jon81uk

VV Insider have posted the price has gone up to $59 for the three hours on port days and $79 on sea days. https://vvinsider.com/june-2024-virgin-voyages-rumor-tidbit-roundup/

Others have reported a week pass is available but price depends on length of cruise and other factors. Normally three hour slots are $39-79 (prices have gone up and I’ve lost track but they are different on sea and port days). The pool is terrible quite cold water and no jets, it really should have been either a proper hot tub or a proper jacuzzi like on deck 15. There are also two one person cool tubs and a one person hot tub which is almost constantly occupied. The salt room is great and we liked the mud room too, sauna and steam room are as expected. I find the heated marble quite nice but others would prefer if it was contoured couches instead of flat slab.

having down two transatlantics it’s not that bad. Generally you’d eat at the main six restaurants twice and the menus are extensive enough that you can have a different starter main and dessert each time or in the case of Test Kitchen need to ensure you get the other menu. Then The Galley food court has lunch and dinner specials each day even if the core menu doesn’t change. Plus you’ve got pizza specials. Breakfast is the main one that feels repetitive!

I guess we will find out once Brilliant Lady starts sailing. But so far all the other VV ships in all homeports have been pretty similar, boarding 1.30-4pm and sailing off around 6-7pm.

They’ve said it will be updated by year-end (not sure if financial year or calendar). VV Insider seem confident it will be custom built for iOS and Android separately using native code so that should improve performance. https://vvinsider.com/virgin-voyages-to-launch-version-2-0-of-their-app-by-year-end/

Book it on the app is the best and quickest. Not certain where box office staff would be set up first day to assist but my guess is Chart Room (big red table on deck 7).

Boarding times are 1.30-4.30pm. Generally those in suites (rockstars) will board at 1.30pm, then those with loyalty status priority. Most people will then board 1.45 onwards. At some point you’ll need to select an arrival time in the app (Brilliant Lady isn’t set up yet). Rooms will be ready immediately after boarding and lunch will be available. Muster point check in is about 4.30-5.30 and normally sailaway party 5.30-6.30 (free sparkling wine 5.45-6.15), ship moves off around 5.30-7.30 depending on when it is ready etc. But this also means like a hotel you don’t need to leave until 10.30am on the last day if you don’t want to. Can even have brunch and then go back to your room to collect bags and brush teeth before going.

The Galley food court has touchscreen soda fountains with Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta orange and Seagrams ginger as well as sparkling water. There is also self-service juice from concentrate (orange, apple, fruit punch, still lemonade, unsweetened iced tea). There is also free drip coffee and tea bags All bars and restaurants will serve soda for free and the juice from concentrate. No charge, no tip just ask any bartender for them. They hold back over half the dining reservations to be booked onboard, you’ll be OK. Small group fitness classes (the bungee class only holds six people!) will book up but can try walk up for cancellations. Shows are first come now, just arrive half hour before showtime. Only the dinner show needs booking and paid for activities. In terms of the arrival time, you could probably arrive around 3pm and board earlier as they start running early in general. Then go to Razzle Dazzle or get on the app to make dinner reservations.

Yes I think it would either be musicians from another show doing a pop up or it needs to be one of the guest buskers they already book. Personally I don’t think it would add value being a pop-up, the buskers already have many different time slots in different locations so it’s possible to find them unexpectedly but it’s also nice to know where to head to here them so I appreciate the times being on the schedule.

It works exactly the same for restaurants as it did for the Shore Thing. Once onboard if you book fitness classes or other activities it’s the same for these too, tap the picture of even you are booking for.

Not really no. The hot dogs are fine, they have topped ones Philly cheese style or Reuben style which are a little better than the standard but the actual sausage and bun are pretty average.

That was one of the biggest advantages just of regular rockstar last time too, lots of people didn’t book timeslots to get off the ship and the queue was huge, but once we were found by our rockstar agent we went straight to the gangplank. Other than the agent the other main thing we made use of as regular rockstar was the happy hour each night, again it’s not as good as the drinks all the time as mega, but we got a few drinks in each night at happy hour setting me up for the evening. sounds like mega rockstar is a great experience though, the laundry sounds a great perk and getting coffee delivered each day so easily. I’m looking forward to trying it next year.

How was your sailing as mega? Any thing you loved about it?

They’ve had several smaller duos of musicians in the last year. Often in Sip they would play a more subdued set compared to other venues.

Less than half of the reservations are available in advance, they hold most back for booking onboard.

I’ve also heard some people mention they could hear furniture in Gunbae being moved for cleaning.

I knew I’d forgotten a venue but could not think what it was! 😅

The Wake and Razzle Dazzle are open for brunch 8am to 1pm. The Dock and Dock House open at midday to 6.30pm for grilled meats and mezze. Pizza Place is generally 12noon to 2am, but might be 2pm to 2am on port days. The Galley has breakfast to 11.30 then lunch 12noon to 3pm and some stations stay open for dinner. Tacos and toasted sandwiches are lunch only. Sun Club Cafe has poke bowls and bao 12noon to 5pm.

By the way, I’m not trying to compare to any other cruise line as I’ve only been on VV. Therefore I’m mainly comparing Virgin with Virgin and what they’ve changed and added over the last three years.

Generally the activies that come with alcohol are charged. Loteria Gigante the Mexican card game is charged for as it comes with almost unlimited margaritas. But there are still plenty of both silly gameshows as I mentioned before and trivia based games for free (where you can win drinks). Things like Last One Standing (everyone chooses multiple choice) or Great Minds (international trivia trying to think like someone else) are new this year.

Yes and no. On Scarlet Lady the dinner show is now a comedy club so they usually have 2-3 comedians and maybe a magician. On Valiant & Resilient they might have a comedian or a magician or some other caberet act as the Festival Stage act.

Also although not as well known as Russell Howard who is definitely the headliner, we saw Andre Vincent on Scarlet Lady in April this year and he was very good. https://www.virginvoyages.com/ahoy/stories/portsmouth-uk-comedy-cruise-festival

Sailors staying in a suite.

You’ve clicked on an advert paid for by that travel agent and that’s why their details show. Clear cookies in the browser to get rid of it and stop them getting commission.

They do have some game shows, there is Latte you Stay and Scoop There it is, hosted by the diva drag queen. Also they’ve started to introduce more trivia based game shows, we had several new ones on Scarket Lady last month.