wynkys

In my opinion, Honfleur is a great option.

A comprehensive and genuine sounding review. Thank you.

I was on the second sailing out of Melbourne and as soon as I boarded and saw the scarcity of passengers, I thought to myself and commented on that other site that I would be surprised if VV returned for a second season. They got their initial marketing wrong for the local market and have been struggling to recover since then. I do wonder how many of their sailors paid the full sticker price?

Stunning photos and comprehensive reporting-the essential ingredients for an excellent review.

What a great report, refreshing and honest! Your photos are terrific and imagine how many memories, good and bad, they will provide you in the future.

I disembarked last Monday from a Grand 7-nighter out of Melbourne. I attended the Crown Grill one evening courtesy of my travel agent A few years ago I had a disappointing speciality meal at Jamies on RCL, however, the experience last week left that in the shade. Once seated, I sat there for forty minutes without being offered a drink and had difficulty flagging down my waiter to ask for one. No wine list was presented and I wasn't chancing asking for one and waiting further. The meal arrived eventually and after a disappointing soup, my main course of lamb chops followed. The first one I tried couldn't be cut without effort but the other two were more acceptable. At this point the Maitre'd appeared and asked how things were and I told him. He offered to arrange for a replacement chop which I declined and that was the last I saw of him that evening. With my unfinished meal sitting before me for some further time, no other staff member appeared, so I left in disgust. Two days later, I happened to be sitting beside the Hotel Manager at the Most Traveled Guest Luncheon and when I told her about my experience, she saId that it was unacceptable and that was that. Luckily, for me, the rest of the cruise was up to the usual standard I have come to expect from Princess.

I have just returned from a Princess cruise in an inside cabin and the contrast with my recent experience in a Resilient Lady Sea Terrace bears comment. What a pleasure it was to be able to have your toiletries handy on bathroom shelves and to be able to use the toilet without being reminded of an aircraft one. Also enjoyable was being able to see the TV at a good angle without having to sit or lie on the bed. Many things may be touted on VV as being radical in the industry, however, old-fashioned comfort still has its appeal.

Karla, Your photos are outstanding and I look forward to your future contributions. Healthy and happy sailing to all onboard.

My initial point was that prospective customers were initially attracted to VV with what appeared to be great comparable prices with other local competitors and then to discover that they had been deceived by the currency quoted. I am pleased to see that local advertising is now in A$.

Some observations on my recent experience (16-21 Dec) on Resilient Lady on her second cruise of the local deployment. As a seasoned cruiser on many different lines over many years, I found the whole experience to be a little underwhelming. It was missing the wow factor that is so much of their marketing pushes. There were only 1300 passengers onboard and considering how heavy the promotion has been, I believe VV need to look at their approach. Quoting cruise prices in A$ would be a good start to allow prospective cruises to do a fair comparison with other local offerings The food was good with plenty of variety and availability, however the same can't be said for the entertainment. I attended three different shows and they were indistinguishable from each other- a lead vocalist surrounded by acrobats. Other musical options were limited. Watching TV in the cabin provided challenges unless you are happy watching prone from the bed. Alternatives are to have the cabin reconfigured or watch the screen at a forty-five degree angle from the only chair available. The Sea Terrace cabins are adequate with the hammock a real plus. However, the bathroom is barely adequate. If you take away the shower, you are basically left with an aircraft toilet. One final comment is on the Casino. Unless you have US$ in cash you are left with the option of a room charge with a 7% surcharge and an obscure (at least to me) process on the machines. This is something that Virgin should be alerting clients about before they board. It will be interesting to see how Virgin positions itself in the local market after this initial foray.

It is currently day four out of five for Virgin’s second Australian local voyage. There are only 1300 on board despite heavy promotion and that may be an influence on my subsequent comments. I am a solo traveller and not part of a group travelling together. This is a crucial point as the ship lacks any sort of communal space such as Holland America’s Crows Nest, Cunard’s Commodore Club or even Carnival’s the Alchemy Bar where it is possible to meet others. Shared dining is limited and, therefore, sitting in virtually empty communal spaces is all that is offered. On embarkation, there was an invitation to a solo gathering at sailaway but when I went to the venue, nothing happened including no staff member in attendance to explain why. I am adding this later as I have just returned from the DBE cocktail party where the venue was changed due to the weather but invitees were left to their own devices to find out where to. I am making these comments in a constructive manner to alert future cruisers as to what awaits them. Overall, it is a good but not great experience in the current market and let’s hope they do their due diligence for the local market.

A very interesting account of this portion of your travels. Thank you and stay safe.

Once again, thank you for this very interesting and enjoyable report and I wish Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate the occasion.