From the Haven to a Regular Balcony... Our Experience

[Cruise a holic]

Definitely agree. I want to go on a cruise for relaxation and fun. Not feel like I’m at the local pool.

 

Now, not to switch gears lol. Is vibe or spice h2o or whatever it is, worth buying if you’re Haven?

 

 

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We purchased vibe passes and were in the Haven The vibe proved usless. We had a clam shell, but it was very sunny all day. We do not like laying in the bright sun. It was also very noisy. No hot tub or pool in vibe on the breakaway. We stayed in the Haven. We purchased the passes but it was a waste for Haven guests. After seeing the mob on the regular decks, worth it for non haven guests

[Dajbman22]

We purchased vibe passes and were in the Haven The vibe proved usless. We had a clam shell, but it was very sunny all day. We do not like laying in the bright sun. It was also very noisy. No hot tub or pool in vibe on the breakaway. We stayed in the Haven. We purchased the passes but it was a waste for Haven guests. After seeing the mob on the regular decks, worth it for non haven guests

 

All of the pictures and video of Vibe on Breakaway show a hot tub in there (no pool, though).

[Zenica]

You have Platinum which adds back some lost Haven perks when not in the Haven.

 

How was the cabin space, one vs the other? Going from 500+sq foot to less than 250sq.

 

This is a main issue for us in choosing the Haven....

[Enavigo]

We were also in the Haven 2 bedroom suite within the courtyard although one floor down on deck 15. I like being on 15 with all the Haven trimmings on 16. It seems a bit quieter there as only people that were staying in those rooms were generally the only people in that hallway.

 

 

 

Oh! You're right ... that could be the best of both worlds! Guess I'll need to book another cruise and give that a try :)

 

 

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[Enavigo]

You have Platinum which adds back some lost Haven perks when not in the Haven.

 

How was the cabin space, one vs the other? Going from 500+sq foot to less than 250sq.

 

This is a main issue for us in choosing the Haven....

 

 

 

As an outside observer to some of this on a few occasions I would say "buyer beware." On my previous cruises the access to the Conceirge has been all over the spectrum for platinums with cabins outside the Haven. Overall, your success rate seems to vary by Conceirge and by ship (segregated vs non-segregated Haven).

 

I was discussing a matter with one Conceirge when a platinum called. The Conceirge politely asked how that person obtained his number and then advised them that his services were available to Platinum and above on an "as available" basis and that he would call back if possible. He ended the call by instructing the caller to speak with customer services or the reservation desk for prompt attention.

 

On another cruise, somehow a Platinum snuck in to the Haven (at like 2 pm on embarkation day -- when the Conceirge desk is packed) and waited at the Conceirge desk for some excursion/reservation help. The asst Conceirge noticed her room key and said she could not be in the Haven. At that point, it got a little heated as the woman seemed to think that, as a Plat plus, she was entitled to Haven access to meet with the Conceirge ... and no amount of discussion could convince her otherwise! Finally, the Conceirge came over and told her the Haven was sailing full this ship and would be unable to help her.

 

Finally, on my last cruise the Conceirge got a call (while I was waiting in line for priority tender) from a Plat and he just flat out said that the Haven does not support non-Haven travelers and that said person should seek help on deck 6.

 

So, I would expect significant variation on this point.

 

 

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[sverigecruiser]

We purchased vibe passes and were in the Haven The vibe proved usless. We had a clam shell, but it was very sunny all day. We do not like laying in the bright sun. It was also very noisy. No hot tub or pool in vibe on the breakaway. We stayed in the Haven. We purchased the passes but it was a waste for Haven guests. After seeing the mob on the regular decks, worth it for non haven guests

 

There are two hot tubs in VIBE on the Breakaway.

[Mr Owl]

You have Platinum which adds back some lost Haven perks when not in the Haven.

 

How was the cabin space, one vs the other? Going from 500+sq foot to less than 250sq.

 

This is a main issue for us in choosing the Haven....

 

I didn't find it a big deal. The room is still pretty decently sized. You *are* missing the table/4 chairs, and the bed and couch are in the same area, but otherwise, it was a non-factor. Again, no kids here, so maybe that matters.

[Mr Owl]

Finally, on my last cruise the Conceirge got a call (while I was waiting in line for priority tender) from a Plat and he just flat out said that the Haven does not support non-Haven travelers and that said person should seek help on deck 6.

 

So, I would expect significant variation on this point.

 

Very interesting observations. We have rarely used the concierge (although the few times we did it helped, like Virginia getting us a free cabana on GSC in 2013), and we had no plans to this cruise - our dinner reservations were made months in advance by my wife, and we've seen all the shows, so the better seats had no allure. But your point is probably very valid, especially since you cite multiple instances. Good info for folks who rely on the concierge.

[TSUmom]

We are platinum and since we have become platinum we have sailed in a suite twice and an aft balcony. During our last cruise (the aft balcony) we never saw or heard a thing from a concierge. It was back to being one of the masses. Of course these have been the large ships with a Haven. I am wondering if maybe platinum will receive more "attention" from a platinum concierge on a ship with no Haven and fewer suites. I guess I will find out in 2019 when we sail the Dawn.

[Cruise a holic]

The concierge for the Haven are located in the Haven Lounge on the Breakaway- they arrange dining, shore exc, and any spa treatments. They also help you with any problems. The butler handles your suite and service in the suite.

[Linda the Book Lover]

We are platinum and since we have become platinum we have sailed in a suite twice and an aft balcony. During our last cruise (the aft balcony) we never saw or heard a thing from a concierge. It was back to being one of the masses. Of course these have been the large ships with a Haven. I am wondering if maybe platinum will receive more "attention" from a platinum concierge on a ship with no Haven and fewer suites. I guess I will find out in 2019 when we sail the Dawn.

 

Great idea for a Platnuim concierge. I don't think NCL would pay for that position but it would be a great stepping stone for butlers in training for the concierge job. Perhaps have fewer cabins and add-on concierge requests which I don't think would be many (at least until the cat is out of the bag and more passengers use this special person. I will see these next two cruise how much I miss this luxury.

[DCP]

Thank you for the perspective! We always try to book a large balcony. We tried a suite once, and like you, are the take care of ourselves kind of folks. We really couldn't justify doing it again. We like our balcony's and will just keep on booking them and sailing 2 (or maybe 3 soon!) times a year! :)

[san92103]

There is something to say about deciding you want your steak and lobster on your balcony in your shorts with your companion and not have to deal with a restaurant. I loved the spoils of knowing we have a butler. Hahaha. Yea I know we pay for it

 

 

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[Montanagirlalways]

I found a great alternative to the nespresso in the Havens. The coffe shop on the escape uses Starbucks coffe. I bought a coffee the first day(just regular dark roast) and got refills for .59 throughout the cruise

 

Hey all,

 

My wife and I have done 7 Haven/suite cruises, and always really enjoyed them (we always got an Aft suite with Haven/Suite privileges). However, the price has climbed higher, and combined with a higher health insurance deductible this year, we canceled our Haven room on this year's cruise (the Breakaway) and re-booked into a regular aft balcony.

 

I've always heard that once you go suite, going back is hard. So, how was our experience? I have to say, it was excellent. Let me break it down into several areas. I'll give each area a 1-10 score (and to make it easy, assume the Haven is a 10 for each.)

 

Disclaimer: My wife and I are Platinum, so that factors into things. Also, aside from the Restaurant, we also rarely used the actual Haven area (it always feels too closed in for us). One more thing: we are in our 50's, and we do not have kids. So all of my experiences/scores factor those in.

 

Embarkation:

This was an area of concern for me - I really hate lines. The Haven always made this easy. And yea, my heart sank a bit as we walked past that Haven sign, and I saw hundreds of people on that snake line in front of me... but wait!!! We were shown the Platinum line, which had three people on it, and we were given boarding group #2. Cool. We were on the ship about the same time as the Haven people. We then went to lunch at Margaritaville, where we had the place to ourselves. This was the only meal we paid for for the week.

Score: 10

 

The Room:

Truthfully, our aft balcony room was wonderful. Yes, we were missing the table/chairs, and didn't have that second bathroom, but all in all, it was still pretty spacious, with a good sized bathroom. Storage was fine. Plus, on the aft, all of the balconies are pretty big - we had 2 chairs, 2 lounges, and a table, so no downgrade there. I did miss the coffeemaker, though - the little drip pot they give is nowhere near as nice. But that's it.

Score: 8 (deducting 2 points for coffee).

 

Breakfast/Lunch:

I worried a bit about this as well. The Haven is great for Breakfast and Lunch. But you know, it wasn't a big deal. We frequented Savor for Breakfast and Lunch, and never had a problem getting a seat (and usually got a window seat). We went to breakfast at 8, and lunch at noon, and it was never crowded. I found the food quality for breakfast and lunch no different than the Haven, and the menu is actually larger. One thing: the service is a little better in the Haven. Just a little - I'll deduct a point for that..

Score: 9

 

Dinner:

We've always eaten specialty almost every night, and used the Haven to fill in the one or two nights we didn't feel like paying (I mentioned the Haven breakfast and lunch being the same as the free restaurants, but that's not so with dinner - the Haven is clearly superior to the free options). But for this cruise, we got 3 meals with the dining package, and another 2 for both being Platinum. That's 5 nights. We ate another dinner ashore in Florida, and our last night, we went to the Noodle bar (free and excellent.) Didn't miss this one bit. But again, we always do mostly specialty anyway, whether we have the package or not. YMMV.

Score: 10 (or N/A if you prefer).

 

Disembarkation:

In the Haven, we always got off the ship right away, carrying our own luggage. Always being homesick by day 6, we LOVED that. So again, I was a bit worried here. Shouldn't have been - it was a breeze. I even grabbed the wrong tags for Platinum, so we were sent to the "anyone who wants to walk off early" line, which, since we got there at 7:20, was not very long. In fact, we walked off right beside the Haven people (and I always remembered as a Haven guest that plenty of non-Haven people got off the same time as us.) The only downside here was no coffee while waiting. I like coffee, so I'll deduct one point for that.

Score: 9

 

Intangibles:

My wife and I are very "we'll do it ourselves" by nature, so we never used the Concierge (although it would appear Platinum gets access there too). We also had little use for the Butler. So we didn't miss those. Platinum also gets priority tender, so no issue there. Yes, we couldn't use the new private area on GSC, but whatever. As I mentioned earlier, the smaller room (and the fact that we didn't feel like "we paid so much for this we should use it") made us get out and explore more. We found so many quiet areas (hint: deck 8, outside of Cagneys... sit in the shade, watch the sea go by, and nobody is ever there.) We really enjoyed exploring the ship more. I also used to think having that Haven card mattered elsewhere on the ship. It doesn't - I noticed no downgrade in service anywhere.

Score: 9

 

Final Thoughts:

Our aft balcony was about HALF the price of a Haven suite. So, based on my scores above, I figure if I sacrifice a little coffee convenience, I can essentially get 2 cruises for the price of one. No brainer. The Haven was nice, but for us, it's now a pleasant memory. Aft balcony from now on.

 

I hope this review helps those in similar situations. If anyone has any questions, I'll try and answer.