I Have Been a BIG Fan of the NCL Haven Experience, But That Does Not Mean I Limited Myself ONLY to the Haven

[Sthrngary]

Since early 2019, I have written many OP-ED here on CruiseCritic.com about the NCL Haven Experience.  To say my experience in the Haven has been good would be an understatement.  It has been GREAT.  When I did my first NCL Haven experience, it was mind opening. Prior, I was ready to stop cruising because I was so disappointed in what cruising had become. Then the notion of a "Ship-Within-A-Ship" was presented to me.  Better food, personalized service, padded lounge chairs that were always available, uncrowded public space, early boarding and departure and the list goes on.  This was the needed improvement to bring back the joy in cruising again.

 

It also got me to thinking, if this is what happens with a Mainstream Cruise brand for a few lucky Haven cruisers, I wonder what is would be like to go on a smaller, Luxury Brand.  Could we get even more of an enhanced cruising experience.  I was hoping the answer would be YES but it was not quite that simple.  I called my quest the "Luxury Cruise Test Drive". What I did not want to do was break the bank.  So, as I do for everything in life, I drilled down to the smallest details.  That research is almost as fun as the actual cruise for me.  Keeps my mind active at 67.

 

First I went on a Crystal Cruises journey just as Covid was allowing folks to cruise again. Pros/Cons but it became clear, there was a positive difference in key areas of my cruising experience.  Following this I went on my first 10-day Mediterranean Cruise on Oceania Cruises a sister brand to NCL. I consider Crystal Luxury and Oceania Premium Plus/Luxury.  Again, pros/cons as compared to my Haven experience.  Now I am going to cruise on a new brand by MSC called "Exploria Journey" which is a new Luxury Brand.  

 

My point in this post is never limit yourself to one brand, approach, type of stateroom or experience.  Weigh the options and know it will not be everything you want.  There is always pros/cons.  Match your next cruise with the cruising experience you desire so do some research.  Then share the positives and the negatives with us here on CruiseCritic.com.  I promise I will NEVER be the person to push back because you find joy outside the Haven or NCL.  The goal is know what you are getting, leverage all the value to get maximum benefit, educate other, and enjoy your vacation. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[MNcruisingcouple]

Did you do reviews of your Crystal and Oceania cruises? Can you link them here?  I'd be very interested in knowing your opinions because we've considered trying both lines. 

[Two Wheels Only]

I'm still gathering information on Explora Journeys and Princess Sanctuary Collection. Anything that you can share will be appreciated by me.

[Sthrngary]

37 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

Did you do reviews of your Crystal and Oceania cruises? Can you link them here?  I'd be very interested in knowing your opinions because we've considered trying both lines. 

@MNcruisingcouple I will do my best.  

Oceania Riviera

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=708736

 

The Crystal was to far back before they got sold to current owners.  The staterooms are smaller but the service, food, drinks and treatment were outstanding for me. I highly recommend.

 

All that said, Luxury and Premium Plus/Luxury brands are not perfect.  There are always pros/cons.  Example, food usually better, more things included as part of your fare, older crowd, more reserved but not stuffy.  Also, shows are usually not great except for the guest stars which changes each week.  Some rules to gain days/time for specialty restaurants, now water slides or virtual reality.  Some say this type of cruising is boring, I say give me a drink, hot tub with no children, cigar lounge or outside area to smoke them and I am thrilled. 

 

Hope that helps.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

37 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I'm still gathering information on Explora Journeys and Princess Sanctuary Collection. Anything that you can share will be appreciated by me.

@Two Wheels Only Hello my old friend.  Been a long while since we visited online.  I know nothing about Princess Sanctuary.  On Explora Journeys, I am booked in February 2025 with my older sister.  Here is why I booked it.  My sister had never cruised before so my first thought was, take her in the NCL Haven on the Joy, Encore, or Bliss.  Then because it is my sister and we are sharing a cabin, we needed twin beds that were separated.  The Haven only has King sized beds unless you pay extra for a two bedroom or someone gets the pull out couch.  PASS on that, not the experience I wanted for her. This opened up opportunities. 

 

My Travel Agent suggested Explora Journeys so I did my normal deep dive.  Not to much information because the brand which is owned by MSC is just one year old.  So I asked my normal questions, called the company for answers to other questions, read some topics on the board here on cruise critic and got a sense of it. Mostly all inclusive with the exception of excursions.  Some of the things that caught my eye was:

• Everyone had the same drink package so no need to show your cabin card for every drink. 
• Complementary stocked Mini-Fridge with welcome Champagne not sparkling wine and two bottle of spirits for each stateroom.  
• Like Oceania, you can bring spirits and wine onboard.
• The specialty restaurants are included. Some rules to gain reservations like most specialty restaurants. 
• The buffet is a new concept of made to order and buffet that every one seemed to love. 
• Transportation from port to city central. 
• Day bed on every balcony.
• When you leave your cabin, everyone is treated basically the same.
• They are making changes as they need to as they get their sea legs so many things are in Flux.

 

Those are the high hard ones.  Hope it helps. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[kasimir]

Excellent post @Sthrngary and fully agree with everything you said! We will always try keep an open mind and try to find what best works for us and our precious vacation days, while also trying to get the most bang for our buck. 

 

We have mostly cruised steerage on all major cruise lines during the past 25 years, but partly due to your OP-eds we have bit the bullet and cruised in NCL's Haven last year for the first time, and we loved it. It wasn't perfect either, but it got us hooked to the "premium/luxury cruising" style. 🙂 

 

Now for our upcoming vacation (November 2024), we decided to do something even more fun and booked two cruises (with one day in between). One cruise will be a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond in The Retreat and the second cruise will be a 7-day Bermuda cruise on NCL Breakaway in The Haven. 

So we are very much looking forward to directly compare both experiences and will report back our experience for sure. 🙂 

[Sthrngary]

8 minutes ago, kasimir said:

Excellent post @Sthrngary and fully agree with everything you said! We will always try keep an open mind and try to find what best works for us and our precious vacation days, while also trying to get the most bang for our buck. 

 

We have mostly cruised steerage on all major cruise lines during the past 25 years, but partly due to your OP-eds we have bit the bullet and cruised in NCL's Haven last year for the first time, and we loved it. It wasn't perfect either, but it got us hooked to the "premium/luxury cruising" style. 🙂 

 

Now for our upcoming vacation (November 2024), we decided to do something even more fun and booked two cruises (with one day in between). One cruise will be a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond in The Retreat and the second cruise will be a 7-day Bermuda cruise on NCL Breakaway in The Haven. 

So we are very much looking forward to directly compare both experiences and will report back our experience for sure. 🙂 

@kasimir That sound so nice and yes please share.  I have done both the Haven and Retreat.  Just like everything, pros/cons.  Yet both are also an excellent experience. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Two Wheels Only]

6 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Those are the high hard ones.  Hope it helps.

 

Most MSC cruisers are familiar with the different levels/experiences (Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, Yacht Club) on MSC ships. Explora Journeys has a somewhat similar level setup with Ocean Grand Terrace, Ocean Penthouse, Ocean Residence, and Owner's Residence that have different inclusions.  

 

I guess that I'm looking to see how each "level" compares to NCL Haven and MSC Yacht Club since those are the "ship-within-a-ship" examples that I am used to. 

 

 

5 minutes ago, kasimir said:

One cruise will be a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond in The Retreat....

 

Celebrity Retreat is another experience that I enjoy reading about from the perspective of NCL Haven guests. I'm sure that there are some things that many people feel are better on Celebrity and there are some things that many people feel are better on NCL. I've come to similar conclusions when comparing the Haven on NCL to the Yacht Club on MSC. 

 

18 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I know nothing about Princess Sanctuary...

 

 For the time being, Princess Sanctuary Collection wouldn't be right for me but it's something to keep in the back of my mind for a later time. 

[kasimir]

11 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Celebrity Retreat is another experience that I enjoy reading about from the perspective of NCL Haven guests. I'm sure that there are some things that many people feel are better on Celebrity and there are some things that many people feel are better on NCL.

 

Absolutely, one of the main reasons why we booked our trip this way. 

 

One thing ahead of the trip that is already a pro on the Retreat (I think Yacht Club is similar), that the Premium Drink and Wifi package is included in the Retreat price, see screenshot from our booking below: 

 

So this is me hoping that we don't need to show our cards when ordering a drink in The Retreat as everyone should be on the premium package and adding to the sense of "exclusivity". 

 

Also, if I may say, the Celebrity Retreat cruise we booked was roughly 30% less expensive compared to the NCL Haven cruise we booked (and with NCL we don't have the premium FAS package), while staying in very similar suite categories.

Pricing for us plays a big role when comparing products/services and this will not be any different. But will report back with our experience in around 3 months from now 😉 

[ChiefMateJRK]

Another great thread Gary.  I always enjoy your posts.

19 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Then the notion of a "Ship-Within-A-Ship" was presented to me.  Better food, personalized service, padded lounge chairs that were always available, uncrowded public space, early boarding and departure and the list goes on.  This was the needed improvement to bring back the joy in cruising again.

A nice list of perks that obviously come with a price.  As you know, I always sail steerage, so can't really comment on most of these.  My steerage food varies from great to blah.  Sometimes in the same restaurant from meal to meal.  On the Bliss two weeks ago, we had some great food in the buffet.  The grilled shrimp on steak and shrimp night were just as good as the ones I had in Los Lobos.  I also get my best soups (noodle bar) and salads at the buffet.  Some highly value personalized service, while some of us have no desire for it.   That's okay.  Different strokes for different folks.  I rarely use lounge chairs because my old knees simply don't enable getting into and out of them.  I do wish we had some better chairs in some of the public areas.  The chairs in the Bliss atrium are atrocious.  Only the liquor and great music gets me through those. 🤣  On most of my sailings, crowds aren't an issue.  That said, July on the Bliss in AK was pushing it.  I really enjoyed staying on the ship on days in ports that I have been to many times.  All that said, the only benefit you list that I might disagree with is the early boarding and departure.  Platinum and above Latitudes, even in steerage, are right on the tails of the Haven folks.  We're talking five minutes.  I consider early departure a glitch, not a feature.  I simply never want to get off the ship, and they have at times called my name.😎

19 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Weigh the options and know it will not be everything you want.  There is always pros/cons.

Actually, in the grand scheme of things, NCL steerage is essentially everything I "want."  Or, to paraphrase a great lyric, "I don't always get what I want, but I get what I need."  I also still have several large in my brokerage account that can get other things I may "need."👍