We're planning on comparing John Padgett's way of thinking with Richard Branson's.

[nini]

18 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I also never realised how much I would love a hammock on the balcony until I actually had one...

 

We were in L103 on the Regal in 2018. Our next door neighbor had a hammock hanging on his balcony. Most of you are aware how large those balconies are and I thought, what a great idea!!!

[nini]

17 hours ago, deliver42 said:

I've looked at Virgin Voyages but their pricing for a 4 or 5 day cruise isn't enticing for me. They might not call the buffet a buffet, but that's exactly what it is. On our last cruise on the Wonder of the Seas in Roatan, we were docked next to the VL. We also happened to run into a couple of people from her. They had a total of 590 guests on board, and the response we got from the passengers we saw was never again.

 

Did they say why?

[CineGraphic]

5 minutes ago, nini said:

 

Did they say why?

 

Virgin may be a bit much for those who are uptight, closed-minded or have conservative values.

[nini]

I am saddened, as we have enjoyed so many cruises with Princess. We were not thrilled with the Emerald this past May, however, it was a bit difficult to separate what may have been caused by Covid/ post Covid. Most crew were like the Princess we remembered (cabin steward was great), but there felt like there was a "disturbance in the Force"... grumpy and short tempered staff in public areas like the buffet, etc.

 

Quite some time ago, we booked a 2023 Transpacific on the Grand. We decided to keep our September 12 night Alaska cruise on the Grand to see if we really want to spend and pay for that much time on this ship. It will be a good comparison, I hope.

[nini]

@CineGraphic- Thanks for doing this and posting. I guess someone has to do it. 😁

[CineGraphic]

5 minutes ago, nini said:

Quite some time ago, we booked a 2023 Transpacific on the Grand. We decided to keep our September 12 night Alaska cruise on the Grand to see if we really want to spend and pay for that much time on this ship. It will be a good comparison, I hope.

 

We have one Princess sailing booked for my birthday in 2023, but that's it for now.

I'm sure we'll eventually try Oceania too one of these days. We've been getting multiple pieces of mail from them each week for years, so they may just be able to recoup their printing and postage costs when we finally book something with them.

[Paula_MacFan]

20 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Virgin may be a bit much for those who are uptight, closed-minded or have conservative values.

You just added another incentive for me to try Virgin!  LOL 🙂

 

[CineGraphic]

Just now, Paula_MacFan said:

You just added another incentive for me to try Virgin!  LOL 🙂

 

 

It's one of the reasons why we're going. I kid you not.

[isosika]

As for us, we will be staying with Princess unless Princess changes our minds.  We have not cruised since COVID but have had cruises cancelled, so at least we are trying.

 

We are fans of either longish cruises or B2B.  Our November cruise is 28 days, our January cruises are 10-day each, B2B, and our June 2023 cruises are 14-day each, B2B.  Each time before booking these cruises, I tried every major cruise line in an attempt to somewhat mimic the itineraries but had no luck.  Princess simply has the best itineraries.

 

I'm not a big fan of what's happening to Princess under John Padgett, so if we don't like what we get in November, we can always cancel the other cruises and see what's available.

[HogTide]

Following our week on Crown last month I started reading CC reviews on lines other than Princess, with a focus on Celebrity. I quickly found many complaints that mirror those on the Princess forums.  The article that turned me away from Celebrity was a report on the Celebrity Apex quarantine zone, which consists of small cabins with a window and no opportunity for fresh air.  The author did state that she was kept comfortable and received prompt responses to all calls during her 10 days of isolation.  I do give Princess big praise for the balcony quarantines. As burned out as I am with Princess management, clearly it may not be any better across their competition but I remain very attuned to everyone’s new discoveries.  Looking forward to your reports!

[nini]

11 minutes ago, HogTide said:

Following our week on Crown last month I started reading CC reviews on lines other than Princess, with a focus on Celebrity. I quickly found many complaints that mirror those on the Princess forums.  The article that turned me away from Celebrity was a report on the Celebrity Apex quarantine zone, which consists of small cabins with a window and no opportunity for fresh air.  The author did state that she was kept comfortable and received prompt responses to all calls during her 10 days of isolation.  I do give Princess big praise for the balcony quarantines. As burned out as I am with Princess management, clearly it may not be any better across their competition but I remain very attuned to everyone’s new discoveries.  Looking forward to your reports!

Please also know that those who are quarantined may smoke on their balconies, thus downgrading the balcony experience and open slider for others.

[CineGraphic]

7 minutes ago, HogTide said:

Following our week on Crown last month I started reading CC reviews on lines other than Princess, with a focus on Celebrity.

 

We were seriously considering Celebrity as well, but our 2015 sailing was just "meh", so we thought it was time to try the new kid on the block.

[nini]

11 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

We were seriously considering Celebrity as well, but our 2015 sailing was just "meh", so we thought it was time to try the new kid on the block.

Our October 2018 on the Celebrity Reflection- not impressed AT ALL! We have resolved to not return.

[Alcairns]

There is a documentary series on Channel 5 in the U.K. entitled The Cruise. It has been filmed over three months on the Scarlet Lady. In my opinion it does not portray Virgin as a cruise line I would like to sail on. Everything was drinking partying (including a pub crawl that ended in a pyjama party) it all seemed to much in your face. It also gave the impression that if you were not a “Rock Star” (read suite guest) you were not treated that specially. I fly Virgin all the time and this did not seem like the Virgin I am accustom too.  
 

PS you are not a passenger on Virgin you are a Sailor.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Alcairns
Clarification

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, Alcairns said:

There is a documentary series on Channel 5 in the U.K. entitled The Cruise. It has been filmed over three months on the Scarlet Lady. In my opinion it does not portray Virgin as a cruise line I would like to sail on. Everything was drinking partying (including a pub crawl that ended in a pyjama party) it all seemed to much in your face. It also gave the impression that if you were not a “Rock Star” (read suite guest) you were not treated that specially. I fly Virgin all the time and this did not seem like the Virgin I am accustom too.  
 

PS you are not a passenger on Virgin you are a Sailor.

 

Gary Bembridge of "Tips For Travelers" is hardly the partying type.

He had a few concerns pre-cruise that faded quickly once aboard.

https://youtu.be/EhhdR3ft2xk

 

[Wildcatllamas]

4 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Virgin may be a bit much for those who are uptight, closed-minded or have conservative values.

I did a 9 day B2B last December on the Scarlet Lady and I loved. The friend who traveled with me is a die-hard Princess fan and was skeptical about trying Virgin because of things he had heard about them. By the end of the cruise he loved what he saw.

 

Now I am 69 and he is 74 so we aren't the young folks that people are assuming are going on Virgin. The vast majority of the folks were 50 years old and older.

 

Yes, there was a pajama party (weather permitting) up by the pool. There were a couple of folks that played it to the max but most everyone had on full coverage pajamas. You don't have to go if you get offended. 

 

The buffet was wonderful. On the first day one of the crew told us to see what we wanted and then find a table. One of them would come by, take our order and bring it to us. All around are coolers with their Bento Boxes. I tried the yogurt and fresh fruit one morning and their sushi for lunch. Definitely try the Test Kitchen. That was amazing. I loved the Wake and Pink Agave. Extra Virgin is also good but lots of food. The ice cream shop has a great selection of ice cream and it is all free. The candy store was really fun and free. And the Soda Shoppe is definitely a place to try. I had the Berry Me At Sea float. Bubbly, berry puree, Red Bull (Oops don't do it after 4 PM if you have trouble with sleeping on caffeine) and ice cream. It was delicious. Pizza was great and we set with some folks and ate Pizza, drank beer and watched a football game on their large tablet. Shortly after this Virgin announced they were converting one of their bars to a Sports bar.

 

Crew was so out going and like none I have ever experienced. Only one sour face in the bunch.

 

The private resort on Bimini is beautiful and once again the food is all free.

 

And definitely try the hammock. So nice to relax in it while listening to the water. I can answer any questions you have on Virgin. If I hadn't gotten a really good deal on my upcoming Princess cruise I would be on Virgin again this fall. Looking at booking with them Fall of 2023.

[azbirdmom]

I read the updates on this post then went to FB where the post pasted below oddly was the first one to pop up in my feed.  I guess the good news is that the toilet paper is easily accessible and there is an actual door on the shower instead of a shower curtain.  But yikes, this is tiny!

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by azbirdmom

[CineGraphic]

3 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

I read the updates on this post then went to FB where the post pasted below oddly was the first one to pop up in my feed.  I guess the good news is that the toilet paper is easily accessible and there is an actual door on the shower instead of a shower curtain.  But yikes, this is tiny!

 

 

Yes, the bathroom is smaller than Princess, but I believe that the shower is the same or bigger.

I'll take a glass door over a curtain any day.

 

[Steelers36]

8 hours ago, Alcairns said:

There is a documentary series on Channel 5 in the U.K. entitled The Cruise. It has been filmed over three months on the Scarlet Lady. In my opinion it does not portray Virgin as a cruise line I would like to sail on. Everything was drinking partying (including a pub crawl that ended in a pyjama party) it all seemed to much in your face. It also gave the impression that if you were not a “Rock Star” (read suite guest) you were not treated that specially. I fly Virgin all the time and this did not seem like the Virgin I am accustom too.  
 

PS you are not a passenger on Virgin you are a Sailor.

And something on TV for entertainment reflects reality???

[Alcairns]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

And something on TV for entertainment reflects reality???

That is exactly why us used the word “portray”! Whether is is totally different experience to what is portrayed is another matter. In my opinion the programme is not a good advertisement for Virgin Cruises. #thecruise

Edited July 10, 2022 by Alcairns
Clarification

[billco]

On 7/8/2022 at 12:57 PM, CineGraphic said:

Just from what we've seen online while doing our homework, it's clear that Princess and Virgin are different in many ways.

This will in no way be an apples to apples comparison.

 

A few of the things that convinced us to give Virgin a try are:

• 20+ dining venues, no MDR, no buffet.
• Embarkation doesn't begin until 2:00PM, allowing passengers on-board to enjoy a leisurely/late breakfast before disembarking.
• Wifi, all-grats, and essential drinks are included. (sodas, sparkling water, non-pressed juices, drip coffee, tea)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing that you are already posting on the Virgin Forum confirms you are doing the research. Looking forward to your Live review. We have no problem with John Padgetts way of thinking. It is the implementation that has been the problem. Like many, we are looking for other options once our FCCs are exhausted.

The things that convinced you to give Virgin a try aren't really enough to convince us yet. We have cruised on NCL several times pre-pandemic and enjoyed their cruises, particularly the entertainment. So, NCL is where we are leaning. We will give Virgin a closer look - Follow the Virgin forum and reviews, check out YouTube, and watch the Cruise series on MY5.

 

But, in the last 6 months, we have sailed an Alaskan cruise on the Majestic, two cruises on the Regal and recently completed a 25 day TA on the Enchanted. We had great times on all of them despite all the issues that have led to a lesser experience than in the past and have caused us to look elsewhere. Biggest issue has been internet not living up to the hype and the continuing cutbacks. We depart next week for 14 days on the Enchanted. Will see how that goes.

[Wildcatllamas]

11 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Yes, the bathroom is smaller than Princess, but I believe that the shower is the same or bigger.

I'll take a glass door over a curtain any day.

 

The bathroom is small. Very small. But the shower is very large for cruise ship standards. It is a rain shower nozzle and so nice after a day on shore. Just watch out that the room steward didn't leave the setting for the wand on when you go to turn on the water. That was very bracing.

[JimmyVWine]

28 minutes ago, Wildcatllamas said:

The bathroom is small. Very small. But the shower is very large for cruise ship standards. It is a rain shower nozzle and so nice after a day on shore. Just watch out that the room steward didn't leave the setting for the wand on when you go to turn on the water. That was very bracing.

I have stayed at the Virgin hotel in Chicago a dozen times and the shower setup is similar (only much, much bigger. Huuuge.). The housekeeping staff seems well trained to twist the wand so that it faces a wall!  

[ceilidh1]

12 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Yes, the bathroom is smaller than Princess, but I believe that the shower is the same or bigger.

I'll take a glass door over a curtain any day.

 

Bathroom was pretty tiny on Scarlet, but the shower itself was amazing - and the bath products they supply are a million times better than Princess products. I found myself taking at least 2 showers a day as I enjoyed the shower and products so much...lol

[ceilidh1]

21 hours ago, Alcairns said:

There is a documentary series on Channel 5 in the U.K. entitled The Cruise. It has been filmed over three months on the Scarlet Lady. In my opinion it does not portray Virgin as a cruise line I would like to sail on. Everything was drinking partying (including a pub crawl that ended in a pyjama party) it all seemed to much in your face. It also gave the impression that if you were not a “Rock Star” (read suite guest) you were not treated that specially. I fly Virgin all the time and this did not seem like the Virgin I am accustom too.  
 

PS you are not a passenger on Virgin you are a Sailor.

While there are drinking/partying activities on the ship, none of them are mandatory and can be easily avoided if not your thing. The pub crawl was really just a ship organised version of the pub crawls that CC members often organise through roll calls and was actually really helpful to get oriented around the different venues. No one was drunk on ours but we all had a good time. The pyjama party afterwards was also optional - we chose not to attend, not because it was offensive but because we had other things we wanted to do. Scarlet Night ends in a big party at the pool - we enjoyed observing, but didn't partake in the dancing. Everyone was having a good time and, like any vacation, you choose what interests you and avoid what doesn't. We weren't Rock Stars but the crew treated us like royalty - as they did every passenger.