jfio1021

1 hour ago, Cookie002 said:

I got Vibe passes for 6 people, at about 11:30, we were tickets 70-78. I think I may have posted on a different thread that I got them around 10:30, but I now just went and reviewed some pictures, and we did not start boarding until 11:10 i think, we were in boarding group 4. We arrived at the terminal around 10 am.

I understand they give out 250-300 tickets.

By the time my hubby took the tickets to the front of the line at q to pay, it was about noon. The staff were still giving out tickets at that time.

I understood that they did not sell out the vibe, but I could be wrong.

did you enjoy the vibe, did you feel it was somewhat worth the money, bc i am strongly leaning towards getting 

what time did the hot tubs close

was there just a huge rush for vibe passes or did you not plan on ever getting them.. appreciate you doing this, hope you are enjoying it!!

1 hour ago, Sauer-kraut said:

OP it's your first cruise,  you have nothing to compare it to!  Go and have a fun time, forget about the review section of C.C.  and don't sweat what you don't know.

For sure gonna try and book everything I can ahead of time and then just sit back relax 

7 minutes ago, dshefter said:

I hear you. We have 4 ports, but one is Puerto Rico at night. A very baffling decision. Why go to a port from 5:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.? And because we are now going to GSC, they cut short our Tortola stop to 2 p.m. But I won't let these affect my cruise experience. 7 days away from work is never bad. Just hope some of these complaints aren't all true. We have always found the service on the ships we sailed to be great. You treat the crew well and they will treat you well. My biggest beef in recent years is having the tips automatically added to your bill. I think you should do this at the end of the cruise for good service. There is NO incentive for the crew to go above and beyond if they know they are getting a set tip at the end of a cruise.

Sounds like they need to work a few kinks out with the itinerary and the Cruise its self. Happy sailing, I'm sure you will have a good time regardless.. I look forward to reading your review when you return 

2 minutes ago, dshefter said:

The pool situation seems to be the biggest complaint and I don't blame people for this. One of the reasons to take a cruise is to relax by the pool with a drink and if you can't get chairs or a spot in the pool because of over-crowding it becomes a major turnoff, especially when the line has replaced public space with paid areas. I also think not putting a pool in Vibe is a major mistake. That would add value to the fee. I know when we sailed the Escape, the pool area was crowded, but not that bad.

Definitely something I'm concerned with and why I plan on trying to get the vibe pass, the only saving grace is we will dock in Bermuda for three days so I'll definitely get my beach and sun fix there as opposed to other ships where you stay in Port one day 

1 hour ago, dshefter said:

I am sailing the Encore next week, so will have a better perspective. But I agree with all of your points. Having to book everything ahead of time can make for a stressful vacation. It's not Freestyle when you can't eat when you want and are "forced" into unattractive dining times. Also, just about every activity is an extra fee, which some people aren't used to. On Escape, you can do the Ropes Course for free. On Encore, Go Karts, laser tag, virtual reality stuff is all extra money. That can hurt travelers' budgets when they are already paying $3000-plus for a cruise. And all of the nickel-and-diming in the restaurants can't help either. Why upcharges when you have already paid for a Specialty Dining Package? I am hearing people having to pay $2 extra for brussel sprouts. Really?

 

Again, I'll have a better feel for the Encore after next week. But when you see that many bad reviews, it does raise a red flag. I know you can't please everyone and some people love to moan and groan, but 2.5 out of 5 is not good for a ship that has now been in commission for a couple of months.

Anxious to hear your thoughts about it, are you sailing with young kids? .. Enjoy your trip 

9 minutes ago, Jim The Lizard said:

ok.....so what happens if you don't get Vibe?.  You're still on vacation, hopefully with loved ones, where you don't cook or clean for a week, with Broadway caliber entertainment and various ports of call.   Trust me, I'm a Vibe guy, and I stress before every cruise; but I know that the week I spend with my wife onboard is special and significant.   Don't stress about what you can't control.  And having sailed Escape and Bliss several times, their Iinitial ratings and reviews were not great.  Have a great week!

You are 100% right it beats the hell out  of work I guess I was just taken back by the overwhelming number of reviews saying they would never do this cruise again and things of that nature but it makes me feel better that other cruises have not had great initial reviews.. Thank you for that little pep talk lol it helped me 

3 minutes ago, shof515 said:

i have yet to sail on the encore, from what i read on here and other sites my biggest issue with the encore is lack of free public deck space. the encore seems to less free open deck space due to the expanded vibe and other design flaws of the pool area

which now means i have the added stress of having to board early and hopefully get those vibe passes. i shouldnt feel nervous about going on vacation lol 

This is my first ever cruise, so excuse me if this is not the right spot to post but the Norwegian encore is getting slammed in the review section with a 2.5/5, which is making me really nervous for my upcoming trip this summer. People who have cruised it, do you really thing its as bad as these people are describing or is this a normal occurrence with brand new cruise ships, where kinks need to be worked out and it generally improves in a couple months. 

43 minutes ago, Meimei 100 said:

You have to buy them on the ship. many do the mad dash but many got them at 1:30pm.the cost is 209.00 per person.

i thought it was worth it!

What part of the ship did you purchase them from.. Guest services or somewhere else.. Thank you for your answers 

8 hours ago, megansdad1 said:

It is 209 pp for the week.   You can only purchase on ship.   The mad dash isn't as crazy as other vibes because of the increased size/capacity.  But to be safe, always do it right when boarding if vibe is a must for you

As being someone who did purchase this would you recommend it to others, is it worth it's value based on your experience 

are the drinks in the district brewhouse included in the free at sea beverage package 

i believe its 209 for the week but double check me on that, i also would like to know how hard it is to actually purchase one of these on board and if they sell out quick 

2 hours ago, Meimei 100 said:

I am in my 60’s and was on the sailing before yours PeachyPoo.

 I loved the ship and bought the vibe pass. it did not disappoint. Best thing I did on that cruise! While there were kids on our sailing it sounds like yours had many more.

The main pool area was packed and I found it less than appealing. The vibe is kid free so I saw no kids up there. The staff at Vibe was so friendly and helpful. They brought you water or what you wanted to drink and you never had to leave your lounger. Terrific service in the Vibe. I highly recommend it but understand if people think it is costly. 

 

I would do Encore again but one thing I would change:

1. My cabin! It was 10290. It is directly next to open space and across the hallway to a door that cabin staff uses. It was so noisy everyday until 10pm when they all wound down for the day. The doors were constantly slamming all day long. Never a quiet moment. I asked politely for them to not slam the doors but too many cabin staff use those two doors that you would have to stand there all day long and ask each and every staff member. The cabin itself is big and so is the balcony. Nothing wrong there.

2. The enclosed smoking area is On deck 8  below this cabin. While it is enclosed, many smokers held the door open and you could smell smoke on the balcony.

 

I did the go carts, virtual reality, ate wonderful food and had a fab time.The shows were well done and I loved Choir of man. I sure hope your grandson gets to see this.

The Jewel class ships are great but I did enjoy the many offerings on the Encore as well.

 

Happy  New Year PeachyPoo!

Hey question about the vibe if you dont mind.. first off how much is it for a week, second can you buy online or is this something you need to purchase on the actual ship. If that is the case is it a mad dash to get these passes, how early did you board the ship in order to get them. 

first time ncl passenger here, but you can order more than 1 app/entree right? royal Caribbean allowed this 

$7.95 per order, plus 18%. 24 hours.

sorry first cruise ever, are all things billed via credit card or do you pay cash??

how much does room service cost/ does it run all night?

1st question is can i bring a case of water bottles on, if the answer is no, what happens if i want water at a random time during the day, are there free water bottles on board of something of that nature

2. If am hungry at lets say midnight are there food options available, im assuming they wont be included in the meal package i have, but is there something open 24/7. Am i allowed to bring snacks from shore on the boat or no?

staying in stateroom 9655 this july, heard they were re doing some interior rooms. anyone know if this one was included, thanks!

yeah to be honest i really just wanted to keep in touch with people back home, via a messaging app, so wasnt looking for insane speeds but those prices per day are awfully expensive.. i am going from jersey to florida to the Bahamas and back up to jersey, i wonder if i will have cell service the whole time that i could just send a few texts and pay for them

Kind of off topic but can you purchase wifi on a day by day basis before your cruise? Or do you just do this on a daily basis while out at sea