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

[RocketMan275]

23 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

The “:SAILAWAY” rates, which deduct the Free at Sea perks, aren’t available for Haven Suites.  So, in reality, Haven guests get the FAS package.

You can decline  the drink package and the specialty dining package in the Haven.  Just did a mock booking to verify  that.

[Dcoy]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

You can decline  the drink package and the specialty dining package in the Haven.  Just did a mock booking to verify  that.

We’re booked in a Haven for Dec 2024 and didn’t take any drink or meal packages.  Only “free” Wi-Fi and $50 of shore excursions for one. 

[scottie920]

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

I agree!  NCL really needs to remove that wording, or, add a qualifier such as "fees may apply."

Agree.

False advertising.

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, scottie920 said:

Agree.

False advertising.

I asked the pre-cruise concierge to have the butler remove the mini bar from our refrigerator at embarkation.   It made more room for other things like milk for morning coffee instead of Coffee Mate, water and beer. 

[amygutman]

13 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I asked the pre-cruise concierge to have the butler remove the mini bar from our refrigerator at embarkation.   It made more room for other things like milk for morning coffee instead of Coffee Mate, water and beer. 

@Daniel A You just put yourself in the position of reigniting the "horrors of Coffee Mate" threat from a few months back. Dangerous waters indeed.

I'm an oat milk gal myself, but my British friend joining us on our upcoming Encore cruise has specifically requested Cravendale or Dairy Pride milk chilled in the mini-fridge to use with her "proper kettle". Our pre-concierge is good, but she's not "can arrange for Cravendale chilled milk" good. Kate the Brit is horrified at the prospect of using the coffee-maker to heat her water. Wait until she gets a load of Coffee Mate 😇

Warmest Amy

[Number34]

13 hours ago, amygutman said:

…….but my British friend joining us on our upcoming Encore cruise has specifically requested Cravendale or Dairy Pride milk chilled in the mini-fridge to use with her "proper kettle". …

Amy, we are in The Haven on Joy this coming November and being British we too cannot bear the thought of heating water for our morning tea in the coffee maker. Can you let us know how your friend has managed to get a “proper kettle”?

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Number34 said:

Amy, we are in The Haven on Joy this coming November and being British we too cannot bear the thought of heating water for our morning tea in the coffee maker. Can you let us know how your friend has managed to get a “proper kettle”?

I think  you're going to get used to not having a  "proper kettle".  Norwegian, like most all cruise lines prohibits: "Items brought on board the vessel and not supplied by the Company containing any kind of heating element, such as but not limited to: immersion heaters, heating blankets, clothing irons, water heaters, coffee machines with heating/hot plates, etc.

 

Your options are the coffee maker, room service, the buffet, or doing without.

[amygutman]

13 hours ago, Number34 said:

Amy, we are in The Haven on Joy this coming November and being British we too cannot bear the thought of heating water for our morning tea in the coffee maker. Can you let us know how your friend has managed to get a “proper kettle”?

@Number34 I learned from living in Bermuda that tea is a very serious subject. I will let you know IF the "proper kettle" happens. We requested one and the pre-concierge and I laughed about the very common request from British travelers. From online viewings of Emma Cruises, Ben and David, and Tips for Travelers (all from Great Britain / England / Scotland), it appears that electric kettles are common for European cruise lines.

We have been promised English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey for our tea choices though!

Warmest Amy

[amygutman]

11 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I think  you're going to get used to not having a  "proper kettle".  Norwegian, like most all cruise lines prohibits: "Items brought on board the vessel and not supplied by the Company containing any kind of heating element, such as but not limited to: immersion heaters, heating blankets, clothing irons, water heaters, coffee machines with heating/hot plates, etc.

 

Your options are the coffee maker, room service, the buffet, or doing without.

@RocketMan275

[Daniel A]

Well, we are now off Breakaway and the Haven.  It was interesting that this time, It felt more like being with family (both crew and fellow passengers in the Haven.) 

 

It's now back to being a normal person again...  I second @amygutman last post above   

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

Well, we are now off Breakaway and the Haven.  It was interesting that this time, It felt more like being with family (both crew and fellow passengers in the Haven.) 

 

It's now back to being a normal person again...  I second @amygutman last post above   

Welcome back to reality! If only we could afford the lifestyle of Haven in our every day lives, eh? 

 

I'm curious - which other ships have you luxuriated in the Haven? I ask, because I felt the family atmosphere on Getaway (Breakaway's almost identical twin), but did not on Joy, especially with the crew. I felt it was because the Haven is so much larger on Joy than Getaway and the crew has to work with more passengers on Joy. No time have we sailed in the Haven proper, so that didn't really impact the "feels" of the cruise.  

[McGarrett5oh]

@Sthrngary@CDR Benson et al:   So we leave from Florida tomorrow (9/14) for London and board the Prima in the Haven Sunday in Southampton.  I want to thank everyone for their input over the past year that I've been following this thread.  Being retired and somewhat OCD, I've been able to spend an inordinant amount of time planning our 14-day experience in the Haven.  The knowledge that has been shared here has been instrumental in our planning and now we shall see how it all plays out......

 

In return, I hope to be an active participant upon returning sharing anything meaningful that we may learn on board that hasn't already been completely covered.  While I don't plan to do any live reports, if something of immediate interest comes up that I think this thread's community can benefit from and I have any luck with the Prima WIFI, I'll pop in here.

 

I think our expectations are appropriately set, our handcrafted  2-page Butler letter has been prepared, (which I believe [and hope] will be effective for what we want to get out of our Haven experience, our luggage tags are in their plastic shells, our suitcases are all under 50 pounds a piece, our pre-cruise concierge calls have all been fantastic and our requests for embarkation day are in the NCL database, our eDocs are on our phones (and printed), our specialty dining reservatons are set, our excursions are all in place (only 1 actually through NCL) and we're excited and ready to go.  (BTW, only the Price is Right show can be booked in advance (for any guests) - not that Haven guests need to worry.)

 

Thank you again community.... and as @Sthrngary says, we are ready to "cruise well and enjoy every moment".

 

Cheers!

[rattla]

14 hours ago, amygutman said:

@Number34 I learned from living in Bermuda that tea is a very serious subject. I will let you know IF the "proper kettle" happens. We requested one and the pre-concierge and I laughed about the very common request from British travelers. From online viewings of Emma Cruises, Ben and David, and Tips for Travelers (all from Great Britain / England / Scotland), it appears that electric kettles are common for European cruise lines.

We have been promised English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey for our tea choices though!

Warmest Amy

yup all the U.K. cruise lines always have kettles as standard.  And interestingly some of the other cruise lines (namely MSC and Princess for sure, maybe others) actually bring out kettles when sailing out of a U.K. port and then take them away again when the ship goes elsewhere 😊

[DMH15]

What about bringing a premium insulated carafe with lid to keep hot water in and keep it hot.  No heating element.  
 

 

[kasimir]

50 minutes ago, McGarrett5oh said:

@Sthrngary@CDR Benson et al:   So we leave from Florida tomorrow (9/14) for London and board the Prima in the Haven Sunday in Southampton.  I want to thank everyone for their input over the past year that I've been following this thread.  Being retired and somewhat OCD, I've been able to spend an inordinant amount of time planning our 14-day experience in the Haven.  The knowledge that has been shared here has been instrumental in our planning and now we shall see how it all plays out......

 

In return, I hope to be an active participant upon returning sharing anything meaningful that we may learn on board that hasn't already been completely covered.  While I don't plan to do any live reports, if something of immediate interest comes up that I think this thread's community can benefit from and I have any luck with the Prima WIFI, I'll pop in here.

 

I think our expectations are appropriately set, our handcrafted  2-page Butler letter has been prepared, (which I believe [and hope] will be effective for what we want to get out of our Haven experience, our luggage tags are in their plastic shells, our suitcases are all under 50 pounds a piece, our pre-cruise concierge calls have all been fantastic and our requests for embarkation day are in the NCL database, our eDocs are on our phones (and printed), our specialty dining reservatons are set, our excursions are all in place (only 1 actually through NCL) and we're excited and ready to go.  (BTW, only the Price is Right show can be booked in advance (for any guests) - not that Haven guests need to worry.)

 

Thank you again community.... and as @Sthrngary says, we are ready to "cruise well and enjoy every moment".

 

Cheers!

 

You go and have yourself a wonderful time!! 

 

Maybe you can post a summarized review at the end, as I am curious about your opinion 🙂

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, McGarrett5oh said:

community.... and as @Sthrngary says, we are ready to "cruise well and enjoy every moment".

@McGarrett5oh Hey, that is copywrite infringement. LOL.  Well, it has been a long ride to this moment hasn't it.  Lots of questions, second guessing one self.  Trying to navigate the information for all the EXPERTS online.  Nothing easy about it.  

 

Then you start reading an insanely long post on the Haven.  The moron who wrote it is a nut case about preplanning and you start doing it yourself. Crazy idea's like Butler Letters, communication with Pre-Cruise Haven Concierge. Nobody does those things.  All joking aside, I have one more piece of really important recommendations for you.

 

You controlled all the controllable.  YOU ARE DONE NOW!!!!  Now just enjoy the cruise with all the non-controllable that come up.  Stay positive, flexibly and open to change. 14 days is a long time for a cruise and something will go wrong.  Let that be like "Water off a Duck".  Second, you visualized how things would be like over and over again.  It won't be.  Nothing is as great as our visualization.  Always have realistic expectations.  

 

NOW, "Cruise Well and Enjoy every Moment(tm)"

[CDR Benson]

1 hour ago, McGarrett5oh said:

@Sthrngary@CDR Benson et al:   So we leave from Florida tomorrow (9/14) for London and board the Prima in the Haven Sunday in Southampton.  I want to thank everyone for their input over the past year that I've been following this thread.  Being retired and somewhat OCD, I've been able to spend an inordinant amount of time planning our 14-day experience in the Haven.  The knowledge that has been shared here has been instrumental in our planning and now we shall see how it all plays out......

 

In return, I hope to be an active participant upon returning sharing anything meaningful that we may learn on board that hasn't already been completely covered.  While I don't plan to do any live reports, if something of immediate interest comes up that I think this thread's community can benefit from and I have any luck with the Prima WIFI, I'll pop in here.

 

I think our expectations are appropriately set, our handcrafted  2-page Butler letter has been prepared, (which I believe [and hope] will be effective for what we want to get out of our Haven experience, our luggage tags are in their plastic shells, our suitcases are all under 50 pounds a piece, our pre-cruise concierge calls have all been fantastic and our requests for embarkation day are in the NCL database, our eDocs are on our phones (and printed), our specialty dining reservatons are set, our excursions are all in place (only 1 actually through NCL) and we're excited and ready to go.  (BTW, only the Price is Right show can be booked in advance (for any guests) - not that Haven guests need to worry.)

 

Thank you again community.... and as @Sthrngary says, we are ready to "cruise well and enjoy every moment".

 

Cheers!

 

Safe and enjoyable travels!  Wishing you and yours an idyllic voyage.

[McGarrett5oh]

56 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

You controlled all the controllable.  YOU ARE DONE NOW!!!!  Now just enjoy the cruise with all the non-controllable that come up.  Stay positive, flexibly and open to change. 14 days is a long time for a cruise and something will go wrong.  Let that be like "Water off a Duck".  Second, you visualized how things would be like over and over again.  It won't be.  Nothing is as great as our visualization.  Always have realistic expectations.  

Good advice!  I think our expectations are reasonable. We used to travel the country in our motorhome for weeks and months at a time.  So with that, along with contingency plans, alternative itineraries and good preplanning have served us well.   Thank you again!

[McGarrett5oh]

1 hour ago, DMH15 said:

What about bringing a premium insulated carafe with lid to keep hot water in and keep it hot.  No heating element.  
 

 

I bring a Contigo brand coffee carafe with me on all trips.  Keeps my coffee hot for several hours as I go about my morning activities.  It may serve you well for your needs.  

[amygutman]

6 hours ago, DMH15 said:

What about bringing a premium insulated carafe with lid to keep hot water in and keep it hot.  No heating element.  
 

 

Ran it by British Kate for an "official British response". She told me I was daft. 😂

[amygutman]

4 hours ago, McGarrett5oh said:

I bring a Contigo brand coffee carafe with me on all trips.  Keeps my coffee hot for several hours as I go about my morning activities.  It may serve you well for your needs.  

@McGarrett5oh and @DMH15 I always have a travel mug glued to my hand but it's apparently very important how one boils the water vs the water itself for British tea.

 

To put the tea discussion into perspective, on my first shift in the Bermudian ED ("A&E"), at precisely 1500 in the midst of a crazily packed department 1/2 the nurses handed off their patients to go to the breakroom. Curious, I followed them and was stunned to see 5 separate kettles, tea cups WITH SAUCERS labelled with staff names, sugar cubes and condensed milk and Dunkley's milk (local Bermudian farm) all laid out on the counter with McVitie's Digestives. 

 

The nurses showed me the tea choices and when I said that I would just microwave tap-water for instant cafe bustelo I thought my first day of work would be my last. Thank goodness the matron came to my rescue telling everyone to excuse my behavior as I was American "and you know they don't know any better". 

 

So...as much as a carafe may suit us American heathens for our afternoon pick-me-up, I think that even the glory of the Haven will not be able to overcome the potential lack of a kettle for my dear friend Kate. 

Warmest Amy

[Fifi1910]

@amygutman I either get a pot of tea and fresh milk delivered to the room or ask the bar staff for some in the lounge. Always get strange looks from others as I sit and have a cup of tea and perhaps a slice of cake from the courtyard, not quite afternoon tea but a nice pause from the alcohol for a few minutes. The water from the coffee machine tastes (unsurprisingly) of coffee. 

[Daniel A]

15 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Welcome back to reality! If only we could afford the lifestyle of Haven in our every day lives, eh? 

 

I'm curious - which other ships have you luxuriated in the Haven? I ask, because I felt the family atmosphere on Getaway (Breakaway's almost identical twin), but did not on Joy, especially with the crew. I felt it was because the Haven is so much larger on Joy than Getaway and the crew has to work with more passengers on Joy. No time have we sailed in the Haven proper, so that didn't really impact the "feels" of the cruise.  

We have sailed on the Epic in Haven before.   I liked the physical layout but I think Breakaway Haven being smaller, it probably contributed to the family feel.

[Daniel A]

I think I left my laptop on a shelf in the cabin.  It may have been on a shelf the steward was using to store the extra decorative pillows and cloth runner.   I never thought to look on that shelf as the runner and pillows were still there when we packed.

 

Does anyone know how to find out if it was left there?

[cruiseny4life]

3 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I think I left my laptop on a shelf in the cabin.  It may have been on a shelf the steward was using to store the extra decorative pillows and cloth runner.   I never thought to look on that shelf as the runner and pillows were still there when we packed.

 

Does anyone know how to find out if it was left there?

Go on the current sailing's roll call and ask if anyone's in the Haven who could ask the concierge. That might be the best way...you can also file a lost and found claim here (click on lost and found category):

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/contact-us