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

[sverigecruiser]

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!

 

Yes the prices are much higher than a few years ago.

 

For us that doesn't mean that we book a standard cabin, we will try something new and have booked a Yacht Club suite on MSCs new ship Meraviglia.

 

It will be interesting to compare the Haven and the Yacht Club.

[df5250]

Yes the prices are much higher than a few years ago.

 

 

 

For us that doesn't mean that we book a standard cabin, we will try something new and have booked a Yacht Club suite on MSCs new ship Meraviglia.

 

 

 

It will be interesting to compare the Haven and the Yacht Club.

 

 

I did start to look at MSC too. I'd love to read a comparison after your cruise!

 

 

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[kelmac]

My wife and I have spent over 500 days on cruise ships. We've cruised in inside cabins, OV cabins, balcony cabins, aft balcony cabins, and mini-suites. We aren't cabin people -- just a place to sleep, shower, read, and maybe watch a little TV.

We just started cruising NCL again and have found a way to push our experience up to a level we enjoy. This is my take on the Haven thing:

 

Our Xmas cruise 2017 = OV cabin $2,000 total + free gratuities + free drink package ($99 each) + UDP 7 nights ($152.22 each) or $2,502.44 total cost 7 night cruise.

 

The Haven would cost $9,600 + gratuities, let's just say + - $10,000. Looks like four times the cost. Maybe if we booked early would could have scored one of the cheapest Haven cabins? Maybe if we booked a balcony cabin we might be able to upgrade to a Haven? Looks like a lot of families book Haven cabins for the increased room. Do I really want a pool full of kids in my first class area. I like kids, but..., Is the food better in the Haven restaurant compared to eating every evening meal in one of the alternative restaurants? Do Haven people get free drinks all over the ship? If I'm going to spend $10,000 to cruise, I think I would go with Oceania, Azamara, Crystal...,

 

Don't get me wrong, if I got a great deal I would certainly give the Haven a try. We booked an inside cabin in the Yacht Club with MSC on their new ship the Seaside. Sounds like fun.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[luckyinpa]

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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was that retail. wow. ive been researching BA for a year now and never even saw a spa haven under 2K

[luckyinpa]

Is the food better in the Haven restaurant compared to eating every evening meal in one of the alternative restaurants? Do Haven people get free drinks all over the ship? If I'm going to spend $10,000 to cruise, I think I would go with Oceania, Azamara, Crystal...,

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

 

la cuchina veal was better than haven. yes you can get free drinks anywhere on the ship with haven if you either paid retail for the haven or if you had the free drink pack when you booked you balcony and won an upsell.

 

and i just wish i had 10K for a cruise lol. nice to dream.

[luckyinpa]

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.

 

speaking of regent, just wow (wonder if you can do shorts in MDR for that price lol):

 

131 Nights, 5 continents, 26 countries, and 62 ports of call come together in Regent Seven Seas Cruises® World Cruise in 2019.

Starting from

$60,999

per person

[bromleypod]

google is your friend

Lol..

[bromleypod]

We are first time cruiser 😄 and have booked the DOS on the Epic for the July Mediterranean cruise. I didn't really look at many of the other cabins but when I saw what the DOS looked like (curtesy of YouTube) I knew I had to go for it!! Well I also have a very good reason and that is I am taking my mum who is 80 this year and I want to treat her to something really special!!!!

[ExpatBride]

For us, the money is better spent on another cruise. We live in Europe and cruise in Europe. Our destination is the cruise ship, which we pretty much have to ourselves on most port days. We're vegetarians, so the "upgraded" dining doesn't do much for us.

[pascalburns]

another cruise,but the haven is on the bucket list

[terri910]

I'd rather have another cruise.

[csopi]

I don't need more than a balcony cabin. Definitely another cruise.

[sverigecruiser]

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 .

 

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

 

I cruise for the cruise so if the most luxurious cruiselines are in port more that's another reason to stay in the Haven instead of on a more luxurious line.

[Specially_K]

We just got off a 7-night cruise yesterday on the Jewel... and we scored an upgrade to a Haven Family Suite. Yeah... it only takes once... and then you're spoiled. We REALLY enjoyed the suite -- and the experience was wonderful. The staff made the cruise for us... We would do it again, but it was definitely a splurge.

[luckyinpa]

we need a thread haven or other cruise lines? been looking around at other lines and found a crystal cruise starting about 4800 PP. so rivals haven. i didnt even look at the ships descriptions but i have to wonder what you get for that $$ vs haven

[Peachypooh]

In our younger days my husband and I would book ocean view or balcony at the lowest price

we could find. We had lots of energy to stand on long lines and saved our money for other things.

Now as seniors we book the Haven. Not so much for the Haven itself but to avoid lines and the

extra bathroom in the cabin of the owner's suite. As a result we go on less cruises but for us we

would rather be comfortable. It's also nice to sit by the Haven pool sometimes if we want peace and

quiet. So do what is best for you in terms of budget and your stamina for lines, etc.

[Videophile]

If a genie said that you HAD to go on a one-week cruise, and that they'd help you out by giving you either the cost of the cabin or an extra week of vacation time (for you and your traveling companion), which one would you choose?

 

I'd select the vacation time in a heartbeat. Between my wife and I, there aren't seven days in a row when we both have free time in our schedules. It's hard coming up with one week's vacation each year. So when we travel we like to go first class. We have booked the top suites on Royal, Celebrity, Carnival (we wanted to try it out), and NCL. We love The Haven. (And no, there are few kids in the area.) For us, it's worth the money, especially since another cruise isn't really an option.

[xenagurl]

I can spare the time, so I'd go for more cruises. For me, more experiences are my goal in life.

 

Same here. I work, but can take the time to go away when I see fit. So I'm cool with multiple vacations a year that are less expensive.

 

Honestly If I only had a week or two of vacation a year and I wanted it to be water based, I'd go all out and rent a yacht for the week. If I definitely wanted to cruise I'd book the Haven or Multi-bedroom suite.

 

If you're considering the alternative and have the time to take more cruises it seems you already know what you want to do OP.

[songlady]

Obviously this is a split decision based on multiple factors - time, money, income, expectations, etc. But while I may drool over The Haven photos, I know myself too well...first cruise was an obstructed oceanview 4-day - fell in love with cruising. So we moved up to un-obstructed ocean-view, followed by a balcony - Nirvana. The I made the mistake of choosing an aft balcony - you can never go back. Now I'm scheduled for my first TA on the QM2. If I was to book the Haven even one time, I would have to sell the house to keep on doing it - cruising has got to be one of the worst/best addictions out there.... so I will continue to feed it a little bit, but as often as I can.

[murcor]

Another Cruise ⚓️

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

More cruises. Haven sure looks enticing but I can't justify the benefits over more total days and port stops.

 

Maybe once I have been to many places multiple times and just want to stay on the ship for a week of relaxation the Haven may be in the cards.

[morningstar4]

If you're considering the alternative and have the time to take more cruises it seems you already know what you want to do OP.

 

 

I really don't...One minute I'm ready to cancel my bid to save for another vacation or to use the savings for something else altogether, and the next minute I read about someone's else's amazing Haven experience and really want to try it. Having never done it, I think it's helpful to hear different points of view.

 

 

 

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[jskinsd]

I really don't...One minute I'm ready to cancel my bid to save for another vacation or to use the savings for something else altogether, and the next minute I read about someone's else's amazing Haven experience and really want to try it. Having never done it, I think it's helpful to hear different points of view.

 

 

 

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If you want to try it then do it. Pull the trigger. But once you do you know you will be hooked and will be booking the haven for future cruises. Why not just start now. You know the money is there. Are you really going to save it? And what really is "something else". Go out and have a good time. Or hope your bid is denied, save money and do this over again next time and just thinking: what if

[uneamie]

I guess I just can't see spending that kind of money on a cruise. For our 14 day cruise the Haven is about $12K. Yikes....when we got married we could buy a house for that. LOL My hubby works way too hard for that 12K to blow it all in 2 weeks. At this time we are spending 4K for our balcony....that's our level. I suspect that everyone has their financial limits and that is ours. For 12k we could take 3 more cruises. That's a no brainer.

[pmd98052]

We're both in our mid 40's with two kids 11 and 9. We've probably been cruising since 2008 or so when the kids were very small! We've booked everything from NCL Owner Suite on the Pearl to insides to OV's on Disney to balconies to mini-suites to penthouses to an inside for 4 on a 41 night HAL cruise from Seattle to New Zealand.

 

What we've found is that even when in the suites or balconies (or even the inside for the 41 night-er) we are just never in our room. We wake up, shower, head out and thats it - even on sea days. When we get back to the room later at night we're so tired we just crash out. Often we've booked balconies thinking it will be nice to sit out there after the kids get to sleep - only to find nope - we are asleep too!

 

So now we basically just book whatever room is the best deal. Sure if an OV is only a bit more we'll grab it - if a balcony is a few hundred more we might grab it. But we find we just don't use the room much. Same for us on land vacations. We're going to NYC after our Breakaway Cruise this coming June and we're not paying for a fancy room/hotel - we're just never there!