Mermaiden Shenanigans???

[Ripheus]

DW and  I just paid for a mermaiden voyage, as our first VV experience. I still have a few questions though:

1. Is there anything VV does to make the mermaiden different from other voyages?

2. It's a 5 day trip. We have a $300 bar tab, but we're both well practiced drinkers (wine, beer, and cocktails). How much additional bar tab will we need?

3. The website appears to currently have some issues. When things are back to working correctly, when would we typically be able to look at things in the app? 60, 90, 120 days out?

 

TIA

[scubagal44]

1.  I have no experience with Mermaiden sailings, so I can't speak to this.  Hopefully someone else can chime in.

2.  Well, of course I'll have to say that this is subjective.  Menus are pretty readily available on the interwebs that list offerings and pricing, like this here, I'd recommend perusing those and then making a decision after you get a feel for prices. For my next 7-night sailing on Brilliant, hubby and I have $1400 between Sailor Loot and Bar Tab and we think it *might* be enough.  😆  I think I remember your most recent X live and you do like your drinks (as we do) so I'd recommend at least one more Bar Tab and with the bonus (I think it's $50 right now?) that may be enough.  IDK.  We also factored in the times we expect to be on and off the ship to help decide what's enough.

3.  I assume you're sailing on Brilliant?  Seeing things in the app is less a factor of total time remaining until sailing, but rather Brilliant sailings just aren't loaded into the app yet because the ship isn't finished yet.  But, you'll be able to book restaurant reservations 45 days ahead of time.  All of us sailing Brilliant are just in a holding pattern until VV pushes the ship's sailings to the app.

[Kooper4411]

I went on the valiant Miami mermaiden - the only differences were that we each got a very nice souvenir coin. They also did a mermaid world record attempt at Bimini l, and apparently Branson was on board, but I wasn't involved with either of those! So there may be a bit of extra buzz and you'll probably get a nice trinket, but otherwise not much difference from any other voyage. 😀

[Moochi]

This is OP's DW 🤣

 

Thank you @scubagal44 and @Kooper4411 for your response.

 

I was checking out the bar menus @scubagal44 posted, and very pleased to find out the price is very reasonable, considering tax and tips are included in the price.

 

I think this is what my typical day bar tab would look like:

- glass of bubble $0 while getting ready, brought from home

- Americano for breakfast if the free coffee is terrible $5

- Two Aperol Spritzs before lunch $18

- One glass of wine during lunch $10

- One stout in the afternoon $15

- One cocktail in the afternoon $15

- Two glasses of wine during dinner $30

- Two cocktails after dinner $30

- One drink at Mezcal Bar or On The Rocks $20

Thats $143 already.... And my husband drinks more than I do. I think we need to purchase additional $600 bar tab. I will miss drink packages. We might need to buy bottles of wine to save cost, and utilize the deep blue cocktail hour (still need to figure out the details).

 

One question I have while the menu. The bar offerings are outstanding, much more impressive than most restaurant bars on land, let alone other cruise lines. Is everything listed on the menu available? 

 

 

 

[cantgetin]

Unless they run out of something.  We couldn't get a couple cocktails toward the end of the 15 night TA because one of the ingredients was unavailable.  They did suggest alternatives.  The above listed cocktails at $15.  We found them generally a the $11-13 range with a few higher.

Bar tabs are sold in $300 increments and each one you purchase will have  $50-125 bonus added depending on your loyalty status.  Bonuses are not applied to free bar tabs.  You can also carry on 2 bottles of wine per cabin,  The loyalty status match has been extended thru 2023, so if you have loyalty on any other line, go to vv.com and see if you qualify for a match.  This will get you an additional $100 free bar tab as well as the $100 bonus on purchased tabs,

You will be charged tax where local laws require it (example, purchases while in port or less than 12 miles out to sea). Gratuities are included in prices.

[Moochi]

delete

Edited May 7, 2023 by Moochi

[Moochi]

11 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

Bar tabs are sold in $300 increments and each one you purchase will have  $50-125 bonus added depending on your loyalty status.  Bonuses are not applied to free bar tabs.  You can also carry on 2 bottles of wine per cabin,  The loyalty status match has been extended thru 2023, so if you have loyalty on any other line, go to vv.com and see if you qualify for a match.  This will get you an additional $100 free bar tab as well as the $100 bonus on purchased tabs,

 

Really? We need to find this out! I always think they add $100 bonus for every $300 bar tab purchased, and this already includes our status matched from other lines.

 

If we get $200 bonus for every $300, I think we only need to purchase $600 extra, and might have a little bit extra for some expensive shots at the end. 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Moochi

[jaxcruisinguy]

1. My wife and I were on both Valiant Mermaiden. Mermaiden out of Barcelona we were given 2 Spanish fans that had printed text for the occasion. They were also filming for a UK TV series. My wife and I also happened to be having breakfast and Richard Branson sat down next to us and talked for a while. The Mermaiden out of Miami we were given 2 commemorative coins. They were also having a mermaid competition and filming. Guinness world record comp of mermaids gathering in Bimini. 
 

2. We’re not huge drinkers but would share bottles of wines, few beers or marg here or there. Drinks plus some Virgin brand march were off with a ship tab of barely over $300. 
 

3. Usually 30-45 days out you can book restaurant reservations. Things to do list they give you a taste, real schedule doesn’t happen until on-board. Shore excursions I believe were 90 days out for booking.

[_tacocat_]

1 hour ago, Moochi said:

Really? We need to find this out! I always think they add $100 bonus for every $300 bar tab purchased, and this already includes our status matched from other lines.

 

If we get $200 bonus for every $300, I think we only need to purchase $600 extra, and might have a little bit extra for some expensive shots at the end. 

You only get the bonus for purchased bar tabs, but unlimited- you can buy $3k of bar tabs and get 10 bonuses!  If you have the status match you get 1 $100 freebie tab per cabin with the deep blue extras (even if both people in the cabin do a status match)

[Moochi]

12 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

You only get the bonus for purchased bar tabs, but unlimited- you can buy $3k of bar tabs and get 10 bonuses!  If you have the status match you get 1 $100 freebie tab per cabin with the deep blue extras (even if both people in the cabin do a status match)

Ohhh thank you for correcting me! We already got the $100 from deep blue extras status match. 

[cantgetin]

5 hours ago, Moochi said:

Really? We need to find this out! I always think they add $100 bonus for every $300 bar tab purchased, and this already includes our status matched from other lines.

 

If we get $200 bonus for every $300, I think we only need to purchase $600 extra, and might have a little bit extra for some expensive shots at the end. 

I obviously said something that is unclear.  You don't get a $200 bonus for every $100 purchased.  Your status match gives you a $100 bar tab.  One time, no purchase necessary.
Then, if you purchase a $300 tab, you get a $100 bonus as a "Sea Rover."  SO....if you buy one $300 tab, you get a $100 bonus on it....total $400 + the $100 in the Deep Blue Extras.

If you buy 2 bar tabs at $300 each (total $600,) you get 2 bonuses of $100....so $800 there PLUS the $100 freebie as part of Deep Blue Extras for a total of $900

Bottom line---ONE Deep Blue Extras bar tab of $100

Bonus of $100 for each purchased $300

 

 

[Moochi]

@cantgetin thank you so much for the clarification! I thought it was too good to be true, although we secretly hope it was true, or we missed some awesome promotions haha!