Is vibe worth the cost for cruise with no sea days?

[seemoreroyals]

1 hour ago, dock said:

Thank you for the advice. 
Went ahead and booked it.

 

You won't be disappointed. There are not many who have actually experienced the vibe that complain about it.  The flamers of the vibe are mainly people that have never paid extra for the vibe.  Maybe in some cases a few that slam the vibe to keep the demand down so that the price will quit going up and so that it will be easier for them to book.

[PATRLR]

On 1/13/2024 at 12:53 PM, cb2367 said:

I'll be taking a cruise soon and vibe just opened up for booking (too early for everything else(. I've never booked vibe before because I usually forget to check in the app and reserve everything before it's too late. The cruise will be in a warm climate.

 

I'm thinning vibe could be worthwhile if I don't find an excursion I want to do in a port or if I come back early

We did the Viva Southern Caribbean in December.  Port every day.  We booked Vibe and it was worth every penny.  We were in it every day, it was the place to go when coming back from the port or an excursion.  Look at your schedule, you might find some ports you leave early and have a good chunk of the afternoon at sea.  

We are the types that like to just chill out in a quiet relaxing space.  We like the sense of community that develops in the Vibe and in particular around the bar.   

We're at the point where if Vibe isn't available, we probably won't book.

[trivia addict]

Vibe also has blankets available on warm weather itinerary’s too!

Last February on a cruise during a cold weather snap in Mexico, we were very happy to see blankets piled up next to the towels in Vibe!

[UKstages]

10 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

Can you explain what is in this area?

 

it isn't so much what's in it (although that's a part of it), it's really about what's not in it: no kids, no chair hogs, no loud music, no smoking, no crowds, no long wait to be served.

 

the vibe offers a guaranteed lounge chair (not a specific one, but the number of lounge chairs is equal to or exceeds the vibe's capacity). the loungers (many with umbrellas) are much more comfortable than those on the pool deck. the vibe offers exceptional service from a dedicated team of bartenders, servers and chair attendants. the vibe has hot tubs and several well-maintained bathrooms.  and it offers unparalleled views... among the best on the ship.

 

for a seven day journey, you can probably expect to pay about $249 or thereabouts. do you have a current cruise booked? if so, you can go under the entertainment tab and see what the vibe will cost on your ship.

 

both people do not have to purchase, but only the person who purchases would be allowed in. so, unless you want to spend the entire cruise apart from your traveling companion, this would not really work. (the vibe does sell day passes, if available, for about  $99.)

[dshefter]

10 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

it isn't so much what's in it (although that's a part of it), it's really about what's not in it: no kids, no chair hogs, no loud music, no smoking, no crowds, no long wait to be served.

 

the vibe offers a guaranteed lounge chair (not a specific one, but the number of lounge chairs is equal to or exceeds the vibe's capacity). the loungers (many with umbrellas) are much more comfortable than those on the pool deck. the vibe offers exceptional service from a dedicated team of bartenders, servers and chair attendants. the vibe has hot tubs and several well-maintained bathrooms.  and it offers unparalleled views... among the best on the ship.

 

for a seven day journey, you can probably expect to pay about $249 or thereabouts. do you have a current cruise booked? if so, you can go under the entertainment tab and see what the vibe will cost on your ship.

 

both people do not have to purchase, but only the person who purchases would be allowed in. so, unless you want to spend the entire cruise apart from your traveling companion, this would not really work. (the vibe does sell day passes, if available, for about  $99.)

I have booked Vibe in the past and we enjoyed it. But with 6 port days on a 7-day cruise, we decided against it this time on Viva. Just too expensive. I know it's a great place to escape. But it doesn't offer a pool, which is a major miss IMO. Great to have a private bar and be away from the crowds. But we couldn't justify paying that much extra. Rather use that money for other things.

[tcmagnum]

13 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

it isn't so much what's in it (although that's a part of it), it's really about what's not in it: no kids, no chair hogs, no loud music, no smoking, no crowds, no long wait to be served.

 

the vibe offers a guaranteed lounge chair (not a specific one, but the number of lounge chairs is equal to or exceeds the vibe's capacity). the loungers (many with umbrellas) are much more comfortable than those on the pool deck. the vibe offers exceptional service from a dedicated team of bartenders, servers and chair attendants. the vibe has hot tubs and several well-maintained bathrooms.  and it offers unparalleled views... among the best on the ship.

 

for a seven day journey, you can probably expect to pay about $249 or thereabouts. do you have a current cruise booked? if so, you can go under the entertainment tab and see what the vibe will cost on your ship.

 

both people do not have to purchase, but only the person who purchases would be allowed in. so, unless you want to spend the entire cruise apart from your traveling companion, this would not really work. (the vibe does sell day passes, if available, for about  $99.)

Thank you for the great explanation of what it involves.

We are going with a group who's $$ budget is very varied (inside to aft balconies), so not sure

if we would purchase.  But who knows...Maybe.

Again - Thank you for the nitty gritty.

[bkrickles1]

7 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

Thank you for the great explanation of what it involves.

We are going with a group who's $$ budget is very varied (inside to aft balconies), so not sure

if we would purchase.  But who knows...Maybe.

Again - Thank you for the nitty gritty.

This has been my dilemma too.

We are always sailing with a group and that sometimes includes people on a budget or people with children and my wife will NEVER separate from her friends and family.

In April, we're sailing on Getaway and it'll just be me, my wife and my daughter so I booked us Vibe for 10 days and I'm really excited to experience it.

[tcmagnum]

43 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

This has been my dilemma too.

We are always sailing with a group and that sometimes includes people on a budget or people with children and my wife will NEVER separate from her friends and family.

In April, we're sailing on Getaway and it'll just be me, my wife and my daughter so I booked us Vibe for 10 days and I'm really excited to experience it.

This is a trial cruise on Norwegian for our group.

So we will probably stick together and hope we can get a last minute one day pass for Vibe.

If not, I will have my AFT Balcony to enjoy.

 

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 1/13/2024 at 12:53 PM, cb2367 said:

I'll be taking a cruise soon and vibe just opened up for booking (too early for everything else(. I've never booked vibe before because I usually forget to check in the app and reserve everything before it's too late. The cruise will be in a warm climate.

 

I'm thinning vibe could be worthwhile if I don't find an excursion I want to do in a port or if I come back early

 

It is not worth the cost f the cruise were ALL sea days.  Even at the old much more reasonable price it was barely worth buying.  Now, not even close!

[bkrickles1]

8 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

It is not worth the cost f the cruise were ALL sea days.  Even at the old much more reasonable price it was barely worth buying.  Now, not even close!

It is not worth it to you but it is to many.

In fact, it's in such demand, that up until recently people would literally run to wherever the passes were sold and most were turned away as they were sold out within minutes.

Now, maybe because of the commotion, they sell the passes pre cruise and still sell out.

I've been on 4 NCL sailings since 2018 and Vibe was sold out on every one.

There's big demand it seems at every price point!!

[vacation44]

9 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

It is not worth the cost f the cruise were ALL sea days.  Even at the old much more reasonable price it was barely worth buying.  Now, not even close!

 

The majority of the people who post about the Vibe have a different opinion, mine included.     We first paid $99 back in 2016 and have been happily paying the increases since to us, and many others, the price is well worth it.   

[JandC_Cruising]

On 1/17/2024 at 11:52 AM, tcmagnum said:

Can you explain Vibe to a couple of newbies to Norwegian?

For a 7 day cruise out of Miami in February - About how much would it cost per person?

Do both people in a cabin have to purchase?

Do you purchase by day or for the whole cruise?

Can you explain what is in this area?

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions...

 

There's a bunch already in the thread, but to make it simple,

1.  Essentially it is a private area with key-card access, on the upper deck of the ship with a bar and servers, cushioned loungers, and one (or two) hot tubs for 18+ only.  Search for your Youtube videos about "Vibe on NCL (name of ship)" and you can usually find a good video.  

2.  We just paid $229pp for a 7-day cruise.  

3.  I don't think both people in cabin need to purchase, although we always do the two of us.

4.  You purchase the "full cruise" pass.  I have not seen/heard of daily passes offered of late.  

We've been in Vibe on Escape, Encore, Joy, Getaway and love it every time. 

For us, it is a reasonable price to pay for the dedicated service, cushioned loungers, non-crowded hot tubs, and wonderful views all away from the craziness and crowds of the main pool decks.

[tcmagnum]

5 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

There's a bunch already in the thread, but to make it simple,

1.  Essentially it is a private area with key-card access, on the upper deck of the ship with a bar and servers, cushioned loungers, and one (or two) hot tubs for 18+ only.  Search for your Youtube videos about "Vibe on NCL (name of ship)" and you can usually find a good video.  

2.  We just paid $229pp for a 7-day cruise.  

3.  I don't think both people in cabin need to purchase, although we always do the two of us.

4.  You purchase the "full cruise" pass.  I have not seen/heard of daily passes offered of late.  

We've been in Vibe on Escape, Encore, Joy, Getaway and love it every time. 

For us, it is a reasonable price to pay for the dedicated service, cushioned loungers, non-crowded hot tubs, and wonderful views all away from the craziness and crowds of the main pool decks.

Thank you for the precise explanation.

We are looking into it.

[vacation44]

6 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

There's a bunch already in the thread, but to make it simple,

1.  Essentially it is a private area with key-card access, on the upper deck of the ship with a bar and servers, cushioned loungers, and one (or two) hot tubs for 18+ only.  Search for your Youtube videos about "Vibe on NCL (name of ship)" and you can usually find a good video.  

2.  We just paid $229pp for a 7-day cruise.  

3.  I don't think both people in cabin need to purchase, although we always do the two of us.

4.  You purchase the "full cruise" pass.  I have not seen/heard of daily passes offered of late.  

We've been in Vibe on Escape, Encore, Joy, Getaway and love it every time. 

For us, it is a reasonable price to pay for the dedicated service, cushioned loungers, non-crowded hot tubs, and wonderful views all away from the craziness and crowds of the main pool decks.

Well said.................

[mafig]

Can you find out before you book if the Vibe is available?

 

Can your TA book it along with the cruise?

 

 

[PATRLR]

34 minutes ago, mafig said:

Can you find out before you book if the Vibe is available?

 

Can your TA book it along with the cruise?

 

 

The trick I've used to find out if it's available is to join the roll call thread for the cruise in question and ask if someone on that thread (who is already booked) would check on Vibe availability.  Could do something similar on the other social media sites.

I don't believe a TA can book it along with your cruise. 

Edited January 19 by PATRLR

[seemoreroyals]

When we booked our Escape cruise this coming December the rep with CAS said we could not book our vibe passes until 60 days before cruise. 

 

Later that day once cruise was booked I went to entertainment section on my reservation and there they were available to be booked almost a year out.  Needless to say I did not want to take a chance of not getting in the vibe so we paid and booked the vibe ourselves that day.

 

Sometimes you can't depend on others to do it for you.  You have to do it yourself.

[spotfish]

Having sailed to Mexico on the bliss 4 weeks ago and having a vibe pass my first question is how long are your port stops? if they're all fairly long stops you'd probably get little use out of the vibe unless you're not getting off the ship. it was dark by 6pm so we never used it on long port days.

[UKstages]

you've hit upon an important point. while this post is ostensibly about a port-intensive itinerary, the more important issue is whether or not you intend to get off the ship while in port. if you're going to go explore in every port, then it may indeed not be worth it. but if you're a seasoned cruiser and don't need to see bermuda yet again, and/or you intend to stay on the ship in some or all ports, it's well worth it.

[trivia addict]

19 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

It is not worth the cost f the cruise were ALL sea days.  Even at the old much more reasonable price it was barely worth buying.  Now, not even close!

Because?

[benel204]

Thank you for posing your question about the Vibe. We will be on Escape in May in the Mediterranean, our first NCL cruise. This is a very port-intensive itinerary.

I know I would never go the main pool/hot tub area precisely because of crowds, but do like the idea of a quiet place to relax in the evening after a day of sightseeing.

 

I'm curious, how late is the Vibe accessible, and are the servers/bartenders available in the Vibe in the evening?

And how about morning (don't need a bartender, but breakfast pastries and tea would be nice)?  There are some ports that we want to see from a forward viewing spot as the ship is arriving (e.g. Amalfi coast, Malta).

In addition to alcohol, what else is available, drink and food-wise? 

 

[PATRLR]

4 hours ago, benel204 said:

Thank you for posing your question about the Vibe. We will be on Escape in May in the Mediterranean, our first NCL cruise. This is a very port-intensive itinerary.

I know I would never go the main pool/hot tub area precisely because of crowds, but do like the idea of a quiet place to relax in the evening after a day of sightseeing.

 

I'm curious, how late is the Vibe accessible, and are the servers/bartenders available in the Vibe in the evening?

And how about morning (don't need a bartender, but breakfast pastries and tea would be nice)?  There are some ports that we want to see from a forward viewing spot as the ship is arriving (e.g. Amalfi coast, Malta).

In addition to alcohol, what else is available, drink and food-wise? 

 

What you've described here seems perfect for Vibe.  Using my recent Viva experience:

• Bar and service open till 7PM
• Hot tubs open till 10 PM
• We loved going there after returning from port
• Don't recall exact time Vibe opened in morning but we ate our breakfast in Vibe a couple mornings (because it located close to the ridiculously small buffet on the Viva).  

 

[bkrickles1]

2 hours ago, PATRLR said:

What you've described here seems perfect for Vibe.  Using my recent Viva experience:

• Bar and service open till 7PM
• Hot tubs open till 10 PM
• We loved going there after returning from port
• Don't recall exact time Vibe opened in morning but we ate our breakfast in Vibe a couple mornings (because it located close to the ridiculously small buffet on the Viva).  

 

I have Vibe booked for an upcoming sailing on Getaway. 

Do you know, for sure, that hot tubs in Vibe are open until 10pm on all ships? 

My wife was asking about this, as we love some evening hot tub time, and I couldn't find any definitive info on this. My understanding was that Vibe is open from 7am until 7pm.

TIA 

[PATRLR]

5 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

Do you know, for sure, that hot tubs in Vibe are open until 10pm on all ships? 

I do not know for sure.  I do know that I have seen Vibe's hot tubs open later than the bar on multiple different ships.  

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, bkrickles1 said:

I have Vibe booked for an upcoming sailing on Getaway. 

Do you know, for sure, that hot tubs in Vibe are open until 10pm on all ships? 

My wife was asking about this, as we love some evening hot tub time, and I couldn't find any definitive info on this. My understanding was that Vibe is open from 7am until 7pm.

TIA 

 

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

I do not know for sure.  I do know that I have seen Vibe's hot tubs open later than the bar on multiple different ships.  

We have also experienced the hot tubs remaining open after the bar closes on multiple ships.   However, I am not sure until what time.