Haven mini bar

[cruising mickey]

Hello,

 

Just wondering that since items in the mini bar have to be paid for, can you ask the=at they be stocked with only certain items (i.e., certain sodas, beer)?

 

Thanks in advance.

[oteixeira]

You can asked for it to be empty, or stocked with different things, which you would still pay for if you used.  I ask for it to be emptied, then I ask for a carafe or both water and orange juice to be brought to our room (part of the butler service) and I put those into the fridge.  Anything stocked in the fridge as a mini fridge item (again, even if you ask for only the beer or soda to be there) will be charged if you use it.

[cruising mickey]

Are things charged at the bar menu price?

 

Thanks

[oteixeira]

39 minutes ago, cruising mickey said:

Are things charged at the bar menu price?

 

Thanks

I have no idea, the first thing I do is have them empty the mini fridge.  I actually request it pre-cruise, so it is usually empty when I arrive to my room.

[valleyvillage]

 

This is from 2019, so...

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, cruising mickey said:

Are things charged at the bar menu price?

 

Thanks

Ask again once NCL resumes cruising. It’s been 16 months since anyone has seen a menu. 

[cruising mickey]

thanks

[Drews_Cruise]

Highly unlikely those prices are still valid..lol. It’s good to know we can just have it removed. 

[sverigecruiser]

I should never pay for the minibar anywhere but like when it's included in the cruisefare. (Of course I understand that I pay for it if it's included but I'm fine with that!)

 

It's nice to grab a beer in the minibar to drink on the balcony instead of calling a butler to bring it! (That's in MSC Yacht Club where both the minibar and the butler bringing drinks is included in the cruisefare.)

[Sailing12Away]

If you're in an owners suite, the mini bar is included. We had the DOS on the Jade and they stocked it daily with our preference in sodas and mixers. That was a nice perk to have instead of juggling 2 cups of coke back to the room at night.

[Drews_Cruise]

Not sure if it’s been stated before or not but can you bring unopened cans of pop (soda) and water from the haven bar to fill up the mini bar yourself? Or do they only give you fountain dispensed drinks?

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, gardening_guy said:

Not sure if it’s been stated before or not but can you bring unopened cans of pop (soda) and water from the haven bar to fill up the mini bar yourself? Or do they only give you fountain dispensed drinks?

You can have your mini-bar emptied and use it as you please. 

 

There are no free drinks at the Haven Bar. 

 

Bottled water is not included in the standard Premium Beverage Package. You would have to pay to upgrade it to get bottled water. Or pay retail price for it. 

 

We normally have our mini-bar emptied and ask our butler to keep a full pitcher of ice water and ice tea in there. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by BirdTravels

[Drews_Cruise]

No free drinks at the Haven Bar?  But I have a drink package.  I'm not sure I understand.

[JustaOreo]

46 minutes ago, gardening_guy said:

No free drinks at the Haven Bar?  But I have a drink package.  I'm not sure I understand.

Typically....the drink package includes glasses of beverage, not cans/bottles. There have been occasions where I have gotten an entire can/bottle of soda/beer. That however has not been the norm.

[Drews_Cruise]

I'm still trying to get past the fact that an all-inclusive drink package doesnt include bottled water? lol

 

[JustaOreo]

Just now, gardening_guy said:

I'm still trying to get past the fact that an all-inclusive drink package doesnt include bottled water? lol

 

That makes most of us!   🙂

[luckyinpa]

47 minutes ago, gardening_guy said:

I'm still trying to get past the fact that an all-inclusive drink package doesnt include bottled water? lol

 

 boggles the mind. my guess is the bottle of water takes up more room and booze is more profitable. 

 

at least you know the pricing before you get on the ship though. i tried pricing booze packages on royal and they arent on the site. they vary by ship by date. theres no uniform pricing. i think thats insane! at least NCL is consistent with master pricing on their site thats easily to research. i think its nuts to have to buy a cruise to see booze pricing. 

 

that being said, other cruise lines have a much better non booze package that is cheap and includes mocktails. 

[Drews_Cruise]

Yes and Princess allows me to gift myself a case of water and a bottle of scotch in the room for when I arrive.  

[oteixeira]

8 minutes ago, gardening_guy said:

Yes and Princess allows me to gift myself a case of water and a bottle of scotch in the room for when I arrive.  

I get a case of water from NCL for my room every cruise.  There is nothing stopping you from buying it online pre-cruise, or on the ship once you arrive.  Not sure what you mean by "gifting it to yourself", but when I buy a gift I pay, so I am assuming you pay.

[Drews_Cruise]

That’s correct.  I went onto NCL and tried to preorder water to my room and it was there.  It says the charge is $0.00 Cad.  Sounds like a deal so I ordered 6. Litre bottles..lol. 

[Sailing12Away]

If you have the drink package, drinks are 'free' at the Haven bar. But you can only bring fountain drinks back to the room - hence the juggling of cups. If you have a refillable water bottle, you can get ice water with lemon from the lounge and courtyard to refill your bottle - cheaper than disposable bottles. 

 

As it was said above, pick your juice or non-soda drink of choice and ask for a pitcher to be put in the fridge. They'll cover the top with saran wrap to keep it 'clean' and refill as needed for free. 

[xcell]

You pay Haven prices and they don't include everything -- I don't get it.

[Drews_Cruise]

Agreed,  I hate to compare but on Princess you get water, canned sodas , all specialty coffees and gratuities included when you purchase the drink package.  Seems a bit cheap to not give these things when the Haven is supposed to be all inclusive. 

[cruiserbear55]

On 7/5/2021 at 2:03 PM, Sailing12Away said:

If you're in an owners suite, the mini bar is included. We had the DOS on the Jade and they stocked it daily with our preference in sodas and mixers. That was a nice perk to have instead of juggling 2 cups of coke back to the room at night.

Coke?? Reading your post I thought NCL must have had an epiphany and saw the light!! But alas, no. It's s t i l l Pepsi!!  Uses to bring 2 cases of coke 16 oz. bottles onboard each cruise. Would drink 2 6-packs and give the rest to the stewards and the casino crew. Thought they had died and gone to heaven, not to have to drink that "other stuff"!!  For those who book through CAS or otherwise qualify for a free casino drink card, 20 0z. water bottles are available at the casino bar. (For free) Happy Sailing!!

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, gardening_guy said:

Agreed,  I hate to compare but on Princess you get water, canned sodas , all specialty coffees and gratuities included when you purchase the drink package.  Seems a bit cheap to not give these things when the Haven is supposed to be all inclusive. 

It's hard to compare apples to apples. I just tried pricing out my upcoming Alaska cruise with NCL on Princess in the closest compatible room I could find. I'm not familiar with Princess, but didn't see any sort of equivalent to the NCL Haven for their suite level rooms. So yeah, I would save 2K with Princess and get canned soda, but you don't get a Haven suite with NCL for cans of soda. You get it for the butler service, the concierge, priority embarkation/disembarking, Haven lounge, Haven bar, Haven courtyard, etc etc etc.

 

Haven isn't about being all inclusive, it's about the concept of a 'ship within a ship'. Private retreat only for Haven guests so no fighting for chairs at the pool, restaurants that know  your food preferences the moment you sit down, bartenders that have your drink waiting by the time your behind is in your chair...