The NCL Haven Luxury VIP Experience "Secrets" REVISED for 2022

[rbxlady]

A tip for Haven passengers boarding in Port Canaveral, be vocal about the fact that you’re in the Haven!

 

We just walked on the Getaway about 30 minutes ago, but after we went through the Haven security check, the people just led us to non-Haven check-in, where the rep gave us brand new cards, and told us to sit and wait with everyone else. I even asked if Haven passengers were supposed to be here, and she told me the Haven area was full. This all didn’t sound right to me, so I went up near the Haven check-in sign, and the lady there was confused as to why they didn’t direct us to the Haven check-in area and was super apologetic. When we got there, they took our keycards and did some work behind the counter before giving us our original Haven keycards. They said the regular check-in folks had created a bit of a headache, and we shouldn’t have been sent to the general waiting area. We were of course happy to find the Haven waiting area with snacks, drinks, and coffee.

 

I felt like kind of a jerk asking every person if we were in the right place for Haven passengers, like I was bragging about it, but apparently it’s necessary lest they send you to the wrong place and you miss out on being brought up by the Haven concierge.

[Dcoy]

11 minutes ago, rbxlady said:

A tip for Haven passengers boarding in Port Canaveral, be vocal about the fact that you’re in the Haven!

 

We just walked on the Getaway about 30 minutes ago, but after we went through the Haven security check, the people just led us to non-Haven check-in, where the rep gave us brand new cards, and told us to sit and wait with everyone else. I even asked if Haven passengers were supposed to be here, and she told me the Haven area was full. This all didn’t sound right to me, so I went up near the Haven check-in sign, and the lady there was confused as to why they didn’t direct us to the Haven check-in area and was super apologetic. When we got there, they took our keycards and did some work behind the counter before giving us our original Haven keycards. They said the regular check-in folks had created a bit of a headache, and we shouldn’t have been sent to the general waiting area. We were of course happy to find the Haven waiting area with snacks, drinks, and coffee.

 

I felt like kind of a jerk asking every person if we were in the right place for Haven passengers, like I was bragging about it, but apparently it’s necessary lest they send you to the wrong place and you miss out on being brought up by the Haven concierge.

Thanks for the info. Will be using the Haven checkin there next week. We ran into a similar situation in Seattle a few years ago. 

[Sthrngary]

57 minutes ago, Dcoy said:

Thanks for the info. Will be using the Haven checkin there next week. We ran into a similar situation in Seattle a few years ago. 

Same thing happens in New Orleans.  The only place it is easy is Miami in the new NCL Terminal. 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, rbxlady said:

I felt like kind of a jerk asking every person if we were in the right place for Haven passengers, like I was bragging about it, but apparently it’s necessary lest they send you to the wrong place and you miss out on being brought up by the Haven concierge.

Had something similar happen checking in with  Princess at Fort Lauderdale.  After getting our cards we were sent to sit with the regular boarding.  After asking four people, one finally said, you're supposed to be in the suites waiting area.  It seems some either don't know, or just want to get rid of you.

[mconthehighseas]

I haven't cruised Norwegian  before. Is there a way to tell on the keycards if they for the Haven or not? 

Edited October 22, 2022 by mconthehighseas

[PatJim]

You’ll receive a special Haven “Welcome to your Sanctuary” key card.  Like other N CL key cards, it also lists your number of Ultimate Dining packages, type of Beverage Package, and Latitude status, and assembly area.  It won’t show your cabin number (for security, in case you lose the card), so be sure to memorize it🥰

[mconthehighseas]

5 minutes ago, PatJim said:

You’ll receive a special Haven “Welcome to your Sanctuary” key card.  Like other N CL key cards, it also lists your number of Ultimate Dining packages, type of Beverage Package, and Latitude status, and assembly area.  It won’t show your cabin number (for security, in case you lose the card), so be sure to memorize it🥰

Thank you!
I was more concerned about whether I would be able to tell if I had been given the wrong type of key card at check-in, as had happened to rbxlady.  Do you get the Welcome to your Sanctuary key card at check-in, or from your butler or concierge? 

[FLcruisergrl]

4 hours ago, Dcoy said:

Thanks for the info. Will be using the Haven checkin there next week. We ran into a similar situation in Seattle a few years ago. 

Haven area is in the back, to the left. Just go straight towards the back when you get past security and into the big room.

[PatJim]

One Haven perk I haven’t seen mentioned, and peculiar to the Epic, is free access to the Posh Beach Club.  Epic’s Haven has 2 bars.- the inside bar & lounge, adjacent to the Haven restaurant, has direct access to Posh via a small glass elevator opposite the bar.  The elevator only runs up to Posh, and down one deck from the Haven to just outside the Garden Cafe.  It is only activated by a Haven key card.

 

Loved that Posh was never crowded, had great lounges for sunning and had a great bar.  Loved that I could ride down one deck from the Haven to the GC, grab a plate of curry, and take it back up to the Haven to eat at a table near the 2nd bar.  

 

Patricia

[PatJim]

7 minutes ago, mconthehighseas said:

Thank you!
I was more concerned about whether I would be able to tell if I had been given the wrong type of key card at check-in, as had happened to rbxlady.  Do you get the Welcome to your Sanctuary key card at check-in, or from your butler or concierge? 

 

You get your card after you’ve gone through security, and directed either to the Haven Lounge or to a special Haven check-in desk.  We usually get our card in the Haven Lounge, directly from the Concierge, before boarding, but last cruise in September at Manhattan Passenger Terminal, we were directed to a Haven check-in desk for our card, and then escorted to the Have Lounge.  The former method is more efficient.

 

We’ve never had a problem, but if for some reason, you are not directed to a Haven lounge or Have area for check-in, speak up, as you are in the wrong place!  

 

Hope this helps.

 

Patricia

[PatJim]

15 minutes ago, FLcruisergrl said:

Haven area is in the back, to the left. Just go straight towards the back when you get past security and into the big room.

 After going through security, there should be a terminal staff person with a list of Haven names & cabin numbers.  She will direct you where to go.  Of course, every cruise terminal is different and probably has different procedures.  At Manhattan Passenger Terminal, they recently changed the location of the Haven Lounge.  Used to be right after security, on the left.  When boarding, we just walked across the terminal to the forward ramp.  In June and September the lounge was moved to the very back of the terminal o the right, making for a longer walk outside for boarding.  No big deal, though.

[FLcruisergrl]

2 hours ago, PatJim said:

 After going through security, there should be a terminal staff person with a list of Haven names & cabin numbers.  She will direct you where to go.  Of course, every cruise terminal is different and probably has different procedures.  At Manhattan Passenger Terminal, they recently changed the location of the Haven Lounge.  Used to be right after security, on the left.  When boarding, we just walked across the terminal to the forward ramp.  In June and September the lounge was moved to the very back of the terminal o the right, making for a longer walk outside for boarding.  No big deal, though.

Yes, every port is different. I was responding to the person who will be at Port Canaveral. There is a staff member at the entrance to the Haven check in checking names

[Sthrngary]

4 hours ago, mconthehighseas said:

I haven't cruised Norwegian  before. Is there a way to tell on the keycards if they for the Haven or not? 

Yes, they are color coded and branded.

[Greenpea2]

7 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Same thing happens in New Orleans.  The only place it is easy is Miami in the new NCL Terminal. 

Never had a problem in NY, either. They'd take one look at your papers and immediately send you to Haven. 

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

We are sailing in the Haven on the Prima out of Galveston next week.  We were assigned a check-in time of noon but wondering if we will be able to check in earlier if we arrive earlier, now that there are no Covid procedures.

[mconthehighseas]

10 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Yes, they are color coded and branded.

THANK YOU!
What color should I look for?  I'm guessing I will have to talk to the check-in staff while trying to keep my party from wandering off, so having a quick way to make sure we are getting what we need would be VERY helpful.

[Sundiego]

On 10/21/2022 at 8:52 AM, Sthrngary said:

@Sundiego We should unite.  I am attaching a spreadsheet and something called a Journey Document.  I think all of us "Planners" will appreciate the effort.  I have not posted this stuff for a very long time.  The last time I did, I got so much heat from folks saying any planning for a cruise makes the cruise worse.  I must disagree.  Planning allows me to relax and know that the things I could control were done.  Now I just let what happens on every cruise happen which is out of my control.

I totally agree with this 🙂 I'm an Excel junkie who is also a control freak and and my husband appreciates this because he's the opposite and feels blessed to have someone with the patience to do the planning. To me, planning is half the fun and tracking the pesky details isn't work, it's satisfying. 

 

Enjoy your posts, Gary!!

 

Denise

[lisa928]

Does anyone know if the 2-bedroom suites (Breakaway if it matters) have power next to the bed in the main bedroom?  One or both sides?

[Sailing12Away]

2 hours ago, mconthehighseas said:

THANK YOU!
What color should I look for?  I'm guessing I will have to talk to the check-in staff while trying to keep my party from wandering off, so having a quick way to make sure we are getting what we need would be VERY helpful.

Haven cards are gold with a starfish and say "Haven" on the top. Regular cards are either purple or teal, depending on your lattitude status. In the top right corner it will say how many dining meals you have and the type of drink package, make sure that is correct too.

[Harratine]

On 10/12/2022 at 9:24 AM, CDR Benson said:

In my trip report, I made mention of the perpetually occupied seats at the Haven Lounge bar.  It was intended as merely a wry observation.  I understand some folks enjoy the camaraderie of the bar, but it's never been a thing for the Good Mrs. Benson or myself.  

 

As noted, the lounge waiters are almost always Johnny-on-the-spot to take the orders of the folks who occupy the nice comfortable couches and armchairs in the rest of the Haven Lounge or the Horizon Observation Lounge, so we preferred that seating.  A couple of times we met interesting couples, leading to entertaining conversation.  Most times, it was just the GMB and me, and we were fine with that.  We wouldn't have enjoyed the sociality that is imposed by sitting at the bar.

 

For those who do, but never get the chance, because they're always beaten to the barstools, I think the answer is to add another bar, in the Horizon Observation Lounge.

 

 

Apparently The Haven in Prima is expanded to accommodate more bar hogs.  Looking forward to being a hog next March and reporting back.

[Sthrngary]

31 minutes ago, Harratine said:

Apparently The Haven in Prima is expanded to accommodate more bar hogs.  Looking forward to being a hog next March and reporting back.

You make both a funny and good point.  The way I look at it, NCL did their job.  They made a place called the Haven Bar a place where folks really like to sit, meet others and enjoy.  Once they found out about it, their next design of a ship expanded this area.  

 

I have always had so much fun at the Haven Bar meeting new folks.  It is so much easier to engage at a bar then at small tables with couches. The part of this whole subject that is interesting is many come to the Haven, pay the premium to get away from "Pool Chair Hogs", "Theatre Chair Hogs" and we created out own Haven version.  Interesting isn't it? 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[mtrancher]

2 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

You make both a funny and good point.  The way I look at it, NCL did their job.  They made a place called the Haven Bar a place where folks really like to sit, meet others and enjoy.  Once they found out about it, their next design of a ship expanded this area.  

 

I have always had so much fun at the Haven Bar meeting new folks.  It is so much easier to engage at a bar then at small tables with couches. The part of this whole subject that is interesting is many come to the Haven, pay the premium to get away from "Pool Chair Hogs", "Theatre Chair Hogs" and we created out own Haven version.  Interesting isn't it? 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

It's a funny observation! Do you think guests will start to get up early and place a personal item at their favorite bar chair to reserve it all day? 
I agree with it's a great place to meet interesting people and share a story or two. Growing up in Montana, bars were social places to gather, so I'm always at home at the bar.

[Harratine]

2 minutes ago, mtrancher said:

It's a funny observation! Do you think guests will start to get up early and place a personal item at their favorite bar chair to reserve it all day? 
I agree with it's a great place to meet interesting people and share a story or two. Growing up in Montana, bars were social places to gather, so I'm always at home at the bar.

Probably not.  I’m guessing it will be really hard to put a book there and wander off.  Bartender will prolly notice as they are 3 feet away

[Sthrngary]

13 minutes ago, mtrancher said:

It's a funny observation! Do you think guests will start to get up early and place a personal item at their favorite bar chair to reserve it all day? 

You remind me of something I saw on a cruise. I went down to the main pool and a professionally done sign was on two lounge chairs by the pool.  It said, "This chair is Reserved for a VIP Guest".  I kid you not, it was like it was custom done and look great.  I waited an hours while sitting in a chair on the row farthest from the pool.  Then I went up the this chair, carefully folded the sign and gave it to the crew.  These folks never showed up or said a thing to us.  The people around the chair gave me high-fives.  

 

I only did that once because it made my wife nervous.  She was afraid of a conflict.  That is the reason why placing something on a chair works so well.  Most people, are afraid of a conflict.  All this story to say this, "The next time I am in the Haven, I can going to have made up a sign for two chairs in the Haven Bar."  It will say, "I am not a chair Hog, but I would love to learn how to be one!"  LOL.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment

[mtrancher]

2 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

You remind me of something I saw on a cruise. I went down to the main pool and a professionally done sign was on two lounge chairs by the pool.  It said, "This chair is Reserved for a VIP Guest".  I kid you not, it was like it was custom done and look great.  I waited an hours while sitting in a chair on the row farthest from the pool.  Then I went up the this chair, carefully folded the sign and gave it to the crew.  These folks never showed up or said a thing to us.  The people around the chair gave me high-fives.  

 

I only did that once because it made my wife nervous.  She was afraid of a conflict.  That is the reason why placing something on a chair works so well.  Most people, are afraid of a conflict.  All this story to say this, "The next time I am in the Haven, I can going to have made up a sign for two chairs in the Haven Bar."  It will say, "I am not a chair Hog, but I would love to learn how to be one!"  LOL.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment

That's a great story! If I see the sign at the bar I'll move it off one chair and join you! 🙂