Booked elsewhere this time - anybody with The Haven experience on NCL?

[AliceIn]

I really love Disney, and we had a fabulous time on our Disney cruise. I priced a cruise on the Fantasy for a Cat V in early August for my husband and I and our three kids. Disney wanted $17K for it. Having done that exact cruise previously, I can tell you that while it's wonderful, it's not THAT kind of money wonderful. Instead, we booked on the Norwegian Escape in a 2 bedroom family Haven Villa. Even factoring in paying extra for unlimited soda, and upgrading to 7 extra meals in their fancier restaurants, it's still thousands cheaper than Disney. We had great lounge staff on the Fantasy - but this new room comes a concierge, but also a 24 hour butler. The Haven has it's own private restaurant for all 3 meals, including sit down, hot selections. The reviews I've read for the Haven experience on NCL is comparable to the rave reviews Disney gets.

Anybody ever do both The Haven and Concierge on Disney have any real life comparisons?

 

[pangur]

Done the haven twice, dcl concierge 10 times. No comparison in terms of service. Your butler will get you anything you want from anywhere. The concierge was very hit or miss. We had a woman who couldn't make reservations when there was availability, and another who got us in everywhere we wanted to go. The restaurant in the haven is excellent and just not the zoo the mdrs are. That said, good manners are definitely required, even from the little ones. The 2 bedroom is really a king size room and a walk in closet with no windows for the kids. But they have their own bathroom. The bathroom on a cat t is better for the master, but the bathtub up against the window makes up for it. Verandah off the room is teeny compared to a cat t.

Happy to answer specific questions.

 

[deanimal]

We did a seven night in the Haven on the Breakaway for exactly the same reasons last March. The only downside is that my family has no desire to cruise Disney ever again! We loved the Haven pool area and private sundeck and the restaurant was just amazing. My kids even liked the kids clubs on Norwegian more than the Disney clubs (they were 5 and 7 for the cruise). We're so glad we tried it and my husband says it was his favourite cruise experience ever.

 

[AliceIn]

Done the haven twice, dcl concierge 10 times. No comparison in terms of service. Your butler will get you anything you want from anywhere. The concierge was very hit or miss. We had a woman who couldn't make reservations when there was availability, and another who got us in everywhere we wanted to go. The restaurant in the haven is excellent and just not the zoo the mdrs are. That said, good manners are definitely required, even from the little ones. The 2 bedroom is really a king size room and a walk in closet with no windows for the kids. But they have their own bathroom. The bathroom on a cat t is better for the master, but the bathtub up against the window makes up for it. Verandah off the room is teeny compared to a cat t.

Happy to answer specific questions.

Disney wanted $17K for the CAT V! I think the Haven room is twice the size - though honestly, we only sleep in the room, so it could probably be broom closet size and be ok as long as the beds were comfy. I love the tub next to the window - I think it will be cool to be in the bath watching the ocean go by.

 

[AliceIn]

We did a seven night in the Haven on the Breakaway for exactly the same reasons last March. The only downside is that my family has no desire to cruise Disney ever again! We loved the Haven pool area and private sundeck and the restaurant was just amazing. My kids even liked the kids clubs on Norwegian more than the Disney clubs (they were 5 and 7 for the cruise). We're so glad we tried it and my husband says it was his favourite cruise experience ever.

Thank you! We are getting excited.

 

[soonerdoc]

I am a Platinum Disney cruiser, so I'm obviously a fan of the mouse, but I've also taken a cruise in the Haven on the NCL Epic. IMHO, the Haven experience on NCL is superior to Disney concierge, at a more competitive price. My family of 4 enjoyed it so much that we are going to sail in the Haven again on the Breakaway in the Baltics this summer.

Have fun, you will love the Haven.

 

[samily]

We are also Platinum on DCL and have done the Haven on the Getaway in the 2 bed family suite and a courtyard penthouse suite. I believe the Escape is a sister ship to the Getaway. We loved it, such a bargain compared to DCL, plus it usually includes unlimited drinks, specialty dining, wifi and excursion credits (or whatever free at sea promotion is running). We found the Haven restaurant to be comparable to or better than the specialty restaurants.

We have also done concierge on DCL. What I don't like about concierge on the Dream class is placement of the lounge and sundeck with no view of the ocean. Loved these spaces in the Haven. Also the cat v is not even close in comparison to the 2 bed suite in the Haven - you're going to love it!

ETA: Just wanted to add that a big difference between DCL and NCL is the kids club on NCL closes from around 12-2 and 5-7 on sea days and there is a charge after 10pm. I don't recall if the teen club also closed during those hours but there was no extra charge after 10 for the teen club.

What I did like regarding the teen club is that it closes at 1am (as opposed to 2am on DCL) and they enforce a curfew - they can't be out after the club without a parent. It saves us parents from even having to have the argument about curfew, lol.

 

[godde8ss]

Question similar to this. How does NCL non-concierge compare to DCL non-concierge? I've sailed Disney, Celebrity, Carnival and RCL but never NCL. Something has always made me stray from this brand...

 

[jstewartgt]

I have a good friend or did Haven last year instead of Disney non-concierge. He has 3 kids so he gets two rooms on the Disney which makes the Haven a little cheaper. I did not find the same when I priced it for me. In his case they also threw in unlimited drinks and he said the cruise was better than Disney. That being said, he's going on the Fantasy again this year to do the SWDAS, but will likely not return to Disney after that.

 

[kaseyC]

We are Platinum on NCL and DCL. All of our cruises except one on both lines have been in Concierge. As a matter of fact we sailed the Haven before it was even called the Haven. Back in 2006 it was just known as the Courtyard suites and villas. We have sailed the Haven on the Jewel, Jade, Epic x3, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape, all in 2 bedroom family Villas except the Jade where we were in the 3 bedroom Garden Villa which is totally different experience than just being in the Haven. We've been lucky and have sailed many times with the same concierges and we have even had the same butler more than once. The Haven experience is fantastic and IMO much better and more personal than Concierge on Disney. Besides the separate Haven restaurant, lounge, sundeck, pool and hot tubs overall the perks are just better. The 24 hr butler service, in suite dining from any restaurant on the ship during their operating hours, priority boarding and debarkation, reserved area in theatre or Concierge escort to theaters to guarantee best seating. The fantastic espresso machine in each suite. I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

 

[mevelandry]

Following...

 

[AliceIn]

We are Platinum on NCL and DCL. All of our cruises except one on both lines have been in Concierge. As a matter of fact we sailed the Haven before it was even called the Haven. Back in 2006 it was just known as the Courtyard suites and villas. We have sailed the Haven on the Jewel, Jade, Epic x3, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape, all in 2 bedroom family Villas except the Jade where we were in the 3 bedroom Garden Villa which is totally different experience than just being in the Haven. We've been lucky and have sailed many times with the same concierges and we have even had the same butler more than once. The Haven experience is fantastic and IMO much better and more personal than Concierge on Disney. Besides the separate Haven restaurant, lounge, sundeck, pool and hot tubs overall the perks are just better. The 24 hr butler service, in suite dining from any restaurant on the ship during their operating hours, priority boarding and debarkation, reserved area in theatre or Concierge escort to theaters to guarantee best seating. The fantastic espresso machine in each suite. I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

I am a Platinum Disney cruiser, so I'm obviously a fan of the mouse, but I've also taken a cruise in the Haven on the NCL Epic. IMHO, the Haven experience on NCL is superior to Disney concierge, at a more competitive price. My family of 4 enjoyed it so much that we are going to sail in the Haven again on the Breakaway in the Baltics this summer.

Have fun, you will love the Haven.

Thank you for the information! I'm so glad I asked here, because at first I was disappointed that we wouldn't be on Disney, but it sounds like we will be thrilled with The Haven! I will probably have a ton of questions - I'll reach out when I have a chance to process all the information I got from my travel agent and NCL.

We are also Platinum on DCL and have done the Haven on the Getaway in the 2 bed family suite and a courtyard penthouse suite. I believe the Escape is a sister ship to the Getaway. We loved it, such a bargain compared to DCL, plus it usually includes unlimited drinks, specialty dining, wifi and excursion credits (or whatever free at sea promotion is running). We found the Haven restaurant to be comparable to or better than the specialty restaurants.

We have also done concierge on DCL. What I don't like about concierge on the Dream class is placement of the lounge and sundeck with no view of the ocean. Loved these spaces in the Haven. Also the cat v is not even close in comparison to the 2 bed suite in the Haven - you're going to love it!

ETA: Just wanted to add that a big difference between DCL and NCL is the kids club on NCL closes from around 12-2 and 5-7 on sea days and there is a charge after 10pm. I don't recall if the teen club also closed during those hours but there was no extra charge after 10 for the teen club.

What I did like regarding the teen club is that it closes at 1am (as opposed to 2am on DCL) and they enforce a curfew - they can't be out after the club without a parent. It saves us parents from even having to have the argument about curfew, lol.

We got the freebies you mentioned above for my husband and I (3 specialty meals, unlimited adult beverages/soda, discount on excursions, and a free wifi package). Two of my kids sailed free as well. We added the beverages and dining for the kids with our booking. We are still quite a lot cheaper than Disney for a bigger room, better service, and extra perks. I am so glad we are trying NCL.

Question similar to this. How does NCL non-concierge compare to DCL non-concierge? I've sailed Disney, Celebrity, Carnival and RCL but never NCL. Something has always made me stray from this brand...

Good question - looking forward to hearing more!

I have a good friend or did Haven last year instead of Disney non-concierge. He has 3 kids so he gets two rooms on the Disney which makes the Haven a little cheaper. I did not find the same when I priced it for me. In his case they also threw in unlimited drinks and he said the cruise was better than Disney. That being said, he's going on the Fantasy again this year to do the SWDAS, but will likely not return to Disney after that.

I will definitely consider Disney again, but I'd have to look at non-school times before I'd consider concierge. The peak pricing has gone crazy. I'd spend the money if I thought it was a value for what you get. It's great, but not worth the prices they are asking today.

 

[DCLDVC1]

following

 

[samily]

Question similar to this. How does NCL non-concierge compare to DCL non-concierge? I've sailed Disney, Celebrity, Carnival and RCL but never NCL. Something has always made me stray from this brand...

Our first time on the Getaway was in a balcony and inside room. The balcony room was comparable to DCL in size but there is not a split bathroom and the balcony is smaller. There was a coffee maker and supplies for tea and coffee.

The inside room was smaller than DCL - just the bed and desk area, there was not a couch like DCL. I don't think the inside room had a coffee maker.

Both rooms had a small fridge with a mini bar set up with soda, beer, and small bottles of liquor (you can ask the steward to empty it if you don't want it there).

A big difference between the two is that there are no assigned dinner times on NCL and there are so many more food options which we loved. On our non Haven cruise, we did the specialty restaurants every night but one. The kids especially liked the teppanyaki restaurant and the Brazilian steakhouse. There was also a magician/illusionist dinner show that they liked. I found the MDRs to be a little slow. I liked that the buffet always seemed to be open and that they also have a 24 hour pub. One downside is that NCL does charge a small delivery fee for room service (no fee for breakfast though).

The drink stations on NCL do not include soda - they have a soda package that you can purchase for the week. The free drink stations included Nestle Vitality machines which had lemonade, iced tea, and flavored waters like tropical mango and strawberry kiwi. Coffee, tea, etc were also there.

NCL has casinos and they allow smoking in there so depending on the passengers on your sailing, you may notice a smoky smell - we noticed it on our first cruise, but not our next.

My kids loved all the options up on deck - rock climbing, ropes course, bungee trampoline, spider web climbing slide, mini golf, and 5 or 6 big water slides. If I remember correctly, the climbing slide and trampoline had limited hours so you needed to plan accordingly.

I don't think there was a movie theater on board but there was a big screen on deck where they would play movies in the evening.

We enjoyed the shows we went to but you do need to make reservations for them.

We were a little nervous going in as we had read some negative reviews here but am very glad we tried it. It was thousands less than the same week on the Fantasy and that is after adding in any extra onboard expenses and excursions.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

 

[cruiser21]

We are Platinum on NCL and DCL. All of our cruises except one on both lines have been in Concierge. As a matter of fact we sailed the Haven before it was even called the Haven. Back in 2006 it was just known as the Courtyard suites and villas. We have sailed the Haven on the Jewel, Jade, Epic x3, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape, all in 2 bedroom family Villas except the Jade where we were in the 3 bedroom Garden Villa which is totally different experience than just being in the Haven. We've been lucky and have sailed many times with the same concierges and we have even had the same butler more than once. The Haven experience is fantastic and IMO much better and more personal than Concierge on Disney. Besides the separate Haven restaurant, lounge, sundeck, pool and hot tubs overall the perks are just better. The 24 hr butler service, in suite dining from any restaurant on the ship during their operating hours, priority boarding and debarkation, reserved area in theatre or Concierge escort to theaters to guarantee best seating. The fantastic espresso machine in each suite. I'm sure I'm missing some so feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

What did you think of the Epic as a ship outside of the Haven. I've been on the Getaway, and liked it. I've been looking at a Baltic cruise on the Epic next year, but the reviews of this ship are so negative.

 

[kaseyC]

We have always loved the Epic. I've never stayed in a a non-haven room but I know those get a ton of complaints because of the weird bathroom setup. We are bigger fans of the Breakaway, Getaway and Escape, with those they took the best of the Epic and added more outdoor spaces which was missed on the Epic.

Are you sure the Epic is sailing the Baltic? I thought the Getaway was sailing that itinerary in 2017 and the Breakaway in 2018? The Epic usually sails the Med.

 

[cruiser21]

We have always loved the Epic. I've never stayed in a a non-haven room but I know those get a ton of complaints because of the weird bathroom setup. We are bigger fans of the Breakaway, Getaway and Escape, with those they took the best of the Epic and added more outdoor spaces which was missed on the Epic.

Are you sure the Epic is sailing the Baltic? I thought the Getaway was sailing that itinerary in 2017 and the Breakaway in 2018? The Epic usually sails the Med.

You are right. I even said Breakaway on the 2018 thread, but then went to cruise critic and read reviews on the Epic. Since I've been on the Getaway the Breakaway should be familiar to me. Thank you now I have an option for a Baltic cruise I know I'll be happy with if DCL and RCCL don't fit my budget.

 

[kaseyC]

You are right. I even said Breakaway on the 2018 thread, but then went to cruise critic and read reviews on the Epic. Since I've been on the Getaway the Breakaway should be familiar to me. Thank you now I have an option for a Baltic cruise I know I'll be happy with if DCL and RCCL don't fit my budget.

You will love the Baltic itinerary. We did it in 2013 on the NCL Star it's still one of our favorite cruises even with it being on an older ship. It'll be even better on the Getaway or Breakaway.

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

Thank you for the information! I'm so glad I asked here, because at first I was disappointed that we wouldn't be on Disney, but it sounds like we will be thrilled with The Haven! I will probably have a ton of questions - I'll reach out when I have a chance to process all the information I got from my travel agent and NCL.

Reading your post makes me second-guess our decision in going ahead with the EBPC aboard the Wonder as opposed to the B2B cruise we were looking at with RCL Anthem/NCL Breakaway Haven Spa ... lol. Have fun!

 

[AlexandNessa]

Lots of good info here. Just wanted to add my name to the Haven beats Disney concierge list. Hands down, in our opinion. We'll take NCL anyday.

We are Platinum on both Disney (all concierge) and NCL (all Haven, plus one massive suite on the Dawn that doesn't have a Haven).

No comparison. Don't forget to include all the extras you get on Norwegian. We need to factor in drink prices on Disney, not on NCL. While Disney gives you free nightly happy hour with cheap brands, NCL gives you free unlimited beverages up to 15$ good any time, any place. We paid significantly less for a 9 night Eastern Caribbean out of NYC on NCL in April than we did for a 7 night Eastern Caribbean on Disney in October. Disney can try to sell me that the "Disney charm" is worth the price. It's not.

Are you going to Harvest Caye? Can't remember if you are doing an Eastern or Western. Harvest Caye Beach cabanas are cheaper and seriously make CC cabanas look ghetto.