Is The Haven on Norwegian Luna Worth It?
Written By: Travel Advisor, Jenny Alonso-Fontela
I finally marked experiencing The Haven with Norwegian Cruise Line off my bucket list. I wanted to see firsthand what it was like and if it lived up to the hype. I love cruising and I especially enjoy cruising in different cabin categories to soak up all there is to know at every level. Having cruised concierge with Disney Cruise Line and Yacht Club with MSC, The Haven had a lot to live up to! What made this experience even more exciting was the fact that I sailed with my husband and kids and on a brand-new ship – Norwegian Luna.
The VIP Experience Starts Before You Board
There isn’t much you need to do with Norwegian Cruise Line prior to the cruise if you are staying in The Haven. You can reach out to the onshore concierge team with NCL via email prior to your cruise and request your dining reservation preferences, choose specific pillows and candy options for the stateroom, and request items you want stocked in the fridge. Dining reservations open 130 days prior to sailing for suite guests. I highly recommend you take advantage of this early booking date and book your preferred specialty dining before it becomes available to the other guests. On embarkation day, you’ll meet the butlers in the dedicated VIP waiting area prior to boarding the ship and they will provide you with snacks and refreshments before escorting you onto the ship. On our sailing, several butlers were walking around in the waiting area with a paper where we could mark our desired specialty dining reservations for our cruise. I opted not to fill one out. Instead, once we boarded, I went straight to The Haven Lounge and requested the two reservations I wanted. Both were granted.
Your Own Private Ship Within the Ship
My favorite part about sailing in The Haven was the time we spent as a family in The Haven Sundeck, Restaurant, and Lounge. My teenage boys loved the Infinity Pool in the back of the ship overlooking the ship’s wake. They also took full advantage of the outdoor sauna and glass-walled ice room located on The Haven Sundeck! I thought this was a great added benefit for Haven guests that did not purchase the Mandara Spa thermal suite pass. It was also great for families who wanted to enjoy these features with their teenagers who would otherwise not be allowed in the ship’s thermal suite. The Haven has two sundecks. The upper deck is for adults only (ages 16 and up) while the lower deck is for all ages. I do want to point out that the adult sundeck does not have an Infinity Pool, nor does it have a sauna and ice room. It is a smaller, more intimate area with lounge chairs, two hot tubs, and amazing aft views.
The Haven Restaurant was another highlight of this wonderful experience. We enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and dinner here on several occasions. The ambiance, service, and food quality were consistently outstanding. The servers went above and beyond to make every meal special and were happy to accommodate just about any request at dinner. Our favorites were the Porcini Risotto Appetizer and the Surf & Turf Entree. My boys especially loved the Filet Mignon and were even treated to multiple servings during dinner. We also had the most amazing breakfast on our balcony on a sea day, delivered by our butler from The Haven Restaurant. It was such a special experience to enjoy a delicious breakfast while relaxing in our stateroom and taking in the beautiful ocean views.
One thing to note is that the dinner menu does not change throughout the cruise. It's the same menu every evening, so if you're on a seven-night sailing, you may eventually want a little more variety and choose to explore some of the ship's other dining venues. We split our dinners between The Haven Restaurant and several specialty restaurants, which gave us the best of both worlds.
It’s All in the Little Things
The best part about sailing in The Haven is the convenience of having a butler and service team whose job is to make your vacation easier! It's the little things that make it even better, such as perks you may not even realize are worth it. For example, we took full advantage of calling our butler late at night for room service. My teenage boys loved having mac and cheese and pizza delivered in the wee hours of the night. We also made good use of the complimentary on-demand movies in our stateroom. We watched several movies that we hadn't had a chance to see in theaters. We loved having priority theater seating and found it especially beneficial for Elton: A Celebration of Elton John and Hiko: Innovation Meets Wonder. Both shows were at capacity, and we enjoyed priority seating near the front of the theater. We also benefited from the private Haven guest line for the Aqua SlideCoaster. This was a benefit we did not even know was included until we found the private entrance to the ride! Best of all, our 2-bedroom Family Villa with Balcony Stateroom was fantastic! Having a separate living area, two bathrooms, and plenty of closet and drawer space was almost a necessity with two teenagers. We had three televisions, an espresso machine, and special treats delivered to our stateroom every day. It was hard to say goodbye to our stateroom at the end of our cruise.
Is it Worth it?
One thing worth mentioning is that sailing in The Haven doesn't necessarily mean you'll have an adults-only, quiet experience. While The Haven is peaceful and exclusive, families with young children also have access to the lounge and sundeck.
During my sailing, there were several occasions when the Infinity Pool had young children playing with their parents, and families were enjoying the sundeck and its amenities. This wasn't an issue for me, but it's something prospective guests should know if they're expecting a child-free environment. I sailed during Spring Break, so it's possible there were more families staying in The Haven than you might encounter at other times of the year.
Is it worth it? Everyone has a different idea of what they're willing to pay for convenience and luxury. For us, The Haven was absolutely worth the splurge. The exceptional service, exclusive amenities, and countless little conveniences made our vacation more relaxing and enjoyable from beginning to end. While it may not be the right choice for every traveler, it was an experience we would happily book again.
I would love to help you plan your next cruise! Let's chat about your vacation goals and see if The Haven is the right fit for you and your family.