The NCL Haven Luxury VIP Experience "Secrets" REVISED for 2022

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, mrshorsy said:

Are you doing a crazy amount of laundry ? 3 T-shirts on a 7-10 day cruise ! 
 

Nope, we've never used the laundry on a cruise ship or in port. We just rewear the t-shirts. Given the excessive number of showers (like 3 - 4/day), time in the thermal suite, and in hot tubs, we have no need to do laundry. I've never noticed any stench from myself...well, except for one hot day spent in Mexico going to Tulum. That shirt went on the dirty clothes shelf until going home. Thankfully I had worn it a couple times before. 

During a sea day, I have a t-shirt on maybe four or five hours. The rest of the time I'm in a hot tub, sundeck, pool, thermal suite. I don't wander around the ship shirtless. I just take lots of showers to cool off after roasting/boiling myself. 

 

1 hour ago, Treasure Hunter said:

What about toothpaste toothbrush. Hairbrush, hair products, over the counter meds like Tylenol Pepto Aleve. Ships don’t sell those anymore. Last trip (. 8 days in Greek Islands. I brought a pharmacy ( saline spray, TheraTears, Glyoxide, Vaseline, antibiotic cream and bandaids. Etc.). Why wear heavy jeans?  

None of those...well actually, no. You're right! I do pack my backpacking first aid kit. It weighs about two pounds and even includes a SAM splint.

My kit has the basics you'd need when backpacking, which are the basics you'd need when on a shore excursion. Band-aids, gauze, tweezers, moleskin, Neosporin, Epi pen, mouth barrier for CPR (little good CPR will do me on the trail though - but may just come in handy on a ship). 

 

Jeans? I own jeans, lounge pants, and suit pants. No suit pants. That's work wear! I'm not a blue collar worker, though I think I'd prefer that work to mindless office gossip. OH! lounge pants! I take lounge pants too! Jeans are comfy, durable, can be worn for a week without being washed, and are heavier if it's cold. We cruise from NYC mostly (3 out of 4, thus far), so need to be prepared for wind, rain, snow, etc. 

 

Sheesh - you caught me on two items I didn't mention above. Can you tell I'm new to cruising? haha

 

My husband would kill me if I didn't state that he brushes his teeth, so he does bring a toothbrush/toothpaste. I don't. I can wait a week. That's what gum is for! For the record, I have all my pearly whites. He doesn't have his wisdom teeth. 🦷

 

Different topic: I'm so confused by this talk of bringing electrical cords. I think I understand why if staying in a non-Haven room. Those rooms (based on videos I've seen) seem to have only one or two outlets. In the Haven, whether it's a Haven Aft-Facing or Haven Suite or Haven Penthouse, we've always had at least four or five outlets (two by the side, couple by the coffee maker, and another by the sofa). 

 

How many devices do you bring? We only bring two phones and two watches. That's all that needs charging and thankfully we have a multi-device charger. We literally only use one of the multiple outlets in our room. Except the Nespresso outlet. That sucker stays plugged in at all times! Don't mess with the coffee device! 

 

 

What else do you bring that needs an outlet? 

[Sthrngary]

The recent information on this stream has been incredible.  So many contributors however a special thank you to @cruiseny4life.  Your knowledge, writing and format is OUTSTANDING.  

 

As so many have commented, there is lot's of information on this stream for Haven Guests to leverage to enhance their cruising experience.  All most to much.  That is why many questions are asked over and over again.  The Search Feature on CruiseCritic.com is kind of hard to navigate for some.  

 

Please be kind to new posters that ask the same questions that we all have answered in the past.  Always have a balanced reply meaning the true pros/cons your experience.  If I know the cons, I can take action to change my outcome. If I know the Pros I will leverage them to make my vacation better.  

 

When folks post here and focus on Hating the Haven yet have never had the opportunity to cruise in the Haven; that is just Social Media where we all use aliases. We can even learn a think or to from them.  

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[McGarrett5oh]

I just finished a phone call with the Haven Pre-Cruise Concierge, Yvonne.  Very professonal and helpful.  I had a few questions that she was able to answer without fail.  The one takeaway that I didn't completely understand, from previous research, was that the Pre-Cruise Concierge requests you can make for your suite are just for "Embarkation Day"  In other words, if there are any requests related to later in the cruise, those should be directed to your Butler or the on-board Concierge.

 

Of course, pre-cruise we can also pick from the pillow menu, empty the refrigerator & ask for extra hangers, which has been covered thoroughly in this thread.

 

But to illustrate what I didn't know, I was told that we can choose up to 2 different drinks to be available in the suite upon arrival: 

 

Drinks:  Orange, Cranberry, Apple, Lemonade or Iced Tea

Snacks:  Assorted Nuts, M&Ms, and/or gummy bears (didn't catch if we are limited to 2 of these)

 

If we want anything different (that may be available) or to change things up after Embarkation Day, I was told to take care of that on board.  We will use our Butler letter along with conversation with our Butler upon meeting him or her to make those requests.

 

Our needs are relatively simple (e.g. no CPAP, or important medical or mobility requests that may be needed by other guests), so I thought I'd share this primarily to help reinforce the importance of the Butler letters provided by @Sthrngary and others, to focus on requests beyond the pre-cruise set up for Embarkation Day.   Hope this is helpful.

[chillyw]

7 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

What else do you bring that needs an outlet? 

 

Almost anything these days is USB powered.  I have both a US and International Multi-Adapter USB GaN charger, and just carry a few USB cords I need.  So much simpler than traveling years ago!

 

 

[hernando52]

I read this thread all of the time and have learned so much.  I'll most likely never make it to the Haven, but I do book regular suites when they are available on the Jewel class ships. I'll truly miss all of the suite niceties on our September cruise when we are in a club balcony suite on the Breakaway.  We booked for the itinerary and not the room...Most of all, I'll miss the almond croissants, unless one of you can let me in on secrets to get them smuggled out of the Haven!!  Please keep posting all of the experiences as I find this to be the best thread...and maybe some day I'll win a bid!

[Sthrngary]

7 minutes ago, hernando52 said:

we are in a club balcony suite on the Breakaway. 

In December 2022, I was on the Breakaway in a Club Balcony Suite.  It was lovely.  May I recommend getting a week pass for the Vibe Beach Club it made our week.  That plus, extra Specialty Restaurant package and the Free At Sea PLUS made this trip what I call, "Haven Lite".

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Candy Apple 12]

On 7/11/2023 at 1:12 PM, Trivan said:

Thanks again to all those experienced Haven travelers and the advice given.  I'm about 1 month out from our trip on the Joy, butler letter in draft mode and figuring out our plans for each day, some which include doing nothing!!   I realize everyones' tastes are different, but please reminisce and share what was your "secret(s)" to your most enjoyable day at sea, even if you didn't use Haven services to experience it. 

My favorite way to spend time on a sea day is in the Horizon lounge on the Bliss. I’ve done two Haven cruises on the Bliss, and your comment has me daydreaming about relaxing on the comfy lounge beds, gazing out the front, while enjoying the rocking of the ship. 

[CDR Benson]

12 hours ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

My favorite way to spend time on a sea day is in the Horizon lounge on the Bliss. I’ve done two Haven cruises on the Bliss, and your comment has me daydreaming about relaxing on the comfy lounge beds, gazing out the front, while enjoying the rocking of the ship. 

 

My favourite memory of Norwegian Joy was pretty much the same.  The first three mornings straight, I stretched out on a chaise longue in the Haven Courtyard, under a soft, balmy breeze, with a book I was eager to read.  The Johnny-on-the-spot waiter brought me a drink, and I settled down for a very pleasant morning.

 

It was a well-written book by a knowledgable author on a topic I liked.  Yet, after three days, I was only a chapter into it.  Because I always fell asleep after four or five pages.

 

 

[Elvis1209]

It was a well-written book by a knowledgable author on a topic I liked.  Yet, after three days, I was only a chapter into it.  Because I always fell asleep after four or five pages.

 

Every cruise I always take a book with me.  I've never gotten more than five pages into it!!!!

 

Elvis

[bluestar1]

On 7/20/2023 at 6:18 AM, Sthrngary said:

As so many have commented, there is lot's of information on this stream for Haven Guests to leverage to enhance their cruising experience.  All most to much.  That is why many questions are asked over and over again.  The Search Feature on CruiseCritic.com is kind of hard to navigate for some. 

This is the BEST topic. We're new to NCL, and decided to go out all for a Haven room on our first NCL cruise. I have this topic open on a tab and refresh daily, read the new posts, and I've taken SO many notes.  I don't care if I see the same questions, because the answers vary and often add their own flare. 

[NikkiPoooo27]

On 7/20/2023 at 4:54 PM, Sthrngary said:

In December 2022, I was on the Breakaway in a Club Balcony Suite.  It was lovely.  May I recommend getting a week pass for the Vibe Beach Club

 

My transatlantic is on Getaway and they just dropped the solo supplement for some categories, and prices for the rest. I had booked a balcony with extra large balcony because it's just me, and since we're past the paid in full date they won't give me an adjustment so I'm considering calling and requesting an upgrade to a club balcony suite with large balcony, which is now the same price I already paid.

 

A Haven spa suite is reasonable enough to be tempting, but I already booked the thermal suite pass and I can't see myself staying in the room enough as a solo to make it worth 4 times the cost, though I'll miss the tub. I think I'll settle for thermal suite rather than Vibe, as well, because it will be late October/early November in the north Atlantic!

Edited July 22, 2023 by NikkiPoooo27
I'm bad at math

[SteveGill]

7 hours ago, bluestar1 said:

This is the BEST topic. We're new to NCL, and decided to go out all for a Haven room on our first NCL cruise. I have this topic open on a tab and refresh daily, read the new posts, and I've taken SO many notes.  I don't care if I see the same questions, because the answers vary and often add their own flare. 

I totally agree - there are 103 pages on this thread and I started following a couple weeks ago. Also going for our first NCL and Haven experience.  Have taken many notes and appreciate the patience of those who share with us newbies...

 

[Treasure Hunter]

The best cruise experience that ever happened was when my daughter was in the elevator with someone who was going to the Haven and invited her to take a peek. We had no idea that it even existed. Now , I feel nothing compares to the Haven. We have booked a Crystal cruise for September 2024 because of the unusual itinerary and my husband is already complaining about the dress code. After 45 years of wearing suits every day , it’s the last thing he wants to bring on vacation. And Crystal just removed their casino😢. We have the Encore booked for February and I can’t wait. Two bedroom family suit in the Haven with grandkids. 

[Sthrngary]

36 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We have booked a Crystal cruise for September 2024 because of the unusual itinerary and my husband is already complaining about the dress code. After 45 years of wearing suits every day , it’s the last thing he wants to bring on vacation. And Crystal just removed their casino😢

As always, "I LOVE the NCL Haven Experience".

 

Where it is true the Crystal Cruise will be a bit more formal, it will also be a wonderful experience.  Unlike what you have had in the past with the NCL Haven.  The key is you choose the Crystal Cruise for the itinerary.  That is normal and it is usually port intensive cruise.

 

On the dress code.  Yes it is a bit more formal but not over the top.  What you gain is elevated personalized service, elevated dining and a much more relaxed environment.  Everyone once leaving their stateroom are treated exactly the same.  Unlike when leaving the Haven, you kind of become a number.  Smaller ship, higher ratio of crew to guest leading to better over all service.

 

You give up the big production shows, go carts, virtual reality area and the Mr. Sexy Legs competition on the pool deck that I always lose at by the way.  With cruising experiences, you always have give and take.  Pros/Cons.  Consider as I did when I did my Crystal Cruise to make it a "Luxury Cruise Test Drive".  

 

I have a video on YouTube of my Crystal Cruise experience.  I am not a pro on video's and I am NOT selling anything.  It was done on a 7-day round trip to the Bahama's just as Covid-19 was ending.  It is named, "Crystal Cruises Serenity to the Bahamas August 2021".  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[js]

On 7/21/2023 at 9:39 AM, CDR Benson said:

 

My favourite memory of Norwegian Joy was pretty much the same.  The first three mornings straight, I stretched out on a chaise longue in the Haven Courtyard, under a soft, balmy breeze, with a book I was eager to read.  The Johnny-on-the-spot waiter brought me a drink, and I settled down for a very pleasant morning.

 

It was a well-written book by a knowledgable author on a topic I liked.  Yet, after three days, I was only a chapter into it.  Because I always fell asleep after four or five pages.

 

 

This made me smile and could have been written by me for any trip lol. I just asked my ds’s gf for a book to take on my cruise and thought of your post. 

[Sigyn]

This thread is so useful! I love it. We'll be in our first Haven room in March, on the Joy, and I decided to book it after reserving the Retreat on Celebrity for an Alaskan cruise. We hadn't even done the Retreat yet when I went for the Haven, but I knew there'd be no turning back from butler service, etc. I was right. We just loved the Retreat. The Haven sounds quite comparable and, in some ways, better. We were on the Prima in December in a family balcony, so we were curious about the Haven and what it would be like. Now we'll experience it.

 

I've booked us in a forward-facing Haven in the HG category, so it has two rooms, and our 16-year-old son can sleep on the couch that turns into a bed in the main living area, and we'll have our own bedroom. I found the price quite reasonable - with taxes and all it worked out to right at $7,800 for the three of us, but I could have booked a smaller penthouse for about $1K less. That would have exactly matched the going price on Royal Caribbean's Icon for the same week to the Caribbean in a regular balcony room. I decided a week in the Haven on the Joy to ports where we can all scuba dive would be much more enjoyable than a week on the new Icon in a balcony cabin. Plus I splurged for the two-room suite. 

[Sigyn]

On 7/18/2023 at 11:41 AM, SaltyPawz said:

We are 130 days from our first Haven experience, and, as mentioned in this thread, I received this email from NCL's pre-cruise Concierge team.  When I clicked on the "click here" link to select Haven amenity preferences, I was directed to an online form to choose alternate pillow preferences, soda/water preferences, and liquor/wine choices (since we're staying in a DOS).  To note... there were no snack/food options nor a box to write any other requests. But, I'm sure that'll be handled by phone or email to the Concierge team.  

 

 

And, I was able to book our specialty dining reservations today.

 

 

Now, it's time to sit back, relax, and wait until we can complete the online check-in process.   

 

 

Again, thank you to everyone for the "what-to-expect" posts! 

 

Were you able to pre-book dining online or did you need to call the concierge to do it for you?

[jlowe420]

2 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

We'll be in our first Haven room in March, on the Joy, and I decided to book it after reserving the Retreat on Celebrity for an Alaskan cruise.

This is awesome!  I've done the Retreat on Celebrity one time and my takeaway was that the Haven was slightly better.  I think it comes down to the private areas of the ship.  The Retreat had a small room where you could get drinks, but there was no bar.  The outside deck did have a bar, but there was little shade.  The bar in the Retreat was just a normal bar and didn't have elevated drinks or menu.  The food in the Retreat restaurant was likely a bit better than the Haven Restaurant in my experience.

 

The haven bar on the other hand is the best bar on the ship.  Some people who get AFT rooms on the older ships miss out because they are so far from the haven bar that it's out of the way to drop in to get a drink on the way somewhere else.

 

Anyway, you will have a blast!  I've been on the Joy (but not in the Haven) and she was a nice ship.

[jlowe420]

3 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

Were you able to pre-book dining online or did you need to call the concierge to do it for you?

At least for my recent cruise booking online seems broken.  I called the concierge desk during business hours and they were able to make the reservations in about 5m on the phone.

[Sigyn]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:23 AM, cruiseny4life said:

We've only ever taken 7 - 10 day cruises. We pack basically the same for these cruise lengths. If we went on a longer cruise, we might pack differently. I don't really think so though. Shorter? We'd pack way less! We don't take advantage of the laundry on the ship. We just re-wear clothes *gasp* 

 

Clothing

3 t-shirts

1 Bahamas shirt - gotta have that collared shirt in case we want to be fancy (never needed it, just wore it because I had it)

1 pair of jeans

1 belt

3 pairs of athletic shorts, 1 becomes my bathing suit

1 hoodie

1 hat (I'm balding, so it's a must)

5 pairs of sock

5 pairs of undies

1 pair sneakers

1 pair flippie floppies

 

 

 

Do you wash undies in the sink? 

[Sigyn]

3 minutes ago, jlowe420 said:

This is awesome!  I've done the Retreat on Celebrity one time and my takeaway was that the Haven was slightly better.  I think it comes down to the private areas of the ship.  The Retreat had a small room where you could get drinks, but there was no bar.  The outside deck did have a bar, but there was little shade.  The bar in the Retreat was just a normal bar and didn't have elevated drinks or menu.  The food in the Retreat restaurant was likely a bit better than the Haven Restaurant in my experience.

 

The haven bar on the other hand is the best bar on the ship.  Some people who get AFT rooms on the older ships miss out because they are so far from the haven bar that it's out of the way to drop in to get a drink on the way somewhere else.

 

Anyway, you will have a blast!  I've been on the Joy (but not in the Haven) and she was a nice ship.

Thank you for your input! That was exactly our experience with the Retreat. We were on the Millennium. It was utterly lovely, but there was no bar in the Retreat lounge. You could order drinks from the counter, but it wasn't a "real" bar. And it wasn't a place with windows to sit and look out, but it was quite pleasant. And the Retreat sun deck had no shade. We were in Alaska, so we didn't need it, but it was also quite windy and cold. We went up there the day we left Vancouver but never returned due to the chilly weather and lack of protection from the elements. The food in Luminae was outstanding, however. Just amazing. 

[Sigyn]

On 7/16/2023 at 1:58 PM, PatJim said:

And I ❤️ that you started this post🥰!!!

 

We sailed many times on the Gem, as we live a short cab ride across town from NYC’s passenger cruise terminal.  Used to organize many Cruise Critic Roll Calls, and also loved organizing cabin crawls.  Since first sailing on a NCL ship with her own Haven restaurant and bar—aft cabin on the Bliss—we’ve never gone back to any of the older ships that lack these facilities.  

BTW, the aft Haven suites on Bliss/Joy with HUGE balconies are @220 steps from forward elevators/stairs to the Haven.  We liked the long walk back to our cabin after meals, but it was very inconvenient most other times:  rushing back to cabin after breakfast to put on sunscreen, etc. before meeting in Haven for priority disembarkation for beach days, or just having to go back for that book we forgot to bring up to the sun deck.  Now Jim always chooses 2-bedroom suites on same deck as Haven bar & lounge, and I have to agree convenience trumps having a larger balcony.

 

Which suites are these that you choose? Which category? We're getting an HG forward-facing balcony on the Joy and I was just looking at other categories, including the two-bedroom family villa, to decide if it was worth the upcharge to put us right in the Haven instead of on deck 12. We'd still be forward tho, not aft, in the one I've booked already. The only category sold out for my cruise is the owner's suite, so I'm free to pick something else if warranted. It's for three of us - my husband and I and our son who will be 16. I'm not concerned about a giant balcony. For some reason, we don't end up spending that much time on our balconies. I mean, they're nice, but maybe a half hour a day max is all we spend on them, if that. Other than that, we're out and about on the ship or at port. I do like a nice room, tho. Even on a ship.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Sigyn

[SaltyPawz]

I made the dining reservations online -after about seven tries switching between the app and webpage. Both kept giving me an error message, so I would refresh, and then try again. The webpage finally allowed me to book them. 
 

Just to note… we have two specialty dining options with the FAS package.  Although covered, you still have to add the reservations to your cart, and then check out to confirm.  We booked Cagney’s and Teppanyaki. Cagney’s listed no charge. For Teppanyaki, it also listed no charge but highlighted “cover charge applies.”  My NCL TA said that’s the difference between ordering from an a la carte menu and a place with a set menu. But, unless we order something with an uncharge or drinks that cost more than what’s covered, there’ll be no additional charge. 

[RocketMan275]

40 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

Which suites are these that you choose? Which category? We're getting an HG forward-facing balcony on the Joy and I was just looking at other categories, including the two-bedroom family villa, to decide if it was worth the upcharge to put us right in the Haven instead of on deck 12. We'd still be forward tho, not aft, in the one I've booked already. The only category sold out for my cruise is the owner's suite, so I'm free to pick something else if warranted. It's for three of us - my husband and I and our son who will be 16. I'm not concerned about a giant balcony. For some reason, we don't end up spending that much time on our balconies. I mean, they're nice, but maybe a half hour a day max is all we spend on them, if that. Other than that, we're out and about on the ship or at port. I do like a nice room, tho. Even on a ship.

Look at one of the 2Bdrm's on deck seventeen.  Very short walk to the Horizon Lounge exclusive to Haven Guests.  Here's a video: (BTW, this is an H5, the H6s are one deck up and have a smaller balcony.  The Horizon Lounge is at minutes four.

 

 

[amygutman]

4 hours ago, SteveGill said:

I totally agree - there are 103 pages on this thread and I started following a couple weeks ago. Also going for our first NCL and Haven experience.  Have taken many notes and appreciate the patience of those who share with us newbies...

 

@bluestar1 and @SteveGill I agree 100%. 

The closer I get to a cruise, the more I am on this thread. I stumbled upon it years ago when @Sthrngary had originally started it, then re-discovered it after the cruising re-start post Covid was on the horizon. 

 

The Haven is pricey and choosing the right room / ship / experience is, as with every pricey purchase research-requiring. Yes, opinions are like you know what and sure, there are a few rudely opinionated persons on this thread. But the majority of the posts wherein are useful, inciteful or thought-provoking. Even better when one of the thread denizens (i'm looking at you @CDR Benson) can offer personal information. Honestly - with real life being stressful, offering a little nugget to someone looking for assistance personally makes me smile. 

 

I'm in the MSC YC in 8 days which we love as well (maybe a 7/10 on the "Haven Cruising Scale") then 62 days and 22.5 hours until our Alaskan Haven. Enjoy the obsession!

 

Warmest, Amy