Latest news with #non-Haven
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I stayed in the exclusive VIP area of Norwegian's new cruise ship: Here's what $5,150 gets you
Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ship, Norwegian Aqua, has a section exclusive to its highest-paying guests. The Haven includes 123 suites and a private restaurant, bar, lounge, and two-floor pool deck. These high-end cabins start at $5,150 per person for a weeklong cruise this summer. The amenities on Norwegian's new ship are fairly routine, at least as mass-market cruises go. There's a water playground for toddlers, and a hybrid roller coaster-waterslide for taller kids. There's an LED sports court for groups of hoop-shooting teens and a pickleball court for groups of weaker-kneed adults. But the two-month-old Aqua has one secret that most of the ship's guests can't — or won't be allowed to — catch a glimpse of: the Haven. The Haven is a mini luxury ship hidden within the walls of the massive vessel. The Haven is a collection of Norwegian Aqua's highest-end suites with access to an exclusive lounge. On paper, this shared space has all the amenities of a typical cruise (like a pool and restaurant), except quieter, upscale, and more service-forward. This exclusivity has been a big selling point for a cruise line that doesn't usually target luxury travelers. The company increased its count of Haven cabins from 107 on its previous Prima-class ships to 123 on the new Prima Plus-class Norwegian Aqua. Demand is outpacing the expansion. About 9% of Norwegian Aqua's 1,387 cabins are in The Haven. The limited inventory means they're in hot demand. These high-end accommodations are reserved faster than other stateroom categories — often about four months before sailing, the cruise line told Business Insider. The Haven is sold out for about half of the ship's seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida, this summer. A 'haven' from what? Noise, crowds, and, maybe more subliminally, the less wealthy. The most affordable Haven option left for this summer, a balcony cabin in early August, starts at about $5,150 per person. The cost is steep compared to a standard (albeit smaller) non-Haven balcony stateroom, which is about $1,900 per person on the same voyage. Is paying almost triple the price for a somewhat similar accommodation worth it? Well, it depends on how much you value exclusivity and service. The Haven Lounge is gated from the rest of the ship behind keycard-activated glass doors. Life past these doors feels less like a commercial cruise and more like a luxury ship. The contemporary lounge is grounded with bright, neutral decor. It's as trendy (à la some statement furniture) as it is cozy (with plenty of couches and decorative books). Find the concierge desk if you need to make a spa reservation. Or, if you're looking for a peaceful afternoon, snag one of the windowside seats and a drink from the bar. The watering hole is hard to miss, with an opulent art deco elan that commands a glimpse or two from any passerby. Bespoke beverages from a bespoke bar. You could indulge in a sugary margarita. But why bother with the conventional when the drinks here are nothing like those outside the Haven? For one (or four), it uses in-house infused vermouths, liqueurs, spirits, and bitters. And if you're feeling especially daring, you could ask the bartenders to create a customized cocktail based on your ideal base and taste (refreshing versus spirit-forward, classic versus adventurous). If you're feeling peckish, head to the adjacent restaurant. No need to restlessly queue up at the main breakfast buffet for some lukewarm bacon. In the morning, the Haven Restaurant serves classics like eggs Benedict and other options like shrimp toast — all to be paired with a line-up of pastries and cold cuts from a small buffet. Enjoy your lunch at one of the outdoor tables. Satisfy your afternoon hunger with a fried seafood platter, lobster bisque, or Brie burger. For dinner, head back for steak tartare, porcini risotto, and more lobster, this time in the appetizer deviled eggs and entrée surf and turf (with filet mignon, of course). Nap off the food coma at the two-floor pool deck. There are no hard plastic poolside chaises here. Every lounge chair is topped with a thick cushion and garnished with a head pillow. If you're lucky, you can snag one of the cabanas (at no additional cost, unlike the cabanas out there). The outdoor lounge also has a bar. If standing up requires too much energy, wait for a waiter to request your order. Cool off in the infinity pool. Or warm up in the two hot tubs on the top deck, where you'll find more lounge seating. If you're temperature-confused, hop between the private sauna and ice room. The Haven's location at the aft of the ship is strategic. Its rear positioning blocks the chill from incoming headwinds while providing unobstructed ocean views from the infinity pool. It may be inconvenient for guests who want to access amenities at the front of the ship (such as the theater and Observation Lounge). Luckily, the private Haven keycard-activated elevators help expedite the journey. Plus, there's no need to rush when you get priority for almost everything. The Haven's amenities don't stop at the elevator doors. In addition to this exclusive space, Haven guests also have a cabin butler, reserved seating for theater shows, and priority embarkation, debarkation, and tendering — an underrated benefit when visiting Norwegian's private island, which will require taking a tender to shore until a pier is completed at the end of the year. That alone could make the Haven worth every penny. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I stayed in the exclusive VIP area of Norwegian's new cruise ship: Here's what $5,150 gets you
Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ship, Norwegian Aqua, has a section exclusive to its highest-paying guests. The Haven includes 123 suites and a private restaurant, bar, lounge, and two-floor pool deck. These high-end cabins start at $5,150 per person for a weeklong cruise this summer. The amenities on Norwegian's new ship are fairly routine, at least as mass-market cruises go. There's a water playground for toddlers, and a hybrid roller coaster-waterslide for taller kids. There's an LED sports court for groups of hoop-shooting teens and a pickleball court for groups of weaker-kneed adults. But the two-month-old Aqua has one secret that most of the ship's guests can't — or won't be allowed to — catch a glimpse of: the Haven. The Haven is a mini luxury ship hidden within the walls of the massive vessel. The Haven is a collection of Norwegian Aqua's highest-end suites with access to an exclusive lounge. On paper, this shared space has all the amenities of a typical cruise (like a pool and restaurant), except quieter, upscale, and more service-forward. This exclusivity has been a big selling point for a cruise line that doesn't usually target luxury travelers. The company increased its count of Haven cabins from 107 on its previous Prima-class ships to 123 on the new Prima Plus-class Norwegian Aqua. Demand is outpacing the expansion. About 9% of Norwegian Aqua's 1,387 cabins are in The Haven. The limited inventory means they're in hot demand. These high-end accommodations are reserved faster than other stateroom categories — often about four months before sailing, the cruise line told Business Insider. The Haven is sold out for about half of the ship's seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida, this summer. A 'haven' from what? Noise, crowds, and, maybe more subliminally, the less wealthy. The most affordable Haven option left for this summer, a balcony cabin in early August, starts at about $5,150 per person. The cost is steep compared to a standard (albeit smaller) non-Haven balcony stateroom, which is about $1,900 per person on the same voyage. Is paying almost triple the price for a somewhat similar accommodation worth it? Well, it depends on how much you value exclusivity and service. The Haven Lounge is gated from the rest of the ship behind keycard-activated glass doors. Life past these doors feels less like a commercial cruise and more like a luxury ship. The contemporary lounge is grounded with bright, neutral decor. It's as trendy (à la some statement furniture) as it is cozy (with plenty of couches and decorative books). Find the concierge desk if you need to make a spa reservation. Or, if you're looking for a peaceful afternoon, snag one of the windowside seats and a drink from the bar. The watering hole is hard to miss, with an opulent art deco elan that commands a glimpse or two from any passerby. Bespoke beverages from a bespoke bar. You could indulge in a sugary margarita. But why bother with the conventional when the drinks here are nothing like those outside the Haven? For one (or four), it uses in-house infused vermouths, liqueurs, spirits, and bitters. And if you're feeling especially daring, you could ask the bartenders to create a customized cocktail based on your ideal base and taste (refreshing versus spirit-forward, classic versus adventurous). If you're feeling peckish, head to the adjacent restaurant. No need to restlessly queue up at the main breakfast buffet for some lukewarm bacon. In the morning, the Haven Restaurant serves classics like eggs Benedict and other options like shrimp toast — all to be paired with a line-up of pastries and cold cuts from a small buffet. Enjoy your lunch at one of the outdoor tables. Satisfy your afternoon hunger with a fried seafood platter, lobster bisque, or Brie burger. For dinner, head back for steak tartare, porcini risotto, and more lobster, this time in the appetizer deviled eggs and entrée surf and turf (with filet mignon, of course). Nap off the food coma at the two-floor pool deck. There are no hard plastic poolside chaises here. Every lounge chair is topped with a thick cushion and garnished with a head pillow. If you're lucky, you can snag one of the cabanas (at no additional cost, unlike the cabanas out there). The outdoor lounge also has a bar. If standing up requires too much energy, wait for a waiter to request your order. Cool off in the infinity pool. Or warm up in the two hot tubs on the top deck, where you'll find more lounge seating. If you're temperature-confused, hop between the private sauna and ice room. The Haven's location at the aft of the ship is strategic. Its rear positioning blocks the chill from incoming headwinds while providing unobstructed ocean views from the infinity pool. It may be inconvenient for guests who want to access amenities at the front of the ship (such as the theater and Observation Lounge). Luckily, the private Haven keycard-activated elevators help expedite the journey. Plus, there's no need to rush when you get priority for almost everything. The Haven's amenities don't stop at the elevator doors. In addition to this exclusive space, Haven guests also have a cabin butler, reserved seating for theater shows, and priority embarkation, debarkation, and tendering — an underrated benefit when visiting Norwegian's private island, which will require taking a tender to shore until a pier is completed at the end of the year. That alone could make the Haven worth every penny.
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business Insider
My $5,000-a-week cabin on Norwegian's new cruise ship was better than a luxury hotel
No, this isn't a yacht. This is, maybe surprisingly, a new 4,482-guest cruise ship — Norwegian Aqua. However, there's a catch: Not all its cabins have these frills. They're exclusively available in the Haven, Aqua's ultra-luxury "ship within a ship" concept. Only 123 of the vessel's 1,387 staterooms are in this class, sectioned off behind keycard-locked glass doors. And privacy on a floating city doesn't come cheap. I spent three complimentary nights in a "Haven Penthouse with Balcony" during Norwegian Aqua's test sailing in cabin category spans up to 418 square feet with an up to 134-square-foot ship's usual interior accommodations are no larger than 263 square feet, while non-Haven balcony options are, at most, 358 square feet with a 69 square-foot balcony.I've been on my fair share of luxury cruises, but even my Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur cabins were smaller than this. And more space means more amenities. The cabin comes with a Nespresso machine, a stocked mini-fridge, three types of complimentary bottled water (one sparkling, two stilled), and nightly sweet treats delivered to your dining drawers are soft-close, the lights are dimmable, and the curtains can be controlled with a bedside luck finding all of these amenities in a non-Haven accommodation. Head inside if you'd rather lounge in the air conditioning. There are plenty of seating options there. The room can accommodate up to three people. Yet, there's enough space for double the dining table if you've ordered room service. There's also a bench behind it, although its hidden drawers make it better for stretch your legs on the built-in sofa beside the entertainment console. Both are elevated, leaving enough space to tuck your bags underneath. No need to will yourself out of bed to turn off the lights. Just roll to your side to find the control panels. With a few presses, you can turn off the overhead lights, dim the bedside lamps, and switch on the it's time to wake up, use these controllers to raise the blackout and sheer importantly, the bedside panel has enough outlets to charge your phone, laptop, smartwatch, and smart ring. It's also where you can phone your butler for packing help or the concierge to make a spa you prefer to sit for your morning skincare routine, use the built-in light-up vanity mirror. The toilet is the only seating in the bathroom (I don't judge multitaskers). But at least it's quarantined behind closed doors, which any couple will tell you is an underrated bathroom feature. The shower is both roomy (with seating) and flexible (with two shower head options — a waterfall and handheld).Some cruise cabins only offer two-in-one body wash and shampoo. Here, they're kept separate, in addition to conditioner and lotion — all from L'Occitane En hand soap is for peasants (people in the regular cabins). Haven guests get both liquid and bar suds. The decor is minimal, relying on color-accented walls to spruce the room. It looks more like a studio out of an interior design brochure than a cruise is a Pinterest-friendly room necessary for a fun vacation? No. Did I need two hand soaps and three bottled water varieties? Absolutely if you and your partner are paying more than $10,000 for a seven-day summer vacation in the "penthouse," I suppose it's fair to expect an unnecessary surplus of unnecessary amenities. Vacuuming up these luxurious resources will make you feel like royalty — a nice price to pay for the price you if you don't like your room, there's always the private lounge nearby.
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
My $5,000-a-week cabin on Norwegian's new cruise ship was better than a luxury hotel
I spent three nights in a Haven penthouse on Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ship. The Haven is Norwegian's ultra-luxury "ship within a ship" concept. My cabin felt like a high-end boutique hotel room with a butler and L'Occitane products. A butler. Bedside lamps each costing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. A giant balcony with sweeping views of the ocean. No, this isn't a yacht. This is, maybe surprisingly, a new 4,482-guest cruise ship — Norwegian Aqua. However, there's a catch: Not all its cabins have these frills. They're exclusively available in the Haven, Aqua's ultra-luxury "ship within a ship" concept. Only 123 of the vessel's 1,387 staterooms are in this class, sectioned off behind keycard-locked glass doors. And privacy on a floating city doesn't come cheap. The Haven is sold out for many of Norwegian Aqua's weeklong summer 2025 Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida. The most affordable option left, a balcony cabin, starts at about $5,020 per person — steep compared to the standard inside cabins, which go for about $1,310 per person on the same voyage. Haven cabins include a butler, concierge service, a private lounge, restaurant, bar, and pool deck. More money means more space. I spent three complimentary nights in a "Haven Penthouse with Balcony" during Norwegian Aqua's test sailing in April. The cabin category spans up to 418 square feet with an up to 134-square-foot balcony. The ship's usual interior accommodations are no larger than 263 square feet, while non-Haven balcony options are, at most, 358 square feet with a 69 square-foot balcony. I've been on my fair share of luxury cruises, but even my Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur cabins were smaller than this. And more space means more amenities. The cabin comes with a Nespresso machine, a stocked mini-fridge, three types of complimentary bottled water (one sparkling, two stilled), and nightly sweet treats delivered to your dining table. The drawers are soft-close, the lights are dimmable, and the curtains can be controlled with a bedside button. Good luck finding all of these amenities in a non-Haven accommodation. Enjoy your morning espresso on the balcony. Head inside if you'd rather lounge in the air conditioning. There are plenty of seating options there. The room can accommodate up to three people. Yet, there's enough space for double that. Use the dining table if you've ordered room service. There's also a bench behind it, although its hidden drawers make it better for storage. Or stretch your legs on the built-in sofa beside the entertainment console. Both are elevated, leaving enough space to tuck your bags underneath. No need to will yourself out of bed to turn off the lights. Just roll to your side to find the control panels. With a few presses, you can turn off the overhead lights, dim the bedside lamps, and switch on the nightlights. When it's time to wake up, use these controllers to raise the blackout and sheer curtains. More importantly, the bedside panel has enough outlets to charge your phone, laptop, smartwatch, and smart ring. Or, keep all your tech plugged in at the desk. It's also where you can phone your butler for packing help or the concierge to make a spa reservation. If you prefer to sit for your morning skincare routine, use the built-in light-up vanity mirror. The toilet is the only seating in the bathroom (I don't judge multitaskers). But at least it's quarantined behind closed doors, which any couple will tell you is an underrated bathroom feature. A spacious bathroom for a spacious penthouse. The shower is both roomy (with seating) and flexible (with two shower head options — a waterfall and handheld). Some cruise cabins only offer two-in-one body wash and shampoo. Here, they're kept separate, in addition to conditioner and lotion — all from L'Occitane En Provence. One hand soap is for peasants (people in the regular cabins). Haven guests get both liquid and bar suds. No need to worry about storage. The apartment-sized closet has hangers and large drawers. The motion-sensing lights make navigating it easy, especially when looking for your plush post-shower bathrobe. Little details — like the lighting options, modern design, and name-brand toiletries — make the stateroom feel more like a boutique hotel. The decor is minimal, relying on color-accented walls to spruce the room. It looks more like a studio out of an interior design brochure than a cruise cabin. Ultimately, is a Pinterest-friendly room necessary for a fun vacation? No. Did I need two hand soaps and three bottled water varieties? Absolutely not. But if you and your partner are paying more than $10,000 for a seven-day summer vacation in the "penthouse," I suppose it's fair to expect an unnecessary surplus of unnecessary amenities. Vacuuming up these luxurious resources will make you feel like royalty — a nice price to pay for the price you paid.
