Starting to regret my oct booking.

[cantgetin]

Prior to my first VV cruise, my TA described it as a cruise for people who didn't want to stand in line and be told what to do.  By my April 2924 cruise, it certainly wasn't that way any more....not for dinner res, not for activities.  Most of the activities have dropped reservations thru the app and replaced that with "show up 30 minutes early, stand in line, and hope you get in."

[Travel-and-See]

1 hour ago, genian_travels said:

There is enough dining capacity during the dining period. There isn’t capacity if everyone wants to eat at 7pm - as there isn’t on any cruise line - hence me saying flexibility is key.

Most cruise lines have MDR's which can accommodate everyone during 2 seatings. The specialty restaurants are in addition to the MDR and Buffet availability. 

 

On Virgin, there is not enough capacity for those wanting "Traditional" dining experiences which is why the Wake, Extra Virgin, and Pink Agave are difficult to get reservations at. 

 

In hindsight - Virgin should have made the Wake much larger. It is the most traditional dinner experience, and surprise surprise... that's what the majority of people want!  

[cantgetin]

They've also had issues with some of the restaurants.  For example, they took our three favorite items off the Razzle Dazzle dinner menu when they re-did that menu.  It went from one of our favorites to not a place we would choose to eat.  Likewise, Gunbae is something of a "once only" regardless of length of cruise.  The Test Kitchen B menu has not been terribly popular from what we can see.

Interestingly, the ships were originally designed for 7 restaurants, but somewhere along the production, one was eliminated.  Big mistake.  However, many of the Galley dinner specials are very good.  The Beef Wellington is excellent.  The more full the ships have become, the less happy we have been!

[Cloud9 Bob]

18 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

The more full the ships have become, the less happy we have been!

 

I agree with you. My first was 1200 pax, my third was 2700....same itenerary. What a difference in the experience.

[genian_travels]

3 hours ago, cantgetin said:

They've also had issues with some of the restaurants.  For example, they took our three favorite items off the Razzle Dazzle dinner menu when they re-did that menu.  It went from one of our favorites to not a place we would choose to eat.
 

This doesn’t seem like an issue Virgin has had with some of their restaurants… this is an issue you have with one of the restaurants… it’s personal preference. People complain the menus never change - but when Virgin change it people complain their “favourites” were removed. They can’t win. You can’t please everyone.

 

3 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Likewise, Gunbae is something of a "once only" regardless of length of cruise. 
 

Agreed. But when the majority of cruises Virgin has sailed since its launch are typically 3-5 days, that isn’t much of an issue as they are plenty of other places to eat.
 

I didn’t try Gunbae until my second VV cruise and it wasn’t until my third that I had managed to try every main restaurant. I’ve done six now, including two transatlantics, and still haven’t eaten at Noodle Around in the Galley yet, had a salad at The Daily Mix, nor eaten anything savory from The Social Club. Maybe I’ll get round to it on my transatlantic next year.. 🤔

Edited September 13 by genian_travels

[-The-True-North-]

7 hours ago, cantgetin said:

The Beef Wellington is excellent.

 

The more full the ships have become, the less happy we have been!

 

Both of these are 100% on point.

 

I'd also add that now that fares are significantly higher, perks are significantly less, VV is no longer the shiney diamond it was and similar to comparable cruise lines.

[CruisingDaff]

Very Interesting reading , thank you all . This is a probable nearly full sailing , it is blatantly obvious that at 4.30pm there will not be any restaurant's left whatever time booking.

To me its a strange concept to advertise all these fabulous eateries , but not have the capacity to provide everyone a fair share. 

We never eat in MDR every night , a few nights of a lighter dinner(buffet/Gallery) are always enjoyed, We would only want a few nights at these restaurant's.

I am very grateful of everyone's comments,both good and bad. I will let everyone know how it actually goes. At least we will not be surprised, if there is no availability. 

I have been logging on frequently to see if other boarding times have become available but I must be missing them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cantgetin]

6 hours ago, genian_travels said:

 

 

Agreed. But when the majority of cruises Virgin has sailed since its launch are typically 3-5 days, that isn’t much of an issue as they are plenty of other places to eat.

That's fair.  I no longer do cruises that are less than a week  on any line and most are 2 weeks--either TAs or B2B. As we don't live near a port and travel has become physically more difficult for us, it just isn't worth the effort if we don't "stay a while."  I realize that's a personal issue, but it is reflected in my comments in that shorter cruises have a different atmosphere than longer, even if the "shorter" is a 4/5 B2B.

[CruisingDaff]

On 9/11/2024 at 4:32 PM, DCGuy64 said:

There are so many online resources that would tell you that most of the reservations for the specialty restaurants are held back (estimates range between 30-50% being made available prior to sailing, so roughly 50-70% will be available once you're on board). There is nothing to worry about. It truly saddens me when I see people (particularly experienced cruisers like yourself) who allow themselves to panic about something that a little research would alleviate. Take a little time and watch some YouTube videos of VV ships done by cruise influencers and regular folk. You'll see this topic covered very frequently. Once you're on the ship, you can go to Razzle Dazzle and speak with someone who will help you make dinner reservations so you're not stuck in The Galley every night. I am a first timer to VV and I learned this a while ago. You will be fine. Have a great cruise! BTW this is a good article on the subject from a really good website:

https://vvinsider.com/guides-and-faqs/guide/booking-restaurants/

An excerpt you might find helpful:

All Bookings Sold Out?

If you find that everything is fully booked before your cruise, there’s no need to panic! Virgin Voyages ensures significant onboard dining capacity by only allowing a third of bookings to be booked before boarding.

You can seek assistance with booking by heading to Razzle Dazzle typically between 2 & 4:30pm on the first day of your cruise , or you can utilize the VV app for reservation options once on board.

my boarding is 4.30pm! thats the problem

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, CruisingDaff said:

my boarding is 4.30pm! thats the problem

I re-read your original post and your follow-ups, but I don't see anywhere you mentioning when you booked. Was it a last minute booking aka after final payment was due? I would point out a few things that might be worth thinking about:

1. Your boarding time is irrelevant in terms of booking restaurants. Sure, VV does say that you can go to a restaurant venue (it usually seems to be Razzle Dazzle) between 2 and 4:30 on the first day, so obviously you'd be too late for that. However, many people on Virgin ships report being able to go to the restaurants where they want to dine, sometime during the day or even when they open, and finding an open seating. Or: you turn up at Pink Agave on a Monday and say you want to eat there on Tuesday or Wednesday. This seems to happen frequently.

2. You will likely have more luck finding a reservation if you are flexible with your desired time. I read a review by another VV cruiser who was mad because he refused to eat later than 8 pm or something since he was used to eating at 6:30 pm at home, and Virgin only had seating availability after his preferred time. I mean, that's just something you have to deal with. It's not really fair to say "I can't get a reservation anywhere and Virgin is to blame" when what you really mean is "I'm totally inflexible about when I eat and that's not my fault." Yeah, it kinda is. I highly doubt you are like that, but my point is that you may have to eat at a less-than-desired time.

3. There are other dining venues besides just The Galley and the specialty restaurants.

But again, I would not lose hope just yet, wait until you are there at the port and see what happens. More than one YouTube reviewer reports being able to log in to the Virgin app while waiting at the port and finding open dinner reservations right there and then. The staff seem very eager to help people.

Best of luck and I hope you have a wonderful cruise in October.

 

[Travel-and-See]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

You will likely have more luck finding a reservation if you are flexible with your desired time. I read a review by another VV cruiser who was mad because he refused to eat later than 8 pm or something since he was used to eating at 6:30 pm at home, and Virgin only had seating availability after his preferred time. I mean, that's just something you have to deal with. It's not really fair to say "I can't get a reservation anywhere and Virgin is to blame" when what you really mean is "I'm totally inflexible about when I eat and that's not my fault." Yeah, it kinda is.

 

It's a bit more complicated than that - Virgin can be pretty inconsistent so you can hear different reviews from different guests.  I'm still disappointed that after 2 cruises, I have not been able to eat dinner in the wake - it really shouldn't be that difficult.

[cantgetin]

There is a lot of inconsistency at Virgin, even on the same ship, same itinerary.  People can only report their experiences, but that can all change before their next cruise.

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Travel-and-See said:

It's a bit more complicated than that - Virgin can be pretty inconsistent so you can hear different reviews from different guests.  I'm still disappointed that after 2 cruises, I have not been able to eat dinner in the wake - it really shouldn't be that difficult.

Something that I comment on fairly frequently is the unrepresentative nature of negative comments online, especially Cruise Critic. A given cruise line can shuttle 1,000s of people around on multiple ships to multiple destinations every single week of the year, but the people who bother to comment online are usually the dissatisfied ones, thus their experience stands out as the "norm," even though it isn't even close to being that. The vast majority of people are likely quite content with their experience onboard, but unless their cruise was exceptional or unusual in some way (positive or negative), they're unlikely to take the time to write about it. That's what gives rise to threads with titles or content like "I'm getting worried about my cruise because of all the negative posts." Well, when less than 1% of people bother to share their experiences, of course it's going to seem worse than it is. If Virgin Voyages truly had the kinds of problems some people talk about, they'd probably do something about it (and maybe if it happens enough and people let them know, they will). Otherwise, I'd say 99% of VV cruisers are having a great time and nothing needs to change. But I'm a newbie, so maybe I'll have a different take on this in January. One thing that I've learned as a cruiser is that your attitude is everything. If you go on a cruise looking to complain, nitpick and be disappointed, you will be. If you go with a positive attitude, you'll likely have a great time.

[delynn72]

You can also keep checking for an earlier check in time. On the first day to choose a time I forgot and got 4:15. Someone on our FB group a few weeks later said check the app more earlier times are open now. I was able to get 2:30 check in time by checking the app.

[Travel-and-See]

 

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

One thing that I've learned as a cruiser is that your attitude is everything. If you go on a cruise looking to complain, nitpick and be disappointed, you will be. If you go with a positive attitude, you'll likely have a great time.

You seem to be implying that anyone who mentions flaws gets on with a bad attitude and is just looking for things to complain about.  This is a site for sharing experiences, good and bad, so that others can consider the pros and cons of various cruise lines. 

 

It's not easy to get reservations for dinner at the Wake, Extra Virgin, and Pink Agave. That's a fact.  I've been on 2 cruises and have yet to be able to eat dinner at the Wake, and the only reason I got into Extra Virgin was because of a cancellation. And that's with playing "dinner roulette" on the Virgin app on a regular basis.  The other restaurants are less traditional in both cuisine and atmosphere. 

[-The-True-North-]

23 minutes ago, Travel-and-See said:

 

You seem to be implying that anyone who mentions flaws gets on with a bad attitude and is just looking for things to complain about.  This is a site for sharing experiences, good and bad, so that others can consider the pros and cons of various cruise lines. 

 

It's not easy to get reservations for dinner (on VV)...

This is the case.

 

I'm fact you will read MULTIPLE examples and experiences of people who wait up all night (past midnight, and even longer when the apps experiencing "issues") so they can book as soon as reservations open on the 45 day out.

 

We do this every sailing and only because of the community here saying to do so.

 

We still love Virgin, but it is a hassle and them removing the things that made it great is why after 4 sailings we are changing lines for last minute deals now.

 

Providing a negative experience isn't because someone wants to complain, it also helps provide context and information as to what to expect and how to plan accordingly.

[jon81uk]

10 hours ago, Travel-and-See said:

not easy to get reservations for dinner at the Wake, Extra Virgin, and Pink Agave.

I’ve not had a cruise without being able to get into them. Not sure what exactly I’m doing right but between advance bookings and on the cruise bookings I’ve got a reservation. So everyone’s experience varies.

[CruisingDaff]

Well I have managed to get a 2pm boarding time this morning , Horray! so hopefully we can get a few restaurants under our belt when we board.

Everyone has different expectations for their cruise, we love to go out to restaurant's but don't get the opportunity  most of the time as my partner works away a lot. When we holiday its our no1 priority to sit and enjoy a restaurant experience hence the reason for booking virgin, which is why we are so concerned . They are advertising an experience that some people cannot access.

I hope the VV teams read these boards , to see everyone's point of view.   

 

 

 

 

[CruisingDaff]

11 hours ago, -The-True-North- said:

This is the case.

 

I'm fact you will read MULTIPLE examples and experiences of people who wait up all night (past midnight, and even longer when the apps experiencing "issues") so they can book as soon as reservations open on the 45 day out.

 

We do this every sailing and only because of the community here saying to do so.

 

We still love Virgin, but it is a hassle and them removing the things that made it great is why after 4 sailings we are changing lines for last minute deals now.

 

Providing a negative experience isn't because someone wants to complain, it also helps provide context and information as to what to expect and how to plan accordingly.

Totally agree with you, the horror I felt when reading about people waiting up or getting up early to book stuff , this was a bit of a red flag ! people have paid for an experience not to be panic booking as you are not guaranteed what you think you've paid for. Its a strange business plan.

I presume that these ships haven't been cruising to capacity for the last few years, but now these things are being highlighted more as the ships are sailing at capacity. 

I would much prefer to know the ugly bits as well as the positives so I can be prepared.

[Travel-and-See]

7 hours ago, jon81uk said:

I’ve not had a cruise without being able to get into them. Not sure what exactly I’m doing right but between advance bookings and on the cruise bookings I’ve got a reservation. So everyone’s experience varies.

Being able to get in does not = easy to get reservations.  I was able to get into Pink Agave on both cruises and Extra Virgin on one.  I would not call the process easy. 

 

It was easy to get into Razzle Dazzle, Test Kitchen, and Gunbae (I never ate at Gunbae but the reservations were always available).  

 

 

[jon81uk]

17 minutes ago, Travel-and-See said:

Gunbae (I never ate at Gunbae but the reservations were always available)

Oddly for our upcoming cruise Gunbae was the hardest one to find an advance reservation for! But I think that’s also because it can be a long meal so I don’t want to go there late in the evening.

[TripsYouMustDo]

On 9/11/2024 at 10:08 AM, DCGuy64 said:

With respect, The Galley is NOT a buffet. It's more of a food court, and a very nice looking one, at that (from all of the pictures I've seen). I don't think it's fair to characterize it as just like every other food trough on every other line. Many, if not most of the reviews I've seen have been extremely complimentary of The Galley. And BTW in addition to it, there are other venues on board that don't require reservations, such as The Social Club, Dock House, and the Pizza Place. And there's always Ship Eats. They *do* seem to have a nice variety of options.

As someone that actually sailed on VV 5 times, I can tell you the Galley is an awful choice for dinner. Most food options are closed/not available for dinner. They do have a "special" every night to eat there. but the ambience is absolutely not there. It is exactly like dining at a buffet for dinner on a "regular" cruise line, which I also don't recommend. We tried it once, and ended up leaving and going to Gunbae as walk-ins (had to wait but got seated). 

 

The only time dinner at the Galley was fun was when they had Asian Night Market nights on sea days during our last cruise.

[cantgetin]

9 hours ago, CruisingDaff said:

 

I presume that these ships haven't been cruising to capacity for the last few years, but now these things are being highlighted more as the ships are sailing at capacity. 

I would much prefer to know the ugly bits as well as the positives so I can be prepared.

I think you are exactly right.  I had no trouble getting reservations on our first cruise, but the ship was half empty.  My TA has made my reservations for each of the following cruises, so again, we always had reservations.  The only problems on board with that were when we wanted to change what we had; obviously this was a first world problem since we already had a reservation somewhere.  

Most sailings are going out at or near capacity now, despite prices being double what we paid for our spring 2024 cruise.

DO check out the daily dinner specials in The Galley.  They are posted on the daily info sheet and I've read they have been added on the app.  Some of those items are really good--not great atmosphere, but a welcome change from the almost the same menus over the 2+ years we've sailed on VV.  

[TripsYouMustDo]

@CruisingDaff - I am sorry to hear about your experience. I felt the same during our first cruise on Scarlett last year, didn't know about booking restaurants in advance and was also panicking. Please disregard condescending posts from a fellow board member here, experiences and feelings like yours should be shared and I hope VV is reading the board and making adjustment to their process. They already eliminated reservation requirements for most shows, I hope they can figure out something similar for dinner. FWIW, I am one of the people that always books dining exactly at midnight (Miami time) 45 days in advance. 

 

If you don't manage to book your desired dining times while onboard, going very early (5:45pm) as walk-in if you can will help. 

 

I agree with others, The Wake and Extra Virgin are the hardest to get in. On my Valiant cruise last year I actually had 2 advance bookings at Extra Virgin but was unable to change time once I knew the full ship schedule. I tried just coming at a different time (once an hour early, once an hour late) and both times was turned away completely. This year they at least took our cabin number and promised to message if something opens up, but they never messaged us (they did have a long list of cabins on the waitlist in front of us).

 

For whatever reason we always managed to get seated as walk-ins at Pink Agave. One time we showed up at 9:45pm (long day in port, I was walking city walls at Dubrovnik + time difference between ship time and port time) and we got seated (but party of 3 right after us got turned away, but it was 9:45pm and the place was packed).

 

I was told by crew that Razzle Dazzle and the Test Kitchen are least popular, so those should be easiest to get in.

 

Gunbae seems to be easier to get in as walk in than others as well.

 

On our last Valiant cruise this year guest services (Sailor Services per VV 🙂) also had time every morning when hey would try to help you book your dining. 

 

While we were having breakfast at the Wake on morning on one of the last cruises, the manager (of The Wake) came up to a couple next to us and asked them if they were enjoying the ship and the food, and if they had plans for dinner. They said they were hoping to eat at Extra Virgin, but couldn't get in. She said he would check. She came back and offered them 9pm dining time. They said they were hoping for 7:30pm. She left again, came back and told them they had a booking for 7:45pm. That was great customer service. But as others mentioned, it can be inconsistent. Also the moral is - ask managers at other restaurants if they can help with a booking.

 

All is not lost, but saying you are guaranteed to get into any restaurant is simply wrong. A lot depends on the managers and how fully booked the ship is. If it is at capacity, things will be rough. If it's at 70%, it will be better. 

 

I'd love it if you could share with us what actually happened with your dinners/reservations, might help future cruisers 🙂 

 

FWIW, we were able to eat in all reservation-required restaurants on our first VV cruise back in 2023 when I didn't have any reservations in advance. Most I was able to book on board, a couple we went to as walk-ins. Again, it's not a guarantee you will be able to do the same thing, and I don't want to be condescending and tell you not to panic (it's natural to worry), but there is a good chance you will be able to eat where you want and more-or-less when you want. 

 

I still wish VV would do something to improve this process. Are you reading this VV staff? 🙂 

Edited Saturday at 06:58 PM by TripsYouMustDo

[cantgetin]

17 minutes ago, TripsYouMustDo said:

@CruisingDaff

 

On our last Valiant cruise this year guest services (Sailor Services per VV 🙂) also had time every morning when hey would try to help you book your dining. 

 

 

It may be an inconsistency or just a wording issue.  On our cruises, Sailor Services have never dealt with dining issues.  On our last cruise, there was a person at the entrance to Pink Agave who was dealing with dining changes, open each morning for a few hours.  DO NOT stand in the Sailor Services (red table deck 5) line for this; we would only have been told that we'd have to go to the other location.

Another hint is that if you go to brunch, the managers there have access to the dinner schedules both there and at the other restaurants....they can also make reservations for you IF there are openings.  And you can always make changes or new reservations on the app, again, pending availability.  Polite people do cancel throughout the cruise, opening spots for others.  Less polite people just become "no shows" which opens slots for walk ins or wait lists.