How much would you pay for Haven?

[firstimecruiseronncl]

5 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

I sailed the Haven once.  After that experience, why would I bother again?  And if it's more or less a gamble whether I get a pre-school or luxurious experience, I'm not interested.  We sailed in February, not spring break or summer or winter break, or anything of the sort.  The courtyard was loaded with kids.  10 - 15 all day long.  Screaming, running, splashing, snorkeling in the hot tubs, playing loud games in the pool.  Basically, the parents would love the enclosed area to keep their kids in view, they sit and read a book and let their kids run wild.  This is what happens when you have 3rd/4th guest free and 2 bedroom family rooms.  The Haven seems (possibly unintentionally) designed to encourage exactly this.  Posting a picture I took at the bottom, it was usually even more full of kids than in the picture!  And again, it comes down to simply why would I roll the dice on whether I'll have a kids cruise (in Feb!) or a quiet shang ri la?

 

The solarium on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean is 16+.  So the idea that there will be kids is not accurate at all.  For me, I just see no value in the courtyard and pool.  It can be full of kids, no view outside, it's totally enclosed with no ocean view, loud and echos, small, etc.  The solarium on X/RCI is exactly the opposite and you get access with any normal cabin.  On X, we sat in beautiful big padded teak loungers overlooking the ocean.  The pool was big enough for laps, the hot tubs had an ocean view, servers were coming around for drink orders, and there is a little cafe in there, too.  So why would I have interest in the Haven and pay substantially more for it?

 

Have you sailed Oasis class yet?  You may have a different view of entertainment on that ship.  And yeah, I love the slides!  So for us we like Harmony/Symphony.  Though the Escape has probably my favorite slide at sea.  Forget the name but it's the big inner tube slide.  It's outstanding and they move the line fast.

 

And I would say we still had a very nice time on the Escape with the Haven.  The spa must be the best at sea, it's amazing.  The waterfront was a blast and we enjoyed the specialty dining quite a bit. The thing is, you don't need a Haven room to do any of that!  Our favorite stuff was not in the Haven!  We would much rather have drinks on the waterfront than the tiny enclosed lounge/bar sitting next to the concierge.  The Haven restaurant is highly overrated and just vanilla.  There are so many better things to do outside the Haven.

 

 

 

This has been my experience for all three of my stays in the Haven. We sailed in the Breakaway Haven 3/4/18, Escape Haven 7/15/18 and last month in the Escape Haven - 4/14/19. The hot tubs were being used as kiddie swimming pools.

[JamieLogical]

10 minutes ago, firstimecruiseronncl said:

 

This has been my experience for all three of my stays in the Haven. We sailed in the Breakaway Haven 3/4/18, Escape Haven 7/15/18 and last month in the Escape Haven - 4/14/19. The hot tubs were being used as kiddie swimming pools.

 

I think the dates are a clue as to what might be going on. March through Easter are pretty much Spring Break weeks, due the staggered schedule across states/school districts. I know for a fact that the week of 4/14/19 was Spring Break here in Western NY, which is why we sailed on the Escape the week of 4/7 instead. 😉 And, of course, July is summer break.

 

Ah, this thread has me wishing for a FUN kid-free cruise line all over again. I had high hopes for Virgin Voyages, but their short sailings and lack of a drink package made them a non-starter for me. And I am not old and/or formal enough to sail on Viking (not to mention not rich enough!).

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, Nolanoel said:

Since you have done multiple Havens and MSC....how do they compare?  Would love to know.

 

 

I have only been in the Haven three times, a few years ägo, and the Yacht Club twice but I can compare them.

 

MY OPINION is:

 

The Top Sail Lounge is better than the Haven lounge but I liked the view over the pooldeck on the Epic. One reason why I prefer the TSL is that they have entertainment there for a few hours every afternoon/evening.

 

The food is better in the YC restaurant than in the Haven restaurant and it's a new menu every day both for lunch and dinner. The shipmade pasta they had most (every?) night was always delicious. 

 

YC pooldeck much better than in the Haven. I should have preferred if they had more shade on the pooldeck on Divina but there was some shade around the bar and that was okay.

 

I have never cruised on NCL with a drink package but as I understand it drinks over the pricelimit are included up to the limit and only the "extra" has to be paid. If the drinks are over the limit on MSC the whole price has to be paid.

 

The concierges on NCL are more helpfull than on MSC.

 

I also like that the minibar is included on MSC and we also liked the included spaaccess on Meraviglia. On Divina the spa was not interesting for us.

 

One important thing is that MSC has much less family friendly suites, very few with two bedrooms. That means less children in the YC than in the Haven...

 

As said, just nu opinion.

Edited May 20, 2019 by sverigecruiser

[BNBR]

45 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I think the dates are a clue as to what might be going on. March through Easter are pretty much Spring Break weeks, due the staggered schedule across states/school districts. I know for a fact that the week of 4/14/19 was Spring Break here in Western NY, which is why we sailed on the Escape the week of 4/7 instead. 😉 And, of course, July is summer break.

 

Ah, this thread has me wishing for a FUN kid-free cruise line all over again. I had high hopes for Virgin Voyages, but their short sailings and lack of a drink package made them a non-starter for me. And I am not old and/or formal enough to sail on Viking (not to mention not rich enough!).

 

My sailing was 2/24 - that's where that picture is from.  That's not spring break or summer.

 

If you want a more kid-free cruise, do Celebrity.  They generally have the "free at sea" type stuff just like NCL.  It's an upmarket experience (lacking the "fun" stuff like slides and what not) but it's a more Haven-ish vibe throughout the entire ship.  Our last Celebrity sailing was cheaper than Royal or NCL for the week, with included drink package and internet.  If you like a more relaxed vibe, it may be right up your alley.  Very few kids on the ship and no kids are allowed in the solarium.

 

Celebrity would be a good middle ground between NCL and HAL/Viking type crowd.  It's not totally older/boring people and not kid centric either.

Edited May 20, 2019 by BNBR

[gmbhardy]

$3;468.20 pp.

[graphicguy]

While I have seen children in both the Haven and in MSC’s Yacht Club, they never were an issue.  They aren’t in the bar areas.  They pretty much leave the hot tubs once I  got in.

 

Fact is, the outside pool slide areas are much more attractive for kids than the Haven’s relatively boring pool areas.

 

I know Celebrity has fans, as they have plenty of ships.  And, I’ve only sailed on the Solstice.  It just wasn’t much fun for us.  I had hoped the experience would justify its higher fare.  Service wasn’t better, entertainment wasn’t as good (vs RCCL, NCL).

 

Celebrity vs Yacht Club or Haven isn’t even a “thing”.

 

But, if you want a more laid back experience......

[BNBR]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

Fact is, the outside pool slide areas are much more attractive for kids than the Haven’s relatively boring pool areas.

 

The kid pool areas are not more attractive to the toddlers parents, who have to watch them.  The Haven is a godsend if you have little kids. They splash around and scream and play in the pool and hot tubs while mommy reads a book with food and beverage service. 

 

And yes, comparing non Haven options and Haven options is certainly a "thing." It's the value proposition everyone asks when deciding if Haven is worth it.  And comparing Haven to other cruise offerings is part of that.  I would take Celebrity Reflection standard balcony over Escape Haven all day (factoring in substantial cost savings of course). I would also compare prices like any other cruise purchase, and for us, X was actually much cheaper than even an NCL regular cabin for our last sail date, let alone bloated Haven prices. Made it a no brainer. 

 

Celebrity is definitely not the product for everyone. But if people enjoy the quiet, luxurious, Haven like atmosphere and aren't big on all the family/slides type stuff, then X is a great option for the price. My wife loves X. I prefer more family style ships as I like all the "fun" stuff. 

[dincus]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I think the dates are a clue as to what might be going on. March through Easter are pretty much Spring Break weeks, due the staggered schedule across states/school districts. I know for a fact that the week of 4/14/19 was Spring Break here in Western NY, which is why we sailed on the Escape the week of 4/7 instead. 😉 And, of course, July is summer break.

 

Ah, this thread has me wishing for a FUN kid-free cruise line all over again. I had high hopes for Virgin Voyages, but their short sailings and lack of a drink package made them a non-starter for me. And I am not old and/or formal enough to sail on Viking (not to mention not rich enough!).

Have you looked into Oceania? We have sailed with them several times. We've never once seen a kid on board. They promote this by saying they have nothing for kids to do on board. The two larger ships, Riviera and Marina have 4 specialty restaurants that have no fees and are considered to have some of the best food in the industry. They have a buffet on the top aft of the ship where every night they have a buffet that includes a grill station where you can order lobster tails, huge shrimp, rib eye steaks, filets, NY Strips, lamb chops, etc. All included.

 

We also love NCL and have sailed with them 14 times. We've only sailed in the Haven since it's inception. We recently booked a cruise on the Breakaway for my wife's birthday in December out of Port Canaveral. We booked a Haven Aft Cabin. I compared it to a Penthouse Suite on Riviera. Riviera was only a little bit more but it was for 10 nights instead of 7. We went with NCL this time because Breakaway is new to Port Canaveral and we live 10 minutes away. Miami is a 3 hour drive and a huge parking bill. Oceania has drink packages and also allows you to bring alcohol on board. Our first cruise with them we brought 2 cases of wine on board with us. 

 

Very quiet on board. No waterslides or race tracks. Just a very relaxing atmosphere. Great pool area and spa. Check it out. It may be what you're looking for with no kids!

[graphicguy]

On 5/19/2019 at 7:26 PM, KeithJenner said:

Yes, that’s basically what I have seen before.

 

It really seems to me that the difference is much more the selection rather than the charge. Basically, if you are in a standard room you can’t get much of a cooked breakfast even if you are willing to pay, but if you are happy with cold stuff then it is delivered free.

 

I wonder how many people actually pay $7.95 for an omelette or French Toast. I suppose some people must do, and if there is more than one person wanting some then the charge isn’t too bad per item.

 

If I was ever to order room service breakfast I would probably just get some toast, but it seems you can’t have that no matter how much money you want to spend.

I ran into a couple on my last cruise (Escape) who mentioned they ordered EVERYTHING on the breakfast menu every morning to get their money’s worth.  They said they snacked on the leftovers throughout the day.

[momofmab]

I have yet to sail in the Haven but I have sailed in Penthouse Suites and Owner's Suites (pre-Haven days, pre-Mega ship days).  I hope to try Haven at some point but will probably wait until its just my dh and me and we can choose an unpopular, low-kid week or longer.  I don't think I'd pay more than $3,000/pp and would pick an itinerary with several sea days, so I feel like I have time to enjoy it.

[Notnewtoit]

Sea day in the Haven on a Jewel... empty private sun deck, SHADED cabana all to ourselves, butler bringing drinks all day, easy access to our lovely private bathroom, no woefully bad band, no kids, no screaming, did I mention SHADED cabana all to ourselves, unobstructed view of the ocean slipping by, deserted hot-tub if we so desire, snacks on hand, deserted plunge pool to cool off, casual stroll to Cagneys for lunch, no lines... THAT's what we pay for, not a grumpy concierge and a special key-card.

 

Port day in the Haven on a Jewel... empty private sun deck, SHADED cabana all to ourselves, butler bringing drinks all day, easy access to our lovely private bathroom, no woefully bad band, no kids, no screaming, did I mention SHADED cabana all to ourselves, unobstructed view of the ocean slipping by, deserted hot-tub if we so desire, snacks on hand, deserted plunge pool to cool off, casual stroll to Cagneys for lunch, no lines... THAT's what we pay for, not a grumpy concierge and a special key-card.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Notnewtoit

[Nolanoel]

9 hours ago, dincus said:

Have you looked into Oceania? We have sailed with them several times. We've never once seen a kid on board. They promote this by saying they have nothing for kids to do on board. The two larger ships, Riviera and Marina have 4 specialty restaurants that have no fees and are considered to have some of the best food in the industry. They have a buffet on the top aft of the ship where every night they have a buffet that includes a grill station where you can order lobster tails, huge shrimp, rib eye steaks, filets, NY Strips, lamb chops, etc. All included.

 

We also love NCL and have sailed with them 14 times. We've only sailed in the Haven since it's inception. We recently booked a cruise on the Breakaway for my wife's birthday in December out of Port Canaveral. We booked a Haven Aft Cabin. I compared it to a Penthouse Suite on Riviera. Riviera was only a little bit more but it was for 10 nights instead of 7. We went with NCL this time because Breakaway is new to Port Canaveral and we live 10 minutes away. Miami is a 3 hour drive and a huge parking bill. Oceania has drink packages and also allows you to bring alcohol on board. Our first cruise with them we brought 2 cases of wine on board with us. 

 

Very quiet on board. No waterslides or race tracks. Just a very relaxing atmosphere. Great pool area and spa. Check it out. It may be what you're looking for with no kids!

Oceania has an Ireland itinerary that is exactly what I want!  What is the dress code as opposed to NCL?   I think you will love the BA.  Those aft Haven's are huge!  Coupled with a second bathroom and the fantastic balcony - wow!!  You do have to be a bit careful about what floor you are on - if you are too high you will have to listen to Spice H2O.  

[dincus]

9 hours ago, Nolanoel said:

Oceania has an Ireland itinerary that is exactly what I want!  What is the dress code as opposed to NCL?   I think you will love the BA.  Those aft Haven's are huge!  Coupled with a second bathroom and the fantastic balcony - wow!!  You do have to be a bit careful about what floor you are on - if you are too high you will have to listen to Spice H2O.  

Dress code is essentially the same. Casual. When the Marina and Riviera were built they intentionally did not put tie racks in the staterooms. The only time I wear a jacket is for the wine pairing dinners at La Reserve. They are not free.

On the Breakaway we are up pretty high on deck 13. As for the value of the Haven, if we can't get the stateroom that we want in the Haven we don't sail NCL.

[Sand and Seas]

On 5/16/2019 at 2:42 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

We are interested in the restaurant and bar, the enclosed pool area, snacks in the room, room service, free pay-per-view, priority embarkation/debarkation, reserved seating for entertainment, larger room, and specifically the Spa Suite that has the jacuzzi next to the window.

We did Haven once on the Getaway in the Spa Suite.  Loved the in-room jacuzzi.   Didn't use the spa as much as we might have since we tried to go up to the Haven and spend time there.   Hardly ever saw the butler, but that was OK with us.  (Although he totally ignored our typewritten list of 'we like ....., don't bring us canapes'.)

 

We didn't get to enjoy the Haven pool area much since there were kids overtaking the place.  Do not know where their parents were!   We did enjoy the upper private Haven deck and there were great servers who were in cahoots with the Haven bartenders to keep us well stocked with some great drinks😎

Loved the Haven restaurant and bar.  Great staff at both.  The priority debarkation wasn't much for us.  We still ended up in a line, so I'm happy just sticking with our Plat Plus yellow (not gold) tags.

 

So, to answer your original question, we doubt we will ever cruise in the Haven again.  If you could bid for Haven upgrades starting at $200 pp or so, maybe I would throw that bid in for a lark.   Otherwise, I'm very happy to enjoy a mini-suite with large balcony.   We will cruise more often and get by with our Platinum Plus perks.

[Nolanoel]

1 hour ago, dincus said:

Dress code is essentially the same. Casual. When the Marina and Riviera were built they intentionally did not put tie racks in the staterooms. The only time I wear a jacket is for the wine pairing dinners at La Reserve. They are not free.

On the Breakaway we are up pretty high on deck 13. As for the value of the Haven, if we can't get the stateroom that we want in the Haven we don't sail NCL.

Thanks for the inf6! If you have the option to move lower on the BA for it.  9 has the largest balconies.   

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, dincus said:

On the Breakaway we are up pretty high on deck 13.

 

Deck 13 has the least deep aft-facing balconies. 

[Nextcruise42]

Did an aft facing penthouse on Breakaway 2 yrs. ago and absolutely loved it. Since there were 3 adults and the 2 room configuration I felt I could justify the price. Now DH and I are trying the msc yacht club in the fall. The price was really good when I booked compared to NCL, and MSC has nice reviews.

[lkj1301]

The last cruise we took on NCL was the Getaway to all the usual Western Caribbean islands.  We sailed for the 1st time in the Haven. We had a forward facing (2 rm, i.e. 1 bedroom) cabin on the 12th deck. I booked that cruise with the intention of treating us, (my husband and myself).  After that cruise my husband said whenever we sail NCL again it will be in the Haven.  I have recently booked an aft-facing Haven suite on the Joy for a 12 night in 2021. 

I tend to research as thoroughly as possible and know which cabin we want before I call my TA.  I have yet to receive an email bid for an upgrade. I would rather book the cabin "I want."  We really like embarkation & debarkation as a Haven guest.  We like having the butler available if we need him/her.  We like the restaurant not being overcrowed.  Also, concierge called me the day before we got back to port and asked if we needed to check in with our airline and get our boarding passes. I didn't ask them to do this.

When we have a balcony,  (I've only booked a mini-suite 1 time), we usually spend our time reading on our balcony. We don't want to be among the throngs of people around the pool. But in the Haven there are so many less people, its easy to find a lounger. We do cruise Celebrity & Princess also.  The only other cruise line was to Alaska on Silver Seas's Silver Shadow, I wanted a "small" ship.  It was only 385 passengers. But I do know, it is worth it to us, when we sail NCL to book in the Haven.

[Peachypooh]

I try not to pay more than $1,000 per night for the cabin. (2 people)

[elwood_98034]

We are coming up for our 3rd Alaskan cruise. We are on the Joy in late August. Our first was a Sun forward penthouse (pre-Haven), and the second was just a regular cabin on the Jewel.

We are doing the Haven this time. No discussion.

Why? The cafe was usually packed, and it was nearly impossible to get a table, as people would arrive really early and stake out tables for the day. The loud music in the pool area was really annoying, and the drunks filling the hot tubs most of the day made us not want to take our kids there. Then there were the huge lines to get on and off the ship. The patchy service in the specialty restaurants was surprising as well. We had two dud meals in Cagney's, and a waiter once told me that the bar was closed in the Italian restaurant, and I got to walk half way down the ship to find one that was open.

The Haven is much more expensive, but for what we are paying I don't expect bad food or drunks swilling beer at 10.00am and never bothering to get out of the hot tub to use the bathroom.

[BNBR]

23 minutes ago, elwood_98034 said:

We are coming up for our 3rd Alaskan cruise. We are on the Joy in late August. Our first was a Sun forward penthouse (pre-Haven), and the second was just a regular cabin on the Jewel.

We are doing the Haven this time. No discussion.

Why? The cafe was usually packed, and it was nearly impossible to get a table, as people would arrive really early and stake out tables for the day. The loud music in the pool area was really annoying, and the drunks filling the hot tubs most of the day made us not want to take our kids there. Then there were the huge lines to get on and off the ship. The patchy service in the specialty restaurants was surprising as well. We had two dud meals in Cagney's, and a waiter once told me that the bar was closed in the Italian restaurant, and I got to walk half way down the ship to find one that was open.

The Haven is much more expensive, but for what we are paying I don't expect bad food or drunks swilling beer at 10.00am and never bothering to get out of the hot tub to use the bathroom.

 

Why not just sail a different cruise line that doesn't have these issues? 

[kitty-sail]

On 5/20/2019 at 12:59 PM, BostonGal35 said:

id pay at most $2300 pp for Haven.

we have been able to find deals on off season sails but its becoming harder and harder.

Those good deals don't exist anymore. Getting very pricey and out of many people's budget.

 

[Nolanoel]

I am with you Elwood.  I like NCL and like the Haven.  If I can have everything in one cruise line why would I have to change? Have a friend that just booked a Haven Spa suite for under 5k.  Those deals are hard to find but they are there.

[elwood_98034]

1 hour ago, BNBR said:

 

Why not just sail a different cruise line that doesn't have these issues? 

NCL is alright. I doubt it is any better or worse than the others. We did a Celebrity once, and it was awful. We are just cherry picking our experience. Luckily we can afford to do that. By paying for some degree of exclusivity, I am not demanding exceptional treatment, but I am expecting the employees to do their jobs, and for people to not be rolling drunk before lunchtime.

[BNBR]

3 hours ago, elwood_98034 said:

NCL is alright. I doubt it is any better or worse than the others. We did a Celebrity once, and it was awful. We are just cherry picking our experience. Luckily we can afford to do that. By paying for some degree of exclusivity, I am not demanding exceptional treatment, but I am expecting the employees to do their jobs, and for people to not be rolling drunk before lunchtime.

 

Weird. I had the opposite experience on X.  And I also found NCL to be substantially busier and more crowded than other lines. They really push the limits. 

 

Anyways, your other comment read as if the regular cruise experience was so bad, you had to book haven. I figured, why not try other lines?