Norwegian Cruise Line’s The Haven: A True Sanctuary

My partner and I had an extra 20 hours of PTO and a couple grand in vacation budget at the end of fiscal year 2026, and only a few weeks to use them. So we started looking for short, luxurious, budget-friendly options that still had availability. This meant, to my mind, a three-, four-, or five-night cruise. Something that could offer lots of entertainment in a short amount of time—as much bang for our buck as possible.

Nassau, Bahamas

A few searches soon brought up just the thing we were looking for: a four-night Norwegian cruise from Miami to the Bahamas, leaving in just a couple of weeks. Since the sailing date was so close, and since there was still availability, NCL was even offering a deep discount: half price.

The Norwegian Getaway and Hotel Atlantis

My partner and I are solidly middle-aged. This means that, although we are still a blast to be around, according to our closest friends, our party-hard-late-into-the-early-morning-hours days are definitely behind us. And since shorter cruises with only one or two stops typically have a reputation for such crowds, this was the only thing that made us a little hesitant. Yes, it would be a blast. But would we feel out of place, overstimulated, and awkward while on the ship? With this in mind, that half-priced option for rooms in The Haven soon scrolled across our laptop monitor.

We took the plunge. It was a no-brainer at that point: A ridiculously luxurious room about three times the size of other staterooms—there was a shower and a tub in ours—plus exclusive access to The Haven restaurant, The Haven pool, The Haven sundeck, and The Haven hot tubs for about the same price a seven-day cruise in an interior room would have cost? Sign us up!

There's always open seating on The Haven's sundeck.

The cruise set sail on a Monday, and we are a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Miami. So we decided to make a full week of it. We booked two nights at the CitizenM Miami, a boutique Marriott hotel stripped down on luxuries and wastes of space (like more than one side of the king-sized bed pulled away from the wall …) but piled high with charm and personality. Since the CitizenM is an affordably priced hotel, we were able to pay for our two nights in Miami entirely with Marriott Bonvoy points. The hotel was full of art and kitsch and even video games from the ’80s–a nod to the vibrant, colorful, artsy vibe of Miami in general, rich with culture and art, music and personality. Miami is a vibe, and so is the CitizenM. We had a blast during our time in both places. And the vibrancy of Miami and the CitizenM made the tranquility of The Haven all the more welcome.

Our balcony of The Haven and first sighting of The Bahamas

Tips for visiting Miami

• It’s hot. Stay hydrated; dress appropriately (everyone else hardly wears anything—just go with it).

• It’s fun. Enjoy it.

• If you can only do two things, see Wynwood Walls and Little Havana.

• There’s art everywhere! My partner and I spotted a gift shop while strolling down a street in Little Havana. We said, “Let’s step in here to get out of this heat.” It turned out that the establishment, modestly labeled “Gift Shop” on the exterior, was also a working artists’ gallery space that housed over 40 studios and exhibited art from just as many local artists. It was incredible. We talked to a handful of those artists, saw amazing works, and bought a couple bobbles at the gift shop and a unique art print. This is the kind of beautiful serendipity possible around every corner in Miami.

The ship experience

Like the buffet on a cruise, The Haven Restaurant is automatically included in your Haven reservation. There are no reservations required, but they can be a good idea during peak dining times. Another benefit to booking The Haven that we didn’t realize would be so rewarding was the exclusive escort to and from your shore excursions. A crew member will guide you along the interior corridors to a staff elevator for disembarking and embarking before and after your excursions. There was also a cocktail party with the captain and crew on the first sailing night—very fun. And there was always a place to sit on the sundeck. The pool in The Haven, on the Norwegian Getaway at least, was very, very small. And there were two young kids who were pretty much in it from sunup till sundown, which didn’t really leave room for any other swimmers (that’s how small it was). But the two hot tubs, on our sailing at least, were very accessible throughout the day and into the evening.

Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

We didn’t spring for the drinks package, and this surprised every single crew member we came across. We aren’t huge drinkers (I enjoy wine with dinner and a cocktail or three when I’m by the beach or pool all day, but my partner will have a total of three drinks on an entire vacation), so we assumed we would come out paying less if we did so individually. We did do that, but if you drink more than we do the drinks package might be worth it to you; it’s simply a matter of doing the math, and/or deciding if you want to deal with the hassle. There were many times we ended up waiting longer for a check, since crew aren’t really used to bringing those at the end of most meals. Additionally, we were shocked to discover that on Great Stirrup Cay, which is NCL’s private island, cocktails were $35 a pop. Plus tip.

Arriving at Great Stirrup Cay

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.