Haven suite anniversary evening, what to ask the butler

[15yearsandwaiting]

I would like to plan an anniversary evening in our suite. What should I ask of the butler to provide? I am thinking having dinner in the room.  Should I bring my own battery operated candles? Will they bring up a bottle of wine? Decorate the room? Suggestions ?

[BirdTravels]

You can have them bring a bottle of wine, but it will be charged at room service rates. Think about pre-ordering the wine from your MyNCL account. It will arrive "sometime" on the day requested. (Coordinate with your butler)

 

 

You can pre-order a cake that will show up "sometime" on the day requested (coordinate with your butler). 

 

=== OR ===

 

Order a bottle of wine at the Haven restaurant the night before (tell them not to open it) and bring it back to your room. There are always wine glasses and a cork screw in your standard Haven dishware. 

 

We decorate on every cruise. We stop at the Dollar Tree and pick up some seasonal decorations and put it up ourselves. Or in your case, something that looked like anniversary decorations. And a roll of tape. 

 

For the afternoon snack that day, see if your butler would bring up a large fruit and cheese plate and some chocolate covered strawberries (tell them that you are celebrating your anniversary). Have the cheese plate as a starter and save the berries for an after dinner snack. 

 

I would use a Specialty Dining package and order dinner from Cagney's steakhouse. That would include an appetizer, soup/salad, steak, two sides, and a dessert (7-layer chocolate cake). I would have my butler bring it all at once and serve ourselves as dinner progresses. If your butler was willing, have them pick up a half dozen lobster tail from the Haven restaurant to have with your Cagney's steak. 

 

We would ask our butler to come back in an hour with a half dozen scoops of ice cream from the Haven restaurant to have with our 7-layer cake. And a press pot of coffee. 

 

Yup, battery candles would work. 

 

So far, you have paid for a bottle of wine, $20 in Dollar Tree decorations. Some battery candles (maybe from Dollar Tree). And a nice tip for your butler at the end of the cruise. 

 

Edited September 30, 2023 by BirdTravels

[Coastalbreezes]

You can coordinate decorations and an anniversary cake through the concierge free of charge and order a bottle of wine at the Haven bar.  Ask the bartender to give it to your butler to serve at your dinner. There are some very nice selections well under $100/bottle. No need to pre-order online.

 

As for dinner, I'd argue that you will get a better steak/meal ordering from the Haven restaurant and save using your dining package or Latitudes meal coupon.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Happy Anniversary!

[FLAHAM]

Ask for a beer and directions to a bar screening football.

 

Seriously, I think you are better off with dinner in a restaurant followed by dessert  and wine (champagne?) in your suite.

[graphicguy]

I like “Bird’s” idea of stopping at a Dollar Tree and getting some streamers for your cabin.  That would be a fun activity you can do together.  Not the activity I’d choose, but fun nonetheless. 😉

[CatBoiler]

Beware the anniversary cake. Our first Haven was for our honeymoon and they gave us a free cake to celebrate. It was terrible. Dry and completely flavorless. I'd go a different route for dessert.

[Yesimapirate]

Personally,  I'd ask the butler not to come in the room after 8😜

[david_sobe]

You are on the right track.  I've brought electric candles on 2 cruises.  Here is a photo of my Epic 2013 Valentines Day week cruise.  Others have brought up some good points.  The cakes are horrible and a waste of money.  Flowers can be bought and its a fair deal considering its a cruise ship.  Save money and make it more intimate.  Do things yourself.  Bring your own decorations and keep others away.  I would not even eat in the cabin. I would have a nice meal in the Haven restaurant or specialty restaurant and then watch a DVD movie in bed later.

[joy walker]

Last March, Breakaway Haven, I let the Butler and Room Steward know we were celebrating our anniversary and on which night (Butler and Steward letter).  Both, at different times that day, decorated our room.  Our room steward decorated our bed with two adorable towel animal swans, and paper decorations.  Later that day our butler had a signs put up, decorated with rose petals, a "mood light'" thing, white table cloth set for the complimentary celebration cake (yes, it tasted terrible, but it was pretty), and she even gave a little "hand painted" looking picture as a card.  We truly felt celebrated and spoiled. 

                             

[ColeThornton]

28 minutes ago, Yesimapirate said:

Personally,  I'd ask the butler not to come in the room after 8😜

 

 

Wow, you go to sleep early.   😉

[bonvoyagie]

We were at a suites cocktail party and had to leave early to make our dinner reservation so as we excused ourselves from our conversation with the officer in charge of housekeeping, explaining it was our anniversary and we had reservations, he asked us for our cabin number and where we were going for dinner. At the restaurant we were sang to and presented a small cake, when we got back to our cabin it had a happy anniversary banner and loads of balloons as well as another bottle of sparkling wine. We left the decorations up the rest of the cruise. It made for a memorable cruise.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 9/29/2023 at 11:40 PM, 15yearsandwaiting said:

I would like to plan an anniversary evening in our suite. What should I ask of the butler to provide? I am thinking having dinner in the room.  Should I bring my own battery operated candles? Will they bring up a bottle of wine? Decorate the room? Suggestions ?

Asl him to provide what you want.  Among the requests might be privacy!  SQEOCC

[Traveling Fools]

On 9/29/2023 at 11:40 PM, 15yearsandwaiting said:

Will they bring up a bottle of wine?

If you have a beverage package, buy yourself three bottles of Veuve at Costco for the same price they will charge you for one on board and take them aboard with you.  Pop the cork of one on your sail away, save one for your anniversary, and enjoy the third some other evening.  

 

I note you are traveling from Ohio.  You can purchase traveling wine pouches at your local wine store, or on line, and pack the bottles in the center of your checked baggage.  Have done that a dozen times and have never had a problem  between the travel pouch and cushion of clothing you'll be fine.  For added padding ask someone you know with infants for several disposable diapers and wrap the diapers around the travel pouch.  Like I said been there done that and will be doing again in Nov, Feb, and next September all three cruise are international and the September one is our 50th anniversary.

 

If you are traveling in a Suite, ask the pre-cruise concierge to inform the on-board concierge and make any special requests through them.  At the very least let the on-board concierge and your butler know it is an anniversary cruise as soon as you board.

 

On our 40th we took a Scandinavia/St. Petersburg cruise.  We were met dockside by the Concierge and I was able to give him our wedding rings that I had repaired without DW's knowledge (cash does wonders!😁).  I had also reserved the Chef's table and the Concierge was able to get the kitchen staff to put them in a pastry box.  Totally surprised DW.  The head chef had not been made aware that it was our anniversary and was pissed.  Her personally delivered this cake then next day .

 

 

[BirdTravels]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:22 AM, graphicguy said:

I like “Bird’s” idea of stopping at a Dollar Tree and getting some streamers for your cabin.  That would be a fun activity you can do together.  Not the activity I’d choose, but fun nonetheless. 😉

Never hurts to have a palm tree, flower spinners, a flamingo (the best birds) and butterflies sprinkled around your room...

 

If the cruise is celebrating a birthday...

 

 

Maybe something more seasonal... 

 

 

The cabin steward even made us a cake!

 

 

On this cruise, our room steward added some bats around the room for atmosphere...

[Traveling Fools]

21 hours ago, Traveling Fools said:

I

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Traveling Fools
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[cruiseny4life]

I've seen some state the free celebration cake (it's the same for a birthday or anniversary) is dry and blah. On three occasions, I've had a different opinion. The cake actually ranked higher in taste than some of the slices we received in the Haven Restaurant. It was a white two layer cake with strawberry jam inside and an odd looking frosting. But, it was very yummy to my husband and I! 

@BirdTravels, love the decorations you posted and your room stewards adding to the ambiance!