After recently sailing on the Norwegian Viva in the Haven, Norwegian’s “ship within a ship” concierge level, we wanted to share some of the amazing perks of this option!
If you’re wondering if the Haven is right for you or if it’s worth the money, here are some details of my experience to help you understand why this is such a special option if the price point works for your budget.
First, the stateroom. Your room is not just a room. It’s much much more. It’s a place where your breakfast can be delivered at the time you specify, set up by your butler, complete with a tablecloth. Imagine dining outside to a beautiful sunrise or in-port scenery. Back from an excursion, tired and hungry… you’ll likely return to plates of small sandwiches and chocolates. And, if you’re still too tired from a long day of sightseeing, ask your butler to bring dinner to your room from any restaurant on board — even specialty restaurants. Fine dining delivered right to your stateroom’s table.
Next, the space. I’ve usually thought of my stateroom as functional — a place to put my head at night. But in the Haven, you have space to spread out and enjoy downtime and privacy when you need it. The bathrooms (we had two) have doors separating the toilets from the sink area, the rain showers are fitted with L’Occitane body wash, shampoo, and conditioner (all separate — no conditioning shampoo-body wash combos here!). And the master is upgraded with a double sink, again with L’Occitane liquid hand wash and lotion. Think of all the luggage room you’ll save by leaving these toiletries at home!
The beds are plush and comfy and you can choose the pillow type of your choice — just ask your stateroom steward. The rooms were surrounded with tech galore — auto closure switches for your curtains, privacy panels, and various lighting level options. Lastly, the master afforded a walk-in closet with a full length mirror. Our stateroom had three separate (large) televisions. If this is important for your family, everyone has a space to relax and the many movies are all included. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of family friendly movies.
One final room detail, the balcony. It’s actually huge. We had a dining table with four chairs and two overstuffed chairs with a patio table - and so much extra room. I’ve never spent so much time on a balcony as we did on this Haven level cruise.
Finally, one last room comment about our stateroom — we heard no one while in our room. No kids running down the hallway, no rowdy late night adults back from the bars, no banging/loud talking from neighbors. Literally nothing. Maybe we had the quietest cruise neighbors ever — or maybe NCL made the Haven suites a little more insulated. We are a noise sensitive family, and this made a big difference for our nighttime sleeps!
The Haven Lounge - a great place to read, play games, or just hang out with friends and family.
Moving beyond the room, the Haven common spaces are lovely and well appointed. The lounge is a great space to read, play a card game with your friends/family, order a delicious cocktail while taking in the beautiful views, or dine in the exclusive for Haven guests restaurant. The bar is upscale and each drink was meticulously made (no margarita mixers in sight!)
The Haven restaurant is pretty special — they are open for all three meals and at breakfast, there are “quick bites” on a buffet if you’re in a hurry for your shore excursion or spa appointment. We tried the menu at various meal times, and we were very pleased with the food and the service. It’s a quieter, more relaxed experience compared to the main dining rooms. The menu doesn’t change, however, so you’ll want to infuse other dining options throughout the week. The food offered though is a step up from the main dining rooms— for example, one of our favorite features was the personal sized French press coffee pots offered at breakfast. If you’re a coffee aficionado like us, this is a warm welcome from normal buffet cruise coffee!
Outside, you’ll find a quiet sun deck, upgraded pool lounge chairs and sun beds, pool, as well as an outdoor bar.
And if you still need more quiet, there was a space for adults only one deck higher!
The Haven private elevators are a nice perk. It was easy to move around the ship quickly. One nice touch—on port days, the concierge will use the elevators to escort you privately to the dock - no matter what time of day. This is also true on the final debarkation day. It’s pretty unnecessary to put your luggage out the night before disembarkation day unless you just don’t want the hassle.
Overall, the Haven service was just superb with many nice touches. The staff took time to learn our kids’ names, remember our drink of choice, and our snack preferences. The Haven-specific concierge (think of this as your guest services — no need to go downstairs to the main desk) helped us change dinner reservations, get directions, and answer questions we had. You can even have an iron delivered to your room for an hour if you need to press those dinner outfits. There are other perks — I’m sure I’ve missed some—so don’t take this as your comprehensive list, and options and experiences can vary ship to ship. The Haven experience is truly a step above in cruising and will leave you feeling extra pampered.
Are you ready to book the Haven on one of the stunning Norwegian Cruise Line ships? Reach out here for more information or contact your favorite Upon a Star Travel Advisor!
Special thanks to Upon a Star Client, Cindy Fernandez, for her photos of the Norwegian Viva Haven public areas and her 2-Bedroom Family Villa (H6).