The Nicest and Least Expensive Stateroom on a Ship

[Sthrngary]

Many of you know me from the topic, "The Secrets of the Haven VIP Luxury Experience".  What many of you don't know is my first stateroom, some 44 years ago was an inside cabin, with bunk beds, on my Honeymoon.  My last NCL Stateroom was the H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony on the NCL Joy.  I have had most all staterooms in between.  

 

Over the decades of cruising, as my career got better, I could enhance the stateroom on my cruises. That is when I found the NCL Haven.  Good thing, I was going to stop cruising.  I was getting upset with the crowds, lines, poor service, bad drinks and a host of other experience that were happening more and more often.  The older I got, the more I wanted both a place to hide comfortably and excitement. The best of both worlds.  

 

However, like a lot of folks you dream of that one Stateroom.  The one that only the wealthy can have.  You wonder how it would feel to have half the front of the ship as your personal balcony.  A full bar set up in your suite.  A closet the size of your first stateroom 44 years earlier.  A bathroom that you have only seen in TV and Movies.  Well, due to circumstances that will never happen again, I had that opportunity. I even did a video on the Owners suite on the Joy.  Now two years after the fact, I write this topic.

 

The reality for me and my family is we had a great time.  However I personally would never do it again.  With all that room, balcony and Amenities; it was lost because after the "Newness" and shock is over, it is simply another stateroom on a Mega Ship.  The experience was wonderful but been there and done that.  My conclusion was and is, any Stateroom/Suite in the Haven whether in the Haven Proper or outside other Haven Courtyard would be just fine.  Just not worth the added expense to do the Owners Suite.  Now I recently went on another brand.  Oceania Cruises which is a sister brand to NCL.  I was in the equivalent to the size and layout of the H2 Owners Suite on the Joy. It was called a Vista Suite.  I feel exactly the same way about that Suite. 

 

Not saying if you want to make the investment you should reconsider.  Your money, your choice and enjoy it if you make it.  Now if you have any questions about my experiences, just ask.  Regardless of which stateroom you choose, Cruising is still one of the best most relaxing vacations any of us can choose. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.  

 

[complawyer]

with all due respects to your question, if you're looking for the nicest and cheapest cabin, i would try a club balcony. while sthrngary (whose opinions and posts i have always admired) discusses the owner's suite, while beautiful, spacious and luxurious) is one of the most expensive cabins on  board the ship. if you are looking at an ncl ship that has both a haven and suite category, the cabins themselves are almost identical, the haven complex offers a few more perks, but the suites are abut $3,000 cheaper. you still get the butler/concierge, the steward cleans your cabin twice per day, and you still get breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's .

 

in a haven complex, there is a private restaurant, pool area, and lounge. although those goodies are really nice, i can forgo them to save 3 k.

 

what say you sthrngary?

 

still, in answer to your question, i think a club balcony is the way to go

[9tee2Sea]

I think my best cabin so far has been an aft cabin with large balcony ( It was Ncl Bliss, Haven, but not in Haven proper).  I could really care less about the Haven experience, but the cabin and balcony were great!  I really enjoyed a separate bedroom from the living area.  I could peacefully sleep at night, while the other was watching TV in the living area.  I am hooked on aft balconies,  in Haven category, or just a regular aft balcony.

[graphicguy]

8 minutes ago, complawyer said:

with all due respects to your question, if you're looking for the nicest and cheapest cabin, i would try a club balcony. while sthrngary (whose opinions and posts i have always admired) discusses the owner's suite, while beautiful, spacious and luxurious) is one of the most expensive cabins on  board the ship. if you are looking at an ncl ship that has both a haven and suite category, the cabins themselves are almost identical, the haven complex offers a few more perks, but the suites are abut $3,000 cheaper. you still get the butler/concierge, the steward cleans your cabin twice per day, and you still get breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's .

 

in a haven complex, there is a private restaurant, pool area, and lounge. although those goodies are really nice, i can forgo them to save 3 k.

 

what say you sthrngary?

 

still, in answer to your question, i think a club balcony is the way to go

I like the Club Balconies, too.  They seem to be the sweet spot between cost and cabin amenities.  Who doesn't like their "bigger" bathrooms.  And, those are the balconies that offer some of the. best showers at sea (I love NCL showers).

 

That said, as I've become......uhmmmm....."more mature", I just can not be happy in an inside cabin.  Even the nice Solo Cabins that NCL offers are just too claustrophobic.  I love having a view outside when I go to bed every night and when I get up every a.m.  Plus, the balconies are where I have my first cup of coffee every a.m. and my last "night cap" before bed time.

 

I've sailed the Solo Cabins/Lounges, inside cabins, Ocean View Cabins, balconies, all the way up to a 2 BR Haven Suite.  They were all great in their own rights, for a variety of different reasons.

 

[The Traveling Man]

The most amazing stateroom I have ever seen on any NCL ship is the Owner's Suite on the Dawn class ships.  There are similar staterooms on Jewel class ships, and possibly on others.  From my perspective, though, there really is no comparison.  Is it the least expensive?  Not by a long shot.  But it is an utterly amazing suite.

[Distinctive-Destinations]

The Club Balcony Suite is the sweet spot (suite spot?) for us. We’ve stayed in ocean view (worst for us) to the Haven Aft Penthouse (best for us) levels. We have three future cruises booked and they are all club balcony suites.

 

CBS seems like a decent value for the price. Just our opinion.

[complawyer]

i think that's what the original poste wanted to know (and hear)

 

we usually try and book a suite or the haven, but if the ship has both i'll save the money and book the suite.

 

if not, the club balcony is the go to cabin.

 

but any other class of cabin, suite or have, is not consistent with the question. none of the suites or haven suites can (imho) be categorized as cheapest. but then again, a my wise old granny always said "you get what you pay for"

[havoc315]

There are of course so many factors going into the subjectively best suite/cabin, all alongside budget.  
 

How big is your party?

How much time will you spend on ship/in suite/in haven/in port?

What aspects of cruising are most important to you?

What aspects of “luxury cruising” are most important to you?

 

Answers of course aren’t the same for every cruise, at every age, etc. 

 

I have an upcoming Bermuda cruise on the Gem. We have 2 families traveling together, a total of 7 guests including 3 older teens (17-19).  We splurged for the Garden Villa-

 

Answering my own questions:

 

How big is your party? 7 people, 2 families splitting the villa, makes the cost more reasonable and we could use the space. 

How much time will you spend on ship/in suite/in haven/in port? We’ve been to Bermuda before. This particular trip is more about enjoying cruising than enjoying the ports. My wife intends to spend many hours soaking up a hot tub. 
So getting the nicest possible on board experience has value on this trip. 

 

What aspects of cruising are most important to you?

What aspects of “luxury cruising” are most important to you?

 

Being totally removed from work, from regular daily life. Just existing differently. So for a week, nice to have a cabin even nicer than our already-nice home. 
 

But I’ll add— also very important to me on a cruise is fine dining and entertainment. And these things have me considering a future cruise in a lesser cabin on a true luxury line like Oceana or Silverseas. 

 

[Sthrngary]

29 minutes ago, complawyer said:

with all due respects to your question, if you're looking for the nicest and cheapest cabin, i would try a club balcony. while sthrngary (whose opinions and posts i have always admired) discusses the owner's suite, while beautiful, spacious and luxurious) is one of the most expensive cabins on  board the ship. if you are looking at an ncl ship that has both a haven and suite category, the cabins themselves are almost identical, the haven complex offers a few more perks, but the suites are abut $3,000 cheaper. you still get the butler/concierge, the steward cleans your cabin twice per day, and you still get breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's .

 

in a haven complex, there is a private restaurant, pool area, and lounge. although those goodies are really nice, i can forgo them to save 3 k.

 

what say you sthrngary?

 

still, in answer to your question, i think a club balcony is the way to go

@complawyer I love the way you write. On to the response. I have stayed in the Club Suite within the last two years twice.  Once as a Solo and the other time with my wife who won the Slot Contest (That is crazy, she hates to gamble) on the joy when we were in the Owners Suite.  I did enjoy the Club suite very much and wrote a piece on a "Haven Lite" strategy.  My feeling about the NCL Haven is always my preferred way to cruise with a larger NCL Mega Ship.  The issue for me is the price increases of recent.  So I choose "Haven Lite" still bidding for an upgrade and other lines like Oceania which for me is a completely different world and vacation.

 

The point of my piece today was to let other know, the suites like the Owners Suite is great but after the initially thrill, it is just another suite. Save the money and do another Haven suite.  If that does not fit the budget, a normal suite like the Club suite is lovely and you have extra cash for lots of perks.  I hope that clarifies and and answers your question. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[wolft927]

Been cruising since I was 9 years old and have stayed in almost every category of stateroom from inside to The Haven 2 bedroom (Can't bite the bullet on the DOS yet lol). I will say as we typically only cruise in the Haven with NCL the best room for the money would be the forward facing Haven Suit on the BA and BA+ ships. You get the separate bedroom, living room, a large bathroom and you are at the front of the ship so you are only a short elevator ride to and from the Haven. The downside as anyone who has stayed in this suite  is the Balcony. It is tiny lo. 

 

Now our Favorite when not involving the price is the Aft Facing Haven Suite! All of the above you get plus a second bathroom as well as the huge balcony. We had this on the Joy last April and was absolutely amazing. Now it is a hike to get to the Haven but after all the drinks and the food it was always a good idea to walk off some of those calories. We cruise with 3 other friends that were not in the Haven and we enjoyed evenings on the balcony playing cards having drinks as well as enjoy late night room service snacks.  

 

Now we are trying MSC for the First time in September, Yacht club interior as the price was just to good to pass up. We will see if we ever go back to NCL Haven suites due to prices getting a little out of control. 

[vacation44]

As I mentioned in another post this week, after experiencing The Haven a few times during the past couple of years, our go to now is definitely the Club Balcony Suites.   Club Balcony Suites, Vibe passes and two extra platinum diners are good enough for us.   

[Distinctive-Destinations]

37 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

As I mentioned in another post this week, after experiencing The Haven a few times during the past couple of years, our go to now is definitely the Club Balcony Suites.   Club Balcony Suites, Vibe passes and two extra platinum diners are good enough for us.   

As far as “bang for the buck” goes, it’s a good all-around deal.

 

We briefly discussed getting the absolute cheapest room, then going all out with high-end excursions (like helicopter rides) and basically ending up at the roughly same cost.

 

I like that balcony though. The cabins without windows or balconies just seem stuffy to me. I need fresh air.

[Andy0215]

I’m excited for and expect our next cruise to be the best room we’ve had. We booked the H4 aft facing owners suite on the viva. I’ve never stayed in one and hopefully we aren’t let down by it. 

@Sthrngary I see you mentioned extra perks for that….I wasn’t aware of anything other than the mini bar. Are there others?

 

[Sthrngary]

18 minutes ago, Andy0215 said:

I’m excited for and expect our next cruise to be the best room we’ve had. We booked the H4 aft facing owners suite on the viva. I’ve never stayed in one and hopefully we aren’t let down by it. 

@Sthrngary I see you mentioned extra perks for that….I wasn’t aware of anything other than the mini bar. Are there others?

 

@Andy0215 The extra perks are for the Owners Suites.  You get bottles of Spirits or wine and all the mixers are complementary for the week.  In addition, the day of embarkment, you get a bottle or real Champagne. Please make note, that is a H2 not a H4.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment

[scooter6139]

Club is the best of both worlds in my opinion.  Don't get me wrong, I will fight to get into a Haven Suite if I can justify the exorbitant price hike, but the Club is easily a justifiable upgrade over a Balcony or even an Interior (which, amazingly, we have never cruised in).

[ChiefMateJRK]

I lived in a dorm room four years of college.  Inside cabins are luxurious in comparison.  The best I've had on NCL is an aft balcony on the Joy.  Did I eJOY it?  Absolutely.  Do I mind again traveling inside?  Not at all.  I'm on a cruise ship!  The rest is just minor details.😎

 

ETA: I do get a kick out of cruisers who tell us how awful insides are despite the fact that they've never sailed in one.🤣

Edited March 13 by ChiefMateJRK

[graphicguy]

3 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I lived in a dorm room four years of college.  Inside cabins are luxurious in comparison.  The best I've had on NCL is an aft balcony on the Joy.  Did I eJOY it?  Absolutely.  Do I mind again traveling inside?  Not at all.  I'm on a cruise ship!  The rest is just minor details.😎

 

ETA: I do get a kick out of cruisers who tell us how awful insides are despite the fact that they've never sailed in one.🤣

Amazing how many people we fit in a dorm room designed to hold only 2….😂🤣

[complawyer]

sthrngary, the writing comes from a few years of having to write, clear, concise, legible and well thought out (or sometimes not so well thought out) answers to the law school exams. you'd be surprised what type of answers will fit under those criteria  lol

[Andy0215]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

@Andy0215 The extra perks are for the Owners Suites.  You get bottles of Spirits or wine and all the mixers are complementary for the week.  In addition, the day of embarkment, you get a bottle or real Champagne. Please make note, that is a H2 not a H4.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment

Thanks.

 

The room we booked is an H4 on Viva and it is an owners suite. I won’t be upset if we don’t have champagne or the in room mini bar. 

[G-DawgMN]

48 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I lived in a dorm room four years of college.  Inside cabins are luxurious in comparison.  The best I've had on NCL is an aft balcony on the Joy.  Did I eJOY it?  Absolutely.  Do I mind again traveling inside?  Not at all.  I'm on a cruise ship!  The rest is just minor details.😎

 

ETA: I do get a kick out of cruisers who tell us how awful insides are despite the fact that they've never sailed in one.🤣

 

 I've sailed in an inside and depending on the ship my enjoyment varies. On the Dawn, I wasn't happy with an inside, I think a lot of it is because it was cold so you couldn't really enjoy the outdoor spaces, made it hard to enjoy being outside the room.

  Best inside room has been on Royal, I enjoy having the couch so there's some room for "me" time while the wife gets ready.

  My preference is still a balcony or better, but it comes down to cost, I still like to cruise 2-3 times per year, so I'll suck it up and do an inside if the price is right.

 

 

[G-DawgMN]

4 hours ago, wolft927 said:

 

 

Now we are trying MSC for the First time in September, Yacht club interior as the price was just to good to pass up. We will see if we ever go back to NCL Haven suites due to prices getting a little out of control. 

 

 I agree the YC inside rooms can be an amazing deal. I've only sailed in the YC balcony rooms, but I do have an inside booked this fall. The pluses of the YC to me are that the menus actually change and you get the "magic" elevator key that gives you elevator priority (might not be on all ships).

 

 

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

The next one I am boarding for!!

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, BandAgain said:

Nicest & least expensive really depends upon your tastes, number in your party, your past experience & the status of your wallet. If you could specify your accommodation, services & price point expectations, you may get input more applicable to your own situation. Just sayin...

@BandAgain Welcome to CruiseCritic.com.  I am the author of this topic.  The point was to share how cruising, over decades can evolve.  Our Inside Cabin with Bunk Beds was the most luxurious accommodations at the time.  Just being on a cruise and just being married was awesome.  Then as life changes, so does our likes/Dislikes.  So like so many others, we got a port hole, a small balcony, a mini suite, Suite all the way up to the Owners Suite.  

 

Each transition was fun and exciting.  Each came at a different time in our cruising life.  All were memorable.  Many in this thread bring up cabin's like the NCL Club Suite which is lovely.  Just a place to share, enjoy the hobby we all seem to cherish. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.  

[IrieBajan54]

As a solo, the best cabin on a ship is the least expensive one (an inside). Sure, it's nice to have sunlight or to have a balcony door for some fresh air. However, I don't have a desire to spend solitary time in a cabin. I like to be out and about and people watching is interesting.

 

I visited the Haven on a couple of cabin crawls. What I saw was nice but have no desire to ever book one. i got better use for my money. I had a mini suite on Princess years ago but did not hang out there.

[phillygwm]

On 3/13/2024 at 12:04 PM, Distinctive-Destinations said:

CBS seems like a decent value for the price. Just our opinion.

I agree.  I've never stayed in Haven, because I'm a solo traveler.  You think the differential is bad per person, try it with a single supplement!  Plus, I've always travelled with friends who wouldn't spring for Haven, so there was no point.

 

I've stayed in Studio, Inside, Balcony, and Club Balcony.  Club is worth a small premium over the cost of a balcony...maybe $100-200.  I do like the bathroom, and the goodies/laundry are nice as well.  If the premium between the cabins is large, I'll go with a balcony and try to bid on an upgrade.