Escape 8/6, Haven LIVE-ish

[Monica887]

13 hours ago, cruiservictor said:

I should have asked you this earlier in your trip, but is Dilip’s last name Lopes?  We had Dilip Lopes as our butler on the Escape in 2018. (I keep track.). Could it be the same Dilip?  

Yes, that was him! He was wonderful. 

 

When we were planning ahead with how much cash we would need for incidentals and tips we said "there's no way we'll use the concierge much" but they really did work miracles, super attentive, and went out of their way without us even asking. 

[Monica887]

1 hour ago, Chesneygirl said:

Thank you for your wonderful LIVE from the Escape!

I'm curious to know, who was your concierge? 

Dilip - absolutely wonderful!

[Monica887]

12 hours ago, mking8288 said:

It's been a joy to follow and read your Escape Haven report - and see that Kivanc is still GM (formerly HD titled) onboard, he runs a tight ship and has a great team then, look forward to meeting him & perhaps the rest of his team from the older days ... soon.  Thanks you and much obliged.

 

Was the ship sailing at / above capacity this week - Haven and spa cabins for our upcoming one already sold out, apparently no further "chance" for bidders to upgrade (unless, no-shows or last minute cancellations, etc.)  

 

Have a great disembarkation, safe travel and getting home, etc. Cheers 👍

Yes, Kivanc was great - very visible, approachable, and sent treats several times. 

[Monica887]

Day 8: No such thing as day 8

 

And just like that, I'm sitting in the airport. 

 

I was not able to see the meteor shower last night due to the weather, and possibly the ships own light pollution. So I got a good night's sleep and woke up early for one last vacation breakfast. 

 

 

 

Disembarkation was so easy. Gather in the Haven lounge, and then just take your luggage off, or wait for your color to be called. They take you down the service elevator.

 

 

I was on the bus to the airport just a few minutes later. The bus is not the Haven. This airport is not the Haven. No one has offered me food or drinks or help in hours. 

 

My ridiculously late 6:00 flight was delayed to 8:00. But I was able to switch to a 4:00. For a middle seat. Which also, is not the Haven. 

 

I'll do one more post with some final thoughts and specific room info in a bit!

[SplashOfWater]

Thank you so much for your review and sharing your vacation with us! We will be in the Escape Haven in January and can't wait!

 

Save travels!

[jack300s]

Thank you. Great report and review on your Haven experience. I'll be on the Escape next month out of New York City. We've been in Suites on other NCL ships. However, this will be our first time in Haven. It sounds like Haven is a totally different experience. 

[justhappy]

Thank you for the live trip report, I enjoyed following along, and really enjoyed the food pics!

[cat shepard]

Monica

 

Thank you for the time you took to share your experiences. I look forward to your wrap-up!

[RocketMan275]

20 hours ago, Monica887 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also had the vegetarian Napoleon, which is good, though I've had it many times before. 

 

What is this?

Edited August 13, 2023 by RocketMan275

[Monica887]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

What is this?

Which one? The long chocolate thing? The marquise au chocolate dessert from the Bistro. Insert your own lewd joke. My 9 year old said it looks like poop, when I sent it to her. But I've seen it called more colorful things....

[RocketMan275]

Just now, Monica887 said:

Which one? The long chocolate thing? The marquise au chocolate dessert from the Bistro. Insert your own lewd joke. My 9 year old said it looks like poop, when I sent it to her. But I've seen it called more colorful things....

Yes, the long chocolate thing.

I sometimes have trouble figuring out what the items are.  It helps if  things are labelled.  

[Monica887]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

Yes, the long chocolate thing.

I sometimes have trouble figuring out what the items are.  It helps if  things are labelled.  

Ah, yeah, I tried to put the pictures under the text that mentions it. 

[RocketMan275]

That  helps but I wanted to be sure which was which.  We love le bistrol and I might consider ordering that next time.  

[CatBoiler]

How do you feel the Escape is faring in her old age? Think she needs a refurb or has she held up well?

[McGarrett5oh]

Thanks for the live report.  Found your comments on the Haven and vegetarian life on board very helpful.  

[cruiseny4life]

20 hours ago, Monica887 said:

Yes, that was him! He was wonderful. 

 

When we were planning ahead with how much cash we would need for incidentals and tips we said "there's no way we'll use the concierge much" but they really did work miracles, super attentive, and went out of their way without us even asking. 

On our first cruise, we were stunned by how much we used the concierge. They really are able to make a wonderful cruise even better! 

 

Thanks for sharing a photo of the Haven ice cream sandwich. It certainly doesn't look like what I was expecting. In my cruises, I've never seen it. I always make a note to order it, then forget or am not in the mood for more food. I think I'll need to try it, though I was hoping for more of a cookiewich type sandwich. 

 

It's always an experience to go back to the real world! I hope you finally got on your flight and are enjoying a leisurely Monday morning. 

[Monica887]

Thanks all for following along! I'm glad the pictures were helpful. I had fun journaling the whole thing for you, and it prevented me from overdoing it on my own social media!

 

This was an incredible trip. It was a difficult year at home, and last summer was a complete disaster so I was SO looking forward to this trip, and it did not disappoint.

 

THE SHIP

 

Having been on the Escape before, I was fine not really exploring the ship, and really just enjoying the Haven experience. From what I could see though in the entertainment spaces and walking though public spaces, the ship is holding up nicely. But we didn't even go to the pool or garden cafe at all.

 

THE ROOM

 

We were in 17724. You walk through the lounge, enter the room area through the door on the right, turn right, and it's the 2nd room. Just far enough away from the entry door but no long corridor to walk down. Category HF, the most basic Haven room. The bed is on the right. And the chair bed is closer to the balcony. It technically holds 3 people. The beds in Haven do NOT separate. So you're either sharing the bed, or the chair pulls out. If the chair was awful I would have switched to the bed, but it was honestly fine. They added a mattress pad and there was no bar in my back or anything like that.

 

The room is bigger than a regular balcony room, but smaller than a typical American hotel room. It had MORE than enough storage for 2 people. The walls are not magnetic, if you're into that sort of thing, which I usually am. There was only one outlet, by the nightstand between the bed and chair. Luckily I had brought an outlet splitter with extra USB ports, and we both had long power cords so that we could use separate nightstands. 

 

The mildew smell in the bathroom never really went away. We said something a couple of times and then just got used to it, and had to keep the bathroom door closed to keep the whole room from smelling. 

 

Rustine was the Butler and Manuel the steward. We didn't see Manuel much but he did an excellent job. The room was always well taken care of. 

 

ROOM SNACKS

 

A lot of posts in this forum mention the snacks in the room. When we arrived there were pistachios, peanut and mini M and Ms, and a big fruit basket. I believe the pistachios were because when we initially reported what snacks we like, I mentioned cashews. But the pistachios were soft and unsalted. 

 

The first few days we got canapes, along with another snack like sandwiches, and usually chocolate covered strawberries or other chocolates sent by the GM or casino. It was a ridiculous amount of food. The canapes were pretty, but bland, and sitting on stale-ish bread. And when sandwiches came it was enough for a full meal for 2 people, not a late afternoon snack. Eventually we did just specify what we would like and what to avoid. It was still very large platters. We asked for smaller amounts and I'm not sure that was really adjusted. Next time I would specify 1 treat a day, not 3 full plates at once. I felt bad about the amount of waste, even in the dining room. We would ask for one of something and still get 3, occasionally with them just giving one. 

 

We enjoyed things like chips, a cheese plate, veggies and dip. 

 

POOL

I mentioned before the chair hogs are real. People leave their stuff and disappear for hours. One day we were in our chairs for 4-5 hours, and we only saw the person in the next chair when she put down her stuff and walked away. 

 

There is light lunch menu from 12-4. Wraps and sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches. There is a snack station that has coffee and pastries in the morning, and then in the afternoon infused water, iced tea, m&M's, gummy bears, pound cake and banana bread. They take that away at 4. I do wish that water was more readily available at other time (with the option of plain, not infused), and I wish there was an ice machine by the pool. The butler kept my ice bucket filled and I used the tap water, but I thought it was odd that it wasn't available in a central location. 

 

DRINKS

 

We didn't get the drink package - I don't drink enough to justify it. I got a couple of drinks at the bar and pool and just paid per drink. At lunch in the Haven restaurant, I did request ice tea or club soda, and that was never a problem and they never took my card. Same in the theatre when I ordered a club soda. 

 

At dinner, the first night we got the "free" bottle from the dining packing at Bayamo. We drank half and then they held onto it and gave us a claim ticket to use later. The next night in Haven we gave the claim ticket, but they said never mind and just opened up a fresh bottle. Same thing the next couple of nights. So we never ended up even paying for wine at dinner, but drinking plenty of it. In various venues, we just kept getting new bottles. Granted it was the "free" bottle that costs under $10 retail. Obviously, your milage may vary - don't count on free wine. Maybe it was because we were in Haven, maybe they just don't like going to the other venue to get the wine. 

 

KIDS

 

On another forum, someone posted yesterday about this particular trip and the kids at the Haven pool and bad behavior. There were a lot of kids. I work on a school schedule so I don't have the luxury of avoiding the kid heavy times. I have kids, so maybe I have a higher tolerance for them. I have to say there's a fine line between them laughing and having fun, and taking over the place. These kids were right on that line.

 

There was some 100% problematic behavior - our doorbell rang and kids ran away. Someone else witnessed kids pouring their water cup back into the water jug on the upper level at the pool ( I was there but didn't see it happen). One of the much younger kids was frequently shrieking at the pool and I never saw a parent address it. I saw kids throwing ducks, paper airplanes, room cards - they went zipping over people in chairs, or slammed into doors. They ran across and jumped on the wicker chairs that were in the shallow part of the pool.  I saw staff members say things a couple of times, but the kids immediately resumed whatever behavior (splashing, jumping etc) as soon as the staff walked away. 

 

Other things are more gray areas that are more about individual tolerances for children. They played a lot of Marco Polo. They frequently took up one entire hot tub and sometimes both. There was yelling and laughing. I think these things just speak to the fact that kids are allowed in the Haven. This is absolutely their right, and I understand that. But it's distracting and annoying if you're expecting a quiet zone. This is not a quiet zone, even if you want it to be.

 

I rarely saw a parent speak up. I would probably not travel with my kids in the Haven, personally. Because I would want to lounge by the pool, and my kids would get loud and I would be shushing them or threatening to remove them (or actually removing them) and that wouldn't be fun for anyone. 

 

The main pool area is my preferred area. I love to put my toes in and get in and out of the hot tub. It's where the snacks are and it was steps away from the room. But I ended up using the upper area, which was also enclosed by much hotter, so less comfortable. It was mostly families in the pool area. Which I understand, because that's where the kids want to be so that's where the parents (and often their extended family) needs to be. 

 

HOME

 

Long story short, my 6:15 flight, booked by NCL was delayed, I got on a 4:15 instead, that was delayed too. I finally got to my house by 10. Woke up and drank iced coffee. It might be days before I'm hungry again!

 

Aunt and I are thinking of doing Alaska next summer. We went last year (with the husband and kids too) but can't wait to go back, if anyone has specific recommendations! And yes, we want Haven again....

 

What did I miss? Any questions?

[cruiseny4life]

Wow! What a summation! That's incredible. Your entire review was so joyful, easy to read, and fun! I'm truly appreciate of you sharing your trip so I could live through your experience as I count down the days to my cruise (under 100 days now)! 

[CScapeMama]

Thank you for all of the information! It was wonderful to travel along and get a better understanding of the inner workings of the Haven!

[DMH15]

Thanks for an enjoyable read. 

[Ozzieru1e]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience on the Escape Haven. My only Escape Haven experience was 7/2019 in Suite 17114.  I bid for an upgrade from a mini suite and NCL accepted my offer!  The Haven spoiled me so now I can’t cruise any other way!!  I had to cancel a NCL Haven reservation for 4/2020 due to COVID and missed cruising so much.  I reserved a Haven Courtyard Suite on NCL Joy for next year 5/2024.  Luckily I get to use my two $250 in CruiseNext Certificates that would have expired 5/19/2024…you can use $500 in CruiseNext Certificates on Haven reservations.  This will be my fifth cruise with NCL and love freestyle cruising.  I’m a Lady of Leisure and I can think of no better way to relax than to go on a cruise…

[Rstlnd]

On 6/14/2023 at 12:16 PM, lesliew said:

Agreed!  So that's $300+ for wifi?  Yikes.

 

 

On 7/22/2023 at 8:20 AM, Karen J said:

I only know based on the paperwork from my ticket. Depart from Cannes at 4pm on the 15th. Arrive in Monte Carlo 4 hours later at 8pm. I don’t know for sure but I assume that once we have arrived in Monte Carlo we can get off the ship. The following day (16th) is disembarkation, I assume around 9am. 

 

On 8/7/2023 at 7:57 AM, Monica887 said:

I'll add tidbits as I think of them...

 

MAGNETIC WALLS

One oddity of the room is that the walls aren't magnetic! It's fine since it's just the two of us. But when I'm with my kids I DEFINITELY need the hooks for extra storage. I also usually use magnets to keeps dailies and schedules on the wall to avoid surface clutter.

 

HAVEN CHECK IN

And when my aunt got to the port around 2, the lines were much longer. And only 1-2 stations open, even for Haven. She was disappointed that she didn't get to experience the port lounge, so if that's of interest to you, get there early! 

 

MORE FROM YESTERDAY 

Oh, and last night before dinner, a birthday cake appeared for me in the room! (A few days early). SO much food is being delivered to the room!! 

 

CURRENT THOUGHTS

Just woke up. Coffee delivered to the room (I forgot to ask for the famous almond croissants!!!).

 

Weather is beautiful. Haven is magical, and we love Escape. But it's like when you stay in a nice hotel in a city and then step outside into the city itself and there's a totally different vibe between the two. (And I'm a city girl at heart, so I truly love the energy of both!). 

 

Back to drinking my coffee...

Your last comment about the hotel...I totally get it. City boy living in the country is bizarre