Getaway Haven review (2/4-2/11 sailing)

We just returned from a week in the Haven on the Getaway and it's hard to get back to reality!

We are yearly cruisers, mostly using NCL but have also cruised Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Celebrity. Picked this cruise and Haven to celebrate my wife's birthday. We had a 2BR suite on the 15th deck.

Embarkment - Good, but not great. We had high expectations for Haven embarkation, but the overall process was slowed by some kind of inspection. We had to wait an hour in the terminal. Once the ship was cleared, though, we were escorted to the Haven area very quickly. The introduction was crowded due to the delay.

Room - perfect for our family. It's so nice to have 2 beds and bathrooms plus the common area. Arvin (cabin steward) and Gary (butler) were very attentive through the week and took good care of us. Shower was amazing and it's really cool to have a bathtub on a cruise ship overlooking the ocean.

Haven areas - on a full sailing with a group of 600-700 from Taiwan, we were happy to have the private pools and deck areas. The hot tubs were never crowded, usually only one group in each. Plenty of seating and great service - they were constantly offering drink service and wanted to make sure we were happy. Haven restaurant was very good - servers were attentive and meals were paced well. Bar staff in the Haven was awesome too - welcoming and positive every visit.

Ship activities - good but crowded. It's to be expected on a ship with 4000 passengers. We try to do activities when in port or when others are making different choices to avoid lines. Slides were fun, even better when in port and no lines at all! Ropes course was good, with crowds and some waits. Staff was awesome at both. Deal or No Deal has become more of a rip-off as the cards are now $25 (was $19.95 last year) and prizes have not increased. Shows were good - Million Dollar Quartet was the better of the two free shows. I don't know why the Haven seats are all the way at the front of the theater - for what we paid, a more prime location would be mid-way up in the center section.

Dining - good quality as we expect from NCL. Buffet was fine, but we mostly ate in the Haven or specialty restaurants. The Spanish and Indian lunches on sea days were nice too - good way to diversify the meal offerings.

Margaritaville - went on embarkation day for the Haven lunch - nice burgers and nachos. Drink service was slow to open based on the inspection.

Moderno - first time at this restaurant. We found the meats to be very salty and service slow. The salad bar was really good. Not sure we'd choose to return on a future cruise.

La Cucina - good food and was awesome to sit outside overlooking the ocean.

Teppenyaki - pretty standard hibachi meal. Food good, quantity pretty extreme, slow drink service.

Haven - consistently good. Staff got to know us and was always welcoming. For my wife's birthday dinner, they made it more special with a rose and "candle." It would be better if the menus rotated, though.

Ports:

Didn't get off in Roatan. We had been there before and had booked excursions at the other ports.Great time to use the slides and onboard activities!

Harvest Caye - after reading reviews and feedback, I didn't expect a cultural experience. We did stand up paddleboards, which was fun for me and the kids. An hour was sufficient. Then spent some time at the pool before heading back to the ship for lunch.

Costa Maya - The Maya Lost Kingdom waterpark was incredible. Yes, it's a little expensive but there were two zip line circuits, a zip coaster and loads of slides. The place was pretty empty too, which made it more enjoyable. Staff was very focused on our experience, covering safety and other information for each slide and activity. Highly recommend this excursion - think of it as a waterpark day where you pay for a fast pass and don't have to wait for anything.

Cozumel - We did the Easy Shoreside Snorkel. The staff was great - actually taking us in groups of 4 out into the ocean and guiding our adventure. Some fish, a sea snake, and perfect intro to snorkeling for my daughter.

Disembarkation was easy. Got off with plenty of time to catch a cab to Miami airport for our 11:00 flight home.

Overall, great trip. Like others have stated, it will be hard to cruse again and not get a Haven cabin. It's like having your eyes opened to a new experience and an exclusive area on the ship. A normal cruise would be hard because we know what we'd be missing behind those locked doors. Guess I have to start saving now...

Thank you for your review.

Nicely written review, thanks!

Thanks for sharing your review with us.

We just returned from a week in the Haven on the Getaway and it's hard to get back to reality!

 

We are yearly cruisers, mostly using NCL but have also cruised Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Celebrity. Picked this cruise and Haven to celebrate my wife's birthday. We had a 2BR suite on the 15th deck.

 

Embarkment - Good, but not great. We had high expectations for Haven embarkation, but the overall process was slowed by some kind of inspection. We had to wait an hour in the terminal. Once the ship was cleared, though, we were escorted to the Haven area very quickly. The introduction was crowded due to the delay.

 

Room - perfect for our family. It's so nice to have 2 beds and bathrooms plus the common area. Arvin (cabin steward) and Gary (butler) were very attentive through the week and took good care of us. Shower was amazing and it's really cool to have a bathtub on a cruise ship overlooking the ocean.

 

Haven areas - on a full sailing with a group of 600-700 from Taiwan, we were happy to have the private pools and deck areas. The hot tubs were never crowded, usually only one group in each. Plenty of seating and great service - they were constantly offering drink service and wanted to make sure we were happy. Haven restaurant was very good - servers were attentive and meals were paced well. Bar staff in the Haven was awesome too - welcoming and positive every visit.

 

Ship activities - good but crowded. It's to be expected on a ship with 4000 passengers. We try to do activities when in port or when others are making different choices to avoid lines. Slides were fun, even better when in port and no lines at all! Ropes course was good, with crowds and some waits. Staff was awesome at both. Deal or No Deal has become more of a rip-off as the cards are now $25 (was $19.95 last year) and prizes have not increased. Shows were good - Million Dollar Quartet was the better of the two free shows. I don't know why the Haven seats are all the way at the front of the theater - for what we paid, a more prime location would be mid-way up in the center section.

 

Dining - good quality as we expect from NCL. Buffet was fine, but we mostly ate in the Haven or specialty restaurants. The Spanish and Indian lunches on sea days were nice too - good way to diversify the meal offerings.

 

Margaritaville - went on embarkation day for the Haven lunch - nice burgers and nachos. Drink service was slow to open based on the inspection.

 

Moderno - first time at this restaurant. We found the meats to be very salty and service slow. The salad bar was really good. Not sure we'd choose to return on a future cruise.

 

La Cucina - good food and was awesome to sit outside overlooking the ocean.

 

Teppenyaki - pretty standard hibachi meal. Food good, quantity pretty extreme, slow drink service.

 

Haven - consistently good. Staff got to know us and was always welcoming. For my wife's birthday dinner, they made it more special with a rose and "candle." It would be better if the menus rotated, though.

 

Ports:

 

Didn't get off in Roatan. We had been there before and had booked excursions at the other ports.Great time to use the slides and onboard activities!

 

Harvest Caye - after reading reviews and feedback, I didn't expect a cultural experience. We did stand up paddleboards, which was fun for me and the kids. An hour was sufficient. Then spent some time at the pool before heading back to the ship for lunch.

 

Costa Maya - The Maya Lost Kingdom waterpark was incredible. Yes, it's a little expensive but there were two zip line circuits, a zip coaster and loads of slides. The place was pretty empty too, which made it more enjoyable. Staff was very focused on our experience, covering safety and other information for each slide and activity. Highly recommend this excursion - think of it as a waterpark day where you pay for a fast pass and don't have to wait for anything.

 

Cozumel - We did the Easy Shoreside Snorkel. The staff was great - actually taking us in groups of 4 out into the ocean and guiding our adventure. Some fish, a sea snake, and perfect intro to snorkeling for my daughter.

 

Disembarkation was easy. Got off with plenty of time to catch a cab to Miami airport for our 11:00 flight home.

 

Overall, great trip. Like others have stated, it will be hard to cruse again and not get a Haven cabin. It's like having your eyes opened to a new experience and an exclusive area on the ship. A normal cruise would be hard because we know what we'd be missing behind those locked doors. Guess I have to start saving now...

Anyone considering the Haven, take this seriously - I'm not kidding! Once you've done Haven it's really hard to go back to non-Haven cruising! DH used to hate doing anything and take zero responsibility for vacations, now he says "for our next vacation how about a Haven cruise". He's really cheap but - we could have done a balcony for our next cruise for well under $3k, instead we are spending over $8k for Haven and he isn't batting an eyelash - "it's worth it"! he says! BE WARNED!

Anyone considering the Haven, take this seriously - I'm not kidding! Once you've done Haven it's really hard to go back to non-Haven cruising! DH used to hate doing anything and take zero responsibility for vacations, now he says "for our next vacation how about a Haven cruise". He's really cheap but - we could have done a balcony for our next cruise for well under $3k, instead we are spending over $8k for Haven and he isn't batting an eyelash - "it's worth it"! he says! BE WARNED!

I know. It’s like who is this guy!

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Add us to the list of those who may never cruise outside of the Haven again. We did a family cruise in a 2 bedroom in 2016. Now, hubby and I are going for our anniversary (same ship, almost same itinerary). We didn't even consider another line because of the lack of the Haven common areas.

Wondering about the embarkation Margaritaville Haven lunch. It was not an area when we cruised the Getaway before, so I am not familiar with this. Can you tell me more?

I have been in Penthouse Suite on NCL but not the Haven. What makes the Haven so special and worth the extra cost from a regular suite on their ships? Thanks

Thanks for your review. We board next Sunday the 25th. Have a Haven forward facing suite on the 12th deck. Can't wait. I know I won't be able to go back to a balcony after the haven. We'll have to see DH's reaction for future cruises.

Terrific review.

Keith

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. Much appreciated!

Add us to the list of those who may never cruise outside of the Haven again. We did a family cruise in a 2 bedroom in 2016. Now, hubby and I are going for our anniversary (same ship, almost same itinerary). We didn't even consider another line because of the lack of the Haven common areas.

 

Wondering about the embarkation Margaritaville Haven lunch. It was not an area when we cruised the Getaway before, so I am not familiar with this. Can you tell me more?

The Haven staff gave us the option of having a complimentary lunch at Margaritaville on embarkation day. I think it's just to alleviate some of the crowd from the Haven restaurant as passengers come onboard. Margaritaville is usually a restaurant with a surcharge, except for this one lunch. Since we had never tried the food there, we thought it was a good opportunity to have lunch. Food was pretty good, just know it's a pretty basic bar-food type menu - burgers, sandwiches, appetizers.

I have been in Penthouse Suite on NCL but not the Haven. What makes the Haven so special and worth the extra cost from a regular suite on their ships? Thanks

The private areas makes it so special. There's a separate deck with a pool, 2 hot tubs, sauna, and loads of deck chairs for Haven customers. It's pretty awesome to not have to worry about fighting for a deck chair or dealing with the crowds onboard. Plus, there is a dedicated bartender and wait staff that regularly make rounds to ensure drinks are full for everyone in the private area. It really allows for relaxation and serenity vs. the craziness of the pool deck.

Thanks for the update and feedback on what makes the haven worth the extra money. I appreciate it

Great Review! My hubby and I are booked in the Haven on the Getaway in September. It will be our first Haven cruise too. We'll be on the list of never going back to regular cabins too. We love being spoiled. Ha Ha We figure if we work hard for our money and can afford it, book something special.

Thank you for a wonderful review.

I fully agree about the Haven menus and the lack of rotation but otherwise we have consistently had excellent service throughout. We are on the upcoming 21-night Bliss PC cruise and am wondering if I will get tired of the same food BUT that's what all those other eating venues are for.

Thanks for posting this report.

Add us to the list of those who may never cruise outside of the Haven again. We did a family cruise in a 2 bedroom in 2016. Now, hubby and I are going for our anniversary (same ship, almost same itinerary). We didn't even consider another line because of the lack of the Haven common areas.

Don't be so quick to ignore other lines. ;)

We are trying MSC for the first time in the Yacht Club (same ship-within-a-ship concept as NCL Haven) and there is also Celebrity Edge's "Retreat" which is also a ship-within-a-ship concept even though Celebrity doesn't want to call it that. ;p

I was also thinking about an MSC cruise until I read some of the reviews. As to the Edge, am booked on it next year and the Retreat concept is pretty obviously (at least to me) a result of The Haven; RCCL is doing to same thing.

I was also thinking about an MSC cruise until I read some of the reviews.

IMO, NCL Haven has many advantages vs. MSC Yacht Club. Suite size clearly favors NCL. The bad MSC reviews seem to parallel the "experience" booked on MSC. The higher the experience (Yacht Club being the highest), the better the reviews. On NCL, any stateroom type will likely have a great cruise. On MSC, many Bella (the lowest) experience reviews are bad.

Price clearly favor MSC but I'll have to wait and see for myself if MSC's product is good enough.

As to the Edge, am booked on it next year and the Retreat concept is pretty obviously (at least to me) a result of The Haven; RCCL is doing to same thing.

I don't know if you've visited the Celebrity forum but MANY people are upset with the "Retreat". I'm still on the fence with Celebrity Edge for my family but if I go, it will be in a suite.

Don't be so quick to ignore other lines. ;)

 

We are trying MSC for the first time in the Yacht Club (same ship-within-a-ship concept as NCL Haven) and there is also Celebrity Edge's "Retreat" which is also a ship-within-a-ship concept even though Celebrity doesn't want to call it that. ;p

Adding to this MSC is a lot less money for a similar experience.

I don't have to be a suite guest every time I cant stand being in the same places everyday eating off the same menu. But I do understand when folk say they love it.

Adding to this MSC is a lot less money for a similar experience.

I don't have to be a suite guest every time I cant stand being in the same places everyday eating off the same menu. But I do understand when folk say they love it.

My brother competed a MSC cruise out of Miami and he was not impressed. Just one persons opinion but he's done many cruises and simply was not impressed. He is a fan of Carnival and said MSC didn't even meet the Carnival standards.

P.S. The lions stink - go Wings ;)(from a Detroiter)

My brother competed a MSC cruise out of Miami and he was not impressed. Just one persons opinion but he's done many cruises and simply was not impressed. He is a fan of Carnival and said MSC didn't even meet the Carnival standards.

Was he in the Yacht Club or did he book a different "experience"?

Was he in the Yacht Club or did he book a different "experience"?

No, just basic cruise in one of their balcony's.