We have sailed on NCL more than I care to admit in everything from an Inside to a 2 Bedroom Suite in The HAVEN. There is nothing that compares to The HAVEN. After a rather terrible travel day that included an ice storm, repeated delays, and barely making the ship, hearing the staff in the pre-embarkation lounge say “Mr. and Mrs. … So nice to see you. We have been waiting for you.” made the stress of the previous 10 hours melt away. Lesson learned; don’t fly on embarkation day even if it is a one hour flight from Montreal to JFK. Mother Nature may have other plans :)
I am a die hard Norwegian fan and the escape is my favorite boat in the fleet but i think prima might take the lead. you did indeed nail the point from a cost value I couldn't justify it but the the experience is something difficult to put a price on. I have great service without haven all over the ship but I will also point out the the escape is an anomaly compared to the rest of the fleet i have tried even compared to bliss, encore etc. the customer service on escape is second to none.
Sailing in the new Prima Haven in mid-September and can't wait. My first cruise was an NCL Haven experience on the Breakaway, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience ever since. I wish all the ships had a full Haven. I agree, it is extremely difficult to go back.
We have only ever cruised ncl haven from owners on pearls , 2beds on epic ,and our favorite the Alf penthouse on getaway /escape . in our option it’s only got better on the newer ships with the inclusion of the haven restaurant and bar . Yes it’s expensive but you can price watch and look at start or end of season if you need . it’s great for a family vacation for adults and children alike . We are 36 days away from haven escape 10 day Mediterranean , so pleased you enjoyed it
The Haven was worth it when it was just double balcony price. Now that its 5 times or more than a balcony, the value is not there as much anymore. If you cruise the Haven years back you know all the Haven perks they took away. Its still wonderful if you can afford it but it used to be 100% worth it.
We cruised for 1st time on February 2024. We stayed at The Haven. I was a reluctant cruiser, loved the experience!!! Going back in November and again in February. The only confusing thing for us was the tipping. We paid gratuities ahead, and the buttler and steward made clear to us on embarcation day that they would like their tip at the beginning of the trip. We tipped generously, but it felt kind of uncomfortable. What do you usually do for them? Thank you
Can you give me an idea of what kind of letter you sent to butler and how you would get a hold of him or her before boarding? We prepaid the service gratuties before we won our bid on the Haven. Did we make a mistake by prepaying?
The Haven is hands down the best cruise experience...EVER! Yes it is expensive but plan your vacation far enough away so paying will be easier, monthly payments are the way to go.🎉
Great video. Out of curiosity what items/things/want did you put in your letter to your butler before you sailed. We are sailing to Haven in April and want to be as well prepared as anything. What are some of the things that we should be thinking about to maybe prepare a note to our butler also.
Well editored and useful video nice work! It would be nice if you showed what the letter looked like as I wouldn’t even know what to ask for. So, maybe do a follow up on that?
The only down side to sailing in The Haven is that once you do you just can not go back. You are effectively spoiled rotten. Nothing else quite compares!
Food looks great and it looked like you had the Haven mostly to yourself . Very interesting and hopefully we can go sometime when there is a special offer .
Great video, thanks for sharing! We’re sailing tomorrow in an aft penthouse on the Getaway and are excited to be Haven guests for the first time, your video was very helpful!
Great video and I agree with all your notes on what makes the Haven so great. It is a great experience and completely spoil you for your next cruise. We bid on an upgrade for my first cruise ever and won. That was a blessing and curse as now I do not want to cruise outside of the Haven... Oh Well. I am on the Breakaway in 9 days.
Hope you have a great cruise! Even if it's not in the Haven. Sometimes the upgrades are worth it, and other times less so. The Breakway is a fantastic ship in its own right!
Thanks for the info on the Haven, we sail in October and will stay in the Haven. I haven't been able to find many actual reviews, just room tours so this was great info.
The Haven on the Getaway never gave us special return from excursions. Often, the dining room was full and the wait for a table would be over an hour. There was priority access to shows, but they weren't that full anyway. Also, there were a lot of families in the Haven (this was the week before Easter) and the hot tubs were occupied by children the entire week. We never saw the butler after the first day. Our room steward did all the work. It was nice, but not worth the increase unless you get a deal.
I also was in Haven during a holiday week. Many of the things that you’ve said all correct. My correction was simply to go the week before or the week after holidays. The result was an exceptional an extraordinary experience. I have also been on the getaway, so I fully understand what you said.
This is concerning. If we are spending 4 or 5x a regular fare and not getting what is stated when booking, I would have a minor temper tantrum. We are looking at a week over Memorial Day. Sounds like I would need to lower my expectations.
I did the Getaway as well, no Haven, but I had access to the adults only pool under the Haven, next to the fitness center. Lots of kids in the Haven sounds like hell to me.
Were booked spring break 2023, march/April looks like another spring break mayhem like we always experience this 1st long break after winter🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️😫😫 we are already prepared for Low expectations and total full capacity craziness since like us, we have teens and spring break is a total mayhem everytime👍
We won an upgrade bid for the Haven on the Encore. Couldn’t have afforded the full price. You did a great job describing the experience. We also wrote a letter to the butler. It definitely spoils you for regular cruising on a big ship. It was nice to have the extra room as we brought our niece (we got a forward cabin that had a separate living room). Truly made it a memorable trip for all 3 of us.
That's awesome. I'm also considering submitting a bid for a Haven upgrade, particularly since I was already thinking of paying for many of the amenities that automatically come with the Haven (such as the spa access and finer dining). I think I have a good chance of being upgraded since I'm sailing in low season, however I'm not sure how to price my bid. Did you submit a fair, good or strong bid to score the upgrade? Did they let you know you won the upgrade soon after you submitted the bid? Thanks!
@@kv1930 it was about 5 days before the cruise that we got the notification that we won the bid. Our bid was just a smidge over the minimum. Good luck!
Can you please talk about the tip structure for Haven please. Example prepaid, butler, conceirge. I assume the latter 2 are not covered in the prepaid gratuities. Is there a room service charge for in suite meals or is that one of the included perks? Also is laundry included? Please give us an idea of special requests we can ask for.
I've heard that the new ships in NCL fleet like the Viva, Prima and Aqua all have dramatically increased the size of the Haven...rumors have it that the service has suffered and it's not the same "exclusive" feel you get on ships like the Bliss, Encore, Joy...much more crowded...we've only been on the Bliss and that Haven experience is always amazing, going again in May 2025...something to factor in to your plans, maybe.
Other lines also have a big focus on their suites, like MSC or Celebrity. NCL, however, seems to have some of the largest Suite exclusive areas. The ship within a ship is an interesting concept. I’ll probably never sail on a suite; the room itself may be affordable but the extra tangible and intangible benefits do add to the price tag. Still, I definitely see why people love it and why cruise lines focus on suites a lot. For some it feels too decadent but others like the privacy but still getting to use other part of the ship or sailing with large families. Nice video explaining and showing off the video of the Haven! Can’t wait to see more of your videos. Did have 1 question, does NCL give you like a form to fill out to give your butler the first day or did you guys write a letter detailing some preferences because you knew you would have one?
There's no form, so you have to act on your own to write a letter. A standard form would make a lot of sense, but might cause too much extra work for the butler if people are provided the opportunity to ask for extras. Unlike some luxury lines, Haven butlers are responsible for a LOT of staterooms at one time.
@@rgruenhaus The wording states you get a personal butler according to what I've read, but that butler also serves other Haven staterooms. Perhaps it is poor wording on NCL's promotion material to make one think the butler for your stateroom is yours and yours alone. I would think it wouldn't be very practical nor cost efficient for NCL.
Great video, very informative, thank you. We just put in a bid to upgrade to the Haven Penthouse with Balcony and Haven Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony on our upcoming cruise on the Prima, after watching video reviews on the Haven, we are excited and hopeful to get our bid accepted, cheers!
Thank You for your input, we are staying in the Haven for the first time recommended by a friend who has stayed there many times. Looking forward to it.
This was helpful ty. Was it still worth it if there are 4 days of port visits? Do you feel we will stil get to enjoy all the extra amenities lounges restaurants etc? Thanks!
My wife and I Have done Haven Class and The Retreat Class on Celebrity. They were both great and worth the money. But if food is your thing, Oceania is the way to go.
You might be right! I think that if I had been on the ship in other rooms and then do the Haven I could be satisfied with my comparison! Though I didn't like hearing that a butler cares for several rooms/guests in the Haven! I have seen other videos where it was put forward that a butler is dedicated!
yes....yes it is worth it...IMO...and ALWAYS fly in the day before...in Seattle we always stay precruise hotel at the Edgewater...it's literally steps to the ship...ENJOY!!!!...its the one time we go all out and enjoy an amazing week.
We did the "Escape" Nov. 2023 to/from Bermuda and it was a BIG change from our dozen cruises on DCL. Not all bad, but different. The vibe of casino smoke and 1970's shopping mall in the 7-8-9 district kept me from exploring a bit, to my detriment. Mostly, the food and service were fine, with the standard NCL up-sell. Entertainment was m'ehh (compared to Disney) and room steward had other places to be. Seemed that there were 4,000+ passengers on a 3,000 passenger ship as the elevator congestion was terrible and the disembarkation in NYC was Spirit airline quality. But the Spa was awesome, the specialty dining was ++, the service/people were very nice, and the choice of itineraries is great and the rooms are not small. So we are going again . . . The "Getaway" this coming October from New Orleans . . . and yes, per your review, jumping on the Haven when the price difference isn't too, too different. The express dis/embarkation seems like a + and appreciate your review of their restaurant and uncrowded spa/pool area. I don't drink alcohol and prefer a certain soft drink (which I can bring on Disney but NOT on NCL !?!). We'll see what the Butler can do about that?
We ONLY cruise NCL Haven. It's a completely different experience than being in with general population. If you can afford it, do it. You won't be disappointed. You'll be one of 300 instead of one of 4-5000.
Nice review! Just booked a Haven for the 1st time. Curious, how did you tip the Haven staff? I heard they weren't included in the general "tip pool". Did you use cash and envelope method (old school)? TIA 🚢
@@cruiseshipblitzWe are sailing on the Epic for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise in the Haven this summer & are very curious how much you tipped the Butler, & the room steward. It sounds like the Butler is not around much. We want to be prepared. We are in a 2-bedroom suite in the Haven. We are a family of 4. Our boys are quite grown at 17 & 21.
My only complaint was the private outdoor deck areas were closed due to “weather”/“wind” almost every day when I cruised Alaska years ago. My favorite: the forward-facing indoor scenic lounge space. Sitting there with a warm beverage and reading a book was so cozy
Can you comment as to the additional gratuities in the Haven. I've been told that in addition to the normal gratuities, you should tip your concierge extra as their services aren't included. However, I can't find any standard rules/rates for what that should look like?
The concierge and butler are not included in the prepaid gratuities. We googled what the average was. It depends on how much you use them. We didn’t use the concierge as much, but still tipped them.
If the butler has several guest rooms they are not dedicated? Once you touch base with the Concierge to set everything up for the cruise you might not need them later I suppose!
Very nice job. This is from someone that has written and done videos on the “Secrets of the Haven VIP Experience”. I fully agree with everything you said. So glad you brought up the Butler letter. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
Priority disembarkation is useless! Especially if you are taking your own bags off and use a wheelchair assist. Paying $2k for most other rooms each and Paying $10k each in the Haven is a difference of one cruise or 4 cruises. You also need to have plenty of BIG tip money for all the services you already paid for!
There was a computer company that relied on word of mouth and the commodore 64 and the Amiga computer died because of it! Sad that NCL relies on RU-vid when they should know their own product and make their own videos! Nothing like questions and answers from the horses mouth! Individual perspective is nice but each experience can be different!How staff takes care of a person with a ton of money and a person who won a bid to the Haven can be totally different!
I traveled on the escape out of New York, going to Bermuda on the heaven I found it to be not worth the money. The pool was slimy. Nobody running drinks. They had the beach club closed. The comic was making fun of people from the haven. I would rather have done a two week cruise with somebody else and spend all that money on the Haven.
I’m sailing on the Haven in a couple weeks is the premium beverage package i.e. the more expensive alcohol included in the Haven or do I have to purchase it separately as a package?
Curious as to what you requested in your letter for the Concierge. Looking at a trip to Greece in 2024 and NCL in a Haven Suite is winning me over from Celebrity or Royal Caribbean.
just got back from NCL bliss cruise. and haven members gets treated royalty on that boat, they have their own elevators when you first walk in. if i can afford it i would definitely book haven, but instead i just got a regular balcony. which was still a great experience but haven is the goal here.
You mention the music blasting at the pool deck, but every Norwegian cruise has an adult's only pool area without loud music. So you don't have to be in the Haven to get away from the noise.
Great overview that tracks with my own experience. We stayed in the Haven for the first time a couple years ago on the Escape. Just an amazing experience that to us was worth every very expensive penny. Finally going back to the Haven in December, this time on the Encore. Can’t wait!
I'm sailing the Haven on Breakaway Penthouse Aft with larger balcony in the middle of March. After seeing your video, I can't wait. Do you think it was a bad idea to get the haven penthouse aft with larger balcony since it's a long way from the haven courtyard?
On my first Haven cabin cruise, a fellow passenger told me that I would never be able to go back. She was right. I have been spoiled by all that the Haven has to offer. You did a very good presentation on all that the Haven has.
I’ve always had a great experience on the Epic and I fully appreciate the money spent staying in the Heaven. If you can afford it, it’s worth every sent. Great vlog btw, nicely done.
4 NCL cruises since 2015. 3 Havens and one Spa Suite. Never again unless it is as a Haven guest. Doing Prima Transatlantic as Haven guest in November 2023 on Prima. You forgot the issued cell phone to call your butler while anywhere on the ship to get anything for you. The reserved seating at all shows no waiting no lines. Private elevators is huge. Spot on video.
going on my 4th haven experience and will never go back. and the escape in my opinion is the best, but we are now going on the prima in November and they have some big shoes to fill. love the video
