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

[ceilidh1]

Link to my review if anyone is interested. I haven't given up on Princess completely (yet) - had a great cruise on Discovery in April and booked on Royal in September...but definitely trying out other lines!

 

[nini]

I really appreciate the comments regarding this cruise line. The sharing of the photos is also helpful. Call me "old fashioned", but modern, sleek and "op art" styles really turn us off. I suppose that this is why there are many options of cruise lines.

 

I think we will find it challenging to find a "replacement" cruise line if we do not return to Princess after checking out the Grand this September.

HAL- a bit boring for us

Celebrity- snooty and poor quality in dining (yes, true experiences)

We do not care to have or care for water parks and slides in our backyard. HOWEVER, our neighbors (in their late 70's) recently went on the Carnival Panorama and had a great time with their kids. Food was good, etc.

 

I suppose Viking Ocean an Oceana are possibilities, albeit coming with a higher price tag. I also have noted that Viking Ocean likes to stay in one port overnight.

[Wildcatllamas]

1 hour ago, ceilidh1 said:

Link to my review if anyone is interested. I haven't given up on Princess completely (yet) - had a great cruise on Discovery in April and booked on Royal in September...but definitely trying out other lines!

 

Thank you for sharing. That brought back so many memories. I am so trying to figure out a time to get back on Scarlet. Happy belated birthday.

[scooter6139]

I've watched about a dozen or so reviews on Virgin, not interested at all in them.  They are nothing like Princess and they cater to a totally different crowd.  To me, they look like a mix between Vegas and Ikea, which just isn't our taste in décor nor style.  And no, we are not old nor conservative. 

 

 

Hoe you discover what you find lacking in Princess on Virgin.  I'll stick with Princess and other similar lines for now.

 

[Roberto256]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:18 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Not a true Murphy, but it can be converted into a couch during the day if you like.

 

Many years ago ... probably 30+ ... we went on the song of norway.

It had a bed that folded to become a setee on one wall.

 

What's old is new!

 

The song of norway's cabins were probably 1/3 the size of virgin today!

[Roberto256]

On 7/8/2022 at 4:39 PM, LACruiser88 said:

Looking forward to hearing about your experience.  We are considering the same, especially since we know of several Princess crew members that also jumped ship to Virgin.  The crew members are working a lot fewer hours and for a higher salary.

 

Me too!  Me too!

 

I know several crew, including one at fairly high level who left princess and went to virgin.

As princess hasn't called them to come back (yet?) ... it doesn't really matter which is better or worse ...

no job on princess, so no money.

 

And, having been to Port Everglades a gazillion times, it is really nice going to PortMiami.

Who ever dreamed up that tunnel was a genius!

 

I look forward to Mr. Cinegraphic's comparison.

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Roberto256

[nini]

31 minutes ago, scooter6139 said:

I've watched about a dozen or so reviews on Virgin, not interested at all in them.  They are nothing like Princess and they cater to a totally different crowd.  1. To me, they look like a mix between Vegas and Ikea, which just isn't our taste in décor nor style.  2. And no, we are not old nor conservative. 

 

 

Hoe you discover what you find lacking in Princess on Virgin.  I'll stick with Princess and other similar lines for now.

 

1. Thank you. You described it with the words that were on the tip of my tongue.

2. Alas, so much for stereotyping.

[billco]

13 minutes ago, Roberto256 said:

 

Many years ago ... probably 30+ ... we went on the song of norway.

It had a bed that folded to become a setee on one wall.

 

What's old is new!

 

The song of norway's cabins were probably 1/3 the size of virgin today!

I agree. Many years ago...probably 70+...my dad and I stayed at the Terrace Plaza hotel in Cincinnati. At the time it was considered a modern hotel. I remember the bed easily moved sideways into the wall to become a couch

[mowogo]

2 hours ago, nini said:

I really appreciate the comments regarding this cruise line. The sharing of the photos is also helpful. Call me "old fashioned", but modern, sleek and "op art" styles really turn us off. I suppose that this is why there are many options of cruise lines.

 

I think we will find it challenging to find a "replacement" cruise line if we do not return to Princess after checking out the Grand this September.

HAL- a bit boring for us

Celebrity- snooty and poor quality in dining (yes, true experiences)

We do not care to have or care for water parks and slides in our backyard. HOWEVER, our neighbors (in their late 70's) recently went on the Carnival Panorama and had a great time with their kids. Food was good, etc.

 

I suppose Viking Ocean an Oceana are possibilities, albeit coming with a higher price tag. I also have noted that Viking Ocean likes to stay in one port overnight.

Carnival is great when you can calibrate your expectations with a good deal.  $412 on the Spirit for an extended balcony to Alaska is hard to refuse and makes the deficiencies of Carnival much easier to bear.  Just note if you are Princess Plus people, Carnival does not have that offering and is instead a $60 for the full beverage package, and gratuities are a separate line item.  That pricing with getting views like this made Carnival worth it, even if it is not really the right cruise line for my preferences.

[skynight]

Thoughts.

Does Virgin have a buggy app that passengers struggle with, or is it easy to find information?

Are the 21 DR;s walk in?

Is Princess listening?

Does Virgin have the live entertainment in all the lounges?

Do they have sufficient lounges?

[CineGraphic]

8 minutes ago, skynight said:

Thoughts.

Does Virgin have a buggy app that passengers struggle with, or is it easy to find information?

Are the 21 DR;s walk in?

Is Princess listening?

Does Virgin have the live entertainment in all the lounges?

Do they have sufficient lounges?

 

From what I've read the Virgin app WAS buggy at some point.

Pam and I had zero problem with it when we filled everything in a few days ago.

The Virgin app took us step by step. Princess could learn a thing or two from them.

 

As for dining, there are walk-ins, but not always as some venues are more popular than others.

Others have posted that they go out of their way to accommodate you.

 

Zero shortage of bars & lounges.

Pop-up entertainment occurs all over the ship throughout the day.

 

As for Princess listening or not, I was told by a guest relations rep that my complaints regarding our last cruise would be placed on a very large pile of similar complaints. The rep stated that in her 16 years, she's never seen it so bad.

 

 

[Wildcatllamas]

22 minutes ago, skynight said:

Thoughts.

Does Virgin have a buggy app that passengers struggle with, or is it easy to find information?

Are the 21 DR;s walk in?

Is Princess listening?

Does Virgin have the live entertainment in all the lounges?

Do they have sufficient lounges?

When I went to guest service about the app the rep had me close out of all the pages I had open and do a quick refresh and things worked perfect after that. That was back in December and I know that Virgin reads the boards on here. They have been working very hard to implement a lot of the things people were suggesting. 

[dides]

1 hour ago, Wildcatllamas said:

When I went to guest service about the app the rep had me close out of all the pages I had open and do a quick refresh and things worked perfect after that. That was back in December and I know that Virgin reads the boards on here. They have been working very hard to implement a lot of the things people were suggesting. 

It's not all been plain sailing with the VV app (ha!) For our Valiant Lady Inaugural cruise in March, they released an update to the app on the launch morning and both of us (and almost everyone we spoke to) couldn't use it for the first 24 hours of the cruise! Their helpdesk folks were at a loss. Then one of our group who works in IT suggested turning off the shared MAC address setting on our phones and then we were fine. VV don't have any alternative dial up or TV option like Princess so couldn't book anything or order room service during that time.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by dides

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

As for Princess listening or not, I was told by a guest relations rep that my complaints regarding our last cruise would be placed on a very large pile of similar complaints. The rep stated that in her 16 years, she's never seen it so bad.

That’s not surprising to me…in my opinion reduced shoreside customer staffing is less of a problem than the overwhelming number of complaints they receive. I have empathy for their staff attempting to deal with the problems created by management including the unreliable MC app that predates the pandemic.

 

Looking forward to reading about your Virgin experiences & we’relooking forward to our first Oceania cruise next year on Regatta. We finally canceled the same cruise you canceled in Fall…it’s time for us to explore other lines even if it’s fewer much more enjoyable days.

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Astro Flyer

[CineGraphic]

2 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

We finally canceled the same cruise you canceled in Fall…it’s time for us to explore other lines even if it’s fewer much more enjoyable days.

 

I know how much we were both looking forward to that itinerary, so the fact that you cancelled says a lot. Yes, Oceania is about the same price point as Virgin, and we love the older R class ships, so we're going to give them a go as well the next time I see a price that causes my adrenaline to rush.

[Travlin grrl]

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

These two Princess loyalists have decided to cancel our Quebec to Fort Lauderdale sailing on the Caribbean Princess this October, in order to give the new kid on the block a chance,. We are interested in seeing if Richard Branson's spin on sailing suits us better than the recent Padgett treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't wait to hear about your experience. I have 2 friends that went on it and loved it. 

[Alcairns]

Can someone please advise what the production shows and entertainment is like? 

[Roberto256]

13 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

From what I've read the Virgin app WAS buggy at some point.

Pam and I had zero problem with it when we filled everything in a few days ago.

The Virgin app took us step by step. Princess could learn a thing or two from them.

 

 

 

Scarlet Lady entered service in 2020.

 

Princess has been working on their app longer than Virgin has been sailing.

 

 

[Wildcatllamas]

All this talk of Virgin got me to looking at doing a cruise on them in November or December. Well darn - airfare from Colorado Springs is more then what I would pay per person for a Sea Terrace. I could go to Denver for a bit cheaper flight but that is a 3 1/2 hour drive, parking is way more expensive and TSA stinks up there even with Precheck. I will watch the flights and if they drop I plan on booking with Virgin again.

[ceilidh1]

6 hours ago, Alcairns said:

Can someone please advise what the production shows and entertainment is like? 

They don't really have standard "production shows". They have a lot of small pop up shows all over the ship but the main "shows" are "Crazy Dance Party Thing" which is like a dance off but the audience is standing (not sitting) - sounds weird but the talent of the dancers is amazing. Then there is the "Dual Reality" which is kind of a blue vs red battle and was hands down the best show I have ever seen anywhere! There is an event called "Never Sleep Alone" which is very audience participation and run by a sex therapist - definitely not for those easily offended but lots of fun and very amusing. They have drag shows, which were excellent, a 70s show, and the big Scarlet Nights party which is small shows all over the ship and ends on the pool deck. It's hard to describe the entertainment as it is so unlike any traditional cruise ship stuff - go in with an open mind and you will be blown away! Even if you don't care for the show itself, the pure talent of the performers (at least on my sailing) was enough to make me gasp out loud several times!

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, Wildcatllamas said:

All this talk of Virgin got me to looking at doing a cruise on them in November or December. Well darn - airfare from Colorado Springs is more then what I would pay per person for a Sea Terrace. I could go to Denver for a bit cheaper flight but that is a 3 1/2 hour drive, parking is way more expensive and TSA stinks up there even with Precheck. I will watch the flights and if they drop I plan on booking with Virgin again.

This is my issue, too - flying from Vancouver, BC to Miami costs more than the cruise and takes me a full day each way. Ugh.

[CineGraphic]

49 days until we sail, and Virgin has just introduced it's loyalty program.

They status match, so for our very 1st cruise with Virgin, we'll be entitled to the following:

 

 

Virgin also wants input from passengers on what sort of perks they'd like.

I suggested a fun, curated wine/champagne tasting.

It's nice that they want to hear from us about what we want instead of telling us what we'll get.

 

When I showed all of this to Pam last night, she said, "I hate to say this, but I think we're done with Princess".

 

I hope Mr. Padgett is paying attention to Virgin. I see no complaints on their CC board, only raves.

 

I"d love to hear from other Princess passengers who sailed with Virgin recently.

What did you like, and what didn't you like.

[nini]

31 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

49 days until we sail, and Virgin has just introduced it's loyalty program.

They status match, so for our very 1st cruise with Virgin, we'll be entitled to the following:

 

 

Virgin also wants input from passengers on what sort of perks they'd like.

I suggested a fun, curated wine/champagne tasting.

It's nice that they want to hear from us about what we want instead of telling us what we'll get.

 

When I showed all of this to Pam last night, she said, "I hate to say this, but I think we're done with Princess".

 

I hope Mr. Padgett is paying attention to Virgin. I see no complaints on their CC board, only raves.

 

I"d love to hear from other Princess passengers who sailed with Virgin recently.

What did you like, and what didn't you like.

I am sure we are all looking forward to your experience! Thanks for keeping us updated.

[Tedferg]

On 7/10/2022 at 3:13 PM, CineGraphic said:

I see a price that causes my adrenaline to rush.

Could you be more specific please. Whenever I do quick comparisons, Oceania is very much higher than Princess.

[LACruiser88]

The matching loyalty perk is definitely a nice touch.  For us, the short itineraries would be something difficult to overcome.  Since retiring, our typical cruise is at least 30 days long.  When we do a cruise of 15 days or less, it is always out of our LA homeport. 

 

Maybe they'll deploy a ship on the west coast to give us west coasters a shot at trying them?  

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by LACruiser88