Live Trip Report - Celebration Cruise 8/30-9/5 out of Miami on Valiant Lady

[SailorMoons]

Personally they have over done the loyalty. They really need to stagger priority boarding it's a too hectic with DBE, SoR & DB all turning up at once plus the first boarding groups. Unfortunately people are faking disabilities to queue jump.... I feel so sorry for people with real needs that have to suffer due to this, virgin could handle this we pre-embarkation form with doctors note and then allow these people to board before the first groups.

 

Personally it's good they don't also award access keys from points and travel industry rates. As someone who has benefited from 3 virgin red points redemptions by doing bonus signs ups and 70% transfer / top up bonus - I'm paying about 1/3 the current cabin rate and should not be rewarded again, the points are the reward IMO.

 

With ships full I would like loyalty to change to the previous planned "total spend" model based on tokens, but I don't think there IT is up to the job.

[jon81uk]

15 minutes ago, SailorMoons said:

Personally they have over done the loyalty. They really need to stagger priority boarding it's a too hectic with DBE, SoR & DB all turning up at once plus the first boarding groups. Unfortunately people are faking disabilities to queue jump.... I feel so sorry for people with real needs that have to suffer due to this, virgin could handle this we pre-embarkation form with doctors note and then allow these people to board before the first groups.

 

Personally it's good they don't also award access keys from points and travel industry rates. As someone who has benefited from 3 virgin red points redemptions by doing bonus signs ups and 70% transfer / top up bonus - I'm paying about 1/3 the current cabin rate and should not be rewarded again, the points are the reward IMO.

 

With ships full I would like loyalty to change to the previous planned "total spend" model based on tokens, but I don't think there IT is up to the job.

It was mentioned on the celebration voyage I was on that they have recruited a new VP of loyalty or similar and he is tasked with creating a “proper” loyalty programme as Nirmal (CEO) put it. They are also further partnering with Virgin Red so point redemption will become a permanent thing.

[SailorMoons]

47 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

It was mentioned on the celebration voyage I was on that they have recruited a new VP of loyalty or similar and he is tasked with creating a “proper” loyalty programme as Nirmal (CEO) put it. They are also further partnering with Virgin Red so point redemption will become a permanent thing.

Well I feel pretty lucky I'm able use the DBE I've earned on paid cruises on the points redemption cruises. Whole virgin group needs to have a common loyalty scheme, there slowly realising that. Having the flexibility to use points earned on Virgin Voyages on hotels/flights would be nice. I can see priority boarding being removed 🤣

[TripsYouMustDo]

1 hour ago, SailorMoons said:

Personally they have over done the loyalty. They really need to stagger priority boarding it's a too hectic with DBE, SoR & DB all turning up at once plus the first boarding groups. Unfortunately people are faking disabilities to queue jump.... I feel so sorry for people with real needs that have to suffer due to this, virgin could handle this we pre-embarkation form with doctors note and then allow these people to board before the first groups.

 

Personally it's good they don't also award access keys from points and travel industry rates. As someone who has benefited from 3 virgin red points redemptions by doing bonus signs ups and 70% transfer / top up bonus - I'm paying about 1/3 the current cabin rate and should not be rewarded again, the points are the reward IMO.

 

With ships full I would like loyalty to change to the previous planned "total spend" model based on tokens, but I don't think there IT is up to the job.

 

There is abuse of ADA for sure on both airlines and cruise lines, but in the US they are not allowed to ask for proof of disability per US laws. In Europe it's almost better that they do because my wife certainly has all the papers. We show her disability papers in the museums in Europe to get free admission for her and myself (as her companion). The way VV handles it (in Miami at least) is the worst amongst any airline or cruise line I was ever on. (In Athens they were actually wonderful to my wife both this year and last).

 

I think they are trying to monetize their early embarkation a little too harshly. I am able to grab early embarkation slots on other cruise lines (e.g. Royal Caribbean, MSC) by simply checking in as soon as the check-in opens. On VV is seems that if you don't have status (or pay extra), your embarkation is around 4pm, which is ridiculous. Again, their decision but will drive many cruisers  like me away. If we are the cruisers they don't want, no worries. Many other cruise lines out there. 🙂 

 

I will agree to disagree about not rewarding loyalty to people booking on points or other promos. I mean it's their decision of course, but it simply drives me to other cruise lines and makes the chance of me ever paying full rates so much less. Every single other cruise line awards full loyalty on points/casino cruises. VV is especially inconsistent in that they will match your status from other cruise lines and will give perks to someone that hasn't even cruised with them once, but then they are not going to give any status to someone that paid (with points or otherwise, points are not exactly "free") on their cruise line? One of the many inconsistencies that show they still haven't figured out what they are doing. The way they are doing it right now ensures I will *only* cruise with them if it's dirt cheap and will never even think of paying full fare.

Edited Tuesday at 12:56 PM by TripsYouMustDo

[TripsYouMustDo]

1 hour ago, jon81uk said:

It was mentioned on the celebration voyage I was on that they have recruited a new VP of loyalty or similar and he is tasked with creating a “proper” loyalty programme as Nirmal (CEO) put it. They are also further partnering with Virgin Red so point redemption will become a permanent thing.

 

I'm curious how it will play out. I also hope they won't start doing "fuel surcharges" like they do if booking with points on their airline. Those "fuel surcharges" make any point redemptions completely worthless. They already started charging fees & taxes when booking with points from Miami (but not in Europe at least), which is funny because they are claiming to have "all-inclusive" fares, and all other cruise lines actually started including fees & taxes in the cruise fare while VV is going in the opposite directions.

 

Blind desire to be "the disruptors" is not always a good thing. 

[SailorMoons]

I will add the only times I've had late boarding options is on point redemptions as it's normally on sailings that have not sold out closer to departure date ( I do the cheapest flash sales on virgin red normally have 3 weeks notice) and people have already picked dinning & embarkation times, on paid bookings I've been able to get 1:45pm or 2pm easily as I book more than 1y out. You can also try redoing the pick boarding time sometime more early slots open up, others have had success with that.