Experienced Norwegian cruisers compare first Virgin Voyage

[Davechipp74]

Did VV acknowledge your status on NCL and give you some perks on their line, I swear I read that somewhere

[MNcruisingcouple]

31 minutes ago, IrieBajan54 said:

I would love to try VV but the Caribbean cruises are too short. I only do 10 days or more complete cruises. I don't care for B2B (5/7 or 7/7 days).

 

I agree that 7 days are too short!  We've started taking two winter vacations, one with family and friends and one just the two of us.

[MNcruisingcouple]

2 hours ago, spethstation said:

Loved reading your experience! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I love NCL but I also I can't wait to try Virgin - I'm dying to go to Bimini and experience their private island! 

Did you ever press the champagne button?? 🍾

 

We didn't do the "shake for champagne" but we likely will on our next VV cruise in November!

[MNcruisingcouple]

29 minutes ago, detroitlions said:

Can you let us know what the prices were on drinks like beer wine mixed drinks? This would be helpfull for those that are worried about there final bill.

 

Average cocktail prices $11-17 (pool bar Absolut and grapefruit juice $9)

Wine $9-$15

We aren't beer drinkers at all but I think the prices were around $6-7

 

Again, so much more variety than on NCL.  My husband loves Scotch and struggles with the selection on NCL.  VV had so many more options.  And same with wine.

[MNcruisingcouple]

42 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

Honestly My wife and I are pretty much michelpbe ultra drinkers. Would love to know the average price of Beer on board. Also how did you obtain $900 bar tab, for a 7 day voyage looks like you only get $300 per cabin

 

I think the beer prices are $6-$8-ish.  Sorry not to have more info, we just aren't beer drinkers.

 

So, we did the loyalty match that was available at the time we booked, which gave us $200.  Our travel agent gave us another $100 and the VV promo at that time was $600.

 

I feel like VV also gives you better incentives for booking onboard.  So, for our upcoming med cruise we have $1100 in bar tab/onboard credit.  

[MNcruisingcouple]

25 minutes ago, Davechipp74 said:

Did VV acknowledge your status on NCL and give you some perks on their line, I swear I read that somewhere

 

Yes, we got the loyalty match.  Unfortunately, they recently discontinued that. I'm really glad we were able to take advantage of it when we did.  

[Russiamomm]

Thank you so much for this post.  I agree with everything you said.  I too was an NCL loyalist (Sapphire status) until I tried Virgin.  I’ve now done 3 cruises on Virgin and can’t wait to get back on.  But I still love NCL too.  Trying to compare them is difficult.  Virgin is completely different from other cruise lines in a lot of ways.  First, I loved the food.  Every restaurant is as good or better than the NCL specialty restaurants.  I love the fact that there’s no buffet and no huge main dining room.  The Galley (Virgin’s food court that replaces the buffet) is consistently good with a good variety of options.  And table service.  I love that soft drinks are included in the fare.

 

I was also hesitant about the lack of a drink package.  But it was not an issue.  We bought a Bar Tab.  Had another $100 from the status match, which also included $10 a day in specialty coffee.  We were booked through the casino, so got drinks for free there.  Drinks were reasonably priced.  With all our benefits it was a challenge to blow through the bar tab, but I was up to the challenge.  😂

 

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the lack of announcements.  I LOVED that.  Unless it was an emergency, all announcements were made via the app.  No obnoxious announcements about bingo, the art auction, etc.  it made for a much more pleasant trip.  
 

About the demographics, we are in our 50s/60s.  Felt right at home.  Many younger people, but also may much older than we are.  It’s a very inclusive environment.  Many gay couples.  We met some fabulous people.  
 

Just a note about the crew.  Overall we found them enthusiastic and friendly.  They are allowed to be themselves.  No rules about hiding tattoos, for example.  They can interact with guests more than on other lines,  we had many long conversations with the crew.  They seemed happy.  There also seems to be less of a hierarchical structure. The officers wear the same t-shirts/polos as everyone else.  We were chatting with a couple of crew members in the smoking room (no judgement, please.). They were wearing Virgin polos and khakis and had name tags. We asked what they did for Virgin.  They casually said they were the Captain and Co-Captain.  😳😂. That’s just the vibe on the ship.
 

Bottom line is we loved it.  Price-wise, it is generally a little higher price point than NCL.  But you do have to be sure to compare apples to apples.  Virgin’s pricing really is all inclusive other than alcohol.  No specialty dining fees, no daily service charges and sodas and juices are included.  Tipping is not expected (although the crew won’t turn down a few bucks if offered.  😃). I encourage everyone to try it, but leave all ideas about what a cruise should be behind.  We still love NCL, and have two more booked.  Virgin is just plain different.  In a good way, at least in my mind.  

 

 

[MNcruisingcouple]

40 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

Thank you so much for this post.  I agree with everything you said.  I too was an NCL loyalist (Sapphire status) until I tried Virgin.  I’ve now done 3 cruises on Virgin and can’t wait to get back on.  But I still love NCL too.  Trying to compare them is difficult.  Virgin is completely different from other cruise lines in a lot of ways.  First, I loved the food.  Every restaurant is as good or better than the NCL specialty restaurants.  I love the fact that there’s no buffet and no huge main dining room.  The Galley (Virgin’s food court that replaces the buffet) is consistently good with a good variety of options.  And table service.  I love that soft drinks are included in the fare.

 

I was also hesitant about the lack of a drink package.  But it was not an issue.  We bought a Bar Tab.  Had another $100 from the status match, which also included $10 a day in specialty coffee.  We were booked through the casino, so got drinks for free there.  Drinks were reasonably priced.  With all our benefits it was a challenge to blow through the bar tab, but I was up to the challenge.  😂

 

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the lack of announcements.  I LOVED that.  Unless it was an emergency, all announcements were made via the app.  No obnoxious announcements about bingo, the art auction, etc.  it made for a much more pleasant trip.  
 

About the demographics, we are in our 50s/60s.  Felt right at home.  Many younger people, but also may much older than we are.  It’s a very inclusive environment.  Many gay couples.  We met some fabulous people.  
 

Just a note about the crew.  Overall we found them enthusiastic and friendly.  They are allowed to be themselves.  No rules about hiding tattoos, for example.  They can interact with guests more than on other lines,  we had many long conversations with the crew.  They seemed happy.  There also seems to be less of a hierarchical structure. The officers wear the same t-shirts/polos as everyone else.  We were chatting with a couple of crew members in the smoking room (no judgement, please.). They were wearing Virgin polos and khakis and had name tags. We asked what they did for Virgin.  They casually said they were the Captain and Co-Captain.  😳😂. That’s just the vibe on the ship.
 

Bottom line is we loved it.  Price-wise, it is generally a little higher price point than NCL.  But you do have to be sure to compare apples to apples.  Virgin’s pricing really is all inclusive other than alcohol.  No specialty dining fees, no daily service charges and sodas and juices are included.  Tipping is not expected (although the crew won’t turn down a few bucks if offered.  😃). I encourage everyone to try it, but leave all ideas about what a cruise should be behind.  We still love NCL, and have two more booked.  Virgin is just plain different.  In a good way, at least in my mind.  

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences!  Completely agree with loving the lack of announcements & sales pitches.  Also agree about the crew, much more likely to engage for a longer time.  My DH had an extensive conversation on the pool deck with a crew member who was from the island we were ate.  Another conversation with a server when he noticed what DH was working on.  Discussion with a bar tender about New Orleans cocktails.  

Edited February 9 by MNcruisingcouple

[Russiamomm]

8 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences!  Completely agree with loving the lack of announcements & sales pitches.  Also agree about the crew, much more likely to engage for a longer time.  My DH had an extensive conversation

One more story on the crew.  On our first trip the loyalty program included one “Shake for Champagne”.  Shake your phone and they bring you a bottle of Moët.  😃. Anyway, we tried it.  The app was acting up and after 15 minutes we didn’t have our champagne.  A crew member looked at it, said he’d take care of it.  Came back five minutes later with a bottle on ice (not Moët, but still good) with two glasses.  Said the app messed up and he was taking care of it, but in the meantime, please have this bottle on us as I get your Moët.  Ten minutes later our Moët showed up.  Asked the server for four more glasses.  We shared both bottles with our new friends.  Good times. 

Edited February 9 by Russiamomm

[PATRLR]

5 hours ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

I'll address what I think you mean by vibe & clientele.  If this isn't what you were looking for, just let me know.

You absolutely answered my question.  Thank you.

[DavidOrawan]

Big price difference between VV and NCL for same cruise.

VV 4842 no extras

NCL 3778 with drink, dining, wifi, excur, pkg

July cruise same dates and ports.

[MNcruisingcouple]

1 minute ago, DavidOrawan said:

Big price difference between VV and NCL for same cruise.

VV 4842 no extras

NCL 3778 with drink, dining, wifi, excur, pkg

July cruise same dates and ports.

 

I agree that there a definitely higher prices to be found on Virgin.  But it isn't more expensive across the board.  Our med cruise in November is nearly $1000 less on VV than a comparable sailing on NCL.  

And with VV you essentially get specialty dining every night without any charge.

Also, does your NCL example include the gratuities on the packages, DSC, and port charges?  

 

Like I said, we are still open to sailing either line as it suits our budget and preference.  

[olemissreb]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I fondly remember my virgin voyage.

Oh, wait...you're talking about cruising.

Never mind.

@schmoopie17 I want to sail with you sometime. You have a sense of humor I can relate to AND you're a Packer Backer. Yes my screenname may be all about Ole Miss, but I was born a Green Bay Packer fan. I've said for years..."I bleed Red & Blue om Saturdays and Greenand Gold on Sundays". 

[olemissreb]

5 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Thank you so much for this post.  I agree with everything you said.  I too was an NCL loyalist (Sapphire status) until I tried Virgin.  I’ve now done 3 cruises on Virgin and can’t wait to get back on.  But I still love NCL too.  Trying to compare them is difficult.  Virgin is completely different from other cruise lines in a lot of ways.  First, I loved the food.  Every restaurant is as good or better than the NCL specialty restaurants.  I love the fact that there’s no buffet and no huge main dining room.  The Galley (Virgin’s food court that replaces the buffet) is consistently good with a good variety of options.  And table service.  I love that soft drinks are included in the fare.

 

I was also hesitant about the lack of a drink package.  But it was not an issue.  We bought a Bar Tab.  Had another $100 from the status match, which also included $10 a day in specialty coffee.  We were booked through the casino, so got drinks for free there.  Drinks were reasonably priced.  With all our benefits it was a challenge to blow through the bar tab, but I was up to the challenge.  😂

 

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the lack of announcements.  I LOVED that.  Unless it was an emergency, all announcements were made via the app.  No obnoxious announcements about bingo, the art auction, etc.  it made for a much more pleasant trip.  
 

About the demographics, we are in our 50s/60s.  Felt right at home.  Many younger people, but also may much older than we are.  It’s a very inclusive environment.  Many gay couples.  We met some fabulous people.  
 

Just a note about the crew.  Overall we found them enthusiastic and friendly.  They are allowed to be themselves.  No rules about hiding tattoos, for example.  They can interact with guests more than on other lines,  we had many long conversations with the crew.  They seemed happy.  There also seems to be less of a hierarchical structure. The officers wear the same t-shirts/polos as everyone else.  We were chatting with a couple of crew members in the smoking room (no judgement, please.). They were wearing Virgin polos and khakis and had name tags. We asked what they did for Virgin.  They casually said they were the Captain and Co-Captain.  😳😂. That’s just the vibe on the ship.
 

Bottom line is we loved it.  Price-wise, it is generally a little higher price point than NCL.  But you do have to be sure to compare apples to apples.  Virgin’s pricing really is all inclusive other than alcohol.  No specialty dining fees, no daily service charges and sodas and juices are included.  Tipping is not expected (although the crew won’t turn down a few bucks if offered.  😃). I encourage everyone to try it, but leave all ideas about what a cruise should be behind.  We still love NCL, and have two more booked.  Virgin is just plain different.  In a good way, at least in my mind.  

 

 

With the Bar Tab, do both people im a cabin have to have it? My sister is almost 20 years sober and while her boyfriend does drink, it "stinks" that she has to buy a drink package even if she'll only be drinking water and Dr. Pepper.

 

I've been thinking about doing a VV cruise with my boyfriend, but was a little concerned about age differences since we are both in our 60s. Thanks to you for putting my concerns to rest. Maybe we'll go in a couple years.

[Russiamomm]

10 hours ago, olemissreb said:

With the Bar Tab, do both people im a cabin have to have it? My sister is almost 20 years sober and while her boyfriend does drink, it "stinks" that she has to buy a drink package even if she'll only be drinking water and Dr. Pepper.

 

I've been thinking about doing a VV cruise with my boyfriend, but was a little concerned about age differences since we are both in our 60s. Thanks to you for putting my concerns to rest. Maybe we'll go in a couple years.

You don’t have to have a bar tab at all. You can pay as you go.  Soda is included in the fare.  Most of the current promotions include a bar tab or OBC (that they call sailor loot).  If you buy one in advance you get an additional $50 for every $300 you buy, but you don’t have to buy one.  The bar tab can also be used for virgin cocktails or  frozen drinks, milkshakes or specialty coffees as well.  

[MNcruisingcouple]

11 hours ago, olemissreb said:

With the Bar Tab, do both people im a cabin have to have it? My sister is almost 20 years sober and while her boyfriend does drink, it "stinks" that she has to buy a drink package even if she'll only be drinking water and Dr. Pepper.

 

I've been thinking about doing a VV cruise with my boyfriend, but was a little concerned about age differences since we are both in our 60s. Thanks to you for putting my concerns to rest. Maybe we'll go in a couple years.

 

The bar tab works just like onboard credit, except you can only use it for drinks.  The simplest thing for me to compare it to is a debit card.  You have a set amount in the account and after each purchase, that amount is taken off your total.  And for us that starting amount belonged to the whole cabin, not a certain amount for each person.

So it isn't like the NCL packages, that both people in the stateroom have to have.  

[Panhandle Couple]

14 hours ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

I agree that there a definitely higher prices to be found on Virgin.  But it isn't more expensive across the board.  Our med cruise in November is nearly $1000 less on VV than a comparable sailing on NCL.  

And with VV you essentially get specialty dining every night without any charge.

Also, does your NCL example include the gratuities on the packages, DSC, and port charges?  

 

Like I said, we are still open to sailing either line as it suits our budget and preference.  

The company or TA works for covers the DSC for us, and on 2 cruises the drink tips as well.  Although if VV doesn't have them, then we might get a small bar tb instead. I will have to ask.

[Swells1]

14 hours ago, DavidOrawan said:

Big price difference between VV and NCL for same cruise.

VV 4842 no extras

NCL 3778 with drink, dining, wifi, excur, pkg

July cruise same dates and ports.

But... there are no gratuities on VV, so that's a savings of $560 for two.

On VV, specialty dining is included, so that's moot.

Unlimited WIFI is more than 150 minutes.

 

On my next VV cruise, I will have $900 in sailor loot (OBC) and a $300 bar tab. 

[MNcruisingcouple]

5 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

The company or TA works for covers the DSC for us, and on 2 cruises the drink tips as well.  Although if VV doesn't have them, then we might get a small bar tb instead. I will have to ask.

 

Yes, there are TA's out there that will have offers that cover the DSC.  We've taken advantage of them when they are available.  

 

VV definitely doesn't add tips to the drink prices. The amount you see on the menu, is that amount that comes off your tab.  

[Fogfog]

TYVM for your thoughts. We haven't booked with them yet. The dining sounds great.

Who would you say is their main demographic?

The rooms  look tight online? How as bath/closet?

TYIA

[MNcruisingcouple]

11 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

TYVM for your thoughts. We haven't booked with them yet. The dining sounds great.

Who would you say is their main demographic?

The rooms  look tight online? How as bath/closet?

TYIA

 

I think their target demographic is Millennials; even the language of their advertising, and email marketing seems targeted that way.  

That being said, I think that if you are flexible and open then anyone can enjoy a VV cruise.  If you are locked in to the traditional style cruise or if you aren't open to new experiences, you may be disappointed. We met two different couples in their 60's, one was enjoying their cruise and the other was very negative. So more than age, to me it's a matter of attitude.

 

The rooms are very minimalist which suited us fine. There was plenty of storage.  Our sea terrace bathroom was small but the shower itself was larger than most cruise ship showers.

[Fogfog]

1 hour ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

I think their target demographic is Millennials; even the language of their advertising, and email marketing seems targeted that way.  

That being said, I think that if you are flexible and open then anyone can enjoy a VV cruise.  If you are locked in to the traditional style cruise or if you aren't open to new experiences, you may be disappointed. We met two different couples in their 60's, one was enjoying their cruise and the other was very negative. So more than age, to me it's a matter of attitude.

 

The rooms are very minimalist which suited us fine. There was plenty of storage.  Our sea terrace bathroom was small but the shower itself was larger than most cruise ship showers.

Thanks 

Did you sail in 2023 or this year?

 

[MNcruisingcouple]

1 hour ago, Fogfog said:

Thanks 

Did you sail in 2023 or this year?

 

 

We just sailed in Jan 2024

[Fogfog]

TYVM

I thought from your signature that it was a year ago, and then wasn't certain if you had sailed twice

 

[MNcruisingcouple]

17 hours ago, Fogfog said:

TYVM

I thought from your signature that it was a year ago, and then wasn't certain if you had sailed twice

 

 

Arg....my mistake in my signature!  Thanks for catching that.