DCL Fantasy Concierge vs NCL Haven

[pellep]

Hi everyone -

We've (family of 4- kids 4 and 8) been on one cruise - Dream Bahamas 4 day, concierge family stateroom. Liked it alot -but it felt short, so we wanted to try a 7 day. The same room on the Fantasy for April vacation is over $16,000 (yikes!) This is 5 times what our Dream cruise cost. We really wanted to stay with DCL, but the sticker shock lead to checking other cruise lines.

We could do a 7 day on NCL Escape (Miami, St Thomas, Tortola, Nassau) in the Haven 2 bedroom. It'd give us a lot more room AND is $6000 cheaper.

Any opinions from those who've been on both cruise lines? Our only experience is DCL. Is Castaway Cay and Disney theming worth the huge difference ?

Thanks again
Paul

 

[2P2W]

We loved the haven rooms on ncl. They really are a great cruise line. I find them to be a very close second to Disney. My kids had so much fun on the water slides on Ncl. We did not hang out much in the haven pool because it was super quiet. The private restaurant in the haven is the best perk in my opinion. However, we still pick Disney over Ncl right now and don't end up buying the concierge room on Disney. We typically get 2 connecting family balcony rooms and it's perfect for us. Maybe check the prices on those.

 

[kaseyC]

I've sailed concierge on 9 of my DCL cruises on all 4 of the Disney ships and in Cat. V, T and S. I have sailed in the Haven on the NCL Jewel, Epic (x3), Getaway, Breakaway and recently on the Escape inaugural transatlantic crossing. I enjoy the Disney concierge experience when I can get it for a reasonable price. My kids are teens and older now so for me at least the Disney theming and CC is not worth the huge price difference. IMO, the suite perks and the personalized concierge and butler service is much better than DCL. We have only sailed in the 2 bedroom Haven suites and they are wonderful. There is really no comparison between the Haven 2 bed and the concierge family stateroom, which is basically a Cat. 4 with upscale decor and concierge service. I'll list a few perks that you get with the Haven that you cannot get sailing DCL concierge.

- Concierge and Butler service
- The Haven - private pool, hot tubs, spa treatment rooms, lounge, bar and Haven restaurant. (The Haven restaurant menu has been updated and upgraded for the Escape)
- reserved seating area for Haven guests in the theatre
- concierge escort to Dinner shows before other guests so Haven guests have their choice of the "best" tables.
- in suite dining from ANY restaurant on board (complimentary or specialty) at any time during restaurant operating hours. You can also order items from multiple places if you choose.

I spent 10 days on the Escape and rarely left the Haven except for shows and to try some of the new dining venues. IMO, the Haven on the Escape is one of the best. I was so happy to see that they included the retractable roof over the Haven area like the Breakaway. That makes it possible to enjoy the Haven area in whatever weather.

If you want to know more feel free to ask.

 

[kaseyC]

Few Pics of the Haven




The Lounge



The Haven Restaurant

 

[pellep]

Thanks for the pictures. That's really helpful.

Did you kids find the pools/slides and activities comparable also

Thanks for your response.

 

[Tasmen]

We haven't sailed yet on our Haven cruise, but one difference I did notice from DCL (beyond those already mentioned) are Kid's club hours. They have some weird hours with requiring parents to take their children out during lunch and dinner times. No children are allowed in the club during 2 2 hour blocks during the day I believe. Just something to consider. It isn't stopping us from going on our Escape cruise in a year, but I was a bit disappointed when I found out as it makes afternoon time in the club not really worthwhile.

 

[2P2W]

We were on the Epic and our kids thought the slides were fantastic. They still talk about them. Of course they love the slides on the Dream and Fantasy but thought the others were much more exciting! We have had another baby since the last time we were on NCL so Disney just works better overall for us. I also just feel super safe with the Disney staff as well.
Really miss the awesome 2 bedroom Suite on Ncl though. Their concierge level comes with a ton of perks compared to Disney.
It's a hard choice.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've done concierge on the Dream and the Magic and NCL Haven on the Breakaway. NCL and DCL are just very different experiences. You have a lot more amenities in Haven on NCL - dedicated dining room, small pool and hot tubs - but NCL is, IMHO, really quite tacky and the service was absolutely not up to DCL standards. On NCL, if you want better food, you always have to pay an up charge. The kids activity center simply doesn't compare. The concierge staff was really not very helpful. There was also a lot more drinking going on on NCL. It's just a very different atmosphere and one we didn't particularly like.

We loved on DCL that we got to know the concierge staff and they bent over backwards to do things for us, always had little extras (my DS got sick while onboard and the concierge staff showed up at our door with a big Mickey for him) and we got to know our servers as well. Disney was just an overall better experience. We don't even price out NCL cruises anymore. Yes, DCL is more, but I think it's worth it.

 

[soonerdoc]

I'm a platinum castaway club member, so am obviously a big fan of DCL, but IMHO the Haven is far and away the better concierge experience. We sailed in the Haven on the Epic in a 2 BR family stateroom for a price that was significantly less than a 1 BR suite on the Fantasy/Dream, and got a better room, a private restaurant, a private fitness area, and a private pool area. Haven guests also get let into all the shows before other guests, so they get the best seats. I found the concierge staff on NCL to be equal to the staff on Disney - both were very good.

I like Disney's concierge experience, but I rarely book it any more because I just don't think it's worth the price. The Haven, however, is worth every penny.