Frequent Cruisers - Did you like Virgin Voyages' Caribbean cruise?

[tbmrt]

We have cruised on most of the mainstream cruiseships and are thinking of trying VV in Caribbean.

 

Would appreciate receiving input from frequent cruisers on how they liked VV Caribbean compared to the usual cruiselines.

 

We are extremely active seniors...Husband is a personal trainer.

 

Thanks!

[AtSeaWithChris]

Love it. Doing our second in 18 days. Great laid back and you can be as active as you want. Food and service is great. 

[CruisingWalter]

16 minutes ago, tbmrt said:

We have cruised on most of the mainstream cruiseships and are thinking of trying VV in Caribbean.

 

Would appreciate receiving input from frequent cruisers on how they liked VV Caribbean compared to the usual cruiselines.

 

We are extremely active seniors...Husband is a personal trainer.

 

Thanks!

 

We've cruised 8 cruise lines now. VV is among our favorite and it compares very nicely with Celebrity if you have sailed them. Similar casual luxe environment though even more casual. Biggest weakness is in the pools. Most every other cruise line has larger and better pools. VV went for lounge pools vs deep water large pools.  There's a huge shallow area in the main pool that was really designed as a dance floor for Scarlet Night. The oversized whirlpool like round pool at Gym and Tonic is great for mingling. And the net is useless other than to take a selfie. After seeing the NCL Prima Haven pool area, that's what VV could have done with the aft section to make a third pool. 

 

But the ship is stunning, the crew is among the highest paid in the industry and it shows and the food is beyond anything in the mainstream cruise industry right now. Only Disney comes close for the overall quality of the food which is not surprising given the Virgin CEO. Going to dinner on a VV ship is a dining experience vs. the cattle call of the MDR on every other cruise line. Each restaurant is truly unique and the service was impeccable on our cruise. Pizza is awesome. The Galley falls apart when it's really busy, such as port day mornings. They insist to run it like a restaurant having you flag down waiters to get food and serve you. That failed badly when we were onboard, but when The Galley is quiet and you can simply walk up to the food stations, it runs so much better and the food is great. I recommend The Wake or Razzle Dazzle for breakfast during port days. But if you want to go nuts, the french toast burger at The Burger Bar is simply ridiculous. 🙂 

 

Interior of the ship does feel like the 'mega-yacht' VV uses in their descriptions because the entire ship is essentially single story. There is no '3 story atrium' or the massive MDR. The ship feels much smaller and more intimate than it really is and that's a good thing. The seating areas throughout the ship are plentiful and thoughtful. The music venues are fantastic as is the music on the ship. Casino is non-smoking so you don't feel like you're walking through an ashtray on the way to the Red Room. And the casino has massive portholes, I can't think of any other ship we've sailed that has windows in the casino. 

 

Afternoon tea is one of the few things that is an upcharge and it's well worth it. So much better than any other cruise line we've sailed. The entertainment is decidedly different but we enjoyed everything we saw. NSA is the most talked about and I found it underwhelming. She was trying so hard to be provocative it didn't work for me, so we left. But everything else was fun and the music acts were great. Especially if Slam Adams is onboard, he's an amazing blues guitarist. 

 

The weakest part of the overall VV Experience is the app which can be frustrating as heck. For instance I have two upcoming cruises in April and November. Only the November cruise will show up on my App. No matter how many times I enter the booking number and my Sailor information, "Aw Snap, this isn't right" shows up every time. My wife can't use the app on her phone any longer. I'm not sure how the cruise line that is so technologically advanced in so many ways has the weakest app of all the cruise lines. 

 

My only advice is don't try to compare the VV experience to anything else. It's truly a unique ship, unique cruise experience. I said it compares to the vibe of Celebrity but that's about it, the rest of the experience is very much VV. One of the Happenings team said "this ship is like adult summer camp" and I think that's a very accurate description of the overall experience.

 

 

[Lustate]

3 hours ago, tbmrt said:

We have cruised on most of the mainstream cruiseships and are thinking of trying VV in Caribbean.

 

Would appreciate receiving input from frequent cruisers on how they liked VV Caribbean compared to the usual cruiselines.

 

We are extremely active seniors...Husband is a personal trainer.

 

Thanks!

I'm the total other extreme lol

I went on a voyage with VV, and then have since done or booked another 4. Would we go on another cruise line based on what people tell us? NOPE!

No loud announcements, no "you must eat when we tell you, in this set main dining room or buffet", and no one herding us about the ship.  The idea of not having the freedom to just enjoy what we want, when we want ,would have me diving overboard lol 

[cantgetin]

We did our first VV cruise and used the great onboard booking perks to book 3 more.  I joke that it is our "new favorite" cruise lines, and agree with almost everything Walter said.

The food is better than any other line we've cruised; it compares to  or beats the upcharge specialty restaurants on most lines.  It is better than the best of Disney food, and we've seen DCL's food quality go up and down over the years.

The best thing is NO KIDS.  While this was attractive before booking, I didn't realize how attractive until we were on board.  No one is screaming up and down the halls, pressing all the elevator buttons, trashing the beverage stations, etc.   I don't dislike kids; I dislike the 10% of parents who think their responsibility ends when they step onto a ship!

And the ship is made for your fitness pro husband.  The classes are likely too easy for him, but they are fun.  THe gyms (plural) rival anything on land.

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, cantgetin said:

And the ship is made for your fitness pro husband.  The classes are likely too easy for him, but they are fun.  THe gyms (plural) rival anything on land.

I'll have to push back a little and say that I was a little disappointed with Virgin's inside gym offerings given the emphasis on fitness. While I appreciate the separation between cardio and strength training areas it's the strength training area that is weak. The free weights area is too small and not enough dumbbells. I'm not a powerlifter so I don't remember the max weight of the dumbbells but there's not enough of them. 

I think the ship places too much emphasis on the outdoor training areas. The issue is when the ships are in the Caribbean it's too HOT to train outside in the heat, sun and humidity. 

Of the mainstream cruiselines here are what I consider the best cruiseship gyms:

NCL: Epic

Royal: Oasis Class, Quantum Class

Carnival: Excel Class (Mardi Gras-Celebration)

MSC: Meraviglia Class, Seaside Class

Celebrity: Edge Class

Edited February 1, 2023 by kwokpot

[kwokpot]

23 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I'll have to push back a little and say that I was a little disappointed with Virgin's inside gym offerings given the emphasis on fitness. While I appreciate the separation between cardio and strength training areas it's the strength training area that is weak. The free weights area is too small and not enough dumbbells. I'm not a powerlifter so I don't remember the max weight of the dumbbells but there's not enough of them. 

I think the ship places too much emphasis on the outdoor training areas. The issue is when the ships are in the Caribbean it's too HOT to train outside in the heat, sun and humidity. 

Of the mainstream cruiselines here are what I consider the best cruiseship gyms:

NCL: Epic

Royal: Oasis Class, Quantum Class

Carnival: Excel Class (Mardi Gras-Celebration)

MSC: Meraviglia Class, Seaside Class

Celebrity: Edge Class

Responding to my own post I found a great video about the fitness facilities on the Scarlet Lady. It's interesting that Scarlet seems to have more dumbells than I remembered and more than on the Valiant which I was on two weeks ago. There's also a whole other fitness area I wasn't aware about that seems more suited for Crossfit training. 

I will amend my comments by saying Virgin seems to provide a myriad of fitness related amenities, many which are geared towards the latest trends in fitness regimes. For someone that's interested in group style fitness programs I can see Virgin being a great fit. I think for someone who's looking for a traditional gym experience where you're doing your own thing Virgin is fine but I've seen better. 

 

[Fogcityca13]

Been on Royal, NCL, and Princess. We’ve upped our cruising frequency because of Virgin. If we didn’t have to factor in additional time off to travel from California to Florida, we would be sailing a bunch. Virgin has done an amazing job in creating a space for active, relaxing, and partying adults.
 

@kwokpot, the other two workout areas are hard to find. We did a bit of wondering trying to find the room with the foam rollers and TRX’s. They have a great selection of machines, but the free weight area could get a bit crowded.

 

 

[krueg2828]

On 2/1/2023 at 6:51 AM, tbmrt said:

We have cruised on most of the mainstream cruiseships and are thinking of trying VV in Caribbean.

 

Would appreciate receiving input from frequent cruisers on how they liked VV Caribbean compared to the usual cruiselines.

 

We are extremely active seniors...Husband is a personal trainer.

 

Thanks!

If you are a foodie, this is the ship is for you.  I have cruised with Azamara, Celebrity, Holland and RCCL.  The food on this ship is far above my previous cruises and they absolutely accommodate food allergies.  I took a short test cruise prior to booking a B2B out on Greece.  I found it helpful to learn the ropes before a long Europe cruise.  Their only downside to this cruise line is their app and it is necessary to use to prebook restaurants, etc.

[CineGraphic]

The only people that wouldn't enjoy sailing with Virgin would be those who tend to be closed-minded, or conservative. The vibe is nice & welcoming.

[cantgetin]

I consider myself to be pretty conservative, and VV was still great.  You know when you book VV that some of the entertainment might be a bit much, but some of it could be on a Disney ship.  If seeing crew members with dyed hair, ink, or piercings is going to bother you, find another ship. If you can say, "It isn't for me, but you be you," VV is great.  There is a lot of innuendo on VV, but for the most part, that's as far as it goes.

[tbmrt]

On 2/1/2023 at 10:46 AM, Lustate said:

I'm the total other extreme lol

I went on a voyage with VV, and then have since done or booked another 4. Would we go on another cruise line based on what people tell us? NOPE!

No loud announcements, no "you must eat when we tell you, in this set main dining room or buffet", and no one herding us about the ship.  The idea of not having the freedom to just enjoy what we want, when we want ,would have me diving overboard lol 

 

[tbmrt]

Thanks for all the great information.  We booked our Scarlet Lady cruise and are really excited bout it.  

[gkbiiii]

After 20 straight days on Valiant Lady and 6 days on Scarlet Lady, the answer is NO!

[_tacocat_]

10 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

After 20 straight days on Valiant Lady and 6 days on Scarlet Lady, the answer is NO!

care to elaborate?

[Janthere]

We may not have as much experience on VV as some people here (we have done 2 and leave tomorrow on our 3rd) but we absolutely love the VV experience. We have done over 30 cruises on other lines and to me the biggest difference with VV is the overall vibe on the ship. My husband doesn't have to worry if he is wearing the correct collared shirt or closed toe shoes for dinner and I don't feel like I have to dress up to avoid awkward glances from other passengers. NO ONE CARES! Picture being on a desert island where everyone is relaxed, calm and just immersing themselves in an overall wonderful experience. It is a fabulous way to vacation in our opinion. 

[mebruch67]

On 2/10/2023 at 3:50 PM, janbear said:

My husband doesn't have to worry if he is wearing the correct collared shirt or closed toe shoes for dinner and I don't feel like I have to dress up to avoid awkward glances from other passengers. NO ONE CARES! 

 

Does this mean you won't get turned away if you show up at a restaurant for dinner wearing shorts?  Will be the Scarlet Lady in April and am counting down the days!

Edited February 11, 2023 by mebruch67

[jon81uk]

17 minutes ago, mebruch67 said:

 

Does this mean you won't get turned away if you show up at a restaurant for dinner wearing shorts?  Will be the Scarlet Lady in April and am counting down the days!

As long as you are wearing clothes you will be fine. Most people do put a little effort in for the full service restaurants but many are in chino style shorts. 

[cantgetin]

45 minutes ago, mebruch67 said:

 

Does this mean you won't get turned away if you show up at a restaurant for dinner wearing shorts?  Will be the Scarlet Lady in April and am counting down the days!

You can wear anything you want to any venue on the ship provided you are wearing clothes and not a wet swimsuit. Some people make a bit of an effort--I'd usually put on long pants or a skirt...not fancy at all, but a step up from shorts.  On the other hand, some people go all out.  I brought "dressy" clothes on my first  VV cruise and never wore them.  The luggage gets lighter each time we cruise VV.

[Janthere]

On 2/11/2023 at 3:55 PM, mebruch67 said:

 

Does this mean you won't get turned away if you show up at a restaurant for dinner wearing shorts?  Will be the Scarlet Lady in April and am counting down the days!

I haven't seen anyone turned away at any restaurant. Like others have said - as long as you are wearing clothes you will be fine. Its just sooo nice to not have to worry about what to wear. 

[cantgetin]

You will not be turned away for any clothes that you'd wear at a family dinner table.  You will be turned away or asked to wait if a restaurant is full and you don't have a reservation.  We did several walk ups.  We were turned away once but offered a reservation for the next day.  All other  times we were seated within 10 minutes.  Your cruise was about 1/2 full (1400 Sailors).

 

[super_grover]

Awkward timing between Zumba and the 90s boyband dance class meant I rolled up to our Razzle Dazzle lunch reservation in workout gear. No one cared. 

[_tacocat_]

2 hours ago, super_grover said:

Awkward timing between Zumba and the 90s boyband dance class meant I rolled up to our Razzle Dazzle lunch reservation in workout gear. No one cared. 

yep i do this all the time haha - glad the seats are not cloth!!