Alegeeter

I have had 3 different agents email and call me in the last week about the "amazing special deal" they're offering to me because of my original cancelled Brilliant Mermaiden. Each time I politely tell them I'm not interested and do not see what is amazing, special, or a deal about charging twice the amount for a cruise that's 2 fewer days than my original. 

They're asking for nearly $5000 for a cabin on the 5 Day NY Maiden in a sea terrace and over $7000 for the Miami Maiden. I can't imagine what the Alaska season or Canal crossing sailings will go for.

I never got this email and I was in the Brilliant Mermaiden too!

But that's ridiculous we can't combine this deal with an MNVV. They made it seem like they were giving us a gift and instead they're giving us what anyone else can have, and also charge double the price! Go figure

So if we see VV on the schedule in  LA in April and some have seen schedules in the PNW May onwards, do we think Brilliant Lady spends Summer/Fall '25 in NY,  Fall '25/Winter '26 in Miami and then the Panama Canal in late March?

When has DBE been showing up in your add ons? In my chat with VV yesterday the representative said "your DBE will be added closer to sailing" but in the past I've had it show immediately upon booking.

Given they just pumped $100 million into the Spirit I can't see them retiring it so soon 

Importantly, NCL updated the FAQ to include members/veterans/spouses of the National Guard, NOAA Corps, and the US Public Health Service. 

CAS was the only thing keeping me with NCL. Despite all the changes NCL has made recently to decrease service and guest experience, the discounts (while small) offered through CAS and the perks still made my cruises worth it. Now, with this new program all CAS will offer me is 10% off (which I can get by calling NCL directly) and no other perks even thought my play has only increased over my past cruises. I played less on Virgin Voyages in January and was offered a comped balcony up to 7 days, drinks in the casino included. You'll find me in Greece and Croatia later this spring, distancing myself from NCL.

I may do one more NCL since I have a Cruise Next and have been wanting to do South America but after that I think it's time to build loyalty elsewhere.

On 9/28/2023 at 5:14 PM, dbrown84 said:

And this discount does stack with others you may have, for example the Caesars discount 

Bringing this back because I didn't want to start a new thread:

so if CAS offers 10% for play for me,  and NCL offers 10% for my cabin mate who is military, those could be combined? 

2 hours ago, njkate said:

Some of these recommended alternatives make no sense. Recommending a May cruise for a November cancellation? 

Seems like it's just for July

I say go with the interior and try your bid for a sea terrace with the Level Upgrade. Worst case, two cruises a year in an inside. Best case, two cruises a year in a balcony cabin 😉

15 hours ago, -The-True-North- said:

Would you mind if I ask the ballpark of what you typically paid, or your sister played over the voyage to get a comp room?

 

I.e.

$500

$1000

$2500

$5000

It's more about what you bet and how much you played more than overall losses or winnings. We sat at the $50 minimum blackjack table every night  for a few hours. She would often play two hands at $100 each as well as some slots for her to get the offer on the last day. They said for this you need to accumulate 8000 points for the automatic comp generation and this is way easier to earn on slots than tables- 1 point for every dollar put through a machine.

The casino host found my sister on the last day and gave her a certificate for a comped cruise. The host couldn't offer me anything at the time but told me to call the casino line for discounts. No one reached out to me. I called the casino line and that's when they told me they could offer me a comp as well. 

Give them a call them. I wouldn't assume they'll reach out to you.

6 hours ago, garycarla said:

 

To be fair - I would assume you also played with real cash as well.   So - hard to say if they counted the play with sailer loot or not.

 

You still earn points on spending the loot. I doubt anyone would have enough loot to play through to earn enough points for a cruise. If at tables, once you play free play chip and win a hand you get a real chip. Same with slots.  I never reached into my wallet for cash I came with. I turned my loot into cash and played with that for the remainder of the cruise.

I used my sailor loot on my last cruise and got a comp offer

For me, Virgin is not a gay cruise but it has always felt very open and queer-friendly. I've never felt more comfortable on a cruise than when I first sailed Virgin.

I'd also add, and I don't know if this is directly the Virgin product or who it attracts, but passengers have always been  friendly, fun, and outgoing. There are so many spaces to mingle and it's encouraged to strike up conversation with anyone. You don't get that on other lines. Maybe being adult only is a byproduct of that.

These may not be a big draws for everyone, but for me it's what keeps me coming back.

MNVV loot is not the same as a bar tab. It is look that can be used for any purchases on board. The bar tab should be listed separately in your add-ons.

Our schedule has been released (Southern Caribbean Isles 1/13/23) and it's very bare bones- I think a lot must be place holders so I don't know how much is going to be true. For example, the Miss Behave Show and Duel Reality are listed each 6+ times throughout the week, but there is no Around the World with the Diva.

Scarlet Night was originally Monday night but it was moved to Wednesday.

You'd think with these prices they'd actually have a better functioning onboard app and website. The onboard product is great (though IMO not with these significant hikes) but it's embarrassing to promote such a high end product with an app that crashed every other minute.

If she has a registered business you can report to the BBB. I'd also file a case with the credit card company to stop payment and provide them all your evidence. This can help you get your money back and may make it so that the company won't allow payments to her in the future.

This summer we had a port cancelled and I was refunded by Sandra without even requesting. Too bad she updated her terms. I would never book with her again.

All of this information is very helpful, thank you!

It looks like neither Speedy's nor Sensation runs on Sundays from Road Town, which is when our ship is in port (Virgin will be there Sundays for the winter season). Does anyone know of any alternative ways to get there that would run on a Sunday?

The crew was assigned but then that news was rescinded and Virgin stopped hiring efforts for new crew on older ships. My best guess is late summer 2024.

I love seeing those taking advantage of the situation and booking something listed for more money and getting a deal. For anyone looking at options that are cheaper, also take a look at what promotion you booked under (https://www.virginvoyages.com/promotional-terms-and-conditions) to make sure Virgin gives you the same promotion. Per their email these promotions should be honored in our replacement bookings.

On 9/9/2023 at 9:15 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

The rep I spoke with the other day assured me that everything you qualified for with the initial booking would be moved over to the new booking.

Now that I see the new prices, I'm curious.

the email we received states: "Plus, we'll still honor any previous promotions you had when you first booked, including your Bar Tab bonus. If the new date you choose costs less, we'll refund the difference if you’ve already fully paid."

Elsewhere on Virgin's site "bar tab" and"loot"  are called "add ons" and I'm wondering what's considered a "promotion"- when I booked the San Juan Mermaiden the fare was $2245 a person, but with the current promotion at the time and MNVV a lot was taken off so the total was $3300 for 2. With the new dates listed the fare is $1875 person with much less taken off for promotions so the total is the same. Will I get $0 back or will they reprice me at the $1875 but with all the discounts I got originally- depends how they define promotion.