Is the Haven really worth it?

[TraJon9]

We sailed to Bermuda on the Breakaway in June. We had vibe, did some speciality dining most nights.. Then came November when we got a upsell to the Haven from a balcony.. Now with the upsell you only get your original extra, for us the free drink package.

 

Now we loved the Haven. The room was amazing, especially the coffee machine. It was cold outside coming and going for November so having the covered pool area was really nice. The menu for lunch in the courtyard is very casual and a nice treat. Now when it came to the sundeck we prefer vibe. I am not going to complain about the kids but I will complain about some parents. They let the kids go wild, not cute kids letting off steam, wild as trashing furniture, scary situations of them slipping into the deeper end.. We also loved Haven for tendering at GSC. We had no idea how bad the waits were until others told us. We came and went in minutes. The staff and the service was remarkable and the food was great. 3 dinners there. Lunch. Breakfast. We realized it brought so much relaxation for us during cooler weather cruises.

 

We go back to Bermuda this June. We have a large balcony mini-suite that came with the drink package and 4 nights of speciality dining. The Haven made me cranky thinking about going back to the tiny bathrooms. There is no need for tendering or priority to get on and off the ship. We will get vibe passes so we have our place to relax.. Even if the upsell fairy came with the offer we would not take it this time around.

 

So I think it comes down to what can Haven offer you that you can't get without it. For us it would be cooler weather and tendering.. We are casino guests so we do get to board directly after Haven so that would normally be a huge plus as well.

 

The service you recieve from the staff is beyond, I loved them..

Whatever you do, have a blast!

[sverigecruiser]

 

Is it true that the Haven restaurant maintains the same menu daily? No variation? Is it at least extensive? My Wife has a seafood and nut allergy, so shrimp and lobster daily won't work for us...

 

 

The menu in the Haven restaurant is rather limited but they normally (Always?) have a "special" every day.

 

You can also order food from any restaurant on the ship in the Haven restaurant. If you order from a specialty restaurant you have to pay for it but you can order from the main dining rooms and from the pub without any extra cost. You can probably also ask for anything they serve at the buffé restaurant but I have never tried that.

[sverigecruiser]

 

Is there an outside Haven pool, or only the small glass enclosed area?

If so, are there other outdoor spaces in the Haven to soak up the sun (not a fan of the "Cocoon" pool.

 

The enclosed area can be opened up. I'm not sure of the policy but I guss nice weather=opened and bad weather=closed!

[ryarger]

You can also order food from any restaurant on the ship in the Haven restaurant.

 

 

Thank you! When I booked the Haven, my PCC told me this, but here on CC everyone talks about how limited the menu is. This confused me.

 

If you can order from any restaurant, it's not really limited at all!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sverigecruiser]

Thank you! When I booked the Haven, my PCC told me this, but here on CC everyone talks about how limited the menu is. This confused me.

 

If you can order from any restaurant, it's not really limited at all!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I'm usually very satisfied with the alternatives on the Haven menu so I haven't ordered something else often but another dessert sometimes and I have seen/heared people order other things too.

[woodburykt]

We'll be sailing on the Gem for the 8th time next month.

 

We sailed on the Breakaway in October.

 

All 9 voyages with NCL have been in The Haven.

 

There is nothing comparable.

 

In my opinion, there is nothing better.

 

We sailed on Celebrity Summit twice and although the Royal Suite we had was great, we kept saying to ourselves how much we missed The Haven experience.

 

We sailed on Holland America 3 times a long while ago booked with the Deluxe Veranda Suites (Neptune Suites now) and I can tell you as nice as they were, it was nothing like being in The Haven.

 

Yes, The Haven is pricey, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.

 

Why?

 

Well, you have your own private oasis with The Haven Court Yard.

 

You have your own private sun deck where you don't have to battle to get a lounge chair. You have Cagney's as your own private restaurant for breakfast and lunch. On the Breakaway, you have your own restaurant and lounge.

 

The H4 cabin with the small 2nd BR, (which we've always booked) has a nice living room area and has a fantastic master bathroom with windows that is second to none. This feature itself has us sold on NCL and The Haven. Yea I know, a bathroom? You spend all that money for a nice bathroom? Don't mock it until you try it.

 

The service by The Haven crew has been wonderful.

 

We've already booked another Haven cabin for the Breakaway for Oct 2016 and while we were on the BA in Oct 2015, I used the "Cruise Next" option and put a lowered price deposit for The Haven on the Gem for Feb 2017. Can you say addicted?

 

All I can say is that if your budget can afford it, I highly recommend The Haven. If you do, you'll probably be hooked just like us.

[vince_g]

Yes there is a sun deck with hot tubs on deck 19 in the Haven. If you look at the deck plans you can see it. Also photos of the outside of the ship will show it

 

Here is a Haven Dinner menu always subject to change.

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/cr_204_haven.pdf

 

The Haven restaurant also serves lunch and Breakfast. There are a lot of great places to eat for dinner and with your booking you probably got 3 or 4 nights of specialty dinning included. You can eat anyplace you want on ship you don't have to eat in the Haven Restaurant.

 

 

Take a look at some of the You Tube videos of Escape's Haven and decide if its someplace you would enjoy.

 

Cost and value are all relative. No one can answer that. Some people on CC will say no way I would rather take 4 or 3 cruises in a inside than only 1 in Haven. Others will take 3 in Haven and not blink a eye at the costs.

 

 

Did the Haven sun deck hot tub multiply?

[Jenjer]

Your right I misspoke there is 1 hot tub on deck 19 for Haven, 1 for Vibe and 2 for the public sun deck.

 

There are 2 hot tubs by the pool on deck 17

[VideoTech]

We have sailed in the Haven on the Epic, in an OS on Pride, and in Penthouses on our other NCL cruises. We have also sampled suites on RCI and Celebrity. In our opinion, no other line does the "suite life" as well as NcL does.

 

Our Haven experience on the Epic was wonderful. In particular, we never found any reason to eat outside the Haven restaurant except for a visit or two to Cagney's. Selections and variety were excellent, and any of the restaurants (including the MDR's) will work around food allergies.

 

I did feel the Haven pool area was a little confining, but that was on the Epic and I don't know how it compares to the new Breakaway class. But, I found a little used private Haven sundeck on the Epic that was wonderful, with great views and plenty of space.

 

I'm assuming you realize that the Haven AFT suites are not actually in the Haven, and that you have to walk the length of the ship to get to the Haven? That's probably obvious, but I've known some who didn't realize that.

 

Go for it...I think you'll enjoy it completely.

 

 

 

 

Hello, critics. Happy New Year!

 

So we put down a deposit for (2) Aft Balcony Penthouses in the Haven on May 28th-June 4th, 2016 on the Escape. This is for my 40th Birthday, and figured we would go all out. After doing a little research, I'm wondering if we made the right decision.

The larger room is nice, (there will be 3 adults in each suite), and the balcony is massive. I have sailed on the BA twice and the GA once, and was comfortable in a standard balcony room. I just have a few questions:

 

Is there an outside Haven pool, or only the small glass enclosed area?

If so, are there other outdoor spaces in the Haven to soak up the sun (not a fan of the "Cocoon" pool.

 

Is it true that the Haven restaurant maintains the same menu daily? No variation? Is it at least extensive? My Wife has a seafood and nut allergy, so shrimp and lobster daily won't work for us...

 

I'm not a complainer, but I like to get what I pay for. I don't just sit in my cabin and read all day, but I do enjoy being pampered a little. However, is it worth the extra thousands of dollars? Just asking for opinions/experiences.

 

Thank you, Cruisecritics!

[Debde]

One word.........YES!! :D

[MemeCruise]

Thanks so much for your insightful review! Apologies if I have missed it somewhere, but do you know what the breakfast, lunch and dinner times are of the Haven restaurant? Also outside these set times, do they provide for drinks/snacks in the lounge area? Many thanks in advance!

[PaulMCO]

Depends on sea day or regular day.

Breakfast on sea day or late docking is 0730h to 1030h and on excursion day 0700h to 1000h

Lunch 1200 rot 1400h

Dinner at 1800h

 

Back to the original question. The haven makes the ship less crowded. We get tired of 4000+ passengers. Some not mentioned benefits. In Cayman Island there must have been 500 people waiting in the heat to get back to the ship. Haven guests were able to by pass the lines. Same with embarkation and disembarking in the Miami zoo.

 

Would I cruise NCL without the Haven - no way.

[PaulMCO]

Got bumped on the Internet. Regarding your question on drinks and snacks. Yes drinks are available but not free. Snacks are available in lounge or in Haven pool area throughout the day.

[Debde]

Also outside these set times, do they provide for drinks/snacks in the lounge area? Many thanks in advance!

 

I was just off Breakaway and light snacks are out in the courtyard and a snack menu was available and they were all no charge.

Most all haven guests now have the beverage package included so your drinks are no charge either.

[iisk8]

Having cruised on several NCL ships this was our first experience in the Haven. Probably not the best ship to have experienced it on. We cruised from LA to the Mexican Riveria at the end of January in a 2bdrm suite.

 

The Haven is amazing, BUT... If you do not use the Butler or Concierge then what is the real "perk?" You can get Vibe Beach Pass for $20 a day, why bother with the Haven? Yes it is quite and you get alot of personalized attention but only if you use those will it be worth it.

 

For me I just want a nice lounge chair and a quiet place to read so Vibe Beach is awesome, this will be the first time I try it out for our Bermuda cruise. Maybe I will be lucky and they will call me about an upgrade to Haven from Mini-Suite? As of right now it is more than double that of a mini suite to a Haven penthouse (the least expensive), that is just crazy and not worth it IMHO.

 

Haven was great and I am glad I experienced it, but I think I would rather use that money for another cruise and just buy passes to Vibe.

[khaide612]

You can get Vibe Beach Pass for $20 a day, why bother with the Haven?

 

Haven was great and I am glad I experienced it, but I think I would rather use that money for another cruise and just buy passes to Vibe.

 

Did they add a Vibe area to the Jewel?

[jerseyjjs]

I've been on the Breakaway 3 times, twice in regular balconies and once in an H4 haven. My brother and sister-in-law also sailed along once in an aft balcony. My personal view is, the Haven cabin was not worth the $5,200 for the 3 of us. (we sailed almost exactly a year ago, the price for the same cruise, cabin, # of passengers is over $2,000 more now.) I've noticed the priced have gone way up inexplicably since Kevin Sheehan stepped down.

 

 

The cabin that I was most impressed with was my brother's aft balcony. Our Haven suite was all the way forward, so the motion was more impacting. We didn't really have much need for the concierge. And I personally didn't like the "obligated" feeling to stay in the reclusive haven area (about 20% of the ship) all the time just to get my money's worth. It basically comes down to your cruising preferences. Do you like to be out and about and using all the ship's resources, or do you prefer seclusion?

 

Me, personally, will not book another NCL sailing until FDR stops charging Oceania's prices for NCL's product.

[Barb Nahoumi]

For us it's a matter of affordability. Do we want to spend thousands more, or still have a great cruise in a balcony cabin.

 

We were in a suite once, being offered an upgrade from a guarantee which didn't cost us extra. I must admit that it was lovely.

 

 

Since we spend minimal time in our cabin, we select balconies.

[iisk8]

In conclusion it seems that unless you use the services of the Butler and Concierge the extra thousands of dollars do not seem a prudent investment.

 

I do have to say that The Haven experience is great and if I could afford to do it all the time I would but for more than double the cost of a mini-suite it doesn't see cost effective.

[Laszlo]

Having cruised on several NCL ships this was our first experience in the Haven. Probably not the best ship to have experienced it on. We cruised from LA to the Mexican Riveria at the end of January in a 2bdrm suite.

 

The Haven is amazing, BUT... If you do not use the Butler or Concierge then what is the real "perk?" You can get Vibe Beach Pass for $20 a day, why bother with the Haven? Yes it is quite and you get alot of personalized attention but only if you use those will it be worth it.

 

For me I just want a nice lounge chair and a quiet place to read so Vibe Beach is awesome, this will be the first time I try it out for our Bermuda cruise. Maybe I will be lucky and they will call me about an upgrade to Haven from Mini-Suite? As of right now it is more than double that of a mini suite to a Haven penthouse (the least expensive), that is just crazy and not worth it IMHO.

 

Haven was great and I am glad I experienced it, but I think I would rather use that money for another cruise and just buy passes to Vibe.

 

If you really want a Vibe pass you better make sure your one of the first to get to guest services;)

[amarvel]

I think it depends on what you want from your vacation. We like it because I have two boys and my life is crazy. It's go go everyday to all sorts of activities, so we like at this point to have more relaxing time and to be a little pampered. On the sea days the pool areas were crazy busy so we went to the haven deck and most of the time there was no more then three people. We like the bigger room, free room service, walking across a hall to several amentities. Plus we find deals and don't spend thousands more. We go during kids sale free and go on weeks that are the cheapest. But we do have a threshold of what we will spend, so we wouldn't pay over a certain amount. If you are stuck traveling only on certain weeks and can't be flexible that comes into play as well.

[travler27]

We have about 10 cruises on Carnival (all suites) and decided to give NCL a try. We're booked in a mini-suite for a Panama Canal 11 days in November. While looking things over the price for our booked (on the Pearl) mini suite came out to $4,700 total for the two of us. The cheapest thing in the Haven was around $14,000. I just can't imagine it being worth that kind of difference. There are some nice NCL suite perks and NCL does have nicer suites than Carnival but they're not worth that kind of extra money and the Carnival suites are perfectly acceptable to us.

 

Actually, after reading all the info posted on CC I'm seriously considering cancelling the NCL cruise and just going back to Carnival. I'll probably wait a few weeks before making the final decision.

Edited February 17, 2016 by travler27

[Lil'red]

If you can afford it do it. If you are the type of person who is wonders what is going on up there, you will kick yourself for not trying. If you try it and don't like it, at least you know.

[iisk8]

Travler27 - I wouldn't cancel NCL, they are a great line and you will have a great time aboard. Personally I would not go on another Carnival cruise, last one I did was my first cruise probably 20+ years ago, and I hated it. There was not one thing I enjoyed about our Carnival Cruise and oh yeah, the Captain pulled the same thing the Captain on the Anthem pulled, we cruised into a huge storm missed 3 ports and suffered with 25+ foot swells. It was simply awful and there was no communication with the guests. At that time, there was no internet and TV channels were limited to about 4. Carnival didn't give us any money back but offered us a 10% discount on our next cruise, REALLY!

 

Amarvel - Good for you, enjoy The Haven, it is truly a great experience. I would do it again if we were more than 2 and it wasn't more than twice the cost of a mini-suite. As I stated we just didn't take full advantage of the amenities offered. I was going to have our Butler pack and unpack for us, but she wasn't around to ask her to do this. Sigh...

 

Going to get to the port, super duper early so we are the first to board after VIP and Haven Guests so I can book over to guest services and secure passes for Vibe Beach, a fantastic option to the Haven but best of all NO CHILDREN! Don't get me wrong I love kids, but it is not relaxing to me to hang out by the pool with children yelling and screaming and splashing and running. Of course, the Mom in me is always watching them in the pool as their parents are usually NOT doing this and I do not want to have anyone drown on a cruise I am on (this happened to a co-worker of mine).:)

[FreestyleNovice]

Not sure if I would do the Haven on the smaller and older ships, sharing just a tiny courtyard (with less people yes but still). On the newer ships, if the price isn't the double/triple of a regular mini/cabin it's very worth it with the 4 perks promotions!