rebeccac

This is specifically in reference to the Riviera. I have not looked at any of the other ships.

Yes, they have been recatorgorized starting 2025. I do wish they would do what other cruise lines do and give you two options for the deck plans (before and after 2025). However, if you go through the booking process to the point where you are picking a cabin number, below the box where it says "suite search", there is a link to view deck plans and that will have the accurate plans for the sailing you are looking at.

Really enjoying following along as we will be on the Riviera in 2025. Just as a side note, I understand that many areas of the Med are busier than normal due to the many ships that have changed itineraries due to the problems in Israel.

Two things: 1. The Sun Princess will finally have shower doors. 2. If you are on a ship with shower curtains, bring binder clips and clip them to the bottom of the curtain. Solves the issue.

Do you happen to remember the flavor of jam?

It is very unlikely that prices will go down. For the most part, they have only been heading up. All food/snacks are included except for a few "treat yourself" items in the sit down restaurants. There is also a charge for afternoon tea and a few food events such as sushi making. The bar tab can be used for any paid drink not just alcohol, such as specialty coffee, fresh pressed juices, mocktails, etc. It can only be used for drinks. You can buy a bottle from a restaurant and take it home with you if you have money left over or just make new friends and buy them drinks.

On our last VV cruise, tea was only on sea days.

Your TA should have a BDM to contact directly who can help with these kinds of issues.

The first day our dining reservations opened, I was also not able to book for the last morning. A couple of days later, all of a sudden, I could do it. I suggest just trying again until it works.

Being a big fan of the BBC show "Death in Paradise" which is filmed on Guadeloupe, I would do the following tour. https://en.karukera-experiences.com/botanical-garden-and-death-in-paradise-tour/ We are going to be in Guadeloupe on another cruise line at the end of the year, but unfortunately that tour does not run on Saturdays, and we will be there on a Saturday. I am so bummed.

Just not a lot of shade on deck 16. I'm too pale to lay out in the sun.

I've been onboard with only 1400 and it still feels super crowded by the pool on a sea day.

We got the free hour on our recent Seaside cruise. We made at reservation at the spa on boarding day and went back on a port day. Since it was not busy, I think they would have let us stay as long as we wanted. There are lockers to put your belonging in that you wish to keep dry, you simply use your cruise card to lock them. I will warn you that several of the lockers were not functioning properly, so if the first one you try won't lock, just try another one. We pretty much tried everything out for a bit (except the heated loungers because there are only three of them on the Seaside and they were occupied the entire time we were there). There is a jetted pool. There are several different saunas, both dry and steamy. There is a room where various temperatures of jetted water shoot up out of the floor (amusing - I giggled a lot, but not necessarily relaxing). There was a salt room and an ice room (bring flip flops or water shoes as even the floor is icy). There is also an outdoor area, but we found it somewhat depressing as there were no plants or decoration and the loungers were just the standard ones with no padding. I am glad I didn't pay to use the thermal suites, but I did enjoy getting to try them out for no cost.

Circles are just what VV calls group bookings. All cruise lines have them. They can be created with or without a TA (although I certainly would not want to go through the headache on my own).

From a google search: To be classified as a U.S.-flagged ship, and therefore be able to travel between any U.S. ports, there is certain criterion: The cruise ship must have been built, or born, in a U.S. shipyard. The cruise ship must be staffed by U.S. crewmembers and paid based on U.S. minimum wage laws.

That Club 485C doesn't look like it has anything to do with travel agents specifically. Per the link, it sounds like it was for a select group of sailors, although I suppose some of those sailors could also be travel agents. As far as I understand it, gold certified first mates are just those who have completed the top level of training with VV.

From what I heard on a YouTube live (where a vlogger had a rep from VV on their show), they had been underpricing cabins and are now working on getting up to the levels that the investors think they should be to be profitable. Prices are going nowhere but up!

You can try calling VV or your TA and see if you can use that FVC to buy sailor loot. I was able to do that for a 2022 sailing. The rules may have changed, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

If you have your account set up so that one of you is responsible for all the payments for the cabin, the bar tab will be shared. You do that during the check in process when you are setting up your credit card. There should be a drop down to pick that you will be responsible and you just check off your spouse's name.

Just wondering if anybody has some more recent info on any "Death in Paradise" tours. We booked a fairly last minute Christmas/New Year's cruise which stops in Guadeloupe and there is not a tour through the ship, so I am looking for a third party options.

We have sailed nine different cruise lines and as far as I'm concerned (and everyone likes something different), the regular beds on VV were just about the most uncomfortable and I got very little sleep unless I slept in the hammock. On our first VV cruise, we had a rockstar suite and those beds were lovely.

It shows up, it just might not be 100% accurate.

I'm in my 50s, but I have bad knees and I had a problem getting up and down that wall around the pool. I really wish they had some stairs or railings.

We are not allowed to mention specific TAs on CC.

While this is the case for most cruise lines, VV is different. Once in international waters 18+ will be allowed to drink alcohol.