luvbigdogs

On 4/25/2023 at 1:07 PM, UnaPalomita said:

Thanks for posting! It'll be our first time too. We've been doing mostly RC and MSC (previously only did NCL) but switched to Celebrity next year because the kids club goes to 12. So excited for this all adult one though. 

 

Any chance you still have a copy of the At A Glance? Trying to find one. I'm interested to see what activities they have compared to the other lines! 

 

What did you wear to the PJ party? 

Sorry, I did not keep any At A Glance sheets. But definitely pick one up each morning. There's a LOT more listed there than the app. They are available at the coffee shop on deck 7 and at Sailor Services deck 5. The PJ party was rained out, so they held it in the disco. I would estimate only about 25% of folks wore PJs. We stopped in for a bit but just worn clothes. 

9 hours ago, jon81uk said:

 

If you haven't already done so, it might be good to leave a review on the main site Write a review - Cruise Critic

Thanks! I did post my review on the main site as well.

23 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Just curious, did you try the karyoke?

 

We did not do karaoke on this ship (although I have many times on other cruises). Virgin has individual karaoke rooms for a more private experience with your group. In additional, they host karaoke sessions in public areas a few nights during the cruise.

My wife and I are just back from a cruise on the Scarlet Lady. Of our 36 cruises, this was the first time on Virgin Voyages, so I thought I would post a list of cruise line “accomplishments and opportunities” (versus pros and cons).

Accomplishments

·         The food really is a step above. We ate at 5 of the 6 main restaurants (skipped the Test Kitchen), and each one paid incredible attention to detail. The service was fantastic, and the food choices and quality were excellent.

·         The staff are extremely personable. All cruise lines have friendly staff, however these folks really seemed more interested in getting the know the passengers and assisting in every way possible.

·         Instead of a key card for your onboard expenses and access to your stateroom, Virgin uses a wearable worn on your wrist. It was so nice not to worry about keeping track of a key card all week.

·         The entertainment was unlike any other cruise line. No big theater with the same shows of singers and dancers. No steel drum Caribbean music everywhere you turn. Instead, there are venues that transform into spaces based on the shows themselves. Many involve audience participation which added a fun new element. There were DJ’s always playing great music through the day/ship.

·         Obviously, this cruise line is for 18+. That really added a new element of no kids running around uncontrollably. It was nice just having adults around the pools, the shows, and the restaurants.

·         Virgin will match certain loyalty programs from other cruise lines. Be sure to take advantage of that. We are Platinum on Carnival and received most of the same perks that a return customer would get on Virgin.

·         It was nice not having the cheesy games (hairy chest, belly flop, etc.) around the pool.

·         There are no public announcements made over the PA system. This really allowed for a more relaxed environment not to be bothered with useless information every 15 minutes.

Opportunities

·         The beer selection does not include any American domestics (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Lite, etc.) They really need to add these particularly for the cruises leaving out of the United States. Not everyone enjoys craft and import beers. The closest thing they have is Tecate Light, and that is just not the same.

·         Various bars around the ship only carry certain beers, liquors, and wines. So, if you find a particular beer you like, you may find yourself walking to another floor at the opposite end of the ship to get it. They should at least have the same beers at every bar on the ship.

·         It would be nice to have a large screen on the pool deck for videos or beach scenes. There is already a perfect spot built for one on the forward end of the pool deck above where the DJ sets up.

·         There needs to be a sing-a-long piano bar on board. This cruise had quite a bit of live music at night, but much of it was more laid back and/or Latin themed. Usually, only one performer played until 1am. Being all about music, Virgin needs to transform one of the areas on the ship to a sing-a-long piano bar since these are so much fun and involve audience participation.

Miscellaneous

·         Although they require the use of the app for booking your restaurant and show reservations, you really do not need your phone after you board the ship. All of the restaurants do have paper menus (with the exception of the Galley). There is also a daily pamphlet called “A Glance at the Day” that lists all the activities, music, and wellness each day. These are available at different areas around the ship.

Overall, this was an incredible vacation. I will definitely return to Virgin Voyages in the future. Thanks for reading my review!

There was an older post on this topic, but I'd like to know what pier in Cozumel the Scarlet Lady is currently using. Cruising on her in April. Trying to plan excursions and bar hopping for the day. Thanks!

I am a seasoned cruiser (34 cruises), and all but a couple have been on 4 of the major cruise lines. I am considering cruising Virgin Voyages, but am concerned about the nightlife (in particular live music). Typically, after dinner, I hit all the bars on board that have some type of live music. I usually do the “big show” one night, but the rest of the time, I am in the sing-a-long piano bar or one of the bars with music ranging from a band to a solo guitarist singing well know hits. Looking over comments on Virgin, the 2 or 3 shows they do have look fun and entertaining. I would definitely attend them, but wondering if any portion of the typical music environment exists as on other cruise lines. I would definitely go to the Scarlet Party, but I am worried overall that from dinner until midnight or 1am, there is not as much going on with VV.  Can someone please let me know a better idea of what to expect later in the evenings? Thanks!

So let me make sure I understand. If you have the Cheers package, you can still purchase beers on HMC using your Sail & Sign card. And then when you get back on the ship, the drinks you purchased on HMC do NOT count toward your 15 for the day?????

Has anyone visited Love Beach (Nirvana Beach Bar) in Nassau lately? I have been to Junkanoo Beach the last couple of cruises and was looking for somewhere new. A few questions:

• Is this a free public beach?
  
• Do they rent chairs, and how much?
  
• Are there restrooms?
  
• How much are single/buckets of beer at Nirvana?
  
• Can you bring your own cooler of beer onto the beach?
  
• How would you compare it to Junkanoo?
  

Thanks!

Lots of opinions posted, so here goes mine. I've been on 17 Carnival cruises, and was on the first MSC cruise aboard the Poesia last April in the Mediterranean. Ship was gorgeous, and the staff friendly. Two things that were not nearly as good as Carnival: 1) The food was the worst of any cruise I've ever taken. That goes for the dining room, the buffets, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! And the four others traveling with me thought the same. Maybe it was due to being in Europe and the food distribution companies used there. 2) The night time entertainment was virtually non-existent. We looked everywhere for something to do. We love all the live music that Carnival offers throughout the ship at night, and could not find any aboard MSC. Hopefully, things would be different aboard MSC in the Caribbean. Best of luck!

Well, after a bit more research, I discovered that Cove Beach is the beach at Atlantis. So, cancel that thought. How about the same questions comparing Cabbage Beach to Paradise Beach? Thanks!

Coming in on a cruise and would like to go to a beach a bit nicer than Junkanoo (which we have visited in the past). Considering a taxi ride to either Cove Beach or Cabbage Beach. My questions:

1) Are they both free to the public?

2) What is the taxi price to get there from the port?

3) Do they rent chairs/umbrellas and if so, what is the price?

4) Do they have restrooms?

Thanks!

Curious if you do not get the VIP (Deluxe) package, and just the regular day package, are kayaks and paddleboards included? It looks like they are just sitting there on the beach in the pictures, but the web-site says all the water toys are an extra charge. Do they monitor that with wristbands? Thanks!

Looking for a dive shop close to the cruise port in San Juan. Arriving at 7:00am, so interested in a 2 tank morning dive. If anyone has any recommendations, would like to know the name of company and the distance/recommendations for getting there from the cruise port. Thanks!

Unfortunately, nothing really stood out as far as the food. I wish I could say any of it was memorable. Stay excited about the itinerary/ports. That is the whole reason we took this trip. The stops are all absolutely incredible! Stateroom and room steward were great. We had an aft balcony. Hope you have a great time!

I am just back from a week on the MSC Poesia and thought I would share some highlights of the week’s activities and port excursions. We cruised round trip out of Venice to the Eastern Mediterranean. Keep in mind when you read my comments that my comparisons to other cruises are based on this being my 30th cruise and have been on many of the other major cruise lines. This was my first MSC cruise.

Ship comments (in no particular order):

1) The ship is beautifully decorated. All common areas were clean and well maintained.

2) The service and friendliness of the staff onboard were fantastic. We did find that the dining room service for the “My Choice Dining” tended to be a bit slower than having an assigned dining time.

3) Unlike the other cruises we have been on, the late seating for dinner is 9:00pm!

4) Unfortunately, the food onboard was not good at all. We tried both dining rooms and the buffet for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The food was never hot and was just not up to par with any of the other cruises we have been on.

5) The boarding process at each port stop is quite slow. Some days there was only one gangway with one security line opened. Allow enough time to get back on board!

6) Although there is a lot of live music at night in just about every lounge, there are too many dance lessons by the cruise staff that interfered too long with the singers/musicians performing.

7) The shows in the main theater were just okay.

8) There are MANY common drinks/beers/wines that are listed on the bar menus that are NOT part of the beverage packages.

Excursions (all were done when we got into each port independent of the cruise line):

I should point out that every stop on this cruise is in cities that have many streets and alleyways filled with shops/restaurants/cafes/etc. Some are pedestrian only, while some allow cars and mopeds. At no time in any of the cities did we feel the least bit unsafe,and we covered as much area as possible at each stop! Most of the fun was wandering through the cities with no map or agenda! All amounts referenced below are in Euros.

1) Venice – We flew in a day and night early to spend time here. We stayed at the Il Moro Di Venezia Hotel which is a short walk from the Piazzale Roma. That is the location where the airport buses and taxis will drop you off downtown. After checking in, we took the ACTV #1 Vaporetto for $7.50 through the Grand Canal from the hotel to St. Mark's Square. We then leisurely walked back shopping and stopping in a couple cafes for drinks. The next day we walked back to the Piazzale Roma and took the People Mover for$1.50 to the cruise terminal. Note that you will still have quite a walk to the ship after you get off the People Mover. However, at the end of the week when you get off the ship, there will be plenty of taxis waiting to take you to the airport. The fee is $50 per taxi even for the larger minivans.

2) Bari – Of all the stops on the cruise, this seemed to be everyone’s least favorite that I talked to. However, I enjoyed it.We actually walked into town and back (about 20-25 minutes each way). Once in town, do not miss going down by the water to the seafood market where the local fishermen bring their daily catches in. There is a bar at the end of the market that sells $1 beers while you stroll the market and talk to the locals.

3) Katakolon – Once off the ship, look for the light blue building toward the right. They offer $10 round trips to Olympia. Once in Olympia, the entrance fee into the Olympics site is $12 each. You walk around at your own pace, and all the buildings have markers that explain what they are. The museum is also included in your ticket price. It takes about 30 minutes to get there, and they allow you two hours to spend at the site. We found that to be the perfect amount of time. Once back in port, you will have time to shop in Katakolon, grab a beer, or just walk the streets before boarding the ship.

4) Mykonos – The ship sells transfers into the city for $7 via boat or $10 via bus round trip. It did appear that it was too far to walk. The entire town is white buildings. We did the same walking around as the last two stops and then headed to the beach. The bus stop for the beaches is not far from the windmills and costs $1.80 each way. The bus schedule there and back is posted on a board. You pay the driver when you get on board. We went to Paradise Beach, and I would recommend it. They have a beautiful beach area, no charge for lounge chairs, and offer a restaurant, bar and smoothie store. Once back in Mykonos, we stopped at a local restaurant for a Gyro, calamari, and drinks along the water looking over at our ship. It was the best meal we had all week!

5) Athens - We opted for the Hop On Hop Off bus. They are located as soon as you walk out of the port area. The cost is $16 each (keep your receipt from the bus in Katakolon and you get $1 off each). Our first stop was the Acropolis. Tickets to get into the site are $20 each. It is quite a walk to the top, but so worth it when you get there. We got back on the bus for one more stop, and that was the Temple of Zeus and the Plaka area. This is the oldest section of Athens and has more shops/restaurants/cafes/etc. We spent a few hours there, and by then, it was time to get back on the bus and head back to the ship. The HOHO bus full route around Athens takes about 90 minutes, but there is just not enough time to see everything unless you just want to ride the route without getting off the bus. Traffic gets pretty busy by the middle of the afternoon.

6) Corfu – This stop was to have been in Sarande, Albania, but the weather was too bad to tender in. So, we docked in Corfu instead. It was a $10 taxi ride each way into town for four people. We spent a few hours walking around town and stopped in a café for drinks before heading back to the ship.

7) Dubrovnik – This was a tender port, and the advantage was that the tender dropped us off right at the entrance to the walled city. We walked the city walls. Tickets were $22 each, but you must pay in Kuna. There is an exchange store a few doors down from the entrance to the walls. The entire trip around the walls took a little more than an hour at a leisurely pace. There are great photo opportunities along the way. We then wandered the streets shopping, looking around the open market in one of the squares, and stopping in a couple cafes for drinks.

Hope this review helps in some way with your planning. Enjoy your travels!

Booked it directly on the LFK web-site. No deposit is required. If you are looking for a great beach day with kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling, excellent lunch, beautiful water, and a clean place to spend the day, this is the place for you!

Belize is the only tender port on this itinerary. We reserved our tender time the day before (Guest Services or on your TV). We actually got the first tender off the ship at 7:45am. The tender trip is about 15-20 mins. No worries about the cave tubing trip and missing the ship. Vitalino does not wait for everyone going tubing to show up at the desk before they leave the port area. As each bus fills up, they leave for the trip. The next group will accumulate until that bus is full. We were actually finished tubing and eating lunch right at noon. We were back at the port by 1:30pm. The last tender doesn't leave for the ship until 4pm. That gives plenty of time to shop in the port area after tubing. The price for just tubing is $45/person. But many people did the combination of tubing and zip lining. You can check their web-site for those prices. Sorry, don't know anything about flights in the area.

I am just back from a week on the Getaway and thought I would share some highlights of the week’s activities and port excursions.

Ship highlights (in no particular order):

1) For one of the first cruises I can remember, the crew enforced the “no kids” at the adult pool. The sea days at this pool were definitely the most crowded location on this ship all week.

2) James Morris plays the piano in the evenings at various venues and includes tributes to Elton John, Billy Joel, and James Taylor. He is really talented, and when he played in the Mojito bar, the seats filled up fast.

3) Do not miss the free 11:15pm show the magicians from the Illusionarium perform in Fat Cats one night (absolutely incredible!).

4) For those interested in the time changes, you set the clocks back one hour on Sunday night and another hour on Monday night. Then, you set them forward one hour on Wednesday night and another hour on Friday night.

5) If you elect to do the self-assist for disembarkation and carry your own bags off the ship, the process was very organized and fast. We were in our car before 8:00am.

6) Many people on the message boards seemed disappointed that Million Dollar Quartet replaced Legally Blonde for the main show. I have never seen Legally Blonde, but I will say that Million Dollar Quartet was excellent. The guy that plays Jerry Lee Lewis was fantastic.

7) The Flamingo on deck 16 served the same breakfast as the buffet each morning and was never crowded. They also had some pastries, yogurt, and breakfast sandwiches that the buffet did not have.

8) For those that have insulated cups (e.g. Yeti’s), they come in really handy when drinking frozen drinks by the pool on sea days. Otherwise, your drink will melt literally in minutes.

Excursions (all were booked independent of the cruise line):

1) Honduras – Little French Key. We did the $88 package that includes full use of the facilities, kayaks, paddleboards, lunch (chicken, steak, shrimp, lobster tail, rice), and two drinks. This place was very clean, beautiful, and not crowded. It is a bit difficult to find the drivers when you get off the ship. You have to actually LEAVE the port area through the gate, and then walk up the right side of the road to the last vendors there. Would definitely return on the next trip!

2) Belize – Cave tubing with Vitalino. Very well run and organized company. Cost includes round trip transportation (45 min bus ride) from the port, two mile hike through the woods to the river, float through the caves (40 mins) and down the river (20 mins), and then a lunch with chicken, rice, sodas, and rum punch. As advertised, this is one of the only companies that you do not have to carry your tube on the hike. Many others we passed were carrying the tubes themselves. The guides do a great job keeping everything organized.

3) Costa Maya – Beach day at Blue Kay beach. Very relaxing day on the beach. Take a taxi rather than the tram. The taxi is $2/person and will drop you off right at Blue Kay. The tram is $3/person, but does not stop at Blue Kay so you have to walk a bit. I read that Blue Kay charges $5 for a chair, umbrella, and drink. We sat down, ordered two drinks and chips & salsa, spent about three hours there, and was not charged anything. Blue Kay is before the main section of the Malecon, so there are no vendors bothering you every five minutes trying to sell things.

4) Cozumel – Diving & downtown. Ship docks at the Punta Langosta pier which is right downtown. Very convenient for shops/bars/restaurants. Went diving with Blue Magic. Highly recommend as they limit divers to 8 per trip, and the dive shop is right downtown. Also, don’t miss The Thirsty Cougar for a frozen drink. It will be the biggest drink you have ever seen!

Hope this review helps in some way with your planning. Enjoy your travels!

So, Wizdiz, while you were in Cozumel yesterday, did you stay on Miami time, or turn your clocks back an hour to match Cozumel time? Thanks!

Finally, someone that can answer my question on time changes in Cozumel (since you will be there tomorrow)! The itinerary for your stop in Cozumel says you arrive at 11am. Will you post whether you arrived in Cozumel at 11am THEIR time? Since daylight savings time is now in effect, that would mean you are arriving at 12pm Miami time (and therefore would roll your clocks back 1 hour while in port). I read mixed reviews on CC, and believe it or not, the folks at Norwegian could not answer my question! Since you are there, I can reply on your response. Thanks!

I understand that after this weekend, Miami will be on Eastern Daylight Time, and Cozumel will be on Eastern Standard Time (one hour behind Miami). From everything I have been reading about Norwegian, they will adjust the ship time to MATCH the port time while in Cozumel. So, if the itinerary says the ship docks at 8am, that will be 8am Cozumel time. Correct? I called NCL, and they were not even sure! Thanks!

Did the Getaway stay on Miami time the entire week, or did "ship time" change each day to match the local time at the different ports? Thanks!

Water temp was 76 degrees last week. Worn a 3mm wetsuit and was comfortable. Visibility was incredible at 100+ ft. First dive was the Hermes shipwreck at about 80'. It is still in excellent condition, and we got to go all through the ship. Second dive was the South West Breaker. This was a 25-30' drift dive along a reef. Saw TONS of fish and even swam through a coral tunnel. Let me know if you need further details!

Just returned from Bermuda and utilized Blue Water Divers. It’s a short bus ride from the Royal Navy Dockyards where the cruise ships dock. I did the morning 2-tank dive which requests check in at the dive shop at 8:15am. The first bus of the morning is scheduled for 7:30am which would have been plenty of time to get there, but the buses actually started running at 7:10am. Saves on more expensive cab rides. The dive shop is just down the road from the Sommerset Bridge bus stop. Excellent crew that was friendly, knowledgeable, and safety minded. Would recommend and will definitely use again on the next trip.

Just returned from Bermuda and utilized Blue Water Divers. It’s a short bus ride from the Royal Navy Dockyards where the cruise ships dock. I did the morning 2-tank dive which requests check in at the dive shop at 8:15am. The first bus of the morning is scheduled for 7:30am which would have been plenty of time to get there, but the buses actually started running at 7:10am. Saves on more expensive cab rides. The dive shop is just down the road from the Sommerset Bridge bus stop. Excellent crew that was friendly, knowledgeable, and safety minded. Would recommend and will definitely use again on the next trip.