wynkys

I am booked on a short 3-night repositioning voyage in a couple of months time.

I am travelling solo in the Yacht Club and would appreciate advice as to which

staff members I should tip and what amount would be typical for each for such

a short time.

Thank you for what appears to be a balanced review.

In my opinion, Honfleur is a great option.

A comprehensive and genuine sounding review.

Thank you.

1 hour ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

Honest question for those of you who sailed in Australia.  How full were the ships?  From the little information I was able to glean, it didn't sound like the sailings in Australia were sailing full.  Just curious for those who actually sailed the ships in Australia, were the ships sold our or sailing light? 

I was on the second sailing out of Melbourne and as soon as I boarded and saw the scarcity of passengers, I thought to myself and commented on that other site that I would be surprised if VV returned for a second season. They got their initial marketing wrong for the local market and have been struggling to recover since then. 

I do wonder how many of their sailors paid the full sticker price?

Stunning photos and comprehensive reporting-the essential ingredients for an excellent review.

Just now, wynkys said:

When will they let you inhale the ocean air?

12 hours ago, MeganGC1983 said:

What a great report, refreshing and honest!

Your photos are terrific and imagine how many memories, good and bad, they will provide you in the future.

I disembarked last Monday from a Grand 7-nighter out of Melbourne.

I attended the Crown Grill one evening courtesy of my travel agent

A few years ago I had a disappointing speciality meal at Jamies on

RCL, however, the experience last week left that in the shade.

Once seated, I sat there for forty minutes without being offered a

drink and had difficulty flagging down my waiter to ask for one.

No wine list was presented and I wasn't chancing asking for one and 

waiting further.

The meal arrived eventually and after a disappointing soup, my main

course of lamb chops followed. The first one I tried couldn't be cut without

effort but the other two were more acceptable.

At this point the Maitre'd appeared and asked how things were and I told

him. He offered to arrange for a replacement chop which I declined and 

that was the last I saw of him that evening.

With my unfinished meal sitting before me for some further time, no other

staff member appeared, so I left in disgust.

Two days later, I happened to be sitting beside the Hotel Manager at the

Most Traveled Guest Luncheon and when I told her about my experience,

she saId that it was unacceptable and that was that.

Luckily, for me, the rest of the cruise was up to the usual standard I have come 

to expect from Princess.

I have just returned from a Princess cruise in an inside cabin and the contrast with my recent experience in a Resilient Lady Sea Terrace bears comment.

What a pleasure it was to be able to have your toiletries handy on bathroom shelves and to be able to use the toilet without being reminded of an aircraft

one.

Also enjoyable was being able to see the TV at a good angle without having to sit or lie on the bed.

Many things may be touted on VV as being radical in the industry, however, old-fashioned comfort still has its appeal.

14 hours ago, WhereInTheWorldIsKarla said:

Today’s wildlife included dolphins off starboard as we cruised past Acapulco, Mexico just after lunch.  I believe they are Pantropical Spotted Dolphins. 

Karla,

Your photos are outstanding and I look forward to your future contributions.

Healthy and happy sailing to all onboard.

My initial point was that prospective customers were initially attracted to VV with what appeared to be great comparable prices with other local competitors and then to discover that they had been deceived

by the currency quoted.

I am pleased to see that local advertising is now in A$.

Some observations on my recent experience (16-21 Dec) on Resilient Lady on her second cruise of the local

deployment.

As a seasoned cruiser on many different lines over many years, I found the whole experience to be a little 

underwhelming. It was missing the wow factor that is so much of their marketing pushes. There were only 1300

passengers onboard and considering how heavy the promotion has been, I believe VV need to look at their

approach. Quoting cruise prices in A$ would be a good start to allow prospective cruises to do a fair comparison

with other local offerings

The food was good with plenty of variety and availability, however the same can't be said for the entertainment.

I attended three different shows and they were indistinguishable from each other- a lead vocalist surrounded by

acrobats. Other musical options were limited.

Watching TV in the cabin provided challenges unless you are happy watching prone from the bed. Alternatives are

to have the cabin reconfigured or watch the screen at a forty-five degree angle from the only chair available.

The Sea Terrace cabins are adequate with the hammock a real plus. However, the bathroom is barely adequate.

If you take away the shower, you are basically left with an aircraft toilet.

One final comment is on the Casino. Unless you have US$ in cash you are left with the option of a room charge

with a 7% surcharge and an obscure (at least to me) process on the machines. This is something that Virgin should

be alerting clients about before they board.

It will be interesting to see how Virgin positions itself in the local market after this initial foray.

It is currently day four out of five for Virgin’s second Australian local voyage.

There are only 1300 on board despite heavy promotion and that may be an

influence on my subsequent comments.

I am a solo traveller and not part of a group travelling together.

This is a crucial point as the ship lacks any sort of communal space such as Holland

America’s Crows Nest, Cunard’s Commodore Club or even Carnival’s the Alchemy Bar

where it is possible to meet others.

Shared dining is limited and, therefore, sitting in virtually empty communal spaces is all that is offered.

On embarkation, there was an invitation to a solo gathering at sailaway but when I went to the venue, nothing happened including no staff member in attendance to explain why.

I am adding this later as I have just returned from the DBE cocktail party where the venue was changed due to the weather but invitees were left to their own devices to find out where to.

I am making these comments in a constructive manner to alert future cruisers as to what awaits them.

Overall, it is a good but not great experience in the current market and let’s hope they do their due diligence for the local market.

A very interesting account of this portion of your travels.

Thank you and stay safe.

Once again, thank you for this very interesting and enjoyable report and I wish Happy Thanksgiving to

all who celebrate the occasion.

Listen Mate, just take it as it comes and roll with the flow.

Once again, I have enjoyed following along and look forward

to your future adventures

Enjoy your last week and then look forward to the next one you have planned.

I have thoroughly enjoyed following along and you and your mom are obviously

well-suited travelling companions.

I like your self-deprecating style of reporting and admire your capacity for enjoying

the food on offer.

Looking forward to following your trip once again.

Let's hope the Captain and crew find the missing 'C' for whoever did

the cake decoration.

Thank you.

I am particularly interested in the Another Rose show and you have answered what I wanted to know.

Where can I find an example of a typical day on board?

I am interested in timings re restaurant bookings and shows.

Virgin, like many other service organisations, did not carry out due diligence when entering a new market.

I have just been through the rather tortuous process of making a new booking online for a Dec 24 cruise

out of Melbourne.

In the payment options offered, I was given the opportunity to pay by installments. However, when I attempted

to do so, the screen froze. After some delay I eventually spoke to their phone service only to be told after some

further fussing around that that option is not available to Australians. How easy would it be to make that statement

up front?

Let's hope that they get their local operations sorted out by this December's Mermaiden voyage.

I have read all the comments with interest and as an infrequent traveller with Cunard, I don't fit any criteria.

I have travelled with Cunard five times over a seventy-one year period. Initially on a crossing in 1952,  then in 1979 followed by the QM2 inaugural crossing and then the QM2/QE2 tandem crossing in 2004.

Last December I did my first cruise on Queen Elizabeth out of Melbourne.

I have many other cruises under my belt but spread among twenty-odd different lines.

I'm another one thoroughly enjoying your report and I thought that your #420 contribution was a classic.

I cruised Iceland and Norway with Crystal over ten years ago and whilst I have trouble these days remembering where I have been let alone what I did whilst there, cruising Geiranger Fjord remains

imprinted on my mind.