Would you rather spend the money to be in the Haven or spend it on another cruise?

[morningstar4]

We have to vacation during peak times because I refuse to pull the kids out of school for vacation. When we go . . . it is packed with people. From the airport, to the buffet, to having to arrive an hour early for shows to get 5 seats together. It is worth it for me to pay extra to arrive at my leisure and get what I want without waiting. It is wonderful to walk past huge lines and just get right in. It costs a lot, but worth it to us.

 

 

i'm a teacher and my kids are in school too so i feel your pain! we almost always vacation at peak times though this year we're going during memorial day week rather than summer...thinking we'll probably still see our fair share of crowds but hoping less than summer

 

 

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[morningstar4]

There is nothing wrong with someone changing ones mind. Sometimes the best deals we make are the ones we do not make. Good luck and have peace of mind.:) You are still cruising.

 

 

thanks!! i think we'll be happy no matter what and if i don't end up in the haven, at least i won't know exactly what i'm missing [emoji6] i feel very fortunate that these are the decisions i get to be debating!

 

 

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[morningstar4]

I love the "Haven is like crack" comparison!! Ours was a short cruise since we had never cruised before and were unsure if we would like it, so 4 nights. It was a last minute trip decision, so I booked it under 45 days. Maybe there were less balconies left? We had three people, so I would have been paying for 2 and 2 in two balconies. In the owners suite, the third person only cost me just over $200 more. When I started looking all of the Haven was sold out other than owners suites with 3 available, so maybe the price was lowered to get them booked? If I price the same cruise, same dates, same room for 2018, it currently is $3000 more than I paid last month. So it may all depend on the dates, availability, and each parties circumstances. Regardless, I'm hooked and looking at longer cruises for this fall, Haven of course.

 

 

wow....it's crazy how much the prices change, even for the same sailings.....i wish we had the liberty to sail during any time of the year so that we could base our decisions on pricing

 

 

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[richstowe]

Wondering what the results woul be if this was a poll . I'd vote option (B) More Cruises

I surprised my husband with an aft suite several years ago. Our only previous cruise had been in an inside cabin. Now he's spoiled and we can never cruise again in a non-suite :)

That's how I feel with balconies . Don't want to tempt fate with suites and Haven cabins .

 

Option C--pretty sure my next big-ticket cruise will be on Oceania.

Good point . If I was spending "Haven"money , why not be on a lux cruise line .

[jskinsd]

thanks!! i think we'll be happy no matter what and if i don't end up in the haven, at least i won't know exactly what i'm missing [emoji6] i feel very fortunate that these are the decisions i get to be debating!

 

 

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You are so right.;p

[zqvol]

If I'm paying Haven prices, I'm not cruising NCL. I would much rather be on the luxury lines for that price.

[AliceIn]

i'm a teacher and my kids are in school too so i feel your pain! we almost always vacation at peak times though this year we're going during memorial day week rather than summer...thinking we'll probably still see our fair share of crowds but hoping less than summer

 

 

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Memorial Day week is not as bad. The northeast states are in school until mid-June, but where I live, we sometimes finish before Memorial Day. Last year was like that, and we went early. It was noticeably less crowded than July and early August.

[morningstar4]

Memorial Day week is not as bad. The northeast states are in school until mid-June, but where I live, we sometimes finish before Memorial Day. Last year was like that, and we went early. It was noticeably less crowded than July and early August.

 

 

that would be great...fingers crossed that it's that way for our cruise! i often read on these boards that cruise lines manage to fill the ship to capacity during off peak times....hoping that's not the case!

 

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Memorial Day week is not as bad. The northeast states are in school until mid-June, but where I live, we sometimes finish before Memorial Day. Last year was like that, and we went early. It was noticeably less crowded than July and early August.

 

With my kids, there is about a 2 week gap between when school ends and when the summer prices increase.It takes some planning but getting the school calendar ASAP helps when booking 1-2 years in advance.

 

When my daughter's last day of school is Wednesday or Thursday, we sail that Saturday. Not only is the Haven price lower than in summer, it's also less crowded, and fewer kids. My sister's kids don't get out until late June so sailing with her family is more expensive.

[luckyinpa]

If I'm paying Haven prices, I'm not cruising NCL. I would much rather be on the luxury lines for that price.

 

but dont you have to dress up on crystal etc.

[BostonGal35]

If I'm paying Haven prices, I'm not cruising NCL. I would much rather be on the luxury lines for that price.

 

but on a lux line the demographic of cruisers changes as does the ship life. ive asked numerous questions and done a lot of homework on this because we've toyed with trying a luxury line as we could afford it and thought teh same thing you did.

 

if you like a dead, quiet ship after 10pm, then yes, luxury makes sense. but for us, haven is best of both worlds - luxury and the night life we enjoy.

 

as a side note, i checked prices on Disney (fiance is a recovering disney addict). omg, they want $3K for just a window room! and you'd be with tons of kids and characters. no thanks.

[gingersvp]

If I'm paying Haven prices, I'm not cruising NCL. I would much rather be on the luxury lines for that price.

 

When traveling without the kiddos, yes. But we picked Haven over Crystal because there were more amenities for my 3 kids. 2 bedroom Haven suite was almost the exact same price for the 5 of us as 2 cabins on Crystal for the same week in the same region. But, collecting information for a trip for just my husband and me, I've been investigating the smaller ships and river cruises that are less welcoming to children. Honestly, the Viking fares including airfare, excursions, etc. were less expensive than Haven -- but they don't allow kids under 12.

[cyndepet]

While I have tons of vaca time, the hubs does not, so we only take one big one a year. For that reason we will always choose Haven. We did sail last year on Anthem in a regular balcony cabin and had fun, but we both gave extra points for the Haven and NCL experience!

 

Our first NCL experience was the Epic on a Mediterranean cruise and we had a regular balcony cabin. We knew nothing about Haven and didn't miss it, but we spent very little time on the ship. Then a couple guys on a tour with us filled us in on exactly what the Haven was, and after doing more research we booked that for our next Breakaway cruise. Hooked!

[LrgPizza]

i'm a teacher and my kids are in school too so i feel your pain! we almost always vacation at peak times though this year we're going during memorial day week rather than summer...thinking we'll probably still see our fair share of crowds but hoping less than summer

School in large sections of the country goes from early August to mid-May, so your cruise falls during summer for lots of people. If you are hoping to avoid kids, you are sadly mistaken. This is when we always cruise - during summer when school is out.

[richstowe]

but on a lux line the demographic of cruisers changes as does the ship life. ive asked numerous questions and done a lot of homework on this because we've toyed with trying a luxury line as we could afford it and thought teh same thing you did.

 

if you like a dead, quiet ship after 10pm, then yes, luxury makes sense. but for us, haven is best of both worlds - luxury and the night life we enjoy.

 

as a side note, i checked prices on Disney (fiance is a recovering disney addict). omg, they want $3K for just a window room! and you'd be with tons of kids and characters. no thanks.

Fair points but it seems there are lots of upsides to lux cruiselines starting with better itineraries . You may visit ports that are more interesting with longer stays . NCL like the other mass market brands minimizes its time in port and limits itself to the same old same old stops . The smaller premium ships have greater flexibility . Even when the itinerary is similar , they can often moor closer to the town instead of mega industrial ports further from the action .

 

but dont you have to dress up on crystal etc.

That may be a plus for some but I'm not sure that most premium line's dress codes are so much more formal . Just more expensive .;p

[Barb Nahoumi]

I'll forego the haven for a balcony cabin, and be able to take more cruises.

[morningstar4]

School in large sections of the country goes from early August to mid-May, so your cruise falls during summer for lots of people. If you are hoping to avoid kids, you are sadly mistaken. This is when we always cruise - during summer when school is out.

 

 

we live in the northeast where schools end in mid-june and begin again in late august....my goal is definitely not to avoid kids....i'm bringing my own and want them to have friends to hang out with. i am hoping to avoid peak prices and huge crowds though. i know that a holiday week is not the best option; however, we would only miss 4 days of school rather than 5, and since the school year is winding down, there's also less work for my kids to make up.

 

 

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[AliceIn]

School in large sections of the country goes from early August to mid-May, so your cruise falls during summer for lots of people. If you are hoping to avoid kids, you are sadly mistaken. This is when we always cruise - during summer when school is out.

 

We have vacationed both end of May but mostly July and August. It is lighter at the end of May and end of August than it is for June/July.

[BEACHBARB]

Hmm...we have 2 balcony's booked for a 14 day on Breakaway. My hubby and I in one , 2 brothers in the other. It's about $1800 per person per cabin with port and taxes....roughly $3600 per cabin. When I looked at the price of a Haven suite. It's around $6000 per person....yikes! $12,000. Some on here said that the Haven was not much more than booking 2 balconies. Our 2 balconies together are $7200...versus 4 people at 6K per person. That does not sound like only a little bit more. I'd love to book the Haven for the 4 of us but the per person 6K....I don't think so. I'd much rather spend that on a few more cruises, especially since we don't spend that much time in our rooms.

 

When did you book? They have 3rd/4th passengers free now. So it wouldn't be so bad if you got a 2 bedroom Haven. The second bedroom is small but has it's own bathroom and the lower bed opens to a double with an upper twin. Can also sleep on sofa in living room. Friends of ours were in one on Breakaway (you might be cruising with them in 2018 and I'm jealous) and it was really nice. They had 4 adults and a 5 year old in one and said it was plenty of room.

[Berricre8v]

We are on the Epic leaving next week from Barcelona. First time on NCL. I just found out we won an upgrade to Haven Owners Suite (H2) from a guarantee balcony. I'm excited, but a little freaked out. We're pretty low key people. What does this mean for us besides a way cooler space to hang out in on our sea day. Extra tips? Help!

 

 

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[JennaMae]

When did you book? They have 3rd/4th passengers free now. So it wouldn't be so bad if you got a 2 bedroom Haven. The second bedroom is small but has it's own bathroom and the lower bed opens to a double with an upper twin. Can also sleep on sofa in living room. Friends of ours were in one on Breakaway (you might be cruising with them in 2018 and I'm jealous) and it was really nice. They had 4 adults and a 5 year old in one and said it was plenty of room.

 

 

Wow, we got an Aft Haven room on the Escape for $1750 a person (2 adults, 2 teens) and overlapping perks (drinks, dining, shore excursion, 50 photos, $100 arcade credit, internet) I booked April 2016 for May 2017...Definitely depends on when you book and for what month!!

 

 

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[DMH15]

We are on the Epic leaving next week from Barcelona. First time on NCL. I just found out we won an upgrade to Haven Owners Suite (H2) from a guarantee balcony. I'm excited, but a little freaked out. We're pretty low key people. What does this mean for us besides a way cooler space to hang out in on our sea day. Extra tips? Help!

 

 

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Which one? We were in 17004 last month.

 

 

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[Berricre8v]

17035

 

 

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[df5250]

For a while, I was all about the Suite/Haven and cruised once a year... now, I am about taking more than one cruise per year and not about the Suite/Haven. The suite/haven prices are so much higher compared to a few years ago that I can take two cruises for the price of one haven, but I do miss the perks and level of service... being platinum helps a little!

[zqvol]

but dont you have to dress up on crystal etc.

 

Not necessarily. Some are going to resort casual most nights. I take the same thing to wear on NCL as I do on Sea Dream, Regent or Silversea, and that does not include a sport coat or suit.