Sorry - I don't have photos yet - they're on my phone. Although we were sad that the itinerary was changed from Eastern caribbean - and we were a bit concerned because of the tropical storm that we had to cruise through on embarkation day... the trip was a huge success! Though we had 15 foot seas and winds gusting 75-80 mph the first night - the ship is so solid that we barely knew it was happening. I can't say enough about the ship and the Haven and the staff. It was amazing! I can't wait to book my next Norwegian cruise!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We booked a Haven suite so the embarkation was very fast, friendly and efficient. Love the private check in lounge. There was only 1 other couple in line ahead of us. We got our key card and then sat for 5 minutes until someone came to escort us to a staging area (about 5 minutes more) before being walked onto the ship and up to the Haven lounge.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Again, The Haven is a cut above most everything else. The food there is very, very good. We also dined at La Cucina, Le Bistro and Moderno. All three were very good - La Cecina in particular. We had one lunch and one dinner at Taste and we were not impressed. One breakfast and 1 lunch at O'Sheehans which were good. One breakfast at the Garden Cafe which was good - but it's difficult to get your food to the table and have it be hot - nothing unexpected there. Haven guests were given free lunch at Margaritaville on embarkation day. It was very good. We also went to Food Republic on our last sea day and it was awesome!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The haven pool and sun deck were amazing, quiet, and uncrowded. The fitness center is very nice and I never saw it crowded. The spa is my favorite place to relax on the ship. We didn't do the rock climbing wall or the mini-golf or the slides but friends did and loved the slides.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The shows were a big disappointment. The two stage shows we didn't like and left early. Not great vocal performances, and we felt they were over-acted.... The performers at Howl at the Moon were okay. Good piano players but the singing was a little sub-par. There was a woman there who had a great voice, but never seemed to know the words and slipped into a more comedic presentation of the songs that were requested which was a bit annoying, We went to the same venue on the Epic several years ago and the performers were outstanding so perhaps we were a little spoiled.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The haven butler, room steward, concierge, bartenders and dining room staff were outstanding. Service in the other dining rooms was sometimes patchy but it's busier in other dining rooms so - perhaps to be expected.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was clean and sparkling.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin 16100 is the only Haven Deluxe Spa Suite on the ship. I am so glad that we splurged a little to get this cabin. You enter into a living room area that is the size of a normal cabin. This has a table for two, a sofa with a coffee table and autumn, another chair, a large flat screen TV, and a Nespresso coffee maker and glass barware as well as a mini fridge. This opens out to a large balcony with nice chairs and a table. The bedroom area has a jacuzzi tub and a king bed, lots of storage for clothing, a nice sized bathroom with a big shower and Bulgari shampoo/conditioner/lotion, etc. Access to the oversize balcony from this room as well - so it's like having two rooms which is nice if you want to hang out someplace quite and private.
Ship tip
The waterfront promenade was largely unused. We never had a hard time finding a couch to hang out and watch the sea go by... The offer free self-serve soft-serve ice cream in the Garden Cafe... Yum! If you are in the Haven, and you dine out at a specialty restaurant - you can send your dessert to your cabin to have later if you're too full. All of the specialty restaurants will arrange for your butler to deliver your dessert to your room. Also in the Haven - all of the pay per view movies are free. If you don't like the crowds at the pool every day and having to fight to find a lounge chair, I recommend either buying a pass to Vibe Beach club for the week (a private - members-only such deck at the top of the ship with a private bar. You'll ever have to search for a lounge chair or run for a drink while there...) OR get yourself a spa suite or a spa pass for the week. The heated tile lounge chairs are very relaxing and you have complementary infused water and teas while there. A good place to get out of the crowds and relax.
We did not book an excursion because we didn't see anything that was all that appealing other than a beach day and it was pouring rain and scheduled to continue. We were hesitant to strike out on our own because we have had several reports of high crime rates there. We jumped off the ship to poke around in the few shops they had at the pier but then went back up to the haven pool (which is covered).
Lots of expensive shops. Again - it rained all day. We walked over to the beach area and had a drink and then went back to the ship. I think it would have been nice if we had nicer weather and would have perhaps spent some time at the beach or at the pool.
We did not book an excursion in Costa Maya. We had done the mayan ruins on a previous cruise (which was very cool) but didn't see anything that was all that appealing this trip. Costa Maya is not a great place to go and explore. There just a very crowded shopping area with a couple of restaurants and a lot of shops that you can't even walk by without running into several very high pressure sales people. Again, jumped off, poked around the shops, grabbed a beer and then back on the ship.
You have the same issue with high pressure sales people in Cozumel as in Costa Maya. This trip we did not do an excursion. Last time we did the tequila tasting which was a lot of fun. This time we just walked around town. It was a little less crowded and obnoxious one street back from the main drag. There we happened upon Wet Wendy's (a place a friend had shared with me) where we ordered Margaritas (which were enormous and delicious) and had a fantastic lunch (a chicken poblano cilantro burrito and carne aside tacos). The service was excellent and the food was amazing!
We kept our suitcases so that we could leave as soon as possible on Saturday morning as we have a 3 hour drive back to Sarasota. All we had to do was report to the Concierge at the Haven. They sent us down a service elevator to deck 4 where we were met by Adrian (our Concierge) who walked us to the gangway to leave. We had a short wait (15 minutes) to get through customs and we were on our way! Smoothest experience we have ever had.
Is there music playing at all times in the Haven like the rest of the ship? We are booked in the Haven on the Escape in Jan., 2019. We loved the Breakaway, but our major criticism was the inescapable pop music in the hallways. Jimi Hendrix at 7 am.
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