Virgin Valiant Lady vs Celebrity Beyond

[jesron1269]

I understand that Virgin is kids free. I read reviews about the cruiseline  and specifically this ship. I am just curious between the two (know that Celebrity Beyond is also a brand new ship) which have better service. Better food. Better entertainment. Better cabins. Better amenities in general.

 

If booked Virgin would be in the upgraded Gorgeous Suite so bottomless drinks in cabin. If booked Celebrity would be in the Retreat Sky Suite with premium drink package. Both have prepaid tips and exclusive restaurants and lounges to the suite status. So I am trying the best I can apples to apples.

 

Celebrity is a 9 night voyage while Virgin is a 7. Similar itinerary with both being a closed loop cruise out of Barcelona. But Virgin itinerary is: Barcelona - Marseille - Cannes - Olibia - Ibiza - 2 sea days (overnights in Olibia and Ibiza) - Barcelona. Celebrity itinerary is:  Barcelona - Marseille - Nice - Santa Margherita - Florence/Pisa - Ajaccio/Corsica - Rome - day at sea - Naples - Barcelona.

 

I am a very experienced cruiser but never cruised Virgin and only Celebrity twice. Never cruised Europe either. So any opinions on advice on trying to choose between the two is appreciated especially as it relates to my posted questions, opinions on the differences of cruise line and posted itineraries. 
 

Ohhhh and total costs is the cruise is about the same. Maybe a few hundred different. 
 

Can’t wait to hear from as many of you that is wiling to share. 

[_tacocat_]

1 hour ago, jesron1269 said:

bottomless drinks in cabin

Gorgeous Suite is a Mega Rockstar, so you actually get drinks all around the ship (up to $25 per drink + 2 bottles of wine up to I think $90 per day) in addition to the in-room bar.  I've never been on Celebrity, so nothing to add there, just wanted to point out the drink thing 🙂

[jesron1269]

43 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

Gorgeous Suite is a Mega Rockstar, so you actually get drinks all around the ship (up to $25 per drink + 2 bottles of wine up to I think $90 per day) in addition to the in-room bar.  I've never been on Celebrity, so nothing to add there, just wanted to point out the drink thing 🙂

Thank you for the info. I have sailed more Norwegian and Disney. What other cruise lines have sailed? How does the customer service, food, entertainment and other amenities on Virgin compared to other cruise lines you have frequented?

[yarramar]

10 hours ago, jesron1269 said:

Can’t wait to hear from as many of you that is wiling to share

I can’t help with the difference in ships but I would definitely choose Celebrity on the ports visited. To me, that is why you cruise. 

[jesron1269]

8 minutes ago, yarramar said:

I can’t help with the difference in ships but I would definitely choose Celebrity on the ports visited. To me, that is why you cruise. 

Okay. Why is that if you don’t mind me asking. 

[yarramar]

1 hour ago, jesron1269 said:

Okay. Why is that if you don’t mind me asking. 

Well, VV has only 4 ports while Celebrity has 8. From what I have read of Ibiza, I would be uninterested in visiting. Florence is amazing, as is Rome. From Naples you can do Pompeii or Sorrento.

I have an upcoming cruise with VV and do prefer a smaller ship. While VV is not small, from reading the reviews, it sounds like a similar shipboard experience. But, as I said I would choose Ports over ship.

I have also been on the NCL Jade in The Mediterranean and although I loved the itinerary and would do it again, I would not sail on an NCL ship again

[CruisingWalter]

15 hours ago, jesron1269 said:

Can’t wait to hear from as many of you that is wiling to share. 

 

We have sailed Celebrity four times and about to sail Scarlet Lady for the first time in July. I would totally take the Celebrity Beyond over VV very single time. 

 

For one, Beyond has pools you can actually use, all throughout the ship. Not that silly, poorly planned postage stamp of a pool. Why VV didn't put a killer pool with swim up bar and huge bar/party site on the aft of the ship instead of that catamaran netting is beyond me. Plus the pool areas on Beyond look and feel like a five star resort. VV has more of an industrial vibe with the battleship grey, hemmed in pool and all the sports equipment outside. 

 

Two, that Sunset Bar on Beyond is one of the most stunning bars and relaxation backdrops I've ever seen on a ship. Plus you have the World Class Bar inside that is the best bar at sea. We've been on 7 cruise lines and 16 cruises so far, I've yet to have a better cocktail than those made at the Celebrity World Class Bars. The Martini Bar is a great show, but not the best drinks. 

 

Three, Eden and that entire aft space on Beyond has so much light during the day and a very unique entertainment venue at night. VV is more like a hotel inside, they really don't have a lot of natural light though out the interior of the ship. Beyond is much more airy with the big atrium and more light inside.

 

Four, the food is a toss-up. Celebrity has amazing food, but of course you will have to pay extra for the specialty dining while VV has all meals included. But VV does have that silly rule that you can't book more than one dinner in each venue. At least on Scarlet Lady here in Florida. As I have not tried the food on VV yet, I won't comment on that. 

 

One thing I will note is how much smaller the "Gorgeous Suite" balcony is than the Cheeky Corner Suite balcony we'll be sailing with. That part doesn't make sense to me either. You pay more for the mega rockstar suites, but you get a smaller balcony than the rockstar aft suites. 

 

Either way you choose, you're going to be on a ship which is way better than being at home. For my money, I would take the Celebrity cruise every single time vs. VV. VV is an interesting niche cruise line and I'm sure we're going to enjoy ourselves on Scarlet in a few weeks, but she doesn't really compare to Beyond or any of the Edge ships. 

 

Whichever way you choose, have an an amazing cruise and enjoy yourself! 

 

 

[cantgetin]

OK, the ports....I doubt that Celebrity really goes to either Florence or Rome.  They probably dock at Livorno and Civet..vecchia (spelling).  Each of these are almost 2 hours from the cities they claim to visit by bus; Rome can also be accessed by train.  While tours like "Florence on your own" are likely offered, you won't be able to get in to anything unless you purchase "skip the line" tickets in advance.  This ticket type is included in most guided tours.  On my first trip to Europe, I spent about a week in each of these cities and saw them. I later did i from a cruise ship with family--barely scratching the surface .

Virgin makes a point of using ports where the ship docks at the city; where you can walk to see the location.  They also try to do overnight stays, allowing you to see more of a location.  While it doesn't really matter in Barcelona (go a few days early to see the city,) Virgin docks at the WTC, right at the end of Las Ramblas while Celebrity docks at  the larger port about 2 miles away...too far to walk with luggage IMHO.  The larger port also imposes a charge on taxis which will be passed on to you.  The ports on Celebrity are the more common cruise ship ports...I've done most of them, so I'd consider the new ports on VV a plus.

 

You'll be drinking "free" on both, so that's a wash. (drink package on Celebrity, Rockstar suite on VV gives free drinks all over ship)  All restaurants on VV are the quality of specialty restaurants on Celebrity but have no fee.  True, you can only make one advance reservation at each, but there are 6 and you have a 7 night cruise.   In Rockstar, your onboard host will make any additional reservations you wish, no limits.   On longer cruises, (12-14 nights), VV allows 3 advance reservations at each restaurant in regular cabins.  They do take walk ups, and will advise you of the wait (usually only a few minutes)  THe "vegan" restaurant also has "naughty" items on the menu which are meat.  Food is a tough call--Virgin food was great, Celebrity was the best food I'd ever had on a cruise prior to VV. I prefer The Gallery to Celebrity's buffet, although Celebrity had the most varied buffet of any ship I've been on and I loved El Bacchio.  VV has food outlets in many locations, each serving different items.

 

Atmosphere/entertainment are VERY different.  Celebrity is sitting in a theatre for big shows, although they had some great quickie shows around the ship like an a capella quartet. Virgin has lots of "pop up" shows, no Broadway or review type shows, and it is really hard to explain the big entertainment. Odd, to say the least.  Celebrity has better pools, no contest.  If you are offended by PDA, innuendo, etc. VV may not be for you.  Crew--VV is great, more casual, more interactive with guests.  Normally, I recommend long cruises over shorter because I like cruising.

Spa--essentially the same.  Fitness classes--included on VV and very creative.  Lots of fitness places around the ship as well.  Passengers--Celebrity was a significantly older crown than VV.  VV average age about 50 with a few people in the 70-80 range.  Celebrity, average age about 70 with lots of elderly people.  Celebrity was much more traditional cruising, VV is different.  In fairness, Celebrity was several years ago and on an older ship, not this new one.

Overall...the biggest difference between suite and balcony cabin on VV is free alcohol.  Yes, there are a few other perks.  On Celebrity, the suites are more elevated.  Have been on Celebrity (not this new ship), DCL (multiple ships), Princess (suite and regular cabin), etc....40+ cruises, 6 lines total. Europe 6 or 7 times.

 

So, summary

length of cruise--Celebrity

ports--toss up for me

food--virgin

passenger mix--VV

service--slight nod to VV

entertainment--depends on what you want  traditional-Celebrity  new and different--VV

 

[westguy99]

It really depends on if you think no kids is a big deal or not. I have never been on Celebrity, I have sailed Virgin and I have sailed many other cruises in Europe in the summer and having kids on board is a HUGE negative for those without kids. There are tons of kids on cruise ships in the summer in Europe and not the best behaved kids (or maybe not the best parents).  For the no kids policy Virgin would be my choice. 

 

Virgin is going to be a younger vibe. You will have real DJs playing top trending music compared to Celebrity where you will have the wedding DJ from Philippines playing Margaritaville, etc. No silly games with some irritating entertainment staff and a microphone at the pool. Just music and a fun vibe on Virgin. I hear lots of complaints from people who have never actually sailed on Virgin about the pool but it was the most fun pool I have ever experienced on a cruise ship. Think W Hotel. In fact any other cruise ship I would maybe spend an hour at the pool and couldn't stand the screaming kids, irritating entertainment staff and people doing laps in the pool. On Virgin the pool was a blast.  

 

I think both itineraries have some nice ports but Florence and Rome are terrible cruise ports. Those are cities you want to go stay in for 5 or more days. Taking a bus there from a cruise port which is actually far away from those cities is a terrible way to see those cities and you will spend more time on the bus (hours) and waiting for them to assemble the group than seeing anything. 

 

So it depends on if you want something more classic with an older crowd and screaming kids or more trendy adult only oriented. If you are someone who goes to a trendy restaurant and complains the lights are too dim and the music is too loud then Celebrity may be your better choice. If you are someone who goes to a restaurant and is irritated by the screaming kids running circles around the room then Virgin may be your best choice. 

Edited June 11, 2022 by westguy99

[yarramar]

9 hours ago, westguy99 said:

I think both itineraries have some nice ports but Florence and Rome are terrible cruise ports.

I disagree. You do need more than half a day to do justice to Rome but Civitavecchia itself is worth seeing in a day. https://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/10-things-see-civitavecchia

We did a one day shore excursion from Livorno in a Sprinter with 7 of us from our roll call. We visited Pisa on the way and also spent a worthwhile day visiting many sights including the Uffizi (no waiting anywhere) and a fabulous lunch at a non-tourist trap restaurant.

[QE2_Fan]

If you enjoy CelebrIty’s ambience, go with Beyond. She looks an absolutely gorgeous addition to the fleet! Speciality dining is still extra but sure you’ll have plenty of OBC to cover that being in a Suite. They also offer a better suite product IMHO with both a dedicated indoor and outdoor area plus a dedicated restaurant Luminae. 
 

Not saying Virgin wouldn’t be great also, I think you cant go wrong giving them a go and decide which one you’d prefer to book for your next cruise!

[4supermom]

We have cruised on both Celebrity Edge (Beyond’s sister ship) and Scarlet Lady and have upcoming cruises on Beyond and Valiant Lady.  Celebrity is by far our preferred cruise line but we truly enjoyed the wonderful food on Scarlet Lady. We typically cruise in a Celebrity Suite on Celebrity and were and will be in a Brilliant Suite on Virgin.  We felt there was a lack of storage space both in the suite and in the bathroom on Virgin although I have read they are trying to add more in cabin storage.  We are looking forward to our cruise on Valiant Lady for the ports we haven’t been to and the B2B TA. Hoping that I don’t need sweaters because I’m not sure where I would put them, but the ability to gamble at the casino in Monte Carlo makes up for any potential problems.

[baelor]

On 6/11/2022 at 7:42 PM, yarramar said:

You do need more than half a day to do justice to Rome

You need more than a month to do Rome justice!

[7680]

We were on the Edge in March. It was absolutely phenomenal. Loved the ship, food, service, etc. Would go back on her (or an Edge class ship) in a heartbeat. They were still at reduced capacity at that point. We were to set sail on Valiant Lady with our kids and their significant others yesterday. After reading the many negative comments about Virgin (seems like they just don’t have their act together quite yet), along with the booster requirements in Europe, we cancelled.  We will still hope to sail on Virgin at some point. We have loved all of our Celebrity sailings. Good Luck!

[gkbiiii]

While you may pay for Celebrity's Special Dining, Suites and Aqua Class have their own Dining Rooms.

[cantgetin]

On 6/12/2022 at 3:37 AM, QE2_Fan said:

If you enjoy CelebrIty’s ambience, go with Beyond. She looks an absolutely gorgeous addition to the fleet! Speciality dining is still extra but sure you’ll have plenty of OBC to cover that being in a Suite. They also offer a better suite product IMHO with both a dedicated indoor and outdoor area plus a dedicated restaurant Luminae. 
 

Not saying Virgin wouldn’t be great also, I think you cant go wrong giving them a go and decide which one you’d prefer to book for your next cruise!

True that Virgin's suites don't give you much.  There is no "ship within a ship" concept.  Basically, you get more space and some complimentary alcohol; how much depends on the level of suite you choose.  Best thing about Virgin is no kids.

 

[ConSolo]

Go with the ports you want to see/experience! They are both great cruise lines with impeccable service. Maximize your vacation dollars for what you want!

[cantgetin]

On 6/20/2022 at 5:48 AM, 7680 said:

We were on the Edge in March. It was absolutely phenomenal. Loved the ship, food, service, etc. Would go back on her (or an Edge class ship) in a heartbeat. They were still at reduced capacity at that point. We were to set sail on Valiant Lady with our kids and their significant others yesterday. After reading the many negative comments about Virgin (seems like they just don’t have their act together quite yet), along with the booster requirements in Europe, we cancelled.  We will still hope to sail on Virgin at some point. We have loved all of our Celebrity sailings. Good Luck!

I'm on Valiant Lady right now.  Yes, we have experienced a few minor inconsistencies, but it is overall great.  It has been several years since we cruised Celebrity, but I would definitely rank Virgin above what we experienced on Celebrity.  In fact, we have 3 more cruises on Virgin booked.  There is no right line or ship for everyone.  We know that we like the medium size ships; about 2500 or a bit more is perfect for us. We love the "no kids" on VV, although Celebrity had very few kids when we cruised.  They did have some supply issues in Europe and we are still feeling some of that.  Honestly, out biggest concern has been the inconsistency among the restaurants.  Some have ice tea and diet coke readily available, others don't.  Some have sweetener or lemon, others don't.  Some don't have salt and pepper on the tables.  I've taken to bringing my tea to dinner to be sure I have it.  OK, silly, but it is a thing.  

On the positive side, VV is listening to comment cards and making changes.  They are a  very good line, and with a few minor, inexpensive changes, could be really great.

[mizLORInj]

Just back from Scarlet Lady today.  Have also sailed on Celebrity though not the Edge class of ship.    

 

IMO entertainment on Scarlet Lady was not comparable to the major cruiselines.   The shows were just ok.   I missed the various trivia games too.   

 

The ship itself is very nice, service was great, and so was the food.   I'm glad I tried it out, yet I will continue to cruise other lines, Celebrity included.  

[rebeccac]

10 hours ago, mizLORInj said:

IMO entertainment on Scarlet Lady was not comparable to the major cruiselines.   The shows were just ok.   I missed the various trivia games too.   

 

 

We really only went to Duel Reality and I enjoyed that much more than most of the production shows on Celebrity which I find to be just downright weird.  There was also a lot of really good smaller acts around the ship at night.  However, I do agree that most other lines do have a better variety of main shows.  

 

And while, I never made it to any of the trivia, when we were there in July, there were at least three different trivias each day.  

 

If it were not for the food, I likely would have been a one and done.  While Virgin may never be my first choice of cruise lines, I will definitely be back at some point.  

[cantgetin]

I'm just off the 14 night TA on Valiant Lady.  There were many activities added for our crossing, and at least 2 "extra" entertainers on board.  That does make it difficult for me to compare a 4-6 night cruise to our 14 night.  We had several different trivia games, each on multiple days.  Each of the entertainers did at least 2 shows.  There were multiple activities that VV added for us--a book club, a group that worked on making life-sized wall hangings of endangered species from ocean plastics (there was a woman from National Geographic on board teaching and supervising this project), arcade tournaments, etc. as well as many activities organized by individuals on board.

 

Bottom line....I booked 3 more cruises over the next 2 years!

[ConSolo]

I will come back and post after this week! I love celebrity in aqua class. Traveling Virgin this week!

[cantgetin]

39 minutes ago, ConSolo said:

I will come back and post after this week! I love celebrity in aqua class. Traveling Virgin this week!

Aqua Class Celebrity is a different animal than sailing on VV.  The most expensive suite on VV has access to the same 6 restaurants that the smallest inside cabin uses.  They do have some additional perks like a nightly champagne party on Richard's Rooftop as well as unlimited access to the area, and depending on the level of suite, some or a lot of included alcohol.  There are sometimes invitations to a bridge tour and a few other extras.