sollan

We have been on Celebrity and Azamara several times and have never (except for speciality dinners) had to book restaurants or shows. As I understand it we HAVE to make reservations for everything in advance which makes me quite 🤔...

Have never cruised VV before and not sure what to expect and adding to that I'm supposed to know in beforehand which restaurants and shows I vant to see. Apperantly I have to do this even before we get onboard or else we will have to take whatever seating times nobody else want..?.

We like to take as we go without stress, choosing restaurants and what to do in the evenings depending on the mood.

I'm getting a bit stressed over this booking thing, having to plan every evening.. 😱

I wonder...

Have booked two cruises and have sent in our proofs of our status with Celebrity, Elite Plus and according to the confirming email they say that the Sea Rover status (whatever that means..) is added to our accounts.

But the badge says Sea Blazer and are gray.

Have spent 1,5 h on the chat where they just say the Rover status IS added and don't listen to what I say. It's annoying to say the least....

So... now we have been thinking long enough and decided to jump in heads first.  .😏. One Mediterranean cruise and a TA in October is now booked.

59 minutes ago, WheresWalter said:

 

Welcome to VV. We've sailed 8 cruise lines so far and I would put VV in the same vibe as Celebrity, only Celebrity has much better pools. VV's pools are very small and mainly for lounging or dancing and there is very little seating around the pools compared to other cruise lines. 

 

The biggest thing about VV is that it's almost all-inclusive so you're not having to pay for 'better food' or WiFi or even the soft drinks. Every night is like going to a specialty restaurant that you would typically pay $25 - $100+ on any other cruise line, but it's all included on VV. Here's my full food tour from Scarlet Lady. https://youtu.be/pBolzKvXjMU

 

 

The cabins are a bit narrower and the bathrooms are quite small, but the ship itself is stunning. Almost every deck is single story so the ship feels much smaller than it really is. The top deck is mainly all sun deck but if you'd like to sit in a shaded area, the 'porch' areas on either side of Deck 7 are quite lovely. Sit on the opposite side of the ship from the sun and you'll find all sorts of nice seating out there that's not really well used. I think most people stay up top or go to The Dock on the back of deck 7. 

 

The main shows are very different from any other cruise line, but there are really awesome musicians throughout the ship each evening. I think anyone who enjoys Celebrity cruise lines would definitely find a lot to like about VV. Here's our overall review of VV that includes some comparisons to other cruise lines. https://youtu.be/-R0imB73ajg

 

Now the one big difference between VV and everyone else is that you cannot choose your own cabin online. VV will automatically assign a cabin to you. VV has really leaned into travel agents and encourages sailors to book through them. TAs can select specific cabins on any deck as will the Sailor Services if you call in to VV. I'd say decks 9 through 13 would be good. If you want to avoid the DJ sets from the main pool, get a cabin more towards the aft or the front of the ship if you'd on Deck 13. Depending on how the wind is blowing, you still may hear some of the music from the deck sets, but they're not all that long. During Scarlet Night is when the music is the loudest. 

 

Overall I think you'll enjoy giving VV a try. Book before the end of February to take advantage of their free bar tabs and some TAs are currently running specials with extra sailor loot. It's a great time to book with VV! 

 

Thanks!!! 😍

VV do include some things that are perks in Elit Plus but not all - or at a lower level compared with our loyalty level on other cruislines.

But I was thinking of discounts on WiFi  upgrades and discounts on spa. Daily cocktail hours (drinks on the house) extra laundry bags and things like that.

Next Q: VV has what they call an "Experience Match" offer where they say that they will match and even "give more". Don't understand how it works though....🤔

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and Discover Plus on Azamara.

Does anyone know how it works and what the "give more" really means?

10 hours ago, cantgetin said:

EVERYTHING on VV is somewhat different than other lines.  Yes, I agree with decks 10-12 to avoid noise from above or below.  This keeps a guest room deck between you and the noise.  We liked our room on 12 so much that we booked it for our next cruise as well. 

The closest thing to VV in terms of food quality is probably Celebrity.  The food on VV is the best I've had on any cruise line.  I love the "almost all inclusive" model.  There are many good YouTube videos about VV.  One is by a man named Walter, a regular participant to this group, who does detailed and excellent discussions of various aspects of VV.

VV is not as sexual as some of the ads make it look.  There is a lot of innuendo, but there are also shows that could be on Disney! I honestly wasn't sure I'd like it as I'm older and a bit more conservative than the typical VV cruiser.  I booked 3 more sailings.  I don't know if you use travel agents in Sweden--I'd highly recommend using one if that is common for where you live. They are very helpful and can often get a little better deal thru special pricing or some onboard credit (loot).  VV is VERY casual.  There is no dress code anywhere beyond don't wear a wet swimsuit in a restaurant.  The closest thing to "dress up" is Scarlet Night, and they ask that you wear something red.  I've seen everything from a red headband to a devil costume to a ball gown.  You can go to the fanciest restaurant on the ship wearing shorts and a t-shirt if you wish, or you can dress up as much as you'd like.  THey have the friendliest crew I've seen anywhere.

Please watch some of the better YouTube videos and ask any questions you have...this is a good group.

Thanks! Sounds very nice. We will use a TA because this is a new cruiseline för us and hope that we can choose a cabin we like. This isn't possible on VV' website.

I wonder if its noisy and and lots of high music played on pool deck? We are looking at a one week cruise in the Mediterranean and a TA so I presum it will be some differences on the party level.... 😅

Hi

Since 2011 we have been cruising - mostly on Celebrity but also Azamara and RCL. 

We have found Virgin Voyages that we are quite interested to try, Have tried to read as much as possible but are very greatful for help and hints ☺️

 If I have understood it right -the best decks are deck 10 - 12 to avoid noice from pool deck. Would you agree witht that? 

Any help on what to think of/things to avoid/difference between VV and other cruiselines would be much appreciated!

Greeetings from Sweden!

Hi

Have only done one cruise with Norwegian; Epic 2021. We liked the experience a lot - exept for the r-e-a-l-l-y odd layout of the cabin. Since 2011 we have done 14 cruises most of them with Celebrity and Azamara.

We are interested to try Norwegian again but it's quite difficult to find out which class or ships that would suit us the best though...  We are not interested in water rides, climbing walls and such activities. Just like to take it easy enjoying to be at sea...🙂

Very greatful if you have any input!

Have done that - the first things I check. Tried from different computers, mobile - at no avail. Tried to check in by using the link in the mail I got when they confirmed the cruise. Nope.

Tried to contact them by phone - get the message "you can't reach the number from from your phone".

I'm a bit upset.

We are booked on a cruise in June with Azamara and wanted to log in to check to see if the online checkin had opened.

To my surprise I can't log in anymore on my account. Azamara have changed the log in site, doesn't even reqonize my emailadress anymore. It ws used 5 days ago without any problems, get emails from Azamara to the email account I have registred but now I don't exist!

Have tried to register again - with the same email adress and tried to retrieve my booking by using the booking number.

Guess what - NO cruise exist. We are Elite on Celebrity with corresponding points at Azamara. The upcoming cruise with loyalty points showed up perfectly correct 5 days ago.

Absolutely no information have been sent regarding any change.

Anyone with the same problem?

On 5/7/2022 at 11:43 PM, Cooper2020 said:

No I meant  download sorry for the confusion.    You just need to print the documents and take them with you.  I did the  online check in with photo ID and credit card details etc then printed  the boarding pass and take to the pier with my negative covid test result and proof of vaccination certificate   - no uploading of those documents.    But as I said I had to phone Azamara to get the documents onto my account  as it was getting very near to sail date and they were still not showing.

Oops... have no possibilities to phone Azamara... dependeing on email. We want to do the online check-in home so we are prepared with all docs as we are leaving home a couple of days before the cruise...

On 5/8/2022 at 12:02 PM, KirkNC said:

Let’s not forget that AZ has had to deal with Covid like all lines but also an ownership change which has caused it to reinvent how the back room operates.  Not making excuses, just some perspective.

I'm quite aware of Covid..but most companies have found ways to cope with it.

For example by updating their website with relevant nformation. And have an auto reply on their email.

I do wonder what has happend with Azamara?  Check in is not availble 4 weeks before cruising.

Sent a couple of emails but no answers, not even an auto reply confirming my mails. Dead silence.

How is it onboard now, regarding the fact that customer service isn't what it has been.

Quite disappointed...

Just now, ECCruise said:

Yes, if they are going to charge you for something, you can use OBC.

 

So spa would work.  The shops would work.  Specialty restaurants or packages of them. As will of course, the items you mentioned as not needing like WIFI, excursions or beverage packages.

Thanks a lot! Will start dreaming of spa treaments and shopping...🤩

Hi

We have booked the "10 Night Northen Cities"  cruise on Persuit in June.

This may sound like a stupid Q to all of you that are used to OBC...

For the first time ever we have gotten OBC!  As it's the first tme I wonder if we can use it for everything bought onboard? Spa for example. We dont need/want WI FI, excursions or drinking packages. The OBC was included in the offer from Azamara but the cruise is booked by a TA.

Thanks in advance!/sollan

On 2/4/2022 at 2:55 PM, Grandma Cruising said:

Have you tried using a different browser. Worked for me using Safari.

Will try asap. Thanks.

On 2/2/2022 at 8:24 PM, Skicruiser55 said:

Not sure if this will work or not

 

https://ips-cic-filestore.s3.amazonaws.com/j283755/monthly_2019_03/584670466_AzamaracabinspreadsheetMar19_pdf.92afbf2cabc7a1c5b99561264b50ea2e?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAI3TJTOYHZJGUGHPA/20220202/us-east-1/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20220202T192331Z&X-Amz-Expires=1200&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment; filename*=UTF-8''584670466_AzamaracabinspreadsheetMar19.pdf&response-content-type=application/pdf;charset=UTF-8&X-Amz-Signature=8df04382bd36f09fe6a37ca7407c7e2e5d2b2e093404663567230cedf148bb29

Sorry, but no.... just get an error message...

I finally found out the search function but have just found the spread sheet as pdf.

Where can I find the excel file? 

Hi!

I do feel stupid but I can't find the spread sheet... not even figure out how to search in a specific thread...🤔

Could some one be kind enough to help me?

On 10/16/2021 at 8:58 PM, lixogab said:

Thanks for the review.

How did you find the MDR food compared to other lines?

We thought the food was fine, nothing really special in the main dining rooms - but good. We have had better and less good experiences on other cruislines 🙂 it really depends on the main chef I would say.

We had two speciallty dinners included in the cruise that also was fine. Much to choose from in the buffet.

We had to go on a NCL excursion in Italian ports due to the pendemic. No problems, stayed onboard enjoying the sundeck and drinks...🙂

Can't find the spreadsheet??

Please help me!

Yes, one more Q: I havn't been able to find any overwiev of the C cabins on Edge class on Celebritys site. Have they hide them to good for me or isn't it any?

I suppose that it will be different from the S- and M cabins?