Kesali

On 2/27/2022 at 3:36 PM, _tacocat_ said:

Are you on a UK voyage?  I don't recall seeing that for my Miami ones, but could have also just missed that...

Sorry for such a late reply. 

I'm in Canada and I'm sailing out of Miami.  Booking payment e-mail (1/28/2022) specifically says "Taxes & Fees includes the cost of $30 USD per sailor for pre-boarding COVID test(s) (converted to your local currency)."

8 hours ago, JohnScot said:

Significant cost saving for Virgin. I wonder if they will pass the cost saving to the customer. Those who have already booked have paid for the "free" test and will now have to pay for another test.

I would like to know if Virgin Voyages will refund that Covid-19 test fee we paid last month for a July cruise.  Hmm...  I need to locate my paperwork.  I don't recall how much that fee was.

Updated:  found it in my e-mails.  $30 per person U.S.

6 hours ago, bortzct said:

Someone asked about the water - I did see some high end brand refillable bottles in the shops so you can buy them there if you want. I brought one with me that worked out great. They have refilling stations on the decks and then you have 2 large bottles that they fill daily for you (plus you can request more water from your in cabin tablet). I really thought I would miss not having bottled water easily available and I did not at all.

Yes, that was me.  Thank you.  I was thinking instead of bringing a refillable bottle with me from Canada of just purchasing one on the ship and bringing it back home.  Either I or one of my teens would use it afterwards.

Regarding water bottles, does VV sell re-usable water bottles in one of the shops?  It would be nice to purchase a branded VV re-usable water bottle on the ship if I'm going to need to bring one anyways.

3 hours ago, Chamoretta said:

There are frozen drinks from a machine at the bar next to the net.  They have two flavors.   @Kesali If you like sweet drinks I would recommend the Sangria from the Dock.  I liked the rum punch at the Bimini Beach Club.  It was a bit Smokey but I also liked the Agave Coloda from Razzle Dazzle.

I like Sangrias!  Nice to know I can get one, thank you!  Rum punch will be nice as well.

7 hours ago, bortzct said:

Oh one more odd thing to me - they have a TON of bars on this ship but none of them serve frozen drinks - so no Miami Vice or Pina coldas or Strawberry Daiquiris (the foo-foo drinks that light weights like me love). 

Ugh..  I like the sweeter tasting drinks as well.  I do not drink beer and enjoy very few wines.  Liqueurs mixed to make sweet drinks are my thing.  I was really looking forward to a variety of drinks on this cruise as we rarely drink at home or go to bars.  I even have a folder on my phone with photos of various drinks!  I was going to show the bartenders a new one each time and ask if they could make this.  😊

I'm glad I decided not to "pre-pay" a bar tab ahead of time.  Thank you so much for that information!!

36 minutes ago, Ginnyfyr said:

Thanks for this tip! I like having a top sheet...I find just a comforter or duvet is too much for me in warm temps (though maybe I'll be okay with the a/c). Adding a sheet to my packing list just in case (strangest thing I'll have packed yet). 

Yes, I was thinking the same thing when I read that tip.  So strange VV would not have a top sheet.

11 hours ago, barbiecruiser27 said:

Finally just finished packing… I think… I also cleaned the whole house. Does anyone else just love coming home to a spotless house after a trip?

 

Hubby and I took a Binax home test today. Both negative! We are a good drive from the Miami port and decided we’d rather know now if we’re an a symptomatic positive. What an added stressor this test is… 

 

I feel like I’m forgetting something.. I always forget something. Luckily it’s never been anything crazy, but there’s always that 1 item… 

 

Trying  to head to sleep soon! Can’t wait to start sharing tomorrow 🙂 

Yes, we clean before a vacation as  well!  Someone years ago mentioned it on a Disney site I'm on so I made the family help me clean the house before we left for a 2 week Disney trip.  My husband thought I was crazy but when we arrived home, completely exhausted, he said he was glad I insisted and coming home to a clean house was the best.  We do that every time before we leave now.

When I finally get to go on my VV cruise, I will be doing the same and taking a test before leaving.  We will be flying from Ontario, Canada to Miami.  I do not want to get all the way there to be turned away...

Have fun!  I'd love to see lots of photos of Bimini!

3 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

I'm going to have to get this out of the way soon... Damnit, I've got the hiccups!...

 

 

 

 

Is the cutlery really that metallic color or just how the photo turned out?  I like it

22 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

On a side note: the internet on board is the best of any ship I've ever been on, ever... I paid the $40 extra for the best service, and it's definitely worth it...

I did not realize there is an extra charge to get better internet.   I'll have to see if I can find out more information.  Thanks!

BTW, thank you for all the photos of The Dock.  I love that area!  I think I'll be spending most of my time there, sunning & drinking & reading.

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

First trip to Sailor Services... They're having trouble finding my supposed $650 in Sailor Loot... God, please tell me this isn't happening...

You have got to be kidding!  How can VV not find it when it shows on the APP?  Man, their tech certainly is not as good as they advertise...

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I imagine these beds getting chogged on a sea day.

 

 

Are there more of those beds elsewhere or is that it? 

That's just insane!  You would think VV would upgrade you automatically or move you into another cabin same category.   I hope the rest of your cruise goes well.

I have not rebooked my cruise yet.  I'm waiting to see how the cruise industry does, plus I'm really hoping VV will extend my time.  Last February I received an email saying VV wanted to be fair and give a year to take the cruise.  However, since they only start sailing this month, technically, that's only giving me 4 months...  I'll have a heck of a time trying to get time off work during the school year.

By the way, thank you for mentioning that dinners can only be booked ONCE per restaurant.  I had not realized that.  Now I need to research the restaurants better.

And Happy belated Birthday!!!

On 10/1/2021 at 4:52 PM, sid_9169 said:

When I got home from work today, look what I found in my mailbox!... They told me that these would be picked up at the port... I guess that this goes right along with pretty much everything else they've told me for the last year and a half... Incorrect information... Anyhoo, I'm happy to finally have it in my hands. They even put my middle name (Sid) on there instead of my first name (James) which is what I was expecting...

 

 

 

Does everyone get their name on it or was this just for the first cruise? 

Congratulations!  I won a cruise with Virgin Voyages through Virgin Radio 99.9 in June 2019.

My friend & I had booked for late August 2020, but of course we all know what happened to that.

We had upgraded to a regular Sea Terrace so we have that little bit extra spent doubled as future voyage credit.  I still have not rebooked as I'm in Canada.  Besides not knowing when cruises would be allowed again, we are still waiting to have more of our popuation vaccinated and the border to re-open.

At the moment I have until February 2022 to rebook, so still a bit of time.

My cruise was for August 21st.  Frankly I'm glad Virgin Voyages cancelled it.  My friend & I did not want to take the trip this summer after the pandemic broke out.  I do not believe I would have been able to rebook and was waiting until it got closer to summer to see what happened.  We will rebook for next summer as I cannot take a trip during school months.

I'd love to read it.  Would you send me a PM?

Removing Betsy Hotel from the list.  I just can't justify that price.  I thought I might use points to book it but I'm not going to.

Down to 5

I have been combing through TripAdvisor and looking at hotel websites for costs for an 1 night (weekday) stay in late August.  I've narrowed down to 5, maybe 6, hotels.  If you have stayed at these places, would you tell me about your experience?  All of them mention beach chairs but a couple say the chairs are stored in the close and you carry them to the beach.  Is this the norm?  Only one hotel indicates (on TA) you go directly to the beach and get the chair from an attendant at a beach hut.  I'm looking at:

Winter Haven, Autograph Collection

Hotel Victor

Room Mate Waldorf Towers

Beacon South Beach Hotel

Royal Palm South Beach (technically not on Ocean Drive, I know)

The Betsy Hotel South Beach

Thanks!

22 hours ago, timf2001 said:

I downloaded the app and was able to sign in, but it's showing the wrong stateroom (Central Sea Terrace instead of Sweet Aft Suite).  I checked on the website and it still shows the correct cabin, so I'll just consider it an early glitch for now.

Same here.  It's moved me from Sea Terrace to Central Sea Terrace to Limited Sea Terrace.

Website still shows correct cabin.

Yesterday I downloaded the iPhone version on my old iPhone and thought we were upgraded!  Originally booked in a regular Sea Terrace, the APP was showing us now in a Central Sea Terrace.  😄  But when I logged in from the computer, our original booking showed.

Then this morning the iPhone APP showed us moved to a Limited Sea Terrace.  I logged out and in again.  Now I can't get the APP to work period.

Ah well - off to get the Android version.  Hmm... still shows me moved to a Limited Sea Terrace.  When I log in to my account from a computer, all is good.  Just an APP glitch to be worked out then.

Never mind my previous post.  I believe the person I spoke with was incorrect telling me I could use the $300 towards anything on board.  It looks like the money can only be used for drinks.  Hence, it's a drink package by a different name.  😄  I couldn't possibly drink $400 worth of drinks so I'm passing on this offer.

I'd like clarification on the $300 onboard credit part.  At first I was thinking of nabbing this deal as I thought I could use the $300 onboard credit to pay for casino, shopping, other things onboard and excursions.  Then the lady I spoke with said I could NOT use it to pre-pay/pre-book excursions.  I could only book excursions with that money once I was onboard.  Does that not mean I risk in having an interested excursion book up before I even board if that's the case?

She also said it's a use or less for the $300.  If I do not spend the entire $300 while on board, I do not receive a refund of whatever amount is remaining.  Is that common??  I could have sworn with RCL when someone purchases onboard credit ahead of time, they could use it to pay for excursions before their cruise PLUS receive a refund of whatever was not used or cash it out on the ship.

I have been trying to figure this out as well.  I came across an article that west side of north Bimini near Bailey town.  

https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2019/07/18/a-first-look-at-virgin-voyages-beach-club-at-bimin.html

Those are at least twice as thick as I thought they would be based on the first photos.  I'm not sure how comfortable they will be after all.  I wonder how heavy they will feel.