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

[mrshorsy]

55 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

 

 

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but DW & I worked very hard to earn the money that we are paying in order to enjoy the benefits of sailing in the Haven.  If I had friends or relations sailing on the same cruise as us, and taking our meals and excursions together was a high priority for us, I would book similar cabins in the same part of the ship.  The best way to ensure that you are able to stay together is to have your children book where you plan to be or for you to book where your children plan to be.  My sister is sailing with us on our next cruise, and we are paying extra for her to stay in the Haven with us.  As you can see, I am not just talking the talk, I'm walking the walk.  It would be unfair to us that we should be paying extra for perks that others are being given for free.  Some on here will agree with my belief and some will disagree.  I guess it all comes down to your comfort level.

Yep I’m with you. We like to cruise Haven and so book that for us and our 2 boys. On our next NCL cruise they will be 18 and 21 (its a chosen birthday present for the both of them) so technically they would be old enough to stay in their own cabin and not in Haven, which would make it a damn sight cheaper. Originally a few other family members were talking of joining us but they didn’t feel like they could justify the Haven price so we explained it really wouldnt be like a group holiday unless we were all the same. As we were not prepared to climb down a different trip has now been booked !! 

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, CDR Benson said:

Should Haven guests Rob and Laura travelling together with their best friends, non-Haven passengers Jerry and Millie, be permitted to board early together?  And what if Buddy and Pickles and Sally and Mel, who all have inside cabins, came with them?

well, first off, i think it’s likely that rob and buddy and sally would be doing a musical revue onboard. as part of the entertainment staff, they’d probably have an ocean view cabin on a lower deck. unless they were on a sixthman cruise, in which case they’d probably already be in the haven, all of them… along with their respective guests/spouses. sally is a perennial solo, natch. so that leaves mel and jerry and millie. mel can afford to pay for the haven, for sure. jerry and millie are wild cards… unless millie won the cruise on a game show or redeemed four million myvegas points, i just don’t see them going on a cruise at all, frankly.

 

the real question is… where is richie?
 

does he have his own cabin or is he staying with his parents?

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

 

 

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but DW & I worked very hard to earn the money that we are paying in order to enjoy the benefits of sailing in the Haven.  If I had friends or relations sailing on the same cruise as us, and taking our meals and excursions together was a high priority for us, I would book similar cabins in the same part of the ship.  The best way to ensure that you are able to stay together is to have your children book where you plan to be or for you to book where your children plan to be.  My sister is sailing with us on our next cruise, and we are paying extra for her to stay in the Haven with us.  As you can see, I am not just talking the talk, I'm walking the walk.  It would be unfair to us that we should be paying extra for perks that others are being given for free.  Some on here will agree with my belief and some will disagree.  I guess it all comes down to your comfort level.

Exactly.  We brought our SIL and wife along on Breakaway last year.  We paid for their Haven Penthouse and our Owner's Suite. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by RocketMan275

[McGarrett5oh]

8 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I don't know your situation however have you considered a Haven Two Bedroom Family Villa or the H2 Owners Suite with second bedroom.  Both usually have 3 and 4th person are free or discounted.  Just a thought.  I did the H2 Owners Suite Joy with my adult children.  We had a great time.

We are doing just this with our adult children in September in a 2 bedroom H6 Haven suite.  Comparatively, it was quite a good value.  

[Treasure Hunter]

We are on the Encore in February with our daughter and two grandchildren. Last year we took the two bedroom suite in the Haven on the Getaway. Kids slept in the small bedroom bunk beds and went for $99 each. Daughter slept in living room on pull out couch ( steward opened and closed everyday) for $350. We had the best time! Grandson ate steak for dinner almost every night. The kids said it was the most wonderful vacation they ever had.

[NikkiPoooo27]

16 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

 I’ve never heard of this.  Did you try it?

 

Yes, one of my friends joined me for breakfast once and lunch a couple of times in a music cruise. It has a very busy schedule with late shows, so sit down dining (especially breakfast) tends to be sparsely populated, as a rule. I think on that particular one they would have been fine if I'd brought 5 people to breakfast, since Cagney’s was totally empty every time I went. There was also never anyone in the Haven pool, so they didn't care if I had guests, which I did on one port day. 

[Treasure Hunter]

See that's the problem. Someone will try that on a holiday sailing when tables are hard to come by in the Haven restaurant. They have every right to say "but I did it before". You pay, you play. 

[Sthrngary]

I know, I am a broken record.  I simply can't help myself.  Anyone who has cruised often especially in the Haven, has gotten some benefit out side of policy.  Over the past five years of this topic, this trend of thought has come up with the same debate.  Different screen names, same debate.  

 

Please consider that if we all want to be happy with our upcoming cruises, whether in the Haven or not, we always have to promote "Realistic Expectations".  The policy is, guest with prior approval for Haven type dining is at a cost.  If you are a Solo Traveler in the Haven, you have paid for double occupancy, you can have two folks at Breakfast or Lunch (yourself and one other) on the smaller ships and on the bigger ships all meals at the Haven Restaurant.  

 

Anything else is against policy.  Does it happen, yes.  Can it disappoint new folks to the Haven when they think it is policy because some of us shared we got this nicety, yes.  Please be careful with what you share and make sure you are clear it was outside of the policy and you got lucky.  

 

Here is an example.  I was in a non-Haven Balcony Suite doing my "Haven Lite" approach.  I had a week pass at the Vibe Beach Club.  The Manager of the Vibe asked if I wanted a Haven Cheese Burger.  Policy, NO.  Will it happen for everyone, NO.  Did it happen to me, YES.  Realistic Expectations. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Edited July 26, 2023 by Sthrngary

[Kauaijim]

This thread has jumped the shark 

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, Kauaijim said:

This thread has jumped the shark 

Don't worry. It always comes back. 

 

[Grimix]

On 7/23/2023 at 2:17 PM, Sthrngary said:

As far as I know, All. They come with three bottles of spirits or Wine. It also has Welcome French Champagne. 

That's on a 7 day cruise. You only get 1 for <7 days (And the Garden Villa's get more too I think.) Granted, as I believe you also did, that bottle returned home almost completely full. (I did 'refresh" a greyhound I had ordered at the Haven bar while in the room. Not that they didn't put enough Vodka in it originally, but everything was melted and I saved myself a walk to the bar by adding a splash of vodka)

[PatJim]

On 7/25/2023 at 5:01 PM, UKstages said:

just as a belated point of clarification… the prima (and presumably all prima class ships going forward) has no library or public meeting rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for this info.  We’re on the Prima for the first time next November.  I’ll remember not to bring books I don’t want to take home😰

[Sand and Seas]

2 hours ago, PatJim said:

Thanks for this info.  We’re on the Prima for the first time next November.  I’ll remember not to bring books I don’t want to take home😰

We found a spot on the starboard side of Primas observation lounge to leave a book with others.  I believe it's where they had Sudokus and crossword puzzles.

[PatJim]

On 7/27/2023 at 12:36 PM, Grimix said:

That's on a 7 day cruise. You only get 1 for <7 days (And the Garden Villa's get more too I think.) Granted, as I believe you also did, that bottle returned home almost completely full. (I did 'refresh" a greyhound I had ordered at the Haven bar while in the room. Not that they didn't put enough Vodka in it originally, but everything was melted and I saved myself a walk to the bar by adding a splash of vodka)

You’re correct, the Garden  Villas get 6 bottles of your choice, selected from a list supplied by the pre-cruise concierge.

A few years ago, we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Dawn (Quebec City to NYC), and invited a sister and BIL who live nearby, to join us as our guests.  My other sister, out in AZ, heard about it and decided to book the cruise, but in a mini suite.  Tried to talk her out of it, or at least upgrade to a Haven suite so we could all spend lots of time together, but they kept the mini suite booking.  
Fast forward to several weeks before the cruise; we were offed an upgrade bid for the Garden Villa (3 bedrooms & 3.5 baths, plus private hot tub and sauna and kitchen w/microwave!).  We finally went for it.  At embarkation, we asked the Concierge if our mini suite relatives could transfer to the GV.  Bless Virginia, because she arranged it.  So 3 sisters and 3 BILs all together I. What has to be the largest cabin a

[PatJim]

3 minutes ago, PatJim said:

You’re correct, the Garden  Villas get 6 bottles of your choice, selected from a list supplied by the pre-cruise concierge.

A few years ago, we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Dawn (Quebec City to NYC), and invited a sister and BIL who live nearby, to join us as our guests.  My other sister, out in AZ, heard about it and decided to book the cruise, but in a mini suite.  Tried to talk her out of it, or at least upgrade to a Haven suite so we could all spend lots of time together, but they kept the mini suite booking.  
Fast forward to several weeks before the cruise; we were offed an upgrade bid for the Garden Villa (3 bedrooms & 3.5 baths, plus private hot tub and sauna and kitchen w/microwave!).  We finally went for it.  At embarkation, we asked the Concierge if our mini suite relatives could transfer to the GV.  Bless Virginia, because she arranged it.  So 3 sisters and 3 BILs all together I. What has to be the largest cabin a

… and balcony (4000 sq. feet on 2 deck levels ?) in NCL fleet.  It was a fantastic vacation for all of us.

And getting back to the alcohol, each sister choose 2 bottles.  Though most of them went untouched.  We’re not a big drinking family.

I’ve since thought that it wouldn’t be more expensive if 3 couples booked the GV.  Worth considering…

[knscruiser322]

Morning fellow CCer's.

 

Just got back yesterday from my first Haven experience on the Joy going to Bermuda from NYC. I'll try to keep my review short (lol) but detailed for those who have questions. This was a cruise with the Mrs.

 

We decided to arrive at the terminal around 9AM. Dropped luggage off at the porter and saw early cruisers like us already there waiting. The wait was only about 15-20 minutes before they opened up check-in and I have to say it was GREAT to be in the Haven line. The non Haven line was piling up and getting ridiculous. We were 2nd in the Haven line. Breezed through check-in, got our keycards, etc. and then waited in the lounge. Had light refreshments and snacks. A bit later the ships Concierge, Mr. "X", he liked to be called came in and greeted us and told us once the ship clears we'd be the first group to board the ship.

 

We boarded the ship around 11:20AM as it seems there were a lot of people leaving the ship last minute. Once we started boarding, we were greeted by the NCL Haven staff, butlers were assisting escorting groups up to the Horizon Lounge. The Haven Bar was already prepping drinks for everyone who was being escorted up to the lounge. We didn't stay in the lounge for long. Once you were escorted into the lounge you can just explore the ship. We decided to have lunch at the Haven restaurant.

 

A quick review on the Haven restaurant overall for all (3) meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Dessert). The hostess that greeted us pretty much every meal was Marivic. She always tried to seat us at the same table at all (3) meals with the view. It was nice to come into the restaurant every time and not have to show your keycard or have them ask for your name. Another great service we noticed in the Haven. Everyone tries their best to make the experience exclusive for Haven guests.

 

Our best meals at the Haven were at breakfast. Lunch was just OKAY, and dinner I have to say was nothing out of the ordinary. Yes we have access to great cuts of meat and lobster, but one thing I noticed consistently and my wife as well is there is NOT enough seasoning in certain dishes. My wife tried a surf & turf the first night and the filet was definitely not seasoned enough. Cooked great but not enough flavor. I had the prime rib and I also noticed the flavor wasn't there. I do have to say that the Garden Cafe Prime Rib is DEFINITELY better than the one in the Haven. I noticed the Garden Cafe Prime Rib still maintained the same consistency in flavor and texture similar to my last cruise on the Escape almost 3-4 years ago! 

 

Throughout the length of the cruise, we pretty much tried every item on the menu at the Haven. And consistently the dinner menu was again nothing amazing. Breakfast was always consistent and great. At lunch, (2) items always got my wife's approval and it was the Seafood Fritto Misto and the Mushroom Flatbread. I do want to note that the Haven at least cooks the NY Strip Steak better than the filet. Flavor was definitely better than the filet.

I did try the "OMG" cheesecake mid week for dinner and all I have to say is "LOL". I'm from NYC and I know a good cheesecake when I taste it. Wife agreed and said there was no cheesecake taste and it tasted more like cake texture than that of a cheesecake.

Also want to note that the French Press Coffee was one of the best cups of coffee I had on the cruise, next to the ones in the Horizon lounge. I believe both use the same type of beans.

 

I'm going to fast forward my review and keep the parts much shorter now. The sundeck and courtyard were great areas to stay in. Although we didn't have a chance to go into the pool or hot tubs, we do recommend that it is a great amenity in the Haven compared to the crazy stuff happening on the general pool deck. I wanted to check out the hot tubs in the sundeck but it was HOT and I mean HOT up there from the beaming sun. We had our fair share of water fun at Horseshoe Bay on port day so that made up for everything.

 

The Horizon Lounge was the best place to relax, read a book, grab a quick snack or just admire the view. @Sthrngary, I had a couple of Almond Croissant's just for you. Was the best snack in the morning with a nice cup of coffee. My wife enjoyed the nice mini tarts they had there.

 

Haven rooms were available pretty early. I believe the ones in the Haven Proper were ready after 1PM and I do recall ours being ready after 2PM, might have been sooner, didn't keep track. Our stateroom was nice and roomy. We stayed on deck 14, outside of the Haven proper. We had a Haven Penthouse Suite. Wife enjoyed the spacious balcony, although we didn't frequent it much. She definitely loved the walk in closet space and she loved the robes and the crisp bedsheets, lol.

 

Our butler was Jayson. He was very attentive and I did present him with the butler letter in a seal envelope with his gratuity. I didn't expect I would utilize our butler that much on the cruise, but towards a few days in, we did request more room service and he did frequently bring more snacks etc. in for us. He was a great conversationalist and always kids around with both of us. At the last sea day of the cruise, I gave him an additional tip sealed in an envelope with a small note thanking him. Our room steward was Royal. Although I didn't see him much, he cleaned our room promptly and was spotless. He greeted us each time if we did run into him, but I can see how much busier they are now managing much more rooms and cleaning Haven rooms twice a day. I also gave our steward a tip on the last sea day in a sealed envelope with a note thanking him for his hard work.

 

Although we didn't utilize the concierge at all, the team lead by Mr. "X" seemed to be keeping up with Haven standards. I want to note that we did not tip the concierge team. Nothing against the team but we honestly didn't utilize the team at all. And most of the time we never see Mr. "X" at all. I always see only the assistants on the team.

 

I am not a big drinker so I didn't utilize the Haven bar as much as most guests did. I did however tip the bartender on the first day for (2) drinks. 

 

Since this was a Haven review, I am not going to note any Bermuda references except that Horseshoe Bay was amazing.

 

As the cruise comes to an end, we arrived back pretty early in NYC. The ship definitely docked at around 6AM I would say. We self carried our luggage off the ship and was the first group off the ship since Haven has priority debarking as well. We were off the ship at around 7:30AM and settled back into our normal routine quickly.

 

I want to wrap up this review with a couple of things I noted while cruising in the Haven. I noticed a lot of guests who stayed in the Haven only limited themselves to the Haven. I'm talking literally staying in either the lounge or courtyard and probably sundeck.

We also noticed that a lot of the guests who stayed in the Haven had certain "personalities" if you would call it. The "I am better than you" personality.

We didn't limit ourselves to the Haven at all, in fact most of our time was always in the Atrium similar to our last Escape cruise as we always like to see what is always happening around the ship. The Haven exclusivity and perks are definitely a plus, but we both didn't understand why some guests stuck to the mindset of "Ship within a ship" and not leave the Haven. I felt like the fun part was exploring the ship and discovering something new. We found out that there were fist fights in the general pool area over lounge chairs!

My wife said cruising in the Haven definitely changed our way of cruising. Once you go Haven you never go back as a lot of noted.

 

Thanks again to @Sthrngary for providing this amazing thread of information and everyone else as well who contributed. Sorry for the long winded review!

 

[Always Cruising]

PatJim - was there a Haven line for security/bag scan or was it just after you went through the scanners?  TIA

 

[Daniel A]

@Sthrngary I know you don't like the adhesive luggage tags that come in the mail, but do the paper ones you can download show "priority" on them?  Do you think I should put both types on my checked luggage?

[knscruiser322]

1 minute ago, Daniel A said:

@Sthrngary I know you don't like the adhesive luggage tags that come in the mail, but do the paper ones you can download show "priority" on them?  Do you think I should put both types on my checked luggage?

 

I'll chime in on this one since I just returned back from one. I put both of them on. The ones printed from the E-Docs do not show PRIORITY on them. Only the sticker ones that are mailed to you. I noticed having priority or not on them made no difference in when I received my luggage.

[Daniel A]

8 minutes ago, knscruiser322 said:

 

I'll chime in on this one since I just returned back from one. I put both of them on. The ones printed from the E-Docs do not show PRIORITY on them. Only the sticker ones that are mailed to you. I noticed having priority or not on them made no difference in when I received my luggage.

Thanks for the chime!!  😄

[Sthrngary]

27 minutes ago, knscruiser322 said:

Morning fellow CCer's.

 

Just got back yesterday from my first Haven experience on the Joy going to Bermuda from NYC. I'll try to keep my review short (lol) but detailed for those who have questions. This was a cruise with the Mrs.

 

We decided to arrive at the terminal around 9AM. Dropped luggage off at the porter and saw early cruisers like us already there waiting. The wait was only about 15-20 minutes before they opened up check-in and I have to say it was GREAT to be in the Haven line. The non Haven line was piling up and getting ridiculous. We were 2nd in the Haven line. Breezed through check-in, got our keycards, etc. and then waited in the lounge. Had light refreshments and snacks. A bit later the ships Concierge, Mr. "X", he liked to be called came in and greeted us and told us once the ship clears we'd be the first group to board the ship.

 

We boarded the ship around 11:20AM as it seems there were a lot of people leaving the ship last minute. Once we started boarding, we were greeted by the NCL Haven staff, butlers were assisting escorting groups up to the Horizon Lounge. The Haven Bar was already prepping drinks for everyone who was being escorted up to the lounge. We didn't stay in the lounge for long. Once you were escorted into the lounge you can just explore the ship. We decided to have lunch at the Haven restaurant.

 

A quick review on the Haven restaurant overall for all (3) meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Dessert). The hostess that greeted us pretty much every meal was Marivic. She always tried to seat us at the same table at all (3) meals with the view. It was nice to come into the restaurant every time and not have to show your keycard or have them ask for your name. Another great service we noticed in the Haven. Everyone tries their best to make the experience exclusive for Haven guests.

 

Our best meals at the Haven were at breakfast. Lunch was just OKAY, and dinner I have to say was nothing out of the ordinary. Yes we have access to great cuts of meat and lobster, but one thing I noticed consistently and my wife as well is there is NOT enough seasoning in certain dishes. My wife tried a surf & turf the first night and the filet was definitely not seasoned enough. Cooked great but not enough flavor. I had the prime rib and I also noticed the flavor wasn't there. I do have to say that the Garden Cafe Prime Rib is DEFINITELY better than the one in the Haven. I noticed the Garden Cafe Prime Rib still maintained the same consistency in flavor and texture similar to my last cruise on the Escape almost 3-4 years ago! 

 

Throughout the length of the cruise, we pretty much tried every item on the menu at the Haven. And consistently the dinner menu was again nothing amazing. Breakfast was always consistent and great. At lunch, (2) items always got my wife's approval and it was the Seafood Fritto Misto and the Mushroom Flatbread. I do want to note that the Haven at least cooks the NY Strip Steak better than the filet. Flavor was definitely better than the filet.

I did try the "OMG" cheesecake mid week for dinner and all I have to say is "LOL". I'm from NYC and I know a good cheesecake when I taste it. Wife agreed and said there was no cheesecake taste and it tasted more like cake texture than that of a cheesecake.

Also want to note that the French Press Coffee was one of the best cups of coffee I had on the cruise, next to the ones in the Horizon lounge. I believe both use the same type of beans.

 

I'm going to fast forward my review and keep the parts much shorter now. The sundeck and courtyard were great areas to stay in. Although we didn't have a chance to go into the pool or hot tubs, we do recommend that it is a great amenity in the Haven compared to the crazy stuff happening on the general pool deck. I wanted to check out the hot tubs in the sundeck but it was HOT and I mean HOT up there from the beaming sun. We had our fair share of water fun at Horseshoe Bay on port day so that made up for everything.

 

The Horizon Lounge was the best place to relax, read a book, grab a quick snack or just admire the view. @Sthrngary, I had a couple of Almond Croissant's just for you. Was the best snack in the morning with a nice cup of coffee. My wife enjoyed the nice mini tarts they had there.

 

Haven rooms were available pretty early. I believe the ones in the Haven Proper were ready after 1PM and I do recall ours being ready after 2PM, might have been sooner, didn't keep track. Our stateroom was nice and roomy. We stayed on deck 14, outside of the Haven proper. We had a Haven Penthouse Suite. Wife enjoyed the spacious balcony, although we didn't frequent it much. She definitely loved the walk in closet space and she loved the robes and the crisp bedsheets, lol.

 

Our butler was Jayson. He was very attentive and I did present him with the butler letter in a seal envelope with his gratuity. I didn't expect I would utilize our butler that much on the cruise, but towards a few days in, we did request more room service and he did frequently bring more snacks etc. in for us. He was a great conversationalist and always kids around with both of us. At the last sea day of the cruise, I gave him an additional tip sealed in an envelope with a small note thanking him. Our room steward was Royal. Although I didn't see him much, he cleaned our room promptly and was spotless. He greeted us each time if we did run into him, but I can see how much busier they are now managing much more rooms and cleaning Haven rooms twice a day. I also gave our steward a tip on the last sea day in a sealed envelope with a note thanking him for his hard work.

 

Although we didn't utilize the concierge at all, the team lead by Mr. "X" seemed to be keeping up with Haven standards. I want to note that we did not tip the concierge team. Nothing against the team but we honestly didn't utilize the team at all. And most of the time we never see Mr. "X" at all. I always see only the assistants on the team.

 

I am not a big drinker so I didn't utilize the Haven bar as much as most guests did. I did however tip the bartender on the first day for (2) drinks. 

 

Since this was a Haven review, I am not going to note any Bermuda references except that Horseshoe Bay was amazing.

 

As the cruise comes to an end, we arrived back pretty early in NYC. The ship definitely docked at around 6AM I would say. We self carried our luggage off the ship and was the first group off the ship since Haven has priority debarking as well. We were off the ship at around 7:30AM and settled back into our normal routine quickly.

 

I want to wrap up this review with a couple of things I noted while cruising in the Haven. I noticed a lot of guests who stayed in the Haven only limited themselves to the Haven. I'm talking literally staying in either the lounge or courtyard and probably sundeck.

We also noticed that a lot of the guests who stayed in the Haven had certain "personalities" if you would call it. The "I am better than you" personality.

We didn't limit ourselves to the Haven at all, in fact most of our time was always in the Atrium similar to our last Escape cruise as we always like to see what is always happening around the ship. The Haven exclusivity and perks are definitely a plus, but we both didn't understand why some guests stuck to the mindset of "Ship within a ship" and not leave the Haven. I felt like the fun part was exploring the ship and discovering something new. We found out that there were fist fights in the general pool area over lounge chairs!

My wife said cruising in the Haven definitely changed our way of cruising. Once you go Haven you never go back as a lot of noted.

 

Thanks again to @Sthrngary for providing this amazing thread of information and everyone else as well who contributed. Sorry for the long winded review!

 

@knscruiser322 Great balanced review.  This is the kind of review that NCL should look at and learn from.  Your reference to the difficulty in gaining a lounge chair by the main pool and the arguments folks have was my main reason many years ago to pay the premium in the Haven.  Not all the reasons but a big one.

 

On your reference to the attitude that some Haven Folks have is a shame.  We all pay the price and no one guest is more important than another.  I do have a funny story.  I was on the NCL Joy, In the H2 Owners Suite but kept that quiet just so I could simply enjoy the week with my family. 

 

I am an extrovert and my wife is an introvert.  From time to time I would go to the Haven Bar by myself and have a few drinks.  I would engage with lots of folks.  My approach is simply enjoying folks company and I rarely bring up this blog, or my understanding about the Haven.  I never give my screen name unless someone asks me directly.  I am on vacation and just want to enjoy it.

 

A person next to me started to come across as the "Expert of all Experts" on all things Haven.  For me this was great, I would listen while enjoying my drink and let this person put on a show.  Half of what he was saying was not correct.  I said nothing.  He drew a crowd, and tried to be the center of attention.  No one knew me at all until someone in the group said, "Well, Sthrngary on CruiseCritic.com says this and you are saying something different."  What an odd feeling being quoted when no one knows I was sitting right there.  

 

this "Haven Expert" said, "Oh, Sthrngary YES.  He is a good friend of mine."  I know I had a stroke but I usually remember my friends.  I said nothing.  I just smiled.  The guy left and the person that challenged the issue said, "I don't think that guy knows what his is talking about.  I understand, SthrnGary is on this cruise, have you ever met him?"

 

I said yes, "I am SthrnGary and what he said was completely wrong.  However what good would it have been to call him out on it.  Let him enjoy his time even if he is not the person he says he is."  That really happened and thinking back on it, I was more sad for the guy then angry.  The one thing I will say is we all have to find a way on Vacation to avoid at al cost drama.  If I want drama, I can go to my adults daughters home and ask her about her work.  I am ON VACATION NOW.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

12 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

@Sthrngary I know you don't like the adhesive luggage tags that come in the mail, but do the paper ones you can download show "priority" on them?  Do you think I should put both types on my checked luggage?

@Daniel A If you are sent a luggage tag from NCL in the mail they are pretty and look the best.  My issue was I always fly into the port and those tags are ripped off by the luggage folks.  So I bought the sleeve from Amazon which I print the tags after you can check in online (21 days prior).  Now I can pre-do all my luggage tags and be done with it.  In the Haven, those printed tags have the same effect as the ones they sent you which should directly answer your question.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Daniel A]

6 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@Daniel A If you are sent a luggage tag from NCL in the mail they are pretty and look the best.  My issue was I always fly into the port and those tags are ripped off by the luggage folks.  So I bought the sleeve from Amazon which I print the tags after you can check in online (21 days prior).  Now I can pre-do all my luggage tags and be done with it.  In the Haven, those printed tags have the same effect as the ones they sent you which should directly answer your question.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you, understood.  I never attach the cruise line luggage tags until I am actually being transported to the pier.  I've always been concerned that somebody at an airport will send my luggage to the wrong destination due to confusion caused by multiple tags on the luggage.  I will probably attach the vinyl tags to the ring that attaches my CC tag sleeves.  Kind of like wearing a belt and suspenders at the same time.  😉 

[CDR Benson]

1 hour ago, knscruiser322 said:

Morning fellow CCer's.

 

Just got back yesterday from my first Haven experience on the Joy going to Bermuda from NYC. I'll try to keep my review short (lol) but detailed for those who have questions. This was a cruise with the Mrs. . . . 

 

Thanks again to @Sthrngary for providing this amazing thread of information and everyone else as well who contributed. Sorry for the long winded review!

 

 

No need to apologise for the length of your post.  This is just the sort of information that anticipatory Haven cruisers and the old hands want to drink in.  A simple outlay of the Haven's benefits, or the account of one Haven guest, even if its Sthrngary's, isn't sufficient to convey everything one wants to know about the experience.  So each Havener's report has value---and the more detail, the better.

 

Some of the things you mentioned, such as your check-in experience or your enjoyment of the Horizon Observation Lounge, revived fond memories.  At the same time, it was interesting to read your evaluations of some of the benefits of staying in the Haven.

 

The Good Mrs. Benson and I did not have many breakfasts on board, so we really can't evaluate the Haven Restaurant for that meal.  We did enjoy the lunches and dinners there more than you did.  I didn't find a problem with the lack of seasoning on the proteins.  My issue was that the temperature of their cook tended to be high---my requested medium rare tended to be closer to medium.  Not enough to foul the cut, but less than perfect.  But, otherwise, it was every bit the fine dining experience.  In fact, it was better than our dinner in Ocean Blue.  There was nothing wrong with Ocean Blue, but neither the food, nor the service, seemed to quite reach the level of the Haven Restaurant.

 

But your different experience is precisely why each Haven reviewer's account is informative.  Everyone has different priorities.

 

I agree with you about the Garden Café.  We ate there twice during our cruise, and I found the food to be of excellent quality (as opposed to our experience on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, where I found the buffet little better than a sea-going Golden Corral).  On our next Haven cruise on board Joy, we're going to take in more meals at the Garden Café.

 

I've never had any interest in getting a lounge chair by the pool, so all of the fol-de-rol surrounding that goes by me.  I was more than happy to laze my mornings away on one of the chaise longues in the Haven Courtyard.  Which is a good segue to those guests who never roam beyond the confines of the Haven.

 

I can understand that, to a point.  The Haven is an oasis of civility and quietude, pretty much guaranteed by the exorbitant cost.  The downside of that is, as you pointed out, is that some of the Haveners will be nose-in-the-air types.  I don't worry about them because they're not likely to talk to me, anyway.

 

But it is, indeed, worthwhile to leave the Haven and take in the rest of the ship.  The Good Mrs. Benson and I did so almost every day and found much to enjoy.

 

Thank you for this review.  I found it most enjoyable reading.

 

 

[Always Cruising]

1 hour ago, Always Cruising said:

PatJim - was there a Haven line for security/bag scan or was it just after you went through the scanners?  TIA

 

Just wondering if anyone has any info on this...