Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Vibe to become available for pre-booking...

sid_9169

By sid_9169,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

CazV

CazV

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Montanagirlalways said:

Hope they don’t do this on all ships with vibe. I like the small more intimate feel of the vibe rather then having 270 people. 

They already expanded it on Getaway... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
david_sobe

david_sobe

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Because the can. And do. And never use the pass. 
 

The Haven sundeck is 3 inches from the vibe (separated by a metal partition). 

Really?  I would love to know the percentage that do.  Especially on these new ships like Bliss and Encore the Vibe area and Haven sundeck are almost identical but separated by a metal partition (as you said).  Vibe would be more crowded and I would think Haven guests would much prefer to be in the less crowded area.  But there are always those that go against the grain and waste money 🤭

Link to comment
Share on other sites
travelgals

travelgals

Posted
Posted

Have sailed Haven and non Haven and used Vibe when sailed non-Haven. 
I can’t  imagine why any Haven guest would want or need Vibe. Haven already has all Vibe offers and more. I think the only way a Haven guest would buy Vibe would be by accident due to their having no idea what to expect in Haven. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
travelgals

travelgals

Posted
Posted

I see that now(#22). But frankly , in my experience in Vibe twice, it was not a “fun vibe”. A fine vibe for sure; it’s small and quiet and comfortable and lovely. But every sailing is different I suppose. My experience was of a very quiet peaceful space. Wouldn't have minded fun, (more energy) and certainly not judging, (wish I was on that sailing!) but it was a very quiet place, both times.  Some music once, I recall, but really low key. Same vibe as Haven ( no pun intended) only Haven had a few more people and impeccable service. 
And we never waited for a drink in Haven. Sometimes the Vibe bartender worked the bar  connected to the vibe bar but outside the gate, so we waited a bit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jim The Lizard

Jim The Lizard

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

According to an article on the Cruise Critic Homepage, entitled: Just Back From Norwegian Encore: Hits & Misses from a Taster Cruise, there are plans to make Vibe available to reserve in advance... This is the very first that I've heard of this. The article can be found on the CC Homepage under "Cruise News" (News headlines- 11/13/19) I will copy and paste the paragraph:

 

One of the biggest changes on Norwegian Encore is the conversion of the Spice H20 adults-only sundeck into a larger Vibe sundeck, which requires a weekly pass (prices with this space, too, are still in flux). The new Vibe is glorious -- it spans both sides of the upper deck, plus has additional loungers a deck above. With a full-service bar, shaded cabanas and hot tubs, it's the perfect place to spend a sunny week in the Caribbean -- but you'll pay for the privilege. The space definitely cuts into the availability of complimentary places to sun.

Norwegian execs say that they made Vibe bigger at the bequest of passengers, who often run to guest services to buy passes. Vibe now has room for 270 people, as opposed to the 70 slots available when the space first debuted on Norwegian Breakaway. Another plus: passengers will be able to reserve in advance. But we have heard displeasure with the move on Cruise Critic forums and after seeing what public deck space is available on Norwegian Encore, we share the concern.

One mitigating factor: Norwegian Encore does have the large Observation Lounge indoor space that has an unprecedented public footprint; we were told that the line took out 44 revenue-producing cabins to make the Observation Lounge happen. That's great when Norwegian Encore is in Alaska; the lounge is perfect for comfortable glacier viewing. But ships have limited seasons in Alaska. Free outdoor deck space will be at a premium when the ship sails warm-weather itineraries.

 

Ok, like OP, I am a frequent Vibe guest. And this scares the hell out of me.  There are always guests who buy the pass and then decide Vibe is not their bag; every Escape and Bliss Cruise I’ve been on has seen these guests who stampede for the passes, then either make a rare appearance in Vibe or worse, complain all week that it was “overrated”, they can’t smoke or not worth the money.  I can only imagine how many will make the impulse purchase and shut out others if this is indeed factual.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sverigecruiser

sverigecruiser

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, travelgals said:

Haven already has all Vibe offers and more.

 

Maybe on the newest ships but not on the Breakaway.

 

VIBE has outside bar and adults only hot tubs, the Haven doesn't.

 

If I ever will cruise on NCL again I will book VIBE because the extra cost when already paying for the Haven is not much. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sverigecruiser

sverigecruiser

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, PortFees45 said:

Can you pre-book a spot on the tiny postage stamp of public deck space that is still left after NCL's disgusting cash grab? 

 

And say goodbye to a quiet, relaxing Waterfront. It's the only remaining space for the spillover crowds. It will essentially be a pool-less pool deck.

 

The fact I will never, ever set foot on the NCL Encore despite being a Platinum Plus cruiser is what motivated to book my first cruise with RCL this week. Looking forward to trying the Anthem! Looks like a beautiful ship without massive sections of it off limits to general passengers. 

 

 

The small public deck isn't really a problem if everyone do enough research before they book, as you have done.

 

You have decided not to cruise on the Encore and that's probably a wise decision for you.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
travelgals

travelgals

Posted
Posted

It appears the “ship within a ship” concept has been successful for NCL; hence the Vibe expansion, another step in that direction. Good idea, although for those who enjoyed the 70 guests experience it will be interesting to see how 300 affects that. When I was in Vibe, all those who subscribed used it, according to the staff we chatted with and what we observed. According to the staff at that time, there was exactly one lounge per person, and exactly 70 fit! Pretty sure that was on Breakaway. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PortFees45

PortFees45

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

The small public deck isn't really a problem if everyone do enough research before they book, as you have done.

 

You have decided not to cruise on the Encore and that's probably a wise decision for you.

How does research help? What, so you can scope out all the upcharge options for quiet space?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Shidah

Shidah

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, travelgals said:

I see that now(#22). But frankly , in my experience in Vibe twice, it was not a “fun vibe”. A fine vibe for sure; it’s small and quiet and comfortable and lovely. But every sailing is different I suppose. My experience was of a very quiet peaceful space. Wouldn't have minded fun, (more energy) and certainly not judging, (wish I was on that sailing!) but it was a very quiet place, both times.  Some music once, I recall, but really low key. Same vibe as Haven ( no pun intended) only Haven had a few more people and impeccable service. 
And we never waited for a drink in Haven. Sometimes the Vibe bartender worked the bar  connected to the vibe bar but outside the gate, so we waited a bit. 

The only cruise I did where it wasn’t a party was the Getaway.  On the Escape this past summer we all bonded and the staff became like family for that week.  Plus they all worked in the casino at night, so we got great service there then as well.  Shot O clock helps loosen people up, and everyone became so social.  But that is all sitting up at the bar. I’ve met strangers that became friends and then shared excursions and dinners together.   On the Breakaway last year, oh my, there was singing, video making, clothed people in the hot tub.  It was wild, and so so much fun.  This was not the vibe in the Haven at all.  In fact several people in the Haven could hear all the fun on the other side of the metal partition and wanted to find a way in!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Shidah

Shidah

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Totally unacceptable, I think.

 

Oh 100%, and it wasn’t me.  Was trying to show that is wasn’t a quiet boring area.  It is amazing what people will do when there is alcohol involved!  But it never got argumentative like some other areas of the ship do when alcohol comes into play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sverigecruiser

sverigecruiser

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, Shidah said:

 

Oh 100%, and it wasn’t me.  Was trying to show that is wasn’t a quiet boring area.  It is amazing what people will do when there is alcohol involved!  But it never got argumentative like some other areas of the ship do when alcohol comes into play.

 

I'm glad that it wasn't you but you still thought that it was so muchfun!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DZcreature

DZcreature

Posted
Posted (edited)

I never understood the mad rush for Vibe passes, and always wondered why you would want to pay extra for what you could get for free elsewhere on the ship. People's desire for exclusivity, and feeling special because they scored Vibe passes, are what caused the rest of us to lose the included Spice H2O area on Encore, and the forward free space on ships like Getaway.  I hope people think twice about what they are willing to pay extra for.

 

I am sure NCL was excited to see people making a mad dash to pay more money for something that should be included in your cruise fare!!

Edited by DZcreature
clarity
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kwakwa630

Kwakwa630

Posted
Posted (edited)
23 minutes ago, DZcreature said:

I never understood the mad rush for Vibe passes, and always wondered why you would want to pay extra for what you could get for free elsewhere on the ship. People's desire for exclusivity, and feeling special because they scored Vibe passes, are what caused the rest of us to lose the included Spice H2O area on Encore, and the forward free space on ships like Getaway.  I hope people think twice about what they are willing to pay extra for.

 

I am sure NCL was excited to see people making a mad dash to pay more money for something that should be included in your cruise fare!!

For me, it's three things: 

 

1. Not having to get up at the crack or dawn to fight the chair hogs 

 

2. Strict no kids policy. Too many times they let kids into Spice H20. 

 

3. A bar with few lines. With the Free at Sea. Bars get very crowded. 

 

I have some disposable income but can't afford Haven, and the extra charge is worth it to me to enjoy my cruise even more. It's not really about exclusivity for me...

 

But I don't disagree with you that these should be included. And if they enforced rules, I wouldn't have a need for 2 of the 3 above.

Edited by Kwakwa630
Added some comments.
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...