Breakaway July 17-24, 2016 Haven spa suite review

We have a Haven Spa Suite booked for November.

Last time we went first week of November we learned about Jersey week. Lots of kids in the Haven. They didn't necessarily misbehave, they just dominated the pool and hot tubs all day every day.

I'm glad to hear one of the hot tubs is now adult only.

This year it's not Jersey week, but after this review I think I might spend the money for Vibe.

This is what happens when you make the Haven affordable....especially when it's cheaper (or near cheaper) for a family to sail in the Haven instead of other cabins.

Affordability (or lack thereof) has nothing to do with behavior. A family in the DOS may behave better or worse than a family in an inside.

$18.50 Martinis ??!! Geez ... that almost took my mind off that girl's father ... almost - certainly not the young girls fault whatsoever

"Why all the upsell offers from NCL? It would seem to me less people within the Haven area the better. I have been in Haven rooms on Jewel..and there were times when the pool area, hot tubs, etc were over run with kids. It was not enjoyable at all. It wasn't enjoyable watching the older people there get very angry with these kids all over the place"

I just posted the above on July 21st, 2016, 05:02 PM .. I have seen this twice before..

It seems to be the Haven area is almost like a built in baby sitter.. what I mean is where you may not normally let your kids run free among a mass of people.. they do let them be free in the Haven area.

"Why all the upsell offers from NCL? It would seem to me less people within the Haven area the better. I have been in Haven rooms on Jewel..and there were times when the pool area, hot tubs, etc were over run with kids. It was not enjoyable at all. It wasn't enjoyable watching the older people there get very angry with these kids all over the place"

 

I just posted the above on July 21st, 2016, 05:02 PM .. I have seen this twice before..

 

It seems to be the Haven area is almost like a built in baby sitter.. what I mean is where you may not normally let your kids run free among a mass of people.. they do let them be free in the Haven area.

I will be in the Haven for the second time next week(upsell). Upsells obviously bring in more money. I think that parents with kids, need to realize they are sharing a very small pool area. We live in such a selfish society, where personal space means nothing. Respect and manners are taught at home. With money there is a sense of entitlement, but rude and wrong, are wrong.

What I noticed with the Haven and the other parts of the ship, people let their kids run free and trust strangers. That is crazy! Last year my mom and I were talking to a woman, who had a young child. My nephew was with us and they began to play. In less than 5 minutes, the woman asked my mom and I if we would be sitting here long, as she was walking away. we gave each other the look. She was leaving her son with us-strangers. We both replied that we would be leaving. We sat in disbelief.

What I notice about the staff in the Haven, they seem to have been told that we, the haven guest, have paid a lot of money and it seems like anything goes, so who cares if your child is rude or puts soap in hot tub? You have paid so much money, they tolerate it. They are willing to ignore this to keep people happy, for a larger tip. This is so sad!! Safety should be the number one priority. No child should ever be in a hot tub.

I had an experience on another cruise ship few years back and security handles complaints(person smoking on wrong side of pool deck-told first crew passing and eventually my husband had security notified that handled the situation). The server will never take on security issues. It would cause too many fights.

FYI: I have a very respectful 16 year old who also made the observation on the last few cruises of kids roaming freely, in every hot tub and being rude. She was so grateful that we could be in the Haven then and now in a week.

So Tuesday we hung out at Haven, met with Shennilyn, then spa, then dinner in Haven restaurant which was PHENOMENOL.

That night we did the Improv comedy show. In September, the cast was great and we went about 4 or 5 times. This time they were horrible. Really not funny at all. We gave them another chance with the sketch show later in the week but that was even worse. I think it may be just that particular cast.

Wednesday was our first day in Bermuda. We had a boat rented for Thursday but decided to change it to today due to weather concerns. Our reservation was from 12 to 4. We got off the ship at 11:15, waited in line to buy bus tokens, then headed to the buses. On the way, an ambulance came flying up the dock. We didn't find out until later that evening the tragedy that happened with the rescue boat.

The day on the boat was amazing. We went to the Vixen shipwreck and anchored. Swam a bit and tried to snorkel but visibility was poor. We then went to a few beaches and beached the boat and swam and snorkeled. It was a beautiful day on the water. We saw many fish and a turtle.

We got back and went to Le Bistro for dinner. Both couples ordered the rib eye for 2. Oh my god. This was nasty. I love steak but this was inedible. Very disappointed in this meal.

I think we might have gone to Fat Cats after. Fat Cats is awesome. Sit up close to the band so you can really watch them play.

Thursday we went to Warwick Bay and walked to Horseshoe. This was a fun day. Warwick had a cool cove to swim in, so we did that for about an hour. Then we walked and stopped in various places until we arrived at Horseshoe. We went in the ocean and played in the waves for an hour. Good thing we didn't see the sign about the dangerous Man O' War in the water until after we swam or we would have been totally distracted looking for them, lol.

Then we went to the little cove at Horseshoe and fed cereal to the fish. So many fish came right up. Since the snorkeling visibility was again poor, this was the only way to see the fish.

That evening we did Burn the Floor. The show is very good, but a tad too long. Then we had dinner at Moderno. Not good at all. The salad bar is lacking basic salad items. The meats were not good. Only the pichana was good. Dessert was awful. So, that was all our specialty dining. Only Teppanyaki was any good.

Friday we just walked around the port for a bit then hung out in Haven and spa. The Haven people behaved after the 3rd time they ruined the hot tub, but they were still very strange. They had a little 3 year old boy that they would let in the hot tub alone, in the enclosed shower alone, etc. All while they were glued to their phones. I was so worried for this little boy. It gave me such agita that something was going to happen to him.

Anoop approached us and asked if we wanted to see the Wine Lover's Musical tomorrow as they wanted to do something for us. Honestly, we weren't interested in that so we asked if we could get into Teppanyaki Saturday. Tonight was our Cirque show. Anoop said they were booked but he would put us on the cancellation list.

The Cirque show was amazing. Such talent. We didn't eat the food because I had read on these boards it was awful. We went to the Haven restaurant before the show.

Now let's talk a moment about the Atrium. This is a horrible venue. I love the older ships with the Spinnaker Lounge. The atrium is too loud and has too little seating. Most times, we stood. We wanted to do a game show one night and actually found four seats. When they called for volunteers, we raised our hands and they picked us. All four of us went up. Then they picked other people, and it turned out that there were seven couples and they only needed three. We didn't make it and in turn, lost our seats. We just left. Just a bad setup all around.

Saturday we did Haven, spa, etc. That was our routine. Anoop found us and said he had aa 5:45 Teppanyaki dinner, but we were on a much later schedule so we passed on it. He later came and found us and asked if there were any pictures we wanted as they wanted to do something. I told Anoop about how horrible the specialty dining was and that I had paid $200 and only Teppanyaki was worth it. I told him I'd like that refunded. He said he would see what he could do. My friend had gotten it as a perk so didn't pay. Anoop ended up putting a $200 refundable OBC on both our accounts. We thanked him for doing that.

Now onto debarkation. As you might remember, embarkation was a disaster. Debarkation shouldn't be that bad, right?

We had a bus to catch at 11. It is about a 15 minute walk. We will get off the ship at 9:30 and have plenty of time. We go to Anoop and he tells us we can go to guest services to get the refundable OBC back. We go to guest services and they say, no, you will receive a check. Anoop didn't know this policy?

Then he escorts us and another couple off the ship. He tells us nothing about any special debarkation, so we get in the HUGE line of people. I mean, this line is a mile long. We will definitely miss our bus. I ask a worker what we can do and he says walk down the right side and tell the person at the end the situation.

As we walk down the right side, we notice there are Haven priority debarkation signs. All along we were supposed to be going down the right side and getting off first. Anoop never told us that. UGH.

So, all in all, we were very disappointed. I have another trip in November on the Jade in a suite, so I will keep that. I also have April Escape booked but am seriously considering cancelling. I am wondering though, did they put all their best people on the Escape and it is now the ship to be on?

What should I do? Give them another chance with the Escape or look elsewhere?

Thanks for reading!

I learned a long time ago that there are a lot of people with more money than class and vice versa.

This is why I don't see us ever sailing an Away ship. We would rather have a large truly private balcony than shared "private" space that we pay so much more for. No suites outside the Haven is a no go for us. We're not into the pools at all, so why waste the $$ and run the risk of having "people" like that ruin my trip?

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Now let's talk a moment about the Atrium. This is a horrible venue. I love the older ships with the Spinnaker Lounge. The atrium is too loud and has too little seating. Most times, we stood. We wanted to do a game show one night and actually found four seats. When they called for volunteers, we raised our hands and they picked us. All four of us went up. Then they picked other people, and it turned out that there were seven couples and they only needed three. We didn't make it and in turn, lost our seats. We just left. Just a bad setup all around.

 

 

 

Saturday we did Haven, spa, etc. That was our routine. Anoop found us and said he had aa 5:45 Teppanyaki dinner, but we were on a much later schedule so we passed on it. He later came and found us and asked if there were any pictures we wanted as they wanted to do something. I told Anoop about how horrible the specialty dining was and that I had paid $200 and only Teppanyaki was worth it. I told him I'd like that refunded. He said he would see what he could do. My friend had gotten it as a perk so didn't pay. Anoop ended up putting a $200 refundable OBC on both our accounts. We thanked him for doing that.

 

 

 

Now onto debarkation. As you might remember, embarkation was a disaster. Debarkation shouldn't be that bad, right?

 

 

 

We had a bus to catch at 11. It is about a 15 minute walk. We will get off the ship at 9:30 and have plenty of time. We go to Anoop and he tells us we can go to guest services to get the refundable OBC back. We go to guest services and they say, no, you will receive a check. Anoop didn't know this policy?

 

 

 

Then he escorts us and another couple off the ship. He tells us nothing about any special debarkation, so we get in the HUGE line of people. I mean, this line is a mile long. We will definitely miss our bus. I ask a worker what we can do and he says walk down the right side and tell the person at the end the situation.

 

 

 

As we walk down the right side, we notice there are Haven priority debarkation signs. All along we were supposed to be going down the right side and getting off first. Anoop never told us that. UGH.

 

 

 

So, all in all, we were very disappointed. I have another trip in November on the Jade in a suite, so I will keep that. I also have April Escape booked but am seriously considering cancelling. I am wondering though, did they put all their best people on the Escape and it is now the ship to be on?

 

 

 

What should I do? Give them another chance with the Escape or look elsewhere?

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

Yes! Unfortunately the Atrium is a bit of a mess. Some of the games shows are a lot of fun, but you literally have to get there 45 minutes ahead of time, keep eagle eyes out for seats, then swoop in like vultures when you see people getting up. It's become a sport for us [emoji57].

We stayed in the DOS on The Escape last January. She's a beautiful ship. I personally had zero complaints about The Haven or its guests. So sorry that you cruised with the family from Hell! Of all the specialty restaurants Teppanyaki was the favorite. I wouldn't cancel Escape in April [emoji2]

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Thanks for your review. We're on Breakaway for the first time next month, in a balcony cabin. Did you book the boat excursion through NCL? Was it a private charter for your party?

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Thanks for your review. We're on Breakaway for the first time next month, in a balcony cabin. Did you book the boat excursion through NCL? Was it a private charter for your party?

 

 

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We rented the boat from h2o watersports. Including fuel, it was $210 for the 4 hours. A great deal

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This is why I don't see us ever sailing an Away ship. We would rather have a large truly private balcony than shared "private" space that we pay so much more for. No suites outside the Haven is a no go for us.

On the Breakaway/Breakaway Plus ships, the aft-facing H6 staterooms would serve you perfectly.

• Large Balcony
  
• Haven perks (butler, concierge, etc)
  
• Haven restaurant
  

Thanks for the report ... it gives us an idea of what to expect. It seems that the Haven restaurant is the venue of choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner followed by Teppanyaki?

It's funny how "Haven" invokes a sense of refuge, peace and calm and relaxation, away from the grind, noise and bustle of the everyday cruise experience in a luxurious environment ... but how it can be easily shattered by those who are not so considerate of others trying to enjoy the experience.

Whether or not you should go with the Escape depends on what you want out of your cruise holiday ... we love to experience other lines and other ships ... so that is why we are looking at going back to NCL for the Haven experience and RCL and Viking for the first time.

I was on the Breakaway in a Haven Spa Suite in May/June and I had a wonderful experience from beginning to end. Obviously you had an awful time win the soap suds episode and I'm truly sorry you didn't have a better time. I always go to Cagneys but I never order Filet anywhere for some of the same reasons you describe. I always have a ribeye because I prefer the flavor, and mine was excellent. I have a free meal coming to me because of Platinum status, however I have never really been a big Bistro fan so I usually take it at La Cucina. I agree with your opinion of the food at the Haven, but I had great service as well. Finally I know this may upset some folks but the only complaint I ever have from cruising is the little brats and their entitled parents. Obviously this doesn't apply to most, but when you get a bad bunch, well, best I keep my mouth shut about that. I hope your next cruise is much better!

Yes give it another try on the Escape. I reluctantly booked the Escape last February, after avoiding NCL after a disappointing June 2013 cruise on the BA. While we loved our mini-suite, the BA was just too crowded and would have been a total disappointment if not for Vibe.

Our Feb 2016 Escape sailing was wonderful. We were in a mini suite and had Vibe passes but also the run of the pool deck in Port, as we stayed on board. The restaurants were good and the staff worked very hard to ensure everyone was having a good time. Yes, the atrium and the pools are crowded but we enjoyed the Escape so much that we booked her again and also decided to try the BA again.

We were on the BA from June 12 to June 19 this time in the Haven and had a great experience. Although most schools were still in session, I counted 30+ children while we were waiting to board in the small Haven boarding area. All the children were well behaved and very polite. The only concern I had all week was a family with 4 children where the children were constantly touching everything from the snacks in the Haven pre-boarding area to the Haven breakfast buffet and poolside snacks with their hands rather than with the provided utensils. Their mother tried to stop them, their father ignored it. Part of me thought I should thank them because their actions kept me from snacking and honestly I've seen adults do the same or worse,which is why I hate buffets. The Haven staff worked hard to replace items anytime they saw the children not using utensils. I assume they'd do the same if it were an adult.

What you experienced with the hot tub suds is unreal. I wonder if the tragedy that week so consumed the staff leadership that the hot tub incidents were diminished amid their workload and grief. I would expect the parents be charged for the clean-up.

Our overall experience in the Haven was wonderful. I agree, the restaurant was phenomenal and the restaurant staff was wonderful. It was our first Haven experience. We booked the Haven on our next Escape cruise.

I also agree with your comments about Anoop. We booked everything in advance, so our only request was to ensure a wheelchair was available for disembarkation. We received it on time and his escort out was the two second walk to the staff elevator. If we didn't have a wheelchair attendent we would have been on the very long line. I saw the Haven priority sign as we were being escorted out along the right rail. I recognized fellow Haven guests on the long line and was able to advise them of the special exit.

Enjoy the Escape - I hope it is everything you want it to be.

The hot tub incidents happened before the tragedy, so there is really no excuse for the staff ignoring it

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I was on the BA in May. The first evening, while the duet was singing in the atrium, there were about 6 kids, I'd say 4-6 year olds, all "dancing" in the stage, right in front of the entertainers. The worst part was that one of the mothers was recording this, with a big stupid grin on her face. Like.."Oh this is so cute blah blah...".

After 15 minutes (and she was recording the entire time) I told the mom her kids were distracting. She told me they were having fun...and they continued.

Anyway....DH and I ran into the entertainers walking around later that evening and I asked if those kids were distracting. They said yes...but they they are NOT allowed to ask them to stop.