New Princess policy makes VV an even better value

[CineGraphic]

58 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

Honestly the Princess Plus package is one of the best in the mainstream cruise lines.

 

 

36 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

May 10, 24: Dominican Daze. 5 Days in a Sea Terrace: $3244

May 11, 24: Eastern Caribbean on Enchanted Princess, one of their newest ships: 7 Days in a Balcony $3061 with Princess Plus. 

 

This former Princess loyalist kindly disagrees.

 

I would much rather have "specialty dining" every day on Virgin instead of just 2 nights with the Princess Plus nonsense.

 

Princess can't even begin to compete when it comes to food quality and selection. We're talking warmed-over hotel banquet fodder, vs, meals cooked "ala minnute" (to order).

 

With all of the loot and bar tabs, we don't need a drink package, and the selection of liquors & wines on Virgin vs. Princess is again far superior.

 

Our last two Princess sailings we spent more time in line than practically anything else.

Never again. You get so much more on Virgin, even if it costs slightly more.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by CineGraphic

[cantgetin]

6 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

1000%. My long term goal is to sail on all 300+ cruise ships at some point. I don't have enough years left in me to accomplish that, but it would be awesome if we could do it. I want to sail them all except one. 🙂 

 

And in Florida right now with VV, you can only compare the 4/5 Night with 7 Nights for most of the year. I have asked repeatedly why can't they mix in a few 7 and 10 nighters from time to time like Celebrity, Princess and all the rest do.

That's why I have only done the TA from Miami.  Our other cruises have been European departures.  I'm not interested in 4/5 nights, and would choose a longer cruise over a B2B.  But that's me....there are obviously plenty of people who will either like or will accept short cruises.

[CruisingWalter]

33 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

Princess can't even begin to compete when it comes to food quality and selection. We're talking warmed-over hotel banquet fodder, vs, meals cooked "ala minnute" (to order).

 

I will definitely disagree with that one based on our Sky Princess sailing in February and our April sailing on Scarlet Lady.  The MDR on Sky Princess was superior to The Wake in every way, Crown Grill was better than anything on Scarlet Lady save Razzle Dazzle. The buffet on Sky Princess was on par with or better than The Galley.  The buffet was unreal on Sky Princess and from what we've heard from friends they've really upped their game across the fleet. 

 

I mean it's awesome to have everything included and I really enjoy the food on Virgin, it's among the best at sea for the mainstream cruise lines. But Princess and Celebrity are right there with them, even if you have to pay a little bit more for some of the specialty dining. I would take a longer Princess or Celebrity cruise over a shorter VV any day if I'm being totally honest. If it's the same itinerary, same length, then I'll probably take VV. But in Florida, for most of the year, I'm going on the other cruise lines to get maximum days at sea and maximum value. 🙂

 

[CineGraphic]

8 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

I would take a longer Princess or Celebrity cruise over a shorter VV any day

 

We get offers for heavily discounted and free sailings from Princess, not just the Caribbean, but most of their itineraries. Our most recent offer included 12 days from Quebec to FLL for just $25 per person. We didn't even consider it for a second, even though our favorite past sailing with them was 14 days from FLL to Quebec, and we always wanted to do the reverse route.

 

Currently we don't get casino offers from Virgin, but we still prefer to sail with them over Princess for free or next to nothing. The number of days at sea are not as important to us as the overall quality of everything.

[cantgetin]

Our last Princess cruise was a B2B Alaska in a low end suite.  This gave us all the suite perks including the special area of the MDR that was reserved for suite guests and had one or more special items each night.  Those special items were excellent, as was the service.  The MRD items were mixed--sometimes great, other times not so much.   The Crown Grille changed personnel between our two sailings.  The first time was great.  However, during the second leg, it was not even "just ok," but was bad. Had it not been a freebie as part of our booking, I would have requested a refund.   I agree that on all of our other Princess sailings, Crown Grill beats The Wake in both service and food quality.  
Overall, I find Virgin food most comparable to Celebrity but most VV food is still a notch up.  That's not every dish or every restaurant, but my overall opinion.  VV is better than Princess MDR, but not as good as Princess specialty restaurant dinners MOST of the time.  Brunch in RD was every bit as good as in Sabbatini's.

The Galley vs. the buffets is a bit of apples to oranges.  The variety of Celebrity's buffet was nice and their quality was better than Princess overall. But I like The Galley concept vs. a buffet and it is improving in service.

 

Guess it again is an individual thing.  Yes, VV has room for improvement in some areas.  But overall, I like them enough to have a few more booked.  We'll decide after that what comes next.

[CineGraphic]

 It's not surprising that known Youtubers like Walter will often times get subtle, preferential treatment.

The guys that review airlines on Youtube get all sorts of special treatment and upgrades, while most poor schlubs are left to the cattle treatment.

 

The last meal I had at the Crown Grill, featured two lamb chops, all alone on the plate. No sauce, no sides, no steak knife.

During our last meal at Sabatini's we were served an appetizer that was just removed from another table, and partially eaten.

One can only hope that things have improved since then, but you'll have to forgive me for not wanting to subject myself to anything like that ever again since we sail for completely different reasons, and have had completely different experiences.

[Travel-and-See]

On 7/29/2023 at 12:17 PM, Fogcityca13 said:

I’ve seen some people speculate that Virgin may offer Alaska itineraries. Seems like an odd fit to me. I’d be happy for a west coast ship though.

Seems like a great fit for me.  I enjoyed my Celebrity cruise in Alaska this summer but I would have probably chosen Virgin if it was an option!  

[CrazyTrain2]

I have to wonder if Alaska can handle more ships.  Between the ever increasing ship size, limited months and increasing number of ships, I'm expecting there to be rush hour ship pile up on the Inner Passage.

 

I'm booked on the Discovery Princess in May 2024 in Alaska.  I'd Jump ship in a minute if VV sailed there.

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, CrazyTrain2 said:

I have to wonder if Alaska can handle more ships.  Between the ever increasing ship size, limited months and increasing number of ships, I'm expecting there to be rush hour ship pile up on the Inner Passage.

 

I'm booked on the Discovery Princess in May 2024 in Alaska.  I'd Jump ship in a minute if VV sailed there.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the other lines reduce their Alaskan presence next year. They've had plenty of empty cabins this summer. I've received several offers for free Alaskan sailings from 2 lines this year. One line said I could book up to 3 sailings, including those with land packages. (And no, I'm not a big gambler at all...far from it)

[cantgetin]

THe last time we did Alaska on Princess, there was a Seabourne that was able to dock at much smaller ports than we had.  On one excursions, while we docked at the big port and had to take a ferry to where we caught a bus, the Seabourne peeps were able to get off their ship and walk to the bus location.   I know that the system VV uses allows them to use smaller ports...not sure how or if that might impact things.

[Travel-and-See]

On 7/30/2023 at 11:22 AM, cantgetin said:

The Galley vs. the buffets is a bit of apples to oranges.  The variety of Celebrity's buffet was nice and their quality was better than Princess overall. But I like The Galley concept vs. a buffet and it is improving in service.

I was very disappointed with the buffet on Celebrity Millenium this year.  The quality of food has really gone down in 1 year and I would gladly take the quality of the galley on Virgin any day.  (The Virgin Galley vs. the Celebrity buffet a year ago would have been more of a toss-up for me). 

[cantgetin]

Sorry to hear that another line is decreasing quality

[CruisingWalter]

On 7/30/2023 at 12:52 PM, CineGraphic said:

 It's not surprising that known Youtubers like Walter will often times get subtle, preferential treatment.

 

Not in the least. Most of the crew have absolutely no idea who I am and I'm fine with that. I'm not Ben and David or Tony from La Lido Loca who have 200,000+ subscribers, nor am I demanding like one certain British woman who I will not name here. 

 

Zero preferential treatment for this vlogger. Really the only people who reach out to me are the guests who have enjoyed our videos and they helped them make the decision to sail Virgin Voyages or the other cruise lines. But especially VV. So many vloggers concentrate on Scarlet Night and the PARTIES, but I try to give a more balanced view of the actual ship life no matter which ship I'm on. 

[CruisingWalter]

22 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the other lines reduce their Alaskan presence next year. They've had plenty of empty cabins this summer.

 

I don't know about everyone else, but Princess has more ships and itineraries for 2024 and their just announced 2025 itineraries are even moreso. That 22 night roundtrip from San Francisco for the Summer Solstice in 2025 looks amazeballs. But I really really want to do the 17 night CruiseTour. Our 14 Day Alaska CruiseTour in Alaska is still hands down my favorite cruise ever. I need to get back there.

[cantgetin]

There were several pushy vloggers on our last cruise who could be identified by their cameras, tripods, and way too much other equipment and their total lack of regard for fellow passengers around them.  We sat in Extra Virgin one night and watched  a couple filming each other eating and showing food inside their mouths after getting a table for 4 when there were 2 of them (needed room for all those cameras, I guess.  Seriously, we sat there talking about how rude they'd been on the cruise.

 

I can't put Walter in that group at all.  He's not a "hey look at me," full of himself reporter.  He is accurate in his reporting.  While I'm sure he knows how to get the "deals" that are available to any cruiser, I've never been aware of any special perks that he gets.  He's the one that I suggest to anyone who asks me about VV--watch his videos then decide or ask me your questions.  No yelling, no flash, just facts.

[CineGraphic]

Just now, CruisingWalter said:

Not in the least. Most of the crew have absolutely no idea who I am and I'm fine with that.

 

If their social media department is worth their weight in salt, they know exactly who you are.

The special treatment could easily be all behind the scenes, while they're preparing and plating your dishes. Like I said earlier....it's subtle. They don't want to make it obvious.

[CruisingWalter]

Just now, CineGraphic said:

 

If their social media department is worth their weight in salt, they know exactly who you are.

The special treatment could easily be all behind the scenes, while they're preparing and plating your dishes. Like I said earlier....it's subtle. They don't want to make it obvious.

 

Again, zero preferential treatment. The Social Media department has no idea who I am, from any cruise line. There is nothing anyone does on any ship that's preferential to me, other than Eliot receiving permission from his boss to make an 'off menu' Old Fashioned on Sky Princess. THAT was a glorious moment that happened because of a TikTok I did the day before from the ship that the head of Princess F&B saw. Otherwise, they have zero idea who I am nor do I get any preferential treatment on VV or any other cruise ship. Major vloggers like Ben and David are personally invited onto ships by cruise lines for good reason, they are great ambassadors for the cruise industry. 

[CineGraphic]

6 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

I can't put Walter in that group at all.  He's not a "hey look at me," full of himself reporter.  He is accurate in his reporting.

 

I didn't imply anything of the sort, just that cruise lines like to avoid bad publicity by making sure they don't screw up when it comes to dealing with vloggers. I'm an early fan of Walter's Virgin vids, and have shared them with others on numerous occasions.

[CruisingWalter]

9 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

He's the one that I suggest to anyone who asks me about VV--watch his videos then decide or ask me your questions.  No yelling, no flash, just facts.

 

I appreciate the kind words. Hopefully we'll meet up one of these day on a ship. 🙂

[Lustate]

On the vloggers/influencers/online bloggers etc... 

EVERY brand has a team who will monitor all people with a following. These boards will be checked over by them on a daily basis for "flags" and things they need to look into. They will get to know the names, people, and plans they have. They will all be recorded in the brand's client/customer relationships management systems. Someone may only have 10 followers, but if they are active on boards, provide good feedback or they are open to experiences they will be targeted onboard either with or without notice. it is just the development of relationships and brands. 

 

You know how you just "drop" into the conversation when you are making a booking something like "oh it is my birthday which is why we are going away"... things like that are GOLD to a brand. That day you may get a little cake, or an extra drink "on the house", and what do you do? you post about it, or a cute pic... and BINGO you advertise for them the positive spin on the brand. You have a conversation piece when you get back home, or online engagement is pushed up via you to the brand. 

 

It's normal, it's out there and it's for the brand and your benefit so just roll with it. The best and most valued ambassadors are natural, honest and open. So be you, enjoy what you get, and every treat as a perk, not payment or an entitlement. 

[CanadianCruiser21]

Well said Lustate!
I love CruisingWalter and am surprised how few subscribers he has on YouTube. 
However, that doesn’t mean cruise lines don’t know about him.

Cruise companies scour the internet, especially YouTube, for videos about their cruise line. Maybe they didn’t know about him the first time, but they certainly have him on a list now. 
That doesn’t mean Walter is biased or that he even gets anything special, but I think they would respond quicker to him if he had an issue. 
 

There is another YouTuber with about 10k subs who made a long video about not liking his solo experience on VV. What surprised me was that he showed up late to an excursion and missed it, and VV still gave him a refund, even though it was his fault. He cited confusion about how to get there and bimini food service staff not being able to give him directions, but everyone else made it on time. I wonder if it is because he was a YouTuber.

 

[CanadianCruiser21]

Another random thing I noticed is that staff seem to be extra friendly/helpful/smiley on camera in Princess videos compared to VV videos. I watch a lot of the buffet tour videos and the staff seem to purposely look at the camera, wave and say hi with smile big, as if their manager is watching the videos. Maybe they are like that all the time though, in which case I feel bad for them because that is exhausting, but I’m probably just projecting because I have RBF.
 

In VV videos, crew seem more relaxed and chill. I feel more comfortable in environments where the crew/staff are more like equals, versus environments where they act/feel like they are your servants and worried about losing their jobs or needing tips. 

[Travel-and-See]

47 minutes ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

Another random thing I noticed is that staff seem to be extra friendly/helpful/smiley on camera in Princess videos compared to VV videos. I watch a lot of the buffet tour videos and the staff seem to purposely look at the camera, wave and say hi with smile big, as if their manager is watching the videos. Maybe they are like that all the time though, in which case I feel bad for them because that is exhausting, but I’m probably just projecting because I have RBF.
 

In VV videos, crew seem more relaxed and chill. I feel more comfortable in environments where the crew/staff are more like equals, versus environments where they act/feel like they are your servants and worried about losing their jobs or needing tips. 

I can't speak for Princess but it's the same difference between Celebrity and Virgin crew. 

 

Celebrity staff doesn't act like servants... they are acting the way they should in a customer service setting. I used to work at a tourist attraction and I smiled and greeted everyone - it wasn't a tipped position and I never felt like a servant. I knew it was my job to greet everyone and make sure they had a great time. 

 

Virgin on the other hand you will often see employees leaning against walls chatting with fellow employees, and will often ignore your presence even if you approach them wanting to ask a question. It's clear that the brand wants a group of employees that "look cool" - that's the priority.  

 

(This may sound negative but if you see my other posts I'm a huge fan of Virgin - I'm just pointing out my observations) 

[ceilidh1]

I had two future cruises in the pipeline - an 8 day on Valiant in December and a 15 day on Princess in March. Final payment for Valiant was due and I needed to decide whether to keep or cancel (chances of doing both sailings are slim...). I was leaning on cancelling, since it's more expensive for me to fly to Miami than it is to LA. When Princess announced the changes they were making to packages, etc. my mind changed. I made final to VV and, though I haven't yet cancelled Princess, I likely will do so prior to final. I loved my VV cruise last year and would make them mu number 1 line if they had ships on the West Coast. Princess had always been "my" cruiseline but I really don't love the way they are going and their product is not what it used to be.

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, ceilidh1 said:

I loved my VV cruise last year and would make them mu number 1 line if they had ships on the West Coast. Princess had always been "my" cruiseline but I really don't love the way they are going and their product is not what it used to be.

 

Welcome to the club.