KKB

We were on the Regal Princess for 28 days in April. I had contracted bronchitis in early March. Antibiotics & steroids 2 weeks before the cruise. Still had drainage & residual cough for the 1st week of the cruise. (And I also take a daily Claritin for allergies). Friend managed to catch it week 2. (his wife had it late January-early March, steroids 2x) Luckily had brought antibiotics just in case. DH caught it week 3. So LOTS of decongestant & lozenges. Takes 4-6 weeks to truly get over all symptoms. (MANY a COVID tests were taken just to be sure...all negative) Guys did hang out in the room a lot & mask indoors for a few days when they developed symptoms as doc said 48-72 hrs after starting antibiotics they would no longer be contagious) We have a friend with asthma & severe allergies & she can have a horrible bark at anytime. We just try to stay outdoors a lot, move away from someone who is coughing a lot if possible (hey, I get it--move away from me!), wash hands a lot & always have an assortment of cold meds!

Even at say 11AM? 2PM? Did you consider the main restaurant, Mast Grill (burgers) or the Spa Cafe (mini buffet of lighter offerings)? 4 night cruises tend to be a bit crazier & mid-May you likely got some college students who just finished semester.

Trust me, the stats guys will tell you otherwise. They are profiting by filling as many rooms as possible & selling them at the highest price possible. So if they can sell guarantees at a higher rate than last minute deals, they will, knowing that on average X% will cancel. Obviously when dealing in numbers, reality doesn't always match. So they start calling people & offer to move them to another ship that DOES have open rooms (with some perks that cost the cruise line little to toss your way)--TA DA, NOW you have passengers in those empty rooms. (most profit is made by the $ passengers spend while on the ship, not the original fare) They know the ages of passengers--those of retirement age are more likely to have the flexibility to do such a change, so that is who they call first. It's not terribly different than what airlines do. And it's honestly impressive--they clearly are MUCH better at it, as there are fewer requests for people to take bumps on flights (at least in my experience--but have been flying at least 2 flights/month for 2 years, perhaps every 2 months or so for the 30 years prior), and fewer of those VERY last minute cruising deals we used to come across. They use that data to fine tune & maximize profit. (yes, it occasionally costs a little to offer vouchers, credits, etc; but in the long run, it makes them $ or they won't do it)

Nope. Only Deal or No Deal

We did Retreat last April. While you do have your own pool, lounge & restaurant, to do all the other activities you must be with the "masses" (they do hold an area of seats in the theatre until 10 min prior to showtime) If one mostly stays in the Retreat area, there are fewer crowds to be sure. IDK, on any ship, we just learn when & where crowds tend to be & avoid them...come early, come later or avoid that venue entirely.

It does happen. Just like airlines, they use an algorithm to determine average number of cancellations. A few years ago we met a couple who had been called the week before the cruise with a rebook offer since our 7 day Spring Break cruise was overbooked. They had a balcony--they were offered to be moved to a suite on a 10 day cruise leaving the same day & port, with $1000 OBC. THEY TURNED IT DOWN--they couldn't possibly leave their friends to sail alone on this sailing! (um, with that offer, they appear desperate--ask for your friends to get the deal too!) The couple we were sailing with agreed with us--TAKE THE BETTER DEAL & HAVE FUN! Trust me, SOMEONE will take that deal. (yes, some cannot with schedules, but many can)

As you can see, less passengers does not mean less crowds--ships R simply smaller. You could TRY sailing "off season"--avoid holidays, spring break, summer. But there is less & less official off season anymore. The time between the weekend after Thanksgiving typically has the least demand...but lines have become very good at having fewer ships out at that time, so while it may be their "slow season" you may not feel it as a passenger. Agree with another poster--you could try more luxury lines which have fewer passengers, but you pay a premium for that. We sailed about 6 weeks after restart in 2021. 1/3 full--it was AMAZING. We commented that we would pay more for that...tho we sure haven't as of yet!

Is this a 10 day cruise? I know that PPlus is $60pp/day. Is it 60 pounds pp/day for you?(which does make it a bit more...) It is possible my numbers vary slightly with the conversion. My advice: Whatever the cost is pp/day, deduct gratuities (which you will pay anyway) & Internet (if you are getting it) & look at the difference. That should help. Will you drink specialty coffees? Sodas? How many drinks/day? Factor in those things & you will know if it is worth it to you.

Yep we were on the Regal last month & gelato was included.

The advantage of D220 is that it is near the fwd elevators/stairs--and it is an easy 2 flights down to deck 7 (decks 5-7 have all the lower public areas) If you plan to get internet, then Princess Plus VERY much pays for itself. Gratuities: $16pp/day Internet $25pp/day (THOUGH this could be shared, one device at a time, if you did not go PPlus) That leaves $20pp/day for drinks: specialty coffees, sodas, bottled water as well as alcoholic drinks (and mocktails). Even moderate drinkers will get to $20/day easily--2 cocktails or glasses of wine & it's worth it. PPlus also includes 2 free casual dining meals/cruise. Now on the Regal this only includes Alfredos, sushi & Vines (essentially just a charcuterie board there). But those are nice alternatives to have. Also free room service. A few other less valuable perks--2 free fitness classes, 2 free "Premium" desserts DAILY (the gelato was the only one worth it, imo. The crazy sundaes were insane!) We traveled w/ family who are also moderate drinkers & we convinced them to get PPlus & they agreed it was worth it, even at a break even point.

Enjoyed your entertaining review! Just now looking at 54 days RT from LA to S Pacific, Australia & NZ in 2026. Just got DH to try 28 days TA & UK in April...can I get him to do 54? Especially since he will miss the 1st week of golf leagues??!! Only time will tell!!!!

I just noticed we have a free cruise offer on the Magic next year. Love Aruba & Curacao. Read the latest reviews--not very good.... I try to read those with a grain of salt but a lot of complaints. We have done most mainstream lines, small & large, older & newer ships--we always have a good time! I do find that CC folk are less likely to gripe as those who write reviews. Looking for your thoughts...

Does one seem to work better than the other?

Hmmmm...it could happen!!

We sailed out of Long Beach Jan. 2023 & thought it was great...tho we flew in, so did not need parking. No bottledneck coming in (and we arrive early...probably 10AM or so)

LOL we are typically on ships by 11AM. Sit around my hotel, or get onboard the shp??!! EASY choice. My 1st day of vacation--let's get this party started!!! Nothing around our hotel...we may need to consider another option... I'm no morning owl...but it's usually just travel day, so other than sleeping in a bit, I don't get much benefit

OK...we are 58 & 61, have been cruising for 20 years. We have sailed Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, Disney, RCCL, NCL, & MSC. Have NEVER felt any felt like a nursing home--we are active cruisers & like to be busy while at sea. Nice to have many activity options...but also the option to dial it down if we choose. Alaska was also the most "chill" itinerary we have sailed...things quieted down early on both Princess & RCCL. Super excited for our 1st VV! Now, there IS one line we haven't sailed...have heard it might be a bit "slow" for our tastes.😉

We did not find cabs at all in the port area, so therefore took the train. (It does appear they might have been further from the pier, but did not see where that would be) It is a quick walk across the street from the pier, inexpensive & quick. Get off at Pearse Street--you are directly across from Trinity College campus, and easy to walk to Temple Bar area. Since we got off early, lots not open yet, so we opted for a HOHO bus tour to get our bearings a bit. Guiness stew for lunch in the Temple Bar area. The Irish Rock-n-Roll Museum was the highlight for me!!

Embarkation starts at 2PM. (SOOOO much later than other lines!!) Our time when we checked in says 345. If we come at 2 will we be asked to come back at 345? Thanks!

Midnight EST? Thanks!

sailorservices@virginvoyages.com

@Norwaylady Love your Mykonos photos--so so many of those are places I recognize tho we have only been there once! Pretty sure I have photos of some of those same cats from August...🤪

Just hear from them. Since this is a comped cruise,I do not get Blue Perks, but will on future "full fare" sailings. Oh, well, worth a try.

Cannot comment on the Apex but we did sail SV on the Edge (same class). Did not noticed the fumes. DID notice soot on the outdoor furniture--we were cautious to lie a towel on the chair before sitting down to avoid stains on our clothing.

Thanks for the review...generally I agree with your ratings. Eclass ships are our favorite at sea--we have sailed Apex. Edge 2x, Beyond 2x & will be sailing Ascent in December. Can't wait! Your comment regarding Celebrity desserts is exactly what I have been saying for years...they look better than they taste! Luckily we aren't big dessert people!