Travel-and-See

Definitely not my experience at all on multiple Virgin Cruises. I will say the shorter 4-night Virgin Cruise had a more party atmosphere than the longer trips, but I think that's true for any cruise line.

The "Adults Only" just means kids aren't allowed - the vibe on the ship is very relaxed and actually is quieter than other ships in my experience because there isn't a large, central atrium. There are lots of places to relax. The bars are just like any other cruise ship, they are around but will happily serve you a non-alcoholic drink. If you go to test kitchen and you have money on your beverage package - try the Zero Proof Cocktail pairings... they are excellent! I will echo the above complaint though... I have had issues with smelling pot from my balcony as well.

How do you get the 10% discount on new bookings?

While this should really be unacceptable I'm not surprised. On my last visit to Extra Virgin the couple in front of me was told that the restaurant was completely booked but they could sit at the bar (which they did). I had a reservation and there were plenty of empty tables just in my section. I've also mentioned before how I waited in line for Brunch at Razzle Dazzle, the group of employees in front of me in line were seated, but I was told that they didn't have any room for walk-ups, even though the restaurant had a crazy number of empty tables.

If they don't want people who like burgers, hot dogs, and pizza they shouldn't offer all of that on the ship. I'm not sure why it seems so odd to expect some typical beach food at a beach club.

Yes, and I highly recommend it. I did the zero proof pairings and thought that it added SO much to the experience. On a future cruise I'm going to see if I can get the zero proof cocktails from the bar even when I'm not dining. (I know Pink Agave and Extra Virgin have a bar where you can order drinks). The couple next to me did the wine pairings so I got to hear about them as well - this is definitely a great use of that bar tab!

Try to sit in the front row of the raised seats (so the first row AFTER the 1sst row that is literally on the stage). If you can sit towards the center, even better. Red / Blue side doesn't matter. After seeing the show once I reccomend going back and sitting in the very front row - you are literally on the stage and the performers will shout at you and include you. It's so much fun.

They aren't "actors" they are extremely high-level circus artists. The choreographer and directors for the show have worked with and for Cirque du Soleil on many projects. It's a different style of show than Cirque, but the quality is absolutely the same. (One of the casts that I've seen included one of the best teeterboard artists in the world who currently holds a World Record... these are literally the best of the best). That being said, a good friend of mine who loves the show said "it's a pretty artsy show for a cruise ship" - while that's the point that Virgin was going for I do get it. It's not as commercial as a Cirque show.

There is a shopping center in the port - lots of souvenier stands I'm sure that one of them sells sunscreen. Roatan is not a really great port though, if you walk outside the gate you WILL be followed by a "local tour guide" who will not take no for an answer. There's not much to see right by the port - the city is in pretty rough shape from what I can tell. If I'm ever back in the area I might try to take a taxi to the botanical gardens - not sure if anyone has any better suggestions for this port.

1. No upsells / extra charges. No tips, no extra cost restaurants, no photographers - no one is trying to sell anything. It's SUCH a great change compared to other lines. And while the Bar Tab isn't always going to be included, I like how the Bar Tab is good for anything you want. 2. High-Quality Entertainment. I've certainly enjoyed shows on other cruise ships but it always felt like cruise ship / theme park entertainment. On Virgin the entertainment is insane. Duel Reality is a show that I would totally pay to see if it comes to my town. Some of the guest musicians I've seen are also incredible (Morf and Oscar Ornelus band).

It seems the majority isn't particularly crazy about the food options at Bimini. On my first cruise I had lunch there and it was fine, but on my second cruise I intentionally had lunch at the Galley before heading over to the beach. I feel like they could do alot more with the food service at Bimini if they wanted to, but what they have is fine. If it was me, I would retheme one of the food stands as "Social Club on the Beach" and serve hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, milkshakes, etc. and then have some games and activities around it. This way people would have snack options as well.

I very much agree with this assessment. While I agree that Service on Celebrity is more consistent - it's not really fair to compare Celebrity Aqua Class.... I can assure you that Virgin food is better than Celebrity MDR. (at least in my experience and taste). I agree that this is an issue that VV needs to address. I went to Brunch at Razzle Dazzle and a group of employees in front of me were seated and I was told that they didn't have room for walkups. (I was solo, there were plenty of tables available). The amount of staff hanging out is definitely noticeable and yes the "cheering" section at shows is very noticeable although this didn't bother me too much. Agreed... On my second sailing I made sure to hang out on the ship until AFTER I had lunch haha.

For me... there were empty seats between me and the 2 other groups at the counter but the server addressed us all together. We certainly conversed a bit. I got the zero proof drink pairing and the couple next to me got the wine pairing so we compared drinks for sure. I would have felt a bit closed in if the seats directly around me were filled.

This may have been something about my phone's settings but when I sailed on the Scarlet Lady - I could not make phone calls over wifi. When on the Valiant Lady I could. But on BOTH cruises I could not when at the beach club at Bimini. Your mileage may vary of course.

I wouldn't say the ship shuts down as much as it feels like a ghost town since most guests are off the ship. The bars are still open, I had a drink and watched all the guests file off the ferry that comes in from Miami I think? It was parked right next to us. Based on my personal experience though I wouldn't recommend Razzle Dazzle when in Bimini- I think the regular staff still goes to the island and they fill in with other staff - it was VERY slow and unorganized for brunch that day and the Churros had been sitting forever and were pretty much not edible. Lunch at the Galley was great though - nice and calm and chill. I like heading over to the beach after lunch and seeing some of the pool party and then just walking along the shore. They also have very nice covered seating areas where it's nice to relax. Plus the tram ride through the island is kinda fun haha. I might walk around the Fisherman's village a bit on my next visit.

It depends on which section you are seated in. The Wake, Razzle Dazzle, and Pink Agave have tables for 2 that are EXTREMELY close together. As far as conversation goes, Test Kitchen is also set up where you are seated close to other groups but in my experience, they leave a seat in between you and other groups which actually separates you MORE than in the other restaurants.

It's not really a loop... I was fine with just getting my iced lattes, bottled water, and club sodas. To charge more for things that I don't want is very annoying and only makes me want to cruise more with Virgin.

It's pretty chill and laid back during the day. I think they do Bingo with the Diva in the Manor sometimes? I don't think they ever use the Red Room during the day. They do have quite a few random "pop up" shows like "Latte I'll Say" - and the SeaHorse race. I feel like there could be more quality entertainment during the day personally but I also don't mind relaxing and taking it easy.

Thanks! The issue that I brought up on that thread was how difficult it is to search for solo prices on the Celebrity site. Very annoying. I don't care if it's a deal or not, but I would like to be able to search and see the prices easily. But you are correct, Cruiseplum is a good resource! To take the topic back to Virgin... I love how easy it is to just put in 1 sailor and I can see the TOTAL prices. On Celebrity I have to look for the solo price... then add in what I will pay for tips and wifi... it's a hassle to do that math. Huge win for Virgin on keeping things simple when searching and pricing cruises. And you get a seahorse race too! (now it's on topic... haha).

Yeah, they gave out free drinks during the game when I saw it as well. That's in addition to the prize money.

Guiseppe is fantastic I agree! He's very active on social media so you can usually see what ship he is currently on if you follow him. I think he's on the Edge right now.

So on my cruise, it was 2 separate events. The auction is where everyone bids on the 6 sea horses. The 6 winners of the auction each get a session with "the artist" where they get to paint and decorate the sea horse - which they get to take home and keep. Then after the 6 sea horses have been decorated - they have a race. It's like a giant board game. The winner of the race gets the auction money - which is usually over $1,000. The people on my cruise were definitely VERY into it and having a great time. I enjoyed watching it. Both occured on Sea Days.

The Galley is open 24 hours but Tacos, Noodles, and Sandwich shop are only open for lunch and that goes until 3:00. The Diner is open 24 hours for basic breakfast food. The Burgers and Bakery are open the majority of the time (till like midnight?). Sushi Bar and Salad Bar are open for dinner. And yes, there is a dinner special. For example... Carved Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables. And then everything is open for breakfast and there are lots of additional breakfast items like the French Toast Burger.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks when searching for solo deals on Celebrity? On Virgin for example, I simply put in 1 sailor and the search results show up with the total price. On Celebrity, I have to search for cruises and they show the per person double occupancy rate. The Solo rate can be all over the map - sometimes much more than double the per-person double occupancy rates! (Which doesn't make sense but that's how it is). Naturally, the newer ships that have solo cabins are the best deals, but the only way to see if they are available is to select the sailing, select 1 person, and then see the available cabins. It's a lot of steps to compare prices. Is there an easier way?

Razzle Dazzle has some pretty creative and bold flavors... it can be a bit much for breakfast if you just want a basic breakfast. You can customize the dishes a bit, or order stuff ala carte to get a more plain breakfast there. The Wake is very nice, but really more of a brunch menu than breakfast imho. And that leaves the Galley - they have everything you want. It can just be a little busy at breakfast. I do wish that the Wake or Razzle would serve omelets. (I don't think either of them do?).