DevinScott

Well it looks like we have 2 of those alledged water mark/steamy window suites on the cruise immediately following dry dock. Certainly hope this is fixed!!!! Will try to follow up with a post and let everyone know our experience.

We just got off the Star in suite 12500. The only reason I noticed anything was because I read about it on here and was looking for it. The light streaks did not hinder our enjoyment at all.

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We liked La Cucina. I had T-bone steak and pasta. We also liked Moderno for the gluten free bread.

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(if there are no Coke machines, expect a lot of broken glass)

.....and we have a winner for best quote!

We were on the Escape and the bedding was different than we were told. They brought us a twin rollaway and it was comfortable.

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I would be curious if there is an airline employee in his seat now. They probably wouldn’t tell you.

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I too have enjoyed these soups in years past. One time I asked a waiter how they made them and he told me they are basically melted ice cream.

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We have twin sons age 14 and a third son age 12. We ate in the Haven restaurant last December with them on the Escape and the menus look pretty similar. We loved it and have another one planned in a suite on the Star in April. You are right that breakfast will be easy and everyone will find something they like. We found that the smaller suite restaurant is more accommodating and we felt very pampered. There is a kids menu with all the usuals like pizza, nuggets, etc., but the downside to the suite restaurant is that the lunch menu is the same every day. Don’t limit yourself. Eat in the MDR one day, try the buffet, eat by the pool, etc. You will find that you won’t want the same menu every day, either. Your boys are not going to go hungry. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the restaurant desserts are not kid friendly (unappealing), but the buffet has all kinds of desserts including ice cream. So, you might want to skip dessert sometimes and take the kids there. Relax and have fun!

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We didn’t like the bed arrangements on the Escape and they brought us a rollaway.

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What is the difference between Haven cabins and Suites in terms of amenities? TIA!!

 

 

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I’m not sure which ship you are asking about, but the only difference is access to the Haven courtyard.

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If he gets credit by number of booked cabins, he would possibly get something out of it. Hard to tell. As a past travel agent, sometimes agents will make the mistake of judging your trip by their pocketbook. I don’t think you mentioned the ship, but I have been in a 2 bedroom haven suite and there is no way I would book 2 mini suites.

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We were on the Escape with an allergy last year and ate at the buffet once and had a good experience. We told one of the workers and they directed us to the person to talk to. She pointed out the things we could have from the buffet and then brought fresh plates of food from the back. She even offered to make a gluten free pizza. It took a bit longer for the person with the allergy to get their food, however. We are traveling on the Star in April and think we will eat at the buffet more often. We were thinking that the person with the allergy might go first a few minutes to get food ordered and then the rest would follow a few minutes later. The best part? No allergic reactions.

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Would not consider the Haven on NCL or any other mass market ship.

 

 

 

I simply patronize Oceania, the entire ship is in fact a haven. From the amazing service, to the outstanding food in every venue to the quiet environment. No need to hid from anyone and anything on Oceania. It is a class operation all the way. The guests are very consistent in their travel experience, dress, social demeanor and their focus on good food and wine.

 

 

 

In fact the premium lines can be less expensive than suites and havens on the mass lines.

 

 

 

It appears to me that customers on mass lines are reacting to the overhyping/making people feel more important than others strategy deployed by the mass cruise lines. Customers are spending significant $ on suites/havens to hide from the lesser standards/people elsewhere on the ship.

 

 

 

If you want a suite/haven experience, simply patronize Oceania. Azamara, Viking.

Some of us prefer to stay away from people with consistent dress and social demeanor.

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We like the haven for 2 reasons. The first is that we have 3 teenage sons that I do not trust in their own cabin. There are very few cruise lines who allow 5 in a cabin and we like the family suites on NCL. The second is that my husband has a food allergy that can ruin our trip. The Haven staff pay more attention to his needs and the Haven restaurant gives us a better dining experience. For those reasons, we are willing to pay more. We don’t care about the courtyard.

Moderno is a good choice, because you get to make your own salad and choose different meats as they come around. It allows you to try different things without committing to a whole plate. My son discovered lamb as his favorite meat at Moderno (I dislike lamb, so never cook it). If you like soy sauce and rice, Teppanyaki is pretty safe too. Cagneys is basic US steakhouse. I loved my T-bone with mushrooms at La Cucina, but it gets mixed reviews. Le Bistro is a bit over my head.

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We had a Haven room on 18 close to the restaurant and loved that we could just walk down the hall to the restaurant. I doubt there is a bad room in the Haven.

I understand why people are saying switch the Haven to the second week, but I disagree. We were in the Haven on the Escape in December and have not been on the Getaway. Being the newer ship, the Escape has the nicer Haven. I have only seen pictures of the Getaway Haven, but the Escape Haven is more visually stunning. It is my understanding from workers on the Escape, that the restaurant is also larger and it has an outdoor seating area that the Getaway doesn't have. The downside to the restaurant was that the menu never changes. With that said, we ate there and at all of the specialty restaurants and the Haven food was the best. Unlike previous people, we did leave the Haven saying we would never book anything else. However, we decided to book our next cruise on the Pearl which does not have a Haven restaurant. We are not layout people, so the courtyard isn't really a draw to us. We booked a suite outside the Haven which still allows us to eat at Cagney's for Breakfast and Lunch with the Haven guests. If you decide to leave things the way they are, just enjoy both experiences and decide at the end if the Haven is worth it to you in the future.

We are from Seattle and love spending time in Victoria. Our favorite thing to do there is walk. We love walking the inner harbor and shopping at all of the little shops. We like taking the little water taxis around as well. Fisherman's Wharf is a cute little area with good fish and chip stands. Beacon Hill Park is massive and beautiful with duck ponds, a petting zoo, lots of sports fields and play areas, etc. We spend time there every visit and it is just a few blocks off the harbor. If you want a fun breakfast, my favorite is Blue Fox and there is always a line that I am willing to stand in.

I didn't get a reply, so I broke down and called NCL. Turns out they were very helpful. I thought I would post the reply in case anyone else has the same question. She told me there was a king bed in the master with a pull-out double sleeper sofa in the living room. The second bedroom has a twin futon style bed with a twin pullman.

We have a 2-bedroom Haven suite (H4) booked in December. Can anyone describe the exact location and type of extra beds available? I know the sofas are twin, double and a twin pulls down from the wall. Are the sofas sleeper sofas or pull out sleepers and where is everything located?

We travelled on the Carnival Pride in March after we got married in Portland. The cruise director told gay jokes every night until I finally confronted him and told him he was being offensive (which is completely out of character for me). He denied everything and told me nobody had every complained before. We will never travel on Carnival again.