By Fran Seal, LBAC Travel Advisor. Contact Fran today to plan your next trip!

On Norwegian Cruise Line, hidden away at the top of the ship is The Haven, home to the most luxurious, well-appointed and spacious accommodations. Not only will you have access to all the ship has to offer, you’ll enjoy the personal service of a concierge and 24-hour butler throughout your entire stay. On top of that, complete privacy and tranquility are just steps away on a sundeck reserved exclusively for guests of The Haven. From embarkation to debarkation, boarding of tenders to shore, onboard entertainment to dining times you will have priority. In your own ship within a ship, The Haven will make for a unique experience you’ll never forget.

I had the pleasure to stay in the Haven on the Breakaway a few years back. Before my family embarked on our amazing cruise, I received an email from concierge with a pillow menu and asking if we had any special requests.

At the Cruise Port in New York City where we embarked for our cruise they had a separate waiting room for Haven guests with coffee, tea, water, assorted pastries and other breakfast items. We were personally escorted directly up to the Haven complex where we were given more snacks, a mimosa or other drinks and were told where our own special Haven restaurant is, how to get personally escorted off the ship for shore excursions, where our special seating area for entertainment would be and other key information concerning our voyage. Then, we had our first delicious meal onboard. You can choose from the Haven restaurant or any other choice that is currently open. We opted to have lunch in the Haven pool side. We had an amazing number of choices, everything was delicious! Also, pool side there was always lemon water and snacks throughout the day including (to my delight) peanut M & M’s!!!

The next thing that I must mention, because the experience would not be so special, is our Butler! One of the most fantastic benefits of the Haven is your own butler. Your butler will restock your cabin with coffees, creamers, sugars and other needs daily. One of the things I asked of our Butler Jose on our first day was to keep us completely stocked with Decaf coffee. When you wake up in the morning, there is nothing like your own fresh brewed cappuccino or latte to enjoy on your deck. The butler will also bring a different variety of fruits, sandwiches, and other items to the cabin for an afternoon pick up. You can also control what types of goodies the butler brings – just ask. My son and daughter (adults) often requested freshly baked cookies in the afternoon, M&M’s and tuna sandwiches with chips. Your butler will also be the one to contact for room service. As a Haven guest, room service is always available at no charge. You should remember, however, that the butler is not included in the automatic gratuity amounts you are charged by NCL, so you should tip accordingly, depending on the service you receive. We gladly gave our Butler Jose a great tip at the end of our cruise for a job well done!!

You can choose from up to six free amenities depending on the type of stateroom you will be staying in. In the Haven, you don’t have to choose, they are all available to you. This alone, can save you a lot of money. Your LBAC Travel Advisor can assist you in with all the details!

We ate breakfast every day in the Haven Restaurant. For dinner we ate at several specialty restaurants throughout the ship. My family’s favorite is Cagney’s Steakhouse. It serves traditional steakhouse fare and the 7-layer chocolate cake is to die for! We also like the Hibachi restaurant Teppanyaki and I personally enjoyed the Moderno Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse. There are several other specialty restaurants you can choose from as well.

Let’s not forget the complimentary dinning options, the Manhattan room a large open dining room or Savor or Taste for a more intimate setting. And then there is the Garden café for a buffet that has a little bit of everything. Even though I was staying in the Haven I still found myself walking through to see what was available (Ice Cream!!).

The entertainment on the ship is amazing and staying in the Haven allows you to make arrangements with the concierge desk for seating that has been put aside for Haven guest. When it was time to get off the ship for excursions, Haven guest were given priority debarkation. All really nice Haven amenities!

The pool in the Haven was beautiful, with a retractable roof that they open when the ship is docked for excursions! There is also a hot tub and a private sundeck for Haven guests. It was amazing to be in the Haven with only a handful of guests in the pool as opposed to being on the main pool deck with tons of guests! That is the beauty of the Haven.

The Haven also has a bar with lounge chairs where we never had to wait for a drink. In such an intimate setting you also get the opportunity to meet and talk with other Haven guests and chat with the crew.

Our stay in the Haven left us so spoiled that it was hard to go back home without our Butler Jose. We loved sailing in the Haven so much that we booked our 2022 Alaska Cruise on NCL’s Encore in the Haven! We can’t wait to experience the Haven on one of the newer ships in NCL’s fleet! It is truly a one-of-a-kind experience!

When you’re ready to travel your LBAC Travel Advisor is available to assist in planning your next vacation!