Who Is VV Targeted To?

[Jonkingskey]

6 hours ago, AlyssaJames said:

There’s a cute thread in Celebrity subforum where they’re speculating about the VV demographic. One popular theory is that we might be the type of person who is into Gwyneth Paltrow/GOOP. Heh. 
 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/specialty-cruises/goop-at-sea

 

This is what psychologists call “projection”. 😉

 

This dismissive attitude (of the posters not you) is why those who might now be attracted to Virgin have never wanted to cruise before, with people who think they sit higher than all others that don´t conform to their view. That they think that everyone of a certain age / lifestyle buys into the goop rubbish shows they know nothing of anyone outside their own circle.

 

I´m mid to now later 30s (oh no) and this is right up my street to try a cruise for the first time. 

 

I am new on this website but the amount of people bashing Virgin is weird. No one is forcing them to sail with Virgin, in fact it´s better they don´t then the fun open minded people can be together. 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Jonkingskey

[AlyssaJames]

4 hours ago, Jonkingskey said:

 

This dismissive attitude (of the posters not you) is why those who might now be attracted to Virgin have never wanted to cruise before, with people who think they sit higher than all others that don´t conform to their view. That they think that everyone of a certain age / lifestyle buys into the goop rubbish shows they know nothing of anyone outside their own circle.

 

I´m mid to now later 30s (oh no) and this is right up my street to try a cruise for the first time. 

 

I am new on this website but the amount of people bashing Virgin is weird. No one is forcing them to sail with Virgin, in fact it´s better they don´t then the fun open minded people can be together. 

 

 

There is a cruise subforum on reddit, btw. It’s not as active overall as this place (which has had 20 years to build an audience), but info about VV is received much differently / more positively there.

[Joebucks]

I see them targeting the big-city millennial, but I do feel that their demographic will shift a bit as they figure out what is best for them. I believe the no children thing will be a hit for their brand, but I think the older generation likes that more than the millennial generation. Cruising as a whole really is more of a childless demographic. Some people will lose their mind if they see 20 kids on a ship.

[britincanada]

We are 46 & 52, and very excited to join Richard's birthday bash cruise in July!

 

We booked after an amazing stay at The Virgin Hotel in San Francisco - if you have seen any of their advertising/social media it looks like a place for the young and beautiful - and the cocktail bar even on the Sunday afternoon was filled with this demographic - and us!!. However, we had a brilliant time there, got upgraded to Richard's Flat (it was our anniversary & hubby works for Virgin Galactic so we are part of the 'Virgin Tribe'), and enjoyed the cocktail bar etc etc. The surroundings were amazing, and the staff ensured you had a great time without the stuffiness of other high end places.

 

We are going on this cruise with an open mind, we are not seasoned cruisers (one Carnival cruise 14 yrs ago and haven't been able to get hubby on a ship since!), but we are fairly well travelled. We are expecting to love some aspects and not others, and know that no one ship will be 'perfect'. However, we do know that Virgin does things their own way, and are excited to experience what should be a totally amazing trip.

 

I even bought a fabulous frock in Las Vegas this weekend ready for Red Night!!

[philsuarez]

I would certainly give it a go but the pool size and furniture design causes some concerns. I'm 6'5" and it looks from the initial videos that I would struggle to sit comfortably in many of the onboard venues. Hopefully as more detailed reviews come in then some of these concerns may prove to be unwarranted 

[MBP1]

My wife and I aren't what you would call cruise people, but we are interested in going on a few more. We fit the millennial profile, early 30s and live in a big city. When we first heard about VV we thought it may be the perfect fit for use. I have been following the progress and wanted to see how the ship turned out before actually booking. At this point it looks like VV is not going to be for us due to a lot of the issues Emma pointed out in her recent VV video. Its hard to justify the price for what you get, we would rather find a good price on a Haven cabin on NCL or even return to a Havana cabin on a Carnival ship. It just seems like VV has tried way too hard to not be like everyone else and has made some big mistakes. 

[nigelc]

On 11/25/2019 at 1:43 AM, garymfreedman said:

I never wanted to cruise before VV was announced-- My turn offs from other cruise lines, based on what others have told me, and what I have read:

1) You tip

2) You have to pay more for wifi

3) You have to pay more for soda

4) You have to pay more for some restaurants

5) They have bueffest

6) You have to pay for wi-fi

7) There are kids running all around

8 ) They are the same old thing

9) They have some formal nights

10) They are not run by Richard Branson..

Virgin Voyages has taken care of all those negatives..

 

You must love your WiFi because you raise the point twice in your list. Having had to travel on his trains (a lot), I do not think anything run by Richard Branson is a plus. But if you want the first 9 (8 really) on your list included, try Regent - they will even include a real bed, pool and your trips on land - VV have not invented the "all inclusive" cruise. 

[AlyssaJames]

3 minutes ago, nigelc said:

You must love your WiFi because you raise the point twice in your list. Having had to travel on his trains (a lot), I do not think anything run by Richard Branson is a plus.

 

Just as a heads up, you're posting in the Virgin Voyages subforum.

 

There's a thread running over in the Celebrity subforum where more people will be happy to pre-emptively make fun of VV with you: 

 

 

[nigelc]

3 hours ago, AlyssaJames said:

 

Just as a heads up, you're posting in the Virgin Voyages subforum.

 

There's a thread running over in the Celebrity subforum where more people will be happy to pre-emptively make fun of VV with you: 

 

 

 

No "heads-up needed", I know where I am posting thanks. I am only responding to someone who thinks VV has invented "all inclusive" when in fact there are far more inclusive lines out there - lines with real swimming pools and beds lol. That said, if VV "floats your boat", then pay your money and enjoy.  

[hotsauce126]

27 minutes ago, nigelc said:

 

No "heads-up needed", I know where I am posting thanks. I am only responding to someone who thinks VV has invented "all inclusive" when in fact there are far more inclusive lines out there - lines with real swimming pools and beds lol. That said, if VV "floats your boat", then pay your money and enjoy.  

 

Nobody think that VV invented all-inclusive or that it even is all inclusive. It is more inclusive than Carnival, RCCL, NCL, etc, which is closer to the type of clinetele that would be interested in VV than the wealthy elderly that sail Regent

[nigelc]

1 minute ago, hotsauce126 said:

 

Nobody think that VV invented all-inclusive or that it even is all inclusive. It is more inclusive than Carnival, RCCL, NCL, etc, which is closer to the type of clinetele that would be interested in VV than the wealthy elderly that sail Regent

 

Not everyone who sails Regent is elderly, just as not everyone who sails Carnival, RCCL or NCL is young or hip. As I said before, "whatever floats your boat".

[Nunagoras]

TBHH; It is difficult to rate a business that hasn't even served it's very first paying costumer, right? Right! But here we have some evidence of what the real product will look like from the people invited by the company for the first few promotional cruises.

 

And so what? Well: Personal tastes is something I won't touch here. Obviously at that front, ship decoration is relative. To each their own really!... But; general sense of quality is objective, and is so objective that one can see at a distance what is great or not so great at all. And here from the videos posted it is quite obvious that the general sense of quality is really absent from them all.

 

And no; it is not the fact that it is always the same Virgin doing what it ever did. For the ones that don't know Virgin had a big Classics label as part of their empire (now part of Universal)!... Times evolve. Simply this ship doesn't seem to be ready for the prime time...

 

When I first saw the idea more or less some 2 years ago, I thought that in paper the idea would to be quite nice. Something for everyone especially out of those ones whom were never cruise individuals. Then there was a big time when I stopped to listen about them. Now there is this ship ready to sail... And to say the least, honestly it doesn't transmit a very good image...

 

I know, many on these boards come from the USA; but let me to compare things with our reality here in continental Europe:

 

Unfortunately this ship seems such a glorified, 5 star priced, Ibis hotel, when in reality Ibis is the lowest rank entry level 2 and 3 star hotel brand here... Not what I would think about when I think on a cruise ship, but if someone has told me this was for Ibis trademark, I would with no doubt to believe!...

 

But that is not what concerns me the most. Unfortunately, all this ship seems somewhat linked to that Amsterdam's Red Light District environment... Hum... Not exactly my idea of what a good cruise should be like, really... Is there such a niche market for that kind of cruising? Surely! But, does it suffix for a full 2800 guests per week year round? I seriously doubt. Good luck VV!!!... For me, I'm out!... 🙂

 

Meanwhile, in a more positive note, there are things where Virgin is being, sometimes quite surprisingly, good these days:

 

- A set price that includes all what you'll pay available from the beginning.

- Half inclusive: You have the basic beverages included on your baseline price.

- No gratuities: They are included on your baseline price (TBHH; here in Lisbon, gratuities are only meant as a way of rounding to facilitate small to medium hand money transactions, not anything above that; ex: On a bill of EUR 9.75, we expect you leave EUR 10.00).

- An easy way to purchase a bar bill to a certain value with an incentive (that way you'll have a set limit to consume whatever else you want from the bar with less opportunity to abuse the system... And curiously trying to avoid a drunken crowd!).

- Specialty dining included on your baseline price, even though their restaurant model remains quite undisclosed yet. Time will tell what the real product is about... Arguably no buffets. Arguably all the eateries seem to be part of those big food halls you have now on the big department stores. We have one here in Lisbon where you have a few celebrity chefs with their corners, you order from a server whom is receiving orders at each stand, and you receive a card from where they can locate you at the facility and serve you accordingly where you are.

 

If in occasion that line succeeds, I would like to see those ideas put in practice elsewhere on the cruise industry!... But I'm quite skeptical...

 

Have a nice day!... 🙂

[kwokpot]

3 hours ago, Nunagoras said:

Unfortunately this ship seems such a glorified, 5 star priced, Ibis hotel, when in reality Ibis is the lowest rank entry level 2 and 3 star hotel brand here... Not what I would think about when I think on a cruise ship, but if someone has told me this was for Ibis trademark, I would with no doubt to believe!...

 

 

🙂

It's funny you wrote this because that's  EXACTLY what I was thinking when I see these cabins. In fact, this past June I stayed at the Ibis Styles Liverpool and the whole vibe of that hotel, from lobby to guest room, reminded me of the Scarlet Lady. Here's a photo of the room I stayed at. It was actually quite fun, Strawberry Fields Forever theme:

 

Here's a photo of the lobby:

 

 

I had a great stay there but It's an IBIS Hotel. the Price? $64/nt!

Edited February 27, 2020 by kwokpot

[crazycatlady11]

On 2/23/2020 at 3:44 AM, Jonkingskey said:

 

This dismissive attitude (of the posters not you) is why those who might now be attracted to Virgin have never wanted to cruise before, with people who think they sit higher than all others that don´t conform to their view. That they think that everyone of a certain age / lifestyle buys into the goop rubbish shows they know nothing of anyone outside their own circle.

 

I´m mid to now later 30s (oh no) and this is right up my street to try a cruise for the first time. 

 

I am new on this website but the amount of people bashing Virgin is weird. No one is forcing them to sail with Virgin, in fact it´s better they don´t then the fun open minded people can be together. 

 

 

I agree. I originally came to this board occasionally because I was excited by what VV was offering. We booked the first day open to the general public, and I was hoping to find other fellow travelers booked on this new line. But the constant bashing and "I told you soing" and the overall attitude of superiority of those who wouldn't deign to set foot aboard such a crass ship have pretty much driven me away. The whole, "Well, I'd never sail on that piece of crap, but hey, if you think it's appealing, then the rest of us will have fun belittling you by our not-so-subtle insinuations of how classless you are" comments ... whatever makes people feel better, I guess. 

[Nunagoras]

20 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's funny you wrote this because that's  EXACTLY what I was thinking when I see these cabins. In fact, this past June I stayed at the Ibis Styles Liverpool and the whole vibe of that hotel, from lobby to guest room, reminded me of the Scarlet Lady. Here's a photo of the room I stayed at. It was actually quite fun, Strawberry Fields Forever theme:

 

Here's a photo of the lobby:

 

 

I had a great stay there but It's an IBIS Hotel. the Price? $64/nt!

Exactly, that's it!... Actually that Ibis Styles do seem sort of better for what it is than that Scarlet Lady ship!... It is worth to note that not all Ibis are the same. A few years ago, I was on the Ibis Amsterdam Airport that at the time was a really dirty and quite disgusting place far opposite to that clean and relatively nice space shown on your photos. What saved the experience was the hotel's staff that was above what I would expect from them to be. Services and venues may vary by the 3 labels they have and even within same label. Some are relatively nice, some quite bad, but in occasion if I need just a cheap "refuge" to rest a little bit between late arrival in town to my 8 o'clock business conference, I'm OK with booking with them... But really the look, feel and general environment of every Ibis I have seen is the same pictured on your photos!... Surprisingly the Scarlet Lady is not so far away from that, adding that strong Amsterdam's Red Light District appeal to the cart that is by the most part absent from Ibis!...

 

Have a nice day!...

[ano]

When you break it down, EVERY cruise line wants the same thing, they just have different ways in achieving it.

 

What ALL Cruise Companies Want:

-Ships always full of people who willing to spend lots of money.

-People that are manageable, don't cause fights and damage.

-People that will have a good time, and when they leave, hopefully promote the brand to others.

 

In the-end, VV or any other cruise line couldn't care less if their ships were filled with all 90-year olds or 20-year olds IF they achieved the above.  That is what ALL cruise lines want.

 

No, what about VV "marketing?"  The marketing, advertising, furniture choice, food, pricing, etc. is in place to hopefully attract an underserved group, so that this group helps achieve the three items above. This underserved group seems to be younger folks, maybe those that never have cruised before that don't feel they "fit in" on the other mega cruise lines.  VV is hoping to fill their ships with this demographic.  OK got it, understand that.  

 

The CHALLENGE for VV, is while attracting this underserved group, is to NOT turn-off everyone else to VV. I, for one, do not believe there are enough people of this targeted demographic to fill their ships full. I felt that BEFORE the Corona virus "problem"  this was the case. Unfortunately for VV, events like the "Diamond Princess incident" will likely scare away their target demographic from cruising even more than older experienced cruisers. If you see the Diamond Princess on TV, and have never cruised, would you start now? I wouldn't.

 

What will be interesting to watch, is when VV finds that their ships are not full, is how they will change their marketing to be more inclusive to the 50 - 80 crowd that makes up the lion's share of cruising.  

 

Don't get me wrong, I never said that VV is trying to discourage the 50 - 80 group from going on their ship(s). As it says above, they like EVERY cruise company want as many people as possible to fill their ship, but they just aren't "marketing" to them as much because VV doesn't think it NEEDS them.  But I do think their marketing will have to change.  Maybe their furniture will change too. 

 

I really give VV credit for having the vision, and sticking to it. Like having architects who have never been on a cruise ship design it. Sounds cool and all (and maybe wacky). But when it comes down to reality, I think it will turn out a bit different. Especially in the VERY competitive cruise environment we are in today.  I hope VV succeeds, but I think they will need to make some changes to survive. 

 

 

[DYKWIA]

Who is V V targeted at?

 

Based on Scarlet Lady, i'd say

Young wealthy skinny people, with good knees to get out of low seats, who travel with little luggage and have an aversion to swimming pools

[hotsauce126]

17 minutes ago, DYKWIA said:

Who is V V targeted at?

 

Based on Scarlet Lady, i'd say

Young wealthy skinny people, with good knees to get out of low seats, who travel with little luggage and have an aversion to swimming pools

 

Perfect for me then

[ownedbypets]

2 hours ago, DYKWIA said:

Who is V V targeted at?

 

Based on Scarlet Lady, i'd say

Young wealthy skinny people, with good knees to get out of low seats, who travel with little luggage and have an aversion to swimming pools

 

I'm not young, wealthy or skinny and my knees aren't great but I do travel with little luggage and have a strong aversion to swimming pools. I will be cruising on Scarlett Lady.

[Lightngsvt]

 

4 hours ago, DYKWIA said:

Who is V V targeted at?

 

Based on Scarlet Lady, i'd say

Young wealthy skinny people, with good knees to get out of low seats, who travel with little luggage and have an aversion to swimming pools

 

Well we're not that young (40's), not wealthy (but make a comfortable living), not skinny (but not not really fat), do have good knees for the most part, do tend to travel a bit heavy at times, and I do have an aversion to swimming pools.  Hopefully they let us on the ship still!  LOL!  😆😃

[ano]

On 3/4/2020 at 4:00 PM, ownedbypets said:

 

I'm not young, wealthy or skinny and my knees aren't great but I do travel with little luggage and have a strong aversion to swimming pools. I will be cruising on Scarlett Lady.

Now that the CDC has recommended that those over 50 or those with some health issues not cruise, it looks like what Virgin is trying is not so crazy at all. 😬

[floridaboundsoon]

On 3/4/2020 at 3:20 PM, DYKWIA said:

Who is V V targeted at?

 

Based on Scarlet Lady, i'd say

Young wealthy skinny people, with good knees to get out of low seats, who travel with little luggage and have an aversion to swimming pools

I am the antithesis of everything you listed, but I am BEYOND excited for my June cruise!!!!

[flgrl67]

12 hours ago, ano said:

Now that the CDC has recommended that those over 50 or those with some health issues not cruise, it looks like what Virgin is trying is not so crazy at all. 😬

The CDC and State Department have recommended "older" as in over 65...not starting at 50.

[eroller]

14 hours ago, ano said:

Now that the CDC has recommended that those over 50 or those with some health issues not cruise, it looks like what Virgin is trying is not so crazy at all. 😬

if you think this is somehow beneficial to VV you are sadly mistaken.  They will be lucky to survive.  I hope they have some non-skidish investors with very deep pockets.  

[ano]

2 minutes ago, eroller said:

if you think this is somehow beneficial to VV you are sadly mistaken.  They will be lucky to survive.  I hope they have some non-skidish investors with very deep pockets.  

It was intended as a joke, and nothing more, but like all good jokes, there is a grain of truth to it.