Which ship,has the best Haven experience

Just off the Epic transatlantic and stayed up in the a Haven. 15 absolutely beautiful days and spoiled to the end. Service was outstanding and certainly worth every dollar. Courtyard was large with many loungers to choose from. posh was great. Delicious food and Dining experience in the Epic Club for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We only left the Epic Club for dinner twice, only because as Platinum status had two meals with wine in Le bistro. Priority and reserve seating at the shows was a plus and not having to get there 30 minutes before the shows. All other amenities well worth it.

Which ships do you feel have the best Haven experience.

Haven't cruised on the Epic, but we would describe our experience in the Breakaway Haven as essentially identical to yours.

On the other hand, I really don't find anything that compelling about the Haven on the Jewel class ships and I won't spend the extra money for a Haven suite on the Jewel class ships. An "ordinary" aft SF suite on these ships works for us ...for less money.

This is totally subjective. I stayed in Epic suites twice and had an amazing time. Huge Haven area and love the Haven lounge and restaurant. Posh is top notch too.

But my favorite suite experience was on the Sky which has no Haven area. Go figure. Why? Because there are just a handful of suites the service was over the top. I never experience anything like it on any other NCL ship. The concierge would personally visit you twice a day to check up on you. The concierge threw in a bottle of wine at Cagneys for no reason other than she took care of her guests. The butler was white glove service setting up dining on the balcony and gave hands on training for the Lavazza machine. So while the Haven areas are nice my favorite suite experience was on a ship with no Haven.

This is totally subjective. I stayed in Epic suites twice and had an amazing time. Huge Haven area and love the Haven lounge and restaurant. Posh is top notch too.

But my favorite suite experience was on the Sky which has no Haven area. Go figure. Why? Because there are just a handful of suites the service was over the top. I never experience anything like it on any other NCL ship. The concierge would personally visit you twice a day to check up on you. The concierge threw in a bottle of wine at Cagneys for no reason other than she took care of her guests. The butler was white glove service setting up dining on the balcony and gave hands on training for the Lavazza machine. So while the Haven areas are nice my favorite suite experience was on a ship with no Haven.

As they say "different strokes for different folks". We've had concierges (not on the Sky...never cruised on her) that were always checking up by phone and personal visit, and we just found it unnecessarily intrusive to the point of becoming annoying by the end of the cruise. We had one concierge who always managed to find where we were eating dinner and would stop by to see how we were doing...but also reminding us she could make all our dinner reservations (including MDR reservations). Well, we're old school freestylers...we don't like making advance reservations...we go to dinner at whatever time we get hungry that night, and that means we rarely know very far in advance. I just couldn't get that point across to her.

As they say "different strokes for different folks". We've had concierges (not on the Sky...never cruised on her) that were always checking up by phone and personal visit, and we just found it unnecessarily intrusive to the point of becoming annoying by the end of the cruise. We had one concierge who always managed to find where we were eating dinner and would stop by to see how we were doing...but also reminding us she could make all our dinner reservations (including MDR reservations). Well, we're old school freestylers...we don't like making advance reservations...we go to dinner at whatever time we get hungry that night, and that means we rarely know very far in advance. I just couldn't get that point across to her.

I understand. I never experienced an intrusive butler or concierge. The concierge on Sky was great. Our phone broke one night and when she came to check on us, she was able to get it repaired ASAP. She got us priority tender and asked us when we wanted to leave, etc. She was always making things easier and better for us which really blew me out of the water. She reserved seats for us and would be waiting there. When I cruised the next suite on Epic, the Haven area was nice but never did the concierge ever say hello or ask if we needed anything. So I was a bit disappointed since my experience on Sky was so amazing.

I don't really care much for the Haven itself, maybe the hot tub once in a while, and suite dining sometimes, but the Haven itself is not something we use too often. My first choices in suite sailing would not necessarily even include the Haven - for example, my favorite suite is the DOS on the Gem for the suite itself, and the best service has been on the smaller ships like the Sun, which has no Haven at all. That being said, the Epic is probably our favorite actual "Haven" experience for two reasons. First, it is one of the newer ships, and so has a dedicated suite restaurant for all meals if one wishes, the older ships do not have a suites venue for dinner. Second reason is Posh. The Epic is the only ship which has the exclusive adults only sun deck included for Haven guests. I also prefer it to Vibe on the BA/GA because it overlooks the main pool area so that you can enjoy the atmosphere while being separated just enough for some quiet and much more space. I only wish that Posh had a hot tub..

Robin

I also give the Epic's Haven the nod. Loved access to Posh and the two dedicated bars in the Haven area.

The Breakaway's Haven was nice (the retractable roof is a plus!) but I did prefer the Epic's.

I am another one who has no use for the Havens on Jewel class ships. A small indoor pool area, however nicely decorated, does nothing for me. Makes me think "motel" pool. ;)

Very subjective..we love the quiet smaller Haven of the Gem and the Jewel, not crazy about the Breakaway, we just like the smaller personalized service as opposed to the Mega Haven even with the added amenities.

We were thinking of doing the Jade on a transatlantic next year but was sure about the dining arrangements. Do they have a separate dining room like Epic Club were you get breakfast, lunch and dinner? Wasn't crazy about their courtyard setup, seemed smallest. Does it get crowded in the courtyard?

I loved the Epic Haven. I got the small, intimate feel from the Haven staff in the Epic that you are describing from the Sky.

I loved Posh, I loved the Haven bars and the Epic Club all things you don't get on the smaller ships. The concierge most definitely knew me and my whole family and called us by our first names. It definitely felt small enough with the Haven. But then it was large enough, the courtyard area with the pool and hot tubs was actually big enough to accommodate everyone. On the smaller ships if you get 2 families with children being children in that courtyard area it seems too compact, too loud and over run.

It really is the perfect blend of large ship amenities and small ship service.

Very subjective..we love the quiet smaller Haven of the Gem and the Jewel, not crazy about the Breakaway, we just like the smaller personalized service as opposed to the Mega Haven even with the added amenities.

We actually don't like the Breakaway...but we do like the Breakaway's Haven, because it allows us to isolate ourselves from many of the aspects of the Breakaway we don't like...overcrowded pool area...smoky central atrium area of the ship thanks to where the casino is located...overcrowded almost everything on the BA in fact.

It's unlikely I'll cruise on the BA again, but if I do there's no way I would take a cabin that didn't have Haven access...it made the experience tolerable.

We were thinking of doing the Jade on a transatlantic next year but was sure about the dining arrangements. Do they have a separate dining room like Epic Club were you get breakfast, lunch and dinner? Wasn't crazy about their courtyard setup, seemed smallest. Does it get crowded in the courtyard?

There's no separate dinner venue on any ships other than the Epic, Breakaway and Getaway (and presumably the new big ships that are on order). You will have a private breakfast and lunch venue...probably it's currently Cagney's on the Jade.

I agree with the poster who said the small Havens on the Jewel class are reminiscent of an indoor pool at a motel.

Cruising in an aft suite on the Jade 10/24/15 and wondered if anyone has sailed in them..and your opinion..

Jancruz1

Cruising in an aft suite on the Jade 10/24/15 and wondered if anyone has sailed in them..and your opinion..

Jancruz1

We always book an aft SF on Jewel class ships and really like the privacy, large balcony (particularly large on deck 10), and how being located aft shelters you from the wind. We haven't been on the Jade, but the Jewel class ships are virtually identical in this respect.