Dear Jim, I love how you enjoy first-class travel. This is what working hard and saving well gets you. It's the very definition of living your best life! Cheers to you!🥂
We sailed Vista in Suite 5233. My problem with the cabin wasn't the smoking, but The Pig and Anchor which is just steps away from the cabin. It called my name every single day for lunch! That Suite is worth every penny! If you can swing it - book it!
The answers to your questions are all in the first 30 seconds of the video. What some would call a balcony is really more like a "patio" on the Havana Cabanas and Havana Suites. You can see them in the opening shot of the video. The two halves of the room are shown in the shots starting at :07 seconds in to the video. At :07 you see the bedroom half of the room, which is closest to the entry door from the hallway. At :23 seconds in to the video the other half of the room is shown... the half that is adjacent to the patio.
Hi Jim, I booked Havana Cabana cabin 5210 on the Horizon, my question is, can you hear the music from the Havana Lounge into the cabins? Thanks so much Fred San Diego.
Yes, that was a downside of the Havana cabins. The band plays in the Havana lounge at night, and you can hear the drums in some of the cabins. If you prefer to go to bed early on a cruise, that could be a problem if you're in one of the cabins at the far back. Book a Havana cabin towards Ocean Plaza if you think that could be a problem for you.
The band at Ocean Plaza plays mainly at night. I think things are a little better soundproofed between Ocean Plaza and the Havana cabins, though... compared to very poor soundproofing between the Havana Lounge and the Havana cabins. A better strategy, if you're worried about noise from the bands playing all night, would be to book a Havana cabin up on one of the higher decks, overlooking the Havana pool. We were so annoyed by the noise from the band on Carnival Vista that when we booked Carnival Horizon we picked a Havana cabin all the way up on deck 9, just to get as far away as possible from the noise of the Havana lounge. If you haven't seen it already, take it look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/BcpGqaEJC_g/v-deo.html
My only question is with this luxury section being at the rear of the ship do you get covered in soot from the funnels whilst sunbathing ? It probably wouldn’t bother me because I’d probably never leave that cabin during the entire cruise.
I guess you don't realize that most new cruise ships use a thing called an exhaust scrubber. This is something that dramatically reduces the amount of carbon emissions from the smokestack, and has the additional benefit of stopping those annoying bits of soot from being emitted... so you just don't have that problem with the soot getting all over everything like it did back years ago on cruise ships.
Jim Zim oh I see. The last cruise I was on was 20 years ago on QE2. Small cabins and portholes, none of these sliding patio doors and a private deck. I’m going to try the haven very soon. You’ve certainly sold it well.
There was no noise... a fact I was surprised by since on Carnival Vista I had trouble getting to sleep due to noise from the Cuban band that played every night at the Havana bar. I don't know what they did different on this ship... but I had no noise problem at all this time around.
I have sailed at the back of ships before and heard some engine noise, some rattling, especially when entering or leaving ports. Thoughts on your cruise how much noise and rumbling you heard/felt?
I have also been in some aft cabins on other cruise ships where there was rattling and noises. But this simply was not the case on the Carnival Panorama... at least not in this cabin, or any of the places that I spent time.
These premium private places will eventually replace the loyalty programs. Since cruising has become mainstream during the last 2 decades, at some point everyone crusing will be diamond, and it will make no difference. These premium areas will become the new identifiers of loyalty program. I've already seen cruises where 900 passengers were elite level....their embarkation line was longer than the 1st timers.
Not on Carnival Panorama. On Carnival Vista there is a way to lock the patio door when you go out of it. On Carnival Panorama, I think most Havana passengers just leave their patio door unlocked when they exit and go to the Havana pool. It's not like there is a roaming gang of bad hombres checking patio doors until they find one that is unlocked. Even if there was, what are they going to do... steal your towels or your clothes? It's really not a problem. The folks that stay in Havana staterooms are an affluent crowd, and they are the only ones that have access to the area where the patio doors are. You can leave yours unlocked while you hang out at the pool. Lock your wallet and passport in the safe, of course, and bring your cell phone in a beach bag to the pool with you.
Hey Jim. Great videos as always. But I'm surprised you booked this cabin again. In your previous vlogs you mentioned the patio furniture not being comfortable. Half chair and no cushions. And the chair by the desk being so close to the couch. Not deal breakers by any means, but you point out things that would make me think twice about that cabin type. I myself still prefer a true balcony. And are passengers from all over still permitted in that area after 7pm? That used to be the case, otherwise the exclusive nature is quite watered down. But the exclusivity in that area is not to be missed I would assume if the 7pm time has been removed. Take care.
You have a good memory, Al! Yes, the patio furniture was exactly the same as on Carnival Vista and was just as uncomfortable. What I ended up doing was dragging out the chair from the desk whenever I wanted to sit on the balcony. The desk chair was much more comfortable. Also, there was a choke point in the cabin created by the way the couch sticks out at the exact spot the chair for the desk sticks out. Really stupid design, which I was surprised to see they had not corrected in the years since Vista came out. Also, the other thing I dislike about these cabins, being a photographer, is that glass between my patio and the ocean. If I saw a nice sunrise or sunset, I had to walk to some other place to get a clear shot of it without shooting through glass. But what made me willing to put up with all of that was the luxury of being just steps away from the Havana pool and hot tubs... plus the luxury of that big shower. You may recall that on Carnival Horizon, we tried a completely different type of Havana cabin... up high, looking down on the Havana pool area. Better patio furniture, no choke point in the cabin, and no glass blocking my camera's views. But after a week in that cabin, Kellyn and I both agreed that for our third cruise on a Vista-class ship we would prefer to be back in the Havana suite. That shower is fantastic, and being so close to the pool is incredibly convenient. You wouldn't believe how many times I get out to the pool and then realize "oh, I should have brought my (whatever)". It's so easy to just walk back to the cabin and grab whatever I need.
@@JimZim I actually pay attention to Vlogs to a fault. Lol. And that shower does look tempting I must admit. Bathrooms with no shower curtains and a balcony and I'm in heaven. Lol. The aft deck cabin you had I wasn't impressed with. Just an odd design. Take care.
Oh, yes, thanks for mentioning that... I forgot to reply to his question on that. You are correct. Regular passengers aren't allowed in to the Havana pool area at all now, not even in the evenings.
Beautiful room, Jim!! Curious if Carnival will overlook any kids sneaking into the Havana pool area? It aggravates me how ‘adult only’ pool areas are sometimes filled with kids
You have to wear a little rubber wrist band to get past the employees that watch over the entrance to the Havana pool area. Only the folks booked in Havana staterooms will have one of those wrist bands... and no kids younger than 12 are allowed to be booked in to a Havana stateroom. So, the answer to your question is no... kids are not a factor at the Havana pool area.
That is a very important question! Kellyn and I definitely discussed this towards the end of the cruise. Also, this is the kind of detail that sometimes gets left out of a video, but which I try to include on my web site in my review of a cruise ship. So, if you have time to kill, head over to www.jimzim.net/CarnivalPanorama.html Also, I actually talk about in this in my next video, which will be coming out next Friday. There's a line I like in the next video, that goes like this: "If money wasn’t a factor, I’d probably do every cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line… but money is always a factor! This Havana pool area on Carnival is a tremendous value. I can’t think of any better way to get an uncrowded cruise experience without spending a LOT more money." I should also add that the Havana Suite isn't necessarily such a great value. The Havana Cabanas are a really great value, but the suite... not so much. I think the suite set us back $4100 for the week, or something like that. But our cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Joy only cost us $500 more than that... and it included the drink package and specialty dining package. We spent basically zero additional dollars onboard Norwegian Joy. But on Carnival Panorama, we spent $600 onboard on drinks and specialty dining. So, when all was said and done, The Haven on Norwegian Joy was actually $100 cheaper than the Havana Suite on Carnival Panorama!!! Now keep in mind that the pricing might not always be like that every month of the year. We picked the week we did on Norwegian Joy because it was the lowest Haven price we had seen in quite a long time. Those prices probably won't stay that low forever. But in comparing the two cruises we did, in the particular suites that we did them in, The Haven was the better cruise overall... whether or not you considered the price. And when you do consider the price... it was even better! I've been saying for the last several years that I consider Norwegian my cruise line of choice... and that's even more true than ever after comparing those last two cruises. I do like Carnival's Vista class a lot... I just like The Haven more.
@@JimZim TYVM! My impression is that the ship changes the numbers a bit. What I read is the Joy is the one refitted after China and has a bit of a different layout. Haven on the Bliss for a week in Alaska is nearly $12k (2x$5900), almost triple the price of a balcony cabin. If money is a consideration, I wonder whether I would enjoy three weeks of a balcony vs one week of the nicer Haven. And If money is not an object, don't most of those people choose Seabourn/Silversea/Crystal et al? A week AK cruise on a six-star cruise line seems to be cheaper than Haven. If money were not a factor, I am not sure I would ever choose NCL. I was assuming that the Carnival would have fewer features but less cost than Haven. A tad disappointing the cost difference is not as great; alas, I suspect NCL is working to increase the difference. Regardless, TYVM for a very informative video. I have a friend who loves Carnival; if we ever sail a newer Carnival ship, I think you make a compelling case at least for a Havana and to at least consider the suite.
I'm not 100% sure. I think it's a queen size, not a king, but I could be wrong. I'm fairly certain it is not two singles pushed together. If you look at that headboard, it leads me to think that breaking the bed in to two singles is not a possibility. But I could be wrong! To get the definitive answer, call Carnival or your travel agent. I bet either one could find out, with a bit of research.
It was a cabin I stayed in for 7 days, just a few weeks ago. I just don't recall if the bed was a king or a queen. I sleep in a California king at home. I don't think it was that big. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a queen. But really, if you want the facts, not just some guy's recollection... call Carnival or your travel agent and ask them to find out for you. They have the answer in their files somewhere.
@@JimZim Thanks Jim! Will do. We just got back from a week on the Celebrity Edge and our room had a full sized King bed. It was so nice having that much room.
Nice video! But I gotta be honest, I’m not thrilled with the Havana decor. A little too busy looking for me but the rest of the amenities look awesome.
Dear Jim, I love how you enjoy first-class travel. This is what working hard and saving well gets you. It's the very definition of living your best life!
Cheers to you!🥂
Never stop producing your videos Jim! You help young men like myself dream of retirement.
Always enjoy your stateroom tours thank you for sharing. Sincerely Adventures of David and Aaron.⚓⚓⚓
Love it! What an amazing cabin you have shown us here.
We are staying in cabin 5233 on the Carnival Vista next week. Can't wait. Thanks for the video on the Panorama
I love these videos. They are the best travel videos
just love your vids!! rob
Beautiful video. Your production skills are excellent 🙌🏼
Great video. Thanks a lot!
Great video Jim! I'm sailing in a Havana Cabin on the Panorama in May.
Great choice! I will follow your suggestion on my forthcoming liner!
Wow very amazing I am going on carnival panorama in February 2020 so excited
great video liked 🙂🚢🚢
Great video
Awesome!! Great video. I had to cancel my Horizon trip for this month, I have to make it up later this year! This looks great!
this is nice thank you for sharing
Very compelling!
That's nice!
wow! awesome
No way!! Double sinks?! I would love that
We sailed Vista in Suite 5233. My problem with the cabin wasn't the smoking, but The Pig and Anchor which is just steps away from the cabin. It called my name every single day for lunch!
That Suite is worth every penny! If you can swing it - book it!
We will be at the Havana Cabana Suite for a Relay For Life fundraiser Cruise in October. Can’t wait.
We have the havana cabana. I cant wait...
We were in a Havana Cabana Stateroom 5228 on the 3 day Inaugural Cruise last Dec 11.
You have a great voice for narrating.
Thanks for the tip on booking portside. I loathe cig smoke.
The buttons are gone. But the experience and location of this suite is outstanding! A bit expensive but totally worth it!
Now that’s what I call luxury on a cruise
Nice
Was it very rocky at the aft? Is the suite quiet or can u hear music?
On the havana suite does it have a outside balcony? what is on the other side of the room, not the lanui side?
The answers to your questions are all in the first 30 seconds of the video.
What some would call a balcony is really more like a "patio" on the Havana Cabanas and Havana Suites. You can see them in the opening shot of the video. The two halves of the room are shown in the shots starting at :07 seconds in to the video. At :07 you see the bedroom half of the room, which is closest to the entry door from the hallway. At :23 seconds in to the video the other half of the room is shown... the half that is adjacent to the patio.
I want a room like this
Hi Jim, I booked Havana Cabana cabin 5210 on the Horizon, my question is, can you hear the music from the Havana Lounge into the cabins? Thanks so much Fred San Diego.
Yes, that was a downside of the Havana cabins. The band plays in the Havana lounge at night, and you can hear the drums in some of the cabins. If you prefer to go to bed early on a cruise, that could be a problem if you're in one of the cabins at the far back. Book a Havana cabin towards Ocean Plaza if you think that could be a problem for you.
Jim Zim looks like there is a band in the Ocean Plaza as well, do you know if they play during the day time only? Thanks again.
The band at Ocean Plaza plays mainly at night. I think things are a little better soundproofed between Ocean Plaza and the Havana cabins, though... compared to very poor soundproofing between the Havana Lounge and the Havana cabins.
A better strategy, if you're worried about noise from the bands playing all night, would be to book a Havana cabin up on one of the higher decks, overlooking the Havana pool. We were so annoyed by the noise from the band on Carnival Vista that when we booked Carnival Horizon we picked a Havana cabin all the way up on deck 9, just to get as far away as possible from the noise of the Havana lounge. If you haven't seen it already, take it look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/BcpGqaEJC_g/v-deo.html
My only question is with this luxury section being at the rear of the ship do you get covered in soot from the funnels whilst sunbathing ? It probably wouldn’t bother me because I’d probably never leave that cabin during the entire cruise.
I guess you don't realize that most new cruise ships use a thing called an exhaust scrubber. This is something that dramatically reduces the amount of carbon emissions from the smokestack, and has the additional benefit of stopping those annoying bits of soot from being emitted... so you just don't have that problem with the soot getting all over everything like it did back years ago on cruise ships.
Jim Zim oh I see. The last cruise I was on was 20 years ago on QE2. Small cabins and portholes, none of these sliding patio doors and a private deck.
I’m going to try the haven very soon. You’ve certainly sold it well.
This is my suite for January 16 next year. How did you like it? How was the noise from the back of the ship?
There was no noise... a fact I was surprised by since on Carnival Vista I had trouble getting to sleep due to noise from the Cuban band that played every night at the Havana bar. I don't know what they did different on this ship... but I had no noise problem at all this time around.
Will this be in the carnival mardi gras love the shower
Yes
I have sailed at the back of ships before and heard some engine noise, some rattling, especially when entering or leaving ports. Thoughts on your cruise how much noise and rumbling you heard/felt?
I have also been in some aft cabins on other cruise ships where there was rattling and noises. But this simply was not the case on the Carnival Panorama... at least not in this cabin, or any of the places that I spent time.
These premium private places will eventually replace the loyalty programs.
Since cruising has become mainstream during the last 2 decades, at some point everyone crusing will be diamond, and it will make no difference.
These premium areas will become the new identifiers of loyalty program.
I've already seen cruises where 900 passengers were elite level....their embarkation line was longer than the 1st timers.
Do grand suites have access to this private pool
I'm not sure, but I bet your travel agent (or Carnival if you booked directly) would be able to tell you.
Does the patio door lock behind you if you go out the back way?
Not on Carnival Panorama. On Carnival Vista there is a way to lock the patio door when you go out of it. On Carnival Panorama, I think most Havana passengers just leave their patio door unlocked when they exit and go to the Havana pool. It's not like there is a roaming gang of bad hombres checking patio doors until they find one that is unlocked. Even if there was, what are they going to do... steal your towels or your clothes? It's really not a problem. The folks that stay in Havana staterooms are an affluent crowd, and they are the only ones that have access to the area where the patio doors are. You can leave yours unlocked while you hang out at the pool. Lock your wallet and passport in the safe, of course, and bring your cell phone in a beach bag to the pool with you.
@@JimZim Thank you for responding and for the information.
The design & furniture is so dry in the these rooms
Hey Jim. Great videos as always. But I'm surprised you booked this cabin again. In your previous vlogs you mentioned the patio furniture not being comfortable. Half chair and no cushions. And the chair by the desk being so close to the couch. Not deal breakers by any means, but you point out things that would make me think twice about that cabin type. I myself still prefer a true balcony. And are passengers from all over still permitted in that area after 7pm? That used to be the case, otherwise the exclusive nature is quite watered down. But the exclusivity in that area is not to be missed I would assume if the 7pm time has been removed. Take care.
You have a good memory, Al!
Yes, the patio furniture was exactly the same as on Carnival Vista and was just as uncomfortable. What I ended up doing was dragging out the chair from the desk whenever I wanted to sit on the balcony. The desk chair was much more comfortable.
Also, there was a choke point in the cabin created by the way the couch sticks out at the exact spot the chair for the desk sticks out. Really stupid design, which I was surprised to see they had not corrected in the years since Vista came out.
Also, the other thing I dislike about these cabins, being a photographer, is that glass between my patio and the ocean. If I saw a nice sunrise or sunset, I had to walk to some other place to get a clear shot of it without shooting through glass.
But what made me willing to put up with all of that was the luxury of being just steps away from the Havana pool and hot tubs... plus the luxury of that big shower.
You may recall that on Carnival Horizon, we tried a completely different type of Havana cabin... up high, looking down on the Havana pool area. Better patio furniture, no choke point in the cabin, and no glass blocking my camera's views. But after a week in that cabin, Kellyn and I both agreed that for our third cruise on a Vista-class ship we would prefer to be back in the Havana suite. That shower is fantastic, and being so close to the pool is incredibly convenient. You wouldn't believe how many times I get out to the pool and then realize "oh, I should have brought my (whatever)". It's so easy to just walk back to the cabin and grab whatever I need.
pretty certain I read on cruisecritic that they changed the rules and now only people staying in Havana have access to the Havana area.
@@JimZim I actually pay attention to Vlogs to a fault. Lol. And that shower does look tempting I must admit. Bathrooms with no shower curtains and a balcony and I'm in heaven. Lol. The aft deck cabin you had I wasn't impressed with. Just an odd design. Take care.
Oh, yes, thanks for mentioning that... I forgot to reply to his question on that. You are correct. Regular passengers aren't allowed in to the Havana pool area at all now, not even in the evenings.
That's good to hear. Thanks.
Beautiful room, Jim!! Curious if Carnival will overlook any kids sneaking into the Havana pool area? It aggravates me how ‘adult only’ pool areas are sometimes filled with kids
Also thanks for the non-smoking tip!
You have to wear a little rubber wrist band to get past the employees that watch over the entrance to the Havana pool area. Only the folks booked in Havana staterooms will have one of those wrist bands... and no kids younger than 12 are allowed to be booked in to a Havana stateroom.
So, the answer to your question is no... kids are not a factor at the Havana pool area.
Jim Zim oooh sounds great! Thanks for the quick reply!!
Was told that the buttons are gone now.
Can I bring a guest from another part of the ship to the Havana Area?
Nope... they don't allow that.
I'm going on a cruise May 30 - June 6, 2020 on Carnival Breeze.
I should call you “Jimmy the Holiday Cruse Maker”
I wonder, do you prefer this or the haven?
That is a very important question! Kellyn and I definitely discussed this towards the end of the cruise. Also, this is the kind of detail that sometimes gets left out of a video, but which I try to include on my web site in my review of a cruise ship. So, if you have time to kill, head over to www.jimzim.net/CarnivalPanorama.html
Also, I actually talk about in this in my next video, which will be coming out next Friday. There's a line I like in the next video, that goes like this:
"If money wasn’t a factor, I’d probably do every cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line… but money is always a factor! This Havana pool area on Carnival is a tremendous value. I can’t think of any better way to get an uncrowded cruise experience without spending a LOT more money."
I should also add that the Havana Suite isn't necessarily such a great value. The Havana Cabanas are a really great value, but the suite... not so much. I think the suite set us back $4100 for the week, or something like that. But our cruise in The Haven on Norwegian Joy only cost us $500 more than that... and it included the drink package and specialty dining package. We spent basically zero additional dollars onboard Norwegian Joy. But on Carnival Panorama, we spent $600 onboard on drinks and specialty dining. So, when all was said and done, The Haven on Norwegian Joy was actually $100 cheaper than the Havana Suite on Carnival Panorama!!!
Now keep in mind that the pricing might not always be like that every month of the year. We picked the week we did on Norwegian Joy because it was the lowest Haven price we had seen in quite a long time. Those prices probably won't stay that low forever.
But in comparing the two cruises we did, in the particular suites that we did them in, The Haven was the better cruise overall... whether or not you considered the price. And when you do consider the price... it was even better!
I've been saying for the last several years that I consider Norwegian my cruise line of choice... and that's even more true than ever after comparing those last two cruises. I do like Carnival's Vista class a lot... I just like The Haven more.
@@JimZim TYVM! My impression is that the ship changes the numbers a bit. What I read is the Joy is the one refitted after China and has a bit of a different layout. Haven on the Bliss for a week in Alaska is nearly $12k (2x$5900), almost triple the price of a balcony cabin. If money is a consideration, I wonder whether I would enjoy three weeks of a balcony vs one week of the nicer Haven. And If money is not an object, don't most of those people choose Seabourn/Silversea/Crystal et al? A week AK cruise on a six-star cruise line seems to be cheaper than Haven. If money were not a factor, I am not sure I would ever choose NCL.
I was assuming that the Carnival would have fewer features but less cost than Haven. A tad disappointing the cost difference is not as great; alas, I suspect NCL is working to increase the difference. Regardless, TYVM for a very informative video. I have a friend who loves Carnival; if we ever sail a newer Carnival ship, I think you make a compelling case at least for a Havana and to at least consider the suite.
You should try staying in won of the cheaper rooms, it could be a fun challenge.
If you don’t, that is ok
Also great video
Ha ha... we could call the video "Jim Zim roughs it in steerage".
Haha
Are the beds in these cabins a true king size?
I'm not 100% sure. I think it's a queen size, not a king, but I could be wrong. I'm fairly certain it is not two singles pushed together. If you look at that headboard, it leads me to think that breaking the bed in to two singles is not a possibility. But I could be wrong! To get the definitive answer, call Carnival or your travel agent. I bet either one could find out, with a bit of research.
Oh, I'm sorry. I must have misunderstood. I thought this was a cabin you actually stayed in and would know having slept in the bed.
It was a cabin I stayed in for 7 days, just a few weeks ago. I just don't recall if the bed was a king or a queen. I sleep in a California king at home. I don't think it was that big. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a queen. But really, if you want the facts, not just some guy's recollection... call Carnival or your travel agent and ask them to find out for you. They have the answer in their files somewhere.
@@JimZim Thanks Jim! Will do. We just got back from a week on the Celebrity Edge and our room had a full sized King bed. It was so nice having that much room.
I always book 2 cabins because of always cruising with my kids.
Are kids banned from these Havana cabins?
12 years is the minimum age to be booked in a Havana stateroom.
Nice video! But I gotta be honest, I’m not thrilled with the Havana decor. A little too busy looking for me but the rest of the amenities look awesome.
Not worth the money. Very cramped for a suite. Only nice thing was the shower.