I toured Prima’s Haven just now

[aubreyc1988]

57 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

OK, thank you to the OP for the Pictures.  I wanted to let the stream take shape before I kicked in to deeply.  There are three kinds of guests that will obviously comment on this.  First, past Haven Guests; Second, non-Haven Guests; Third, non-Haven Guest that have never liked or wanted to sail in the Haven. 

 

My perspective is as a past Haven Guest.  

 

• The Haven Pool:  I have only used the Haven Pool once.  It is in the Haven Courtyard with or without a retractable roof.  The feel I want is the full shine of the sun which is lost when in the Haven Courtyard.  The Prima fixes that issue with the infinity pool which has a much better view on a nice day.  
• The Haven Bar:  Most folks complained about the size and staffing of the Haven Bar.  The Prima adds crew and has more bars.  This is a great benefit for the outside area and I think they learned from the Vibe Beach Club having a bar.  
• The Haven Location:  The front of the ship was nice however the back is much nicer when the ship is sailing.  NCL took a page off of other brands idea's and locations. 
• The Haven Extra Bedrooms:  The Two Bedroom villas and the Owners Suites have real beds in their second bedrooms.  An Actual second bedroom that is just as comfortable as the Master Bedroom.
• The Haven Sundeck Shade:  This is a mistake by NCL.  I love to be outside but it only took on really bad sunburn to look for a shaded area.  This is sad to me because when you enter the Vibe Beach Club, the first question is where do you want the umbrella placed. 
• The Haven Lounge Chairs:  They have always been comfortable however these look to be even more comfortable.   

 

The bottom line is NCL fixed some issues, improved some issues and missed some issues.  When someone whom has not stayed in the Haven comment that it seems to be the same as the rest of the ship, they are missing the concept of the Haven.  Quiet, less people, personalized service, better food/drink, and exclusivity.  If that does not float someone's boat, the rest of the ship is quite lovely it seems.  If we are evaluating the cost, than this debate will never end.  No correct answer.  All I know is the Haven sells out quick during normal times.  That in itself it the results NCL is looking for. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.  

 

the real bed in the two bedroom/owner's suites is a real game changer, especially if I ever got the courage to split the room with two people. It feels more like an "equal" split

 

I wonder if enough feedback is given...will they bring some umbrellas to the Haven deck? Could easily have a few taken from the Vibe to put on the sundeck in the Haven. 

[psac]

9 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

The bottom line is NCL fixed some issues, improved some issues and missed some issues. 

I agree the outdoor area looks amazing in all of pictures.  Big improvement. But to go from four indoor areas (indoor pool area, upstairs indoor sundeck, Horizon observation lounge, and the Haven Lounge) to just the one bigger Haven lounge with the bigger bar definitely falls under a miss, especially with over 100 Haven cabins. What happens when it rains??

 

It’s probably too late to fix anything on the Viva, but I think after this one, it may be like the Epic where they take their big evolution forward and adjust greatly before settling on a real template going forward (with the Breakaway and then plus ships). 

Edited October 30, 2022 by psac

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

 

the real bed in the two bedroom/owner's suites is a real game changer, especially if I ever got the courage to split the room with two people. It feels more like an "equal" split

 

I wonder if enough feedback is given...will they bring some umbrellas to the Haven deck? Could easily have a few taken from the Vibe to put on the sundeck in the Haven. 

That comment on Prima OS needs clarification.  There are categories H5-H2 having some version of OS in the name.  I can say from staying in a H5 that room does not have a second bedroom.  There is a pretty comfortable double sized couch in the living room though.

 

That is a good idea about umbrellas but they may have a wind issue keeping them in place when underway.

[dexddd]

11 hours ago, psac said:

I agree the outdoor area looks amazing in all of pictures.  Big improvement. But to go from four indoor areas (indoor pool area, upstairs indoor sundeck, Horizon observation lounge, and the Haven Lounge) to just the one bigger Haven lounge with the bigger bar definitely falls under a miss, especially with over 100 Haven cabins. What happens when it rains??

 

It’s probably too late to fix anything on the Viva, but I think after this one, it may be like the Epic where they take their big evolution forward and adjust greatly before settling on a real template going forward (with the Breakaway and then plus ships). 

It was rainy on most of our 12 days and what happens is nobody uses the outdoor areas.  I was surprised that the Haven lounge area wasn't too full other than the bar.  The lounge area is really not big enough especially like you mention space on other ships.  My thoughts were people either exploring other areas of the ship or in rooms.  On our floor, we barely saw anyone.

[dexddd]

Some pics of the Haven outside area.  The first picture is right outside by the bar.  The one with the cabanas is starboard side but port side looks about the same.  Those are some comfy loungers despite us not getting to use much due to weather.  The cabanas double as the cushion jail.  

[dexddd]

A little salt?

[dexddd]

[dexddd]

Vibe

[dexddd]

There are also nice cushions on the balconies.  I was a bit worried about all the water and salt that got on them before stewards could stash behind the drapes in the room.  They were dry inside.

[dexddd]

This is the ghost sink in the bathroom by the Haven restaurant (being shy for the camera).  There are two of these as you enter the common area (there is a mens, ladies, and family bathroom past these sinks.  This one would often have water running for no reason.  At first I thought it might be getting activated by the outer door opening but that was not the case.  Another guest had noticed the same thing about it running for no reason.  So much for water conservation.

[dexddd]

Behind the curvy walls in Haven lounge are pictures 1 and 3.  The second is the Haven jail for those that have too much at the bar.  It is located just as you come in from the outside to inside on the left, it is pretty much is closed off and appears to be used for storage.

[dexddd]

Not a Haven thing, but ship wide is SWIFT, not sure if that has been mentioned elsewhere.

[uneamie]

Does anyone have a clue as to why NCL does not offer sun umbrellas on their lounging areas? Should we really have to fight for a shady spot? Might be a good idea to bring a small rain umbrella. I just don't get why they don't supply shade.