3-generation, 4-woman trip in Haven 2-BR-suggestions?

[gzmtlock]

My octogenarian mother, her personal assistant, myself and my late-20's daughter are all cruising Haven for the first time this October.  This is a likely last vacation for my mom, due to health issues. Headed to Alaska on the Encore.  I have sailed NCL several times in the past, actually did the identical itinerary in May with my husband.  For this trip, we 4 ladies are in a 2-bedroom on deck 17, with the extended balcony.  Mom will be in the master, daughter and I in the 2nd bedroom, assistant/friend on the living room sofa.  Looking for any suggestions on requests we might make to make the space friendly?  For example, from a posted video, I know I can request 3 chairs and a lounger on the balcony.  Are there other requests, around beds or storage or something I'm not thinking about yet, that would make the space work well for us?

One specific question I have - I do not drink caffeine.  I'm very used to traveling with my own decaf teas.  Can I get hot water from the nespresso machine?  Or do I need to request it be delivered each morning?

[CruzinMel]

Does your Mom.have any mobility needs?  We had the similar villa on the Escape, and I got Mom a shower chair and a toilet riser for the bathroom.  Also, the bed is rather high, if it's like the Escape master - Mom may need help in and out.  

 

Our son slept on the couch, and while the steward would have made it into a bed, he never bothered.  My daughter ended up solo in the 2nd bedroom and expressed that there was a hole - maybe check it out and make sure you guys will be comfortable.  

 

Have fun!!!

[DorothyB]

I've been in the second bedroom on the Pearl and it was fine - you can request a mattress topper for the second bedroom.

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

My octogenarian mother, her personal assistant, myself and my late-20's daughter are all cruising Haven for the first time this October.  This is a likely last vacation for my mom, due to health issues. Headed to Alaska on the Encore.  I have sailed NCL several times in the past, actually did the identical itinerary in May with my husband.  For this trip, we 4 ladies are in a 2-bedroom on deck 17, with the extended balcony.  Mom will be in the master, daughter and I in the 2nd bedroom, assistant/friend on the living room sofa.  Looking for any suggestions on requests we might make to make the space friendly?  For example, from a posted video, I know I can request 3 chairs and a lounger on the balcony.  Are there other requests, around beds or storage or something I'm not thinking about yet, that would make the space work well for us?

One specific question I have - I do not drink caffeine.  I'm very used to traveling with my own decaf teas.  Can I get hot water from the nespresso machine?  Or do I need to request it be delivered each morning?

 

You seem to understand the configuration of the second bedroom. It is basically the sofa on the bottom and a pullman from the ceiling. A matrices topper would make the sofa more comfortable. 

 

You'll have to figure out storage. The PA will need somewhere for her stuff. Maybe you, mom, and daughter can use the master bedroom closets , and the PA can use the 2nd bedroom closets (which is small). 

 

The bathroom in the 2nd bedroom is a "balcony bathroom", small with a small shower. Again, you'll have to figure out who uses what facilities. I think everyone should use the master bath (either the tub or the shower) and just use the 2nd bathroom for a toilet and brushing your teeth. 

 

It is the Nespresso machine used to arm water. They serve a selection of Tea Forte teas, your butler can get you a specific flavor if it meets your needs. 

 

 

 

I posted some pictures of the Haven public areas starting on Post #215 on the link below. The rest of the thread is the ship (which you have recently been on). 

 

[DaisyGoldberg]

We've stayed in those cabins many times with my elderly mother.

 

My first suggestion would be for somebody to sleep with your Mom in the master -- the bed is enormous,  you don't even feel the other person there, and it's far more comfortable than any other option. 

 

The master bed is very high and you may want to bring a small stepstool unless Mom is very tall. There also is very little room passing from living room to master bedroom and if she uses a walker/strollator it may not pass through the narrow doorway.

 

We had to collapse my mom's walker and physically aid her to move from the bedroom to living room and vice versa, as well as between the side of the bed and the wall.  The bed is immediately inside the doorway, so there is no real turning radius and it's hard to even have a 2nd person side by side. We had to stand in front of and behind her to guide her in and out of the room. The opening to the large bath is perfectly wide. Moving about the living room was fine with a walker. 

 

Definitely request a toilet riser seat and shower chair.  The shower floor is EXTREMELY slippery, so bring a mat of your own, put down towels to stand on, or use the shower in the 2nd bedroom. 

 

On our last few trips we brought along those snap on support grips.  It may be helpful to place one inside the toilet stall as there isn't much to hold onto given the glass door.  They won't attach to most walls, but where there's tile/ceramic it may be helpful.

[gzmtlock]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

You seem to understand the configuration of the second bedroom. It is basically the sofa on the bottom and a pullman from the ceiling. A matrices topper would make the sofa more comfortable. 

 

You'll have to figure out storage. The PA will need somewhere for her stuff. Maybe you, mom, and daughter can use the master bedroom closets , and the PA can use the 2nd bedroom closets (which is small). 

 

The bathroom in the 2nd bedroom is a "balcony bathroom", small with a small shower. Again, you'll have to figure out who uses what facilities. I think everyone should use the master bath (either the tub or the shower) and just use the 2nd bathroom for a toilet and brushing your teeth. 

 

It is the Nespresso machine used to arm water. They serve a selection of Tea Forte teas, your butler can get you a specific flavor if it meets your needs. 

 

I posted some pictures of the Haven public areas starting on Post #215 on the link below. The rest of the thread is the ship (which you have recently been on). 

 

Thanks, Bird!  I did devour your recent live report, it was great!  Appreciate the recommendations for a mattress topper and getting creative with storage.  I did see a video of the stateroom, and am definitely concerned about storage in the 2nd BR - good to have those concerns confirmed, so we're not surprised.  

I'm a snorer, my daughter is used to it, so we're probably best sleeping in the 2nd BR with the door shut.  😴

[gzmtlock]

5 hours ago, DaisyGoldberg said:

We've stayed in those cabins many times with my elderly mother.

 

My first suggestion would be for somebody to sleep with your Mom in the master -- the bed is enormous,  you don't even feel the other person there, and it's far more comfortable than any other option. 

 

The master bed is very high and you may want to bring a small stepstool unless Mom is very tall. There also is very little room passing from living room to master bedroom and if she uses a walker/strollator it may not pass through the narrow doorway.

 

We had to collapse my mom's walker and physically aid her to move from the bedroom to living room and vice versa, as well as between the side of the bed and the wall.  The bed is immediately inside the doorway, so there is no real turning radius and it's hard to even have a 2nd person side by side. We had to stand in front of and behind her to guide her in and out of the room. The opening to the large bath is perfectly wide. Moving about the living room was fine with a walker. 

 

Definitely request a toilet riser seat and shower chair.  The shower floor is EXTREMELY slippery, so bring a mat of your own, put down towels to stand on, or use the shower in the 2nd bedroom. 

 

On our last few trips we brought along those snap on support grips.  It may be helpful to place one inside the toilet stall as there isn't much to hold onto given the glass door.  They won't attach to most walls, but where there's tile/ceramic it may be helpful.

Really appreciate your helpful suggestions, Daisy!  I hear you about the big bed. . .we'll wait to hear what Mom says.  She is 5'10", so maybe she can get on the bed herself?  She's fairly mobile at this point, only using a cane, so while she'll have to move slowly in constrained spaces, I think she'll be okay.  Love the suggestions for requesting a shower chair and bringing a mat - they're on the list now!

What are "snap on support grips"?  She might need help in the toilet room. . .

[gzmtlock]

16 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

Does your Mom.have any mobility needs?  We had the similar villa on the Escape, and I got Mom a shower chair and a toilet riser for the bathroom.  Also, the bed is rather high, if it's like the Escape master - Mom may need help in and out.  

 

Our son slept on the couch, and while the steward would have made it into a bed, he never bothered.  My daughter ended up solo in the 2nd bedroom and expressed that there was a hole - maybe check it out and make sure you guys will be comfortable.  

 

Have fun!!!

Thanks, Mel!  Scrolled down to up, didn't initially see your helpful post.  I have a small stool that folds almost flat, maybe I'll bring that in case she needs it to get in and out of bed.

[DaisyGoldberg]

2 hours ago, gzmtlock said:

 She is 5'10", so maybe she can get on the bed herself?  She's fairly mobile at this point, only using a cane, so while she'll have to move slowly in constrained spaces, I think she'll be okay.  Love the suggestions for requesting a shower chair and bringing a mat - they're on the list now!

What are "snap on support grips"?  She might need help in the toilet room. . .

At 5'10 she should be fine. The edges of the bed are a bit squishy, so shorter people sometimes have a hard time sitting on the edge and transitioning to lying down. I'm 5'5" and have to sometimes fling myself in!  

 

It sounds like she's more mobile than my mom which is great. If you're doing excursions a stepstool may still be useful for getting in/out of tour vehicles, depending on your plans and her abilities to step up into a bus or van. Again, she may be tall enough that they're not necessary. For those shorter, you can throw the stool in a backpack in case it's needed. 

 

I was trying to think of the term off the top of my head and failed - I was referring to grab bars. If you google removable grab bars you'll get an idea of what we bring. Usually you just press a suction cup against the smooth surface and snap a lever and it suctions to the wall.  Can provide an extra stabilizing point when moving in and out of the bathroom/toilet, especially if someone's unsteady.  I grabbed my mom's a time or two when the ship was rocking!  The large main shower has a grab bar installed, I think, but she may want an additional one in a different position. At the end of the week you just snap the levers and take it off.  

 

There's plenty of storage in the master cabin for two people, but the 2nd bedroom on this class of ship has less storage than on the Jewel class.  There are some shallow shelves which are more of a gesture than really usable space. Fortunately, everybody's suitcase will probably fit under the master bed. 

[gzmtlock]

6 minutes ago, DaisyGoldberg said:

At 5'10 she should be fine. The edges of the bed are a bit squishy, so shorter people sometimes have a hard time sitting on the edge and transitioning to lying down. I'm 5'5" and have to sometimes fling myself in!  

 

It sounds like she's more mobile than my mom which is great. If you're doing excursions a stepstool may still be useful for getting in/out of tour vehicles, depending on your plans and her abilities to step up into a bus or van. Again, she may be tall enough that they're not necessary. For those shorter, you can throw the stool in a backpack in case it's needed. 

 

I was trying to think of the term off the top of my head and failed - I was referring to grab bars. If you google removable grab bars you'll get an idea of what we bring. Usually you just press a suction cup against the smooth surface and snap a lever and it suctions to the wall.  Can provide an extra stabilizing point when moving in and out of the bathroom/toilet, especially if someone's unsteady.  I grabbed my mom's a time or two when the ship was rocking!  The large main shower has a grab bar installed, I think, but she may want an additional one in a different position. At the end of the week you just snap the levers and take it off.  

 

There's plenty of storage in the master cabin for two people, but the 2nd bedroom on this class of ship has less storage than on the Jewel class.  There are some shallow shelves which are more of a gesture than really usable space. Fortunately, everybody's suitcase will probably fit under the master bed. 

 

Thanks! There are lots of options for grab bars on Amazon!