Vibe Beach Club, pro tips please?

[Jennsails]

We are booked on the Getaway this July to the Caribbean and I need some help understanding how the Vibe Beach Club reservations work. We have really enjoyed The Sanctuary on Princess and it sounds like the Vibe is a similar experience? I'd love to hear details from those who have experienced it. We enjoy lounging poolside but I always want shade. We aren't ones to bolt out of bed and reserve lounges, (pet peeve when other cruisers do this grrr) we typically make our way poolside late morning, after the gym and a leisurely breakfast, around 11 or so.  If we do not get the Vibe passes, is is easy to find shaded spots on sea days? I could not locate info in NCL's site about Vibe, I'm just going off of CC postings but am I correct it is $200 pp for the week and passes are only sold first come, first serve? Do they actually sell out? This will give me a panic attack on embarkation day! We live in FL and will drive up to board the ship early on embarkation day so in theory we can board relatively ahead of some but how do we make sure that we can get these passes?

 

We do have bids in to upgrade from our large balcony to the Haven, in which case Vibe would not be necessary but I don't want to count on bids resulting in upgrade. But the upgrade/bid process is a whole other topic and I do not want to hijack my own thread lol. Thank you!

[Laszlo]

Its been a few year but the reservations used to work like this. (1) Be one of the first to arrive at the port. (2) Be one of the first to board the ship. (3) Get on ship and run like hell to guest services-comedy club (4) Every person in your party who wants Vibe pass must be present. And yes they would normally sell out within the first 5-10 minutes of boarding. My wife have gotten passes three time, twice they closed the line after we had gotten line. 

 

The only sell X amount of passes   100-125?

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Laszlo

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

We love Vibe!    There is no pool, only hot tub.  But always a great bunch of friendly people and plenty of chairs available.  Best bartenders. It has been a challenge getting passes, and that's the first thing to do when you get on the ship.  On many ships - it's at the customer service desk or where the comedy club/howl at the moon is.  My husband and I usually split up then text each other when we know the secret location. 😉 

 

Like you, we are hoping to upgrade to the Haven on our next sailing and are trying to budget the extra $$$ for Vibe as we may not need it as much depending on the occupancy of the ship.  Wish we could be armed with that info going in.

[Jennsails]

13 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Its been a few year but the reservations used to work like this. (1) Be one of the first to arrive at the port. (2) Be one of the first to board the ship. (3) Get on ship and run like hell to guest services-comedy club (4) Every person in your party who wants Vibe pass must be present. And yes they would normally sell out within the first 5-10 minutes of boarding. My wife have gotten passes three time, twice they closed the line after we had gotten line. 

 

The only sell X amount of passes   100-125?

 

 

Oh my gosh I’m now having a full panic attack! Sold out in 5-10 mins?! 

 

[Jennsails]

12 minutes ago, RunBikeCruiseDC said:

We love Vibe!    There is no pool, only hot tub.  But always a great bunch of friendly people and plenty of chairs available.  Best bartenders. It has been a challenge getting passes, and that's the first thing to do when you get on the ship.  On many ships - it's at the customer service desk or where the comedy club/howl at the moon is.  My husband and I usually split up then text each other when we know the secret location. 😉 

 

Like you, we are hoping to upgrade to the Haven on our next sailing and are trying to budget the extra $$$ for Vibe as we may not need it as much depending on the occupancy of the ship.  Wish we could be armed with that info going in.

Yes, for sure then if we don’t get the upgrade will come up with a strategy to determine the secret location to get the passes. Is it somewhere different every sailing? What a wild system! 

[vacation44]

$209 now. And to us, it is worth it.   We have gotten it three times in the past but decided not to on our last sailing because we were in the Joy Haven and regretted not getting the passes.   We are sailing the Joy again this September and will be purchasing passes.

[Jennsails]

@vacation44why did you regret not having Vibe if you had Haven?

[Two Wheels Only]

VIBE on Getaway was expanded and made larger than normal so it has more passes than previously (more money for NCL). With fewer people sailing and the current price, getting passes is easier than before.

[vacation44]

15 minutes ago, Jennsails said:

@vacation44why did you regret not having Vibe if you had Haven?

We were on the Joy and the sun deck was very crowded everyday.   There are a lot of very uncomfortable loungers that need to be replaced with the normal Haven loungers.     I just do not think there are enough comfortable loungers for that size Haven (Joy is the largest in the fleet I believe).  And we also thought the bar service was lacking.   

Edited April 21, 2022 by vacation44

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, Jennsails said:

We are booked on the Getaway this July to the Caribbean and I need some help understanding how the Vibe Beach Club reservations work. We have really enjoyed The Sanctuary on Princess and it sounds like the Vibe is a similar experience? I'd love to hear details from those who have experienced it. We enjoy lounging poolside but I always want shade. We aren't ones to bolt out of bed and reserve lounges, (pet peeve when other cruisers do this grrr) we typically make our way poolside late morning, after the gym and a leisurely breakfast, around 11 or so.  If we do not get the Vibe passes, is is easy to find shaded spots on sea days? I could not locate info in NCL's site about Vibe, I'm just going off of CC postings but am I correct it is $200 pp for the week and passes are only sold first come, first serve? Do they actually sell out? This will give me a panic attack on embarkation day! We live in FL and will drive up to board the ship early on embarkation day so in theory we can board relatively ahead of some but how do we make sure that we can get these passes?

 

We do have bids in to upgrade from our large balcony to the Haven, in which case Vibe would not be necessary but I don't want to count on bids resulting in upgrade. But the upgrade/bid process is a whole other topic and I do not want to hijack my own thread lol. Thank you!

Timely thread. We are also huge fans of the Princess Sanctuary, book it every warm weather trip, and have just booked a trip on the Joy to Bermuda for mid-June. On our first NCL trip a few years ago, we investigated Vibe but chose not to book it because it seemed, when we visited, to be very loud and way too much of a party atmosphere. The Sanctuary is exactly the opposite and is always very quiet and peaceful, "noisemaking" discouraged by the staff.  Is there music and partying in Vibe, or is it a quiet experience?

[Two Wheels Only]

14 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

I just do not think there are enough comfortable loungers for that size Haven (Joy is the largest in the fleet I believe).

 

For the BA/BA Plus ships, Joy has the most staterooms with Haven access. Size-wise, Joy's Haven sundeck matches Bliss'.

 

14 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Is there music and partying in Vibe, or is it a quiet experience?

 

It depends on the guests. If it's a quiet crowd, VIBE is quiet. If it's a party crowd, VIBE is loud. Sometimes, VIBE is mostly empty. 

[lx200gps]

20 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

For the BA/BA Plus ships, Joy has the most staterooms with Haven access. Size-wise, Joy's Haven sundeck matches Bliss'.

 

 

It depends on the guests. If it's a quiet crowd, VIBE is quiet. If it's a party crowd, VIBE is loud. Sometimes, VIBE is mostly empty. 

Thanks, that's what I thought as well. On Princess, the Sanctuary is purposely kept quiet and peaceful by the staff and anyone trying to make noise, say by playing music, is asked to shut down. Sounds like Vibe has no such policy and would probably be relatively noisy by comparison, exactly not what we are looking for.  "Sanctuary" and "Vibe",  the names are pretty accurate and descriptive ;o)

[MoCruiseFan]

We did the vibe one time on the Getaway and have passed on it every time after that.  It was nice but, even back then before all the prices hikes, it was not worth the money.   There really isn't much there.  Loungers a (not very) hot tub, and a bar is about it.  The little clam shell type places were OK but not really all that much.

[Jennsails]

@lx200gpsI get that. I think overall Princess has a much less energetic feel than when we have cruised RCCL or Celebrity to the Caribbean. We only appreciated the Sanctuary because it was the only way to have reserved lounges in the shade, not so much for the peacefulness. Same with Vibe, I don't care much if the crowd is rowdy or zen, I just want to make sure that we don't have to deal with drama trying to find places to post up during the day. We aren't pool people and don't really care to watch belly flop or macarena contests either. So it sounds like we need to plan to haul butt onboard to score those Vibe passes. Ugh.....panic....

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Jennsails said:

We are booked on the Getaway this July to the Caribbean and I need some help understanding how the Vibe Beach Club reservations work. We have really enjoyed The Sanctuary on Princess and it sounds like the Vibe is a similar experience? I'd love to hear details from those who have experienced it. We enjoy lounging poolside but I always want shade. We aren't ones to bolt out of bed and reserve lounges, (pet peeve when other cruisers do this grrr) we typically make our way poolside late morning, after the gym and a leisurely breakfast, around 11 or so.  If we do not get the Vibe passes, is is easy to find shaded spots on sea days? I could not locate info in NCL's site about Vibe, I'm just going off of CC postings but am I correct it is $200 pp for the week and passes are only sold first come, first serve? Do they actually sell out? This will give me a panic attack on embarkation day! We live in FL and will drive up to board the ship early on embarkation day so in theory we can board relatively ahead of some but how do we make sure that we can get these passes?

 

We do have bids in to upgrade from our large balcony to the Haven, in which case Vibe would not be necessary but I don't want to count on bids resulting in upgrade. But the upgrade/bid process is a whole other topic and I do not want to hijack my own thread lol. Thank you!

You need to check in at 12:01 am EDT on checkin day (that is currently 21 days prior to cruise). Select the first check in time. 
 

On day of cruise, be in line at the terminal a couple of hours before the terminal opens. 
 

Be first through security. Be first to check in. Have all of your paperwork out and ready to go (no forms on phone). 
 

Sit at the boarding door entrance. All of the Haven and then all of the priority boarders will be invited first. Sneak in and push your way through the throngs of people. Walk very fast (don’t run) to the vibe sale point. 
 

You may get a pass. 
 

First come first serve. Favors priority boarders. There are a couple hundred passes for the 4500 passengers. 
 

They vibe sundeck is physically 2 inches from the Haven sundeck. Literally a steel plate separates the two decks. 

Edited April 21, 2022 by BirdTravels

[Jennsails]

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You need to check in at 12:01 am EDT on checkin day (that is currently 21 days prior to cruise). Select the first check in time. 
 

On day of cruise, be in line at the terminal a couple of hours before the terminal opens. 
 

Be first through security. Be first to check in. Have all of your paperwork out and ready to go (no forms on phone). 
 

Sit at the boarding door entrance. All of the Haven and then all of the priority boarders will be invited first. Sneak in and push your way through the throngs of people. Walk very fast (don’t run) to the vibe sale point. 
 

You may get a pass. 
 

First come first serve. Favors priority boarders. There are a couple hundred passes for the 4500 passengers. 
 

They vibe sundeck is physically 2 inches from the Haven sundeck. Literally a steel plate separates the two decks. 

Ok, got it. So basically check in like flying Southwest lol. Then use elbows to get to wherever passes are being sold and hope that the Haven and suite folks don't have the same idea. We will get there early for sure and I can sprint stairs, if need be 😉

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

As everybody get's to know each other,  the Vibe beach club gets a bit more lively.  We start looking forward to meeting up for drinks after getting back in from excursions and that last evening of the sailing .  Early in the cruise and earlier in the day is pretty relaxed...

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

2 hours ago, vacation44 said:

We were on the Joy and the sun deck was very crowded everyday.   There are a lot of very uncomfortable loungers that need to be replaced with the normal Haven loungers.     I just do not think there are enough comfortable loungers for that size Haven (Joy is the largest in the fleet I believe).  And we also thought the bar service was lacking.   

We're on the Joy next.  I heard somebody else mention that as it was also spring break and they got overflow from the Escape being repaired.  We're on her next week - past spring break and easter so hoping it's not as crowded.  But maybe we will go ahead to try to get into Vibe.   Its only a 5 night with an overnight in Bermuda so that will be a different experience.  

[Acruzaholic]

1 hour ago, Jennsails said:

Ok, got it. So basically check in like flying Southwest lol. Then use elbows to get to wherever passes are being sold and hope that the Haven and suite folks don't have the same idea. We will get there early for sure and I can sprint stairs, if need be 😉

I understand from your posts that you like a shaded lounger-My wife & I always try and  secure vibe passes-they do have umbrellas for the loungers, but the vibe can be very very windy @ times and they will not open the umbrellas for shade. Please consider this in determining if you want to secure vibe passes as some people purchase, then later cancel after experiencing very windy conditions when underway when sailing. We learned to tolerate wind days and enjoy the new friends we meet and spend the week with.  

[Jennsails]

12 minutes ago, Acruzaholic said:

I understand from your posts that you like a shaded lounger-My wife & I always try and  secure vibe passes-they do have umbrellas for the loungers, but the vibe can be very very windy @ times and they will not open the umbrellas for shade. Please consider this in determining if you want to secure vibe passes as some people purchase, then later cancel after experiencing very windy conditions when underway when sailing. We learned to tolerate wind days and enjoy the new friends we meet and spend the week with.  

Good info! Are you allowed to cancel and get a refund should something like this happens? You are correct; we’d specifically be purchasing to secure shade so if that’s not possible the purchase would be useless for us. Obviously it’s impossible to determine from the get go if wind/weather could be an issue. 

[vacation44]

35 minutes ago, RunBikeCruiseDC said:

We're on the Joy next.  I heard somebody else mention that as it was also spring break and they got overflow from the Escape being repaired.  We're on her next week - past spring break and easter so hoping it's not as crowded.  But maybe we will go ahead to try to get into Vibe.   Its only a 5 night with an overnight in Bermuda so that will be a different experience.  

When we were on the Joy it was last February as in two months ago.  I also believe the Haven is always filled at capacity due to the up grade bids.

 

I think we are on the same Bermuda cruise--see you in the Vibe!

[MoCruiseFan]

1 hour ago, Acruzaholic said:

I understand from your posts that you like a shaded lounger-My wife & I always try TO secure vibe passes-they do have umbrellas for the loungers, but the vibe can be very very windy @ times and they will not open the umbrellas for shade. Please consider this in determining if you want to secure vibe passes as some people purchase, then later cancel after experiencing very windy conditions when underway when sailing. We learned to tolerate wind days and enjoy the new friends we meet and spend the week with.  

Yes it can be a tad windy in the Vibe, especially n the Getaway.
 

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

59 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

When we were on the Joy it was last February as in two months ago.  I also believe the Haven is always filled at capacity due to the up grade bids.

 

I think we are on the same Bermuda cruise--see you in the Vibe!

Next week (leave Tue 5/26)?  See you then!  Good to know - we will plan for Vibe.   We'll use out OBC then. 

[Laszlo]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You need to check in at 12:01 am EDT on checkin day (that is currently 21 days prior to cruise). Select the first check in time. 
 

On day of cruise, be in line at the terminal a couple of hours before the terminal opens. 
 

Be first through security. Be first to check in. Have all of your paperwork out and ready to go (no forms on phone). 
 

Sit at the boarding door entrance. All of the Haven and then all of the priority boarders will be invited first. Sneak in and push your way through the throngs of people. Walk very fast (don’t run) to the vibe sale point. 
 

You may get a pass. 
 

First come first serve. Favors priority boarders. There are a couple hundred passes for the 4500 passengers. 
 

They vibe sundeck is physically 2 inches from the Haven sundeck. Literally a steel plate separates the two decks. 

LOL.......100% correct

[vacation44]

27 minutes ago, RunBikeCruiseDC said:

Next week (leave Tue 5/26)?  See you then!  Good to know - we will plan for Vibe.   We'll use out OBC then. 

No, our is in September. 

 

Have a great sailing and please report back.