cantgetin

Be careful what you wish for. THe "secret" changes in RD are not to our liking, although the deserts are better. I don't guess it would do any good to print the test kitchen menu--we still wouldn't know much! Fully agree that The Wake and Pink Agave could use some tweaks.

Well done review. Sorry you had some mis-information about embarkation. There is no reason for anyone to show up at the VV terminal prior to 1pm. Boarding does not start until 1:30. SO if you have priority status, showing up at 1 is plenty of time to get checked in and be ready to board at 1:30. We have always been in a normal Sea Terrace with priority boarding as Sea Rovers (the lowest designation of priority) and been in our cabin between 1:45 and 1:50 except one trip where boarding times were changed do to JLo. If you have a later terminal arrival time, you may well get in before your time, but not ever before 1pm. VV recommends no more than 30 minutes before your assigned time. Otherwise, as you noted, you'll get to stand in line outside with no place to sit. Carlos is by far the best Diva. True, no beverage packages...we like the bar tab structure better for many reasons including lower cost. Trip cost Celebrity vs. VV depends a lot on when you booked and what cruise you are on. Our VV cruises have been MUCH lower in cost than our Celebrity and we had lots of perks. But VV costs have increased a lot recently, so you won't see the great deals any more.

We had one cruise out of our 4 that decreased in price, but that price decreased almost a year prior to sailing. Never saw a last minute "fire sale" like some lines do.

I'll miss Carlos. Best Diva ever!

That never happened with the standby line on previous cruises. It would be a good idea though.

DBE is Deep Blue Extras, a loyalty reward program that you could get thru 2023 either by sailing 2 VV cruises or applying for their "status match" with another line. If you didn't apply by by the end of 2023, you cannot get it now. They are supposedly coming out with a different program "soon." Those who got the old program still get it on cruises thru at least 2024. We've never come close to using up our "free" bar tab. If your booking includes any loot, that can also pay for your drinks, and regular brewed tea, coffee, soda, water, and juices are included in all bookings. Make friends with someone who has a $600 free tab!

The bridge tour and ship tour are two different things. Megas get a bridge tour at no charge. Ship tour fills up very fast, but agent can arrange it for Megas if they ask on first day--and yes, they pay for that. And you CAN take a bottle at the end of the cruise.

What I would do is set the TV to the view...on most lines it is from the bridge, on VV it is from the wake, and turn the sound to zero. That way, the tv screen would light up when the sun came up.

There is a place that makes smoothies. They have recipes for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, but they are made in the Social Club Bar and do not use ice cream....not made at the ice cream shop. Moctails--generally $2 or 3 less than the posted price for the alcoholic version...figure $8 per drink, some might be a little more. The smoothies with alcohol are about 9, without about $6-7. These prices were as of Nov. 2023. Specialty tea is $5, coffee in that same general range. I'm not a coffee person; I think some were in the $6 range. If you have DBE, you get $10 credit at The Grounds Club each day (per cabin, not per person and it is per day--doesn't roll over to another day if not used). 2 of us have never used up $300 in 5 or 6 days....but it depends on how much you consume, whether alcoholic or not.

This--you host will bring you an approved steamer on request.

Funny, since one of the things a VV veteran told me when I was considering the cruise was that it is for people who don't like to stand in line and be told what to so. Oh well, guess all good things must come to an end. After several VV cruises, I'm not likely to do any shows, but I can promise I won't be standing in line for an hour to try to get a seat.

There is a flat rate taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal for 39 Euros. THat cost is per taxi, not per person, and the fee includes all the applicable surcharges. Be sure any quote from a private company includes them! We were at Terminal A last year. The drivers will all know where the ship will be! It will NOT be at the WTC, which does not have the surcharges and is a little closer. I can let you know in a few weeks when we arrive.....but while history is a good guess, the terminal operators can change the terminal any ship uses for various reasons, much as airport gates can change.

On another line, it was free to people who had the top loyalty level. Yeah, VV at $200 per person is way steep, but it is a way to use some of that loot. THe stores don't have anything worth buying.

The problem on previous TAs has been people scooping up multiple reservations for the same show while others were not able to get a reservation. THen, on show night, there would be a huge number of "no shows," likely due to "been there, done that," and the shows would be quite empty. We found out later, after choosing to not attempt standby, that on RedRoom show was "nearly empty." I can't say I like this approach. I think a better solution would be allowing only one reservation per person in advance, then the standby line if people wanted to attend a second time. But such is life. I'm guessing that we won't do any first run shows because I'm not willing to spend an hour in line prior to seating.

Oh yeah....I'm not a drinker and have $600 bar tab on next cruise...I'll get a few specialty teas just because I have DBE, but will mostly drink my iced tea. I find the stuff in the dispenser nasty, but easy to brew my own with the tea bags they provide. I carry my large covered cup everywhere.

To each his own. I love reading in the hammock. There are 2 of us most of the time, so less of an issue for us. However, on VV many perks and benefits start at the level of Sea Terrace; that can make a big difference in costs...as can the times they offer "no single supplement." With the sea terrace perks and discounts, 2 of us usually cruise for far less than double the solo insider rate.

Very similar to how I found my new TA. Customer service goes a long way.

Guess that's another reason to not book more than we have.

The black didn't last long. It has been gone for almost 2 years. The white stuff they have now is nice.

If there is no bar soap at the sink, just ask your host--that seems to be a commonly forgotten item.

The bags are HUGE. On 14-15 night cruises, we typically send laundry at about day 9 or 10 and can fit all our stuff with no problem. And yes, the bags included on this cruise situation would be 1 per week.

We like spring and fall. Yes, we've had cruises impacted by hurricanes, but only one was a real issue...otherwise the captain will take the ship away from the weather. THat might mean missing a port or having an alternative port, but that can be fun--new places to visit. Our usuals have been March before spring breaks start and September. THat isn't such a big deal on VV as no kids, but you may want to avoid the spring break crowd...longer cruises = less rowdy also. September weather is great--warm, sunny, good swimming, snorkeling, etc. Early March can be a little cooler than I'd like sometimes, but worth a little early to avoid the kids. Summer is too hot, crowded, and generally has higher fares. Just my opinion.

It may not happen again, but VV has had several "No single supplement" deals in the past. Keep you eyes open.

It is a small venue, and on most long cruises is being offered multiple times...likely so more sailors have a chance to attend. I would expect the same show each time. Unless your dinner and show reservations are at the same time, you should be able to hold both. The new menu for Ship Show, which is the same as Lotz, was decent. The original menu was so bad that we kept our dinner reservation after the show.

You'll have a lot more space to spread out in a balcony and you'll have the hammock....which I love. Also, a lot of specials, like MNVV do not start until a Sea Terrace booking, so with the right TA, you can often reduce the price spread. That said, my friend insists that the inside is her favorite cabin and often chooses it even when her husband can cruise with her.