In answer to your title? No, Haven is trash, unless you want a personal bar and free restaurant, the biggest waste of $2500 upgrade ever for us. (back to club balcony for us)

Here’s another reason to use the bidding process. I recently had a cruise on Princess where the cost of a Balcolny was more than I was willing to pay so I booked an ocean view & was willing to except that & if the bidding didn’t work out I would keep what I had. I bid the minimum amount for a Balcolny & was aware that I would have.to except wherever they would put me. I received numerous emails saying that my bid was too low & that I didn’t have much of a chance to have my bid excepted. My bid was excepted & YEA I was happy with what I received. FYI….The whole bidding process, on Princess, is done by a group not a part of the Princess Cruise Line. Another thing that I have done & that was once on the ship I went to the Customer Service desk on Princess to see what they had & the price. They had a list & I purchased an upgrade & I was able to choose what I wanted.

I have a pending bid on a February 1,2025 cruise on the Discovery Princess to go from a balcony to a mini suite. I have bid the minimum & If I’m selected I will pay $270 for a stateroom that would have cost $1,500 more. The mini suites are sold out so I’ll see what happens. I’m aware that the whole bidding is handled by a different group so I’ll see what happens. Wish me luck as after 43 cruises with Princess this would be my 1st time in a mini suite. If I’m awarded one I’ll one day have a Balcolny breakfast for some of my friends.

Which is your favorite ship ? NCL

It comes down to what is important to the bidder.

My thoughts: HAVEN is fabulous for the sophisticated traveler that wants "no drama" of crazy muggles-and their screaming children. It offers peace and quiet, no lines, private elevators and amazing food. I used to be a headliner performer for top lines including NCL, Celebrity, and even Cunard. And let me tell NCL-HAVEN is better than all of the other top lines. Here's why: You get a butler and a concierge. Before boarding- You will have a phone call with your butler and they are excellent about asking questions to get to know you. I told my butler: I'm vegan plant based, like to have tea and scones and fresh fruit in the morning and even what cuisine I tend to like such as Mexican, Italian and things I like to do on the ship. I live in Long Beach so getting to the ship for Mexican cruise took les than 30 minutes with no long flight, no drama. Private check where we relaxed in a lounge and then was escorted to our suite. My butler was so friendly and had already seen to tea and fruit and welcome pack. There was info all shows etc. And though we we could have easily dined in the Haven restaurant .. We just called our butler and he had dinner ready on our private terrace with candlelight so amazing. Why deal with people and crowds when you don't have to. In the spa section of Haven-- we never had to go to the bar, we were waited on easily and with Haven they know you by name and by 2nd day already know your favorite drinks etc. So attentive. I even told the butler what books I wanted from the library etc and they were brought up. Sadly there were a few "muggle" kids in the Haven pool area but no problem-- I booked spa time for quiet and just retired to suite with friends and quiet time of board games, cocktails on the terrace. Yes I saw a show but with concierge we were able to get VIP seating and avoid crowds. I'm not into most of the tacky American family crap like water park, racing, casino, etc. So was nice to just stay basically away from the most of the typical vulgar Americans with eating corn dogs with screaming kids --and just enjoy the private area. The Haven Sauna and Jacuzzi rarely had anyone and so it was like most of the time having the ship to ourselves. So amazing. As a plant based vegan and author --I was happy with the food. Most ships just think serving some steamed veggies and tofu is all they have to do. .So uninspired. But I had some lovely meals. The vegan desserts were excellent overall as were the drinks and wine list. I loved the private elevators and also Haven disembark and excursions were easy. No long line!! Actually a secret.. If you are booking Haven for a 4-5 off slightly off season .. It is very fair. We paid a little over $3000 for everything and my suite was amazing. Huge balcony with table for 4 and 3 lounge chairs, nice big shower and tub, ---We made use of just eating in to avoid dinner crowds. So peaceful and relaxed with great view. And though on 10 day cruise prices for Haven might reach about 10,000 .. I would much rather pay this for privacy -- and freedom from crowds and muggles and better service than not. I have spent more money than that for Cunard only to deal with screaming kids, mediocre vegan choices, being told when to eat and shit. Basically you get what you pay for. If you are retired, self-employed or cultured and don't want to be around typical family Disney style cruising.. go Haven and avoid the drama. Also since Haven is smaller area .. I met really lovely intellectual cultured world travelers over the typical American families with their kids. Not to mention the sanitary aspects. I'm sorry but find it disgusting and nasty to see 100s of people with kids at buffets with kids sticking their dirty hands in entrees, running around screaming, etc. I know more people that have had severe food poisoning from bad buffets, or germ ridden muggles. Also with Haven I felt like royalty. Met the captain and cruise director who were very nice and just a whole different caliber of sailing in Haven.

One slight correction.. experience 360 is not just. For suite guests. anyone that cares to pay the price tag can attend if reservations are available I believe the cost is $150 per person and well worth it

His embarkation experience was his own fault which he admitted. There are 3 lines in the Princess check-in area. The Blue Line is the slowest. If he ordered his Princess Medallion shipped to his home ahead of time (no extra cost for this), he would have went through the Green line where the process takes about 1 minute. Also, Princess has a a third line for ADA passengers. Since I am partially disabled I registered for the ADA benefits on Princess and you are whisked right through the boarding process with you Princess Medallion. He also did not mention all of the benefits that you get with the Princess Medallion which is automatic with all Princess passengers and not just suite guests. There are many other benefits that come with being a Suite Guest on Princess that he did not mention. Also, the price for a suite on Princess, which is twice the size of that on Norwegian, is much less than on Norwegian.

I stayed in the Haven and it was incredible. No lines, peace and quiet, first ones on and off the ship, private elevators and amazing food with strong drinks.❤

I will be sailing on the Discovery in a few weeks. Suites also come in different categories and price levels. Your suite was probably"premium suite" from the look and size of your balcony. The Penthouse suite is aft and the balcony wraps around from the aft section to the starboard side or port side, depending on which room you have and is deeper as well as much longer. Price wise...the penthouse suite is more expensive . I am looking forward to relaxing for 7 days down to Mexico, and no question breakfast every morning will be in Sabatini's once again will be a treat. My last experience in Sabatini's for morning breakfast was 2 hours long. Never rushed and service was impeccable . Obviously I am looking forward to dinner in Sabatini's and losing a few dollars ( hopefully not) in the casino. I will enjoy just lounging on my balcony watching the world go by. Cell Phone off at night is a must !

If WiFi free for suite guests on Princess. I read the following on the Princess website. All Princess Cruise Suites come with a range of complimentary amenities, including 24-hour room service, spa-like services, in-room Wi-Fi and daily cleaning for a luxurious experience.

Great video. We are Princess cruisers only because we enjoy gambling in the casino. We have been offered "free interior" rooms on a regular basis either by letter, a merchandise card or by email. That said, we do cruise at least once a year and sometimes twice. We live in Canada so we don't have the luxury of hopping onboard a cruise in Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Based on this type of cruise offer, I want to provide our rendition of what transpired after the cruise was paid in full. Was responsible gambling worth it? For our next 7 day cruise we were offered, as expected, the free interior room. Price paid in CAD was $1,075 all in. No drinks, or WIFI or gratuities paid. Yes, we had stayed in an interior room before. We had no problem at all with this selection. We next selected the Princess Plus package for$1,132 CAD. Drinks, WIFI and gratuities paid in full. So the bottom line is this: $2,207 CAD (depending on the exchange rate at that time). For us, this is an extremely inexpensive cruise!!! So we wanted to know how much an upgrade would cost us for a Deluxe Balcony. Total amount for this upgrade was, with the drink package, a grand total of $3,059 CAD. Still a fantastic price. So for Newby cruisers just checking prices on the Princess website with no perks at all: Same cruise, Deluxe Balcony and same drink package: $7,267 CAD. A difference of $4,206 cheaper if you gamble responsibly. Was it worth it for us, yes. Flights costs are extra. Happy cruising. I do apologize for the length of this post.

I only stay in the Haven and I am not rich

I don’t have deep pockets, but I do have a very very good Norwegian cruise line specialist that I’ve worked with her for many years and she knows what I like and what I need and with all the specials and different times of the year I am able to afford the Haven for the first timeand I will let you know how I enjoyed it and I’m sure I will from everything I’ve heard

Unsupervised children can ruin the experience.

if you win the bid on a haven cabin then would you get a refund if we already purchased the spa package and wanted to cancel it?

Hi Tim, thank you for taking the time to crat this informative video. My wife and I cruise on Princess every October (Mini Suite Reserve collection, rooms). After we complete out upcoming cruise this October 2024, we will have moved up to the Platinum loyalty tier. The next few cruises (with the exception of the Mexican Riviera trip in October 24) we are traveling with family members and have already setup adjacent Mini Suite Reserve collection, rooms and will not be bidding to upgrade. Therefore, I wanted my wife and I to experience the full suite option at least one time in our lives. So, I bid the maximum amount allowed on each of the suites, excluding the Sky Suite due to it astronomical cost. While the Vista suite is certainly an upgrade from our Mini suite, I only bid slightly more than the minimum because I prefer the layout of the upper tier suites a bit better. Hopefully we will be successful in our bidding. The Owners suite or Penthouse Suite AFT, would be our top choices. Do you know if the complementary minibar setup can be altered to eliminate the hard liquor and replaced with some beer, water and soda's? Were sort of old, so hard alcohol is not our thing. Thank you again for making this video.

Can’t hear a word your saying

Thank you! Booked my first haven room and 4 out of 5 reasons apply to me! I can’t wait!

Hey Tim ,I’m new here and will be cruising in Oct. on the Norwegian Joy ,We always cruise Norwegian but never have been in the Haven. This will be a special occasion since it’s for our 25th anniversary so I’m going to bid ,We already paid extra for our Aft room since that is where my husband likes to be .Hopefully We may get it .Going to go watch your vlog about bidding now ,thanks for the vlogs ❤

It's only worth it if your room is actually in the Haven section, and not somewhere where you have a long walk to get to the amenities.

I did this, using the upgrade feature, and felt it was worth it. I put in multiple bids, and matched with the penthouse. Would this be for everyone, probably not, but looking forward to trying it again. I appreciate your video's, find them very helpful, and your candor is refreshing, thank you.

You missed out on an amazing breakfast experience. The menu is merely a suggestion and if the kitchen can make it, they will make it. Your coffee cup will never run dry and your pastry plate will never go lonely unless you say uncle.

I’ve never bid for an upgrade, but am going straight to your video about doing so now! Thanks for the video!

Great info, great video! Did not know about this. Liked and subscribed!

You mention it wasn't worth the $2200 upgrade for a solo traveler, but would it be worth $1100 each if traveling as a couple?

Are there other hidden cost if you upgrade? I have heard there are.

This was a thorough and thoughtful experience/impressions video and I liked that you qualified your experience may differ from others based on your needs. I agree had you received the medallion at home and used the "green" line the embarkation would have gone much better. I did find the comparisons to your previous suite experience very helpful. There definitely seems to be a large delta between offerings. Overall I feel that a couple or larger group, who could benefit from the mini bar, all concierge benefits, priority embarkation and disembarkation (it was difficult to ascertain whether that could have been beneficial since it wasn't used) and extra space would probably get the value having this upgrade to their cruise. Agree with you that a solo cruiser might struggle to make it worth the cost.

Here’s another boarding tip. I arrive at the terminal around 9:30 am, & here in San Francisco, there is usually on a few people in line waiting to get into the terminal. You may wonder why I arrive so early is around 10 am we’re allowed into the terminal. I’ve avoided any long lines as Tim experienced, & being Elite with Princess I can be one of the earlier boarders onto the ship, drop off any carryons in me stateroom, & relax with not a lot of people on the ship. I’ve never had any problems arriving early.

Are all mini suites on princess have great views?

Haven transatlantic would be so cool ❤

My husband and I booked a suite in The Haven on NCL Gem coming up in September - I can't wait to experience it! Two other couples in our friend group are going on the cruise as well, but aren't in The Haven with us - I know we can at least have them hang out in our suite.

Very informative ty

Ty

You are very good at explaining to folks with exactly what the facts are.

We haven't tried Princess Cruise Lines. Must be good. Hopefully someday. Anyhow, after having experienced The Haven many times, I can confidently say it's worth the splurge. After staying in regular cabins, I've become spoiled by The Haven's exceptional amenities. We absolutely love The Haven-the food, the pool, everything about it. On older ships like the Breakaway, Escape, Joy, Encore, and Bliss, The Haven truly shines. These ships offer the best Haven experience. However, I wasn't as thrilled with The Haven on the Prima and Viva. The design and feel are different, and it just didn't hit the mark for us. If you can afford to spend a little extra, booking The Haven is absolutely worth it. Rooms are spacious and big and amazing. Butler service is so cool. I remember one dinner at The Haven on the Joy when the server offered me two lobster tails. I was surprised and thrilled! And the table next to us? They had three lobster tails. Amazing, right? We also love the Haven pool and the spa on these ships ( Joy, Bliss and Encore ). The Haven really elevates the cruising experience to a whole new level.

Your descriptions are very well presented. Very informative. You look like Tom Brady!

his voice is boring

It would have been nice for you to _actually define_ what "the Haven" is before proceeding.

And when you get into The Haven price point you might as well just pivot to a luxury line like Silver Sea or Regent. Our Silver Sea Alaska experience last year was literally the Haven price you showed, it was door to door, included excursions, and essentially the whole ship is your oyster! It was a great experience and we counted only 3 kids out of 500 guests. That's a win! CAVEAT: For the shorter trips Silver Sea or Regent are a no-brainer compared to the Haven, however on longer trips say 12 days or longer because of the relative lack of things to do / places to eat on these smaller ships we would pivot to a larger ship and then the Haven would be on the short list.

Great Video Tim, that 360 dining experience looks wonderful. Hopefully it is something they will do across the fleet and open it up to non-suite guests.

On the CP you get full suite benefits for much less when you book a window suite. I do this all the time. I get the same benefits as someone who booked a PS but much cheaper. The room is very large, the bathroom has marble double vanity and a jacuzzi tub. Since there is no balcony (but has 2 large windows) the price is significantly cheaper than the Vista and Penthouse suites and you get ALL the benefits.

To get reasonable have need to bid To bid need balcony My 10 day prima $5,000 Then $1,000 bid = $2,000 cost Lot to spend

You wasted your money!

I have to totally agree with you. I have had the same experience on Princess and The NCL Haven.

Great very informative vlog. Thank you for taking the time to create informative content.

I always bid slightly above the minimum. I am successful about a third of the time. I scored HUGE on Celebrity when we bid the minimum and got upgraded to an Aft Facing Balcony that was designed for Special Needs. The Bathroom was almost as large as some of my rooms, and the Balcony was MASSIVE!.. Could have easily held 10-20 people.

We upgraded to a reserve collection family suite and it was absolutely worth it. We are a family of 6 so the extra room was fantastic. Plus no need for reservations for meals save time and frustration. We took an eleven day cruise to Alaska.

I've only done music cruises on the Pearl, Jewel & now next year on the Gem...I would do the Haven but not on a music cruise...each music cruise in a regular stateroom is over double of a regular cruise stateroom, around $1700 or $1800, a Penthouse Suite like $2900...is the Haven around that price range??

Sounds wonderful