What really goes on in VIP?

Based on the results of the latest poll on this site, 23% of you plan to get into the VIP party area of the cruise "by any means necessary." But what really goes on up there? Is it worth it?

The truth is, I'm not qualified to say because I never went up there. But I can share with you what I saw. Actual results may vary, and if you had firsthand experience, please share it in the comments.

The first night of the cruise was the PJ party, and the only night the guys were actually scheduled to attend the deck party. Jordan, Donnie, and Joe came out and security pushed them through the crowd to the stage in the center of the deck. There they stayed, drinking and talking to other people on stage. Some party-goers were allowed to go up on stage as well. I'm not sure how they were selected or who chose them. After a while, Donnie and Jordan climbed up onto the railings of the stage and started singing with the crowd, effectively ignoring those on stage. Joe left first, then the other two departed later (I want to say around 1:30 a.m.?). Since all the action was happening on stage, I don't remember what, if anything, went on upstairs in the VIP area.

Friday night:


Saturday people seemed to expect another on-stage showing, and they were camped out in deck chairs around the stage several hours before the party. Group B had their concert that night (started at 10:30 p.m.) so much of Group A was chillin on the deck. Shortly after Group B got out and made their way to the deck, the VIP party started on the deck above. Behind the rope, a large crowd of women waited at the edge of the party hoping to be let in. Some stayed there all night, and to them it was worth it because sometime around 4:00 a.m. I know Donnie came over and got them all vodka. (This is what I heard secondhand at least, so hopefully I'm remembering it correctly.)

Everyone but Danny made an appearance Saturday night. The highlight, of course, was Jon singing Happy Birthday to Jordan, which was around 3:00. Jon made his way to the stage area for that, so at least the girls who had camped out by the stage for hours got a little something. The pictures I have of the VIP area show it very open (they're all super dark and out of focus though). I see lots of guys but not many fans. Maybe they got in after I left? The telling part is that I only have a few pics of the balcony, but 20+ pics of my friends and me having a great time downstairs.

Sunday was white night. Group A had our concert, but it was at 9:00 so we were all on the deck earlier. That afternoon, Donnie had made announcements on the ship's PA that we were all going to party till the sun came up, that everyone should get on the deck, and that after 2:00 a.m. we should all try to grab the ass of our favorite Kid.

Once again, there were a bunch of people camped out around the stage and more waiting behind the rope to the side of VIP. Since it was the last night, my friends and I decided to see if we could get in. We went inside to where another group was lined up in front of a security guard. After standing there for about two minutes, I felt pretty grossed out because I could see the guy looking us all over (surefire way to send your self-esteem to the basement). But, we were told we could go in. After going through the hallway though, a female guard at the deck entrance told us to leave. So we looped around, were told to go in again, and again were told by the woman to get out.

That was the end of our VIP experience. It was PACKED on the upper deck, both in the holding area and in the VIP area. People were tripping over each other and shoving in all directions. Trying to get in was, even more than waiting in lines, the least fun part of the weekend. (For one, there's no bar in or near the security line!) We had a far better time Saturday ignoring the VIP area all together. But we didn't waste much time Sunday either.



I have heard people who were in the VIP area say they had a fantastic time up there, and I'm sure if it had been me I would have too! But my advice is, don't waste valuable party time standing at a rope watching other people party. And don't make yourself feel like a piece of meat while some part-time security guard looks you up and down. You'll have the best time if you get down with your girls and just blow a few kisses upstairs.

Wait listers now relying on cancellations

Just got the latest from @JordansPearl, who spoke to Rose Tours this morning.

The inventory of rooms from bad credit cards and double bookings is now gone. They are done going through everything. All the wait listers now are relying on cancellations to get rooms. That explains why the calls have dropped off.

Pearl also asked what happens if a single person cancels but the next on the wait list is a group of two people. Rose Tours said that if only a single is available, they will offer it to the duo first before offering it to the next person. The duo then has the option of splitting up or waiting for a double to open.

This puts a different light on the vacancies posted on ning. I'm guessing some will not appreciate the handpicking of offers to fill spots instead of letting Rose Tours fill the vacancies in order of the wait list. Just a guess.

Thanks @JordansPearl for the info!

Cancellations are starting

We knew it would happen when payments were due, but other cancellations are already cropping up. A few weeks ago, I heard of the first cancellation due to pregnancy. Now I saw #2.

Keep an eye on this thread on ning if you are looking for a spot. As the poster with a vacancy said, she would rather choose her own roommate and do a name change than have someone selected by Rose Tours.

I'd suggest following the thread so that you can be sure to respond instantly if a vacancy is posted. (And let's hope she did not choose the person who offered to pay for her part of the room too.)

Good luck!

Have the priority wait list calls stopped?

I've been doing a lot of searching today but haven't seen a single person claim to have gotten a call from Rose Tours today. The calls certainly seemed to have been slowing down this week. Are they done for now? Or is it just a case of "out of the office" again? I have trouble believing people are heeding Mary's "don't tell anyone we called you" warning.

Has anyone gotten word through the grapevine of any calls today?

News on the wait list . . . isn't much

For the past few days, I've been getting a lot of inquires about the wait lists, priority and otherwise. I haven't posted about this lately because there's not much to report. Here's what I can dredge up:

• From several sources: Rose Tours has been asking people NOT to post when they are contacted, because every time someone posts that they got a call for a cabin, RT gets a million calls, making it harder for them to continue down the list.
  
  
• Some have reported returning calls from RT this week, at which point they were asked only to confirm their information.
  
  
• @elizamallari said her friend on the priority wait list received a call yesterday (Monday, 8/24) from RT confirming she is on the boat, so some calls are still being made.
  
  
• There are at least 32 people on the priority wait list. Some are just now finding out they're priority status; instead of phone calls, they received letters in the mail. For those in Europe, that took quite a while.
  
  
• Information from RT is conflicting. Says Karen: "My last call with RT the woman said they were now finding it hard to find cabins for those on PWL and were relying on people dropping out. I'm confused! She then said in her next breath that they were still sorting through double bookings?"

So that's what I know. Sorry it's not much! If I hear anything new I will keep you posted.

And please, as you are confirmed, send a follow request to @NKOTBCruise so you can get involved in something really special we're planning for onboard. (Since this is a surprise for the guys, they are not involved in this account.)

What? Really?

User KimmieK left the following comment on one of my posts and I was really surprised to see it.

I didn't see anyone like this on the boat, but I'm known for being pretty oblivious. Past cruisers, did you see these near-stowaways on the boat? Know anything more about it?

kimmiek291976 said...

My mom & I booked for the last cruise at the end of March. Once we were on the boat we saw people who were MUCH older and they didn't look like NKOTB fans. Turns out they had so many EXTRA rooms that the same trip we paid $2000 PER PERSON for, people got to book as a last minute trip special for $200!!! They were senior citizens who lived in Miami and because they saw the "deal" booked themselves! So people pd $200 for everything we did. They even had the color coded wristbands...so the way I see it..I think plenty of rooms will open up. The way I looked at it? I was pissed that people got to book days before and pay $200! That's the people everyone should be bitching about!!

MIA vs FLL

Already looking at flights? You may have noticed that fares into Fort Lauderdale (FLL) tend to be cheaper than those into Miami (MIA). Rose Tours lists FLL as one of the airports to fly into, so it seems like a no-brainer to take the cheaper flight, right? Not always.

FLL is about 20 miles from the Port of Miami. MIA, on the other hand, is 6 miles. So what you save in airfare may be much less than what you spend to get to the port from FLL.

In a later post, I'll cover transportation options from either airport to the port, but in general, FLL is only a better option when the flight is more than $50 less than one into Miami AND you are traveling with a group. If you're traveling alone, it would need to be more than $100 less to save you money. Shuttles from FLL are available but many require at least two people to make a reservation. (You then have the added step of finding/waiting for your shuttle.)

If your friends are flying in at different times, or if you don't want the extra bother of reserving shuttles, taxis are the way to go. Taxis from FLL are about $75 + tip. If you've got 3-4 people sharing a ride, that could still make the FLL fare better. On the other hand, taxi fares from MIA are around $20.

As for me, I've got fare trackers set up on kayak.com so that if a flight happens to drop below $200, it's mine. And if it doesn't, I'll probably book in March.

Good luck booking!