I want to be clear that I am writing this from the perspective of a guest in the Haven. In fact, I had a Deluxe Owners Suite. So, I am fully aware that the negatives in this review may not be seen as negatives for other guests. I simply want to be completely honest about my experience. This was my eighth stay in an NCL Owners suite and my third on the Epic. However, this was our first transatlantic and it was 15 nights!

Embarkation was easy. We got to the port several hours after boarding started and there was a very small line at security. They had a Haven check in desk which was very quiet. The agent was quick and efficient. Our butler introduced himself to us within a minute or so of check in and before we knew it we were heading onto the ship. When we got to the Haven, we decided not to go on a tour of the Haven which was led by on the assistant concierges. In the past, we’ve felt it was more important to NCL to take this opportunity to soft sell their photographers and spa services than to acclimate guests to the Haven. So, being familiar with the Epic’s Haven, we decided to go right to our room which was ready. It was probably about 1:30PM at this point. And of course, the room looked perfect! We carried on our own luggage. Yes, you read that right! We had three carryon suitcases and figured that would be enough considering we would send out two bags of laundry over the 15 days.

Restaurants – The Haven Restaurant was very good. The staff was superb. In fact, it was the best staff I have ever encountered in an NCL restaurant and that is really saying something because I think the restaurant staff quality on NCL is excellent. The menu in the Haven Restaurant is the same every night, although there was an additional item each night that was not on the menu (we were told this was because of the length of the cruise). Despite the small number of menu selections, the food was very good. I must single out a couple of servers from the stellar group. Ineul and Ketut were professional, pleasant, knowledgeable (and I could go on and on) people. This restaurant is complimentary for Haven guests. A Haven guest can bring a non-Haven guest at a cost of $35. No reservations are needed and it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Read more