Celebrity vs Virgin Cruises

[Cruising Cindy Lou]

We did Virgin in August.  I didn't like that it was only 5 days and for money we paid, could have done a 7 on most other lines.  The food in dining rooms was all great.  The buffet that is not a buffet, I didn't care for at all.  The ship was beautiful.  But the shows were definitely not geared for us.  When they pass out condoms and also want you to talk to strangers about your sexual fantasies, that is little over the top for me.  The one was enough for me to decide I will cruise else where, haha.  I guess I am an old prude. 

[aviators99]

I've only done VV.  I have my first X cruise, 2 weeks from today.  I'm eager to see if I like it as much.  I thought my VV cruise would be my first and last, but it totally sold me on cruising, and now I'm obsessed.  

 

They seem to constantly be running promotions where $300-$600 worth of alcoholic drinks are included (including right now).  I would call the price almost the same as X, when you take into account what's included and what's extra for each, and when these promotions are happening, maybe VV is cheaper (for 2 people).

 

My only complaint about VV is "not enough trivia" or "not serious enough about trivia".  Seems like I'll be happy with the amount on X.  Looking forward.

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by aviators99

[Oville]

57 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Going on my second Virgin cruise this Saturday. It's a great line, my only beef with it are the cabins below the suites. They pale in comparison to the Edge Class cabins. Not enough storage and although modern looking they resemble a college dorm room decorated with stuff from 

Sorry

Edited January 12, 2023 by Oville

[Oville]

14 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Haven’t looked into Virgin. How do they compare cost-wise?

 

Edit:  I recently started looking at different higher end lines as we are planning a Med cruise for 2024. Celebrity’s pricing for a sky suite for 10 nights is just over 11k. We compared this to Viking, which is also mostly inclusive but no casino. According to some on the Viking scene, they are too “refined” for casinos. I like high quality and will pay a fair amount to get it, but I’m not looking for pretentious cruising and I got the feeling that DH and I aren’t refined enough for Viking. Plus, they want final payment about a year in advance. 
 

I get that your post is about Virgin not Viking, but I wonder how they all compare at that price point… guess I need to do some more research. 

We did 2 Viking Ocean cruises pre Covid and loved the line.  Nothing “too refined” about them.  The food was excellent, afternoon tea wonderful and entertainment laid back but very enjoyable.  If I recall beer and wine are included with lunch and dinner and we moved up to the drink package for about $21.  Specialty restaurants are free.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Oville

[cbfb]

The adults only doesn’t matter to me as we only see a few kids on celebrity. It’s not the same as a land resort. That’s when adults only is a must! 🤣

[Accessor]

We are Elite on Celebrity and have done 2 Virgin cruises.  We leaving Jan 28th for our 3rd Virgin cruise, this time an 8 day. We are married, both 53, and have been on over 65 diff cruises

 

Food: hands down Virgin is superior. Virgin's restaurants are equal to paid specialty dining on Celebrity, with no charges...Everything is top notch, with no big surcharges to eat well.

Service: Virgin has the most authentic happy crew at sea. Not the fake hello you get from tired, overworked crew on ships like Celebrity.

Ship: We find the ship layout on Virgin is rather choppy. No wow places, but in return, you have a much more yacht like intimate feel with tons of cozy places to hang out.  We do love the edge class ships and find  it the best designed ship in the biz.

Entertainment: Well, we have never had so much FUN on a cruise until we sailed Virgin! The shows aren't as mainstream, but the overall vibe is one of exploring and letting loose.

 

Overall, if you go with an OPEN MIND, and are ready to have a great vacation you will be hooked. Fun ship, no kids, relaxed cool vibe, and awesome food & service. I will take a Virgin Cruise over a Celebrity any day of the week for these reasons...

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Since we usually book TAs , never had a problem with to many children except at the Martini Bar and OV cafe 😁

Do you get to pick your cabin or just get what Virgin gives you ? 

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

I've now been on two VV sailings. In my opinion there is very little overlap between people who would enjoy both cruise lines. Among this little Celebrity cruise critic group, I would say there is even less overlap. FWIW I am not quite 40 (yet!).

 

VV definitely nailed being different. To me the dining all feels like you're in a fast casual restaurant. Food may be good, but to me the experience almost leans more Carnival where people are just looking for consumption food and not a meal. However there are a lot of options. The main pool is tiny. Tiny. This was supposedly intentional and offset by long port times but on a Caribbean route the port times not substantially different than what anyone else offers. Entertainment is also different. I hate having to make reservations for any cruise show. There is one show that is semi-traditional song and dance. If you had issue with the original iteration of Eden on Edge class, you probably won't like any of the shows on VV. Cabin design is whatever you make of it. Some love it. Some don't. There are a few shows and event where you may get a free drink, but do not expect any bargains on drink prices. Beers are $5-8, martinis can easily be in the $15 range, wine and bubbles are similar to menu prices on Celebrity. Regular long drinks are in the $10 range. Drip coffee is included however espresso drinks are not. Those will cost you another $4-6 depending on what you want. 

 

 

This seems to be something made up on Cruise Critic. You aren't going to find any plush recliners or Queen Anne armchairs, but the seating is perfectly fine. Similar to Edge class, there are probably hundreds of styles of seating arrangements to choose throughout the ship. 

 

 

 

They don't call it speciality dining because there is no extra charge, but to be honest, it's really not that special at all. 

 

 

 

So, for example, if you like Cunard and Oceania, then Virgin  is NOT the cruise line for you.

[scubagal44]

I've been on both X and VV.  

 

VV food is far superior, and I'm saying that as someone who only ate in the MDR once on my last 10-night X cruise on Reflection (we purchased a dining package and only did specialty dining).

 

No hidden costs on VV, the rate includes all dining, grats, wifi, and non-alcoholic drinks incl juice and soda.  No unlimited bev package on VV, but can pre-purchase a bar tab with some free money thrown in.  

 

X is obviously a much more traditional cruising experience so if that's what you like, stick with it.  Crew was super friendly in my experiences on both lines, I didn't notice much of a difference there.

 

I'm eager to sail on X again, and I also have a future VV sailing booked.  The two are not mutually exclusive, IMO, you don't have to be die-hard one or the other unless you're just firmly stuck/rigid with what you deem is the "best."  Me, I like experiencing different things.  Vacation would be boring if it were the same every time.

Edited January 12, 2023 by scubagal44

[scubagal44]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Since we usually book TAs , never had a problem with to many children except at the Martini Bar and OV cafe 😁

Do you get to pick your cabin or just get what Virgin gives you ? 

 

You can't pick your cabin at the time of booking if you book on your own, but your TA can get you a specific cabin if you use one or you can call VV after booking to make a selection.

[Georgia_Peaches]

8 minutes ago, scubagal44 said:

You can't pick your cabin at the time of booking if you book on your own, but your TA can get you a specific cabin if you use one or you can call VV after booking to make a selection.

This seems like quite the hassle.  Wonder what their rationale is for not allowing one to pick when booking... 

[Accessor]

39 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

So, for example, if you like Cunard and Oceania, then Virgin  is NOT the cruise line for you.

Don't let anyone tell you Virgin isn't for you...honestly, it depends on how open minded you are to enjoying a different experience. We have sailed Oceania, Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent....Virgin is a great cruiseline, that caters to adults wanting high quality dining, service, and a ship with a heart. The crew on Virgin are the best of the best and have worked on luxury lines in the past. They get it!

 

[scubagal44]

12 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

This seems like quite the hassle.  Wonder what their rationale is for not allowing one to pick when booking... 

 

I don't know the reasoning, but it really isn't too much of a hassle.  When I booked my upcoming VV sailing I just said "hey, TA, I want to book this sailing and I'd like this cabin, please."  And boom, it was done.  Easy.  Of course it would be nice to b able to do that oneself, but it's not anything I'd use as a determining factor.

 

If you don't use a TA, it's not much more difficult.  Just pick up the phone and make a call to VV, or they even have an email and chat feature you can use instead.  

Edited January 12, 2023 by scubagal44

[mizLORInj]

Been on a few Celebrity and one time on Scarlet Lady.  I had booked the April 1, 2020 inaugural Scarlet Lady cruise, but we all know that didn't happen, so I used that FCC this past October.   Friend and I got solos next door to each other; I think it was $1300ish for each for a 5 nighter (not a bargain), and we got some OBC from our travel agent which covered our (low) drink tab and a few trinkets.   Yes wifi is included but I like being disconnected.   Soda is included which was good since I like an occasional soda.   Food was excellent.  Loved the fancy ice cream and the pizza too.   All included in cruise fare.   One  difference (other than no one under 18):  no large theater with big production show on VV.   Various smaller venues around they ship that were ok.   I would sail VV again sometime but I'm in no hurry.    I think it's best for people to try these lines and ships for themselves and I'm glad I got to see what it was like.   I liked the hammock on the balcony, the cabin itself except the tiniest bathroom I'd ever had, beautiful decor and funky decor in some places too.  Very nice crew.   Some say they will never cruise another line again; I'm not at that point.   I like variety and other cruise lines and ships.   

 

I'm hoping my upcoming Beyond cruise lives up to the fabulous one I had in Feb 2022 on Celebrity Reflection!    From what I'm reading, I'm lowering my expectations!

[Crazy planning mom]

I wonder if the food cutbacks will lead to more people going to Virgin.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Crazy planning mom

[Jeremiah1212]

2 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

So, for example, if you like Cunard and Oceania, then Virgin  is NOT the cruise line for you.

 

If you're willing to have two vastly different experiences, sure you could enjoy it. Like I said earlier, I don't think this little group of active Cruise Critic poster on this board is necessarily representative of Celebrity in general, but I also don't think there is a lot of overlap in people who would routinely cruise both lines. 

 

As already mentioned here, free condoms, some sex talk, drag queens, a tattoo and piercing shop, electronic dance music, a whole new approach to dining, etc. aren't going to work for everyone. Especially those here who get heated about things like throw pillows and decorate succulents. 

[Oville]

30 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

If you're willing to have two vastly different experiences, sure you could enjoy it. Like I said earlier, I don't think this little group of active Cruise Critic poster on this board is necessarily representative of Celebrity in general, but I also don't think there is a lot of overlap in people who would routinely cruise both lines. 

 

As already mentioned here, free condoms, some sex talk, drag queens, a tattoo and piercing shop, electronic dance music, a whole new approach to dining, etc. aren't going to work for everyone. Especially those here who get heated about things like throw pillows and decorate succulents. 

And aren’t some (most) of the beds sofa beds.

 

We had a suite booked for a Cuban cruise but it got canceled, Cuba was the only reason we booked it.  Turned out Covid came along and all cruises were canceled.

[kwokpot]

11 minutes ago, Oville said:

And aren’t some (most) of the beds sofa beds.

 

They're not exactly sofabeds. Instead, they're two single mattresses that can be setup as a queen bed,or as a L Shaped sofa, or two single beds in the same L Shaped configuration. 

I stand by my comments that while the rooms have a modern appearance they appear like a college dorm room. Some people seem not to mind the sheer curtains instead of closet doors. I'd like to ask the same people if you would want those same curtains replacing your closet doors in your own bedroom? On the other hand for me, the aesthetics of Celebrity's E-Class cabins is such that I wouldn't hesitate duplicating it in my own home, right down to the lighted corral display niche. 

Edited January 12, 2023 by kwokpot

[Oville]

1 minute ago, kwokpot said:

They're not exactly sofabeds. Instead, they're two single mattresses that can be setup as a queen bed,or as a L Shaped sofa, or two single beds in the same L Shaped configuration. 

I stand by my comments that while the rooms have a modern appearance they appear like a college dorm room. Some people seem not to mind the sheer curtains instead of closet doors. I'd like to ask the same people if you would want those same curtains replacing your closet doors in your own bedroom? On the other hand for me, to the aesthetics of the E-Class cabins is such that I wouldn't hesitate duplicating it in my own home, right down to the lighted corral display niche. 

Thanks, but pretty close to sofa beds right.

[kwokpot]

35 minutes ago, Oville said:

Thanks, but pretty close to sofa beds right.

Yes, lol. Photo of our room on the Scarlet Lady in July. 

[ccqueenanne]

I have sailed on both lines within the last year and would eagerly sail either again. That said, from the west coast, having to fly to Miami to join VV will be the limiting factor for me. I can sail from home (Seattle) with Celebrity, that is hard to beat.

 

For me, the fun and edgier vibe on Virgin are the better match. The shows are more original, I enjoy a drag performance, I appreciate crew being able to show their personality via tattoos, etc and I appreciated how queer forward the line is. I certainly enjoyed the adult experience sans children. I didn't have to compete with kids in the free arcade. While I missed the traditional trivia, I appreciated that winning teams got a round of drinks on VV vs a few tickets to be redeemed at cruise end on X. I also found the un-traditional trivia made it easier for us to meet new friends on VV. VV definitely skewed younger than X - I felt average ages were 40s/50s vs 60s on X - there were noticeably fewer walkers and wheelchairs on VV. The disco/club on VV was so much more lively than on X. The live music on VV was geared younger, which made it more fun for me. VV guests would probably love a silent disco like they have on X (though when I attended on X, the music on all channels was not good and kids dominated that particular activity). I talked to a few cruisers on VV who said they strongly preferred the "traditional" cruise they could get on other lines. 

 

Overall, the food on VV beat the food on X and it was definitely more interesting. I prefer the X buffet to VV's Galley food hall, but outside of that, most dishes I ate on VV beat most dishes I ate on X, or were, at minimum, on par with Tuscan Grill and Murano. I didn't get the fast casual vibe at all on VV in the majority of the dinner options. VV options were certainly more creative and current. I definitely drank less on VV since I was paying per drink. The free coffee on VV was not good. There was some great mixology on VV, but I did very much miss having a drink package.

 

I don't disagree with the comments that VV cabins have an Ikea feel. It didn't bother me - cabin decor doesn't make or break a cruise for me. I was prepared for a lack of storage but we found there was way more storage than we needed, other than in the (very small) bathroom. The bed was fine. The bathroom had almost no counter space and they didn't build any shelving along the mirror, which would have been an easy add. The shower in a standard cabin was nicely spacious and had a good rack for personal items.

 

The pools and hot tubs on VV were too small and too few. X wins by a mile here.

 

If both lines cruised from Seattle, I'd likely choose VV most of the time. But I also really enjoy X and have a cruise booked for this summer already - and I'll enjoy my drink package for sure!

[warmwinds]

After 20 years exclusively with Celebrity, I've just booked a cruise with VV.

 

We're older, much older than their target demo, but that's ok. 

 

We have been for the last dozen cruises Aqua on X, with one suite.

 

We booked with VV in a Cheeky Corner Suite, and the difference in the square footage both in the cabin and and the veranda, compared to the Sky Suite we had, is huge.  I mean huge.

 

These cabins are at the back of the ship, which we like, since we always get the aft Aquas.

 

I truly used to love Blu, but the last few cruises the quality has declined.  I'm not sure I'm going to like making reservations for a different restaurant every night, but I'm willing to try.  I'm also a little confused about the beverage package/dollar allotment, but I've got time to figure it out.  They don't have a "butler" per se but they call him something else.

 

It's not until next year.

 

Oh, and the price....I compared a similar itinerary with X in a Sky Suite, and the X SS is $8K, and the VV Suite is $5K.

[mcrcruiser]

Very interesting comparisons  between X & VV  . We need to  try VV even though we are older than their  generation 

[terrydtx]

On 1/11/2023 at 7:41 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Haven’t looked into Virgin. How do they compare cost-wise?

 

Edit:  I recently started looking at different higher end lines as we are planning a Med cruise for 2024. Celebrity’s pricing for a sky suite for 10 nights is just over 11k. We compared this to Viking, which is also mostly inclusive but no casino. According to some on the Viking scene, they are too “refined” for casinos. I like high quality and will pay a fair amount to get it, but I’m not looking for pretentious cruising and I got the feeling that DH and I aren’t refined enough for Viking. Plus, they want final payment about a year in advance. 
 

I get that your post is about Virgin not Viking, but I wonder how they all compare at that price point… guess I need to do some more research. 

We have been looking at Oceania as an alternative to Celebrity as well. Their future pricing of Sky Suites (our preference) has gotten outrageous.  Oceania and Viking are similar in pricing but O does have a casino and everything except shore excursions and alcohol is included. We just booked our first O cruise on the Marina for January 2025 for 18 nights around South America. The Marina has a 1250 passenger capacity and 5 specialty restaurants that are all included, and this year they are including Wi-Fi.  Our 18 night cruise is less than the 14 night one on the Equinox with 5 more ports stops. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

16 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We have been looking at Oceania as an alternative to Celebrity as well. Their future pricing of Sky Suites (our preference) has gotten outrageous.  Oceania and Viking are similar in pricing but O does have a casino and everything except shore excursions and alcohol is included. We just booked our first O cruise on the Marina for January 2025 for 18 nights around South America. The Marina has a 1250 passenger capacity and 5 specialty restaurants that are all included, and this year they are including Wi-Fi.  Our 18 night cruise is less than the 14 night one on the Equinox with 5 more ports stops. 

Wow! Sounds awesome.  Thanks for sharing.  I've been hesitant to book O because of their NCL parent company.  NCL seems to be struggling and their CC boards are filled with all kinds of complaints about new fees and cutbacks (worse then Celebrity).  ...I guess I was worried that such might trickle over to Oceania.  Probably unfair of me to lump them all together so I will take a look.