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

[Ticatraveler]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

The point is, when we find a way to leverage value from the Haven or the Premium Plus Beverage package.  Sooner or later NCL will catch on and change the policy.  Just the way things work.  Everyone is different so what I am about to say is simply my opinion.  The older I get, the smaller amounts of food I want.  A two lobster tail limit is more then fair for me.  But if you will be making your decision to stay or not stay in one of these VIP area's due to a limit on lobster tails, that is your right to make that decision.  Disappointing yes, surprising no.  Fixed the glitch.  Lets find some other glitch's, this one is gone. LOL

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I will start by saying lobster or no lobster is not really the issue. It's the standard that you expect after multiple stays in the Haven. Someone who is new to the concept or maybe just a couple of stays in the Haven might never know the difference in experiences.  But I do.  It's all the small changes that happen from cruise to cruise. We all know the changes that have had to happened of the last few years. Prices are up for everything. But the Haven experience should not be diminished while paying so much more. 

[Sthrngary]

5 minutes ago, Ticatraveler said:

I will start by saying lobster or no lobster is not really the issue. It's the standard that you expect after multiple stays in the Haven. Someone who is new to the concept or maybe just a couple of stays in the Haven might never know the difference in experiences.  But I do.  It's all the small changes that happen from cruise to cruise. We all know the changes that have had to happened of the last few years. Prices are up for everything. But the Haven experience should not be diminished while paying so much more. 

@Ticatraveler Of course I agree with you.  My words and actions are based on literally decades of cruising.  When Brands start doing things like this, I used to get SO upset.  I would ask myself, why are they doing this to us.  We are paying a premium.  How much, in this situation does it cost to give me a few extra items.  It was so frustrating and disappointing.

 

I quickly realized, "this too shall pass".  If it bothers me, I simply don't cruise with the brand any more and look for an alternative to my vacations.  My point is, in many ways it was MY fault that this and other things have happened.  This thread and others, comments and suggestion from thousands of postings share who to leverage all the value and benefits of the Haven.  Please blame me.  Yet it was fun while it lasted.  Hence my comment to look for more glitches and squeeze all the value we can gain.  

 

Allow me to add.  My last NCL Haven Cruise was 2021, the Joy, H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with my family.  My cruising now is more in Europe and I have found other brands that provide me with a different approach to my cruising needs.  Not better or worse, different. Will I personally cruise the Haven again, SURE.  Only when the investment is more in line with the value in MY mind.  My money, my choice, my vacation.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[9tee2Sea]

I got off the Bliss a few weeks ago ( Panama Canal, full transit). Stayed in Haven ( Aft cabin with large balcony).  First time ever in Haven category.  It was nice, but not sure if I would do it again.  I didn't mind the walk to Haven Lounge and amenities ( it was a good walk from the back of the ship, two flights of stairs up to the lounge...needed the exercise).  I found the Haven experience just a bit boring.  The passengers in the bar area were not very chatty ( they seemed they all wanted to be left alone, except for a " hello").  The Haven pool was very shallow floating pool.  The jacuzzi was nice, and rarely used.  I liked the automatic coffee machine in the Observation Lounge ( push a button and a cappichinno will be made).  I found the Haven restaurant a bit boring.  No change of items on menu.  I really liked the sautéed spinach ( I asked for it with crushed garlic and bacon bits) in place of potatoes/rice.  To be honest, I really enjoy going to the buffet and making my own plate.  Breakfast in the Haven Restaurant was relaxing.  Being escorted off ship for shore excursions was very nice ( especially when you see the long lines).  The best part of my Haven experience was the Aft cabin with large balcony.  I am an early to bed early to rise person.  My partner is the opposite.  The cabin had a separate bedroom with a sliding door, so he could watch tv in the living room, while I soundly slept in the bedroom.  Two bathrooms came in handy.  Since I get up early, I could make use of the second bathroom in the hall, and didn't have to wake him up.  It was nice to experience Haven, but I think I could do just as well with balcony or Club Balcony.  Of course I would always bid for Haven upgrade if invited, but it would not be a highball offer. 

[Sand and Seas]

I usually order a Surf & Surf which for me is Crab cake and a Lobster Tail.     The only time I had a second Lobster tail was when the server insisted as she said 'the lobster tails are small'.

 

I agree that allowing a second Lobster tail without charge seems reasonable.   Does anyone else find it interesting that the $25 charge is in the 'small print' at the bottom of the menu?  That leaves it to the poor server to inform the passenger.

[rbxlady]

21 hours ago, duckylady said:

When does the letter/email come informing Haven guests about pre-cruise concierge services?  We're booked in the Haven on the Breakaway at the end of March.  I haven't received anything from NCL other than our booking confirmation.  I have a few questions/requests that I'd like to ask prior to embarkation day. 

We are booked in the Haven on the Epic with an embarkation day of 3/31, and I found my pre-cruise concierge e-mail in my cruise folder, dated 1/17. However, I had reached out to pre-cruise concierge earlier that day with a question and apologized if it was early to be asking, as I'd not yet received my Haven "welcome letter". So to be fair, they might have sent me a generic one because I reached out first.

 

For our last cruise in the Haven (on the Getaway), our embarkation date was 10/22, and I got the exact same e-mail on 10/7. However, we didn't book the Haven until August (we had been booked in Club Balcony since March but decided to upgrade ourselves). I did not get any other pre-cruise concierge e-mails except to acknowledge/confirm my requests.

Is this the e-mail you're looking for? It's the one I got on 1/17. I noticed it mentions booking dining 130 days out, so it would be silly to send it out later than that, but regardless, it has the e-mail address you need at the bottom.

 

Edited to add that our luggage tags arrived yesterday, which was 34 days out. You probably should bet getting yours soon if you haven't already, in case you need to inquire about that.

Edited February 27 by rbxlady

[lemon bar]

Whew! Long thread. 🙂

 

Anyways, interesting reading and thank you.

 

We are booked on Aqua (a ways down the road) and I kept bumping up our room category a bit until low and behold, we booked the Haven! The "smallest" Haven room type, but we are excited.

 

We are leaving out of Miami. 4 ports, 2 sea days. Honestly have no idea what we are about to experience, but looking forward to it? I looked at the Viva stateroom equivalent and it looks really nice! Also looking forward to sit down breakfasts/lunches if we want, the Haven decks, the lounge/bar and the Butler, although we will probably be the easiest guests they've ever had!

 

Our whole trip is hopefully just going to be us relaxing, eating and drinking wine in different locations throughout the ship. I really like the idea of the boulevard on deck 8. We aren't huge pool party people, so the areas throughout the ship (and the Haven deck of course) really spoke to me.

We will probably bump up to the premium drink package because there will be much coffee, wine and cocktails had. Schedule maybe 2 or 3 specialty dining dinners. Also want to try the main dining room for dinner. So much to eat!

 

Um, so just saying Hi I guess! Thanks for all the great information!

[Treasure Hunter]

This was absolutely not about eating a ton of lobster tails. It was the unexpected sad change and inflexibility. They are chipping away on the special ish ( a new word). I’ll trade you a lobster tail for two filets and raise you gummy bears. I hope they don’t destroy the experience 

[Jordan61]

Wow, bummer about the lobster tails! My husband will be disappointed. He would generally ask for two, and more often than not the server would be the one to say, "you need three!"

[renji]

For what it’s worth, I find the new policy an extreme turn off and it actually will keep me from booking the Haven. And the kicker is, I don’t even order lobster. So you might think that’s crazy, but when I pay for the luxury of a suite experience or deluxe drink package, it’s the experience of being treated a certain way. 
 

I just don’t trust NCL’s offering remaining consistent from the date of booking to the date of sailing anymore—I signed on for a drink package that included Moet and when I traveled, it was no longer included.  Things like that are diminishing of the experience—when you are spending $20-30k on a trip, being “nickel and dimed” is unpleasant.  
 

And I am also happy on certain lines in an inside cabin with no frills—but I’m getting what I paid for and my expectations are set.  
 

That’s my personal take…I totally respect the other views.  

[cruiseny4life]

10 minutes ago, renji said:

For what it’s worth, I find the new policy an extreme turn off and it actually will keep me from booking the Haven. And the kicker is, I don’t even order lobster. So you might think that’s crazy, but when I pay for the luxury of a suite experience or deluxe drink package, it’s the experience of being treated a certain way. 
 

I just don’t trust NCL’s offering remaining consistent from the date of booking to the date of sailing anymore—I signed on for a drink package that included Moet and when I traveled, it was no longer included.  Things like that are diminishing of the experience—when you are spending $20-30k on a trip, being “nickel and dimed” is unpleasant.  
 

And I am also happy on certain lines in an inside cabin with no frills—but I’m getting what I paid for and my expectations are set.  
 

That’s my personal take…I totally respect the other views.  

Amen brotha/sista! That's exactly the point!!!!!!

[Jordan61]

14 minutes ago, renji said:

Things like that are diminishing of the experience—when you are spending $20-30k on a trip, being “nickel and dimed” is unpleasant.    

 

I just said that exact thing to my husband. And I don't order lobster, either!

[Yesimapirate]

To me,  the concierge rules the Haven.   Thr concierge works on tips.  I wonder how many lobster tails I can have each night if I tell the concierge I'm deducting $25 from his tip for each charge I get.  I bet he'd think I'm a jerk and cheap. 

 

Well, that's how this makes me feel about NCL.  It's not about a lobster.   It's about now cutting services and charging me for what I already paid for. 

 

Had they make the change and not applied it for people who booked (or had final payment) before the announcement, I'd probably think they're cheap but wouldn't be so annoyed. 

 

Had they made the announcement to discourage people from ordering 5 but not actually charged someone who only ordered a surf and surf and didn't get the filet,  I'd be okay with this. 

 

Had the change not been 10 days before my next cruise AND the champagne change not been made less than a week before a previous cruise, I'd probably be okay with it. 

 

Had they proactively reached out to me so I didn't have to learn about it here or onboard,  I'd be okay.

 

Had they said to me "I know you're spending far more than you could on other classes if cabin and want to feel special so here's $100 onboard credit to be used for that extra lobster tail " I'd not only have been ok but I'd more than likely book another suite on the cruise. 

 

But they didn't.   They reinforced the feeling (or truth) that they don't give a damn about me and made me feel both foolish and adversarial.   And now I'm going to politely tell every single member of the ship management, Haven staff and F&B team how I feel. 

 

I'll also probably order lobster when I normally wouldn't.  And I'll taste the most expensive alcohol the premium + package will get me.  If we're nickle and diming and adversarial them I'm not going to get mad.  I'm just going to win their game.

Edited February 28 by Yesimapirate

[Treasure Hunter]

And in September I’m going on Crystal

[MadisonBay]

…and we are returning to Regent in September!

[Treasure Hunter]

We were offered an upgrade to the owners suite three days before our cruise but I couldn’t figure out how to sleep five with two children . The second bedroom had a queen bed and no drop down. The main ship was full but the Haven seemed empty. Maybe that’s what they’re shooting for?

[Sthrngary]

10 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

And in September I’m going on Crystal

@Treasure Hunter Please share your review after your trip.  Crystal seems to be coming back stronger then they were.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

9 hours ago, MadisonBay said:

…and we are returning to Regent in September!

@MadisonBay Please share your review with all of us.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Niffernay]

23 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

My money, my choice, my vacation. 

This is my philosphy as well. Not sure why so many people feel the need to tell others how they should feel about something or what they should do. You do you and I'll do me and we'll all be happy. 😀

[Sthrngary]

23 minutes ago, Niffernay said:

This is my philosphy as well. Not sure why so many people feel the need to tell others how they should feel about something or what they should do. You do you and I'll do me and we'll all be happy. 😀

@Niffernay Just social media.  A place to vent, a place to connect with those that may be like minded.  Take everyone's comments including mine with a grain of salt.  I say, just enjoy life and if you can't deal with a few issues, cruising is not for you.  Heck, we are in water, deal with weather and living on a floating hotel/restaurant.  A sure fire way to have issues. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Edited February 28 by Sthrngary

[JGander]

We are in an aft suite on the Escape for May.

 

The only aspect of the Haven I really care about is getting off the ship first without waiting in line. Otherwise I mainly am paying for the larger room and larger aft balcony.

 

As for the meals, If I can eat in a strange city and try foods I can't normally get, I will. Be it street food or a high end restaurant, I am happy. Last October we got Cuy from a little old lady selling it on the side of the road and cooked in an open air brick oven and ate at Central in Lima for the same trip. Both were excellent experiences.

 

The issue for myself, like others, is not the lobster tail, it is the nickel and diming after paying 3x the price of a normal balcony.

 

 

[PatJim]

On 2/16/2024 at 7:44 PM, JGander said:

 

Oh, I agree, but as a fan of the Epic aft suites, the issue of poor quality butlers was brought up several times. And I mean poor quality on the very basics.

 

We honestly could completely skip the butler, especially on our next cruise since we are in port every day, and we tend to get off with the first group and back on as late as possible.

We’ve only had an aft Haven suite once, on the Joy.  Loved the gigantic balcony, and didn’t mind the 220 steps (yes, I counted them!) from cabin door to front elevators/stairs leading up to the Haven proper.  However, we didn’t see our butler once during the cruise.  He showed up next to last day, and apologized for being busy training a new butler.  We didn’t buy that excuse, but did tip him the usual amount we had set aside.  
 

If we had needed him, we wouldn’t have hesitated to ask the concierge to have a talk with him, and correct the situation.

 

FWIW, we’ve not booked an aft Haven since because Jim didn’t appreciate those 220 steps every time we needed to travel between our cabin and the Haven.  He much prefers cabins in the Haven proper.  I concede that we’ve enjoyed hanging out at the Haven lounge and bar so much more, now that our cabins are nearby.

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, PatJim said:

We’ve only had an aft Haven suite once, on the Joy.  Loved the gigantic balcony, and didn’t mind the 220 steps (yes, I counted them!) from cabin door to front elevators/stairs leading up to the Haven proper.  However, we didn’t see our butler once during the cruise.  He showed up next to last day, and apologized for being busy training a new butler.  We didn’t buy that excuse, but did tip him the usual amount we had set aside.  
 

If we had needed him, we wouldn’t have hesitated to ask the concierge to have a talk with him, and correct the situation.

 

FWIW, we’ve not booked an aft Haven since because Jim didn’t appreciate those 220 steps every time we needed to travel between our cabin and the Haven.  He much prefers cabins in the Haven proper.  I concede that we’ve enjoyed hanging out at the Haven lounge and bar so much more, now that our cabins are nearby.

220 steps seems like so few compared to our experience on Getaway. I never counted haha...it was about a three or four minute walk which we really enjoyed. And the room....oh gosh! We, thankfully, didn't have the experience you did with the butler. We saw ours multiple times a day. 

 

But, at least you know who the right person to talk with is if you're having issues with your butler! 

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, JGander said:

We are in an aft suite on the Escape for May.

 

The only aspect of the Haven I really care about is getting off the ship first without waiting in line. Otherwise I mainly am paying for the larger room and larger aft balcony.

 

As for the meals, If I can eat in a strange city and try foods I can't normally get, I will. Be it street food or a high end restaurant, I am happy. Last October we got Cuy from a little old lady selling it on the side of the road and cooked in an open air brick oven and ate at Central in Lima for the same trip. Both were excellent experiences.

 

The issue for myself, like others, is not the lobster tail, it is the nickel and diming after paying 3x the price of a normal balcony.

 

 

@JGander You are paying a lot of money just to get off the ship quickly.  You have every right to utilize or not utilize all the Haven Benefits.  Everyone one does.  However, as the author of this stream, I would like to humbly suggest another approach.  

 

As I stated in an earlier post, no one likes to be nickel and dimed.  It happens a lot on all Main Stream Cruise brands.  At the price you are paying for a Haven Suite, consider other luxury and ultra luxury brands.  My personal experiences is the nickel and dime approach happens rarely on those brands.  The ships tend to be smaller reducing the issue of getting off quickly.  The Personalized service, food in general whether you eat it or not, and port intensive itineraries seem to be much better on those ships as well.  

 

All that said, be open to all the benefits and amenities of the Haven.  I must say I totally agree with your thoughts on food in ports.  I recently did a 10 day Mediterranean cruise.  I was blown away buy the food at the ports.  No ship can come close.  That plus the wine at ports were outstanding.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[benel204]

Speaking of food on the Haven, I have a question about how to arrange a dish being served in the MDR.

We are primarily fish eaters (no shellfish, so if you see us in the Haven DR, you can have my lobster tail)....

I see Tuna and Trout on the Haven menu as the only fish options.

In the MDR, I assume like many cruise ships they will regularly serve either Branzino/Seabass or Salmon (all farm raised of course).

If I request either of those fish options a day in advance, does the Haven dining staff prepare it? Or is it prepared in MDR and then they just bring it upstairs? 

 

[vinotinto]

49 minutes ago, benel204 said:

Speaking of food on the Haven, I have a question about how to arrange a dish being served in the MDR.

We are primarily fish eaters (no shellfish, so if you see us in the Haven DR, you can have my lobster tail)....

I see Tuna and Trout on the Haven menu as the only fish options.

In the MDR, I assume like many cruise ships they will regularly serve either Branzino/Seabass or Salmon (all farm raised of course).

If I request either of those fish options a day in advance, does the Haven dining staff prepare it? Or is it prepared in MDR and then they just bring it upstairs? 

 

I have this same question. My daughter is vegetarian, but also sometimes eats some fish and some seafood. When we last stayed in Haven, she ate at the Noodle bar without us a bunch of times and we also had dinner as a family in the MDR (they had shows with the dancers) a coup[le of times, but I have been hearing that with advance notice they can get or prepare something in the Haven for her. Would be valuable to learn more about this and whether they prepare it in the Haven restaurant or if they can bring it from the MDR. When is your trip? We're going at the end of March.