How I became addicted to the Haven!

[Sailing12Away]

1 hour ago, 9tee2Sea said:

I have a Panama Canal cruise booked on the Bliss for Jan 2024.  I have an Aft facing balcony, but I am thinking of changing to Aft Facing Haven With large Balcony.  I just don't know if its worth the extra 10,000 for the ' Royal Treatment".  My reasons for maybe doing the switch:  This will be my fourth and probably final full transit of the Panama Canal.  I don't plan on getting off the ship in Mexico, so extra balcony space will be great.  I would love to host a Panama Canal transit party on the haven balcony ( I assume they allow Haven cabins to have visitors).

 

The reason I may not do the switch:  PRICE!!!!!  its so expensive ( its a downpayment on new car).  I can wait until i get an upgrade offer, but there is no guarantee that I will get one, or win the bid, or get the cabin I would prefer.  

 

I am platinum ( almost sapphire) level, so getting extra points when booking Haven will give me a pretty big boost.  So conflicted!!!!

We sailed in an aft Haven room on the Encore last August around Alaska. Encore is a sister ship to your Bliss, so very similar. The room was huge, balcony was one of the best we've had... but... we feel we didn't get a great Haven experience. Yes we had snacks in the room, access to the lounge, and extra personalized attention when they saw our room card. But the walk to that exclusive Haven area is far.

 

For some, they like the walk as a way to force them to burn off some cruise calories. For us... we didn't take advantage of the lounge or bar nearly as much as we would have if we were in a closer room. 10K is a LOT for not a whole lot of extra stuff. My recommendation would be to keep your aft balcony and bid specifically only on the Haven aft balcony in the upgrades and put that 10K towards a max bid. You'll still come out ahead of your 10K upgrade cost (your max bid will probably be around 5K total instead of the 10K to upgrade outright) and if it was meant to be, it will happen.

 

We're doing a Panama canal trip on the Joy in February. We opted for an HI room which is outside of the courtyard area, but not as far away as the aft was. Trying to see if this is a happy compromise between our wallet and our access to the Haven amenities.

[The Shrike]

After the first time we went in the Haven we've done it exclusively except for once when we went in a balcony room adjoining with some family to celebrate their son's graduation.

We only cruise two or three times a year so when we do it we like to go all out.  If we were doing 10 cruises a year it would probably be one Haven and nine balconies (wife's claustrophobic so inside or oceanview won't work).

 

[cruiseny4life]

On 8/13/2022 at 11:12 PM, Sailing12Away said:

For anyone interested in giving Haven a try... Getaway out of NY next month has some unheard of deals to be found. For 2 passengers with the full free at sea promo, this is the current price for a 9 day cruise:

 

That's $263/pp/day.... if I wasn't already sailing on the Joy a few days later I would snag this in a heartbeat.

Please...join me in the Haven on this cruise! We actually cancelled our sailing on August 29th to Bermuda (Getaway sailing before this one) to book this one. We figured even though we're losing 10% (we have the cancellation policy with NCL where they'll give us 90% FCC on a cancel for any reason), this cruise would be a better choice. 9 days vs. 5 days in the Haven for only $1,000 is how this shakes out for us financially. I feel like we would have been fools to not do this. Best yet, I'm still only using 5 days of PTO! 

 

We're at $7,500 all in (cancellation charges, fare, taxes, port fees, add'l travel insurance, shore excursions, drink package, thermal suite passes). That's an amazing deal to me - $416/person/day for the Haven! 

 

Deals like these will keep us in the Haven, even if we do consider those club balcony suites sometimes. 

[9tee2Sea]

20 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

We sailed in an aft Haven room on the Encore last August around Alaska. Encore is a sister ship to your Bliss, so very similar. The room was huge, balcony was one of the best we've had... but... we feel we didn't get a great Haven experience. Yes we had snacks in the room, access to the lounge, and extra personalized attention when they saw our room card. But the walk to that exclusive Haven area is far.

 

For some, they like the walk as a way to force them to burn off some cruise calories. For us... we didn't take advantage of the lounge or bar nearly as much as we would have if we were in a closer room. 10K is a LOT for not a whole lot of extra stuff. My recommendation would be to keep your aft balcony and bid specifically only on the Haven aft balcony in the upgrades and put that 10K towards a max bid. You'll still come out ahead of your 10K upgrade cost (your max bid will probably be around 5K total instead of the 10K to upgrade outright) and if it was meant to be, it will happen.

 

We're doing a Panama canal trip on the Joy in February. We opted for an HI room which is outside of the courtyard area, but not as far away as the aft was. Trying to see if this is a happy compromise between our wallet and our access to the Haven amenities.

Thanks.  I think i keep my on on the price and if it comes down, I will do it.  Otherwise, I will keep the aft balcony and do a bid if it becomes available

[LisaMulli68]

On 8/13/2022 at 1:39 PM, ECCruise said:

Our experience is the exact opposite to OP.

 

After sailing in the Haven for several of our last NCL trips, we are bailing and will not be doing it going forward.  For us, there is just not the value commensurate with the big bump in pricing.  We would rather sail say 10 times per year in a decent balcony than the 3 times per year that Haven pricing almost always demands.

 

Plus, we don't need special seating in the theater, or escorts anywhere (we have found that we are often off the ship in port, e.g., before the Haven crew makes their way down in the "secret" elevator with Concierge or a butler). And as for a butler service, we rarely avail ourselves of any services, which just doesn't make us ideal Haven pax. 

 

Haven dining, although very good, gets old fairly quickly when you sail long itineraries or B2B itineraries, often over 20 days. 

 

So, in summary, not only do we not need to sail in Haven after being there a good many times, we won't be there in the future for the reasons detailed above. 

Can't agree with you more. We stayed in the Haven (spa balcony) last October on the Breakaway from NYC to Bermuda. We didn't think the food was much better than anywhere else on the ship. It was nice to have a butler who brought us snacks and meals to our room, but it really wasn't that big of a deal to us. I did like the pool area because it was so quiet, but it was likely due to the ship being at about half capacity.

 

I'd much rather save my money for more cruises. 

[jetact]

On 8/13/2022 at 3:47 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

That's crazy talk.  I'm guessing that you're not retired and you don't really know any better. 🤣

No I am not retired yet. I think vacations will be longer but not sure how many more there will be. Time will tell. 

[2boyzmom]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Please...join me in the Haven on this cruise! We actually cancelled our sailing on August 29th to Bermuda (Getaway sailing before this one) to book this one. We figured even though we're losing 10% (we have the cancellation policy with NCL where they'll give us 90% FCC on a cancel for any reason), this cruise would be a better choice. 9 days vs. 5 days in the Haven for only $1,000 is how this shakes out for us financially. I feel like we would have been fools to not do this. Best yet, I'm still only using 5 days of PTO! 

 

We're at $7,500 all in (cancellation charges, fare, taxes, port fees, add'l travel insurance, shore excursions, drink package, thermal suite passes). That's an amazing deal to me - $416/person/day for the Haven! 

 

Deals like these will keep us in the Haven, even if we do consider those club balcony suites sometimes. 

Great price and we live in NY too but I have Disney Food & Wine Fest booked in September and 14 night Breakaway booked for November! Otherwise I'd jump on for sure!!!

[JGmf]

On 8/13/2022 at 1:39 PM, ECCruise said:

After sailing in the Haven for several of our last NCL trips, we are bailing and will not be doing it going forward.  For us, there is just not the value commensurate with the big bump in pricing. 

 

Same here.  Totally agree.  After several Haven trips on different ships and itineraries, we've concluded that the Haven upcharge is not worth it for us at current price points.  While nice to book, the Haven cost/value/amenity ratio is out of whack.

 

The Haven restaurant was always a draw as was not fighting for sundeck space, but now we can pre-purchase Vibe passes and, of course, there are numerous food options on the ship.  We won't starve if we don't have the Haven restaurant or the butler snacks. 

 

(That said, to each their own.  Glad the OP found really loves the Haven).

[TheycallmeDrew]

On 8/15/2022 at 1:48 PM, JGmf said:

 

Same here.  Totally agree.  After several Haven trips on different ships and itineraries, we've concluded that the Haven upcharge is not worth it for us at current price points.  While nice to book, the Haven cost/value/amenity ratio is out of whack.

 

The Haven restaurant was always a draw as was not fighting for sundeck space, but now we can pre-purchase Vibe passes and, of course, there are numerous food options on the ship.  We won't starve if we don't have the Haven restaurant or the butler snacks. 

 

(That said, to each their own.  Glad the OP found really loves the Haven).

In regards to your VIBE comment, how are you pre purchasing passes? I have only bought them once but I have always been told you have to buy on board and they are not listed for purchase in my NCL page. 

[Sthrngary]

13 minutes ago, TheycallmeDrew said:

In regards to your VIBE comment, how are you pre purchasing passes? I have only bought them once but I have always been told you have to buy on board and they are not listed for purchase in my NCL page. 

@TheycallmeDrew NCL changed the way you can book the Vibe.  I like you have done everything I could to be one of the first on board, ran to the restaurant where the Vibe Desk was to get my week long Vibe pass. Now, you can book the Vibe and or the Vibe Cabana pre-cruise under the entertainment tab. On my cruise on the breakaway in December 2022, I have a Cabana.  Those interested can book a Cabana which comes with two vibe pass for the week still.  They are not sold out. I hope that helps you.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Sthrngary]

Hello everyone.  I have decreased my postings on Cruise Critic but today I thought, let's look at the topics.  Those that have read my postings and comments can understand why I would write something on the topic of the NCL Haven.  

 

As I read all the comments it is about the same.  Cruisers fall in to categories as it relates to the Haven:

 

1. I love it and won't go any other way.
2. I can go on 8 cruise for the price of 3 in the Haven.
3. My Butler was awful. 
4. My Butler was the best.
5. The Haven Restaurant is the best on the ship.
6. The Haven Restaurant never changes its menus.

 

Lots more.  I love the Haven and would choose it every time.  I don't because sometimes the investment is a bit to rich for me.  That last statement is from a person who recently took his family on the NCL Joy in the Deluxe Owners Suite.  I also recently went on a Solo Cruise on the Joy and was in a Club Suite.

 

Cruises are what you make of them.  You can book outside of the Haven and still have a spectacular time.  I did it by added some extra's like the Vibe Beach Club, extra Specialty Restaurants and such.  Was it different outside the Haven, Yep.  Was it still a great experience, Yep.  Would I have preferred the Haven, Yep.

 

My main emphasis on the Haven is creating realistic expectations.  Nothing is worse then investing in Premium, expecting what a fellow cruise shared, and it not being available.  You feel short changed.  So my humble advice is to do your research. Don't believe everything you hear. Take folks comments even my with a grain of salt.  

 

In December 2022, my wife and I will be on the NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans.  My wife won the Slot tournament on the Joy in December 2021.  That gave her an entry into the Slot finals on this cruise.  My sister whom has never cruised before will be booking this cruise as a solo.  I made it clear to my sister, I will be bidding for a Haven Suite.  If I win my bid, we will only be joining her for the Specialty Meals when dining.  Do I think now that the bookings are high again, my low ball bid will be accepted, NOPE.  But you can't blame a guy for trying.

 

Cruise well everyone and enjoy every moment. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

40 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

You can book outside of the Haven and still have a spectacular time. 

Exactly right Gary!  Ironically, there is also a minority who can book inside the Haven and still have a miserable time.  😡

[TheycallmeDrew]

55 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@TheycallmeDrew NCL changed the way you can book the Vibe.  I like you have done everything I could to be one of the first on board, ran to the restaurant where the Vibe Desk was to get my week long Vibe pass. Now, you can book the Vibe and or the Vibe Cabana pre-cruise under the entertainment tab. On my cruise on the breakaway in December 2022, I have a Cabana.  Those interested can book a Cabana which comes with two vibe pass for the week still.  They are not sold out. I hope that helps you.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Is it only available to prebook on certain ship or after a certain date? Not in my entertainment section for Epic but my cruise is not until February. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, TheycallmeDrew said:

Is it only available to prebook on certain ship or after a certain date? Not in my entertainment section for Epic but my cruise is not until February. 

Gary's post is the first I've heard of on-line availability.  Initially folks had to call in.  I did check my next cruise and, sure enough, it's bookable as entertainment.

[Sthrngary]

22 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Gary's post is the first I've heard of on-line availability.  Initially folks had to call in.  I did check my next cruise and, sure enough, it's bookable as entertainment.

Thank you for confirming.  A little extra information.  I initially booked my week Vibe Beach Club with a representative on the phone.  It was 120 plus days before my cruise.  I was thrilled because, unless you are in the Haven, I really don't like getting to the port at 08:30 AM to be the first to board just to get a Vibe pass.  If I am in the Haven, as most know, I get their about 10 ish because the board first.  

 

I digress. I found out after making that Vibe Week booking that you could get a Cabana on the Breakaway for just a bit more.  I called back to get the Cabana and had a series of lets say, NCL folks with no clue.  They all told me there was no Cabana's available. I gave up.  Then out of the blue, I emailed a contact at NCL and bingo, Cabana Booked.  

 

Now I look at my online cruise, go to entertainment and there are still Cabana's available but the Vibe Beach Club Passes are not allowing purchases.  I suggest if anyone is booked on a future cruise, look at your online booking if you want a Vibe Beach Club Pass. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, TheycallmeDrew said:

Is it only available to prebook on certain ship or after a certain date? Not in my entertainment section for Epic but my cruise is not until February. 

I personally would call to see if they can give it to you now.  Many folks have had great luck calling.  Good luck.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[JustAPilot]

2 hours ago, TheycallmeDrew said:

Is it only available to prebook on certain ship or after a certain date? Not in my entertainment section for Epic but my cruise is not until February. 

Epic does not have Vibe, they have posh club which is a shared sun deck area with a bar reserved for Haven guests and they only sell a handful of passes which are still done at guest services. 

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Exactly right Gary!  Ironically, there is also a minority who can book inside the Haven and still have a miserable time.  😡

@ChiefMateJRKYes, I read lots of folk that did not enjoy the experience.  I go back to managing ones realistic expectations.  Before Crystal Cruises went under, which probably happened because I drank all the vodka; I got to feel what in my opinion true luxury felt like.  The food, personalized service, bar service, and experience.  Hard to explain or compare.  I would expect that same feeling if one went on Regent Seven Seas or Viking.  You paid a significant premium which remembers me you get what you pay for. That said, the luxury cruising experience was not for me.  It lacked some excitement and was some what boring. 

 

I would have rather gone in the Haven or Suite with the Vibe Beach Club.  I love the big ship activities and pool games.  On cruising there is give and take.  Once you know what floats your boat, just go it.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[rbalfour]

4 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I found out after making that Vibe Week booking that you could get a Cabana on the Breakaway for just a bit more.  I called back to get the Cabana and had a series of lets say, NCL folks with no clue.  They all told me there was no Cabana's available. I gave up.  Then out of the blue, I emailed a contact at NCL and bingo, Cabana Booked. 

 

Didn't know the Cabana's came w/ the Vibe Beach passes. Thanks for the info. I'll be calling NCL tomorrow to inquire further.

[rbalfour]

8 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Those interested can book a Cabana which comes with two vibe pass for the week still.  They are not sold out. I hope that helps you.

 

[KeithJenner]

8 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Gary's post is the first I've heard of on-line availability.  Initially folks had to call in.  I did check my next cruise and, sure enough, it's bookable as entertainment.

It has been available to book on my Beeakaway cruise next year for quite a while now. It was available very soon after it was first spoken about here.

 

Free at Sea plus seems to be the one that is taking a while to come online.

[njkate]

My take, if you love the Haven and can afford it go for it. My last Haven was on Breakaway for 9 day Baltic cruise back in 2018 and it is probably my last as the current pricing is way outside my comfort level of what I'll spend on a cruise or vacation.

I can cruise and have cruised after that on a TA in 2019  on Jade and last month on Bliss, I was perfectly happy and content in my balcony room.

So yes you can come back from the Haven and cruise in a normal cabin and not feel like your missing something.

[Sthrngary]

8 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

It has been available to book on my Beeakaway cruise next year for quite a while now. It was available very soon after it was first spoken about here.

 

Free at Sea plus seems to be the one that is taking a while to come online.

@KeithJenner Free at Sea Plus was a mystery to me.  Then, in a quest to get my Vibe Beach Club week pass to a Vibe Cabana, I called my Haven Desk associate.  She looked at my booking and said, I can lower your costs and increase some benefits with the "New" Free At Sea Plus.  I was completely in the dark.

 

I of course purchased it along with the Vibe Cabana on the Breakaway for December 2022.  I notices not only was it not published or available on my NCL online booking, it still showed I could purchase Premium Plus Beverage Package, Unlimited Internet, did not show the extra two Specialty Restaurants.  Because I don't trust anyone,  I called to make sure I had all the items that come in the "Plus" upgrade and they confirmed it. 

 

This kind of information really helps cruisers.  That is why I really like CruiseCritic. Other then the occasional arguments, I have a heads up on new policy's that my favorite cruise line put in place.  By the way, to find out the benefits to the "Plus" program I also found it on a google search.  You had to know it existed though.  

 

Next step; I just got the Upgrade Bid Email and all things considered, on my cruise that Haven is almost sold out, I did some really low bids including a Haven Courtyard Penthouse and Club Spa Suite. My experience shows me I don't have a shot but what the heck.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

25 minutes ago, njkate said:

My take, if you love the Haven and can afford it go for it. My last Haven was on Breakaway for 9 day Baltic cruise back in 2018 and it is probably my last as the current pricing is way outside my comfort level of what I'll spend on a cruise or vacation.

I can cruise and have cruised after that on a TA in 2019  on Jade and last month on Bliss, I was perfectly happy and content in my balcony room.

So yes you can come back from the Haven and cruise in a normal cabin and not feel like your missing something.

@njkate       You have made a very valid point.  If all things were equal, I would never cruise any other what other than the Haven. In life, things are not equal.  In life we have to make personal decisions some of which are budget related.  I am about to write something that I have never written before and I hope it is taken in the way it was meant to be perceived. 

 

My first Haven Cruise was after being extremely sick.  I recovered and wanted to reward myself with a cruise that was a cut above what I was used to.  I look at the NCL Getaway out of New Orleans.  I see the fares and at the end was something called the Haven.  The rate per person for a seven day cruise was $1,980.00 and it was for Thanksgiving holidays. I started to research this think called the Haven.

 

At the time, very little was written or online other then Travel Agents that just wanted to sell you a cabin.  Anything I read or viewed was diluted.  How can a person consider something that is over two or more times the normal cruise rate without a real overview of all the value and amenities from a guest perspective.  I was both Excited and Frustrated. That rate today is kind of unheard of but who knew back then.  Seemed more than fair so I booked it.

 

My intent was to completely enjoy the cruise and also pay attention to all the value both known and unknown with booking a Haven Suite.  When I came back, I wrote the first Op-En on "The Secrets of the Haven VIP Experience".  I recently updated it to be more current.  I did this to give a guest perspective from my point of view.  However, I sincerely say now, if that fare was $3,000.00 plus I would have never considered it.  Some may feel differently however I wanted to explain how it all happened.  After that experience I was hooked yet like most of us, I am on a budget and our needs constantly evolve.

 

Fast forward to my December 2021 seven day cruise on the NCL Joy.  That cruise I booked the elusive (H2) Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony.  The real story is I originally booked a Two-Bedroom Haven Family Villa on the Encore.  My cruise was cancelled four times due to Covid-19.  With all the discounts, FCC %, I had a tidy sum I could utilize.  First I booked the Encore to Alaska again this time in the Owners Suite.  It was going to cost me $6,000.00 more.  I said, what the heck, it is a family vacation now for my 42nd wedding anniversary.  Gee how times fly's during a pandemic. That cruise was in May 2021 and as most of you know, it was my 4th cancellation.  Prior to the cancelation, I did something kind of smart.  I booked a back up cruise.  It was the one I eventually went on. The NCL Joy, December 2021 with my family of 4.  We were in the Owners Suite.

 

What I never talked about was that instead of paying an extra $6,000.00 like on the Encore, it was less then the credits I already had.  As the cruise came close, the other Owners suite was selling for literally $8,000.00 more then I paid.  If the original price was that much more, I would have passed.  Did I have a good time.  My family and I had a GREAT time.  We also decided we would never book the Owners Suite again.  Not because it was not great.  It was.  Because at the current fares we would rather by a new car. 

 

I am a huge Haven Fan. I love it and know who to get every ounce of value from it.  I write about it, do YouTube videos on it and help people consider it.  The key is, there is a point when the price does not equal the value.  Only you can make that decision.  There is always the bid upgrade system that could some some money however that worked a lot better when the ships were 40% filled.  If you get an upgrade bid, many will be very impressed.  I have already put my upgrade bit in for my December 2022 cruise on the Breakaway.  I hope I get but if I don't, I have a Cabana in the Vibe and did the Free at Sea Plus package. 

 

I share all this with everyone just as a point of reference.  I am not the expert, I am just a guest like everyone else.  Hope it assists.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.  

[scooter6139]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

.  I notices not only was it not published or available on my NCL online booking, it still showed I could purchase Premium Plus Beverage Package, Unlimited Internet, did not show the extra two Specialty Restaurants.  Because I don't trust anyone,  I called to make sure I had all the items that come in the "Plus" upgrade and they confirmed it. 

 

Still have the same info showing on our Joy December cruise.  I asked my PCC about it and he said it's some glitch in they NCL system.  He advised that we make sure to have a hard copy on hand of our Confirmation Booking with us to show all the individual add-ons that FASUP adds/includes.