Just booked the Scarlet lady in September...1st time on Virgin...what to expect?

[valandemmy]

Me(47) and Wife(43) will be taking our 1st cruise with Virgin in September.   We have cruised about 15 times mostly with Carnival and Norwegian.

What are the major differences we can expect with Virgin...other than the no kids allowed 😂

 

[cantgetin]

The mostly inclusive payment structure, no drink packages, etc.  I would strongly suggest you look at some YouTube videos about VV.  THe ones by Cruising Walter are among my favorites--they cover all bases fairly and factually without a lot of opinion.

[valandemmy]

Is it Where's Walter Travel?

[cantgetin]

8 minutes ago, valandemmy said:

Is it Where's Walter Travel?

Yes, the name he uses on some sites is "Cruising Walter."  Sorry.  If you go to You Tube and search "Where's Walter Travel Virgin Voyages," and get what I got, there are several videos dealing with VV....one on the cruises in general, one on food, etc.

[valandemmy]

21 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

Yes, the name he uses on some sites is "Cruising Walter."  Sorry.  If you go to You Tube and search "Where's Walter Travel Virgin Voyages," and get what I got, there are several videos dealing with VV....one on the cruises in general, one on food, etc.

Awesome.  I started watching him.  Thanks for the suggestion. 

[CineGraphic]

https://youtu.be/-R0imB73ajg

 

[Cloud9 Bob]

You will find that the crew is more interactive with the sailors than on some other lines. They get free perks (ie. wifi) and can mingle with the guests more. They get to eat in the same restaurants, etc. They're happier and you will be able to sense it. That staff "military hierarchy" is downplayed on VV. I even ran into the Captain just as he was finishing lunch and we had a great conversation about the Calabria region of Italy and also the ships radar arrays. 🙂

[cantgetin]

Definitely the above.  Crew can have tats, piercings, colored hair, and other personal expressions with relatively few limits.  We has a server this morning who addressed this  when we asked where she was from and how long she'd been with Virgin (first contract, but 6 years on another line).  She gushed about how much better VV was for crew than the previous line.  Their satisfaction is reflected in how they treat us.

[valandemmy]

13 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

You will find that the crew is more interactive with the sailors than on some other lines. They get free perks (ie. wifi) and can mingle with the guests more. They get to eat in the same restaurants, etc. They're happier and you will be able to sense it. That staff "military hierarchy" is downplayed on VV. I even ran into the Captain just as he was finishing lunch and we had a great conversation about the Calabria region of Italy and also the ships radar arrays. 🙂

 

10 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Definitely the above.  Crew can have tats, piercings, colored hair, and other personal expressions with relatively few limits.  We has a server this morning who addressed this  when we asked where she was from and how long she'd been with Virgin (first contract, but 6 years on another line).  She gushed about how much better VV was for crew than the previous line.  Their satisfaction is reflected in how they treat us.

 

 

This is awesome to hear.   Those men and women work so damn hard..glad to see this. 

[floridarob]

On 4/27/2023 at 9:49 PM, cantgetin said:

She gushed about how much better VV was for crew than the previous line.  Their satisfaction is reflected in how they treat us.

Give it time....it'll become like the other lines for the staff. The other lines are how they are, because of YEARS of experience. There is a reason, no matter how stupid it sounds to us why they do many things....other stuff is just what's happens when you have up to 80 countries represented working together 😉

[jon81uk]

5 hours ago, floridarob said:

Give it time....it'll become like the other lines for the staff. The other lines are how they are, because of YEARS of experience. There is a reason, no matter how stupid it sounds to us why they do many things....other stuff is just what's happens when you have up to 80 countries represented working together 😉

Or they know happier staff means happier guests and they won’t start to nickel’n’dime their staff or guests. Free WiFi, better food, better pay, none of those are “just what happens” they are conscious choices by a company to treat staff better. 

[CruisingWalter]

First off, thanks everyone for your kind words about our reviews on YouTube, it's very much appreciated to know those are helpful.

 

As to the OP, we've been cruising almost 20 years on soon to be 9 cruise lines. VV is just 'different' from the moment you come on board.

 

First big tip, make your embarkation dinner reservation later than you typically would make it. You're not going to board until at least 1:30p depending on your embarkation time. I recommend going directly to The Dock after you drop your stuff off you in your cabin to enjoy some Tapas and a cocktail to get your cruise started correctly. Because you're getting on the ship late and you'll be noshing on food for a bit (because, you're on a cruise!) you may not be hungry during your normal dinner time. We made the mistake of a 6:30 reservation on our first cruise, but for the second one made it 7:45 to 8:00 for embarkation night. That later time worked out much better and we'll continue that pattern each time we board.

 

The ship itself will feel much smaller than it really is and that's mainly because all the decks are just one story. There's no 'grand atrium' or 'piazza' that's 2 to 5 decks high to make you go 'wow!'  The ladyships are much more casual and laid back. Less about "wow look at our amazing ship" and more about "kick off your shoes and stay a while."  Seriously you've never seen so much seating throughout a ship that really encourages groups of folks to just hang out in conversation. 

 

As others have noted the crew is different. Not only are they among the highest paid in the industry but they get free WiFi and they are allowed to dine in the same restaurants we all eat in. In fact, you can have dinner with crew members if you'd like. We inadvertently had dinner with the Diva one night. But you'll see crew members with their name badges on almost every evening in your restaurants. I love the crews on every cruise line, but there was a difference with the VV crew not 'trying too hard to get tips' vs the other cruise lines. Beyond being able to express themselves through their personal appearance, they're also able to choose which uniforms they want to wear. Seeing male crew members wearing skirts is not unusual. 

 

The main shows are decidedly different and you will probably like some of them and not care for others, but that's true of most any cruise line. The live music throughout the ship has been exceptional on our two cruises so far. The first time blues guitarist Slam Adams was just amazing and this last time we had an awesome Latin Trio as the 'headliner' musical acts. But there are guitarists and others throughout the ship. 

 

Beyond Scarlet Night, which is the big party night, you might be surprised to find that the ship is pretty laid back and as chill or loud as you want it to be. The Manor will be your party nightspot every night if you so choose. But otherwise, the rest of the ship is pretty chill in the evenings, especially The Dock on deck 7. Simply gorgeous at night. 

 

The Casino is a really nice one if you like to play and it's the only one I can think of that has actual windows to the outside. Huge portholes with James Bond style camera shutters. What's really awesome is that it's smoke free. 

 

One really fun thing to explore is The Groupie. Private Karaoke booths. I NEVER do karaoke but when you have a couple of friends and you're by yourself in a booth... I have not laughed so much on a cruise ship, it's so much fun. 

 

One small thing I really appreciate about VV is no photographers. You don't have to run the gauntlet at night passing by so many photographers trying to get your photo. Or those randoms that come through the main dining room. We didn't even realize the lack of photographers until the second night.

 

Enjoy the snacks and games at The Social Club along with the free to play Arcade. 

 

I think The Artist said it best on our first VV cruise, Virgin Voyages is like Summer Camp for adults. The ship really is a playground that allows you to just be you. No pretentious, just be yourself and enjoy those around you. Let your inner child come out and enjoy your time onboard. 🙂

 

 

[cantgetin]

One of my favorite things on VV is the ability to dress the way you want.  Beyond safety regs (footwear for some activities) and not wearing swimsuits in restaurants, and having private parts sort of covered in public, there are essentially no rules.  I said "sort of" because I've seen some with almost no cover at all.  But what I like is that if I want to dress up for dinner, I can.....if I want to go in shorts and a t-shirt, I can.  This applies to every restaurant on the ship.  And I won't be out of place in any of those choices.  

[floridarob]

10 hours ago, jon81uk said:

they are conscious choices by a company to treat staff better. 

Only time will tell.... do you remember how cruising used to be in the 70's-00's ?

Big corporations do what they do inevitably......