Travel-and-See

Oh you’re welcome to your opinion and critique - I’m just saying that I did really enjoy my experience in Test Kitchen. I’ve also had drastically different experiences on Virgin from ship to ship, maybe your test kitchen food was prepared poorly.

Ah yes! I would HIGHLY recommend a drink paring. They have a cocktail, zero proof, and wine pairing available. That’s a huge win for the experience as the drinks are very good and really do add to the flavor of the meal. I got the zero proof, and the couple next to me split a wine pairing (he brought them 2 glasses for each and did “half pours”) - so I got to hear about the wines as well. Very fun. Honestly on my next cruise I want to see if I can just get drinks from the bar at the restaurant- they were really good.

Test Kitchen is a really unique place - I really enjoyed my meal there but it was the experience and trying new things that made it fun. I don’t think it’s an embarrassment but it is a very unique dining experience that you have to go in to with an open mind. I also went towards the end of a longer cruise when I wanted to slow down…. It is pretty drawn out and on the first night I would have been ready to leave too haha.

I did the same thing by wanting to test the waters and started with the 4-day. The only negative is this seemed to bring out more of a party crowd vs. the longer sailings I’ve done since. it wasn’t too much for me, but the longer cruises will feel more natural for a celebrity cruiser (I came from celebrity as well).

Disney vs. Virgin is an interesting comparison - Disney provides a product that nobody else does. Sailing with Disney characters, Disney production shows, Disney fireworks... it's the Disney theme park style of experience that really can't be compared with anyone else. I'm not sure if Virgin offers enough different to really demand the high prices that Disney does. The most unique thing about them is the no-kids policy. I guess we will see although I'm not seeing really big price hikes on Virgin yet but I'm looking at the cheap rooms haha.

What lines are you comparing them to? Last time I checked (and things may have changed) Celebrity all included and Virgin were pretty close for similar sailings.

So I took an Alaska cruise on the Solstice last year and the Millenium this year. My opinion was the MDR was slightly better than the previous year and the Buffet was considerably worse with way fewer options, and less quality options.

I agree with this. Perhaps Valiant often being based in Europe uses less salt vs. Scarlet based in USA? My dishes in Pink Agave on Valiant were SO underseasoned I'm still wondering if the server thought I wanted Vegan prep (I ordered all Vegetarian items but not because I'm vegetarian, just that's what I wanted to try). Either way there is simply no excuse to not have salt or ice tea available at all restaurants.

I think some people think that “adults only” on virgin means just that. Adult entertainment like in a strip club. in reality it just means there aren’t annoying tweens and teens running around the ship! Haha.

I’ve been on both Scarlet and Valiant and walk-up reservations are hit and miss. Out of 4 walk-up attempts I was seated 2 times (once at test kitchen, and once at the wake), told to come back in an hour (razzle dazzle) and told nothing was available (razzle dazzle, this was extra annoying since a group of 4 employees were seated in front of me). I’ve also seen guests turned away at extra virgin when there were plenty of seats but I had a reservation. usually I just scroll the app and see what pops up and reserve that. Worst case scenario I eat in the galley or have pizza. but reserving dinner and shows is the most annoying thing about virgin, one of the things that I love when sailing celebrity! If I could just get those 2 lines to mix what I like about both.

If you like to start off with coffee and pastries the coffee bar is a great choice as well. Sometimes the champagne lounge has coffee and pastries too (I think maybe on sea days?). diner n dash in the galley is 24/7 for eggs only (and sides like bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast). During the full breakfast hours you have lots of options from the various galley counters. razzle dazzle is your modern breakfast / brunch option with both basic and creative dishes served in a laid back style. the wake is your fancy breakfast / brunch option with full table settings, fancy china, etc. I wish the wake had some more breakfast options - many of the dishes are more lunch style. all of them are good!

If you’ve ever gone to an adult comedy show on celebrity you’ve heard the same level of language / jokes. The only main difference is you’ll occasionally hear F words or jokes about sex / drug use in the main shows or from the musicians on board. If you think it would be awkward going to a drag show or a dance club with your kids, just don’t go. There’s so many great things to do on Virgin - and the way you can relax on their ships is really great.

On celebrity you can’t easily find solo pricing either. It’s very annoying.

If you are in your 30's I think you will LOVE Virgin (I am as well, and also really like sailing on Celebrity). I wanted to mention the entertainment. The entertainment on Virgin is MUCH higher quality than other cruise ships. The Duel Reality Circus Show is the best thing I've ever seen on a cruise ship and I would absolutely pay to see it if it came to my town as a touring show. The musicians seem to rotate quite a bit on Virgin, but each sailing I've seen some really phenomenal talent vs. the "average" musicians on other lines. The Ship Show Dinner show is an excellent variety show as well. The guest entertainers are also quite good in my experience, it's more stand-up comedy type entertainment but that makes it feel more like going to a comedy bar and less like a cruise ship. Also... having no teens and tweens running around the ship REALLY changes the atmosphere - trust me! haha. The whole vibe is very relaxed and chill.

Honestly, I've seen more people dress up for dinner on Virgin than on Celebrity - you won't be out of place. You'll see a little bit of every style at the restaurants and that's the point. Be as casual or fancy as you want.

Agreed. I haven’t sailed NCL but it’s the same for me with celebrity - it was so nice to have anytime dining and not worry about reservations for dinner and shows. I’ve always gotten into shows that I wanted to on Virgin (usually get a reservation but standby has always worked for me too). But it’s still an extra step compared to just showing up on other lines. I’ve been turned away at restaurants on virgin and I’ve seen others be turned away as well so it is common. It’s annoying to wait for the host only to be turned away and have to try again at another restaurant. the reservations and the digital ordering are my 2 biggest complaints about virgin along with the inconsistent service.

Doesn't HAL have all of that too?

What kind of fun things do other lines like Celebrity offer other than live music?

I’m a millennial and i don’t really agree…. It’s too minimal and cheap looking in my opinion.

I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s more chill and relaxed than celebrity. The teens and tweens on my celebrity cruise were way more “wild” and annoying than anything I’ve seen on virgin. if you’ve ever been to an “adult” comedy show on celebrity or another line you’ve heard the words you’ll hear on virgin haha.

I only sail standard class (inside, ocean, balcony) - but my alternative to celebrity is virgin. There are things I like and dislike about both lines but for me the food quality is much better on virgin, the entertainment is way better, and the overall vibe of the shop is very relaxing especially without anyone trying to sell you anything ever. And of course…. No kids!

I’m a big fan of Virgin in general, but I am not a fan of the cabin designs at all. Celebrity wins big time on that for me The decor is more upscale and luxurious, the space is much better designed not only for storage but just for everyday use as well. The virgin cabins feel too empty and like there is wasted space.

I think it will check all of those boxes for you. There are definitely things I like about Celebrity vs. Virgin still but that’s mostly down to the consistency of service, more luxurious rooms, and more upscale details like all of the artwork around the ship. Overall I agree that Virgin WILL change cruising as they take customers away from the other brands. Free wi-fi, included tips, etc will come.

i can’t speak for all of the dishes, but the ravioli (as an appetizer) the salmon, and the green tea cheesecake was the best tasting meal I’ve had on any cruise ship ever. And once when I tried the butter chicken instead of the salmon I was also quite happy. I’ll give the new dishes a try though! But that green tea cheesecake didn’t deserve to be thrown overboard 😢 haha

@aviators99 thanks for that but oh no!!!! No more ravioli and no more green tea cheesecake! 😢😢😢