Lustate

21 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

Be mindful because some people will take offense to blatant Ads like that and report you for spamming the boards. 

Great video, and glad you posted it @misguy but need to be ultra careful we all play by the rules.

It's like the other spam thing where people jump a thread and make a post (or multiple) before reading the whole thread. Often they post repeated information, or just make a thread longer while adding no info for benefit to the boards. Its a pet hate of mine and I am sure its against the general rules. 

Maybe an Admin can clarify?

44 minutes ago, Travel-and-See said:

I thought it was a big negative to be told a restaurant was full when a group of crew members were in line before me and were seated so I'm glad they made this change. I'll probably get hate for this but I think it looks tacky and unprofessional to have crew members regularly eating in the sit-down restaurants on board. There is a reason other lines generally do not allow that. 

I think it's a balancing act for all on this one. Can you imagine going to Gunbae and having zero atmosphere because of low sailor numbers? Or of course the flip side of trying to get into Extra Virgin and having a table of 10 crew blocking out the place? Must be a hard thing to plan for everyone really.

 On the professionalism thing the closest I have found on VV is often caused by sailors. You will see a group of crew having dinner and keeping themselves to themselves and a sailor tries to muscle in and be "friends" with them. The poor crew are trying to eat and relax and sailors need to remember these are professionals so they won't tell you to sling it, but please give them space when they are off shift. There is someone on insta who constantly is showing "dinner with..." and you can see the crew have glazed over and want them gone. 

14 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Welcome to the club.

I'm club VV all the way. Never wanted to do a cruise because of all the issues people say on here with the extras, the having to pay for a meal unless you want a rubbish buffet of bland food etc. VV came along and we gave them a go. 

Would we switch brands? Doubt it. 

18 hours ago, LaraValentine said:

I tend to eat many small meals throughout the day (I like to graze) so I believe this could be a fun way to check out all the restaurants, but I haven’t seen it mentioned in my searches and want to make sure it’s alright before I try it. 

VV meal sizes (in general) are European / conservative sized so for a grazer or people who do not want to feel bloated at the end of three courses they are great. Some of the venues are much heavier, such as Extra Virgin which can be six courses. 

What I would recommend if you want to have a sampler night, is to book a heavier meal or one of the more in-demand options, and then, move between restaurants between courses. For example the antipasto and affettai misti in Extra Virgin, and then head to Razzle Dazzle for the "secret menu". If you still feel peckish, skip dessert and head to Lick Me Till I Scream for two scoops and a walk around the outside deck. 

On the vloggers/influencers/online bloggers etc... 

EVERY brand has a team who will monitor all people with a following. These boards will be checked over by them on a daily basis for "flags" and things they need to look into. They will get to know the names, people, and plans they have. They will all be recorded in the brand's client/customer relationships management systems. Someone may only have 10 followers, but if they are active on boards, provide good feedback or they are open to experiences they will be targeted onboard either with or without notice. it is just the development of relationships and brands. 

You know how you just "drop" into the conversation when you are making a booking something like "oh it is my birthday which is why we are going away"... things like that are GOLD to a brand. That day you may get a little cake, or an extra drink "on the house", and what do you do? you post about it, or a cute pic... and BINGO you advertise for them the positive spin on the brand. You have a conversation piece when you get back home, or online engagement is pushed up via you to the brand. 

It's normal, it's out there and it's for the brand and your benefit so just roll with it. The best and most valued ambassadors are natural, honest and open. So be you, enjoy what you get, and every treat as a perk, not payment or an entitlement. 

As friendly as the VV Shore Side team is, there does seem to be a conflict between the brand style and the needs of the role. For example, they are still all "Ahoy, thanks for sailing by..." but that seems to have taken over from the purpose of the role which is to resolve challenges and assist sailors and training needs move down below the brand style in the training pecking order. I think when they fill the training posts and have a standardised "welcome route" for the staff, things will improve. 

4 minutes ago, jon81uk said:

Loot can be used for anything you can charge to your room account.

But not in reverse. Ie you cannot use your bar tab as loot in shops. 

1 hour ago, Travel-and-See said:

I really like Virgin but this is the type of thing that really should not happen, ever. 

It is also worth remembering that on most voyages they have port days and on them days the shops are shut anyway. I would imagine you will have something up and running soon, and would be by the end of the voyage for sure on something like the logo shop. 

Hey all,

I'm not sure if anyone can answer or has even experienced this but here goes...

In a standard sea terrace, you have a side table that moves and can be flipped on its side to be an overlap table to eat off in bed. 

In most suites, you have a dining or lounge area with a table to eat off.

In a seriously suite, you do not appear to have either.

Has anyone ordered from ship eats in a seriously suite and did they bring something you could eat off?

9 hours ago, neverland1 said:

We have been assigned a cabin that sleeps 3 it includes a lower bed  . There will only be 2 of us in the cabin will this extra bed take up much space ? 

 

You can use two beds only on the bottom, or a set up with a double on the bottom and a single on the top as per the pics below. With the high-level bed in the pic just imagine the back wall (far end of the pic) has the terrace doors. 

45 minutes ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

I sailed VV once in June of 2022 and again in June of 2023. Am I eligible for any loyalty benefit and is it automatic or must you sign up somewhere?

Hi, You currently would qualify as a Sea Rover, as you will have said twice between January 2022 and December 2023. If you sail again before the end of December you will automatically get the deep blue extras package added to your booking. If you sail in 2024, they have not announced the perks you would get, but you would get an extra $100 for every $300 you add to the bar tab before you set sail. 

1 hour ago, tbmrt said:

We are close to booking a Feb 2024 cruise.  I came across lots of info and pics about sargassum problems at the various ports in Feb. 2023 which concerns me.   I had read that sargassum usually comes later in the year.

 

Am I overreacting???  

 

 

 In a word... Yes. 

It can be cleared if its need by port authorities and should not affect your voyage in any way. 

14 hours ago, cantgetin said:What frustrates me is the system that allows TAs to reserve  cabins including suites for up to 30 days without  a name attached.  This makes it very difficult for people who are interested to book a suite.  But then, I'm not likely to pay the asking price for a suite anyhow, so guess it doesn't matter.

That is my pet hate as well. Some agents are effectively blocking sailors (or agents) booking suites (or cabins like the XL), on the off chance they might be able to sell it in three weeks. Then they hold it again, and again. Two weeks before departure they know it won’t sell and release it, meaning it goes into bidding, so sailors pay over what would have been the general sale price.

side note on bidding, we have had one come through for a “lock it in” sea terrace to a mid terrace for £185 which was the minimum. 

On 7/13/2023 at 12:49 PM, CruisingWalter said:

I'd really like to see expanded Caribbean itineraries from Miami moving forward. The same loop of 4/5 when there is one ship in port is getting old. I've even sent emails to the "Contact Us" on VV's website asking if they can sprinkle in some 7's, 10's and 14's from time to time just to shake it up and give us something other than the same continual loops. The BL itineraries are honestly the best in the Caribbean for VV other than the 8 night Eastern Antilles when there are two ships in Miami. 

I'm still a bit fresh to this all but....

When people say they want a 10 or 14-night cruise, why don't they just book back-to-back voyages?

serious question if there is a reason. 

On 7/14/2023 at 3:57 PM, cantgetin said:

...but I've never seen an ugly drunk on VV, likely because no one is trying t max out a package.

but we have all spotted an ugly sober lol Some people dont need booze to be a nightmare sailor. 

On 7/19/2023 at 5:09 PM, chengkp75 said:

But, this incident involved the absolute corner of the ship,  which means it struck in a very narrow spot, so even if the fenders went down to the bottom of the pier, the ship could have very easily struck between the fender on the corner of the dock, and the next set of fenders along the dock, about 6-8 feet apart, and the result would have been the same.  Striking just off the fender, on the end face of the dock would produce the same result, the fenders here are even further apart.  Unless you are going to cover the entire pier with rubber, there is always a chance of striking concrete.

 

And, while the "terminal" was built for Virgin, the pier has been there a long time.

Point of impact assessment would have taken place on the structure as part of the general build plan. The placement fo fenders on the general side of the ship's dock would of course be a significantly harder target not to see, and be spaces out more. This goes for small boats up to mega-ships. The end of the dock I would imagine will be covered as this would be the most likely point of impact. 

Think about your cars, are bumpers put on the pointy corners where they outlying sections of the vehicle are, or on the long smooth side the side? 

The extended end to the dock (which this section is on) was an install for VV at the point that Terminal V was built so accommodate the length of the ships. 

Another point... Its an hour. An Hour. Thats all. 

With the planning of shore time, this would hardly be noticed. Get a map, work out the essentials and stick to them. It won't take a moment joy from your trip. 

13 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Scene of the crime... The corner of the dock in Miami showing the damaged concrete structure...

 

 

 

 

Now it's easy to judge from a distance but....You would think the rubber buffers would be positioned where the ship would hit, rather than higher up. They know the ship shape, overhangs etc, so why leave that chunk of concrete exposed? 

On 6/12/2023 at 4:06 AM, curlstravel said:

We were able go get a table for 2 because of my seafood allergy.  The restaurant itself was very loud. We had tables on both sides of us and across from us yelling Gumbae really loud. The atmosphere was not enjoyable even though we were at a table for two. I think they should stop the game and do something without all the yelling because the food is delicious and the atmosphere spoils your dinner.

To each their own. 

The loud joyous welcome is pretty traditional in Koren restaurants, so I think it would be rude to westenise the experience. 

Technically there is a way anyone can see what direction you are heading. If you stand in The Roundabout, and look at the ceiling you can see a giant circle of lights above the stairs. The red line always points north 🙂 

On 5/9/2023 at 4:19 PM, leisuretraveler223 said:

The following two nights in the dance club it became almost a joke. I would walk to the bar to get us drinks and when I would come back, I would be asked the tally- meaning how many propositions.  It was multiple times every time you walked around in the club.

See, that's the downside of you both looking like supermodels, which no human could resist. 

4 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

This program ended in February bc so many people were abusing it.  If you’ve never used a travel agent before, it might be worth looking into using one for virgin.  A lot of them have extra “my next virgin voyages” offers ($300 off the fare/$600 onboard credit) and may have other sailor loot/things they can throw in to sweeten the deal.

We might have the reverse of this issue. We bought a MNVV voucher which expires in 2024, but dont think we will be using it, Or at least not before it expires. Not the end of the world as the current offers have equaled it and cost us nothing, but would have been good to have used it. 

2 minutes ago, -The-True-North- said:

How could you see availability?

 

I wish I could select the actual room I want (like I can on HAL) when booking online. But VV automatically assigns a room and it's always by an elevator it seems.

Travel agents can book specific rooms for you (virgin call the top ones First Mates), or you can call and book direct or change your cabin with VV yourself. 

When you board a VV, you can see a number on the screen saying you are passenger X of Y, and that's how people on board can tell. 

6 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

It’s soooooo different than any of the Caribbean voyages I’ve been on!

 

Usually, we’re like ninjas in the app as soon as we board, booking all shows, fitness classes and other activities.  There are a couple new shows, but the demand doesn’t seem to be as high as on the Caribbean sailings.  We were done rearranging dinners and booking things within like 15 mins of boarding, and we were like “wait what are we missing here?!” because it was so relaxed.

 

You’re in port kind of late, so there’s not much time to enjoy stuff onboard.  For example, we were in santorini from 9am-9:30pm yesterday!  There is not much in the way of nightlife on this itinerary, given the schedule too.  People would be too pooped to enjoy the ports if they were up till 4am in the manor every night!! I think the manor is only open as a nightclub twice this voyage- maybe 3x.  The fun vibe still exists, but it’s not a bunch of people drinking by the pool all day and partying all night.

 

All that said, it’s still really great so far!  We’re off to Rhodes today, then Bodrum, our one lonely sea day, then Mykonos for about a day and a half.

Sounds like our paths will cross, as we board this weekend 🙂 

How full was the ship? looking at current sales seems pretty empty with lots of availability. 

Did anyone ever get to the bottom of the “Can lock it in rates” being able to bid for an upgrade?