower deck. This is going to be a total surprise! 🙂  Nice surprise,,,have fun

 

[Winchester Ranger]

On 3/30/2019 at 5:57 AM, Georgia_Peaches said:

I think you will love the Haven. Be prepared to leave any and all future interior cabins in the dust. After being in the Haven there’s no turning back...!

cm

 

Four years ago I would have agreed 100% I absolutely loved the Haven experience, in fact that photo of me to the left of this post was taken in the Haven restaurant on Getaway, but NCL have ruined the Haven experience for me with their ridiculously inflated prices - even for a regular Courtyard Penthouse Suite.  The Yacht Club on MSC offers so much more than the Haven and it’s only half the price.  NCL lost me on cost alone I’m afraid.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Winchester Ranger

[graphicguy]

Done the Haven 3X on the “-Away” ships and a Penthouse Suite (non-Haven but with Butler and Concierge access) on the GEM.

 

Haven Restaurant, as has been mentioned has really good food, similar to a Spcialty Restaurant, but the menu does not change.  Loved it for breakfast....maybe a couple of dinners.  But, you’re going to have access to the Specialty Restaurant perks, so would take advantage of those.

 

I always had my concierge do all my show and dining reservations, as well as eambark/disembark.  Plus, they get you the best seats in the house at the “fee” show.  Any billing issues?  Concierge takes care of those, too.  So, I tip her/him the most....$100 for the week.  

 

On the flip side of that, I don’t dine in my cabin and usually don’t request any special foods/drinks/pillows, etc.  I’ve never heard of Butlers packing or unpacking.  Not sure I’d want them to mess with my stuff.  So, I tip him $50 for keeping my coffee stocked.

 

All of my stewards were awesome and worked really hard to accommodate my schedules in taking care of my cabin.  I’ve tipped them $75.

 

I had 2 exceptional bartenders in the Haven bar.  Both would go out of their way to make even the weirdest drinks I could come up with.  I tipped them $50 ea.

 

Edited March 31, 2019 by graphicguy

[linga]

We were in the Haven on the Epic for a 14 day transatlantic and loved it.  

 

We used the Butler for some drinks (didn't charge us), some assistance with laundry and extra towels, etc.

 

In my humble opinion, the Haven restaurant (both food and service) was far better than any other restaurant/eating spot on the ship and we tried them all.  We ended up having many meals there, especially dinner.  On the Epic, many tables are next to the huge windows, so the view while having Dinner is spectacular and romantic!

 

Concierge was great!  We never had to worry about getting in to see any show and the seats were fantastic, always close to stage just left of center.  The stand-by lines were so long to see any show on that cruise, we were so happy we had Concierge service.   Used them for all restaurant reservations too.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Edited March 31, 2019 by linga

[gizfish]

If it is during the Haven restaurant's regular hours, you certainly can get shrimp cocktail delivered by the butler, no up charge.  Also, pay per view movies are all still free on the TV (not DVD any more).

[Greenpea2]

10 minutes ago, gizfish said:

If it is during the Haven restaurant's regular hours, you certainly can get shrimp cocktail delivered by the butler, no up charge.  Also, pay per view movies are all still free on the TV (not DVD any more).

This is good to know, thank you. I don't see shrimp cocktail on the Haven Restaurant menu, so I'm not sure how they can get it from there...but if I can have it I will be happy!

 

[slugg]

3 hours ago, gizfish said:

If it is during the Haven restaurant's regular hours, you certainly can get shrimp cocktail delivered by the butler, no up charge.  Also, pay per view movies are all still free on the TV (not DVD any more).

Where can I find in writing that the pay per view is included?

[Greenpea2]

5 minutes ago, slugg said:

Where can I find in writing that the pay per view is included?

#4. But they don't say it is free.

https://www.ncl.com/travel-blog/ways-to-enjoy-downtime-in-your-cruise-cabin

[slugg]

I have yet another dumb question. I didn’t know about this until I just read it maybe 5 minutes ago on NCL’s website, but apparently there’s a pre-cruise concierge service. Cool! So now I’m wondering what YOU have used this for so I can get some ideas. I’d like to sweeten the surprise a bit. 🙂

[perditax]

I feel like leaving a written “list” is a little impersonal, but at the same time I’ve read that some of the megaships are a bit understaffed right now, and you might not meet your butler at all the first day. I’m wondering if a simple note:

 

”Hi, we don’t need towel animals or afternoon canapés/fruit, but we’re a fan of cookies. Also please empty the fridge. Thanks!”

 

... would be reasonable, with a cash tip attached to the note?

 

Now that I’ve typed that out, I guess towel animals are the steward, not the butler?

[graphicguy]

21 minutes ago, slugg said:

I have yet another dumb question. I didn’t know about this until I just read it maybe 5 minutes ago on NCL’s website, but apparently there’s a pre-cruise concierge service. Cool! So now I’m wondering what YOU have used this for so I can get some ideas. I’d like to sweeten the surprise a bit. 🙂

They’ll ask about pillow types preferred, kind of coffees/teas preferred for your coffee maker, embarkation snacks you want in your cabin.....I think that’s about it.

[milolii]

Oh my, yes  The pre-cruise Concierge Service.  

We have always received a letter in the mail.  The letter will list things like those mentioned in an earlier post.  So you might want to consider how to head that letter off, if  this is still a surprise.   Also, the luggage tags will come to you which say priority and the cabin number.  Again, via the US Mail.  Not sure if you can opt out of such communication or change it to electronic.  Maybe others can else can answer that. 

 

We cruised in March and this was our experience then.  

 

 

[Greenpea2]

59 minutes ago, perditax said:

I feel like leaving a written “list” is a little impersonal, but at the same time I’ve read that some of the megaships are a bit understaffed right now, and you might not meet your butler at all the first day. I’m wondering if a simple note:

 

”Hi, we don’t need towel animals or afternoon canapés/fruit, but we’re a fan of cookies. Also please empty the fridge. Thanks!”

 

... would be reasonable, with a cash tip attached to the note?

 

Now that I’ve typed that out, I guess towel animals are the steward, not the butler?

The towel animals and emptying the fridge would be requests for the steward. Many butlers find it helpful to have a note or list. It makes it easier for them.

[Greenpea2]

1 hour ago, slugg said:

I have yet another dumb question. I didn’t know about this until I just read it maybe 5 minutes ago on NCL’s website, but apparently there’s a pre-cruise concierge service. Cool! So now I’m wondering what YOU have used this for so I can get some ideas. I’d like to sweeten the surprise a bit. 🙂

The pre-concierge service is pretty much luck as to if the person will be helpful. We did it once and I got an email confirming it would be taken care of. It was not. The butler had no clue about it, no one had communicated it to him. Its best to get special requests taken care of once you board, in my opinion.

[perditax]

9 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

The pre-concierge service is pretty much luck as to if the person will be helpful. We did it once and I got an email confirming it would be taken care of. It was not. The butler had no clue about it, no one had communicated it to him. Its best to get special requests taken care of once you board, in my opinion.

 

Have read the same thing on more than one occasion. 

[perditax]

Side question ... will we be able to get assistance from concierge/butler/anyone with disembark? Disembark from BA is apparently a nightmare right now, and we’d like to get out early. 

[gmbhardy]

6 hours ago, Winchester Ranger said:

 

Four years ago I would have agreed 100% I absolutely loved the Haven experience, in fact that photo of me to the left of this post was taken in the Haven restaurant on Getaway, but NCL have ruined the Haven experience for me with their ridiculously inflated prices - even for a regular Courtyard Penthouse Suite.  The Yacht Club on MSC offers so much more than the Haven and it’s only half the price.  NCL lost me on cost alone I’m afraid.

 

The Yacht Club is not half the price of the Haven. Maybe it was at one time but not now, in fact I’ve seen Haven Spa suites cheaper than YC suites.