Scarlet Lady - Current Occupancy Rate

[Traveler1977]

My first cruise on Virgin is coming up soon. One of the main reasons I booked with Virgin is the no kids rule. I think its great.  This same policy has has been a mainstay of Viking Cruises since their inception and they are one of the fastest growing cruise lines around. 

[atanac]

17 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

...One of the main reasons I booked with Virgin is the no kids rule. I think its great.  This same policy has has been a mainstay of Viking Cruises.

Do you feel Virgin & Viking are priced the same and are equals?

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, atanac said:

Do you feel Virgin & Viking are priced the same and are equals?

Although I haven't sailed Viking it's the same target market. Virgin definitely designed the ship for Millennials. I'm a young 60 and enjoyed the many aspects of the ship but the rooms are definitely NOT UPSCALE. They are too small and the decor is Target Chic and resembles a dorm room. We had an XL SeaTerrace(Best room before a suite) and there's not enough storage for longer cruises and not even a closet door. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by kwokpot

[atanac]

The point I was trying to make is Viking's success with their No Kids policy cannot be

equated with Virgin's. Ocean cruise pricing on Viking is more than double that of Virgins and as the above poster mentioned rooms on the 'Lady" ships aren't comparable.

 

Virgin is in the same lane as the other mainstream cruise lines, none of which have a no kids policy,

all offer drink packages, most if not all have a spacious pool area with one to two pools, oh and none have the drifty tattoo option.

 

...and if you can't tell I really can't stand people covered with tats. One day doctors who specialize in removing them will all be in hot demand.😉

[lalauren]

Just over 900 sailors for 5 Day Mayan Sol July 31. Shows are full but overall a nice quiet vibe!

[cantgetin]

On 8/2/2022 at 1:14 PM, atanac said:

 

 

Virgin is in the same lane as the other mainstream cruise lines, none of which have a no kids policy,

all offer drink packages, most if not all have a spacious pool area with one to two pools, oh and none have the drifty tattoo option.

 

 

In my opinion, Virgin is significantly above "mainstream" lines in several respects.  The most obvious is the food quality.  IMHO, Celebrity is the closest of the lines we've cruised, but VV is significantly better.  Note--this does not include the "ship within a ship" concept where people who have booked suites or special areas have dedicated restaurants.

I LIKE the bar tab concept better than any drink package as I have not seen people drinking for the sake of maxing out a drink package.  I addition, the bar tab can be shared with anyone you wish.  There is currently a special of $100 bonus with purchase of each $300 bar tab, so a 25% discount.  Most lines sell drink packages for $80-100 per day per passenger in the stateroom, while VV gives you a lot more control over how much you wish to spend on alcohol.  The posted prices on VV include gratuity.  On most other lines, that $10 drink would actually cost you $11.80 if you didn't have a package; on VV it costs you $10 off your bar tab.  And you can use your bar tab for things like the pub crawl or beverage pairings with dinner (at Test Kitchen).  If you don't spend your entire bar tab, treat your new best friends on the last night.  Drink prices on VV are typically cheaper than other lines, and definitely cheaper than hotel bars or clubs in Miami!

[CineGraphic]

On 8/2/2022 at 10:31 AM, atanac said:

Do you feel Virgin & Viking are priced the same and are equals?

 

Viking fares are considerably higher, and they spend more on food for passengers than Virgin.

[coaster]

deleted...wrong forum

Edited August 7, 2022 by coaster

[coaster]

I have unfortunately worked for 2 other companies that were bought out by Private Equity companies. Virgin being heavily invested in with one of these PE companies. These companies are sharks to put it mildly. They are bottom feeders looking for profits without regard to anything else. I wish Virgin Cruises luck, but the PE companies are not so nice. 

[_tacocat_]

16 hours ago, coaster said:

I have unfortunately worked for 2 other companies that were bought out by Private Equity companies. Virgin being heavily invested in with one of these PE companies. These companies are sharks to put it mildly. They are bottom feeders looking for profits without regard to anything else. I wish Virgin Cruises luck, but the PE companies are not so nice. 

Some nuance here- It was launched in a JV with Bain, not bought out.  Yeah, they’re trying to turn a profit, but it’s not like they just took it over and are looking for ways to slash everything at once to flip the company.

[coaster]

1 hour ago, _tacocat_ said:

Some nuance here- It was launched in a JV with Bain, not bought out.  Yeah, they’re trying to turn a profit, but it’s not like they just took it over and are looking for ways to slash everything at once to flip the company.

I was not clear as I knew Virgin was not bought out by PE.  My bad! Just a flashback to my previous companies where PE is involved.   PE is known not to have any long term involvement with the companies that they invest in.  Apollo and NCL is a great example. I know it is a JV,  but what percentage does Sir Richard have compared to Bain?

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by coaster

[neverendingcruising]

I believe it's 49% Virgin Group and 51% Bain

[CruisingWalter]

On 8/7/2022 at 3:57 PM, coaster said:

I was not clear as I knew Virgin was not bought out by PE.  My bad! Just a flashback to my previous companies where PE is involved.   PE is known not to have any long term involvement with the companies that they invest in.  Apollo and NCL is a great example. I know it is a JV,  but what percentage does Sir Richard have compared to Bain?

 

 

 

If Wikipedia is to be trusted, 🙂 it doesn't look like Virgin has all that much skin in the game. They didn't even come up with the idea, Tom McAlpin did marketing research to see if a "Virgin Branded Cruise Line" would resonate before approaching Virgin with the idea.  The ownership is simply listed as Virgin Group and Bain Capital with Bain having the majority ownership. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Voyages

 

 

[lalauren]

1400 on August 5, 2022 Scarlet Lady Dominican Days

[Lustate]

On 8/4/2022 at 3:03 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Viking fares are considerably higher, and they spend more on food for passengers than Virgin.

 

Hate to disagree on this but VV F&B quality in bars and the sit down venues is up there with high end hotels and starred eateries. When other ships are visibly taking powdered egg, frozen veg and pre-cut meats, its refreshing to see a ship being loaded from the dock with pallets of fresh produce, and even advertising crew posts of "butcher" on board. Spend per passenger also may not equate as VV do not offer "speciality" dining, only one high standard for all passengers at an inclusive price. 

[CineGraphic]

2 hours ago, Lustate said:

 

Hate to disagree on this but VV F&B quality in bars and the sit down venues is up there with high end hotels and starred eateries.

 

Sorry, but I'm not quite sure what you are disagreeing about.

All I said was Viking spends more per passenger on food.

This info comes from friends/officers with Viking.

 

I have not said anything disparaging about the food on VV, in fact, we're looking forward to our 9 days on board this October more than any of our past cruises.

[2wolves]

On 8/1/2022 at 10:56 AM, atanac said:

Personally, I have no issue with the tattoo parlor or record shop it's just they are both so unnecessary and potentially a turn off to some. No kids? Excellent. From a business standpoint foolish and when the dust settles they will have to do away with this.

 

I've read a lot about using the Virgin app and would much prefer to book everything in the comfort of my home months before the cruise so I can just relax when I get onboard.

 

Richard Branson is an eccentric kook who while trying to appear different is forgetting the basic principle all businesses should follow and that is to maximize profits.

 

Time will tell.

Not sure which school of business you are referring to but ‘maximizing profits’ is a short term gain, long term loss proposition.  Being profitable should be a goal but not THE goal, but at the heart of it, it’s a product based business and if you don’t like the product, don’t consume it.  And your reference to Richard Branson is unflattering at best and a borderline insult. 

[2wolves]

On 8/2/2022 at 1:14 PM, atanac said:

The point I was trying to make is Viking's success with their No Kids policy cannot be

equated with Virgin's. Ocean cruise pricing on Viking is more than double that of Virgins and as the above poster mentioned rooms on the 'Lady" ships aren't comparable.

 

Virgin is in the same lane as the other mainstream cruise lines, none of which have a no kids policy,

all offer drink packages, most if not all have a spacious pool area with one to two pools, oh and none have the drifty tattoo option.

 

...and if you can't tell I really can't stand people covered with tats. One day doctors who specialize in removing them will all be in hot demand.😉

Why? What have people who have chosen to express themselves thru tatoos done to you in the past that they have earned your displeasure? What about people with piercings? What about people with dyed hair? Is this a ‘they are different than me, so I don’t like them thing?’ We are all one race, human, so in the words of Walt Whitman: “be curious, not judgemental”. I, a 56 year old male, LOVED the diversity that VV brings, be yourself and let others be themselves, if this isn’t something you can handle, then perhaps VV isn’t for you?

[CineGraphic]

9 hours ago, 2wolves said:

Why? What have people who have chosen to express themselves thru tatoos done to you in the past that they have earned your displeasure? What about people with piercings? What about people with dyed hair? Is this a ‘they are different than me, so I don’t like them thing?’ We are all one race, human, so in the words of Walt Whitman: “be curious, not judgemental”. I, a 56 year old male, LOVED the diversity that VV brings, be yourself and let others be themselves, if this isn’t something you can handle, then perhaps VV isn’t for you?

 

Thanks for making me proud to be born & raised in MD.

[AdoraBelle]

My sailing last week supposedly had 900 people, but I was told by a fairly high ranking crew person (not that this is privileged info, as far as I know) that they were expecting 1800+ people for the cruise immediately following (Labor Day weekend). Still underway, maybe someone can confirm.

[cantgetin]

Yes, 1800 have been reported on the Labor Day cruise,  but then it drops down again.  I spoke with VV last week and was told that my upcoming cruise is about 50% sold out in terms of cabin numbers but there are many solo cruisers in 2 person cabins...so he estimated 45% occupancy..  He also said they have a goal of 65%.  

[VVVacay]

On 8/1/2022 at 10:57 AM, Fogcityca13 said:

I like the bar tab concept. All I really want is to prepay some of my ship expenses, the bar tab allows me to do so. I always end up with additional alcohol charges with RCL and Princess from purchasing wire and drinks over the drink package limit. Granted my spending is probably not the norm.

Agreed, it’s more simple and also works for juice bar and fancy coffee AND you can buy drinks for others.