Norwegian Haven Experience to the Mexican Riviera

My previous cruise on Norwegian was not the best, as I ended up in isolation with Covid part way through the trip. I wasn’t especially excited to cruise with them again just yet, but I had purchased some CruiseNext certificates while onboard the last cruise, so I knew there would be another within four years of the purchase. With cruise prices still down quite a bit as a result of the pandemic, I thought it best to use them sooner than later. To ensure an amazing trip, I decided it was time to have the Haven experience.

I found a cruise on the Norwegian Bliss leaving out of Los Angeles a few days after Thanksgiving. One of the things I really wanted to try was the Haven experience on NCL, and I was able to get the cabin I wanted, an Aft Penthouse, for a pretty good price, even with the single supplement, and I was able to use both of my CruiseNext certificates.

Pre-Cruise in Los Angeles

My favorite college football team also had a game in LA that weekend, so I had a solid plan. Football game first, and then the Haven experience to the Mexican Riviera.

I spent the time leading up to the game in Marina Del Rey, a lovely place to walk around. I visited the Venice pier and the Canals, and walked around the marina checking out all the boats.

On the morning of the cruise, I took a Lyft to the cruise port. It was a Sunday, so the traffic wasn’t too bad and I got there in good time. There was a long line at the port, and while i probably could have skipped it due to having a Haven cabin, I was fine to stand in line with everyone else. Once I got to a certain point in the line, they did have a person holding a sign asking Haven guests to go another way, which I did.

Embarking to the Haven

I went through security, checked in, and was led to a waiting area for a Concierge to take the next group of Haven guests on board. There were some light snacks and drinks available, but honestly, I was just anxious to get on board, and probably would have been happier just to go myself.

Once the Concierge came to get us, they led us past the lines and we boarded the ship. I was a little embarrassed to walk past other passengers waiting in line, but I went along with it. We boarded the ship at the aft, and then the Concierge wanted to take us to the front of the ship to give us a tour of the Haven amenities.

Myself and another couple had Aft Haven cabins, and asked if we could just go to our cabins. We all had carry on luggage with us, and had no desire to drag it to the front of the ship and back just for a tour. The Concierge seemed a bit confused on how to handle the situation, but ultimately let us do what we wanted.

Aft Penthouse Cabin

My cabin was amazing. I had a separate bedroom and sitting area, two bathrooms, one of them huge, and one of them never used during my cruise, and an incredibly large balcony with two lounge chairs and a table at which to eat meals if I wanted. The room also came with a steward and a butler from whom I could request special snacks, special pillows, or other amenities.

As suggested on some other cruise sites, I had prepared a letter for my butler to tell him a little about myself, some of my expectations for the cruise, and any requests (peanut M&Ms and chips). As a solo traveler, I don’t always love having the conversations about traveling alone, so I thought this was a good opportunity to explain that I was alone and get that out of the way.

The Haven Areas

After getting settled, I headed to the Haven area of the ship to check out the private lounge, pool, bar, and stopped by the restaurant for lunch. The menu was a bit elevated from the menus in the Main Dining Room. I would not consider myself a foodie, so for me, it wasn’t something I was especially excited about.

After lunch, I did some more exploring of the ship and then headed to my balcony to enjoy the sail away. The sunset was early that time of year, and mother nature sure put on a beautiful show that night. I have so many pictures from that evening.

Each morning of this cruise, I would wake up for the sunrise and walk laps around the track. It was something I had started doing on previous cruises and was now a regular part of my routine. The ship was usually very quiet at this time of day and the sunrises were usually as beautiful as the sunsets. I also really like to watch as the ship arrives in a new port. You get to see the port towns waking up, and as a bonus, there are often other ships coming into port as well, and I enjoy checking them out and wondering if I’ll ever take a trip on them.

After my walk, I would head to the Haven Courtyard area and Observation Lounge for some light breakfast bites that they had out there. Then, I’d swing by the bar to see if my favorite bartender was there to make me her signature drink. It didn’t have a name, but used raspberry infused vodka and was wonderful. I’d take my drink and head back to my room for some time on the balcony.

The first day of this cruise was a Sea Day, so I spent most of the time either on my balcony or in my sitting area reading books, relaxing, and eating all the snacks my Butler left in my room. I don’t think I was hungry for a single second on that cruise. Also, my room was so nice, I really had little reason to spend time anywhere else on the ship.

Port Stop in Cabo San Lucas

Our second day was in Cabo San Lucas. We arrived around 11am, so I had already done my morning walk and watched or arrival into port from my balcony. Cabo is a tender port, so we had to take a smaller boat to get to shore. I wasn’t in any rush to get off the ship, and didn’t have any excursions planned, but I did want to walk around for a bit and buy a Christmas ornament.

I decided to take advantage of one of the perks of being a Haven guest and went to the Concierge for priority boarding of a tender. Other passengers were waiting in a long line, but the Concierge took me down a back elevator and led me to the front of the boarding line. Obnoxious, absolutely, but in this case, kind of worth it. The boat was a large with two levels and plenty of seating. The ride into the port was short though somewhat choppy.

Once on land, I walked for a bit, but never really left the port area. Some guy approached me with questions about my shoes (which were nothing special). It creeped me out, so I headed back towards the ship. I stopped at a shop and bought my Christmas ornament and headed for the next tender. Since it was so early, there were only a few of us heading back to the ship, which was nice. I spent the rest of the getting my money’s worth out of my cabin.

The following day was another Sea Day. I took my morning walk as usual and had my light breakfast in the observation lounge. For lunch that day, I decided to try the Haven Restaurant again. They offered outside seating, but with the loud pool music, it wasn’t enjoyable, so I requested a seat inside.

Port Stop in Ensenada

The final day of the cruise was in Ensenada, Mexico. I did not end up getting off the ship. Again, I had such a beautiful room and balcony, I wanted to make the most of it. It was pretty chilly that day. Unfortunately, the way the ship was docked, I didn’t have sun on my balcony. I ventured up to the Haven sundeck and found I wasn’t alone in staying on the ship. There was a decent crowd up there enjoying the sunshine and the hot tubs.

Disembarkation in Los Angeles

We arrived back in Los Angeles the following morning, and since my flight home wasn’t until the following day, I thought I’d wait a bit before disembarking. I wasn’t sure how early I’d be able to check into my hotel, and I thought it might be easier to get a ride share later and once the next passengers started arriving. I was wrong. It took awhile to get a ride and it was not a cheap one.

Overall, it was a nice trip, but not one of my favorites. Was the Haven worth it? Would I do it again? Some people say it’s the only way to travel, but honestly, other than the amazing room and the quiet places on the ship, I didn’t really need the special treatment. It felt uncomfortable to me, and I think I can have just as good of an experience in a regular balcony room.