New to Virgin, could use some help from the experts

[1025cruise]

I just booked a last minute cruise on the Scarlet Lady. (Well, last minute for me, cruising in 3 weeks).

Hoping you experts can answer the following questions:

1. What is the average price of a drink? I had been planning on buying a bar tab, but apparently $300 was included in my fare (I didn't notice when I booked, but it's in my confirmation and shows in my account). I'm not a heavy drinker, trying to figure out if this will be sufficient.

2. Are the menus for the restaurants that are in the app accurate? Or are they different onboard?

3. How important is it to make reservations for dinner? One of my concerns is that with the menus shown in the app, a couple of the restaurants have no appeal to us, so with not being able to make multiple reservations for the restaurants I'm concerned about not getting to eat.

4. Does the spa sell a cruise length pass to the thermal rooms? There is a very good chance we won't be getting off the ship and plan to enjoy the ship's amenities.

5. I did a status match to MSC (was originally looking to book a MSC cruise, but ended up with Virgin instead), and was matched to Gold. I see Virgin will "match" that, so I put in for it. Assuming they do it, what exactly do I get? I'm finding the website a little confusing.

6. How strict are the check-in times? I know they don't start until 2:00, but if I get there earlier than my 3:30 time, will I be turned away?

 

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

[cantgetin]

1. Average price of cocktail $13.  Range $9-17 for things we got or considered.  Beer starts at 5, a glass of wine is about $10.  This is accurate as of May 2023.

2. I didn't know there were menus in the app.  There are several on line that are essentially accurate.  There was a new menu last week in Razzle Dazzle on Resilient Lady, No one knows whether that is moving to the other ships or not.  In addition to the menus on line, several of the restaurants offered nightly specials during our 15 night cruise, and The Galley had an evening special as well as lunch specials.

3.Reservations matter if you want to eat at a certain time.  What we found was that we could go to a restaurant the night before and they would make us a reservation for the next night, even if the app showed nothing available.  In addition, you can do walk ups--we never had to wait more than 10 minutes except the one time that The Wake told us that they couldn't get us in for brunch that day, but offered a reservation for the next day.

4. No

5. You get "deep blue extras" which includes (and I'll likely forget some things...all benefits are per cabin, not per person). Premium wifi (upgrade from standard). Priority boarding(any time you wish starting at 1:30), a cocktail party, $10 daily at Grounds Club, invitation to a cocktail party, a HUGE bag of laundry free (this matters on a 2 week cruise!). a couple of items pressed , $100 bar tab, a special desk at Sailor Services to deal with any problems (shorter line).
6.If you have been approved for the status match, you have priority boarding.  This means you can show up any time after 1:30 and board right away.  You'll get a "Sailor's Club" ribbon wristband before you enter the terminal and will be prioritized to a special line.  You'll board after the suites and people who paid for the romance package.  Bottom line, we've always been in our cabin before 2pm.

Hint--some of the restaurants we thought we wouldn't like ended up being favorites (Razzle Dazzle was a prime example here--they have lots of meat based dished that aren't on the menu) and places we thought we'd love were not near the top of the list...The Wake service was SLOW and food was ok.  We didn't want to spend 2 1/2 hours on dinner again, so didn't go back there!  And there are better steaks and salmon other places on the ship!  Don't rule out a restaurant without trying it.  On the other hand, we'll never do Test Kitchen again. Personal preference only.

[jon81uk]

1. Basic spirit such as Absolut vodka, Barcardi rum or Beefeater gin is $8. Heineken beer is $6 for 12oz and others range $7-11. Cocktails $11-16 and wine $7-15ish. 
 

2. I think the menus are roughly correct in the app, but test kitchen actually has two it rotates through.

 

3. Try to get something booked. Scarlet Lady is busier and walk ups are harder than the other ships. Which restaurants don’t appear? We could give some menu recommendations.

 

4. I think they used to offer a pass, but not sure now. Otherwise it’s $59 for three hours on sea days and less on port days. 
 

5. See the list of deep blue extras here https://www.virginvoyages.com/sailing-club#deep-blue-extras

 

that also gives you priority boarding and extra $100 bar tab. 
 

anything else do ask!

 

I’ve just got off Resilient Lady but done all the ships. 

[1025cruise]

Thanks.

[aimee0715]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

I just booked a last minute cruise on the Scarlet Lady. (Well, last minute for me, cruising in 3 weeks).

Hoping you experts can answer the following questions:

1. What is the average price of a drink? I had been planning on buying a bar tab, but apparently $300 was included in my fare (I didn't notice when I booked, but it's in my confirmation and shows in my account). I'm not a heavy drinker, trying to figure out if this will be sufficient.

2. Are the menus for the restaurants that are in the app accurate? Or are they different onboard?

3. How important is it to make reservations for dinner? One of my concerns is that with the menus shown in the app, a couple of the restaurants have no appeal to us, so with not being able to make multiple reservations for the restaurants I'm concerned about not getting to eat.

4. Does the spa sell a cruise length pass to the thermal rooms? There is a very good chance we won't be getting off the ship and plan to enjoy the ship's amenities.

5. I did a status match to MSC (was originally looking to book a MSC cruise, but ended up with Virgin instead), and was matched to Gold. I see Virgin will "match" that, so I put in for it. Assuming they do it, what exactly do I get? I'm finding the website a little confusing.

6. How strict are the check-in times? I know they don't start until 2:00, but if I get there earlier than my 3:30 time, will I be turned away?

 

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

I just got off two weeks on Resilient Lady.  I wanted to chime in about the thermal suite.  I always get a thermal suite pass.  I pick cruises based on the thermal suite.  It is my favorite place/thing to do on a ship.  My friend and I take a girl's cruise once a year and literally hang out in the thermal suite all day every day.  The thermal suite on VV is terrible.  After touring it, I would not have paid for even 3 hours.  However, we had paid for the romance package so my husband and I each got a 3 hour pass.  If the Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady have the same set up,  the thermal suite has a small pool with barely lukewarm water and no jets, a small hot tub, two cold plunge pools (but very small like the hot tub), sauna, steam room, salt room, a warm moist room (not as hot as a steam room) where you put mud on your body and then shower off after 15 or 20 minutes, and heated marble benches.  The marble bench is not comfortable to hang out on and barely warm.  If VV had a thermal suite like NCL Breakaway or NCL Bliss with heated tile loungers and a thalassotherapy pool, it would be a damn near perfect cruise line.

 

Also, I had no idea that they do a status match. We're platinum on Princess.  It would have been great to get some of those benefits. We paid for premium internet and paid for laundry.

 

As for the restaurants, our favorite restaurant was Test Kitchen.  I'm amazed that people don't like it.  We're vegetarians so I had low expectations of everything but Razzle Dazzle.  We liked everything except we didn't eat at Gunbae and we only ate brunch at The Wake once.  I really thought Test Kitchen would be terrible for us, but we both loved it.  We went 3 times in the two weeks we were on the ship.

Edited June 11, 2023 by aimee0715

[singleflyer]

If you are not a big drinker, I think the $300 will be more than enough for you.  Plus if you get status match to Deep Blue Extras you get another $100.  

 

If you are worried about reservations; here is my tip.  As soon as you board, before going to your cabin or exploring, sit down on a chair or bench in the roundabout (area where you first board).  Hop on the wifi, and make your reservations (dining, shows, and any other events you want).  You'll have no problem getting what you want this way.

[Fogcityca13]

39 minutes ago, aimee0715 said:

I just got off two weeks on Resilient Lady.  I wanted to chime in about the thermal suite.  I always get a thermal suite pass.  I pick cruises based on the thermal suite.  It is my favorite place/thing to do on a ship.  My friend and I take a girl's cruise once a year and literally hang out in the thermal suite all day every day.  The thermal suite on VV is terrible.  After touring it, I would not have paid for even 3 hours.  However, we had paid for the romance package so my husband and I each got a 3 hour pass.  If the Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady have the same set up,  the thermal suite has a small pool with barely lukewarm water and no jets, a small hot tub, two cold plunge pools (but very small like the hot tub), sauna, steam room, salt room, a warm moist room (not as hot as a steam room) where you put mud on your body and then shower off after 15 or 20 minutes, and heated marble benches.  The marble bench is not comfortable to hang out on and barely warm.  If VV had a thermal suite like NCL Breakaway or NCL Bliss with heated tile loungers and a thalassotherapy pool, it would be a damn near perfect cruise line.

 

Also, I had no idea that they do a status match. We're platinum on Princess.  It would have been great to get some of those benefits. We paid for premium internet and paid for laundry.

 

As for the restaurants, our favorite restaurant was Test Kitchen.  I'm amazed that people don't like it.  We're vegetarians so I had low expectations of everything but Razzle Dazzle.  We liked everything except we didn't eat at Gunbae and we only ate brunch at The Wake once.  I really thought Test Kitchen would be terrible for us, but we both loved it.  We went 3 times in the two weeks we were on the ship.

The lack of soaking options is definitely an issue. The setup worked really well for me because I loved the hot steam room and dry sauna, don’t think I went into the mud room. The large pool’s temp was perfect for cooling back down, but the smaller hot tub would have been a better idea for a cool down pool. 

[LMaxwell]

*IF* you are awarded Deep Blue Extras your arrival time can be ignored.  When you get to the Terminal they will ask you to login to your VV App; under "Extras" it will show you have Deep Blue and they'll expedite you straight into terminal.  We had a 4PM time and were in terminal by 1:20PM and on ship by 2PM

[cantgetin]

We didn't care for test kitchen B menu....on A menu we had a much more "fun" waiter and did several substitutions with the vegetarian menu.  My cruise partner's feeling was that A was "ok," B was a no go.   That's basically where I was as well.  The chocolate coconut desert on A was amazing (vegetarian), very rich.  Wish I could get that without going thru the menu!

Not sure I understand the above post.  If you qualify for the status match and apply, there should be no problem...but in reality, mine didn't come thru for our first cruise.  My cabin mate's did, so we could both take advantage.  The qualifications for the match and the application are under "Loyalty" on the VV main web page.  Just scroll down till you see "loyalty" and it is easy from there.  DO apply at least a week before your cruise, or basically as soon as you book.  On future cruises till the end of 2023, it will show up automatically.

[CruisingWalter]

Just to add to what others have said, You can do walkup at the restaurants, but if you try to do that during 'prime time' you could have a long wait. Getting the reservation ensures you'll have a table waiting for you around a specific time.

 

The $300 included bar tab should be enough for you for a shorter cruise on Scarlet. Prices are very reasonable and all pricing includes the gratuities, so there's no additional markup when you buy a drink. Unless you really plan to drink a lot while onboard you may or may not get value out of an additional $300 bar tab for your cabin. Most folks will make out better letting the bar tab run out and then pay ala carte for any additional drinks, vs. the extra $300 bar tab purchase. 

 

Another tip for when you first get on board is to reserve any shows you definitely want to see. You can do that as soon as you get onboard via the app. 

 

We've sailed Scarlet twice so far and will be sailing Valiant for Thanksgiving. Our 'go-to' spot as soon as we drop our luggage in the cabin is The Dock on Deck 7 for some tapas. And if there are any meat and cheese platters in the "Grab N Go" cooler to the left as you walk out to the Dock I'll grab one of those too. Great way to start the cruise. 

 

The pool area is quite small for a ship this large and the loungers will fill up quickly. A great alternative to sitting out on the upper decks all day are the 'porches' on either side of Deck 7 mid-ship. I have no idea what they're actually called, but I call them porches. They are big open deck areas between the lifeboats mid-ship and you can walk directly out there from the Roundabout. They're usually pretty quiet during the day and you have the option to sit out in the sun or shade depending on which side of the ship you go out on. The best part (for me) is that you're just steps away from Lick Me Till Ice Scream and the Grounds Club. 🙂

Edited June 12, 2023 by CruisingWalter

[1025cruise]

Thanks everyone. I only booked Saturday for a cruise in 3 weeks. I only realized I had "clout" on another cruise line that would equate to a match on Virgin and sent in the paperwork yesterday.

 

My concerns regarding the menus are that my wife and I are what might be called "selective eaters", so when the menus don't look appealing, it becomes a question of whether or not to risk eating there.

[aimee0715]

6 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Thanks everyone. I only booked Saturday for a cruise in 3 weeks. I only realized I had "clout" on another cruise line that would equate to a match on Virgin and sent in the paperwork yesterday.

 

My concerns regarding the menus are that my wife and I are what might be called "selective eaters", so when the menus don't look appealing, it becomes a question of whether or not to risk eating there.

There is really not a risk to trying out a restaurant because if you don't like it, you can just go to The Galley afterwards and get something else.  My husband was not impressed with the vegetarian offerings at Pink Agave but we went in and tried it with the plan that we could always find something else to eat later if we didn't like it.  We ordered all the vegetarian things (which was not a lot) and it was enough to fill us up. We did the same thing at brunch in the The Wake.  My husband wanted to leave as soon as he looked at the menu but we ordered what was vegetarian and afterwards we went to The Galley so he could get something else. 

[AdoraBelle]

16 hours ago, aimee0715 said:

If VV had a thermal suite like NCL Breakaway or NCL Bliss with heated tile loungers and a thalassotherapy pool, it would be a damn near perfect cruise line.

 

I loved NCL's thermal suites in my pre-VV cruising era, but by the end of that (just before the pandemic), it had gotten to the point that the chlorination (I may have the chemical wrong here) in the air was so thick my eyes would start watering immediately and I couldn't spend much time there. I sure do miss that big indoor pool though, and the comfy lounges with the awesome views. VV's thermal suite was ... not any of that. The largest water feature was way way too cold to get in (for me), and the flat marble slabs were a weird choice. 

[cantgetin]

We've done the "I don't like this food, let's go elsewhere" thing a couple times.  Fortunately, they have changed the food at some of those places since then (same name on the dinner show, but different menu).  You're never lacking for something to eat!

[CruisingWalter]

2 hours ago, aimee0715 said:

There is really not a risk to trying out a restaurant because if you don't like it, you can just go to The Galley afterwards and get something else.  My husband was not impressed with the vegetarian offerings at Pink Agave but we went in and tried it with the plan that we could always find something else to eat later if we didn't like it.

 

That's the best plan for any dining experience on a ship. Try what they're offering and if it doesn't work out, you have The Galley and the Pizza Place as very good alternatives on VV. 🙂 

[jon81uk]

The pizza is awesome so it’s always a good fallback plan. Also it’s open to 2am for late night munchies.

[cantgetin]

Remember that The Galley offers a nightly special at dinner.  We saw everything from GOOD gnocci (not the paste that is in Extra Virgin), beef wellington, fresh carved roast beef, etc.  On our cruise, the evening main special was listed on the daily paper program (you get it from Sailor Services, either Grounds Club location, or the big red desk). There are also dessert specials, but they are not listed, start at lunch, and may be gone before dinner starts!  Also daily specials at various outlets in The Galley at lunch.

[rebeccac]

I agree that the gnocchi in Extra Virgin is awful, but the sauce that comes with it is pretty tasty.  Last time I had them give me the sauce from the gnocchi over spaghetti.  Much better!

Edited June 12, 2023 by rebeccac

[Gretchendz]

Great thread. Two points.

 

The status match program keeps changing (they are adding programs still) but you can see if you may have eligibility here:

https://www.virginvoyages.com/sailing-club/eligible-loyalty-programs

 

Also, I know people are saying that as a Deep Blue you can board early (like 1:30 or so) but I was explicitly told by an agent this is not true and it simply gets you a separate (presumably faster) desk at your assigned boarding time.  So, coming two hours earlier might work, but don't be upset if it doesn't.

 

I suspect it is like most lines who really push for you to arrive at your assigned time. But if you are there earlier, and they don't have a big back-up, they will likely let you on early. I plan to test my theory in...11 days.

[Fogcityca13]

Going into the Check In section on the app and selecting your arrival time asap is the best way to try and snag an early slot. They’ve been pretty consistent in letting Deep Blue Extras and Splash of Romance folks arrive early. Your agent is correct that these groups get expedited boarding not early boarding, and who knows if or when VV will make folks stick to their time slots. My opinion is they’ll continue to allow it until there a negative impact on the check in process or when they finalize the new Sailing Club perks.

[cantgetin]

8 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

Great thread. Two points.

 

The status match program keeps changing (they are adding programs still) but you can see if you may have eligibility here:

https://www.virginvoyages.com/sailing-club/eligible-loyalty-programs

 

Also, I know people are saying that as a Deep Blue you can board early (like 1:30 or so) but I was explicitly told by an agent this is not true and it simply gets you a separate (presumably faster) desk at your assigned boarding time.  So, coming two hours earlier might work, but don't be upset if it doesn't.

 

I suspect it is like most lines who really push for you to arrive at your assigned time. But if you are there earlier, and they don't have a big back-up, they will likely let you on early. I plan to test my theory in...11 days.

We've haad multiple VV cruises, each time with DBE.  In each situation, there was a special line for "Sailor's Club" where we were given a bracelet made of a ribbon, NOT the RFID bracelet.  This enabled us to enter the terminal at 1:00 and proceed to a priority check in waiting area.  Within minutes, we were directed to a check in station (one floor up in Miami, same level in Barcelona).  We were checked in within minutes.  Boarding started at 1:30 with suite sailors boarding first, then romance packages, then Sailor's Club (Another name for those with DBE), then regular people based on assigned time.

You get an assigned time on the app and are told to not arrive more than 30 minutes before your time.  Without DBE, you are lined up in queues based on your scheduled time and processed as soon as possible after that.  This typically means right about your time.

[1025cruise]

Just thought of another couple of questions.

1. How is muster handled? Is it "traditional" where you go when the buzzers ring to your station, or is it a case of watching a video and checking in at your station?

2. Are there any formal nights?

[cantgetin]

1--watch the video on the app or TV , check in at the station.  2 minuted demo on how to put on a lifejacket.  You have about a 90 minute slot to check in.

2--no

[_tacocat_]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

Just thought of another couple of questions.

1. How is muster handled? Is it "traditional" where you go when the buzzers ring to your station, or is it a case of watching a video and checking in at your station?

2. Are there any formal nights?

you watch a video in your cabin or on your phone, then report to your designated muster station at your leisure for a quick brief and demo.

 

there are no formal nights, but there are a few theme nights - the biggest are scarlet night (wear something red) and PJ party (anything from sexy to onesies)

[1025cruise]

Thanks again everyone.