Getaway Haven 14-21 June (Couples Review)

[ee1999]

How early did you go to Cagney's?? What time did you have to be back in the Haven to be escorted to the show??

 

We went to Cagney's a little after 6 and they seated us right away. We originally had 6:30 reservations, but they ask you to be at the Haven 45 minutes before the show to escort you.

 

We had no problem getting to the Haven on time. When Anoop gives you the time to meet him there for anything I wouldn't bother getting there early. They were running about 15-20 minutes after the meeting time he would give us.

[happy cruzin]

We went to Cagney's a little after 6 and they seated us right away. We originally had 6:30 reservations, but they ask you to be at the Haven 45 minutes before the show to escort you.

 

 

 

We had no problem getting to the Haven on time. When Anoop gives you the time to meet him there for anything I wouldn't bother getting there early. They were running about 15-20 minutes after the meeting time he would give us.

 

 

Yes...it was the same on the Epic and Breakaway. We typically left the Haven about 15 minutes before the doors opened for general seating.

 

 

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[happy cruzin]

Do you have a recommendation for seats for the show - now that you've seen it??

 

 

 

 

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[swaterbury]

I think you should go with something somewhere in the middle range. Like a regular balcony cabin. That way you guys can escape the masses when you want to, but still be able to enjoy the water. Also, they are fairly inexpensive - especially compared to the Haven!!

 

Sara

[ee1999]

Do you have a recommendation for seats for the show - now that you've seen it??

 

 

 

 

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You really don't get to walk in and just pick your seats. They meet you at the door and take you to a table. With that said, we were 3 tables back from the stage almost centered. I would try to get on any row centered on the stage. The performers all seemed to play toward the center about 95% of the time.

[happy cruzin]

You really don't get to walk in and just pick your seats. They meet you at the door and take you to a table. With that said, we were 3 tables back from the stage almost centered. I would try to get on any row centered on the stage. The performers all seemed to play toward the center about 95% of the time.

 

Noted! Thanks :)

[ee1999]

I just wanted to tell you my experience with the concierge service which is not dissimilar to others I have read on the NCL boards.

 

We went to the concierge desk one evening to see if they could book Le Bistro for us that evening. The concierge quickly looked at her computer and told us the specialty restaurants were booked the rest of the week.

 

We walked downstairs to Le Bistro and asked the Maitre 'D if they would be able to get us in that evening and she asked if we could come back at 8:15 and she'd get us right in. Really, that was the exact time we asked the concierge for 10 minutes earlier. We did the same thing for Teppanyaki.

 

The Haven concierge staff in my opinion was no more useful than the TV menu or the concierge app. If you really want to do something pre-book it prior through the online system. I almost didn't thinking I would just use the concierge once we get onboard.

[happy cruzin]

I just wanted to tell you my experience with the concierge service which is not dissimilar to others I have read on the NCL boards.

 

We went to the concierge desk one evening to see if they could book Le Bistro for us that evening. The concierge quickly looked at her computer and told us the specialty restaurants were booked the rest of the week.

 

We walked downstairs to Le Bistro and asked the Maitre 'D if they would be able to get us in that evening and she asked if we could come back at 8:15 and she'd get us right in. Really, that was the exact time we asked the concierge for 10 minutes earlier. We did the same thing for Teppanyaki.

 

The Haven concierge staff in my opinion was no more useful than the TV menu or the concierge app. If you really want to do something pre-book it prior through the online system. I almost didn't thinking I would just use the concierge once we get onboard.

 

 

Wow...that is disturbing and not at all like our Haven concierge experiences on the Epic or Breakaway. :o

[Medtech2]

I just wanted to tell you my experience with the concierge service which is not dissimilar to others I have read on the NCL boards.

 

We went to the concierge desk one evening to see if they could book Le Bistro for us that evening. The concierge quickly looked at her computer and told us the specialty restaurants were booked the rest of the week.

 

We walked downstairs to Le Bistro and asked the Maitre 'D if they would be able to get us in that evening and she asked if we could come back at 8:15 and she'd get us right in. Really, that was the exact time we asked the concierge for 10 minutes earlier. We did the same thing for Teppanyaki.

 

The Haven concierge staff in my opinion was no more useful than the TV menu or the concierge app. If you really want to do something pre-book it prior through the online system. I almost didn't thinking I would just use the concierge once we get onboard.

Unfortunately the only dinner I would need to book is the Illusionarium, which NCL wants us to prepay. I don't want to do that as we have so much OBC, so hopefully the preconcierge will put us down for the time we want (2nd show, 1st night)...

[happy cruzin]

Unfortunately the only dinner I would need to book is the Illusionarium, which NCL wants us to prepay. I don't want to do that as we have so much OBC, so hopefully the preconcierge will put us down for the time we want (2nd show, 1st night)...

 

 

Go make the request as soon as you can - after you board!

 

Although we request very little - we have never had a request denied on the Epic or Breakaway. On the Epic - being NCL/Haven newbies we booked everything once on board. Had no issues. The Breakaway was a combination on pre book and on board - but again no issues.

 

Can't help but wonder why this is a problem on the Getaway. :/

 

 

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[JasonV1]

Remember that UDP guests get in free to Illusionarium the first night, which may make reservations even more difficult to get unless the first night is just that dead.

 

This is only if the Concierge is as "unhelpful" as noted earlier in this post.

 

Unfortunately the only dinner I would need to book is the Illusionarium, which NCL wants us to prepay. I don't want to do that as we have so much OBC, so hopefully the preconcierge will put us down for the time we want (2nd show, 1st night)...

[ee1999]

Wow...that is disturbing and not at all like our Haven concierge experiences on the Epic or Breakaway. :o

 

We had 4 other couples on the cruise who told us the Haven and service in the Haven didn't compare to Epic. We didn't meet anyone who could compare it to Breakaway.

[happy cruzin]

We had 4 other couples on the cruise who told us the Haven and service in the Haven didn't compare to Epic. We didn't meet anyone who could compare it to Breakaway.

 

 

Sad..... 😞

 

 

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[ee1999]

Frasier Season 1 Epsisode 17: Give Him the Chair

 

Frasier has to find Martin's chair after it was mistakingly discarded.

 

The biggest reason we decided to go to Atlantis was we use to travel there frequently and I needed to replace something I got there. It's impossible to describe why it's important, but I had a sandwich toothpick from Murray's deli there. Every time we have sandwiches at home Erin always put it in my sandwich. Somehow a couple of months ago it went missing.

 

When you get to the Bahamas you can get get priority disembarkation through the Haven. It was the only place you really needed to do this because the other ports you just could walk right on and right off no crowd. I think it was probably because you don't dock until noon in Nassau.

 

When you go through the port building avoid the urge to go with a taxi driver waiting at the doors that are not the exit doors. We did that and ended up walking a long way to get to a taxi parked almost out on the main road. Go to the exit and get in the queue it will be much quicker. The taxi or ferry is $4 per person to Atlantis. They will pack the tiny vans full before they leave.

 

I went to check in and Erin went to the deli to see if she could get any flags. We were both successful and they had our room available and we scored about 20 flags. The lady at the deli originally gave Erin 2 or 3 flags, but went on got a handful more when she tipped her.

 

We went up to the room to store our things and look at the room. They must have recently renovated the rooms everything seemed fresh and new. We then went down to the pool area right outside of the Cove.

 

If you've never been to Atlantis there is a lot you can see. They have an excellent aquarium they call The Dig. It is not as impressive as when they had the giant stingray Zeus, but they released him into the ocean a few years ago. They have a predator reef with a body slide that goes through the shark tank and quite a few body slides. They also have a lazy river that is small near the beach tower and a not so lazy river that is over a mile long and has rapids. You can access the tube and raft slides without ever leaving the not so lazy river by use of conveyor belts. We went a couple of loops around there, but Erin got kicked square in the head by a lady not paying attention and got queasy so we went back to our chairs.

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We had no problem finding chairs and got our towels from the towel hut. A bar server came and got our drink orders. They could use some more servers or some more energetic ones. We had 2 mango daiquiris it took about 30 minutes for her to get back to us. The drinks were $10 each an additional 15% service charge. We gave her an additional $5 and still never saw her again.

 

We walked around to see a lot of the art and sculptures around the property and to dry off. We caught a taxi back to the ship in front of the lobby. I wanted to get back and try the slides on the ship.

 

I can't really say Atlantis is worth the price the ship charges or even the cost of getting a room at the Comfort Suites. If we go back I would probably go to Blue Lagoon, go to an all-inclusive on a day pass, do a powerboat trip to one of the out islands, or most likely stay on the ship.

 

The slides on the ship are amazing! The drop slides take your breath away when that floor first drops out you feel weightless. There was no wait on the slides and I really enjoyed them. Had I done these slides earlier in the trip I would have made it a point to do them daily.

 

I had done the ropes course earlier in the cruise. I believe it was the last sea day. The course was the best I have seen on land or sea. I didn't think anything on the course would bother me, but I did get some adrenaline going when I let go of the safety line to reach up and pull the cord to take my picture on the plank. The wind was really blowing that day and the ship was moving along at a pretty good pace. It is very exhilarating being out over the ship and I took my time to look around while I was out there.

 

 

 

[ee1999]

I know from these boards there are people strongly in the suite life corner and those that are not. It was a big leap for me to book the suite life. I wanted to see if it changed the experience of cruising, which I love, to the degree that I would take fewer cruises and stick with the suite life.

 

The Haven cost about $2500 more than had I booked a mini-suite or aft-balcony and close to $3000 more than an inside. I never had a hard time justifying the $300-$500 more for a balcony or mini-suite, but this was a big jump.

 

Here is what I found were some of the concrete improvements I could see in the suite life and what value I saw in them, plus some ways to get comparable service for a lot less:

Expedited Boarding - This was nice, but with most ports now the wait is not bad. It's not like when you spent hours waiting to board. It was nice to be able to drop off my carry-on in my room immediately upon boarding. The snacks in the boarding lounge were wasted on us and of no value. NCL cookies were the main snack and they are our least favorite cookies of any line.

 

Concierge - Admittedly, the concierge on Getaway doesn't have the best of reputations. There was no value to us. You can easily do anything they would do online during preplanning or on the tv or I-concierge app. You can arrange to disembark on the last day through the concierge desk, but it was later than what we could do with walk-off disembarkation. I would say you could get much better service by offering a small gratuity to any maitre 'd or guest services representative if you need to get something out of the ordinary.

 

Butler - This was IMO what really makes a difference in the suite life. It was so nice to come to the room every afternoon and be surprised with the treats of the day. If however, you are like us and don't plan on dining in your room from specialty restaurants, you can easily recreate the service through room service or just bringing some food to your room from the buffet. The suite life butler service can be replaced for less than the cost of the gratuity for the butler.

 

Haven Restaurant - A wonderful place that would be hard to recreate precisely. The service is friendly and familiar, they get to know you much quicker than any restaurant we have dined at sea. The menu for B, L, and D doesn't change much so it would be hard to eat a majority of your meals there. If I were in the Haven again I wouldn't consider getting the UDP. If I weren't in the Haven I would use the UDP to the max.

 

Haven Courtyard/Pool - For us the value just wasn't there. If I were to do it again and wanted to save a lot of money I would go to Spice H2O every day. Sure I wouldn't get fruit skewers and snacks, but seriously how much can you eat. If I wanted a more upscale experience I would pay the money for Vibe on the ships that it was available. This area was much louder than I thought it would be given the marketing that NCL has out there. If I have to endure noise I at least want it to be entertaining like music or some activity versus children screaming.

 

Suites - The suite was exceptionally nice and upscale. I wish they had a middle level where you could get the suite, but not the Haven, butler, and concierge. I guess that would be the mini-suite which would probably be my choice in the future. In this area I would also include the cabin steward. We had an awesome steward in Randolf. The biggest disappointment in our cabin was in the bathroom. We originally booked a mini-suite that had a spa shower with multiple shower heads. In the suite you had the hand held shower with no noticeable upgrades. We did get upscale toiletries, but we bring our own anyway. The Haven robe was so nice Erin is now the proud owner of one. We paid $89 for it which I thought was very reasonable.

 

The Platinum Door Effect - This is what I call just the psychological boost of staying in a suite. Now that I know what is behind the platinum door I don't see myself paying to get inside again. It was great and I think everyone that is able should give it a try. I wasn't disappointed that we spent the money, I just wasn't impressed. As I stated at the start of this review, we are low maintenance. If you are like us you just aren't going to get the most out of the suite perks. I also think a lot has to do with the size of the group you are traveling with. For just the two of us it is a huge price jump.

 

The other thing to consider is what you want to get out of a cruise. We like to have fun and aren't looking just to relax. It was easy in the Haven to miss a lot of the action in other parts of the ship. There is a big difference to me in a fun atmosphere and a noisy atmosphere. I found the courtyard more on the just noisy side.

 

These are just my opinions and I can see both sides of the argument on the suite life.

 

 

[happy cruzin]

BTW I just booked our shows on line and they have already changed up the week in that Legally Blonde is now Days 5 and 6 and not on 7...

 

 

 

I would have preferred 7 as what else to do besides pack?

 

 

 

Contrary to what they say I was also able to book 2 comedy shows. I know they will alternate acts so hopefully I picked 2 different ones though no biggie as I assume as the week goes on those will be easy to get into...

 

 

Curious....Did you book on line - or did you call the Concierge number??

 

 

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[Medtech2]

Curious....Did you book on line - or did you call the Concierge number??

 

 

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I booked on line. I learned on CC that it opened up 100 days out for Suite Guests and 90 days out for non Suite.

 

I do plan on contacting the preconcierge closer to sailing to book Illusionarium without prepaying.

 

Plus, I am curious as to seating for that show. There are 2 price points, premium seating and regular. But if Suite guests are seated first do they get premium seating? In other words do I need to pay the premium price? (these and other questions...)

[ee1999]

I booked on line. I learned on CC that it opened up 100 days out for Suite Guests and 90 days out for non Suite.

 

I do plan on contacting the preconcierge closer to sailing to book Illusionarium without prepaying.

 

Plus, I am curious as to seating for that show. There are 2 price points, premium seating and regular. But if Suite guests are seated first do they get premium seating? In other words do I need to pay the premium price? (these and other questions...)

 

You do not need to pay for premium seating. They will just take you in to the theater in groups when you come down from the Haven.

[happy cruzin]

I booked on line. I learned on CC that it opened up 100 days out for Suite Guests and 90 days out for non Suite.

 

I do plan on contacting the preconcierge closer to sailing to book Illusionarium without prepaying.

 

Plus, I am curious as to seating for that show. There are 2 price points, premium seating and regular. But if Suite guests are seated first do they get premium seating? In other words do I need to pay the premium price? (these and other questions...)

 

Thanks!

 

On the Epic we didn't pre book anything - did it all on board with the Concierge. Had NO issues at all getting what we wanted - when we wanted it.

 

For the Breakaway it was a little more complicated because we were coordinating our plans with Tom, Cheryl and Don. We ended up calling the Concierge to prebook a couple of restaurants and shows to make sure we all got the same place at the same time. ;)

 

So - this time I guess I will either book on line or call. Especially since we plan to use the UDP, some things seems to fill quickly and Haven guests have posted that some of their on board requests were not honored. :o

[miataman19]

All of the treats are included:) The butler brings them every day! Don't hesitate to tell your butler exactly what you like or dislike. I gained the most weight ever on this cruise and to make it worse they put a scale in the bathroom.

 

Great review Bill. Could not agree more with your findings on The Haven. The one thing that would get me back to booking at such a high price would be the solitude up there on sea days and port days. You feel like you have the ship to yourself, and we had a full ship. You realize what you have when you venture out of The Haven to the main pool area and its a fun loving mass of humanity. Great if that's what you want but to relax for 7 days was my goal and The Haven paid me back. And about those treats, we asked for a cheese and meat antipasti plate each day and our Butler did not disappoint, she left us enough for a complete meal lol. Great meeting you and the wife.

Edited July 1, 2014 by miataman19

[ee1999]

Great review Bill. Could not agree more with your findings on The Haven. The one thing that would get me back to booking at such a high price would be the solitude up there on sea days and port days. You feel like you have the ship to yourself, and we had a full ship. You realize what you have when you venture out of The Haven to the main pool area and its a fun loving mass of humanity. Great if that's what you want but to relax for 7 days was my goal and The Haven paid me back. And about those treats, we asked for a cheese and meat antipasti plate each day and our Butler did not disappoint, she left us enough for a complete meal lol. Great meeting you and the wife.

 

Great to meet you and Holly too Patrick. I think for our next cruise we're going to look at Epic Veteran's day week. It's either that or Oasis the same week. We can get a mini-suite on Epic for less than a boardwalk balcony on Oasis. We were on Epic on the first cruise out of Miami and been on Allure, but never on Oasis.

 

Was that your first experience with Haven? I would do it again if we could both upgrade for less than a $1000, but doubt I do it again for full price.

[psmarkle]

I wish I could go in September again! Erin works hard so I have no complaints (she's working now and I'm reading cruise critic). I wish the bank would adjust our account the way she sees it. I would say I should have well over a million in the bank with all the savings!:D

 

Despite any little flaws, you are truly pampered in the Haven. NCL does a lot of things I wish they would adopt on the other lines.

 

Best excursion of any cruise was in St. Maarten with Cpt Bob and Soualiga Destinations, look for them on trip advisor.

 

I am enjoying your review immensely so far! We sail on Getaway in 2 weeks, and we also have booked Capt Bob in St Martin. After your feedback, I'm really looking fwd to it!

 

I had to show my wife your review...she's just like Erin, "I'll see it when I get on board, don't bother me with all these reviews." I am also a retired Airman after 25 yrs and just finished my first year teaching AF JROTC...I am enjoying the heck out of my Summer so far! And we also always book through NCL CAS, we like the free drink cards NCL CAS gives when you book through them which you won't find on any other cruise line.

 

Pete

[ee1999]

I am enjoying your review immensely so far! We sail on Getaway in 2 weeks, and we also have booked Capt Bob in St Martin. After your feedback, I'm really looking fwd to it!

 

I had to show my wife your review...she's just like Erin, "I'll see it when I get on board, don't bother me with all these reviews." I am also a retired Airman after 25 yrs and just finished my first year teaching AF JROTC...I am enjoying the heck out of my Summer so far! And we also always book through NCL CAS, we like the free drink cards NCL CAS gives when you book through them which you won't find on any other cruise line.

 

Pete

 

Pete,

Glad to hear you're enjoying the review. Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for your service! If I knew how good teaching JROTC was I would have retired sooner!:D

Cpt. Bob is a blast. Sit up front and don't worry about bringing shoes. You put them in a bin as soon as you board the boat and don't see them again until you dock.

You'll love the casino on Getaway, one of the friendliest group of dealers we've ever run into. We loved Getaway, just wouldn't do Haven again.

Have fun,

Bill

[TrinaLC]

Couple of questions - we too like a nice quiet pool/outdoor experience.

 

The review mentioned some sort of an upper deck in the Haven area - Does that overlook the ocean/have ocean breezes or is it "enclosed"?

 

Is the Haven pool itself "enclosed" or ocean view/ocean breezes?

 

The adult only area (I forget the name) - is that relatively quiet or do they blare music or video?

 

Finally, what is the "vibe" area? Is it ocean view/ocean breezes?

[miataman19]

Couple of questions - we too like a nice quiet pool/outdoor experience.

 

The review mentioned some sort of an upper deck in the Haven area - Does that overlook the ocean/have ocean breezes or is it "enclosed"?

Is the Haven pool itself "enclosed" or ocean view/ocean breezes?

The adult only area (I forget the name) - is that relatively quiet or do they blare music or video?

Finally, what is the "vibe" area? Is it ocean view/ocean breezes?

There is an upper deck overlooking the Haven pool area. It also has a starboard and front view of the ocean. There are area's up there that have a breeze and others that don't, your choice. The small Haven pool is not enclosed but not much of a breeze. Spice H20 (adult only area) is rather noisy compared to the Haven area. Vibe is an enclosed area on the same deck as The Haven. You must purchase a week pass to have access. It is separate from the Haven and has its own bar, loungers, 2 hot tubs and cabanas. Haven guests do not have access to Vibe. They only sell a limited amount of passes.

 

 

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