Actuality251

I’m on my first cruise, virgin Caribbean, and I’ve never been so bored in my entire life. Never take a cruise by yourself as I am. I think I’m the only solo cruiser on this ship. Haven’t spoken to a soul except staff all week. Worst vacation I’ve ever taken. Never again. And you have to walk half a mile for a lukewarm cup of coffee. Food is mediocre and never hot. Music ear splitting techno rock.  And Richard Branson has a lot to learn about seating. Hardly a comfortable place to relax in the whole ship because it’s furnished with IKEA junk. 

Virgin’s Valiant Lady has two boxing rings and no full size swimming pool. Cause they’re all in on “fitness” provided it involves punching. 

On 3/28/2024 at 9:46 AM, ldubs said:

But there’s need for TWO boxing rings? Really? 

I suspect the primary reason is demand/usage would be pretty low making it hard to justify.  

On 3/28/2024 at 9:46 AM, ldubs said:

 

I suspect the primary reason is demand/usage would be pretty low making it hard to justify.  

35 minutes ago, garycarla said:

Based on what others have done, we are just doing Uber, so no worry about the correct pickup time, or getting off way before the driver shows up.

 

We have an 11:40 flght from FLL and plan to leave at 8am and call uber once we are in the customs line.

35 minutes ago, garycarla said:

Based on what others have done, we are just doing Uber, so no worry about the correct pickup time, or getting off way before the driver shows up.

 

We have an 11:40 flght from FLL and plan to leave at 8am and call uber once we are in the customs line.

35 minutes ago, garycarla said:

Based on what others have done, we are just doing Uber, so no worry about the correct pickup time, or getting off way before the driver shows up.

 

We have an 11:40 flght from FLL and plan to leave at 8am and call uber once we are in the customs line.
 

Thank you!

3 hours ago, floridafish said:

I'd like to know the average number of passengers on any given cruise that miss their ship. Probably higher than you think. 

“Sailors missing the ship is an extremely rare occurrence at Virgin Voyages, with only a handful of instances ever recorded,” Alex Zeitz, Senior Director of International Operations, Experience, Inclusions, and Events for Virgin Voyages, tells Matador Network. ”

https://matadornetwork.com/read/left-behind-by-a-cruise/

Just seems odd given their purported commitment to fitness.

I’m arranging a limo for transportation to FLL Airport. Disembarkation begins 6 AM. The flight is noon.what time should  I tell him to pick me up?

Yikes. Good thing an honest woman like you got it. How could that happen?

Thank you. One of my reservations disappeared a few days ago. 

How long does it take to get off Valiant Lady? I’m arranging for a pick up and I need to give them a time. 

Who knew? They look big in movies.

Do all cruises rely on apps as heavily as VV seems to?

I see your point, Don. But readers can make their own judgments. The more information, the better. 

Put it on Trip Advisor and Trust Pilot. But try to edit it down a little.People will be more likely to read it. Consumers count on information like this. 

This isn’t a small ship. It’s a big ship without a pool you can swim in. But thank God it’s got two boxing rings. A girl never knows when she’s going to need one of those. 

1 minute ago, crystalspin said:

Maybe for beach days? Not a swimmer myself, but obviously it was not "right" for this ship.

 

People ooh and ahh about the benefits of smaller cruise ships, but there is going to be less or fewer of SOME things. 

TripAdvisor gets a lot of visits for cruise complaints. So does TrustPilot. I don’t know what the cruise lines pay attention to, if anything. Good luck. 

5 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Apparently you didn't do any research. It's been a long held complaint about the sizes of the pools on Virgin.

I just couldn’t have imagined… 

So Im about to take my first Caribbean cruise on Virgin’s Valiant Lady and I just learned it has not a single full size swimming pool.There are apparently two you can wade in. The largest has a sign saying “Maximum: 14.” I didnt think this would be something I had to double check.  Don’t all cruise ships have pools? Even the Titanic had one. I had ordered a second swim suit but sent it back without trying it on. What’s the point? Wasn’t it right to assume this ship would have a real pool? 

On 2/22/2024 at 11:13 PM, Gretchendz said:

 

It is true that the reservations system is a pain point, especially for the first-timers.  And the technology needs work.  But if you want to hear complaints about apps, drop by the Princess forums.  And they just rolled out a big upgrade. 

Hopefully, the onboard experience will make up for it. But it's not a great first impression, no doubt about it.

On 2/21/2024 at 5:54 PM, cantgetin said:

My sis and BIL are scheduled for their first VV cruise.  Today I got an email about how bad the app was after she stayed up a good part of the night trying to make dinner reservations.  With help from her travel agent, she was  later able to get "something" for each night of her cruise and does understand the possibility of changing to a time that they might prefer after boarding.  She knows all about the "held back" reservations and stuff, but this level of frustration is not a good look for VV.  I guess they think that things are so good after boarding that people will forget the stress that went into getting things set up.  Makes me feel really sorry for new cruisers who don't have someone to fill them in on the "tricks."

On 2/24/2024 at 8:55 AM, Gretchendz said:

 

Glad you are into forgiveness!  I have had that happen on other lines, so I understand the stress.  It's why I bought AirTags (the Android equivalent) and keep one in each checked bag. That way I know they are on the ship, at least.

I gave up. Besides, I dislike having a calendar full of appointments. Good thing I’m not a foodie.

On 3/1/2024 at 1:35 PM, mnocket said:

This is one of the things that turns me off about VV.  Having great restaurants is meaningless if you can't get reservations.  Same goes for shows, etc.  I don't go on vacation to compete with my fellow travelers to get into venues. 

I’m a retired broadcast journalist. The two most stressful parts of the job were competing for information and troubleshooting technical problems. And somehow Richard Branson has managed to elevate those things around a luxury cruise, and I was unlucky enough to choose it. 

Just now, Actuality251 said:

 

 

“If you call sailor services oryour travel agent.”  It never occurred to me to use a travel agent. I didn’t realize they still existed. They used to have storefronts. I haven’t seen one in years.  My Boomer-ness is showing. 

9 hours ago, cantgetin said:

If you call sailor services oryour travel agent,

9 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Yup I've had it happen where I lost all my preboarding info too.  If you call sailor services oryour travel agent, they MIGHT be able to book dinners for you (if there is anything left for "in advance."  The good news is that a huge number of reservations are held back until after boarding.  If you go to Razzle Dazzle on deck 5 after boarding, they can assist you with getting the reservations you want or changing what you've already booked.

I had so much trouble with the app this time that I reached the point of "I don't even care any more."  If it is anything other than an unbelievably great cruise, it may well be my last on VV....mostly because I'm tired of fighting with the app and the wheelchair assist issues.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I think I’m going to like the cruising community, if not Virgin.