Valiant Lady Transatlantic Oct. 2023

[matt1]

I’ve never done a transatlantic cruise, and have never cruised with Virgin Voyages. Most all of the cruises that I have done were Eastern/Western Caribbean and Bahamas, Canada/NE, Alaska, and the short cruises out of LA, and with most all the mass market cruise lines over the past 33 years. I did spend quite a bit of time at sea in the 12 years I was in the US Navy and racked up 10 years of sea time. So I’ve got that going for me. LOL 😉
 

That being said, the Oct. 29, 2023 14-night Barcelona to Miami cruise is a steal and just too good of a deal to pass up for a single-occupancy sailor as myself. 
 

I have done a few longer cruises, but not one that had soooo many sea days, which I’m sure that I’ll love. Being sort of an introvert, I’m sure that I can find plenty to do by reading a book, catching up on some movies on the in-cabin entertainment system, people-watching, and gazing out at the horizon from my balcony while relaxing in a hammock. The ports of call - Ibiza, Malaga, and Funchal - are almost secondary in my mind, since I’d primarily be doing this for the ship. 
 

So, I’m wondering if there are any cons to doing a two-week stretch on Valiant Lady? For those that have sailed with Virgin Voyages, do you think that 14-nights is too much of a good thing? 
 

THANK YOU in advance for your insights! 😁

[cantgetin]

I've done at least 6 Trans-Atlantic cruises and love them.  You are right--you need to be able to enjoy your own time reading or whatever.  Most cruise lines add special entertainment on long cruises.  I have another one booked and plan to book 2 more....so yeah, I'm hooked.
Most of the time there are FB or other social media groups where cruisers "meet" each other on line prior to the cruise and often form small special interest groups or make plans for things apart from what the cruise line offers.

IMHO, there is NO downside to a TA, solo or otherwise!

[matt1]

For the international air to Barcelona and pre-cruise hotel, would I indeed be better off booking this as a package with Virgin Voyages?  

[gumshoe958]

I have to admit I’d be sceptical about 14 nights on VV. I’ve only ever done 3-nighters, which were all awesome, but I felt they struggled to come up with enough activities and entertainment even for them so goodness knows how they fill 14.

 

And while the restaurants are without doubt excellent, there are very limited choices on the menus which never change so I wonder if they’d start feeling very samey after a while.

 

Just my thoughts …

[CineGraphic]

Our first VV cruises is 40 days away, but we've already convinced ourselves that we'll probably be booking the 10/23 transatlantic once we're on board.

[cantgetin]

As of 6 months ago, VV did not have any cruise/hotel packages for the 10/22 TransAtlantic but they were "working on it."  They were happy to look up air on line for me, but what they quoted me on Delta was more than I'd already seen on line and $300 more than I ended up paying.  For now, since your cruise is a year away, I'd just hang loose and see if they open an air/ground arrangements department in the next 6 months or so.  The days of difficulty in booking one way air or paying outrageous prices are gone; we had no difficulty finding what we wanted.  We'd been to BCN before, so basically knew where we wanted to stay.  The real choice is whether you're there to recover from jet lag and get on the ship or whether you want to spend extra days seeing the city.  When flying in a day early to catch a ship, we stay in the airport area at a hotel that offers a complimentary airport shuttle.  This time I was pleased to see that I could book it on Chase points.  If coming in days ahead, you'll want to stay in the Las Ramblas area as it is near the cruise terminal and in the heart of the tourist area with easy transportation to other tourist locations.  You'll be able to get good recommendations here or on a FB group about hotels.

What I've read about the longer cruises is that there are small changes on some of the menus.  For example, Test Kitchen now has 3 menus titled A, B, and Vegetarian.  A and B are rotated, Vege is available every night.  In The Galley, there are "of the day" offerings in addition to the normal ones.  For instance, the taco place has a standard 3 tacos but they also added a different addition for each day of the week.  There are similar changes at other Galley locations.  They've added a couple of new shows in the past month, and  other lines typically add more entertainment on cruises of 12+ days.  We love TAs.  Don't let people who have never done one turn you off to them!

[HolsAddict]

@matt1You'll find VV don't do packages. We have had to book our own flights as they couldn't do that.  The only package, as such is if you book the cruise via Virgin holidays

[matt1]

THANK YOU again to everyone for the tips and advice. Very much appreciated! Lots to do and think about. 😎 This is all very exciting! 

[_tacocat_]

16 hours ago, cantgetin said:

For example, Test Kitchen now has 3 menus titled A, B, and Vegetarian.  A and B are rotated, Vege is available every night. 

I think there are technically 4 - Standard A, Veg A, Standard B and Veg B!  They let you swap in Veg items to the Standard menu if you have any dietary needs or preferences.

[cantgetin]

4 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

I think there are technically 4 - Standard A, Veg A, Standard B and Veg B!  They let you swap in Veg items to the Standard menu if you have any dietary needs or preferences.

Thanks--I knew you could swap out a veg course for a non-veg course, but I didn't know there were 2 veg menus.

[gkbiiii]

I've done 8 transatlantics, but think I would be board on Virgin, with no cruise director or daily activities. 

[matt1]

11 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

I've done 8 transatlantics, but think I would be board on Virgin, with no cruise director or daily activities. 

 

Interesting comment. I actually had to look up what Cruise Directors do, and how it impacted my past cruises. And I’m not sure it did.

 

I’ve never been one to even care what the Cruise Director’s name is, easily could have done without any pre- and post-show commentary, and rarely ever went to shows in the first place. Other than attending the occasional game of trivia, I pretty much kept myself busy just wondering around the ship, watching the ocean and the world go by, and just doing absolutely nothing important. I think in the case of Virgin Voyages, no Cruise Director is just fine by me. 

[Bxc53]

Jumping in to follow. We are in a similar place to the OP, never cruised Virgin and intrigued with the Fall 23 TA.  We do like the longer cruises and have done a TA on Royal several years ago, plus other one way repo cruises. We like the No- rush schedule of many sea days, but also appreciate activity choices . We’ll be looking for reports from the upcoming Oct 22 TA to see how Virgin handles the week of sea days. 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Bxc53

[kwokpot]

If you've never been to Barcelona before you should DEFINITELY go 2 or 3 days ahead to sightsee. Barcelona has wonderful architecture and the food is just amazing.  You didn't mention if you're a gym user but if not this cruise would be the perfect time to start a fitness routine. Can't be any easier with a gym a couple of decks away from your cabin. I'm not sure how many days you'll be able to lay out on your hammock, certainly not when you're still in Europe nor when crossing the Atlantic. It's a shame there's no indoor pool or solarium. 

I've done more than 20 TA's, both eastbound and westbound. I love the seadays and just relaxing. 

[CrazyTrain2]

On 9/7/2022 at 6:20 PM, matt1 said:

I’ve never done a transatlantic cruise, and have never cruised with Virgin Voyages. Most all of the cruises that I have done were Eastern/Western Caribbean and Bahamas, Canada/NE, Alaska, and the short cruises out of LA, and with most all the mass market cruise lines over the past 33 years. I did spend quite a bit of time at sea in the 12 years I was in the US Navy and racked up 10 years of sea time. So I’ve got that going for me. LOL 😉
 

That being said, the Oct. 29, 2023 14-night Barcelona to Miami cruise is a steal and just too good of a deal to pass up for a single-occupancy sailor as myself. 
 

I have done a few longer cruises, but not one that had soooo many sea days, which I’m sure that I’ll love. Being sort of an introvert, I’m sure that I can find plenty to do by reading a book, catching up on some movies on the in-cabin entertainment system, people-watching, and gazing out at the horizon from my balcony while relaxing in a hammock. The ports of call - Ibiza, Malaga, and Funchal - are almost secondary in my mind, since I’d primarily be doing this for the ship. 
 

So, I’m wondering if there are any cons to doing a two-week stretch on Valiant Lady? For those that have sailed with Virgin Voyages, do you think that 14-nights is too much of a good thing? 
 

THANK YOU in advance for your insights! 😁

My wife and I are booked on this Cruise - We are so excited to have the opportunity to visit all the eating venues, meet some fellow travelers.  It should be a blast!!

[cel4145]

I was all set to book a transatlantic on Celebrity today for fall 2023 as a solo traveler. And then I found this cruise on the Valiant Lady. Celebrity was going to cost me well over twice as much due to the solo supplement.

 

So now I'm really looking forward to this cruise. And with the money I saved, I'll spend extra days in Europe before we leave port!

Edited September 22, 2022 by cel4145

[cantgetin]

They keep saying that they're going to meet their goal for passengers on board, and it seems they continue to add Sailors.  I didn't think people would book this close to cruising.

[wirralcruisers]

On 9/22/2022 at 1:20 PM, cantgetin said:

They keep saying that they're going to meet their goal for passengers on board, and it seems they continue to add Sailors.  I didn't think people would book this close to cruising.

Do we know what the passenger target is?

[cantgetin]

22 minutes ago, wirralcruisers said:

Do we know what the passenger target is?

Rep on phone told me that their goal was 65% occupancy.  At that time (about Sept. 1 because I called when I couldn't book restaurant reservations on the app), he said that they were about 50% sold in terms of cabins, but about 45 % in terms of number of sailors because with the "no single supplement" deal, many solo cruisers were in 2 person cabins.  The 65% occupancy goal was also what they told me about 8 months ago when I booked the cruise.

Edited September 24, 2022 by cantgetin

[ichiban35]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:59 AM, HolsAddict said:

@matt1You'll find VV don't do packages. We have had to book our own flights as they couldn't do that.  The only package, as such is if you book the cruise via Virgin holidays

Sailor Services sent the following when I inquired about flights - I haven't called yet, so I can't vouch for the process:

 

Thank you for contacting our Sailor Services Crew.

 

We are now able to book your flights directly with your booking using our Air by Virgin Voyages program.  We are currently booking flights out of US gateways to MIA and FLL, London, and Barcelona.

Aside from the convenience of being able to book all your travel with Virgin Voyages, below are a few other benefits:

 

• Competitive pricing and flexible fares from major carriers

• Pay at 120 days prior to the voyage

• VV Air Angels at Miami International Airport to help with transitioning from airport to PortMiami

• Ease of booking

• Flexibility to personalize your flight plans - cabin type and dates

• End-to-end VV support/assistance, including flight tracking on the day of travel

• Guaranteed to get Sailors to and from the ship - this includes flight protection in the event of flight disruptions

• Bookings can be made in foreign currencies offered by Virgin Voyages

 

To add air to your booking, you can give us a ring at 954-488-2955 for US Sailors or +44 (20) 30034919 for UK or chat with us here to go over the details of our program.

 

We hope this helps and look forward to seeing you on board soon.

 

Cheers!

Sailor Services Crew

 

I'll report back here once I've (hopefully) successfully booked flights!

[cantgetin]

The above air is very new info. When I booked my 2022 cruise, the rep told me that they didn't offer air packages, but he could help me find some.  What he quoted me was several hundred dollars more than I paid, and was more than I'd seen on line for the same flights! He did say that they hoped to be adding an air department and that they were in no way connected to Virgin Airways.
 

My suggestion--it is worth checking out their air, but do your own research.  My guess is that they are only dealing with a few airlines and these might not be your preference. 

[HolsAddict]

21 hours ago, ichiban35 said:

Sailor Services sent the following when I inquired about flights - I haven't called yet, so I can't vouch for the process:

 

Thank you for contacting our Sailor Services Crew.

 

We are now able to book your flights directly with your booking using our Air by Virgin Voyages program.  We are currently booking flights out of US gateways to MIA and FLL, London, and Barcelona.

Aside from the convenience of being able to book all your travel with Virgin Voyages, below are a few other benefits:

 

• Competitive pricing and flexible fares from major carriers

• Pay at 120 days prior to the voyage

• VV Air Angels at Miami International Airport to help with transitioning from airport to PortMiami

• Ease of booking

• Flexibility to personalize your flight plans - cabin type and dates

• End-to-end VV support/assistance, including flight tracking on the day of travel

• Guaranteed to get Sailors to and from the ship - this includes flight protection in the event of flight disruptions

• Bookings can be made in foreign currencies offered by Virgin Voyages

 

To add air to your booking, you can give us a ring at 954-488-2955 for US Sailors or +44 (20) 30034919 for UK or chat with us here to go over the details of our program.

 

We hope this helps and look forward to seeing you on board soon.

 

Cheers!

Sailor Services Crew

 

I'll report back here once I've (hopefully) successfully booked flights!

Interesting as I was told by VV they couldn't arrange flights from London for me

[DKNYC]

On 9/7/2022 at 8:20 PM, matt1 said:

I’ve never done a transatlantic cruise, and have never cruised with Virgin Voyages. Most all of the cruises that I have done were Eastern/Western Caribbean and Bahamas, Canada/NE, Alaska, and the short cruises out of LA, and with most all the mass market cruise lines over the past 33 years. I did spend quite a bit of time at sea in the 12 years I was in the US Navy and racked up 10 years of sea time. So I’ve got that going for me. LOL 😉
 

That being said, the Oct. 29, 2023 14-night Barcelona to Miami cruise is a steal and just too good of a deal to pass up for a single-occupancy sailor as myself. 
 

I have done a few longer cruises, but not one that had soooo many sea days, which I’m sure that I’ll love. Being sort of an introvert, I’m sure that I can find plenty to do by reading a book, catching up on some movies on the in-cabin entertainment system, people-watching, and gazing out at the horizon from my balcony while relaxing in a hammock. The ports of call - Ibiza, Malaga, and Funchal - are almost secondary in my mind, since I’d primarily be doing this for the ship. 
 

So, I’m wondering if there are any cons to doing a two-week stretch on Valiant Lady? For those that have sailed with Virgin Voyages, do you think that 14-nights is too much of a good thing? 
 

THANK YOU in advance for your insights! 😁

Hi Matt

I hope you've booked already as the no single. Supplement deal expires on October 4.

I agree it's a steal. 😁 I booked this years cruise Barcelona to Miami. 10\16\22. 

 

Denise

[matt1]

On 10/1/2022 at 4:22 PM, DKNYC said:

Hi Matt

I hope you've booked already as the no single. Supplement deal expires on October 4.

I agree it's a steal. 😁 I booked this years cruise Barcelona to Miami. 10\16\22. 

 

Denise

I can’t even tell you how disappointing I am for not booking this. I went back and forth, hemmed and hawed, made spreadsheets, tore my rotator cuff, went through weeks of PT, had multiple Ortho visits, made more spreadsheets, broke down pricing, and watched a ton more videos. In the end I just couldn’t pull that trigger. I’m probably going to regret this decision, and I know it’s probably the deal of the century, but… ☹️

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, matt1 said:

I can’t even tell you how disappointing I am for not booking this. I went back and forth, hemmed and hawed, made spreadsheets, tore my rotator cuff, went through weeks of PT, had multiple Ortho visits, made more spreadsheets, broke down pricing, and watched a ton more videos. In the end I just couldn’t pull that trigger. I’m probably going to regret this decision, and I know it’s probably the deal of the century, but… ☹️

I don't think it is the "deal of the century."  In fact, I booked our cruise about 8 months ago for about $100 less than the current deal + $200 in Sailor's Loot.  They always have sales...just wait for one you love.  OK, unless you do it today, it is too late for this deal.