cantgetin

10 hours ago, CougarKraft said:

I believe that it is a standard interior design method to control areas of more "flow" and other areas where they prefer people to congregate. 

Respectfully disagree.  Why organize an area with 50 or more uncomfortable seats?  Example--The Dock has 3 styles of seats, only one of which I can sit in at all comfortably.   Yes, the area could hold more people if they got rid of those day bed things, but they sometimes can't keep up with orders now.  Some decks which are obviously walkways lined with seats are such that if your back is against the back rest, your legs hang straight out (unless you are some sort of giant).....so you sit forward in order to bend your knees in a normal sitting position meaning no back rest.  In some exterior spaces, the designers did not consider the temperature of the materials when sun is shining on them!  As in "sit here and any bare skin will be burned."

As others have said, prices have increased greatly.  I was surprised to see your price as it was a lot more than what I paid....but I had taken advantage of every available discount that I could find, some of which are no longer available and I had a sea terrace, not an XL.

Bottom line, prices on VV have increased greatly.  The days of serious bargains are gone.  On the other hand, the prices are still good when compared to other lines.  And TA prices increasing has happened on other lines.  People learn how good they are, bookings increase, and prices go up.  Could you have done better?  Maybe, but only a little.  For instance, if you found an agent who had some MNVV certificates to sell you, you would have saved $300 and gotten some onboard credit.

5 hours ago, delynn72 said:

Thanks, I checked and only 4:30 available still. However, I see the VV website mentions it doesn't matter what time you arrive if you have Deep Blue Extras, so we are all set. 

Deep Blue Extra qualifies you for priority boarding which begins at 1:30.  VV asks that you don't arrive more than 30 minutes prior to that time....and if you do, you'll be standing around.

This was a special one night only appearance on a TA cruise...I don't know where she was going afterward, but it wasn't likely to be another ship.

Cher's wigs sounds like a hoot.

On 6/28/2024 at 9:11 AM, Eric&Pam said:

 

 

Many stars travel with truckloads of comforts to personalize the venue's dressing rooms to their liking, with everything from ping pong tables and pinball machines, to king sized beds and full-blown barista set-ups.

We happened to be near the atrium on another cruise line when the lobby was filling up with a luggage all labeled 1 of 41, 2 of 41, etc. and a crew member was busy placing everything in numerical order.  There was a tiny, unremarkable blonde at the desk.  This was a port day, and she was our entertainment for the night.  It made sense when I saw her on stage that night. She literally got on the ship in the afternoon, did 2 performances (6 and 8:15), presumably got something to eat, and got off the ship before we pulled out at 11pm. I have no idea where she was coming from or heading after she performed for us, but 41 cases and several crew members as well as one  guy who appeared to be her "caretaker" seemed ridiculous.

27 minutes ago, Liao said:

Thanks for the advice!  Downloaded the app, and...took my pic, now 20x, and "can't download picture, try again" each time.  Followed all the rules, no hat, removed glasses, I have real beard, still no go.  Just wonky IT I suppose.  I've got plenty of time, will keep trying.

I don't remember if I had to complete the entire registration on the app to choose a time for terminal arrival--I don't think so.  I've had HORRIBLE times downloading the passport photo and info at times.  Closing the app has helped, and more than once I have had to do it with family member's phone rather than mine.   Turning off the phone, closing all apps, and trying again has also worked.  I've  been able to upload my photo on the app and then had it rejected at the port...but they fixed that in less than 10 seconds. 

VV tech stinks until you get on board.  It improves greatly after that.

Yes, there are a wide variety of mocktails available.  You can more bar tab up to 3 days prior to cruising if you think you'll need more.  BUT, bar tab is a "use it or lose it" situation and the bonus amount is the only advantage to booking it prior to cruising.  If you spend more than your "bar tab," it will roll over to any "loot" (onboard credit" you might have and after that to a charge on your folio.  

I'm not sure when the loyalty status match is scheduled to end....maybe Dec 2024.  In any event, if it is still available and you have loyalty status with Celebrity, sign up for it on VV.  You'll get a small perks package. 

As noted, you can bid for an upgrade close to your cruise date, but that's not anything you need to do now.  The "do now" is download the app, sign in, and reserve your terminal arrival time.  Again, can't guarantee 2025, but in the past we have been able to do this as soon as we booked, even when 18 months out.
If you didn't book thru a First Mate (VV speak for travel agent), you can do that within 30 days of making your reservation.  I use one of the top tier, award winning ones who give me a lot of service and sometimes financial perks depending on what VV is offering,  Sorry that we can't name agents here.  

Then sit back and read the boards until nearer to time to make reservations, etc.

The 2 groups on Grog Walk visit the same places but in different order and with different members of Happenings.  It is essentially the same experience no matter which one you do.

This situation has changed multiple times over the last 2 years, both in terms of cost for a single 3 hour block as well as whether or not there are multi-day passes available.  I think the price increases we saw were just that--an increase.  I don't know whether the availability of "length of cruise" passes relates to how full the ship is or some other factor.  All I can tell you for sure is that we've done many several cruises over the last 2 years and have not seen any consistency in thermal suite passes.....which is probably why you see so many different reports on line.

6 hours ago, madmedic said:

I'm nervous about editing my slot. What happens if I loose my original slot? 

You will only lose your current slot if you select a new one....so you see what is available and select it KNOWING that it is better than what you originally had.

 

8 minutes ago, Liao said:

This is great to hear!  I am coming over from Celebrity where I am forced to buy the premium beverage package and I don’t drink alcohol but I make great use of the premium coffee bar.  Thank you!

The beverages are perks if you have the Deep Blue Extras....I'm not sure about "Blue Extras," but you can see it on the VV web site.  If you don't qualify for the 2 free per person per day, it can be charged to you bar tab.  The pastries and cookies are free; the drinks have a charge of $4-$6 each; maybe a bit more if they add alcohol.

The regular coffee and tea at THe Galley is actually quite good also.

2 minutes ago, Liao said:

Do they have a coffee bar that serves iced lattes, cappuccino and such and are they good quality drinks?

That is called the Grounds Club.  The location on 7 serves free pastries, cookies, etc. as well as premium coffees and teas with alcohol if desired.  They also have hot chocolate. The one outside The Galley serves the beverages only.  Quality is in the eye of the beholder.  IMHO it is a lot better than Starbucks.

Yes, same price whether alcoholic or not.  It wasn't my "thing" although others love it.  I drink very little, and found the games to be not to my taste.  On the good side, meeting some of the Happenings Cast was a positive and can lead to some special interactions throughout the cruise.

55 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

We will be going out of NYC so not sure how that will be compared to Miami. 

That's fair.....but we have sailed out of Miami and the European ports ad found the setup to be very similar.  There was a little difference based on the layout of the terminal (in Barcelona, security was first, then check in, then boarding.  In Miami, check in was first, then security, then boarding). No real differences, just what worked best in the space they had, I guess.

The app booking works the same, but as Walter said, it crashes....often.....We send our list of dining choices (night, restaurant, approximate time) to our TA a couple days early with a note that I will try it and notify her if I have trouble.  TAs have a different portal and can book for you and mine does stay up to do it.  You can also call shoreside guest services the next morning and they will do it for you.  My normal experience is that I get 2 or 3 nights booked and the app crashes....so I send a PM to my person and she makes it work.

App is crazy.

Processing starts at 1:30; VV advises you to not show up more than 30 minutes in advance.  We have always had 1:30 priority boarding.  On 3 of our 4 cruises, we were in our cabin by 2:00.  First cruise, we showed up at 12:30 and were politely sent away with instructions to return at 1.  At 1, we were allowed into the terminal and things followed quickly until we were required to wait for the notice to proceed to the gangway.  This was in Barcelona and things were a little different than in Miami in terms of the order in which they happened. They processed us, then we waited to get on the ship at 1:35.  In Miami, you wait till processing starts about 1:30, then go thru security and board.  Same steps, different order.

If you show up more than 30 minutes early, you MIGHT be kept waiting.  But if you have a late time (anything after 3), I'd show up an hour early.  You will line up by time, and as soon as the people with earlier times are completed, you'll be taken.  Then they just end the time system. It is not unusual for a 4:30 scheduled person to be able to get on at 3.

OK, if I had a 4:30 terminal arrival time, I'd show up about 3.  My experience has been that boarding is very crowded about 1:30 because so many have priority boarding, but it moves very quickly.  Normally people with late times are able to board 60 -90 minutes early because the earlier times have finished everyone who has arrived.  When you arrive early, you stand in a queue based on your scheduled time, but those are not the time the processing will start.  If the 2:30 queue is finished, they will move to the 2:45 regardless of time, and continue thru the lines....to the point that late times get taken far earlier than planned. Worst case, you are kept standing till your time.

A huge percentage of dining reservations are held back until after boarding.  You can access them on the app as soon as you can log on to the ship's wifi (it is called "mermaid" something).  Same for booking dinner show--on the app.  It will not be Sailor Services on 5--they are dealing with app problems, room issues, etc. There will be a location for crew to help with  reservations; normally dinner reservations are in Razzle Dazzle restaurant, but on our last cruise they had moved to Pink Agave.  There will be many crew on deck 7 and deck 5 to direct and assist you.  Excursions always fill very early, but VV has a generous cancelation policy so it never hurts to check back on the app and at the desk.

Soft drinks are coke products.  There are self serve devices in The Galley.  Most bars have a "gun" system and will happily give you a glass of whatever they have available.  A few bars and room service have cans available and will give you those.  There is no charge at any location.  Also restaurants will have it available.  

Basically the ships were designed for visual appeal and to be "different" rather than for comfort.  The planning teams wrongly decided who their sailors would be and were gearing things toward a different audience.

7 hours ago, Eric&Pam said:

There will be a team of folks to help book dining reservations at Razzle Dazzle.....head there when you first board.

As I said above, on our last cruise (May 2024, Scarlet) the dining assist was in Pink Agave. On previous cruises, it was in RD.   There were plenty of crew members on the 7th floor to direct you to the right place.

Many VV agents purchase their limit of MNVV each time they sail and resell them to clients.  You are looking for a Gold Tier agent, preferably one who was in the top 10 in 2023.  We aren't allowed to recommend agents here, so not one can share a name.  Sorry about that.  Other sites do allow sharing. Also, if you find an agent who had an on line  conference with their sales person and book within the time limit, you can get a little extra perk beyond the MNVV.

On our first cruise, there was a lot of pop up entertainment....that seems to not exist any more.

Reservations open for normal cabins 45 days before cruising.  A large number of reservations are not available at that time and are held back until after boarding.  As noted, there will be a location where people will be available to assist you in making dining reservations on board.  While in the past it has been in the Razzle Dazzle restaurant, on our most recent cruise on Scarlet Lady it was done in Pink Agave.  Whichever is used on your trip, there will be crew around to direct you to the correct location. The sooner you get there, the more options you will have. These will also be available on the app....but you can go to the restaurant location and stand there trying to get them on th app while you wait your turn to be helped!

No, you will not be stuck in The Galley for all meals.  However, the nightly dinner specials in The Galley are often very good.

We have done it with a different cruise line.  You can do it as a "walk up," independent of the cruise lines, and it used to cost less; it functioned as a Hop on, Hop off situation.   Or you can pay a bit more and do it thru the cruise line, but that was a "we will spend this long at this stop" thing.  Ours did not include admission to the Truman house or the Hemmingway house....just a pass by and see the grounds.  Again, different line, things may be different.

Benefit on your own--more freedom, lower cost

Benefit thru cruise line--ability to cancel per cruise line policy, no issue if port is canceled, known departure and return time, only people from the ship on your vehicle.

We've had at least one comedian on each of our sailings (Valiant and Scarlet)...but we don't book short cruises. That might make a difference.