I just feel like cruises are not what they used to be - they want to fill up the mega ships with as many rooms and people as possible so the overall quality of cruise experience has been going down it seems. We enjoyed our experiences at the Haven but I am not sure if it was worth the price we paid for. For similar price, you could go to all-inclusive luxury resort that comes with personal butler, chef and nanny, as well as more personal touch and attention.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
As Haven guests, we were able to utilize the priorily lane/embarkation so embarkation was very smooth. We were on board, enjoying our cocktail in the Haven lounge by 11:30am.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We mostly ate at the Haven restaurant. It offered varieties of selections and the quality of food was very good so we never got tired of eating there (and we ate there for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Other than that, we ate at Cagney's, Teppanyaki and Cuccina and we thought the food quality was much better than our previous experiences at these restaurants. Buffett is what you'd expect from buffet.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I think onboard activities on NCL is rather limited. On sea days, pools are where everyone goes so the main pool area is just awful with sea of people (unless you love crowds). Luckily, we were able to take advantage of the Haven lounge, sundeck and pool area. There is also Haven adult only sundeck/hot tab on 19F, which was nice. Otherwise, really not much to do during daytime, especially indoors. There are arcade games and very small 2 lane duck pin bowling - that's it. And most of the daily activities were designed to sell you stuff. I wish NCL will come up with true, fun daytime activities.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We went to a couple of main shows and also sent to supper club for magic show, which were entertaining. Quality of performers were definitely better than other NCL ships.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Our 4 year old did not want to go to the kid's club... until the very last day and when she did, she had a blast. She was in the showcase and really loved it. Now that she has a bit of a taste, hopefully she decides to go more often next trip!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We are very appreciative of friendly, attentive and professional services we received in the Haven. Everyone from room steward, concierge, wait staff and other ship personnel provided exceptional services, which truly spoiled us. As with many cruise trips, we got to know them very well by the end of the trip.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I liked the design/layout of the ship. It's pretty standard but it was easy to get around. It's relatively newer ships so common areas were pretty clean and well maintained. The only complaint I have is that jogging track was joke. It's tiny (0.2KM/lap) and cuts through very busy area right next to the bar so needless to say, it was only open in the morning and after 6pm, not to mention second hand smoke we got to enjoy.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
It's tiny. Compared to other suite rooms in NCL's older ships, this was the tiniest suite we've been in. Also, the room is dark - windows are small as half of the wall is just a dark wall - so we could not enjoy the wide/full view of the ocean from our bed. It's clean and modern, and beds were comfortable so stay in our cabin was pleasant. Everything was maintained well.
Ship tip
As with any mega ships, avoid busy season if you can to avoid overcrowded ship.
We were able to take advantage of the priority elevator/lane for disembarkation so getting out of the ship was easy, and we were also able to use priority lane for the immgiration. Otherwise, lines are very long. We appreciated the tip from the crew there that it was easier to grab a cab from upstairs (departure floor) as oppose to across the street.
There are MANY other activities on the ship other than the few you mentioned. Mini golf, ping pong, the rope course, zip line, basketball, bocce, trivia games which are not set up to sell you something and many other activities. Perhaps you should refer to the dailies to see what is offered every day or do a bit more research.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
