Refresh My Memory/First Time in Haven

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, CDR Benson said:

 

The Good Mrs. Benson and I are still cogitating over what to put on our list of requests in our letter to the butler.  I told her not to be conservative in her wishes.  In the draught of my "Gary" letter. I've included the phraseology:

 

"We understand if ship's protocols prevent a particular request from being carried out."

 

That should cover us, in case the GMB asks for a ride on a unicorn or a date with Harrison Ford.

 

 

@CDR BensonYou sir are always a gentlemen.  I believe we both have the same attitude. Showing concern to those that support us will always gain better results then demanding or being aggressive.  On a cruise ship, a smile and thank you will provide a much more pleasant sailing than a complaint. 

 

In the work I did for my career, I noticed those that reported to me would complain about their co-workers.  My first question, which I was taught to say was, "Have you addressed this with the person you have an issue with." The answer was always, NO.  They wanted me to address the issue instead of giving the person an opportunity to explain themselves.  I would always send them back to address these issue unless it was a unwelcome advance. On a cruise ship, I have always had great results nicely and privately sharing my concerns with the individual.  

 

Hope you and Ms, Benson are enjoying life and so happy to read one of your replies. 

 

Cruise Well and thank you for all your service. 

[abugarcia1]

On 6/15/2022 at 7:35 PM, chloe173 said:

Hi all. It's been a hot minute since I last sailed Norwegian (2019), and hoping people can refresh my memory on a few things. Additionally, this will be our first time sailing in the Haven, and first time visiting Harvest Caye, so have a few questions about that as well. We'll be on Bliss in February:

 

• As a Haven guest, I see I can book restaurants 130 days out. When can I book shows/laser tag/go-karts?
• Do I need reservations for the Haven restaurant, or do I just show up?
• We've upgraded to the Premium Plus beverage package...
  • Does the beverage package also work on Harvest Caye?
  • Can I have my butler bring me coldbrew from Starbucks, or is that going to be an extra charge even with the package?
• Where do you eat on Harvest Caye, and do you need reservations for it? Is it included or upcharge?
• Do all Haven Suites get free access to Thermal Spa, or is that only for Spa Suites?
• Are towels provided at Harvest Caye?
• Is Muster still a pain, or have they switched to the way other lines are doing it where you just watch a video in your cabin now?
• Do they still offer sushi in the buffet in the afternoons?
• I see they've changed so that instead of each specialty restaurant costing a certain amount, they're all a la carte now. Is there consensus on whether it's better to buy a dining package or just go truly a la carte? It seems like maybe it only makes sense for Cagney's and Ocean Blue, and the others not so much?
  • If that's the case, can you specify which meals you want to go against the package and which you want to be a la carte?
• Which specialty restaurants are available for lunch on Sea Days?

 

I think that's all for now, lol.

We can share a few answers from our Haven experience last month.

-Shows can either be booked in your room on your TV or with your Concierge

-The muster drill is now a video that is watched prior to boarding then just a check-in at the location on board

-We didn't drink and coffee or visit any other restaurants. I understand that Haven guests may request food from a specialty restaurant through their butler. We ate at the Haven restaurant for every meal.

Have a great cruise!

[Sthrngary]

11 hours ago, abugarcia1 said:

I understand that Haven guests may request food from a specialty restaurant through their butler.

This is very true however the meal either is part of the Free at Sea perks, purchased meal package or ala cart. Specialty Restaurants still have a cost.  I only share this because it is confusing at times.  Especially for those that have cruised luxury brands where they have unlimited specialty restaurants.  

 

Cruise well everyone.

[CDR Benson]

On 6/17/2022 at 3:52 PM, Sthrngary said:

@CDR BensonYou sir are always a gentlemen.  I believe we both have the same attitude. Showing concern to those that support us will always gain better results then demanding or being aggressive.  On a cruise ship, a smile and thank you will provide a much more pleasant sailing than a complaint. 

 

In the work I did for my career, I noticed those that reported to me would complain about their co-workers.  My first question, which I was taught to say was, "Have you addressed this with the person you have an issue with." The answer was always, NO.  They wanted me to address the issue instead of giving the person an opportunity to explain themselves.  I would always send them back to address these issue unless it was a unwelcome advance. On a cruise ship, I have always had great results nicely and privately sharing my concerns with the individual.  

 

Hope you and Ms, Benson are enjoying life and so happy to read one of your replies. 

 

Cruise Well and thank you for all your service. 

 

I take your words very kindly, sir.

 

My regard for others hearkens to the concept behind the salute.  Yes, the junior initiates the salute, but it must be acknowledged and returned by the senior.  Hence, it's a gesture of MUTUAL respect.  (I have a story on how that was impressed on me by someone who had no idea that he had done so, but it's long and unnecessary to recount here.)  

 

I've maintained that perspective all of my life--- that men of good will, regardless of their station in life, are deserving of respect.  The Good Mrs. Benson feels I'm too stiff with people---I insist on addressing people by their honorifics and last names; I use the proper formats for introductions; I stand when a lady enters the room; and the like.  But these are the gestures in civilian society which indicate mutual respect between two persons.

 

Everyone wants to liked, but it's more important to them to be respected.

 

Which is a good thing for me.  You're genial and a hail-well-met fellow, Mr. Tilkin, in a way that I never can be.  I don't wear a uniform anymore, but my silver oak leaves may as well be tattooed on my forehead, it's that obvious that I'm a military man.  I'm not readily likeable, but people know I respect them, their positions, and their duties.

 

That is the lubrication which allows our society, with its people of disparate backgrounds and attitudes, to work.  You mentioned situations when your subordinates came to you with complaints about problems with co-workers.  Your response, "Have you discussed the issue with him?", is a sound one, to be sure.  But I imagine that many of those frictions wouldn't have arisen if the two co-workers involved showed those mutual gestures of respect from the beginning.

 

O.K., end of soapbox.  And again, Mr. Tilkin, thank you for your good words.

 

We return you now to the regular thread, already in progress . . .

 

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by CDR Benson

[wil e coyote]

On 6/15/2022 at 8:35 PM, chloe173 said:

• Where do you eat on Harvest Caye, and do you need reservations for it? Is it included or upcharge?
• Are towels provided at Harvest Caye?
• Is Muster still a pain, or have they switched to the way other lines are doing it where you just watch a video in your cabin now?

Many of the OP questions have been well-answered by other, very knowledgeable sources like @Sthrngary (to whom, by the way, my DW and I owe a debt of gratitude for the outstanding Haven guidance in his many posts - most notably, to write a letter to your butler - it works!)...but to build on a few of the answers from our just-completed cruise to Harvest Cay:

-There is a large bar & grill restaurant next to the pool on Harvest Cay. This is most of the food. There are also some small shacks around offering ice cream, drinks, and the like. None of it is included in the dining/drink plans from NCL. But since we are frugal (cheap?), we didn't try any of the food on the island and chose to go back to the ship to eat -where the food was both known to be good and already paid for.

-Towels are not provided on Harvest Cay. You need to take towels from the ship and return them to the ship. If you are staying in the Haven, you should have a couple of the blue NCL towels in your cabin that you can take. If not, just get them on the pier when you disembark.

-On our just-completed cruise, the Muster process was even simpler than when we sailed in February. As others have noted, you have to watch the safety video as part of on-line check-in, and then you will get several emails asking you to watch it again. When we boarded, we were directed to a check-in station near our muster station (but not actually at it) where they scanned our key card and we were done. No one asked whether we had watched the video, but I am guessing they knew we had from the check-in process.

 

Happy cruising!

[Sthrngary]

44 minutes ago, wil e coyote said:

Many of the OP questions have been well-answered by other, very knowledgeable sources like @Sthrngary (to whom, by the way, my DW and I owe a debt of gratitude for the outstanding Haven guidance in his many posts - most notably, to write a letter to your butler - it works!)

Thank you for your kind words.