Looking to Book First VV Cruise - Lots of Questions!

[MistyRo76]

Hello all! I am a seasoned cruiser - if we're just talking about Carnival (going on my 20th Carnival cruise this fall!). But I am looking to potentially venture out and try VV next year! My sis had to cancel a VV cruise for this summer because she tore her ACL skiing last winter and didn't know if it would be healed enough to travel this summer. She recently rebooked for Spring, 2024 and invited my husband and I to join her, her boyfriend and some of our other friends. 

 

The cruise we are looking at is in March on the Brilliant Lady going to: Tortola, Guadeloupe, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda. I have not been to ANY of these ports, so the itinerary itself has me stoked! Plus the ship looks amazing and the food options look devine. We are foodies and love trying new cuisines and different dishes! 

 

Things I'm wondering about at this stage: 

* what experiences do people have with VV booking their airfare? I did a quick flight search for options going to San Juan and airfare is already looking to be over $1k per person. Thinking we may be able to do better price-wise letting VV book our airfare. Any feedback on this would be appreciated? 

 

* My husband recently gave up drinking. With this being a port intensive itinerary, our days should stay pretty busy. But was wondering what N/A beverage options they might have on the ship. I saw another post where some mentioned they have Heineken N/A beer. Do the bars serve any good craft N/A cocktails? Any other N/A beer options? 

 

* Our travel agent can get us some Sailor Loot and Bar Tab credits - do those get split evenly between the two of us in the cabin? Since my husband doesn't drink, am I able to use all of the bar tab credits myself? 

 

Thanks! Looking forward to our first VV sailing! 

[CineGraphic]

31 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

what experiences do people have with VV booking their airfare?

 

They really don't discount air like the other lines. At least not yet.

You'll get much better pricing to San Juan if you fly out of Miami.

 

33 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

My husband recently gave up drinking.

Lots of N/A choices. No worries.

 

34 minutes ago, MistyRo76 said:

Our travel agent can get us some Sailor Loot and Bar Tab credits - do those get split evenly between the two of us in the cabin?

If the main person on the booking agrees in the online check-in process that they paying for the other guest, yes.

[rebeccac]

1 hour ago, MistyRo76 said:

* Our travel agent can get us some Sailor Loot and Bar Tab credits - do those get split evenly between the two of us in the cabin? Since my husband doesn't drink, am I able to use all of the bar tab credits myself? 

 

 

The bar tab can be shared (as explained above) and can be used for any extra pay drinks not just the alcoholic ones, such as mocktails, fresh pressed juices, specialty coffees and teas, etc.  

 

Also, if you have gotten to Platinum or Diamond on Carnival, you will be able to be "matched" into the Deep Blue Extras program which will get you some nice perks.  

Edited July 13, 2023 by rebeccac

[MistyRo76]

31 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

They really don't discount air like the other lines. At least not yet.

You'll get much better pricing to San Juan if you fly out of Miami.

 

Lots of N/A choices. No worries.

 

If the main person on the booking agrees in the online check-in process that they paying for the other guest, yes.

Great...thank you! 

[MistyRo76]

2 minutes ago, rebeccac said:

 

The bar tab can be shared (as explained above) and can be used for any extra pay drinks not just the alcoholic ones, such as mocktails, fresh pressed juices, specialty coffees and teas, etc.  

Awesome...didn't think about the mocktails, juices, and coffees...makes sense! Thank you! 

[Travel-and-See]

2 hours ago, MistyRo76 said:

My husband recently gave up drinking. With this being a port intensive itinerary, our days should stay pretty busy. But was wondering what N/A beverage options they might have on the ship. I saw another post where some mentioned they have Heineken N/A beer. Do the bars serve any good craft N/A cocktails? Any other N/A beer options? 

Yes! On my last cruise there was even a N/A Happy Hour where you could try various NA drinks at one of the bars (On the Rocks).   Test Kitchen has a N/A Cocktail flight that goes with the dishes - I LOVED that.  On my next cruise I'm going to see if I can get some of the N/A drinks from the Test Kitchen Bar when I'm not dining there. They were really good. 

 

And as others have said you can get fresh juices, specialty coffees, etc. with the Bar Tab as well. 

 

You'll love Virgin - it's very relaxed and chill. Such a cool vibe.  You take away all the photo packages, art auctions, jewelry sales, and other money grabs and the whole place just seems so much more luxurious.  

[cantgetin]

Right now, any decent travel agent who knows VV should be able to get you at least $600 'Loot" and $300 bar tab on cruises 6 nights or less, $600 on cruises 7 nights or more.  There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and the bartenders can make almost any drink as "virgin" if requested.  At Test Kitchen there are several drink pairings, one of which is "non-alcoholic."  You can also use your bar tab for specialty coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cold pressed juices (juices from concentrate are part of the cruise fare), smoothies, etc.

All loot and bar tab can be shared within  the cabin by having the lead sailor check the box on the app that says he/she is covering expenses for the cabin.  You can also share your bar tab with anyone else you choose simply by scanning your bracelet to buy their drink.  Bar tab can be used only on beverages that have a cost (alcoholic or not), loot can be used on anything.

Someone above mentioned the status match for Deep Blue Extras.  That program is scheduled to end 12/31/2023, but might be extended.  Have your agent enroll you if it is extended to 2024.  It is a perks package for loyalty, but they will currently credit you for loyalty to any other line.  

 

Air thru VV stinks.  It is always higher than what I can get on my own.  Have you looked at prices on Southwest?  THey do (or used to) serve San Juan....obviously I don't know what your home airport is.  My suggestion is to purchase tickets as soon as they are released,  Currently, SW is booking thru early March,  2024.  I dont' know their next release date, but you can google it.  You can look up their current fares and get an idea of what they will be.  THey also include 2 checked bags at no charge.  We have usually found SW to give us the best rates, but then, you will be flying from a different location,  On our last Miami cruise, I booked the cruise and flights after SW release and airfare was $400 one way.  This year, I booked it on the day the fares were released and it was $250...but has increased a lot since then!  The airlines all know the dates the cruise ships come in and they kill you on those dates!

Enjoy!

 

[CastleCritic]

I called VV to get an air quote, it was more than I could have booked myself and they only were offering base economy, not anything better.

[cantgetin]

21 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

I called VV to get an air quote, it was more than I could have booked myself and they only were offering base economy, not anything better.

My experience exactly

[CruisingWalter]

On 7/13/2023 at 1:42 PM, MistyRo76 said:

* what experiences do people have with VV booking their airfare? I did a quick flight search for options going to San Juan and airfare is already looking to be over $1k per person. Thinking we may be able to do better price-wise letting VV book our airfare. Any feedback on this would be appreciated? 

 

* My husband recently gave up drinking. With this being a port intensive itinerary, our days should stay pretty busy. But was wondering what N/A beverage options they might have on the ship. I saw another post where some mentioned they have Heineken N/A beer. Do the bars serve any good craft N/A cocktails? Any other N/A beer options? 

 

* Our travel agent can get us some Sailor Loot and Bar Tab credits - do those get split evenly between the two of us in the cabin? Since my husband doesn't drink, am I able to use all of the bar tab credits myself? 

 

In my experience, Airfare tends to be higher, sometimes much higher, through VV than what you can book independently. Your travel agent should be able to compare VV Air vs independent flights easily for you.

 

So many non-alcoholic options including some of the best mocktails at sea. My wife said the mock bloody mary she received at the Wake was the best bloody mary she's ever had period. Fresh pressed juice, all the soda he can drink, excellent coffee from the Grounds Club and much more, he'll be well taken care of with and without the Bar Tab.

 

The Bar Tab credits are not from your travel agent, they are from Virgin Voyages. Right now $300 Bar Tab for 6 nights or less, $600 for 7 nights or longer for anyone via the website. That's for the cabin, both of you will share that and you can buy drinks for others if you'd like. That's why the Bar Tab is my favorite 'drink package' at sea. You don't run afoul of the 'drink police' if you try to buy a drink for someone else. It's openly encourage because it's literally a tab you have to spend at the bar, coffee shop and the fresh juice stand. 

 

Some travel agents are offering included Sailor Loot which is another awesome reason to book with TAs.  We have a full playlist on our YouTube channel from our first sailing with Scarlet Lady that might help to better understand VV and how it compares / differs to everyone else. The food alone is worth the price of admission. And the San Juan itineraries are the best in the Caribbean for VV.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8wFV2tZMxXq3Lbmd6VbXJdMNQEzc8SqH

 

[cantgetin]

As always, Walter has the info right.  The "Loot" is also usually from VV but thru the TA.  What typically happens is that the TA purchases future cruise certificates that give both $600 in loot and a $300 discount on the cruise and then applies it to your booking, essentially selling it to you for what the TA paid for it. This is totally legit--VV encourages agents to do it.  It gives you a cheaper cruise and the loot, and the agent gets the commission for making the booking.  Agents are limited in how many of these they can buy each time they cruise.  Sailors who are not agents can also buy them for themselves, their friends, etc. Bottom line, it isn't like the agent is "giving" you $600.  Agents also have opportunities to conduct special sales programs that include a bit more loot for people who book during a limited time period.  Bottom line, if your agent isn't coming up with a bunch of loot, find one who has it available!

Some agents try to advertise these "deals" as if they are somehow special for that agent in ways that if the potential clients don't know what's happening, they believe their agent has some sort of special thing with VV.

I don't know when the last time I had an agent involved with airfare.  Airlines don't pay commission to agents, so most of the agents I've encountered just tell you to look it up on line.  Some may give you insight as to specific airlines if they have flown them.  I'm not an agent. I usually start my search with something like google flights or one of the other big names to see what airlines do what I'm looking for, but then search specific airlines that I know serve my local airport (such as Southwest).  Most airlines increase rates as the planes fill, so the earlier you can lock in your plans, the less costly it might be.

[Eno0581]

We booked 07/09/23 French Daze Ibiza Nights cruise directly with Virgin and were comped a $600 bar tab, witch we only used a little more than half of. I like that alcohol wasn't included in the cruise so there was no pressure to drink our money's worth. Trying to book hotel and airfare through them was a mistake as I was told there were no available flights except for the day before departure, and the price was crazy. I fared better booking our own flight and hotel. The cruise itself was awesome. They messaged us every day to see how things were going.  I  mentioned the switch to open and close the curtains was wired backwards and they were there the next morning to fix it.

[cantgetin]

That is funny.  We said that we had a ghost in our room as the drapes would automatically do things when no one was anywhere near the controls.  We were making jokes about it.  Then it happened once when a crew member came to our cabin.  He saw the tablet on the desk and didn't see our phones in use, so asked if we "did that."  We replied that it was our ghost.  He was confused, so we explained that it happened randomly whenever the room felt it was appropriate.  Our ghost was exorcized the next day.

I LOVE the bar tab concept as no one is trying to "max out" a beverage plan that they purchased.  I've never encountered an ugly drunk on VV.  Yes, there was one man who had obviously had too much, but he wasn't obnoxious.  Also, your bar tab can be used for non-alcoholic beverages that have a charge as well--like smoothies, premium coffee or tea, virgin cocktails, cold pressed juices, etc.

[Watchmen]

On 7/16/2023 at 4:01 AM, CruisingWalter said:

 

In my experience, Airfare tends to be higher, sometimes much higher, through VV than what you can book independently. Your travel agent should be able to compare VV Air vs independent flights easily for you.

 

So many non-alcoholic options including some of the best mocktails at sea. My wife said the mock bloody mary she received at the Wake was the best bloody mary she's ever had period. Fresh pressed juice, all the soda he can drink, excellent coffee from the Grounds Club and much more, he'll be well taken care of with and without the Bar Tab.

 

The Bar Tab credits are not from your travel agent, they are from Virgin Voyages. Right now $300 Bar Tab for 6 nights or less, $600 for 7 nights or longer for anyone via the website. That's for the cabin, both of you will share that and you can buy drinks for others if you'd like. That's why the Bar Tab is my favorite 'drink package' at sea. You don't run afoul of the 'drink police' if you try to buy a drink for someone else. It's openly encourage because it's literally a tab you have to spend at the bar, coffee shop and the fresh juice stand. 

 

Some travel agents are offering included Sailor Loot which is another awesome reason to book with TAs.  We have a full playlist on our YouTube channel from our first sailing with Scarlet Lady that might help to better understand VV and how it compares / differs to everyone else. The food alone is worth the price of admission. And the San Juan itineraries are the best in the Caribbean for VV.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8wFV2tZMxXq3Lbmd6VbXJdMNQEzc8SqH

 

I am new to Virgin. I have an agent I’ve used for Disney cruises but the agent doesn’t do Virgin. Can you recommend any TA’s or have any tips on how to find a good one? Thanks, and love your videos!

[Travel-and-See]

6 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I am new to Virgin. I have an agent I’ve used for Disney cruises but the agent doesn’t do Virgin. Can you recommend any TA’s or have any tips on how to find a good one? Thanks, and love your videos!

I've always booked direct with Virgin - super easy.  I'm sure others will know agents to recommend but I'm not sure what the benefit is.  You'll have a great time! 

[cantgetin]

22 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I am new to Virgin. I have an agent I’ve used for Disney cruises but the agent doesn’t do Virgin. Can you recommend any TA’s or have any tips on how to find a good one? Thanks, and love your videos!

We  aren't allowed to recommend agents on this site...sorry.  Why to use an agent?  Many agents buy future cruise certificates and sell them to their clients at cost, which gives you a $300 discount on your cruise and $600 "loot," which is virgin talk for onboard credit.  In addition, if you time it properly, they sometimes have other promotions available thru VV that can give you anther $100.  I have a great agent that does Disney and VV and has ranked in the top 10 VV agents.  I haven't seen service like she gives for 25 years.  Seriously, she asked me to send her my flight and hotel info and she entered it into an app that tracked everything on both my phone and computer--without me supplying them, it had addresses, phone numbers, all the reservations I'm made during the cruise, etc.  Yes, I have all that, but having everything in one place was great....and it tracked flight delays, etc. 

My agent tracks all her reservations so that when new deals come out thru VV she will notify me as to whether it can be applied, is worth a cancel and rebook, or  not worth it.  Hey, my upcoming cruise went down $130.  Not much.  The one after that, I saved $400 and added a $600 beverage package!  And having an agent can save your hours on the phone with VV.  There are other social media groups where people are allowed to recommend agents...some are for all VV cruisers, past, present, and future, while others are for specific cruise dates.......

How. to find a good agent...make sure they are gold tier with VV.  And if they aren't able to give you a future cruise certificate, find one who can!  

 

Tootles,

Edited July 27, 2023 by cantgetin

[Eno0581]

I booked directly with VV, which was very easy, and got the same benefits advertised through travel websites that handle VV. However. I would not recommend booking airfare or hotel through them, even though they claim advantages when doing so. I was better off doing that on my own.

[CruisingWalter]

5 hours ago, Watchmen said:

I am new to Virgin. I have an agent I’ve used for Disney cruises but the agent doesn’t do Virgin. Can you recommend any TA’s or have any tips on how to find a good one? Thanks, and love your videos!

 

We cannot recommend TAs here. But if you work through a good one, you'll get extra Sailor Loot and sometimes some other perks as well. We have cruised for 20 years and never book without a TA. The big advantage to booking through a TA with VV is cabin selection which you cannot do on the website. You would have to call in to do that or have your TA make the change after you book.