We’ve always sailed Princess but we are intrigued by Virgin!

[gatorgirl1971]

We have been cruising Princess for about 20 years. We have been intrigued by Virgin Voyages and thought we might give them a try in the fall of 2023 since Princess isn’t sailing the Caribbean at that time.   I’m curious to hear your pros & cons. We sailed Royal Caribbean two years ago and hated it.  Other than that, we’ve been loyal to Princess. 

 

A little about us:

*Married, ages 46 & 51

*We love playing in the casino nightly

*We’re foodies

*We enjoy the shows, especially comedy

*We are not big drinkers 

*We always get a mini suite

*We enjoy the specialty upcharge restaurants

*We love the spa, lots of massages 

*Relaxing on our balcony 

 

Knowing the above, do you feel we would enjoy Virgin? If so, would you recommend a suite? Any other recommendations for us? Currently, we are looking at the 8 day sailing in November of 2023 on the Valiant Lady. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[_tacocat_]

7 hours ago, gatorgirl1971 said:

*We love playing in the casino nightly

*We’re foodies

*We enjoy the shows, especially comedy

*We are not big drinkers 

*We always get a mini suite

*We enjoy the specialty upcharge restaurants

*We love the spa, lots of massages 

*Relaxing on our balcony 

The casino is small, but was sufficient for me - not a huge gambler.

 

Shows are definitely not your typical cruise ship shows.  Right now, there are a few main shows- Never Sleep Alone, which is a one-woman sex-themed comedy/cabaret show that can get a little raunchy for some folks; untitleddanceshowpartything, which is a dance... show.. party.. thing?  not really sure how best to describe it, but there are cast members floating around the dance floor, different pieces of stage that move across the room throughout the event.  Ships in the Night is probably the most traditional show they have - it's mostly dance + a singer, with a theme woven through of everyone being glued to technology all the time/missing out on real world interactions.  Duel Reality is an acrobatic show with a twist on romeo & juliet theme.  They have a few others that pop up here and there with shorter contracts (1 month i think?) including a blues guitarist and his band, cabaret-style singers in one of the main bars, and a drag show.

 

Food is phenomenal, and 99% of things are included - the only upcharges are for things like caviar, a ridiculously large tomahawk steak, and seafood towers.  On shorter voyages, you are limited to 1 reservation per restaurant in the app (more for longer, but I don't know how many off the top of my head).  You can, however, walk up to the restaurant to see if they have room or join a virtual queue if you'd like to dine at the same restaurant again.

 

Spa access is included with the mega rockstar level of suites, but those are $$$$ and also include all alcohol (among a ton of other things).  Regular rockstar suites get 1 fill of their mini bar (a few bottles of liquor, wine and beers).  Anyone can access the spa if you purchase a $39 pass for 3 hours.  This access is not included with any treatment  3 hours was definitely enough time for me to enjoy the thermal suite.  All spa treatments seem crazy expensive, but they already include gratuity, so it ends up being about the same (or less) than you'd pay at any resort property in the US that i've been to recently.

 

Balcony is excellent, and the hammocks are soooo comfy!

 

Overall, throw all of your expectations away about what a traditional cruise is.  It feels more like a boutique hotel at sea.  No announcements, no cruise director pushing you to do this or that, no buffets, no belly flop or hairy chest contests, etc.  The app can be a royal pain in the ass at times, which can get frustrating because that's where you make all your reservations for meals/activities, but Sailor Services onboard is typically very helpful in resolving issues/helping out!

 

[Lustate]

4 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

The casino is small, but was sufficient for me - not a huge gambler.

 

Shows are definitely not your typical cruise ship shows.  Right now, there are a few main shows- Never Sleep Alone, which is a one-woman sex-themed comedy/cabaret show that can get a little raunchy for some folks; untitleddanceshowpartything, which is a dance... show.. party.. thing?  not really sure how best to describe it, but there are cast members floating around the dance floor, different pieces of stage that move across the room throughout the event.  Ships in the Night is probably the most traditional show they have - it's mostly dance + a singer, with a theme woven through of everyone being glued to technology all the time/missing out on real world interactions.  Duel Reality is an acrobatic show with a twist on romeo & juliet theme.  They have a few others that pop up here and there with shorter contracts (1 month i think?) including a blues guitarist and his band, cabaret-style singers in one of the main bars, and a drag show.

 

Food is phenomenal, and 99% of things are included - the only upcharges are for things like caviar, a ridiculously large tomahawk steak, and seafood towers.  On shorter voyages, you are limited to 1 reservation per restaurant in the app (more for longer, but I don't know how many off the top of my head).  You can, however, walk up to the restaurant to see if they have room or join a virtual queue if you'd like to dine at the same restaurant again.

 

Spa access is included with the mega rockstar level of suites, but those are $$$$ and also include all alcohol (among a ton of other things).  Regular rockstar suites get 1 fill of their mini bar (a few bottles of liquor, wine and beers).  Anyone can access the spa if you purchase a $39 pass for 3 hours.  This access is not included with any treatment  3 hours was definitely enough time for me to enjoy the thermal suite.  All spa treatments seem crazy expensive, but they already include gratuity, so it ends up being about the same (or less) than you'd pay at any resort property in the US that i've been to recently.

 

Balcony is excellent, and the hammocks are soooo comfy!

 

Overall, throw all of your expectations away about what a traditional cruise is.  It feels more like a boutique hotel at sea.  No announcements, no cruise director pushing you to do this or that, no buffets, no belly flop or hairy chest contests, etc.  The app can be a royal pain in the ass at times, which can get frustrating because that's where you make all your reservations for meals/activities, but Sailor Services onboard is typically very helpful in resolving issues/helping out!

 

 

 

Hi @gatorgirl1971 I would totally agree with @_tacocat_

 

The casino is very small and more of an "extra" so I would not be planning on spending night after night in there. It has a few games tables and slots but does not have the "big ship" feel which is part of the appeal. 

 

The "on the rocks" bar every night has a music line up played live. It can vary from the house band to acts brought in for shorter contracts and keeps the whole feel as fresh and changing, rather than the traditional band who will do the same set for 5 years with a muscle memory approach. 

 

One thing most people forget to mention are the staff. They are outstanding on both VV ships. They are chatty, friendly (but professional) and never feel like its to much to ask for something.

 

We have done the sea terrace and a corner suite. Both have big pluses, but neither had a downside, just very different. For the third cruise we have a XL terrace so slowly working our way around the ship 🙂 

[cantgetin]

We've done about 10 cruises on Princess, most recently in a "window suite,:  VV is different, and in my opinion, better.  But then, I feel that the best thing about Princess is the different itineraries.  We've done 2 cruises in Japan (B2B) and Alaska B2B that wouldn't have been possible on any other line.

 

Frankly, I find Princess to be "beige" in more ways than the color.  The suite dining was nice with Sabatini's breakfast and 2 specialty dinings each week.  But on one of the specialties, the lava cake was raw and the service was nasty...and we were too tired to care.  I've never experienced anything like that on VV.

 

Things I love about VV...the "all inclusives" are just what I end up buying on other lines....soda package, wifi, tips.  The dining is amazing.  The restaurants are the equivalent of a "sit down" on all other lines, but are totally included.  The pizza is like it was on Princess before they changed their recipe.  We don't drink much, so drink packages are a waste of money for us.....VV doesn't have them.  The biggest perks of a suite on VV seem to be alcohol and a larger room.  You might be happy with an XL Sea Terrace, which is a lot less than  a suite.  There are other suite perks, mostly at the Mega Rockstar level.  Honestly, I'd start in an XL on a short cruise, and then move to one of the smaller suites in future cruises if the XL wasn't large enough for you.  Princess regular cabins are tiny.  VV are not huge, but are adequate.

 

Spa is Steiner, same as on Princess.  Thermal suite is a little more fancy, but same idea.  Shows on VV are like nothing you've seen before.  Definitely NOT boring, third rate singers.  The ships are bright, lively.  Food is amazing, wether in the galley (food court, not buffet...stuff is fresh made when you order!) or restaurants ALL food, with rare exceptions of 1 item in a few of the restaurants, is all included.  Service is top notch.

 

I would cruise Princess again for an itinerary I wanted.  I'll cruise VV again for 100 reasons.  And start with NO KIDS.  Princess isn't kid heavy and most of the kids are OK, but there are still some unsupervised trouble makers.

[rebeccac]

We just got off the Scarlet Lady.  I will agree with others that every restaurant is "specialty restaurant" quality, but for no extra charge.  The casino is smallish, but the nice thing (for me) is that it is non-smoking (there is a smoking room nearby if needed).  VV doesn't really have mini-suites, but you may be able to get some of the starter rockstar suites for close to the same price range which would definitely come with more perks than a mini-suite.  They didn't have a stand-up comedian, but there was a nice mix of different types of shows/music.  I would have spent a huge chunk of my time in the hammock on our balcony if I hadn't gotten a really bad sunburn day 3, but at least I did get to try it out before that.  We have sailed Princess and really enjoyed ourselves, and we wouldn't hesitate to book either Princess or VV.  

[CineGraphic]

We are Princess loyalists in our early 60s who are not happy with the current Princess product, so we've booked 9 days on the Scarlet Lady in October. We are really looking forward to experience something new.

[rebeccac]

While there were other things that we enjoyed, the food is the number one reason to at least give VV a try.  

[CruisingWalter]

@gatorgirl1971 We just got off the Scarlet Lady having booked the cruise 3 years ago! The food was the first reason we booked it and I can say it did not disappoint. The entire vibe of the ship reminded me of Celebrity with the age groups and the level of service. Some folks said it reminded them of an Adult Disney ship. We learned that many of the crew have come from Celebrity, Seabourn and Disney so that's the level of service you can expect. 

 

The ship was remarkable in that it doesn't feel like a big ship, it feels more like a mega yacht. In particular, no high ceilings, no grandiose atriums and public spaces. Ceilings are all single story for the most part and there is so much seating and so many nooks and crannies to gather that the entire ship really feels like it was designed for socialization. They've created a lot of spaces where you just want to sit, relax and enjoy some conversation together. 

 

The main entertainment is certainly different, but then that's how it is on all ships. We don't particularly care for the main shows on the Celebrity Solstice class for example, but we love cruising Celebrity. I absolutely loved Duel Reality and could totally see the influence of West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet. Untitled Dance Party Thing was interesting, we watched about 10 minutes. Never Sleep Alone wasn't our cup of tea, but the Revelry with the Diva was hilarious. One thing that was originally supposed on the ship was a drag brunch in Razzle Dazzle but that idea got scrapped after the pandemic. I would love to see VV bring that back.

 

The bars and cocktails were outstanding throughout the ship, I did not have a bad drink anywhere from the pools to the Dock House to On The Rocks and Sip. If you're into beer, you can get a beer growler at the Draught Haus to take anywhere on the ship. 

 

As others have noted, every restaurant is as good as or better than any specialty restaurant on any cruise ship, with the exception of Remy on the Disney Wish. That's still the single best meal I've ever had at sea. But everything we ate on the ship was consistently delicious and prepared fresh to order. It was so nice to not have to nickel and dime for every little thing we wanted to eat. Even the chocolates, taffy and candy in the Social Club were included. Pizza was great, ice cream was not bad. The food at the Bimini Beach Club was meh and the meh was really amplified by how amazing the food onboard was. 

 

Service was excellent throughout. Nobody was working for tips, nobody was pushing drink packages or dining packages and NO PHOTOGRAPHERS! That was worth the price of admission. 🙂 

 

If you are a fan of Princess, Celebrity, Disney or Holland America, there's a lot to like about Virgin Voyages. We were completely converted by our first cruise, the only negative was 5 nights was not nearly long enough on the ship. 

[CineGraphic]

22 hours ago, WheresWalter said:

Service was excellent throughout. Nobody was working for tips, nobody was pushing drink packages or dining packages and NO PHOTOGRAPHERS! That was worth the price of admission. 🙂 

 

If you are a fan of Princess, Celebrity, Disney or Holland America, there's a lot to like about Virgin Voyages. We were completely converted by our first cruise, the only negative was 5 nights was not nearly long enough on the ship. 

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences. As newbies to VV, it is greatly appreciated.

 

We could easily be described as Princess loyalists, but our last few sailings with them have been sub-par at best. We cancelled a 14 day sailing on the Caribbean Princess in October, and booked 9 days on the Scarlet Lady instead.

 

We've been enjoying watching the recent flood of Youtube reviews, and everyone raves about the experience.

 

[CruisingWalter]

18 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

We've been enjoying watching the recent flood of Youtube reviews, and everyone raves about the experience.

 

 

I just started posting our culinary journey today on TikTok with The Dock tapas. I'll be releasing TikToks on each restaurant over the next week and then compiling them all into a YouTube episode next week. It's fun to relive the experience as I edit these. 🙂

[kwokpot]

We literally just disembarked from the Scarlet Lady  (the easiest disembarkation ever) and at the airport. This was our 98th cruise, so as experienced cruisers this is what I will say.

 

Virgin Voyages is not your typical cruiseline. It is most definitely designed for the 21-45 demographic, OR if you enjoy the more modern, trendy, and current lifestyles. While Celebrity's Edge Class ships would be the closest in comparison there's distinct differences that make comparisons difficult. While we have done only three Princess cruises Virgin is as far away from the Princess experience as you can get. 

 

You asked about cabins. You most definitely should get a Rockstar suite if you plan to sail Virgin. We were in a Sea Terrace XL, the highest non suite category, and I would say the cabin was our number 1 DISLIKE of the ship. The cabin, while attractive, is designed like a college dorm room. Seriously. There's not enough storage and why they felt it necessary to replace the closet doors with a sheer curtain is mind boggling since it doesn't make accessing the inside any easier. Another mistake they made was in the recent cabin 'facelift' whereby they added some woodtone design elements to make the cabin less sterile. The problem is one of those design elements, faux wood slats behind the TV, has pushed the TV a couple of inches out. There's honestly no room now to navigate to pass the bed to the balcony door. Mind you, I'm 5'6" tall and 140lbs and I had issues with passing by the TV without doing a limbo dance. What they should have done is left the TV mounted directly on the wall and placed the wooden slats around the TV. 

For an upscale, modern cabin Celebrity's Edge Class ships has no equal. 

 

As others have mentioned the food is Virgin's forte. I love the Galley/food hall concept. 

 

There's no comedian shows on Virgin. The closest to would be a drag queen show that's lots of fun. 

 

I'm a spa person but didn't try the spa on SL because based on the videos I didn't think it was setup very nicely. They also don't offer a whole cruise spa pass for non suite guests and $70 daypass is way too expensive. Princess, Celebrity and especially NCL do a much better job with their thermal suite offerings.

 

MY personal recommendation,based on your desires, would be on Celebrity's Edge Class ships or even better NCL's new Prima Class ship. The newly released photos of the NCL Prima will make your jaw drop. 

 

Having said that I had a blast on the Scarlet Lady. The scarlet night pool party was hands down the best deck party put on by any cruiseline. The Manor nightclub is copy of the original Studio 54 in NYC. I found Virgin put a huge emphasis on the sound quality throughout the ship. Every spot on the ship has nightclub quality speaker systems. I enjoy attending music festivals and the music on the Scarlet Lady didn't disappoint. The entertainment is totally different from a mainstream cruiselines. Dual Reality was an excellent modern dance and gymnastics show without pretending they needed singers to mainstream the show. The previously mentioned drag show was fun, risque and about what you would see at a gay bar, with no changes made for a wider audience. 

This would be a perfect time to mention that the Scarlet Lady is extremely LGBTQIA friendly. As a 61 yr old Gay Asian male with a husband I found it very surprising and welcoming for a mainstream cruiseline to be so inclusive. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by kwokpot

[CruisingWalter]

23 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Having said that I had a blast on the Scarlet Lady. The scarlet night pool party was hands down the best deck party put on by any cruiseline. The Manor nightclub is copy of the original Studio 54 in NYC. I found Virgin put a huge emphasis on the sound quality throughout the ship. Every spot on the ship has nightclub quality speaker systems. I enjoy attending music festivals and the music on the Scarlet Lady didn't disappoint. The entertainment is totally different from a mainstream cruiselines. Dual Reality was an excellent modern dance and gymnastics show without pretending they needed singers to mainstream the show. The previously mentioned drag show was fun, risque and about what you would see at a gay bar, with no changes made for a wider audience. 

This would be a perfect time to mention that the Scarlet Lady is extremely LGBTQIA friendly. As a 61 yr old Gay Asian male with a husband I found it very surprising and welcoming for a mainstream cruiseline to be so inclusive.

 

It's interesting you mention the sound quality because that's something we picked up on too. Real sound designers and concert venue designers were obviously consulted because every single venue sounded amazing. Slam Adams (or whatever his last name was) was simply amazing with his blues guitar in On The Rocks each evening. My only quibble was the Scarlet Night Pool Finale was overdriven causing distortion, but the party itself was insane. 

 

Celebrity was the first line we really noticed to be extremely LGBTQIA friendly and VV is certainly even moreso. I LOVE the individuality of the crew with no need to hide who they are. We are big Celebrity and Princess fans but absolutely loved the Scarlet Lady experience.

 

I think the one thing that really doesn't come across is just how intimate the ship is. No super high ceiling atrium, no super high ceiling MDR, just primarily 'single story public areas' that make the ship feel much smaller and intimate than it really is. Having now sailed the ship, I find that was a brilliant design choice to make the public spaces decidedly smaller.

 

The only thing they really need to do when the ship goes into drydock for the first time is to remove the net and reconfigure that aft space. It's super uncomfortable and only good for a social media selfie. Replace that with a lovely aft pool, maybe with a swim up bar and it could also be another performance venue for Scarlet Night or evening musical performances. I don't know about your cruise, but on our cruise that entire aft space was completely empty other than folks taking a selfie. 

[_tacocat_]

On 7/31/2022 at 7:41 AM, kwokpot said:

They also don't offer a whole cruise spa pass for non suite guests and $70 daypass is way too expensive.

Only mega rockstars get spa included (wish it was all suites!), but they do offer half day/3 hour passes for purchase now.  I've read they've updated the pricing recently, but when we did the 3 hour pass in December, it was $39 any day and you could pick 7:30-10:30, 11-2 or I think 2:30-5:30.  I've heard it's now $59 on sea days/$39 on port days, which makes sense because it could get insane at times on sea days.

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, _tacocat_ said:

Only mega rockstars get spa included (wish it was all suites!), but they do offer half day/3 hour passes for purchase now.  I've read they've updated the pricing recently, but when we did the 3 hour pass in December, it was $39 any day and you could pick 7:30-10:30, 11-2 or I think 2:30-5:30.  I've heard it's now $59 on sea days/$39 on port days, which makes sense because it could get insane at times on sea days.

That's good to know. I never bothered to inquire onboard. Besides the cost there a couple of design choices that bother me about this spa.  First is the absence of real locker rooms as opposed to unisex changing and shower rooms. The other is the substitution of heated marble slabs instead of individual heated tile loungers.

[karmamule]

It's interesting to read all the wonderful posts comparing/contrasting Virgin and Celebrity and Princess. We have our first time experiences on both VV and Celebrity coming up over the next 9 months and are very eager for the better food, LGBTQIA-friendly environment, and beautiful ship designs. (Have just been on 'standard' cruise lines MSC, NCL, and RCL before now)

 

Interesting contrast between NCL and Virgin: We were booked on NCL Prima for January and our reservation was canceled because they charted out our cruise to some TV show. Got our refund and offer for 125% towards replacement cruise. We were booked on Virgin Resilient Lady and that got canceled due to delayed ship rollout and got offer of refund or *200%* back due to the inconvenience. Guess which of those two cruise lines endeared themselves to us with how they treated the cancellations?  🙂

 

Having said that, NCL's Prima-class of ships look gorgeous and unless Celebrity or VV makes us one-line converts we'll probably book on Prima or Viva in 2024.

[kwokpot]

3 minutes ago, karmamule said:

It's interesting to read all the wonderful posts comparing/contrasting Virgin and Celebrity and Princess. We have our first time experiences on both VV and Celebrity coming up over the next 9 months and are very eager for the better food, LGBTQIA-friendly environment, and beautiful ship designs. (Have just been on 'standard' cruise lines MSC, NCL, and RCL before now)

 

Interesting contrast between NCL and Virgin: We were booked on NCL Prima for January and our reservation was canceled because they charted out our cruise to some TV show. Got our refund and offer for 125% towards replacement cruise. We were booked on Virgin Resilient Lady and that got canceled due to delayed ship rollout and got offer of refund or *200%* back due to the inconvenience. Guess which of those two cruise lines endeared themselves to us with how they treated the cancellations?  🙂

 

Having said that, NCL's Prima-class of ships look gorgeous and unless Celebrity or VV makes us one-line converts we'll probably book on Prima or Viva in 2024.

I so want to try Prima class! 

My personal take on Virgin is take Carnival, move it up a couple of notches, delete kids and family, and you have Virgin. It's definitely not NCL Prima. As I was researching Virgin's development and marketing towards Millennials the information I was reading reminded me of something I read about legacy hotel companies and developing new Hotel Brands to attract Millennials. If you read this article on Marriott's Moxy brand you could literally substitute Virgin Voyages and the article would read exactly the same and be on point. 

https://globetrender.com/2018/02/09/moxy-hotels-fun-hunters/

[LibratPDX]

On 8/1/2022 at 10:24 AM, kwokpot said:

That's good to know. I never bothered to inquire onboard. Besides the cost there a couple of design choices that bother me about this spa.  First is the absence of real locker rooms as opposed to unisex changing and shower rooms. The other is the substitution of heated marble slabs instead of individual heated tile loungers.

Those marble slabs are a head-scratcher for sure!  They make me think of Superman's Fortress of Solitude for some reason?  lol  I much prefer Carnivals lovely curved heated tile loungers, built to hug the body.  I didn't look into the spa at all when I was on board, the prices were just too dear.

[cantgetin]

Experience on at least 5 different lines, 40+ cruises.  And I'm no where near young.  I found Virgin to be the best line at sea.  Yes, we loved Disney when sailing with kids--the service and entertainment was usually great, the food quality and pricing varied thru the years.  Princess and Celebrity don't even come close to Virgin. I've been in a suite on Princess, and would take a Sea Terrace (balcony) on VV any day.

[cantgetin]

Two of my friends have probably said it better than I can.  One described VV as a cruise line for people who don't want to stand in line and be told what to do.  The other said that she can feel totally comfortable in her own skin on VV;  she can dress up as much as she wants or wear shorts and a t-shirt to dinner and no one cares.

It took me a while to try VV.  I saw the ads from early on and thought it was a ship for "20 somethings spending Daddy's money."  I was totally WRONG. I have one more booked, and plan to book 3 additional the next time I'm on board.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

9 hours ago, cantgetin said:

It took me a while to try VV.  I saw the ads from early on and thought it was a ship for "20 somethings spending Daddy's money."  I was totally WRONG. I have one more booked, and plan to book 3 additional the next time I'm on board.

My reaction of VV was the same: it struck me as a place for trashy Kim Kardashian wannabes, the kind that haven't worked a single day in their lives, and just coasted on their looks and/or trust funds.

 

Today, I'm a little bit more willing to give VV a chance, but they're still doing p1ss-poor job of making an average burned-out office worker feel even slightly welcome.  They still feel like the annoying, snooty bar that charges $25 for a plate of farm-to-table cheese fries.

Edited September 8, 2022 by LandlockedCruiser01

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

My reaction of VV was the same: it struck me as a place for trashy Kim Kardashian wannabes, the kind that haven't worked a single day in their lives, and just coasted on their looks and/or trust funds.

 

Today, I'm a little bit more willing to give VV a chance, but they're still doing p1ss-poor job of making an average burned-out office worker feel even slightly welcome.  They still feel like the annoying, snooty bar that charges $25 for a plate of farm-to-table cheese fries.

Just to be clear, VV does not charge for any food at a bar.  Their customer service phone lines are awful.  Their IT needs serious help.  Using a travel agent solves most of those issues.  Once on the ship, the system is lovely.  YES, there are 2 customer service desks...one on 7 deals mainly with reservations for dining, excursions, etc. and a few little things while the one of 5 can do everything (financial issues, in particular can't be handled on 7).  I've heard complaint that people went to 7 and then had to go to 5, but with a very little understanding, there is no issue.  By an IT miracle, the app works while on the ship or they know the tweak to fix it.

I can't top the service on VV ON the ship.  The crew are friendly and seem happy to be there.  Of course, earning 3 times as much as on other lines, free internet, toiletries, more solo cabins for crew, etc. probably contributes to that, but happy crew tends to equate with good service.  OK, if you want to gripe, they only clean your room once a day with no "turn down service" or towel animals.  But they do have housekeeping personnel assigned to each area for anything you need later in the day or evening.  I swear that I have no connection and don't work for them.  I've just found my "new favorite" cruise line.  And it makes other lines look like "also rans."

[LandlockedCruiser01]

10 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Just to be clear, VV does not charge for any food at a bar...

<snip>

I'm aware of that.  I was referring to the general onboard vibe, not money. 

 

I'm sure you've seen bars like I described, found in newly gentrified neighborhoods, where mundane fries cost $25, are sprinkled with nutritional yeast and sea salt flakes, and hyped up as "vegan" and "farm-to-table".  And the atmosphere puts off anyone who isn't a snooty hipster or a virtue-signaling trust fund baby.  That's the vibe VV's advertising materials gave off; I didn't expect to feel comfortable there at all.

 

I'm glad you had a good time on their ships, which gives me some hope in trying them out.  But they REALLY gotta change their ads!  At status quo, they're alienating a lot of people with their "Jersey Shore" image.  Earth to Virgin: not everyone is Snooki or The Situation!  

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by LandlockedCruiser01

[cantgetin]

Sorry, I knew what you were saying about the fries, but was concerned that people who hadn't done VV might not.

 

I agree that the ads need help.  I saw ONE that was an improvement, but I saw it once and never repeated.  The ads really don't reflect the experience on the ship.  Yes, there are 20 somethings and The Batchelorette types, but the most recent stats I've seen said that the average age on board has been 47 with 50% being married guests.  My TA says 90% of his clients who have sailed have already rebooked another cruise.....the VV stats are somewhat lower, but still impressive.  If you're going to be offended by tats or piercings, VV is probably not for you.  If you want great service, really good food, and a totally different cruise experience, give it a try.  

[rebeccac]

They are improving things somewhat on their website.  They actually (gasp) show some pictures of people with grey hair!  🙂

Edited September 9, 2022 by rebeccac

[_tacocat_]

19 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

At status quo, they're alienating a lot of people with their "Jersey Shore" image.  Earth to Virgin: not everyone is Snooki or The Situation!  

Hahaha I actually think of Snooki & The Situation when I think of Carnival or NCL - basically party people who want to "get their money's worth" out of a drink package.  I think the pax on VV are inherently a little classier, just given the $$ fares. 

 

VV is ultimately seems to be trying to capture the market of young/young at heart.  There was a 70-something year old guy on one of our voyages who was having the time of his life, and we (mid 30s) have hung out with folks from all age groups from 20s-70s on the 4 voyages we've been on so far.

 

If you're going into it with preconceived notions about how it's not for you or how you're not going to like it, then you're probably not going to like it.