need Vibe pass strategy suggestions :) for Getaway...

[grumpyfan]

We are in a Haven suite this weekend and would like to get Vibe passes (possibly a cabana...haven't decided yet....)

 

What type of strategy do I need to secure these passes???? :confused:

[SeaShark]

We are in a Haven suite this weekend and would like to get Vibe passes (possibly a cabana...haven't decided yet....)

 

What type of strategy do I need to secure these passes???? :confused:

 

Why would you want to pay for Vibe when you already get everything (and more) that Vibe offers inside the Haven...at no additional cost?

[thephillykid]

Stupid question.....can the butler get then for you?

Or maybe the concierge?

Isn't that what they are for?

 

Howard

[grumpyfan]

I've not sailed with NCL before so not well versed in what the butler/concierge will actually do :)

 

I can certainly ask the concierge to do it once we board - that is probably the best strategy.....

[Fishbait17]

If it's the same as the Breakaway, when you board you will be escorted to the concierge desk/Haven Bar and lounge area. After you listen to the spiel, ask the concierge or assistant to make the reservation for you.

 

Robin

[grumpyfan]

If it's the same as the Breakaway, when you board you will be escorted to the concierge desk/Haven Bar and lounge area. After you listen to the spiel, ask the concierge or assistant to make the reservation for you.

 

Robin

 

Thank you :D

[SeaShark]

:confused:

 

OK...Let me try it with a visual aid.

 

 

This is a photo of the Vibe Beach Club on the Norwegian Getaway.

 

 

 

Guests can pay for a pass to use this area during their cruise. (The cabanas are not included and cost extra).

 

 

Beyond the white door in the back of the photo is the outdoor area reserved for Haven Guests. It is very much like Vibe, except that the furniture is of better quality, the cushions are noticeably thicker, and the cabanas don't come with an extra charge....it is all INCLUDED in the price that Haven Guests pay for their cruise. Not to mention that it includes the Haven Staff who will wait on you hand and foot!

 

 

I think the important question to ask is why would a Haven Guest pay more money to access an area that doesn't meet the quality of the area that the Haven Guest can simply access for FREE??

[Fishbait17]

We paid extra for a cabana because, just like on the regular pool decks, there are always "those people", basically chairhogs who use the best loungers every single day of the cruise, from sunup to sundown, whether they are present or not. . On pir first BA sailing, there was a family of five holding five loungers plus two "cabanas" (covered loungers) while their teens were gone 80% of the time, and the adults at least 30% of the time we were there - that family took the same loungers every day we checked. Not a lot of difference from the main pool deck, except Haven guests tend to leave more expensive items holding the seats..

 

The other factors are the hot tubs and the "kid free" zone.. It's nice to have a hot tub to use at leisure without having to go up and down stairs, and not finding them full of splashing kids when you get there - no offense to other parents, but it's been a common issue on our sailings. The BIGGEST factor for me is guaranteed shade - five bouts with skin cancer before age 50 and I do NO sun anymore...

 

The cabana was also very nice for coming and going without being a chair hog. It was nice to leave the sunscreen/books/etc there while going to have lunch or a spa appointment. Quite enjoyable! (don't mean to sound like a grump! :))

 

Robin

Edited March 4, 2014 by Fishbait17

[LrgPizza]

:confused:

 

.....I think the important question to ask is why would a Haven Guest pay more money to access an area that doesn't meet the quality of the area that the Haven Guest can simply access for FREE??

 

Here is another visual aid. I wonder if Haven guests can hop right over that wall into the Vibe area provided they have a Vibe bracelet? I'd hate to trouble them to walk around. :p;)

 

[youngestof9]

Here is another visual aid. I wonder if Haven guests can hop right over that wall into the Vibe area provided they have a Vibe bracelet? I'd hate to trouble them to walk around. :p;)

 

 

and don't forget the entire area under the retractable roof is also for Haven.

 

I don't think I'd book vibe if I were in the Haven either.

[thephillykid]

Here is another visual aid. I wonder if Haven guests can hop right over that wall into the Vibe area provided they have a Vibe bracelet? I'd hate to trouble them to walk around. :p;)

 

 

BTW...there is no retractable roof on the Getaway, as it is designed for warm weather year round.

[Bobbye]

We paid extra for a cabana because, just like on the regular pool decks, there are always "those people", basically chairhogs who use the best loungers every single day of the cruise, from sunup to sundown, whether they are present or not. . On pir first BA sailing, there was a family of five holding five loungers plus two "cabanas" (covered loungers) while their teens were gone 80% of the time, and the adults at least 30% of the time we were there - that family took the same loungers every day we checked. Not a lot of difference from the main pool deck, except Haven guests tend to leave more expensive items holding the seats..

 

The other factors are the hot tubs and the "kid free" zone.. It's nice to have a hot tub to use at leisure without having to go up and down stairs, and not finding them full of splashing kids when you get there - no offense to other parents, but it's been a common issue on our sailings. The BIGGEST factor for me is guaranteed shade - five bouts with skin cancer before age 50 and I do NO sun anymore...

 

The cabana was also very nice for coming and going without being a chair hog. It was nice to leave the sunscreen/books/etc there while going to have lunch or a spa appointment. Quite enjoyable! (don't mean to sound like a grump! :))

 

Robin

 

Love the "kid free" zone -- that's why we get a Vibe pass too even though we are in the Haven.

[DedeM]

People take their kids to the Haven section? I'm surprised the kids aren't bored out of their minds and preferring the kids zone pools.

 

I'd like to maybe get a Vibe pass on my upcoming cruise, but with 3900 passengers and only 60 passes issued, it sounds almost hopeless unless I am the first one on the ship and I know that's never going to happen.

Edited March 4, 2014 by DedeM

[Fishbait17]

People take their kids to the Haven section? I'm surprised the kids aren't bored out of their minds and preferring the kids zone pools.

 

I'd like to maybe get a Vibe pass on my upcoming cruise, but with 3900 passengers and only 60 passes issued, it sounds almost hopeless unless I am the first one on the ship and I know that's never going to happen.

 

There were always some kids in the upstairs outdoor Haven sun deck, but the Haven pool and the deck around it seemed to always be full of kids on our sailing. So much so that we weren't able to use a hot tub even one time kid free - the pool and especially the hot tubs had 6-8 kids in them every time we checked, even at 11pm or so. It gets loud because of the echoing - not as much as the Jewel class Havens, but still loud.

 

I would think the kids would prefer the main pool deck too, but I think it's the parents that keep them in the Haven with them. With several families doing this, it turns into it's own "kids zone pool" area.

 

Robin

Edited March 4, 2014 by Fishbait17

[Winston Wolf]

here is another visual aid. I wonder if haven guests can hop right over that wall into the vibe area provided they have a vibe bracelet? I'd hate to trouble them to walk around. :p;)

 

 

+1.

[DedeM]

There were always some kids in the upstairs outdoor Haven sun deck, but the Haven pool and the deck around it seemed to always be full of kids on our sailing. So much so that we weren't able to use a hot tub even one time kid free - the pool and especially the hot tubs had 6-8 kids in them every time we checked, even at 11pm or so. It gets loud because of the echoing - not as much as the Jewel class Havens, but still loud.

 

I would think the kids would prefer the main pool deck too, but I think it's the parents that keep them in the Haven with them. With several families doing this, it turns into it's own "kids zone pool" area.

 

Robin

Oooo, not much of a haven then lol.

[Zoey]

Oooo, not much of a haven then lol.

 

 

HaHa. I was just ready to pull the trigger on a Spa Suite for the peace and quiet but I'm kind of second guessing that decision now.

[RDean]

HaHa. I was just ready to pull the trigger on a Spa Suite for the peace and quiet but I'm kind of second guessing that decision now.

 

I was looking to book a Haven Courtyard Penthouse but might rethink if there are going to be kids running around all night. Those rooms look to open into the Haven. Might be better off with a mini suite and try to buy Vibe passes.

Edited March 4, 2014 by RDean

[WyomingCruiser]

Wow, sounds like our experience in the Jade Haven in 2011 was better...we never had a problem with lots of kids, and in fact were frequently the only ones in there!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[KweezyCruiser]

If it's the same as the Breakaway, when you board you will be escorted to the concierge desk/Haven Bar and lounge area. After you listen to the spiel, ask the concierge or assistant to make the reservation for you.

 

Robin

 

Are you sure about this? By the time the concierge has finished the spiel, non-suite passengers will have started boarding and buying up the Vibe passes at Guest Services. Wouldn't it make more sense to break off from the suite passengers when boarding (before all other passengers) and head right to Guest Services for the passes before heading up to the Haven Lounge?

[Laszlo]

HaHa. I was just ready to pull the trigger on a Spa Suite for the peace and quiet but I'm kind of second guessing that decision now.

 

Get both, thats what my wife and I did. At the time (September 2013) a spa balcony was only $100 more than a regular balcony

[Fishbait17]

I don't want to leave what I said as it was without a little explaining. I like kids, I have kids, although mine are grown now it was only yesterday I took my kids with me all over the world. It's not that kids are bad, or that the Haven is supposed to be 'kid free' or anything. Kids are great, and usually well behaved! It's just that they aren't always aware how much sounds echo and amplify or how loud they are. The Haven is mostly enclosed - even on the big ships with the retracted roof, and sometimes the echo is so loud you cannot read or have a conversation without raising your own voices, which in turn makes it even louder. The smaller Havens on the Jewel-class ships are much worse in terms of echo and amplification, but since they are smaller, there's not as much voice raising to be heard, and not usually more than a couple kids in there at once because most of their friends are elsewhere on the ship. On the big ships you have so many more "family suites" that there are many more kids, and since the kids meet other "Haven" kids, they tend to stay and play in the Haven a lot more with no parental supervision (because they are nearby in their suites). Daytime is noisier than night but I'd expect that, and it is fine usually during the day - kids are simply enjoying themselves. At night, though, if you are seeking peace and quiet, you might be surprised how loud it can get (and how utterly bored the kids are!).

 

For example, one night we decided to use the hot tub on the Breakaway at about 9:30-10pm. There were probably about 5 kids in each tub. We climbed in, and it was a bit awkward for all of us - kids and adults. A little bit later, everyone relaxed a little, we conversed a little with the kids. Two girls of about 9-10 were playing with a toy, getting a little giggly and screechy and splashy. Three boys in our tub, about 11-12 or so, were fidgeting and talking, and one yelled to another boy in the other hot tub "Hey "Jimmy", ya wanna go to the arcade?" The boy in the other tub yelled back "Nah, Mom said I have to stay here", and they had this conversation for a while, back and forth between the two hot tubs, spaced at least 25 feet apart. Some of the kids went here and there, from hot tub to pool to the other hot tub and back again. Meanwhile, a little girl was in the pool with her mom nearby, doing the "Mommy watch me! Watch this!" thing, yelling louder and louder as her Mom was reading and not paying attention.. You know how it is, nothing wrong with this either. But put all of it together and its LOUD and not very relaxing. As far as we could see, the mom with the little girl was the only other adult in the space.

 

The main pool deck has "adults only" hot tubs and pool, there is SpiceH2O during the day, etc, but the Haven has no such restrictions. And so, that is one of the reasons some people in the Haven *might* book a Vibe pass, or a spa pass, or use Spice H2O, or the main deck pools and tubs or whatever.

 

Hope this makes sense!

 

Robin

[Zoey]

I don't want to leave what I said as it was without a little explaining. I like kids, I have kids, although mine are grown now it was only yesterday I took my kids with me all over the world. It's not that kids are bad, or that the Haven is supposed to be 'kid free' or anything. Kids are great, and usually well behaved! It's just that they aren't always aware how much sounds echo and amplify or how loud they are. The Haven is mostly enclosed - even on the big ships with the retracted roof, and sometimes the echo is so loud you cannot read or have a conversation without raising your own voices, which in turn makes it even louder. The smaller Havens on the Jewel-class ships are much worse in terms of echo and amplification, but since they are smaller, there's not as much voice raising to be heard, and not usually more than a couple kids in there at once because most of their friends are elsewhere on the ship. On the big ships you have so many more "family suites" that there are many more kids, and since the kids meet other "Haven" kids, they tend to stay and play in the Haven a lot more with no parental supervision (because they are nearby in their suites). Daytime is noisier than night but I'd expect that, and it is fine usually during the day - kids are simply enjoying themselves. At night, though, if you are seeking peace and quiet, you might be surprised how loud it can get (and how utterly bored the kids are!).

 

For example, one night we decided to use the hot tub on the Breakaway at about 9:30-10pm. There were probably about 5 kids in each tub. We climbed in, and it was a bit awkward for all of us - kids and adults. A little bit later, everyone relaxed a little, we conversed a little with the kids. Two girls of about 9-10 were playing with a toy, getting a little giggly and screechy and splashy. Three boys in our tub, about 11-12 or so, were fidgeting and talking, and one yelled to another boy in the other hot tub "Hey "Jimmy", ya wanna go to the arcade?" The boy in the other tub yelled back "Nah, Mom said I have to stay here", and they had this conversation for a while, back and forth between the two hot tubs, spaced at least 25 feet apart. Some of the kids went here and there, from hot tub to pool to the other hot tub and back again. Meanwhile, a little girl was in the pool with her mom nearby, doing the "Mommy watch me! Watch this!" thing, yelling louder and louder as her Mom was reading and not paying attention.. You know how it is, nothing wrong with this either. But put all of it together and its LOUD and not very relaxing. As far as we could see, the mom with the little girl was the only other adult in the space.

 

The main pool deck has "adults only" hot tubs and pool, there is SpiceH2O during the day, etc, but the Haven has no such restrictions. And so, that is one of the reasons some people in the Haven *might* book a Vibe pass, or a spa pass, or use Spice H2O, or the main deck pools and tubs or whatever.

 

Hope this makes sense!

 

Robin

 

Wow.....I was surprised to read that there is no age restrictions requiring children under a certain age (at least 13 or 16) be accompanied by adults at the pools in the Haven. It sounds as if some parents use the Haven as a babysitting service and it also sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.....for both child, parent and NCL.

[arf2005]

On our cruise last week there were maybe 4 adults max in the hot tub at one time - and there were two hot tubs…that being said, if Haven guests are allowed to buy Vibe passes, my personal opinion is that they shouldn't be allowed to do so until the line is open to everyone so that there is an equal chance for all to get them. Let's face it - kids or not, Haven guests already have some pretty nice amenities - the rest of us would like to have one or two available - and they won't be if word gets around like what is on this thread! Yikes!!

 

 

(And I want to go on record as did the person above by saying I like kids, I have kids/grandkids, etc. - but it was nice to have a few hours away from kids!)

Edited March 5, 2014 by arf2005

[momeagle36]

can anyone tell me the cost of vibe and cabana passes on the getaway? I am considering using this if the price is not ridiculous....