NCL Getaway - Haven 2 bd Family Villa vs Aft Facing Penthouse

I have been on several cruises but never on NCL. I am traveling with my two daughters (20 and 22). We are doing the Baltics cruise out of Copenhagen which will stop in St Petersburg for 2 days. I wanted to get your thoughts on a couple of items:

1) Which is better the family villa or the aft facing penthouse for this cruise. I understand that the aft penthouse has a large deck, but the room will only have a double pull out for our two daughters to stay in which might be tight. The family villa would provide them each with a bed. Wanted to see if I could get your thoughts on which is preferable.

2) We are thinking of using Best Guides for a two day private tour in St Peterburg. Has anyone used them before? And if so, can you comment. I looked at all the companies on TripAdvisor, and they all seem stellar.

Thanks in advance for your input.

We have sailed in both on Getaway. DH and our daughter vastly prefer the H4 to the H6, as she has her own sleeping space and bathroom.

Join your roll call or look on the Northern European Ports of Call board for info on Best Guides. I personally am using Alla Tour to get their Comfort tour in SPB. We are not park commandos, so my group needed a slower, more fed pace.

I've stayed in both on the BA which is a sister ship. In your case I'd do the two bedroom since that would give the girls more privacy and another full bathroom. Yes the balcony is much smaller but you're right near the haven so you can lounge there

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There are two configurations for the pull out couch in an H6. One makes it into a small double, the other makes it into a full queen. When in the full queen configuration, it takes up most of the living space, but you can definitely walk around it to get to the balcony. In the H4, the second bedroom configurations is a double bed with a single bunk bed. The bathrooms would be similar, though I think the H6's second bathroom is a bit smaller than the H4. They're both cozy.

We've had both cabins and our favourite is the H6, simply for the balcony. However, our boys are 12&9 and don't really care if they have privacy or not! We also prefer being outside the Haven complex, and the balcony gives us a lovely private outside area versus the shared Haven spaces.

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Thanks for the recommendations. I need to check with the kids - and let them think about it. i didnt know that they had a queen bed, and will check on its availability as well.

I will also join the roll call. Didnt know that existed either. Thanks and if there are any other thoughts, please let me know.

Thanks for the recommendations. I need to check with the kids - and let them think about it. i didnt know that they had a queen bed, and will check on its availability as well.

 

I will also join the roll call. Didnt know that existed either. Thanks and if there are any other thoughts, please let me know.

Sorry I just re-read my post and I wasn't clear about the pull out couch in the H6. The same couch can be made up two ways...small double or full queen. The cabin steward will ask which one you want. It's a lot of work for them to make the couch into a queen bed. No need to check which configuration because they are all the same :)

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So we've stayed in both. They're both great for their own reasons. Me, I'm a rear balcony guy. We're sailing with 2 teenaged kids this time. The second bedroom in the H4 is small. The pictures can be deceiving. The bunk for a small kid is fine. 16 and 19 yo, not so much. So remember with the extreme cost of Haven comes staff that will and should help us in any and all ways possible and reasonable. Making up the queen every night and breaking it down in the morning isn't asking a lot for a 7000-10000$ cruise or 1000$-1500$ a day. Right? Having the huge balcony aft facing is just incredible. It really is like having your own outdoor and sun deck. Haven is awesome don't get me wrong but here's nothing like a private dinner watching a sunset and laying down and having your own privacy. Is awesome. See my attached photo. Happy feet I call it! So to go to the Haven we have to walk the length of the boat. Well kids, with the amount we drink and eat it sure doesn't hurt! If you're In a rear facing you MUST be aggressive with your butler and staff. Please don feel bad about it. See daily cost again. One benefit of being forward in Haven is they are more readily available and around. In aft they aren't really around and visible other than when they are making up the regular cabins etc. You want something, you have to just pick up the phone and ask for it. Period. I do encourage you to tip honestly though. I you don't think you're getting the service you deserve back there, call the concierge and demand something be done to rectify it. Immediately. They will listen. If still under your expectation, don't hesitate to get ahold of the hotel manager. They are an executive staff member.

The balcony space makes the overall living space for a family of four much greater. More room to spread out during the day or even at night. I've read people have had 40 guests in a sail away party on the rear 9th floor rear balcony. I believe it. And the butler catered it. Crazy. Shows you what's possible. Remember for rear facing decks 9 and 12 have largest balcony and 11 and 14 the smallest. Also 11 and 14 are configured differently. 10 and 13 are still very large with 13 being smaller though than 10.

Again it's personal preference. For me aft is cheaper and has more to offer if you use it right. Insist that your staff configure the bed and couch at night and day. When you leave for he day call and request it be configured for the couch right away. Tell them you expect to be home at x o'clock and expect it to be queen configured. Do this daily.

Enjoy!! Either way you can't go wrong.

Remember for rear facing decks 9 and 12 have largest balcony and 11 and 14 the smallest.

Deck 13 has the smallest H6 balcony.(@ 30 seconds in the video below)

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For size order, BA/GA is 9,12,11,10,14,13 from largest to smallest.

Deck 13 has the smallest H6 balcony.(@ 30 seconds in the video below)

 

 

 

 

 

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For size order, BA/GA is 9,12,11,10,14,13 from largest to smallest.

Im going to have my NCL rep call you! Thanks for the correction. I took this from his email to me. Good info.

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Thanks, I switched to the 9th floor - There are a ton of family suites available, and I can probably get one on a trade as the price is now comparable.

But they may have their own room, but it seems really small.

On day one, how much should I tip the butler guy for better service during the trip?

 

On day one, how much should I tip the butler guy for better service during the trip?

Nothing. Explain your needs on the first day and tip accordingly on the last day.

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OK - I spoke to the kids - I think they would rather have separate beds - so, the 2 bedroom suite may work better for us. Do you all have a recommendation as to the 2 bedroom suites in the Haven? I think it will be a little chilly to use the balcony much during this trip anyways....

We're booked in an H4 for the May16th sailing. 4 of us (myself, husband, youngest son (23 y/o), and his significant other). Picked it for 2 bathrooms and for the separate "cabin within a cabin". I paid attention to the deck plans and picked the starboard side because port had a public deck above. When I booked, it didn't show anything forward of 16714, so we'll have "Vibe" above us. Personally, I'd have picked slightly more forward to only have the Haven sundeck above. If the weather is warm, I'd expect a LOT of noise above the port side with the public sundeck, with much less noise below either the Vibe or the Haven sundecks. Just my thoughts, as I've never stayed in the Haven....

A recap - I stayed in the Aft Facing Penthouse - this was a Baltics cruise and it was relatively cold during the trip, so we didnt get to use the balcony as much as I would have liked. So, the 2 bedroom would have been a better choice.

In the Penthouse, there is really no room for the two in the living area to put their stuff, so they pretty much had to live out of their suitcases which was annoying as we had to look at it.

We met some others on the cruise with a 2 bdrm and had a chance to look at their room thought that the 2 bedroom worked well with older kids.

However, the balcony on the 2 bdrm was very small and would not accommodate a lounge chair, which I like to sit on when hanging out.

I have been on several cruises but never on NCL. I am traveling with my two daughters (20 and 22). We are doing the Baltics cruise out of Copenhagen which will stop in St Petersburg for 2 days. I wanted to get your thoughts on a couple of items:

 

2) We are thinking of using Best Guides for a two day private tour in St Peterburg. Has anyone used them before? And if so, can you comment. I looked at all the companies on TripAdvisor, and they all seem stellar.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

When we went on this same cruise, we chose Dancing Bear Tours. We also chose a much smaller tour, only 4 of us in a luxury van.....we went to attractions much more easily, walked FAR less, and managed small innercity streets for restaurants where locals dined. It was a great choice for us.

A recap - I stayed in the Aft Facing Penthouse - this was a Baltics cruise and it was relatively cold during the trip, so we didnt get to use the balcony as much as I would have liked. So, the 2 bedroom would have been a better choice.

 

In the Penthouse, there is really no room for the two in the living area to put their stuff, so they pretty much had to live out of their suitcases which was annoying as we had to look at it.

 

We met some others on the cruise with a 2 bdrm and had a chance to look at their room thought that the 2 bedroom worked well with older kids.

 

However, the balcony on the 2 bdrm was very small and would not accommodate a lounge chair, which I like to sit on when hanging out.

We just got off breakaway, also in an aft penthouse suite. Our 19 & 20 yo sons slept on the queen pull-out. There were several drawers and a closet in the living room section that they used to store their stuff. (One is a total clothes horse too). Then we put the suitcases under the king bed. We also had plenty of storage space in the master bedroom they could have used for spillover.

For us, the aft worked better. Both are 6ft tall so, they would have been too cramped in the 2 bedroom.

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I am having the same problem for our cruise next week! We are booked in the aft penthouse and I have a bid in for the 2 bedroom. I love the idea of the big balcony and we will be on the Breakaway to Bermuda so I think it will be heavily used. I just don't love the idea of that super small balcony in the 2 bedroom, but having to look at my boys' mess also doesn't excite me!!! Was the Aft room loud? Could you hear/feel the engines? Did you feel that you were well taken care of by the butler even with not being in the Haven area? Any input is greatly appreciated!!!

Would there have been room for an air mattress on the floor if they didn't want to sleep together? Was the pull-out comfortable? We leave next Sunday and I am getting so excited!!!

We just got off breakaway, also in an aft penthouse suite. Our 19 & 20 yo sons slept on the queen pull-out. There were several drawers and a closet in the living room section that they used to store their stuff. (One is a total clothes horse too). Then we put the suitcases under the king bed. We also had plenty of storage space in the master bedroom they could have used for spillover.

 

For us, the aft worked better. Both are 6ft tall so, they would have been too cramped in the 2 bedroom.

 

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Would there have been room for an air mattress on the floor if they didn't want to sleep together? Was the pull-out comfortable? We leave next Sunday and I am getting so excited!!!

Yes there's room for an air matress. But in all honesty the bed is big and our attendant set it up so it was like 2 singles with their own top blankets so they "didnt have to touch each other" and they were absolutely fine. I'll see if I took a picture and post it.

They thought it was comfortable and slept well. We had them leave it out all week, because we would go tour and then come back and nap. There's room to get to the balcony with the bed out.

A little bit of vibration when we were pulling into Bermuda and then this morning into NYC. We were on deck 9 and had no noise issues. I'm going to try and post a short review tonight or tomorrow. I don't want to hijack thurs thread too much

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Did you feel that you were well taken care of by the butler even with not being in the Haven area? Any input is greatly appreciated!!!

There's no reason to feel forsaken while in an aft suite. The butler that serves that area doesn't serve the "inside the Haven" guests. The butler is assigned to certain areas. If you have a good butler, you will be treated fine.

I appreciate this more than you know! Thank you so much! I look forward to any pics of the bedding arrangement and any other review info.

Yes there's room for an air matress. But in all honesty the bed is big and our attendant set it up so it was like 2 singles with their own top blankets so they "didnt have to touch each other" and they were absolutely fine. I'll see if I took a picture and post it.

 

They thought it was comfortable and slept well. We had them leave it out all week, because we would go tour and then come back and nap. There's room to get to the balcony with the bed out.

 

A little bit of vibration when we were pulling into Bermuda and then this morning into NYC. We were on deck 9 and had no noise issues. I'm going to try and post a short review tonight or tomorrow. I don't want to hijack thurs thread too much

 

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I'm also looking at the Baltics and Scandi cruise on the Getaway (early September), we will be 4 adults and the 2 bedroom looks perfect for us. It's still a hefty price tag for 4 people though, wow. I really want to be in the Haven though (sailed the Getaway Caribbean last year and managed to pop in for a quick look) so I'm hoping I'll be able to talk the others into it. It's too bad that the Free-At-Sea promotion doesn't include the 3rd and 4th guests. They really should in the Haven at least, considering many people stay in the Haven for the extra space when you're a number of people. I understand not offering a free beverage package to all 4 people in an IX or OX room... but really.

Anyways, I was concerned because that second bedroom looks quite small for 2 adults but I suppose one of us could easily sleep on the sofa in the living area. Having a second bathroom will be really nice. I'm a bit concerned about the weather at that time of year though, if it was up to be I'd be going in early July haha!

My vote goes for the H4 over the H6. The fact you have a separate family space to gather and each have your own room with a door to maintain space is great. If someone needs some quiet time, the rest of the family have somewhere to be that is in the cabin to watch a movie (as an example).

the Haven area on the Getaway is out of this world and the service is superb, being in the area you get a greater chance to enjoy it rather than traversing the entire length of the ship each time for Breakfast, Lunch and Diner.

The sundeck is also large enough to accommodate all who want a bed on this cruise (was on the 16th to 25th May)

I'm also looking at the Baltics and Scandi cruise on the Getaway (early September), we will be 4 adults and the 2 bedroom looks perfect for us. It's still a hefty price tag for 4 people though, wow. I really want to be in the Haven though (sailed the Getaway Caribbean last year and managed to pop in for a quick look) so I'm hoping I'll be able to talk the others into it. It's too bad that the Free-At-Sea promotion doesn't include the 3rd and 4th guests. They really should in the Haven at least, considering many people stay in the Haven for the extra space when you're a number of people. I understand not offering a free beverage package to all 4 people in an IX or OX room... but really.

 

Anyways, I was concerned because that second bedroom looks quite small for 2 adults but I suppose one of us could easily sleep on the sofa in the living area. Having a second bathroom will be really nice. I'm a bit concerned about the weather at that time of year though, if it was up to be I'd be going in early July haha!

Just a couple of notes about what I have found in the HAVEN 2 bedroom: 1)the extra bathroom is often worth it (especially if you have a daughter who primps A LOT!), 2) the price for the extra passengers may not be included in the FREE AT SEA promotion, but if you check, the HAVEN prices for the extra folks are often very reasonable (not the standard fare by a LONG shot!) So don't take the price you see on the website for 2 people as how much you would pay per person....in reality it is often only a fraction of that price to add the 3rd person....we just did it on our Alaska cruise and it was around $800....no Free at Sea promo. But I'm sure that is dependent upon where, when, how full the ship is (although ours is sold out in the Haven), and if they can fit additional folks in the muster station numbers. I haven't sailed the Getaway, but the Escape 2nd bedroom was smaller than on the Jewel, but it would have fit two younger adults comfortably. Older folks maybe not so much.

My husband and I are considering booking a last-minute cruise on the Norwegian Escape next month. The prices for the H4 and H6 are the same and there will only be two of us. We've had aft balconies before and love them but have never been in the Haven. I'm leaning towards the Family suite for the gorgeous bathroom and proximity to the Haven, but would like to hear opinions on the pros and cons of these two categories for couples traveling without children. Thanks!