CruisinShips

Excellent review....well written and presented. We sailed on the Scarlet Lady last year and had many of the same positive comments as you about the food in particular. Agree the ship is confusing. The main thing to discuss IMO is the overall vibe. While they do seem to want to gear towards a 20-40 year old crowd, on our cruise we felt we, in our early 60s, were in the middle of the ages we saw. That being said, one needs to have a pretty open/progressive attitude on their ships and you can't be someone who is easily offended by a little edgy humor and people being comfortable with their sexual orientations. Otherwise, you may feel a little uncomfortable. We enjoyed ourselves, and enjoyed the staff, but that's where Virgin stands apart IMO.

Not really, lol, it's just that I am used to starting cruises with a positive account balance rather than a negative one...so I guess it's just that. Same reason I like drink and wifi packages and I tend to pre-book specialty restaurants and excursions for the most part.

Thanks. I actually booked while on board, and then handed it off to my travel agent, and I don't recall either asking me if I wanted to include it. Sounds like I can just call my TA.

We booked our first cruise post "gratuities included". Will there be a place to pre-pay them on the cruise planner...I don't see one now (11 mos out)?

We upload our own, but the laughter from the check-in person takes a while to subside before they can retake ours. 😉

I think the exception to that rule is possibly taking a chance on a move-up bid on the upper suites...there really are no bad locations with regard to those IMO.

I think the OP's issue was worthy of being taken seriously despite his poor use of a word and his injected speculation of the cause. Those two items didn't negate the point of his post IMO. People seem to look for reasons to blame posters here or otherwise invalidate their complaints. In this case, I would be upset if that happened to me as well.

Again, it's not about what they have the right todo. It's about what they should do so as to promote ongoing good will and customer satisfaction (and retention).

Dear lord. Can you not even fathom the emotional aspect of this? Customers aren't robots...they are actual people with human feelings. What one can do doesn't always align with what one SHOULD do, and in the uber-competitive hospitality industry, it's essential to understand this.

We were on the Apex recently in a CS on deck 11 and there was creaking in our cabin a couple of nights. But the reason for the creaking is none of your damn business! 😉

Most of our cruise was pretty windy, but for whatever reason, wind was not a factor when we dined there. I don't know if we just got lucky, or if the design blocked out the wind where we were sitting (frankly, I don't remember).

I assume you have read the reports of the butler service being (or coming) back to Sky Suites? That is happening.

Well in all honesty, I much prefer port Everglades to Port of Miami. The extra 22 minutes to get to Miami is kind of a drag. 😜

Is it a bad thing when you go to check in at the pier and person checking you in laughs out loud at the picture you submitted and re-takes it? Asking for a friend.

Same. Both parties have always showed up for me at Check-in.

If I am understanding you correctly, yes. Log into the website, click on the cruise/Plan My Cruise, click on your initials (on the website it's in the top right corner), and then click on Order History.

as is said here very often, the ship is more important in Caribbean sailings.

Nothing is better than being within an hour of two major cruise ports (South Florida)! The ports all start to look alike, but there is no flying or pre/post stay hotel issues!

We may have been neighbors on the ship. We were in 11104. So funny you booked the same week (next year) as well. Regarding Luminae...my wife is a simple eater and she was happy for the most part with the Classics menu...shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, grilled chicken or steak. I'm a bit more adventurous, so I can find something pretty much anywhere. Glad you had the same great time as us...thanks for the comment.

I do see your point and agree with you that's what SHOULD happen. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Thanks. For the most part it was fast and smooth. The Caribbean was pretty windy that week (tender at Grand Cayman was cancelled) and we did feel a little bit of motion later in the week...but honestly nothing to worry about unless you're ultra sensitive. There were times where the seas looked pretty choppy and we commented about not feeling much if any motion.

Again…with a crank. When open, they cover at least 4 lounge chairs.

We were on it in October, in a CS. The condition of the ship was fine..yes a little dated and maybe a little tired in some areas, but overall a beautiful, clean ship. Food was good and we enjoyed Luminae. Our butler service was very good as well. My only issue from a suite perspective was with the Retreat amenities aspect...no sundeck and Michael's Club was tired and pretty unexciting compared to the brightness and vibrancy of the Retreat Lounge we have experienced aboard the Apex. If those things don't matter to you...by all means, you'll be fine IMO.

LOL...I don't think you're grasping the size of those umbrellas. A pin ain't gonna do it. And for what we pay for those suites these days, I'd prefer my own portable AC unit.

Night and day difference in our experiences in the Eclipse (Michael's) in October, and the Apex (Retreat Lounge) in early March. Some seem to like Michaels, but for our money it was way too isolated, enclosed and plain boring. The Retreat Lounge was bright and vibrant and staffed by several terrific people who made the experience even better. The availability of drinks from the coolers and snacks was a big plus as well, as was the convenience of the location relative to the pool deck and Luminae.