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I absolutely loved the Vibe especially as a solo. You did the right thing with specialty Restaurant's. All. Did different was I did the Free at sea plus. You have a perfect plan.

@Bronx12 Oh stop now. It was a good question. Never feel bad about the questions you ask. All are fair. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Bronx12 The full name of this lounge is the Bliss Ultra Lounge. It is located on Deck 7. It is just the name of this bar. Similar the the "A List Bar" on the NCL Joy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@graphicguy What a great post and I am so happy for you. I recently did a Solo cruise on the NCL Joy and it was a lot of fun. I have never done the New England/Canada cruise so I am so looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I think is is brilliant what you did by waiting and getting a Club Balcony Suite. I also think it is very educational that you shared how your lined up all your FCC, Fare, Specialty Meals and leveraging your American Express Perks. I will be on the NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans in 80 days. I have cruised on the NCL Getaway so I kind of know the ship size and layout. I really like these ships and I truly enjoyed the Club Balcony Suite. Again, looking forward for your updates. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

We just received the agenda for our Casinos at Sea Slot Tournament Finals. The cruise is in 80 days. The agenda looks like: $100,000 Winner Take All Slot Tournament - Norwegian Breakaway SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: Sunday, December 4th | Welcome Cocktail Party & Registration Bliss Lounge from 4:00PM – 5:00PM Monday, December 5th | Session 1 Breakaway Casino starting at 10:00AM Thursday, December 8th | Session 2 Breakaway Casino starting at 6:00PM Friday, December 9th | Beach Party in Cozumel, Mexico Meet in Breakaway Casino at 9:15AM Disembark ship at 9:30AM Depart to Playa Mia at 9:45AM Depart back to ship at 2:30PM Saturday, December 10th | Pre-Finale Cocktail Party Bliss Lounge from 4:00PM – 5:00PM Saturday, December 10th | $100,000 Winner Take All Finale Breakaway Casino at 5:00PM We have NO idea how many folks will be in the finals. I do not think everyone that won the slot tournament on an NCL Ship will attend. This cruise we NOT complementary. I am hoping many players just skip it allowing for better odds. The fact of the matter is the Haven Suites are almost sold out. With 80 days until the cruise, that is a bit unusual. That tells me, there might be some competition in this contest. FYI, I am sharing this information because there is so little information on this event. I will also do live posting on the ship focused on the Tournament and cruising "Haven Lite". We have done the "Free At Sea PLUS" upgrade, booked a Cabana in the Vibe Beach Club, have upgrade bids for the Haven and Balcony Spa Suite. My wife and I have gone to these ports before, we have not booked any excursions as of yet. The Tournament provides one excursion in Cozumel, Mexico. I may splurge on the Beach Villa on the Private Island if I can find some folks that want to go in with us due to the cost. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Homeport5 The NCL Haven; Celebrity Retreat; and the MSC Yacht Club are obviously all "Ship-within-a-Ship" concepts. Each have Pros/Cons. For example, as much as I love the dining in the Haven Restaurant, the Celebrity Retreat Suites Only Restaurant has a menu that changes every day/night. Where the Haven stays the same all week. The MSC Yacht Club has a much bigger area for the folks in the Yacht Club with a bigger private pool. Yet they are not known for great entertainment. Pros/Cons. One thing we all never really talk about is other brands like Oceania Cruises. Oceania is designed where everyone is treated the same when you leave your stateroom. Kind of like a Haven/Retreat/Yacht Club on steriods for the entire ship. Currently you can cruise with Oceania (Premium Plus Category) in a Penthouse for less then the Mainstream Brands for in some cases less. The Con to Oceania is it is a smaller ship, less entertainment options and an older crowd. The Pros are the dining which is the best and the investment compared to other "Ship-in-a-Ship" options. All I am saying is look at everything, know what you really like and choose accordingly. Last note, I have been traveling in the Haven and writing about it for a very long time. I want folks to know, you can have a great time in another stateroom with a great Haven Lite Strategy. Hope all this makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Warm-Water Diver Your question is subjective but I think you know that. Everyone likes different foods and dining experiences. However, I never let an opportunity to discuss food go by. Please remember, this is my opinion only. My personal favorites are Cagney's for the first night and Teppenyaki for the last night. I love Le Bistro because of the lamb chops. My family does not like Le Bistro. We get a dinner for two on American Express to Le Bistro as a perk. On to your question. I would choose Onda. Ocean Blue is not as good as it once was. At first it was the place to go, now it has been lack luster the last few times. Just my opinion. Onda allows for lots of nice tastes and a really great menu. I can not leave this response by saying, I am going on a 7 day NCL cruise in December 2022. I also have four specialty meals. I have chosen to go to Cagney's twice because they have better lamb chops then Le Bistro and better Prime Rib then the Haven Restaurant. I hope my thoughts give you some of what you were looking for. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This ship is a new concept. Many things will not be perfect. The brand will correct obvious mistakes as they have in the past. As I read all the comments and opinions given, one struck me to have pretty clear assessment of Social Media. People without the experience of cruising on this ship are making comments that sound like they have been on the ship many time. Social Media allows for this kind of response and it is less about having actual experience as is it projecting how one would feel if it happened to them. NCL intent with a Dry Slide was to be different. The same holds true with the larger Go-Cart Track on a smaller ship. Just as with the Joy when originally designed for the Asian Market, when a cruise brand sees that did not work, they adjust their mistake if their is one. Until more people cruise this ship, take video's and pictures; we all who have not cruised it won't know the actual situation. I hope that clear and accurate information comes soon. A situation like this happened to me on another ship. It was not a slide that was an obstruction, it was something else. The response was frustration and anger on the social media board. I was also upset because I wanted my cruise to be perfect. When we got on the cruise, the situation in reality was much less intense and the cruise was great. Just like visualizing how great your cruise is going to be before it happens, then the reality is a let down from our perfect fantasies. Focusing on how bad something is going to be before it happens has a similar effect. Our minds play a harsh game until reality sets in. For every CruiseCritic.com member cruising on the Prima sometime soon, can I ask if you could give use some live information and pictures. We as a group would truly appreciate it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I agree completely. I think what happened is when Covid-19 shut down the cruise companies, they had to find new ways to make back the profits that they lost. So everything went up. I have purchased the Thermal Spa and only used it a couple of times. I also have purchased the Vibe Beach Club and used it every day. Everyone has something that helps them enjoy their cruise. We all have to make decisions on what is affordable to our respective budgets. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@CruiseAFI get you however sometimes it is not what you say, it is how you say it. The issue here is the ship is to new to rate. The other is the premium one pays for the Haven Suite in question. In most cases, the Cruise Brand lets the guest know if there is an obstruction. Like when you go to a Broadway show, an obstructed view seat would be discounted. In this case it is a Haven Suite which is supposed to be the best on the ship. I always remember how many times I was cancelled before I finally could use my FCC. It was close to two years. During those two years I visualized my cruise from start to finish. To think my balcony has any sort of obstruction would have put a "Debbie Downer" on my cruise for sure. Not a First World Issue, but would have been very disappointing. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My pleasure. I used to approach my answers differently. I would say things like, "Search your subject" instead of simply answering the posters question. I realized, as familiar I was at how to navigate CruiseCritic.com, many others simply want their question answered. My response to you was detailed because I am doing the same thing right now for my upcoming cruise on the NCL Breakaway December 4, 2022. With everything I know and learned, I know my odds of getting an upgrade is slim and none. The most important think I want to share on this site is to always have realistic expectations. On my cruise, because it is a special event cruise, only a handful of Haven Suites are left. I know that which makes knowing I most likely will not be successful, easier to take. You can ask me anything and if I don't know, I will be transparent. CruiseCritic.com is a very nice source and most everyone is helpful. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Well done, great information. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The bookings on any cruise are usually almost compete at about 90 days out. That is also the time when full payment is due from those that book the cruise early. From a trend standpoint, NCL starts to slowly decrease the cost of a Haven (and other) suites the closer it gets to the cruise date. A few cabins get sold but not that many. Then sometimes the unforeseeable happens. I was hoping for an upgrade to the Haven for my last cruise. I was a solo. Then a few week prior, one of NCL ships hit a sand bar. The next few weeks were cancelled on that ship and they offered moving to the ship I was on. Quickly all the Haven Suites were gone. Understandable of course. Do I think lots will be sold, no. As the price goes down, some folks upgrade at retail vs. upgrade bid. Happens all the time. I also notice that the folks in the lowest cost Haven Suites, upgrade to the better Haven Suites putting their old room in inventory. So you might not see it now but it will show up the last week or two prior to your cruise. I also notices there sometimes was two waves of "Bid Upgrades". The first wave take the really high bids and the second wave happens about three days prior to sailing. I would much prefer that NCL simple sends out a specific amount they want for an upgrade at the last minute. That is what some other brands do and it is for me, much less stressful. I know I over answered your question. I have a tendency to do that. I hope I helped. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The way to do that is to act like you are booking a stateroom online. Choose the stateroom you want to bid on and when the screen says, would you like to choose a different stateroom, click it. You will now see the number of available cabins. This gives you and indication of suites that could be bid on for a lower bid amount. The other way I get inventory is to go to cruise (dot) com. I put my cruise in and look at each of the categories of staterooms I want. Same notion on bidding. I hope that strategy makes sense and assist you in some way. It has worked for me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

OK, drop the notion of Free At Sea. Highlight the notion of checking inventory. The way to do that is to act like you are booking a stateroom online. Choose the stateroom you want to bid on and when the screen says, would you like to choose a different stateroom, click it. You will now see the number of available cabins. This gives you and indication of suites that could be bid on for a lower bid amount. The other way I get inventory is to go to cruise (dot) com. I put my cruise in and look at each of the categories of staterooms I want. Same notion on bidding. I hope that strategy makes sense and assist you in some way. It has worked for me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I want to approach your question differently. When using the "Upgrade Bid" program, the offer to you is usually a few categories above what you booked. From a strategic standpoint, which is what I think you are asking for. I would book the cheapest stateroom with all the "Free At Sea" perks. This will give you the "Free at Sea" perks for any upgrade you receive. Second, understand what happens and when it happens on upgrade bids. The company that awards the bids is a third party vender whom specialize in this kind of program. They rarely award a bid until just a few days prior to your cruise. Look at the inventory for the stateroom you want online. If low availability, make a bid a bit higher. If high availability, make bid a little lower. Next, realized the third party company upgrades the Haven first, those that got upgraded now have inventory open. They pull everyone up and you will be last. I am sharing this will you because if inventory is not available now, it will be once the upgrades start to be given. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My cruise on the NCL Breakaway is 82 days away. I went to the spa, "Thermal Spa", and the investment for a 7-Day Cruise was $299.00 per guest for the week. Go online, go to spa, then "Thermal Spa" and it should be in the same place. Yours will be more because of the number of days you are traveling. I usually choose the Vibe Beach Club or the Thermal Spa. It depends on the weather when I am cruising. The Vibe is usually a little less then the spa. Both can be purchased ahead of time on your Online Access. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@latebloomer56You are more than welcome. I can not answer your question however I will make a comment. I had the Pearl booked for New England and Canada a few years ago with a Two Bedroom Family villa in the Haven. It was a family vacation. Prior, my wife and I went on the NCL Getaway, in a Haven Spa Suite. I immediately realized I like the full Haven Experience only available on the larger NCL ships. We cancelled the Pearl and booked the Encore. Due to many cancelations due to Covid, we ended up on the NCL Joy. My opinion and only my opinion is the smaller ships with the smaller Haven are a great if the itinerary need those smaller ship to get into the ports with no tenders. If not, the bigger ships with the full Haven Experience suite my family and I better. I know I went off your topic however I wanted to share my experience. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@cruiserbear55Thank you for the response. My question on the drink card was just out of curiosity. it was the first I had ever hear of it and I love to learn new information. My wife and I are completely spoiled so we did the "Free at Sea PLUS" package. So that includes the Premium PLUS Beverage Package. I have a habit of finding and drinking as much Tequila 1942 as I can find on the ship, LOL. The Casino Goodies sound lovely. Nice touch. I failed to state, this upcoming trip on the NCL Breakaway is because my wife won the slot tournament on the NCL Joy last December. She has an entry in to the finals for $100,000.00 winner take all. That will be a really fun event I am sure. Thank you again for responding and it was must helpful. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Can you elaborate on the Casino Drink Card and the goodies? I will be at Port of New Orleans, does that qualify. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@dbdbI am currently booked on a CAS cruise on the Breakaway in December 2022. The 20% off is off the current cruise far with the 40% discount. Remember, the additional 20% is limited to Club Suite or below not Haven Usually. It only applies to the actual fare, not the port or tax charges. If you use an American Express Platinum Card, you will not get your perks because you have to book through CAS. It is an excellent deal and you can always call prior to final payment for a lower price if on comes available. One more thing, always get the "Free at Sea" promotion not "Cruise Only". Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for the kind words. I am the Author. Remember, you can order from the Haven Restaurant for your room service (served by the butler) if they are open. Depending on the ship, the Haven Horizon Observation Lounge has coffee (Starbucks machine complementary) and lite breakfast. Please try the Almond Danish. It is ONLY in the Haven and it is to die for. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@weltekFunny I was hopping for the same thing, low attendance. I don't think that is going to happen because three months out, the Haven is almost completely sold out. This is the week after thanksgiving so all I can think is those that won, booked the Haven. I hope sincerely I am wrong. The ship is about the same as other. The 20% off I got from Casinos at Sea was very welcomed. Thank you for the good luck. I asked my wife what would she purchase first. She said, I have NO IDEA. I have some idea's for her though. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello everyone, I thought it would be fun to do a count down to the $100,000.00 Winner Takes All NCL “Casinos at Sea” Tournament. The cruise is 85 days away. Here is the story. My family and I was cruising on the NCL Joy, November 27 – December 4, 2021. I got each family member a buy-in ($30.00) in the ships slot tournament. Prior to my wife playing for the first round, she said, “I hate doing this slot tournament. It makes me so nervous.” When you do a slot tournament you can see who is leading on your screen until the last 15 seconds. There was my wife ahead of the pack with me in dead last. Bingo, she wins round one. This got her in the finals for the ship. In the finals which pays $500.00, I am watching her play, with a minute to go she was second. With 15 seconds to go she was first. Bingo, she wins the ship tournament. This is so odd. My wife does not gamble at all. I filmed her getting the hundred-dollar bills in her hand like they do on YouTube. She stashed the money as her MAD money, enjoy it for a few months. She was giddy. The next thing I know, they hand her a piece of paper which gave her an entry into the “Casinos at Sea” slot tournament finals on the NCL Breakaway, out of New Orleans, on December 4, 2022. At first, I thought we also won a free cruise. “Not in my lifetime”, we had to pay for the cruise which was just fine. Casinos at Sea did give us a 20% discount the fare, so I felt fortunate. For those of you that read my “Secrets to the NCL Haven VIP Experience” posting here on CruiseCritic.com, I immediately ask for the discount on a Haven Suite. That as a “NO GO”. You can’t blame me for trying folks. We did get a Club Balcony Suite (MA) which we are very happy about. I also, as you might expect, already put in my “Upgrade Bid” for a Haven Suite. The reality is there is only a handful of Haven Suites left so I have NO real chance of an upgrade. I would rather it be this way then waiting and getting disappointed at the last minute. Time for Haven Lite: With a Club Balcony Suite, my lovely bride and I will be doing the now famous “Haven Lite” approach. The first thing I did was book the “Free at Sea PLUS” program. This just became available just a few months ago. It includes the Premium Plus Beverage Program, Unlimited Internet (Not Streaming), another $50.00 off excursion (that gives us $100.00 off) and two more Specialty Restaurants (Giving us a total of four). From there I booked a Cabana in the Vibe Beach Club. This is again, a new thing that you can book the Vibe pre-cruise instead of running for the Vibe desk when you get on the ship. That used to make me so nervous, so I was thrilled. One of the things I aways do is attempt to create an all-inclusive feeling on an NCL Cruise. I pre-paid my gratuities, purchased my cruise insurance (We usually cost the insurance company money) and book/paid for a few excursions. As most of you know, when you are in a Haven Suite you can pre-reserve a specialty restaurant 130 days in advance. Since I am in a Club Balcony Suite it is 125 day in advance so check that box. There you have it, Haven Lite nailed. As the time comes closer, I will post again on this thread. As Casinos at Sea send us information, I will post it. When I am on the cruise, I will do “Live Postings”. Wish my lovely bride some luck. She said we could go on another cruise if she wins, LOL. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Have a GREAT cruise. Allow all of us to live through your experiences. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.