cantgetin

It isn't one big party.  THere are smaller things happening all over the ship, and while the photos of people in the pool in their clothing are all over, there is nothing requiring you to set foot in the pool. Yes, there are those who have over-imbibed and are a bit nuts, but not as crazy as the ads would make it sound.  Consider taking ear plugs to all the big events.

The later your scheduled time, the more likely you are to be checking in far in advance of your time.  VV says to not arrive more than 30 minutes before your time, and that is quite valid if you have 1:30.  There will be a crowd at 1 and 1:30 with all the priority boarding people, but this will quickly move. If you have a 3:00 time, show up at 2.  Yes, you'll get in the 3:00 line, but as soon as the 2:45 line moves, you're next.  If you have a 4:30 time, you may be checking in at 3--if you are there.

Bottom line--the later your boarding time, the farther in advance you MAY benefit from showing up.  Of course, this assumes that all is moving normally.
As Bill noted, he was heading to check in almost an hour before his scheduled time.  IF you have completed check in on the app, the physical process takes only a few minutes, and I'd guess he was in his cabin by 2:50 (if that was his first stop after setting foot on the ship).

If you used a TA (first mate), contact them.  THey will forward the info to their clients and try to help you sell it.  They will also handle the financial transaction which would certainly make ME more comfortable than sending an unknown person a lot of money.  Maybe not all TAs do this, but mine does.  I get periodic notices about her having a client that can't cruise, listing the details and to contact her if interested.

Just now, Cloud9 Bob said:

I'll ask you this again (after NCL) but a hint now would be fun. Which one was your favorite?

Hard to answer.  We got a complimentary upgrade to a "window suite" on Princess which include all the suite perks. There was a special area of the dining room for suite guests only which included one or more special items each night, seating as "just us" unless requested otherwise, etc.   We also did some great excursions.  But Princess is Princess--nothing special about the ship, etc.  It was one of their older ships from the late 1990s, and needed some "love." It has since been sold to another line and they have a new ship with the same name. They made a big deal about "Puppies in the Piazza" which amounted to standing in line for a long time for a 30 second pet and photo op with sled dog puppies.  We also did a B2B, so going up and back gave us a lot more excursion options.  We saw more because we went out of Vancouver.

Celebrity, the ship, in general was better--better food, better entertainment on board.  We did private excursions on this one.  Dinner seating was a table for 6 which was less than optimal. Same age ship within a year or two, but better maintained. They had the worst looking "characters" I've ever seen at each port--it looked like the actors were wearing bath mats.  On the other hand, when we returned to the ship at each stop, we were greeted with hot chocolate and a warm wash cloth--very nice touch.

The thing is that for us, Alaska is about the scenery, wildlife, and the people we are with a whole lot more than the ship itself.  I would cruise Princess again only if it was an itinerary that I couldn't get elsewhere.  We also did them in Japan--great trip, nothing to do with the ship or line.  I would do Celebrity again, all things considered.  BUT in fairness, both of these trips were  slightly pre-covid, and there have been a lot of changes since then.

The only thing to do in advance is to keep checking or buy Splash of Romance.  BUT.....ignore VV's recommendation to show up no more than 30 minutes before your time and show up about an hour early.  They are very busy dealing with people who have priority boarding at 1:30, but that goes really quickly.  Then they start working their way thru each of the time slots in order.  SO if you have a 3:00 time slot, you will likely be taken between 2 and 2:30.  People with a 4:30 time slot may well get in at 3:30 or even earlier.

As it said on a VV shirt, "Ship Happens," and all things can be messed up.  We had one horrible boarding out of Miami, and one "not very good."

Be sure you have completed all your boarding info on the app in advance.  There is a separate area for people who "need help" or just forgot, so if you get to the boarding area and it isn't complete you won't slow the process for others.  However, you also won't be processed till it is complete.

2 hours ago, steve thfc said:

Yes the laundry is a good benefit .

If someone doesn't have dbe. Vv raised that from 30 to 55 per bag now.

Ouch.  It is a HUGE bag, but $55!

1 hour ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

 

Would you mind sharing which line?

NCL in Alaska.  It wasn't our first choice, but  are traveling with others.  Total slightly under $4K for a week including the "Free at Sea" package (you pay the tips that would have been charged if it wasn't "free.")

We've done Alaska on Celebrity and Princess, but this is really about going with friends.

23 hours ago, steve thfc said:

Had issues with virgin applying dbe. We had e mail confirming it. Showed that to sailor services who wouldn't accept it. Rockstar agent had to call head office in Plantation to resolve.

We had this happen on our first VV cruise. The really odd thing was that it showed up for my cabin mate but not for me....and I'd put them in at the same time.  At that point, the benefits were "per cabin," so it really made no difference.  The woman at "Sailor's Club" outside insisted that I didn't qualify, but the person who checked us in asked why I didn't have a bracelet,  made an "I can't believe they were so stupid" face, and applied my bracelet...so we never made it to the Sailor Services step.

Since then, I have always verified it on the internet account prior to boarding as well as making sure my First Mate had it listed in her documents.  And I continue to keep a copy of the letter in my phone--never needed any of it.

Note--benefits are now "per person," so you do want to be sure to sign up each qualifying person in your cabin.  Each will get the $100 bar tab (was previously one bottle of Moet per cabin) as well as a bag of laundry which I loved on our last cruise.  It was a 14 night cruise--we sent laundry about half way thru, then again as late as possible so I took home clean clothes rather than work to be done!

On 9/9/2024 at 10:38 PM, Cloud9 Bob said:

It's one of those events I've never made it to. Definitely trying it next cruise. It's scheduled for 2:30 PM on a sea day in the Red Room. How early (and where) can you begin to buy tickets? Do you get the actual bingo cards when you are seated or are the cards your ticket? Do you become part of the show?

Depends on how long the cruise is and how good the Diva is.  On short cruises, it will tend to be crowded.  On longer cruises, the first time is often not full, but increases in popularity as the cruise goes on.
Line up 30-45 minutes early.  As you get toward the doors, it will split into two lines--one for buying cards, the other to see the show but not play.  You get your cards when you buy them at the door.  The only time you are part of the show is if you win, and that is a brief verification of your card; you don't go on stage or anything.

Between the Loot and Bar Tab, I've really enjoyed leaving the VV ships with little or no charge to my credit card.  However, the current prices are more than I'm willing to pay for what amounts to something I've done several times with them.

I can't say that I love the price structure on other lines, but the overall costs are no worse than VV at this point.  My family is booked on one cruise in 2025, on a line we haven't tried before.--I think it will be our 7th line in the almost 30 years we've been cruising.  That's down from our normal 2 or even 3 per year, but it will satisfy the "cruise bug."

VV seems to change their "deals" every month or two; is you don't like what you are seeing now, you can always check back to see if the next thing is better for you.  But I don't expect serious price drops as long as ships as sailing full or nearly so.

We got great prices 2022-2024.  The investors now want to see profits.  As long as ships are sailing full, which many are, they will keep trying to find their "price point."  
For the first time, when I got off the ship in 2024, I didn't have another one booked--combination of price and "been there, done that" in terms of menu, activities, etc.  Yes, they are making some changes in those areas, so time will tell.

12 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

I brought this for all my upcoming cruises when it was $200.  I thought the seafood platter at the Wake was $75 or $99 up charge.  I may be wrong on the cost but between the bottle of champagne and seafood platter it was worth $200.  If not, I'll cancel it on my other cruises after using it on the first one.   

You are right that the Moet is $105 and the tomahawk steak is $75.  Bottomless brunch is $25 each.  Drinks at dinner--for us, $20 each or less would be typical. The steak is the only "upcharge" item that I see as worth it on VV, although in fairness I've only tried a few of them.  The days of the huge complimentary bar tabs seem to be over, so maybe if you drink a lot the numbers work out.  Special desert at dinner and a bit of decoration on the table--ok, but I have plenty of food on VV.  I can't make the numbers work based on our alcohol intake (or lack thereof).  Last I saw, the package cost was $250, and most of the supposed value was in alcohol.

I see it more of an experience thing, like the high tea at Sips.  I don't need the extra food, but sitting and being treated to that afternoon special is a nice thing.  

When planning for the PJ party, remember that it can be cooler than anticipated on deck at night with the ship moving at a good clip.  Weather is obviously variable.

1 minute ago, Nswift565 said:

Thank you!  That's not much earlier than my 2;30 boarding now. 

I don't know if it would be worth it.

 

That's really a personal decision,  If you want the Moet and the thermal suite, those 2 items basically make the entire cost; the other goodies are essentially "free."  On the other hand, if you don't want one of those 2 items, not worth it in my mind.

17 minutes ago, Hydro ergo said:

@cantgetin woah, this sounds awesome!  I wish our four night was a six or eight night, haha!  How did you find out about the activities in advance?  So far I've received an email that said they would have special themed treats (sounds like the food you mention) and the Halloween Scarlet Night (our Scarlet Night conveniently falls on Halloween).  If there are other events, I want to be sure to pack appropriately.

thanks again!

Our cruise was 14 nights.  I think we surprised the crew and VV corporate the year before when people who weren't on the ship on Halloween night did costumes a couple days before.  We got the ads about treats, etc. that you mentioned.  Our Halloween and Scarlet Night were different, but we had a lot more nights for them to choose from. The only other thing that required a costume was our "Onesie Brunch" which was organized by an individual in a group on another social media site that we can't mention here.  We organized LOTS of activities for our 8 sea days, but most were not Halloween themed. Many people did wear Halloween themed t-shirts, etc around the ship on other days.  I don't think you'll need to pack more than your costumes, and it sounds like you won't need Scarlet night things. 

They will push a passenger on or off the ship, in a chair owned by the cruise line.  You then need to transfer to a different one in the port with a different pusher.

2 hours ago, Hydro ergo said:

@cantgetin, thank you!  This is helpful.  We would definitely be courteous of others' space/experience and yes, it's mostly for photos/costume contests etc.  If you don't mind me asking, how was the experience last year?  You said it was a big deal...did a lot of people have elaborate costumes?  We love costuming and were hoping that we weren't out of place with a bunch of people just wearing sheets as ghosts or something! (and no disrespect to any sheet-ghosts or simple costumes out there---as long as you're having fun that's what matters!)  But we were a little curious how much people dress up.  Although, it's pretty much impossible to feel out of place on a Virgin cruise...

 

thank you!

T

Many people went "all out" on costumes, even on the one in 2022 that ended before Halloween.  In 2023, we were made aware of many of the activities in advance so people many people were well prepared.  Even things to eat were Halloween decorated for the entire cruise (very cute).  There was also a very active group on social media that planned our own activities.  VV was sort of Halloween on steroids.  It was almost a second Scarlet Night.  A lot of work for crew, but fun.  My guess is that it will grow each year as I can't think of any activity that was a "bust."   Our group on the had organized a "onesie brunch" which had something like 70 people make reservations (free, but needed for seating) and 60 something in attendance.  We just re-wore those costumes, but there were people who probably needed an extra suitcase for their costumes.

Deflated in your suitcase, the screeners likely wouldn't even pick it up.  We did the Halloween cruise.last year and the one that ended a day or two earlier the day before.  Last year it was quite a big deal.  My best guess would be that if your prop is getting in the way of others, you'd be asked to take it to your room.  If it isn't bothering anyone, you can carry it till you are tired of it,  If all you do is bring it for photos anc costume judging, you'll be fine.  Absolute worst case, the screeners decide it isn't allowed.....they till confiscate it during the cruise and return it to you on the last night....and you will have wasted suitcase space for nothing,

We handle getting on and off the ship with me pushing my companion's rollator and she sitting in a cruise line provided wheelchair because at age 70, I am not strong enough to push her up or secure her going down the ramps.  Similarly to others, she can walk short distances unaided or stand for short periods, but needs assistance in airports, cruise terminals and on/off the ship, etc.  On our first VV cruise, we went to the disembarkation area ourselves, which is seems horribly messed up their entire system.  The person there asked if we had "registered" for wheelchair disembarkation; I replied that my TA had noted it on the reservation.  NO, I was supposed to have notified Sailor Services 48 hours in advance (never heard that before or since, but I've always touched base with them since then).   I realize that Princess and Celebrity deal with many more mobility impaired individuals, but even Disney does a much better job than VV.

Like you, we have found the services for people with disabilities at the Miami terminal to be horrible and have no consistency at either embarkation or disembarkation.  Barcelona has been MUCH better.  We've had priority boarding each time with loyalty or dumb luck the first cruise, and that didn't make things any easier.  I wrote a lengthy letter to the former CEO detailing the problems, and got a response 4 months later with approximately the same quality as the boarding experience. (very poor)

The one thing that puzzles me is why you were in a central sea terrace rather than an accessible room.  My travel partner needs the accessible bathroom, so anything else means we don't take that cruise....and those rooms are well located near the midship elevators.

I'll add something else.  People do make mistakes, and most often that is not the end of the world.

The exception in the above thread is the tree nut issue--that is very serious (or could be if missed), and we were asked about allergies at every sit down breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, The Dock, ....and even pizza and ice cream.

As to mistakes......On my last cruise, I decided I wanted to take advantage of the laundry service and take my stuff home clean.  I asked when was the latest I could send laundry to get it back in time to have luggage ready  for the last night.  When we came back to the cabin after dinner, I was met by our stateroom host with major apologies (and he wasn't the person who had given me the info).  He said that he'd need our luggage that night in order to have it back on time.  NOT a big deal; the guy who told us the next morning would be OK made a mistake.  The only problem was that I had my bracelet in my pants pocket and sent that to the laundry.  Response to that was a laugh and "It isn't the first time that has happened."

4 hours ago, jon81uk said:

Not done it, but don’t see the value unless you want some help organising a large group dinner and all cabins buy the package. 
 

In terms of value, Moet is $105 onboard, Tomahawk steak $75, drinks with dinner unknown cost but I’ll assume $50, brunch $50 ($25 each). So that’s just $280 in actual value onboard, plus you get some extra table decoration for dinner and similar (I saw another table at dinner with a sign and decorations about their celebration so I assume they had the package).

 

 

Jon did exactly what I was going to do--add up the goodies.  It doesn't work for me.  My understanding is that there are a few special deserts available at dinner also, but I can't see that as a big deal.  

We've done dinners for 8 with no package, no problems.  There is a special VV line for those with larger groups to help you organizer dinners for the group.

ADA accommodations on VV have been horrible at embarkation and disembarkation at Miami to the point that I sent a snail mail letter to the former CEO detailing the issues. To say that the response was adequate is a huge exaggeration,  Fortunately, Barcelona is a whole lot better.  THe problem at disembarkation happens because the ship's personnel take you off the ship by wheelchair, then the terminal people take over with their own wheelchairs.  This means that if you have your own chair, you have a place to sit. If you don't have your own wheelchair (as in you use other devices while on board), the terminal in Miami has no place for you to sit and wait for the terminal people to show up.  At Barcelona, a crew member quickly assembled a dozen folding chairs--enough for the person needing one and the person with them.  In Miami, we could SEE chairs on the other side of a barrier, but had no way to access them.  Our most recent disembarkation in Barcelona was amazing.  We are able to manage things on our own once we are on the ship, but the terminal and gangway ramps are just not possible.

I understand the issues, but no other cruise line we've been on has been this bad.  We've had long waits for assistance on some, but always in a seated area where  we never felt like we had been lost in the shuffle.

23 hours ago, Tatra603 said:

Is the only way to get to The Wake down that long staircase?

The Wake entrance is a pain.  On my first cruise, we went in on 6 as instructed by Sailor Services.  We were promptly told that was not acceptable and the crew person at the bottom of the stairs told me I had to go up and check in.  Problem--one of us has a walker and the other (me) was celebrating the end of cancer treatment.  I pulled the cancer card and shamed them into using what appears to be the walkie-talkies they carry.  After that, we started going over on 7, checking in, then taking the elevator down to 6 to enter.

You need to keep in mind that the hallways don't connect.  You must use the aft elevator, so you need to walk thru on 7 or one of the decks with guest cabins, then take the elevator down.  Same when leaving--you can exit on 6, but need to take the elevator up to a floor that lets you walk thru to midship.  Also, the restrooms are on 6.  In our experience they are the most neglected restrooms on the ships.