imahistorygeek

• Ship:  Apex
• Length of Cruise: 7
• Cruise Sail Date: April 1, 2023
• Date email offer received: sometime in January
• Captain’s Club Tier - Classic
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: The lowest interior category
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Aquaclass A2
• Bid Offer: $660/person
• Notification Date: March 5, 2023
• Accepted / Rejected - Accepted

• Ship:  Millenium
• Length of Cruise: 4
• Cruise Sail Date: Feb 17, 2022
• Date email offer received: Jan 8
• Captain’s Club Tier: Classic
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: TA
• Current Cabin: Veranda (2B)
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Family Veranda, Concierge, and Aquaclass
• Bid Offer: all were $50 bids, the lowest accepted
• Notification Date:
• Accepted / Rejected: Pending

General Comments

Sky Suite - was original $800/pp, but reduced to $600 - lowest bid

Celebrity Suite - $1,400/pp - lowest bid

Royal Suite - $1,600/pp - lowest bid

I booked in a group at a really fantastic rate (lowest category inside stateroom was the price of the 2B veranda in the group), so the three I bid on would be a great deal if I were to get any one of them. 

On 12/13/2021 at 3:33 PM, _tacocat_ said:

 

• Since the MerMaiden, it seems like there has been a really heavy contingent of travel agents.  Anywhere we went, TAs were either asking us about our experience so they could “give our feedback to their clients” (do your own job, please!), or caucusing with each other to dissect the VV onboard experience vs. that of other lines.  I’m hopeful that as the initial launch hype dies down, the omnipresence of TAs onboard will as well.

 

 

 

This is such a great review!

I think what you mention about the TAs is a real problem. I'm a TA and VV emailed us before our cruises and said basically to leave the guests alone if you're traveling on VV's dime. They just wanted us to act like a regular guest. 

On 12/11/2021 at 2:24 PM, luv2scrap said:

Thank you for your review we will be sailing on the Scarlet Lady in January, first time on Virgin. We are used to sailing with Princess, I am guessing this will be a big change for us.  What were the age demographics?

Honestly, not sure if I could give an accurate demographic.  There were a lot of travel agents.  I'd say the paying customer was 20s - 40s. This is based on observations at dinner, pool, and activities. 

It was on the schedule a couple of times on our Nov 21 cruise. 

1 hour ago, walkmypanda said:

 

Was on the same cruise as you. The band played at least twice in the dock house and then I think once or twice in the main atrium. We only ran into their active performances twice (saw them setting up the other times). These may have been pop up ones, like you said.

 

They did end up adding an actual scheduled performance one of the nights randomly, I think the same night as when "never sleep alone" got cancelled.

 

Side note: Was in 12022 Z and often smelled cigarette smoke in the hall walking from the mid to our room and pretty sure the smoker you dealt with was on our floor. It was REALLY noticeable for the entire week.

Down the hallway right above your stateroom on deck 13 it was fine. We walked down that way many times.  Our room was almost right off midship elevators on deck 13 and the smell was in those first few rooms.  Maybe it was just a common issue on the ship. 

7 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Thanks for the great review.  What’s the live music like on the ship.  Is there a reggae band, house band etc like on other lines?

There's a house band.  The only time we ever saw them was sail away and when they were working out. They may have also been playing in the atrium, but the app wasn't great about telling you where they were at.  If you happened to see them out and about on the ship, they would tell you to come see them at where ever they were playing at a certain time. 

The only other live music we saw were little pop up performances, but it would only be a song or two before they would move along. 

Music is being played all over the ship all of the time, but it's all the recorded variety.  

30 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

Can confirm on the smoking. Ugh, it's my pet peeve. I just want to sit on my balcony and enjoy it without smelling smoke. It was also really strong on the pool deck, somehow the smell seems to waft down from the smoking area above it more than on other ships. 

Agreed. I smelled it a lot on the pool deck.

4 minutes ago, pa-annie said:

Thanks for the very succinct review.  That really sucks about the smoking, sorry you had to put up with it and nothing was done to correct the situation.  If it was in another cabin or balcony seems like there should at least be a charge applied.  Did you request a change of cabins?

 

Do they have glasses you can use by the water stations or do you need your own bottle?  I heard about the crowlers, but didn't know they were insulated.  Do they have any beer bucket deals like buy 4 get 5.  Any type of daily drink specials or happy hour? Tx - BZ

A cabin change was offered after several complaints on the day before the end of the cruise.

You need your own bottle unless you request a cup from a bar or go the the galley.

I know they have beer buckets, but can't remember if there was a deal. We didn't see any happy hour deals at all. 

This was our first Virgin-brand experience.

What worked:

• Debarkation - It was one of the easiest ones we've ever experienced.  You book your time in the app to debark (all the way into the 10 am hour). All of the time in the 10 hour were booked, but pretty much every other time was available, so if you wanted to change it the morning of, you could. You have the ability to eat a leisurely breakfast and be on your way.  Our time to debark (8 am) to the time closing the door to our Lyft on the way to the airport was less than 10 minutes.  Nothing on the ship was busy. Customs line was non-existent and you're not competing with other cruisers for a cab/Uber/Lyft.  If you want Virgin to help with your luggage, make sure you keep your luggage tags (provided with your bracelets) on your bags your entire voyage. 
• The Food - the hype is real. This is the best food I've ever had on a cruise. You won't see any servers carrying around multiple covered plates of food. The food was fresh and delicious. Extra Virgin is a standout location.  The Galley's food is very good.  If you like ramen, their spicy ramen is excellent. 
• At the ports - getting on and off the ship was a breeze with the bracelets.  I wasn't sure about the bracelet in the beginning, but it worked very well and wasn't bulky on the wrist. 
• There is a lot of on-board shopping and some unique items. 
• The ship is really beautiful. It's also very clean. The public spaces are unique and fun. 
• Lots of great and comfortable places to relax on the ship. 
• Beach Club at Bimini - Beach is nice and clean and there was no seaweed in the water.  The sand was very smooth in the water. There are a lot of loungers at the beach and the pool, but you'll need to get there kind of early to get a covered one. There's music all the time. The food, like on the ship, was very good. 
• Dining room servers - they are very attentive and knowledgeable. There were new to the industry servers and experienced servers from other lines.  We met a previous server we had on Disney. 
• Duel Reality - This is an excellent show and not to be missed.  
• You can get a crowler (54oz pour) at the Draught House and take it with you and drink it where you want on the ship.  It keeps your beer cold.  You pay a $15 deposit and then bring it back for a refund when you're finished. You can keep for the entire cruise and just keep getting it refilled. Virgin Voyages has their own beer, which is pretty cool and it's an easy beer to drink. 
• We really liked having a separate Thanksgiving menu that was offered on board.  Each restaurant had their own special menu. 
• You can chat with guest services through the app. 

What needs some work:

• The app - We consistently referred to it as that !@#$ app. When it worked, it worked ok.  When it didn't work, you were pretty much lost on what to do.  Everything is in that app.  What time to leave the ship at port, where to go, how to debark, etc. If you want to get choice times for reservations or book any of the shows, you have to use the app.  I'm sure you can go to guest services, but that's really inconvenient.  We fought with the app the entire cruise. There's no deck plan on the app, or at least nothing we could find.  They did provide a printed one for your room. 
• If you booked a show through the app, it still wasn't a guarantee that you would actually get into the event. It still recommended you get there early.
• Customer Service - This is one of the larger issues of this line.  We had a recurring issue (smoking in a nearby cabin, both cigarette and weed).  We contacted guest services a few times and they kept saying they were taking care of it.  They never took care of it. The lack of enforcement of smoking on this ship is a real issue.  You could pretty much smoke anywhere and they were not going to say anything to you about it.  I don’t have a problem with the smoking or the weed, but just don’t do it inside your cabin. That scent carries.
• Lack of restrooms on the ship.  There were just a few around the ship and only 2 at the pool.
• Be familiar with the layout of the ship before you get on the ship.  There were so many confused people. Rooms are categorized by A (port) side and Z (starboard) side. 
• Scarlet Night - It was fun dressing up and seeing others dressed up, but the entertainment portion was just lacking.  There were no scheduled activities in the app, so you just kind of had to walk around to find out what was going on.
• Bars - If you wanted something, chances were they were out of it. 
• Excursions - Virgin needs a ticket system or something identifying your excursion.  This was very apparent during our excursion because the tour operator even mentioned it.  We had to go row by row on the bus and write down our names and stateroom numbers to have a record of who was on the excursion because there were no tickets.  This delayed our start and we came back about 30 minutes late. 
• The Pool - What you’ve read is true. It’s tiny.  I can’t imagine what it is going to look like when the ship is running full capacity. However, the purple loungers around the pool are super comfortable.  You have to be up early to get one.  
• Entertainment - There were long stretches of nothing to do.  During the day, don’t expect anything except workout classes. During the evening, there’s one quiz and maybe a couple of shows.  If you’re expecting action-packed evenings, you’ll be disappointed. 
• Embarkation - Testing was very easy.  It was the waiting to board that was crazy.  Virgin wants to be cool, so instead of giving everyone a boarding number, they instead have a big room with a giant screen in the front of the room.  The screen doesn't really show anything important. When boarding begins, they call you row by row to board.  Once people started to realize this, there was a rush to the front rows. Boarding groups would be very useful here and a lot more organized.  They could also show helpful tips on the screen while people are waiting. 
• Muster Drill - You watch the too long video on your cabin TV or tablet.  There is no demonstration on the video on how to use your life jacket.  You have to go to your muster station to do this.  Once you get there, the crew member demonstrates.  Honestly, I knew how to put on the life jacket better.  I would actually have been worried if there was an emergency and they had to tell people to put on their life jackets. They need to cut down on the length of the video. 

We had a Sea Terrace cabin and it was normal size for a cruise ship cabin.  However, the bathroom was just about the smallest bathroom on a cruise ship we've ever seen. The shower is nice, but the rest of it, well, you can barely turn around.  There's minimal storage space in the bathroom, specifically shelf space.  There's none to be had. There is pump shampoo, conditioner, and body wash the shower, but there is no lotion.  You can purchase that in the gift shop.  That's a jerk move, Virgin. 

The cabin has a doorbell along with wall controls for do not disturb and clean up service for your room.  It's only serviced once a day.  There are about 8 -10 hangers and ample shelving. The hangers are coated in plastic, so you don't hear them banging around. 

The bed is not really comfortable, but big.  There are outlets and usb ports on one side, but not the other. There are individual light controls on each side and above the head. The pillows are nice.  There is no top sheet, but a comforter and nice blanket are provided. 

There's a chair on the side next to the sliding verandah door. There's also a table with a lamp and a constant supply of water carafes.  You cannot purchase bottled water on board, but there are refillable water stations. The desk also has a tablet to control the lights and TV in the room along with plug in.  There's a really good selection of movies. There's a good chance it will not work.  Ours didn't and it was magically fixed, but I've read other accounts where the tablet didn't work. 

The verandah is pretty good sized and the hammock (which I previously thought was a dumb gimmick) is very comfortable. 

The only real issue with the room is that it squeaked when the ship was really moving.  It sounded like an old ship.  I wouldn't choose this room again just because of the squeak.  It was 13090Z (Z denotes starboard side). Of course, if you book online, you don't get to choose your room. 

Overall, we had a good time, but this is the first time I was actually ready to leave a cruise ship. There were a lot of things we enjoyed and would book this line again if the price was right and some of the issues were better. One of my main concerns is how is the ship going to operate running full capacity.  The pool was already overwhelmed with about 1000 passengers on board. The food was excellent, but will it continue to be excellent?  I'm also not sure how many actual paying customers there were on board.  There were a lot of travel agents and a lot of people who had won a free cruise through a contest Virgin sponsored, so I can't even say how representative of an actual Virgin Voyages crowd. 

1 hour ago, Wildcatllamas said:

Thank you sippican and _tacocat_ for the info and the link. They will definitely be more user friendly then searching on my phone.

We just debarked yesterday. The do have the activities listed on screens around the ship. The biggest issue we encountered was the cancelling of activities in the evening, at least one each night. You just have to make sure you check out the screens before you go to your event to make sure it's still happening if you don't use your phone.

They also encourage you to use the app to "book" your activities because they can become sold out. We saw this frequently with evening shows restaurants if you didn't pre-book. 

The emphasis to use the app is heavy on board, but the app works maybe 1/3 of the time.

Update - The chat function was actually working this morning and it took about 15 minutes to connect.  I specifically asked about embarkation and arrival time. This was the response. This refers to the language in the app. 

Sailor Services Crew: Okay so we are currently transitioning to "arrival time" and you should arrive at your exact arrival time.

Sailor Services Crew: Previously it was "embarkation time" and you needed to arrive an hour prior.

12 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

Did it say growler/crowler on the menu?  I wonder if it's a 54oz pour for a pitcher...

The official language in the media fact sheet reads "The bar will also offer a growler service, so Sailors can enjoy the expertly curated craft beers in any of the Scarlet Lady's uniquely designed public spaces or in the comfort of their cabin." 

There's no date on the fact sheet, so this info could have changed. I've not seen any posts about it anywhere except a menu with the 54oz pour. 

1 hour ago, nich3cats said:

In January I will be on the Edge for the first time. Since there are multiple dining rooms for main dining how do you know where you will be dining? Do you need to make reservations? Thanks. 

If you have a set time for dining (it'll be on your reservation), you'll be assigned to a dining room.  If you have celebrity select, you can go to any of the four.  I made reservations, but found they were not needed.  We walked right up and they sat us.  Keep in mind, it was 5:30 when we ate, so it could be different later in the evening. 

1 hour ago, Bruce4fun said:

 

I don't know what a growler or crowler is?

Basically a larger vessel for beer.  The Draught Haus has been on tap and they have a 54oz pour for either a growler or crowler. I was just wondering if anyone has seen these in action. 

Our cruise leaves next Sunday.  How is everyone dressing in the restaurants? I've looked at the dress code and it seems really relaxed. 

I've read you can fill up a growler or crowler on board.  Do they provide the crowler or growler? 

A few weeks ago, I read on VV's website we needed to arrive an hour before our 2:00 pm arrival time slot. Now I'm reading on VV's website that I need to be there AT my arrival time slot.  Either way is fine, I just want to make sure we arrive when we're supposed to arrive. 

#9 yes - It works pretty well. 

On 11/6/2021 at 11:55 AM, Stealthdog said:

 

 

Are there any add in costs for the other food options on the decks - i think there are food options on the pool decks and a coffee shop?

For the adult area, are they doing karaoke, and what other entertainment in there at night?  We have been on Celebrity before, which is often like a ghost town after 11pm, so we can do our own thing.

 

Did you do anything on the private island?

 

What was your favorite parts of the ship?

 

Appreciate in advance any answers!

There's no extra charge for the food on deck.  You will pay extra for specialty coffee.  The snacks at the coffee shops are included in your fare. 

Yes, they do have karaoke.  There's usually a waiting list because it's popular. There are usually game shows every night after the 2nd dining time. After 11 pm, there's nothing really happening.  One of the adult clubs may still have a DJ. 

You can rent gear on Castaway. There's also some shore excursions you can book ahead of time. 

We sail as a couple of adults, so our favorite parts of the ships are the ones without children in the evenings and the adults-only pool deck during the day. We also like to eat in the adult-only specialty restaurants. 

3 hours ago, chicail16 said:

Just tried to make dining reservations on app but only a few restaurants were listed.  Is it possible to make reservations onboard?

 

Thanks.

I spoke with a rep a couple of days ago and she said yes, you can make reservations while on board.  They also set aside some walkups as well. 

15 hours ago, endi302 said:

I am hoping someone recently on the Edge if you can tell me what types of beer are at the pool and also what size they are?  Last time I was on a cruise they were the aluminum bottles and I am trying to plan my brumate choices for packing.

Thanks!

All the ones we had (Oct 26 sailing) were served in the original glass bottles. We had Red Stripe, Stella, XX, Newcastle Brown Ale.  I also saw Corona in the bottle. The only aluminum I saw was the bottled water. 

We were on deck 9 last week and could hear music from somewhere in the evening, but never sure of the source. I assumed it was from Eden. 

17 minutes ago, lola2013 said:

I sailed in 9309 on my first Edge cruise...LOVED IT!  I will be in 10271 next week...directly above 9309.  When I booked the cruise, there were no SVs available.  I was persistent and checked availability every day (mostly multiple times a day).  When one opened up, I moved from the porthole verandah that I had booked to the SV.  There is nothing like it!

We have this same room (after a fair bit of stalking rooms) for our first Edge cruise.  Can you tell me the chair situation on the verandah? Is there enough room for loungers or are there just the 2 standard chairs? Thanks!

Virgin Voyages webinar said the app will "interface" with the ship once it is back in the United States. She said dining reservations and shore things should work once back in the US.