jon81uk

The party (ie the DJ is on) is about 90 minutes I think but the free sparkling wine is only one hour.

I got a happy birthday message on my dessert in Pink Agave.

Also it would be so easy just to serve cheaper starters do vegetarian salad and breads or similar. There is no need to serve a meat starter at all. The chicken main was fine for mass produced food, but it needed potatoes or vegetables on the side.

Yep the booking site doesn’t make it clear, the main advantage in an XL is the full size bathroom.

I think the drink prices are fairly reasonable, $7 for house spirits and mixer (gin &tonic, vodka & cranberry, rum & coke etc) and no need to add 18% tip on top. Mixed cocktails $12-15 isn’t too bad and beer $6-10. Bar tab means you get at least $50 added to every $300 prepaid, but that can only be spent on drinks (including coffee). Water, soda, drip coffee and standard juice are all free everywhere, bars, restaurants, food court. the pool is big enough to lounge in but not swim. If you need two singles consider an XL terrace room instead, beds can be set up in an L shape. I don’t think going rockstar adds a huge amount but the cost is much higher.

I still find steak tartare an odd choice of appetiser for a set menu.

Yep I’m really not that into Moet. Especially when $100 would get me 14 vodka & Sprite instead.

That was a Seriously Suite (rockstar level) room. Not sure if the chair is standard, a lot of extra red things appear in the video that aren’t always there. @Tacocat I think has stayed in that room type?

On the Valiant transatlantic we had Slam Allen, Madison Grace, Daniel Park and Selki as musicians. I think Slam Alllen and Madison Grace have done several bookings with Virgin.

I’m pretty sure it was only one shuffleboard table? But I agree the layout with it in the centre of the social club is better. The whole social club space isn’t well laid though, the counter is too big considering it really only serves hot dogs. I love it as a space and what it offers (board game selection is fab) but just feels badly spaced out and some bits are under-utilised.

There are one or two minor differences. Scarlet has a MAC makeup store, Valiant has a full size sunglasses store. Scarlet has a photo thing with swings and neon words, Valiant has a mirror photo op (both in the space between coffee bar and social club) Scarlet has two shuffleboard tables, Valiant has more seating. Valiant has the Ship Show dinner show in the Manor, Scarlet has Ships in the Night show in the Red Room. Overall there is very little real difference between the two ships except for the dinner show.

They are definitely getting a new loyalty program but who knows what the benefits will be. I expect after this current extension of the deep blue extras it will switch to the new benefits but they probably won’t be that different. I would expect it to be like other cruise lines with a few different tiers and those who have spent more will get more of the benefits.

You may have had the same issue with the travel insurance if you’d gone with an agent. As you’ve had use of the insurance (if you needed to cancel up to now and get a payout from the insurance you are covered) they won’t normally refund. I don’t think booking direct was the issue, it’s taking out single trip travel insurance linked to a specific booking.

No single use plastic is onboard, they still use a lot of aluminium cans and glass bottles. But there is no single use plastic at all, all cutlery is metal and washable, even grab and go meal containers are washed and reused. Beer is generally in cans (lighter than bottles so easier to store) but some will be in glass. Heineken is available draft on most of the ship but the draught haus bar has a bigger selection. Restaurants will usually have beers matching the cuisine so Italian beers like Peroni in Extra Virgin etc. Yes for water there are glass carafes in your room which the attendant will refill (ask on the tablet if needed) or if you want sparkling. In restaurants they fill your glass from the carafe. In the Galley food court there are plastic glasses for soda, juice and water. By the pool there are bottle refill machines or you can go to the bar where there is usually a lemon water dispenser too.

For the thermal suites at the spa you book in person. show bookings are in the line-up, same place they are listed before boarding.

It’s the Aussie MerMaiden. Resilient Lady has the Athens MerMaiden in May 2023 and then does the repositioning in late 2023 to Australia before starting a season in Australia.

It is a sail away, so it usually happens when leaving the first port. That means those with the deep blue extras get two separate sail away parties, the normal first night and the second night too. If you purchase Splash of Romance you get a third one. None are in Richards Rooftop.

Only guests in suites get access to Richard’s Rooftop. The deep blue extras party is at the rear of the ship.

I loved Untitled, the first 10minutes is the worst, but the last 15 from the slow dance to Downtown to My Heart Will Go On and the other live singing is fantastic. Ships in the Night on Scarlet needs to go, it didn’t make sense.

Test kitchen has a lot of high top bench seating facing the open kitchens, there are very few tables. There are some high top tables for two and some booths for six. But if you are seated at the high tops facing an open kitchen then they will leave try to gaps between parties, or you can ask them too if the restaurant isn’t busy. It’s not communal seating, just continuous seating. whereas Gunbae is communal, you will normally be seated at a table for six with an other party.

Virgin don’t offer drinks packages. Instead the drinks are reasonably priced and you can pre-pay bar tab to get bonus credit. Plus there are no tips as they are all included in the fare. Bar tab means for every $300 prepaid to your account you get $50 (or $100 of there is a promotion) extra to spend. It can be used on all chargeable drinks, including barista made coffee, juices, cocktails and other alcoholic drinks.

They don’t really rotate much but there will be some changes. A few menu dishes have changed, the beef dish at Pink Agave is different for example. But overall no big changes. sometimes there are daily specials in the Galley food court for lunch. on Valiant Lady the variety acts in Its a Ship Show will change every few months. Hopefully they will be switching out some of the shows onboard as after four cruises I’ve definitely seen them all!

Can see it in this Facebook video https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=715170526794722&extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=2Rb1fB&ref=sharing

There is usually someone at the red desk on deck seven for dining reservations if you can’t/won’t do it on the app. Or go to the restaurant. Just please consider other guests, I’ve been stuck in a queue trying to check in for dinner while someone in front is trying to make three days worth of reservations!

But it’s up to the Government to decide how to manage the border, not Virgin so it doesn’t matter how they manage embarkation, they’ve got almost no control over passport control.