CineGraphic

Not that it matters, but the "crowd sourcing" link has been there since day one.

Virgin has indeed improved the dining experience. During our 3 sailings, it wasn't stressful at all. I will never wait in line to eat dinner again. Even with reservations on Princess, you could wait 20+ minutes in line.

We had a friend do the tea workshop, and he said it was "meh".

It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you aren't uptight, conservative, or closed-minded.

There are only so many tables with the perfect view, so not everyone will get the best table. Thankfully, those tables with the perfect view are surrounded by more tables whose views, although not perfect, would be hard to complain about, so on a 7 or 8 day cruise, you're bound to get a decent view somewhere. If it's something that you've absolutely gotta have for something special like popping the question, I'd say speak to the Wake hostess early on, and prepare to be flexible with day/time. Being nice helps too.

I could never understand how someone wearing a hat, or shorts or jeans at another table could ruin a meal for others.

We are in our 60s, and ex-Princess loyalists. We had such an amazing time on Virgin, we cancelled all of our Princess bookings while still on our cruise. Yes, there's a party scene, but only for those who want to partake. Nobody is judging you. Everyone can enjoy themselves on board no matter what you may or may not be interested in. It's the greatest vibe we've felt on any ship. The crew is so welcoming. You'll regret not giving them a try.

One has to wonder why a TA would not want to book Virgin.....yes, you have to take some courses...but they pay a higher commission than most lines. 16% for starters, plus they get a cut of bar-tabs, excursions, etc.

We're both ex-Princess loyalists, you'll notice lots of differences. My favorites are, no announcements to interrupt your day, no photographers slowing down embarkation and disembarkation, no MDR, no cruise director, no art auctions, no sales pitches for drink packages from every server you meet, and of course, no kids.

There's a big difference between offering and actually providing. Read any review or live from a transatlantic and the subject of crappy internet for parts of the voyage is bound to come up. Currently, the amount of satellites in some areas of the Atlantic is considerably lower than the Caribbean.

I've read on other forums that Aon is taking longer than usual to process claims. There's a shortage of help. Nobody wants to work for a wage that doesn't cover their basic needs. As a victim of the Southwest Airlines Christmas Nightmare, I had to re-book on another airline, and pay for a hotel.......no refund from Southwest yet either.

Thanks to the new Brightline Trains, you can also consider flying out of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach if they have better fares. For our cruise later this month, we're flying into FLL, and back home via PBI. There was a considerable price difference, and we like to spoil ourselves one last time by booking first-class. With the Brightline app, you can pre-book a car to meet you at the cruise port to take you to the Miami station. www.GoBrightline.com

I think they are making changes because as we've all read here, people are tired of the same old shows. I don't think they counted on folks wanted to sail so frequently with them. When we first booked last July, their system wasn't even set-up to handle something as common as a back-to-back cruise.

We were on the 5th sailing of a ship a few years ago, and thankfully didn't have any problems. The new ship smell was everywhere. We kept saying, "this place smells like ship".

We've found that when we're out on our terrace, we're either in the hammock with our eyes closed or sitting, reading a book. It's very easy to see past the life boats.....the view is still delightful. Need to be able to look straight down? It's just a quick walk down 1 flight of stairs to the promenade.

After 2 requests, we finally have separate roll call pages for each ship, making it easier to navigate. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2459-virgin-voyages-roll-calls/

The only people that wouldn't enjoy sailing with Virgin would be those who tend to be closed-minded, or conservative. The vibe is nice & welcoming.

You are correct. Events like this fill the pages of the daily papers/patters on other lines. I must have learned how to not see them anymore, and forgotten. I remember walking by a "Have a Healthier Gut" seminar on another line, only to hear them building everyone up to believe they needed overpriced supplements and probiotics. Sorry...for the brief hijacking.

You won't regret this. We were loyal to Princess for years. After 3 bad cruises in a row and a poor response from corporate, we made the switch to Virgin and loved it so much, we texted our TA while hanging out at the Virgin Beach Club on Bimini and cancelled all of our Princess bookings. Imagine.....no announcements to interrupt your day No photographers slowing down embarkation and disembarkation No main dining room No cruise director Nobody trying to sell you drink packages No art auctions No hard sell anywhere for anything. Not even a soft sell You won't hear 6-10 different versions of "What a Wonderful World" or "My Way" over the course of your cruise Meals cooked to order, 150% better than pre-cooked hotel banquet quality food served on most lines

Couldn't agree more....but they'd be nuts to cancel you for complaining about their screw-ups.

I think one of the reasons they take bids on suites that are already sold-out is to see what folks are willing to pay.

I don't think Virgin even knows what they are gonna offer yet, but they've already won us over, and they'd be fools to leave everyone they worked so hard to attract, hanging high & dry.

We prefer aft as well. Decks 8 or 9, so it's just a quick hop down the stairs to the promenade and the Dock.

Sea Terrace to Sea Terrace. Why they consider that an upgrade is beyond me. Our TA spent all morning on the phone with Virgin. Sadly, the agent support reps can be just as clueless as some of the phone reps we've dealt with. Sometimes you get lucky and get someone who knows what they're doing, but this wasn't the case today. After escalating things, we've now been assigned a cabin close to our original location. Our TA earned every cent of her commission today.

We don't get the suite.....just a cabin that connects to it.