This time I tried something a little different in The Haven on NCL -- Norwegian Joy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ธ.ค. 2019
- For my sixth cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line, a cruise on Norwegian Joy, I decided to try something a little different this time. Rather than booking the least expensive type of Haven suite, known as a Haven Spa Suite, I decided to try a Haven Courtyard Penthouse Suite... which is only a tiny bit more expensive than a spa suite but has the advantage of being located right next to the luxurious Haven courtyard. It turned out to be a really good move.
This video will give you a little introduction to The Haven and then show you our Norwegian Joy Courtyard Penthouse Suite, cabin 17718, in some detail... including the balcony that's more than twice the size of some of the other Haven suites.
I also show you the Haven Sun Deck and the Haven bar... including a very skilled bartender making a lemon drop martini for my wife. Notice how he chills the glass with ice water, then dumps out the ice water just before pouring the real drink in to the glass. Nicely done!
In this video, I mention a group cruise to the Caribbean on Carnival's new ship, the Mardi Gras, which was planned for March 2021. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this group cruise ended up getting cancelled.
Knowing which cabin to book on any particular cruise ship is tricky! It's helpful to have an expert help you figure out which cabins have larger balconies, extra storage, and better showers... as well as which cabins to avoid. My travel agent, Caitlin Gallagher, is just such a cruise expert. I encourage you to use Caitlin's services when booking your next cruise... and there's no extra charge for doing so. Her fees are paid for by the cruise lines. So, if you're interested in booking a cruise... visit Caitlin's web site at www.ambrentravel.com/ and then get in touch with Caitlin for help in booking your cruise.
One more thing...
I mentioned that this was my sixth cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line, but I never got around to mentioning an even more interesting personal cruise statistic: this cruise on Norwegian Joy was our 50th cruise since we started cruising back in 1996. You can read all about our previous cruises at www.jimzim.net/CruiseHistory.html
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An interesting use we found for the cordless phone when my family sailed in the Haven is that it works all over the ship enabling you to call back to your stateroom or to your concierge or Butler.
Jim, you can ask your steward or butler to bring you a lounger! We do this regularly in non-Haven angled balconies on NCL ships. We are trying the Haven for the first time this fall, also on the Joy.
Jim, the phone works all over the ship. It’s super useful when traveling with friends and family. You can call their phone from anywhere on the ship.
Yes, that's what people are telling me... and I can understand that now that I imagine cruising with a group of people instead of just as a couple.
Going to be The Haven in 4 four weeks for my birthday. I can't wait. Thanks for your videos.
Jim I love your cruise videos. Thank you so much for bringing a little extra joy to my day❤️.
Thanks for The Haven tour - we were on the Joy in November and I was curious what this was all about !! Ahoy!
Nice cabin! I like there is room for the ladies to do makeup and still room to work on the computer plus that balcony! Thanks for sharing. - Tony
I enjoy what you did and the commercial in the right place I appreciate that love ya videos I can only dream
Love the Norwegian Joy! I sailed on her last July for an Alaska cruise. The Haven is very nice I'm sure but pricey especially for the solo traveler. There is the optional Vibe Beach Club for $ 200.00/week which I did and was quite pleased. It is next to the outdoor deck of the Haven. In fact there was only one other couple who booked the Vibe which meant I had my very own hot tub and butler level bar service.
Yeah, I imagine that on an Alaska cruise, the Vibe Beach Club doesn't draw much of a crowd! And I always recommend that a good strategy to beat the crowds on a cruise ship is to zig when everyone else zags... so I love your strategy!
I hope they kept the Jacuzzi at the Vibe Beach Club nice and warm for the Alaska cruise. We noticed that during our cruise, they never changed the temperature of the water in the Jacuzzis. During the first day or two of the cruise, where we basically had cool winter weather, the Jacuzzis were not warm enough. But when the ship got down to the warmth of Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, those same Jacuzzis at the same water temperatures felt just perfect in that warm air.
I would hope that during an Alaska cruise, the water in the Jacuzzis would be kept at a warmer temperature than it was for our Mexican Riviera cruise.
I love this video. I always wondered what it's liked behind those doors in the haven. Don't listen to the others about it being one long ad. Some of us appreciate those pointers of things to buy and where. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Jennifer! Those complaints about it being one long ad irritated me. I can not do this for free... it takes too much time and effort. I appreciate the support!
Hey Jim. Another great video.
Ps. I loved the Panorama , it was awesome. The Havana area is amazing !!
Thanks for the video. We have been staying in two bedrooms in the Haven. Our next cruise is next month in a two bedroom for 21 days. Next year we decided the Owners Suite for a 10 day cruise. We love it also.
We stayed in a Haven penthouse suite outside the Courtyard and one deck below. It was next to the main Observation lounge. It was much bigger than the one you showed. It had a double balcony. We loved it.
Great video as usual. Merry Christmas Jim from two UK fans.
My family including my 86 yo Dad & first time cruiser are going on the JOY in April. We are all on Deck 12 with 4 Aft facing cabins. I am excited to see your review video. Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year!
How did your father like it? What did he find to do that you didn’t plan on or know about beforehand? TIA
My husband and I were on this same cruise for my birthday (Dec 1-8) and we also stayed in the Haven. Just a little insight for your next Haven visit, you can request a lounge chair from your butler or schedule it with the Concierge and they will deliver it and set it up on your balcony.
Just booked the Haven 2 bedroom villa! We were going to do courtyard penthouse but found out we have more FCC than we thought lol! Great tip on the deck 17 bigger balcony. This bothers me a lot than NCL is not clear with this. I just told my travel agent to tell other people as she didn’t tell me I found out form TH-cam videos. Deck 18 the balconies are tiny like a regular non haven balcony room. Deck 17 balconies are almost triple the size. Spread the word! This is true for at least the Joy and Encore, maybe other “sister ships” too! So pumped and loved the video!
Dear friend, have a wonderful Christmas dinner along your loved ones!
Awesome video cant waitfor part 2, my Girlfriend has finally convinced me to take my first cruise im looking forward to it.
Did you go for the trip eventually?
WOW..I wish I could afford this experience.....I love cruising....😊😊🥰🥰 Simply Amazing ..Thanks for sharing
Just booked the Haven on the new Norwegian Encore yesterday!!
Jim. Great video. When you say "what were they thinking", I start to think. Lol. With regards to the outlets by the bed. Americans aren't the only ones who cruise in the Haven I'd imagine. Europeans would see the need for that outlet. Had it not been there, they'd be saying what were they thinking? And besides; you can purchase an adapter that converts it back to an American style 120 volt outlet. I have 2 of them. It's been mentioned already about the phone. But I'll add this. My butler told me I could reach him with this phone anywhere on the ship. If I needed anything, call him. He said to carry it with me if needed. Like on the pool deck, etc. I never used it in that way, but I thought you'd like to know that. This was on the Escape last year and as I was solo, I didn't need it to contact anyone. One more point. I noticed you seemed to think that only affluent people can cruise in the Haven. Let me say, I'm not affluent. But I like to cruise and I spend my money wisely. I cruise 3 to 4 times a year. I'm recently retired and have a great pension. I've been on 2 Haven cruises and about to go on my third on the Bliss in March. I have also cruised in MSC's Yacht Club. Similar to the Haven. You may want to check them out at some point. I know you hated the SeaSide, but the Yacht Club is a whole nother world. I cruised recently in the YC for less than 6K for a 13 night cruise! Cabin similar to the Courtyard Penthouse. Butler, concierge, all the same trappings as the Haven. Check it out. Happy cruising....
I've actually suggested to Kellyn that we do a second MSC Seaside cruise sometime, but this time in the Yacht Club. I'd be curious to try it, and I suspect it would be hugely better than what we experienced the first time. But so far, she has firmly vetoed the idea. Really, some of the stuff that happened on that cruise was so mind-boggling bad that she just doesn't want to risk another go-round when there are so many great cruise ships that we know with 100% certainty we'll have a fine time on.
Regarding the 240 volt European plug next to the bed on the Norwegian Joy... I did a bad job in the video of properly making my point. I think they were smart to put a European outlet in the cabin. To not have one would be a "what we're they thinking?" thing. Sure, Americans and Canadians are the vast majority of the passengers, but not the only ones. What I should have been more clear about in the video is that my gripe is that they put it by the bed. Each side of the bed should have an American-style outlet, in my opinion, and there should be a European-style outlet at the desk. Plus, they really should have put USB charging points on both side of the bed, too.
And Al, you may not think of yourself as affluent, but if you're about to do your third cruise in The Haven and you've also done a 13 night cruise in the Yacht Club... you are affluent, whether you know it or not! So, congratulations on working hard and earning that comfortable pension!
@@JimZim Thanks Jim. I think of affluent like Queen Mary 2 type stuff. Lol. But I'll take it. Keep on your wife. Out of the 13 days on that cruise I left the YC twice. It was that good. Same kind of breakfasts you enjoy in the Haven, you'll get in the YC. Spa is as nice as NCL's. I know you enjoy the Spas as much as I do. I traveled on the Meraviglia, and it was amazing! I have been told the SeaSide's is to be experienced. Good luck. 😁
we booked aft facing Haven suite with a massive balcony....best view at sea...it is a walk to the front Haven lounge, restaurant and observation deck but that walk also helps keep off the pounds you gain on a cruise...its not in the Haven area but it is considered Haven, with all the extras that comes with, same great service....going back to Alaska in September 2021.
Zim.. I'm going to have a bit of a walk to HAVEN..I booked JOY Haven Aft Penthouse deck 15. Although being on deck 15, I'll have the best of both world's, from the Aft, I can see where I've been and in the Observation Lounge, I'll be able to see where I'm going!
Jim, Thank you for this very nice video on the Norwegian Joy Haven. I started watching your video some time ago. I think it was your first in a NCL Haven Spa suite. You are one of the few TH-cam bloggers that hit the points that a cruiser really wants too here. Sure, you promote some things, but it is not over the top. We (my family of 4) are on the Joy in 15 days in the (H2) Deluxe Owner Suite. Long story but let me say, I would rather be lucky then smart. I was searching for just one more TH-cam Video to watch to visualize our upcoming trip and this one did the trick. Thank you. On to a request, can I rent (LOL but I am serious) your home-made Haven Hat. I loved it. I tried to have one made but it was a no go. All my best.
That was an extra large balcony haven courtyard suite. There are haven courtyard suits with smaller balconies as well. If you want one that big, you have to book the ones that say extra large and there is an extra charge.
At the time I made this video (which was in 2019) they categorized the Haven suites differently than they do now. Back when I was aboard, the suite I showed in the video was considered a category H5. Now, however, they use a different system. That same cabin today is considered a category HE.
The Haven Spa Suite has complimentary access to the spa and thermal suite. Other Haven suites do not as we have stayed in the Aft Facing Suite in our past cruises. Is this correct? Our next time we booked the Spa Suite to have this access but I prefer bigger rooms and balcony.
Yes, that's really the reason that we've mostly stayed in Haven Spa Suites up until now... we love having access to the thermal suite within the spa for the entire length of the cruise! But Norwegian Joy doesn't have a thermal suite in the spa, and doesn't have spa suites in The Haven... so it was an opportunity for us to try something different, and we loved it. Next time, even if the ship has a thermal suite, we might just go for the Courtyard Penthouse Suite again. We really loved the location... and anytime we were in a thermal suite mood, we just used one of the Jacuzzis in The Haven instead.
Are family is saving up on the owners suite on Norwegian breakaway I’m used to just a window so it will be a upgrade
I like the old ships with bunk beds and portholes. I’ve never been on a giant cruise ship. They look like floating hotels.
I think of them as floating pleasure palaces. Everything on the ship... EVERYTHING... is ultimately there to create pleasure for the guests in one way or another. It's a great way to vacation!
When we stayed in the haven forward penthouse we used that little phone so much to keep up with the kids. Parents have the mobile and kids call from ship phones...
Yeah, that's what I'm learning from the comments... that it's really handy for families that are travelling together. We just cruise as a couple, so it was useless to us... but now I can see how handy that would be for a family.
Great video as always. We’re booked for Haven on this ship Jan 2021. I believe that all the courtyard penthouse suites on deck 17 will have the larger balconies because they stick out a bit further than those on 18, right?
I don't really know. I wonder if studying the deck plans might provide the answer. Or maybe a travel agent has some kind of resource that would show the exact balcony size of each cabin.
we asked for loungers on our trip to our room stew and they brought them to our balcony while we were in port. :)
That's what a few other people have told me. I guess I should have done that!
Next time!
Choosing a cruise ship without a Haven or a upscale closed off limits to the other regular passengers . They like to crowd the regular priced cruisers and give all the rich people the room.
The Haven takes up only a very small portion of the ship, and regular passengers would almost never know it's even there. Just about every feature of The Haven is available in a non-Haven version elsewhere on the ship, with the exception of the covered courtyard. If you were only to sail on Norwegian Cruise Line ships that didn't have The Haven... you'd be missing out on NCL's best ships! And if you ruled out NCL completely, sailing only on other lines, you'd be missing out on one of the best cruise lines and some of the best ships in the world. Don't let The Haven bother you if you don't stay in it. Find my videos about Norwegian Bliss, a full sister ship to Norwegian Joy. I couldn't afford to stay in The Haven on Norwegian Bliss, since it was a 15 day cruise. I had a fantastic time on that cruise, and the fact that I wasn't in The Haven didn't minimize all the great things about that cruise.
@@JimZim Although Haven does get exclusive use of the real forward elevators. It was weird staying on the Escape in a forward cabin--but having to walk really far to the aft to get to the 'forward' elevators (and only 2 sets of elevators for non-haven folks). But I don't begrudge the Havenites. It'd be nice though if they didn't skimp out on elevators for the rest though.
The Haven is absolutely beautiful. But that being said, I’d rather save a lot of money and sail on a Quantum class RCL ship in a balcony. Just got off Anthem for a second time and all the things that Jim loved about the Haven were features all guests could use on Anthem. Our ship was completely full but I never felt crowded (besides at buffet, but that’s any ship today) and never had trouble finding a seat by the pool, bar or show.
I totally agree with you. Two cruises in a regular balcony cabin on a Quantum-class Royal Caribbean ship makes a lot more sense for most people than one cruise in The Haven.
But, with that said... for the affluent that can afford to do it either way, there are some real advantages to The Haven. When not in The Haven, sure, you can find two lounges by the pool most of the time... but there's still 200 other people making noise all around you. On The Haven sun deck, we had the entire thing to ourselves one day and shared it with one other (quiet) couple on another day.
Also, I could check The Haven Courtyard and see if it was empty... and if it was, I'd change in to my swim suit and use the pool or the Jacuzzi without having to listen to anyone else mess up the peace and quiet. It was very relaxing... much more so than you'd ever get on a regular cruise.
I've cruised on Anthem 3 times. Beautiful ship yes, but the solarium gets packed. Period. Unless it's a port day. What we're talking about here is a ship within a ship concept. It's quite satisfying. NCL charges quite a bit yes, but it's well worth it if you can swing it.
Great videos and information...keep up the great work.
Hey Jim, was the ‘backpack clip’ in this video filmed at Los Veranos Canopy Tour?!
No, Las Caletas beach in Puerto Vallarta.
These videos are over produced for only 338k subs..Jim's work is wayyyyyyy under appreciated.
EDIT: i priced that suite on that ship in may of 2020 and its comes out to 10k in total..
Now you see why I cruised in the first week of December rather than in May! If you had looked at prices in June/July/August, they would have been even higher. The cheapest times to cruise are September, the first couple of weeks of December, and January. If you look at my cruise history, you'll see I quite frequently cruise during those times to take advantage of the lowest prices of the year.
Ours is $10,200 for April 2022 Bermuda. It’s our first and Last extravagant Haven cruise. We just wanted to try it Once.
I was on the inaugural Bliss sailing through The Canal (I think you were too were you not?) and I visited the fabulous Observation Lounge many times (and I believe we had a full-boat too) and there was ALWAYS tons of places to sit or practically lay down...…..so I don't get the hyperbole of a crowded Observation Lounge...….in a Sun class or Jewell class ship perhaps :)
As I continue watching, in my humble opinion, ALL OF NCL's crew give THE BEST Customer Service. And on a ship like The Epic (where I will be btw very soon on a B2B Southern Caribbean) I will trade you the Studio Lounge for The Haven Lounge anytime sir and I've been to both. :) :) But that's me.
BUT THAT Haven Courtyard Suite is amazing. I may do that myself as a splurge since The Joy has no Studio Cabins. ;(
Jim, why did they blew it by putting a European socket next to the bed?
Europeans want to use electricity as well without a converter... So it is nice of them to provide for both.
The European socket should have been at the desk. If you're only going to put one in the entire cabin, it shouldn't be by the bed... it should be at the desk. And on both sides of the bed, there should have been American-style power outlets... since the vast majority of Norwegian Cruise Line's guests are North Americans.
Some airlines use universal sockets. Perhaps it would make sense for cruise ships to do the same.
It amazes me that people dislike this (loved the video!!!)
96.4% likes, 3.6% dislikes, so far... I'm OK with that. And I would assume that the 3.6% just don't like the idea of some passengers getting treated different than other passengers. If any of the 3.6% had ever cruised with NCL they would understand that the way it's done keeps the Haven passengers completely out of view of the other passengers, so that it's not "in your face" that someone is treated differently. Regular passengers never see what's behind the doors of The Haven and have no idea what the situation is behind those doors. This video is a peek behind the closed doors.
I did a cruise on Norwegian Bliss and could not afford to be in The Haven since it was a 15 day cruise. I had a great time. All I was focused on was all the great things available to me... not on the even greater things that a few more affluent travelers had.
Great video, but I thought power boards are a no no on cruise ships and are taken off you? Well they do in our part of the world on RCI for example
Power strips that have a surge suppressor built in to them are not allowed on cruise ships. But if the power strip does not have surge suppression built in to it, it's totally fine for a cruise ship, per the US Coast Guard advisory about power strips that caused cruise lines to ban them.
Interesting, Thanks for clearing that up. In my part of the world being the Asia/Pacific part, RCI (and all other brands that sail here) have a flat NO to power boards/strips of any kind. As per their website, which is why I was asking www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/can-i-bring-an-extension-onboard
At the end of each cruise, there is a naughty table full of power boards/strips for customers to collect on the way out as well as all the other items taken off people
Enjoyed the video, how was the food?
We liked it a lot, with the exception of the buffet, which was a bit of a disappointment... and that was a surprise since we enjoyed the buffet a lot on Norwegian Bliss, a nearly identical sister ship. Different food & beverage management, perhaps?
Jim Zim Going on the Bliss in March (first NCL sailing) and looking forward to comparing the buffet to what I’ve had on the RCL Anthem and Symphony. I’ve found that cruise buffets (and perhaps any buffet anywhere) are generally just “okay” and not actually “good.” Meaning, I’m usually not thinking, “Man, I can’t wait to go back and have that buffet again.” Because these cruise lines now offer all these speciality dining options, the buffet food all seems to be pretty mediocre to me (other than a breakfast), and I find myself getting a speciality dining package. Was there a particular aspect of the Bliss buffet food you thought was good (taste/seasoning), or was it simply the selection of available foods?
For me, the buffet on Anthem Of The Seas was my favorite... with the largest selection and the most number of things that were right up my alley. Norwegian Bliss was probably my second favorite, though... so it was a surprise to get on Norwegian Joy and see what seemed like less choices than I remembered on Norwegian Bliss. And the buffet on Bliss was CROWDED and popular, where the buffet on Joy was fairly empty. Strange! Different crowds on a Panama Canal cruise versus a Mexican Riviera cruise, I guess... plus different food management.
@@JimZim but did the Joy have more or less choices than a Carnival dinner buffet? We just did a week on the Breeze. Overall very happy with it, but we did dinner one night in the buffet and the only choices were white rice, steamed veggies, maybe 4 different meats, and that was about it. Literally about 1/5 to 1/6 as many choices as we've seen on our NCL cruises (Jewel, Breakaway, Escape). I'm amazed you were able to do so many dinners in Carnival's dinner buffet!! It does seem to have a few more choices for lunch (and Guy's+Blue Iguana make up for some deficiencies imo). We thought Pig and Anchor was good too (and it seemed pretty popular).
Oh, the dinner buffet on all Carnival ships is a joke! Well, nowhere near as bad as on MSC Seaside, but Carnival really doesn't try very hard to put on a good dinner buffet. I think it's really their company culture... they just really expect that people are going to eat dinner in the main dining room. They do the minimum in the buffet at dinner. The lunch buffet is much better.
Regarding the Norwegian Joy... compared to Carnival, the dinner buffet was hugely better. But Carnival sets the bar pretty low in that regard! I love Carnival and have done more Carnival cruises than any other cruise line... but they just don't try to do a good dinner buffet. When I cruise on Carnival, I sometimes grab a 4:30 PM burger at Guys Burger joint just to make up for the fact that I know I'm hardly going to find anything good at the buffet at dinner.
don't think NCL would appreciate the royal caribbean ship on your laptop ;0)
Ha ha ha. Yeah, I used to change that, depending on which ship I was on. But these days I cruise so often that I can't be bothered!!!
As long as I can feel comfortable far away from a noisy, squealing throng is a money worth spent.
We are interested in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Lines. We'll be cruising on the brand new Carnival Mardi Gras in 2020!
HAVEN is great however we went a couple of weeks ago we were on the BLISS.......a lot of children were in the .areas; and it was not as quiet as the first cruise I did with the Escape.....the bar area was even crowded at sea days. But when you stop at the ports then those private areas are empty. There were even a couple of families with small infants in the Haven; so there appears to be YOUNGER families who can afford the LUXURY.
It seems like your videos have gone from information to advertisements.
I'm sorry that it seems that way to you. For the entire first half of the video... more than five minutes... I stuck with informing and entertaining. But look, I don't do this for fun. This takes up ALL my free time at home, and a huge percent of my time when I'm on a cruise ship. I don't have a purely fun vacation like a normal person... I'm working when I'm on a cruise ship, in order to make these videos. So, it has to be a money making venture, or it's not worth it to me to spend all the time involved. I intentionally restricted all the pitches to the second half of the video. That's the best compromise I can offer to continue to produce high quality travel videos for you, but make it worth my time and effort.
Rick I completely agree, especially at 5:00 when he literally takes a break during an 11 minute long TH-cam video lol
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