Semi Live Haven Breakaway Report July 7-14

[PittPantherDan]

4 hours ago, www3traveler said:

Clarence has a HUGE FAN CLUB  I have know him a long time.

He now knows us Double D - Dan and Donna

Edited July 8 by PittPantherDan

[PittPantherDan]

21 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

After dinner and my fancy glitter drink, we ended up at Syd Norman’s Pour House and it was incredibly fun. The band was amazing with incredible vocal ranges. . It was fun, interactive, and we will be going back for more. The singer who did Heart’s Crazy for you was awesome. 
 

more pics and Haven dinner review tomorrow. My good time makes typing difficult. Lol

 

 

She may have sang the song better than Ann Wilson - well pretty close to it. 

[firstmickey]

Good morning. 
 

a little hazy as we motor south, still hot but a great balcony breeze. We are on western side so at sunset I rolled over and back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow. Today is a sea day and I have a thermal spa pass so I will be trying that out later. 

some Haven notes:

This is our fifth stay in the Haven. We are fortunate that we can splurge. We’ve only sailed Haven on NCL but other cruises- regular cruising. I like the smaller ship within the ship feel of it, and the time conveniences when embarking and tendering etc.. I don’t need special snacks, but I appreciate that I came back to a pitcher of iced tea and a full ice bucket. 
Our butler is Aldrin and we met with him yesterday and he noted our preferences. Since they aren’t many, I didn’t write them down and hand them to him  but I noticed that he did take notes. And my tea was there! And I had a new firmer pillow. Life was good! 

Yesterday, when sitting in Haven lounge, some woman was having a conniption fit over not being able to be seated for lunch when she arrived. It was right after they announced open lunch time and everyone rushed in. She carried on because she had to wait. She’s never cruising NCL Haven again, never saw such a thing, blah blah blah. I just don’t get that mentality. Go have a drink and relax. If you are starving, go grab a snack and come back. 
 

We also like getting to know the staff and hearing their stories. Our Haven waiter for lunch and dinner yesterday was so excited because he has one more cruise after ours and he gets to go home for two months. He has been married for many years with two kids and three grandkids and only sees his wife for two months a year. I can’t even imagine. He said he is working two more years to support his family then will go home. 
 

more about Haven dinner later. I’m going to walk the track before it gets too hot. 

[www3traveler]

14 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

Good morning. 
 

a little hazy as we motor south, still hot but a great balcony breeze. We are on western side so at sunset I rolled over and back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow. Today is a sea day and I have a thermal spa pass so I will be trying that out later. 

some Haven notes:

This is our fifth stay in the Haven. We are fortunate that we can splurge. We’ve only sailed Haven on NCL but other cruises- regular cruising. I like the smaller ship within the ship feel of it, and the time conveniences when embarking and tendering etc.. I don’t need special snacks, but I appreciate that I came back to a pitcher of iced tea and a full ice bucket. 
Our butler is Aldrin and we met with him yesterday and he noted our preferences. Since they aren’t many, I didn’t write them down and hand them to him  but I noticed that he did take notes. And my tea was there! And I had a new firmer pillow. Life was good! 

Yesterday, when sitting in Haven lounge, some woman was having a conniption fit over not being able to be seated for lunch when she arrived. It was right after they announced open lunch time and everyone rushed in. She carried on because she had to wait. She’s never cruising NCL Haven again, never saw such a thing, blah blah blah. I just don’t get that mentality. Go have a drink and relax. If you are starving, go grab a snack and come back. 
 

We also like getting to know the staff and hearing their stories. Our Haven waiter for lunch and dinner yesterday was so excited because he has one more cruise after ours and he gets to go home for two months. He has been married for many years with two kids and three grandkids and only sees his wife for two months a year. I can’t even imagine. He said he is working two more years to support his family then will go home. 
 

more about Haven dinner later. I’m going to walk the track before it gets too hot. 

Your Haven waiter's story sounds like Clarence's (Chocolate Cowboy)--many many years working long hard hours for NCL.  I do not know even in my younger years if I could be away from family for the length of a 9 month contract.  Always, amazing me that they are willing to do it.

I hope that your cruise goes well.

14 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

Good morning. 
 

a little hazy as we motor south, still hot but a great balcony breeze. We are on western side so at sunset I rolled over and back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow. Today is a sea day and I have a thermal spa pass so I will be trying that out later. 

some Haven notes:

This is our fifth stay in the Haven. We are fortunate that we can splurge. We’ve only sailed Haven on NCL but other cruises- regular cruising. I like the smaller ship within the ship feel of it, and the time conveniences when embarking and tendering etc.. I don’t need special snacks, but I appreciate that I came back to a pitcher of iced tea and a full ice bucket. 
Our butler is Aldrin and we met with him yesterday and he noted our preferences. Since they aren’t many, I didn’t write them down and hand them to him  but I noticed that he did take notes. And my tea was there! And I had a new firmer pillow. Life was good! 

Yesterday, when sitting in Haven lounge, some woman was having a conniption fit over not being able to be seated for lunch when she arrived. It was right after they announced open lunch time and everyone rushed in. She carried on because she had to wait. She’s never cruising NCL Haven again, never saw such a thing, blah blah blah. I just don’t get that mentality. Go have a drink and relax. If you are starving, go grab a snack and come back. 
 

We also like getting to know the staff and hearing their stories. Our Haven waiter for lunch and dinner yesterday was so excited because he has one more cruise after ours and he gets to go home for two months. He has been married for many years with two kids and three grandkids and only sees his wife for two months a year. I can’t even imagine. He said he is working two more years to support his family then will go home. 
 

more about Haven dinner later. I’m going to walk the track before it gets too hot. 

Your Haven waiter's story sounds like 

14 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

Good morning. 
 

a little hazy as we motor south, still hot but a great balcony breeze. We are on western side so at sunset I rolled over and back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow. Today is a sea day and I have a thermal spa pass so I will be trying that out later. 

some Haven notes:

This is our fifth stay in the Haven. We are fortunate that we can splurge. We’ve only sailed Haven on NCL but other cruises- regular cruising. I like the smaller ship within the ship feel of it, and the time conveniences when embarking and tendering etc.. I don’t need special snacks, but I appreciate that I came back to a pitcher of iced tea and a full ice bucket. 
Our butler is Aldrin and we met with him yesterday and he noted our preferences. Since they aren’t many, I didn’t write them down and hand them to him  but I noticed that he did take notes. And my tea was there! And I had a new firmer pillow. Life was good! 

Yesterday, when sitting in Haven lounge, some woman was having a conniption fit over not being able to be seated for lunch when she arrived. It was right after they announced open lunch time and everyone rushed in. She carried on because she had to wait. She’s never cruising NCL Haven again, never saw such a thing, blah blah blah. I just don’t get that mentality. Go have a drink and relax. If you are starving, go grab a snack and come back. 
 

We also like getting to know the staff and hearing their stories. Our Haven waiter for lunch and dinner yesterday was so excited because he has one more cruise after ours and he gets to go home for two months. He has been married for many years with two kids and three grandkids and only sees his wife for two months a year. I can’t even imagine. He said he is working two more years to support his family then will go home. 
 

more about Haven dinner later. I’m going to walk the track before it gets too hot. 

[tcmagnum]

14 hours ago, firstmickey said:

 

so, I showed him your drink and he said he remembers you! He made me my own special pretty drink!

we are calling it the Donna Sunset. Lol

it has peach, passion fruit, vodka, and some type of magic and glitter! Delicious!

 

will report on Haven dinner later. I’m having bar fun now! 

 

That drink looks and sound fabulous!!

Have a great trip!!

[firstmickey]

Haven Meals:

dinner last night was 

crab cakes for me but I had them switch the fries out for the porcini risotto and added green beans. It also came with coleslaw. The crab cakes had filler but also small chunks of crab and the mustard sauce was light and just enough. The risotto is creamy and slight mushroom taste. We remembered how much we liked it from previous cruise and it did not disappoint.

 

 

dan started with the tuna appetizer which had a light flavorful ginger sauce )he said he could get several and that would be a meal for him. Then he has the lamb chops perfect medium rare and also subbed the risotto as a side.

 

for dessert we split the violet mousse to try it. The server said they call it the white hot dog. It was surprisingly tasty and light mousse with half macaron. Don’t know that I would get it again but am glad I tried it.

[firstmickey]

Some pics of the Haven areas from last night

 

[firstmickey]

Haven breakfast this Am. Some days we just do fruit and yogurt from the buffet which looked similar to past trips.

 

since I planned to probably skip lunch and it was much later than our usual breakfast time, I had the avocado toast and asked for scrambled eggs instead of poached. The eggs were creamy and perfectly cooked. Next time I would add tomato, salt, pepper and lime to the avocado.

 

Dan had the always delicious French toast

 

Service was excellent as usual! 
 

After walking around the regular pool deck and seeing how crowded it was, we decided to chill on the Haven outer sun deck on the shaded lounges. There is a vigorous breeze and it’s a blissfully quiet place to read (or post). Dan will need to go find something more active soon and I will go to thermal spa. 
 

 

[firstmickey]

Day 2 Dailies

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, firstmickey said:

since I planned to probably skip lunch and it was much later than our usual breakfast time, I had the avocado toast and asked for scrambled eggs instead of poached. The eggs were creamy and perfectly cooked. Next time I would add tomato, salt, pepper and lime to the avocado.

 

 

Oh!!! Scrambled eggs (or maybe even a nice runny fried egg) looks like it'll be what I ask for on my next round of Avocado Toast. I have to wait until February!! Ugh, it's so long away. Thank you for this Haven trip report! We're cruising Getaway so everything seems so familiar when seeing Breakaway photos.

 

Can I be one of those giant pests? Would it be possible for you to post the lunch and dinner menu? One long-time Haven poster posted a menu that is totally different than anything I've ever seen. I know @havoc315 and I would be eternally grateful!  

[firstmickey]

@cruiseny4lifeI will post dinner menu tonight. We don’t usually go for lunch after first day but will see what I can do. I usually take pics of everything and forgot in first day rush!

 

thermal suite is relaxing but I think I would like it better on an Alaska or cold place cruise. It’s warm in here and I’m tired of the tropical heat both pretrip and here! I do love the thermal pool though. 

 

 

[www3traveler]

1 hour ago, firstmickey said:

Day 2 Dailies

THANK YOU  I will get this list posted on the Officers thread.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, firstmickey said:

@cruiseny4lifeI will post dinner menu tonight. We don’t usually go for lunch after first day but will see what I can do. I usually take pics of everything and forgot in first day rush!

 

thermal suite is relaxing but I think I would like it better on an Alaska or cold place cruise. It’s warm in here and I’m tired of the tropical heat both pretrip and here! I do love the thermal pool though. 

 

 

Many, many, many thanks ahead of time!!

 

[erisajd]

On 7/7/2024 at 12:46 PM, firstmickey said:

 

we went to lunch after the mad rush and had light bites. Couscous salad for me and lobster bisque. The salad with shrimp was wonderful and had four shrimp perfectly cooked. The lobster bisque was terrible - no flavor and very salty. Dan had the salad and the salmon which we both enjoyed. For dessert, we had the  brownie with ice cream and carrot cake. Both were tasty. I wish I had pictures but we ate before I thought of it. 

I have to agree  - I was soooo looking forward to the lobster bisque and it was soooo salty I never ordered it again.  I ate the other two soups as well - and they were rather untasty - only thing in the Haven restaurant I did not like were the soups - plenty of other tasty treats though

[firstmickey]

@cruiseny4life

Here is the Haven Dinner Menu

 

 

 

[firstmickey]

On 7/7/2024 at 6:22 PM, www3traveler said:

When you can, could you please post a list of the ship's Officers?  From what I understand, a number Senior Officer changes have taken place recently.

 

Thank You

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

As requested! I went special for you today!  We also had the Captains cocktail party in the haven tonight which was very nice event! 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Thank you for your reports and photos! I love your style of writing and wish you and your hubby a happy retirement.  Have been blessed to cruise countless times and all over the world since 1971 with most of the major cruise lines. Loved the Breakaway. We now divide our time between NY and Honolulu as I am retired and the Mrs following soon. I thank you again for the time you spend with your reports. All the best and smooth sailing 

[www3traveler]

32 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

As requested! I went special for you today!  We also had the Captains cocktail party in the haven tonight which was very nice event! 

Thank You  I got the Hotel Officers from the Freestyle Daily posted on the 2024 Officers thread.

I see a number of the Senior Officers have recently been promoted into new positions.  Always nice to see people move up.

[firstmickey]

And here is the haven lunch menu. Thanks to Ernestine!

[rjm11]

12 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

And here is the haven lunch menu. Thanks to Ernestine!

thank you! But I think that's the dinner one again?

[firstmickey]

1 hour ago, rjm11 said:

thank you! But I think that's the dinner one again?

Whoops! I will fix it tomorrow. Too many drinks at captains cocktail and dinner.

 

went to Syd Norman’s again. This rock band is our new favorite! Seeing Burn the Floor next! 
 

tomorrow is Puerta Plata day and we have early escort off so may not post til late! Just ordered breakfast from our Butler. 
 

 

[www3traveler]

10 minutes ago, firstmickey said:

Whoops! I will fix it tomorrow. Too many drinks at captains cocktail and dinner.

 

went to Syd Norman’s again. This rock band is our new favorite! Seeing Burn the Floor next! 
 

tomorrow is Puerta Plata day and we have early escort off so may not post til late! Just ordered breakfast from our Butler. 
 

 

Did they offer "Dinner With An Officer" this cruise?  Sometimes they can be very interesting.

[firstmickey]

While waiting for the show, Haven Lunch Menu Take 2

I can’t figure out how to edit the previous post on my phone. 

[cruiseny4life]

You are the absolute best!!! Thank you!!!!! @havoc315 - looks like menus have not changed at all which I'm glad/somewhat glad to see. 

 

Donna - enjoy your cruise! Wishing you smooth seas, beautiful sunsets, and plenty of the captain (of the rum variety)! 

[firstmickey]

Day 3-Puerto Plata and docking at Taino Bay. 
 

It was an early start so we asked Aldrin to bring us coffee and breakfast to our room. And we watched the NCL Sky dock next to us while we ate and got ready. 
 

I have to say I was least excited about this port. We booked a tour recommended by my 27 years old son who had visited here last year. It was through Iguana Mama and called Eat Drink and Be Merry and was about $198 for the two of us. Once we disembarked at 7am, we walked a long pier distance to the commercial “port town” and it was actually very nice, clean, and plenty to do. There were restaurants, a large pool, lazy river, and lots of shops.

We had to walk about another 15 mins after we got through that area to get to the outer taxi part. Our guide, Alexander (the Great) and as waiting for us and we were pleasantly surprised to hear we were the only ones on the tour. We got in a small white van and had a driver, Jonathan. They offered us sodas, water, or rum and coke. Way too early for me to start drinking. 
 

our first stop was Mount Isabel de Torres which is the largest mountain and 2600 ft above the city and sea level. The cable car system was actually shut down about a month ago, he said, so we drove up to the top. I confess I was relieved because that cable car did not thrill me. The road is narrow, difficult to maneuver, and has tons of motorcycles. Gas costs $5 a gallon so most people have motorcycles or Kia which can use propane which is cheaper for them. 
 

As you drive through the city and country, you can’t help but feel grateful for how you live. The amount of trash everywhere was somewhat shocking. They have this beautiful countryside covered in trash. 
 

Once we reached the top of the mountain, we walked up stairways through beautiful lush and tropical gardens. Alexander was very knowledgeable about all of the plants. He pointed out morning glories, Sago palms, lime trees, tropical hibiscus, fiddle leaf ferns, red and pink ginger, and crown of thorns. I will put plant pictures next post in case someone wants to skip that part! I love gardens so I took lots of pics but won’t share them all’