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On 4/17/2019 at 11:29 PM, fshagan said:

 

The average age where I work is less than half my age, about 30 years old. Many of them live in shared housing and don't own cars, but have been to Australia, Japan, Europe and southeast Asia. If they see a sale on flights to Vietnam, three or four of them will get together and take a long weekend.  Five of them go to the Tommorrowland music festival in Belgium every year. About half have been on at least one cruise.

 

They are much more into experiences than they are into possessions. They don't participate in either forums or Facebook groups. When I handed over the social media duties to the marketing people, they had to sign up for Facebook. They had long abandoned that platform.

 

VV advertising is much more experience orientated, and they are trying to snatch up some of those travel dollars going to land vacations instead of houses, cars and expensive stereo equipment (what I spent my money on in my youth). They are mostly great people, too, hard working and driven ... but not for the stuff we bought. They want to experience things.

Millennial here. I can echo just about all of your observations. I very much prefer to spend my money on experiences. I think a lot of share the same "experience-driven" mindset, so it drives our choice to spend money on trips, concerts, events, etc instead of a car or a house. That's a big reason why VV has appealed to me so much because Virgin has always been so focused on the experience of using their services. Everything VV has released has shown they are striving to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Maybe they're not trying to be better than everyone else, but they're definitely trying to be unique. Personally, I am digging it, and I cannot wait until 2020

52 minutes ago, AdoraBelle said:

 

So, "Mr Sexy Legs", group trivia, newlywed game, deal or no deal, lip sync competitions, etc?

It will be interesting to see if they at least keep the newlywed game. Its a cruise tradition/almost necessity.

9 hours ago, crazycatlady11 said:

 

Well, I guess we'll be the outcasts on board, then. We're not part of "the younger demographic," but we love the concept of no kids, innovative restaurants (that hopefully won't serve dumbed-down meals, since they are going for an urban-food-scene vibe), an overnight in Cuba ... Heck, they had me at "drag queen brunch." And we'll be enjoying our share of craft beer and cool cocktails -- lack of a drink package isn't an issue for us. Hopefully the hip 30-something youngsters won't openly mock the old people in their midst.

I highly doubt you'll be outcasts. Just because they are focusing their marketing towards the under-40 crowd doesn't mean it will be only be younger people on the ship. I'm sure there are plenty of people of all ages (other than those under 18 of course!) who will enjoy VV's atmosphere and offerings. 

You can select a cabin by calling VV directly. 

14 minutes ago, kgelner said:

With no kids on board, I'd think pool sound would be diminished from what we are used to on other cruise lines.
 

After reading the FAQ, it seems like there is some alcohol in the mini bars, and it's all free.  They did for sure mention a starting bottle of something.

 

 

Like others have said, I am really happy about this choice for a shorter cruise as it prevents people from getting crazy drunk trying to extract value from an unlimited drinks package.

The other way I look at this is - for most other cruise lines, I find anything that is unlimited to be pretty mediocre (like paying more for specialty restaurants usually gets much better food than the main dining room).  So I would think if you really enjoy a good drink, you would be able to get better quality drinks onboard VV than you would on ships with an unlimited drinks package, and like you say the drink prices will probably be pretty decent exactly because they are not trying to entice people to buy a drink package.

With sound bleed, I was referring more to the loud music/bass normally played at cruise pools. It would really only be an issue during the afternoons, when the pool would most likely have the highest traffic. 

9 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

I guess I thought I was their target demographic, but maybe I am way off the mark. I'm in my 30's, no children, disposable income, into more hipster/trendy/foodie kind of things... But all of the people I know, in my home town at least, that fit that same profile definitely appreciate alcohol, especially craft beer and interesting cocktails.

I agree. All of their marketing is geared towards a younger demographic. Plus, Branson has said it will be a "party ship."

Well, color me wrong. I've met plenty of people outside of bars who prefer the package over individual purchases, but I must've not run into you two yet! 

Some thoughts I have:

1.) It seems like the "well-being" zone and spa are very close to the main pool. Are they not worried about sound bleeding over from the main pool into a designated relaxation area?

2.) Many different places on the website mention the in room mini-bars are "on us." Does that mean the mini bars will be free game? I would assume alcohol would not be in the minibars if that was the case.

3.) The lack of beverage packages is a big deal. It makes sense because VV is trying to cut back on all the added fees, add-ons, and packages associated with other cruise lines. However, I think this is a crucial option to have because I haven't met a single cruiser who prefers paying per drink. On the other hand, Virgin does have a track record of not overcharging on products such as alcohol or minibars in their other ventures (i.e. Virgin Hotels).

Nevertheless, I am still excited about VV, and I'm very eager to go sailing with them next year. 

I understand them starting off with 4 and 5 day cruises if they're going after non-cruisers. I think shorter sailings are a way easier sell than week long sailings to those who have never cruised before.

No tipping on VV

https://people.com/travel/virgin-voyages-adults-only-cruise-scarlet-lady-no-tipping-policy/

What would you say the average age of the cruisers was? Me and some friends (in our 20s) are looking at the Divina on April 1st, but we want to make sure there are people around our age on the ship.