Old people just off Scarlet Lady first timers

[warmwinds]

And kicking ourselves for not booking on board.  We weren't "sure", there were things we didn't like as well as many, many that we did.  And now 3 days later we've booked another with half the on-board credit. 

 

I'll be telling things and asking things, too.  For our background we started cruising in 1976 (we met on a cruise, NCL) 😍and in the ensuing years tried Sitmar, Princess, Royal, HAL, and finally settled on Celebrity where we have been for literally the last 20 years.  Loved Celebrity, but they started to downgrade and downgrade and quite frankly, we were getting bored with the same old same old - so decided to shake it up.  Decided NOT to go high end (Crystal, Seabourn, etc) but to really shake it up - So Virgin was the choice.  Great choice.

 

We lucked into one of the angled balcony "secret" cabins from the other thread - 11102Z.  Just booked and that's gone, only 02 on either side is 9102Z - we could look down on the lifeboats from 11, will they be in our faces, blocking the rear view from deck 9?

 

We thought the ship was gorgeous, loved all the different areas, so many nooks and crannies.  Loved the food - from the lowliest burger to the most gourmet.  Ate at the Wake, Extra Virgin, Test Kitchen, Razzle Dazzle, as well as many of the more casual venues (Dock or Dockside mezze were fabulous).  Sleeper breakfast?  The heart attack on a plate French Toast Breakfast Burger.  We got pizza only once because we like different types, so 2 whole ones was too much, wish they had slices.  Had drinks in many different bars.  Service throughout was outstanding.

 

Loved the pool, it was bigger than what I was expecting based on reviews, but very difficult for seniors to get up that 2 foot wall around it - we're not disabled, just in our 70's and not 22 and athletic anymore.  They really need one step on one side somewhere to facilitate that.

 

We are not late night people so missed much of the entertainment, etc., but that's ok, it was a short 4 day cruise and we were happy just to get to know the ship.  I can honestly say we did not care for much of the music we did hear, but that's our age and our taste.  You can't please everyone, and there were pockets of "oldies" music that we appreciated when we came across it.

 

Loved the super simple embarkation and disembarkation.  Got used to the wrist band quickly.  

 

Just booked a 6 nighter and will delve more into the entertainment.  Really just an unexpectedly positive experience - I knew it would be "different" for us, and it was, but in a good way.

 

 

[c-boy]

glad you enjoyed trying the new and exciting world of Virgin Voyages 👍... til next time.. I gotta ask. Did you observe the canes and crutches (scooter) crowd ?

Edited September 13, 2023 by c-boy

[basenji56]

10 minutes ago, c-boy said:

glad you enjoyed trying the new and exciting world of Virgin Voyages 👍... til next time.. I gotta ask. Did you observe the canes and crutches (scooter) crowd ?

Hey, I resemble that remark! LOL.

[warmwinds]

23 minutes ago, c-boy said:

glad you enjoyed trying the new and exciting world of Virgin Voyages 👍... til next time.. I gotta ask. Did you observe the canes and crutches (scooter) crowd ?

Definitely saw a few, but not as many as on other lines.

[rebeccac]

1 hour ago, warmwinds said:

Loved the pool, it was bigger than what I was expecting based on reviews, but very difficult for seniors to get up that 2 foot wall around it - we're not disabled, just in our 70's and not 22 and athletic anymore.  They really need one step on one side somewhere to facilitate that.

 

I'm in my 50s, but I have bad knees and I had a problem getting up and down that wall around the pool.  I really wish they had some stairs or railings.

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, warmwinds said:

And kicking ourselves for not booking on board.  We weren't "sure", there were things we didn't like as well as many, many that we did.  And now 3 days later we've booked another with half the on-board credit. 

 

 

 

There are many travel agents who have the MNVV certificates available.  It is possible for you to contact one (we are not allowed to name TAs  here) and transfer your current reservation to the TA.  You could then discuss whether it is worth doing a cancel and rebook in order to get the $300 savings and the increased benefits 

[warmwinds]

5 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

There are many travel agents who have the MNVV certificates available.  It is possible for you to contact one (we are not allowed to name TAs  here) and transfer your current reservation to the TA.  You could then discuss whether it is worth doing a cancel and rebook in order to get the $300 savings and the increased benefits 

Thanks but I don't want to risk losing that last 102 cabin.  Got a really good deal on the pricing, and $300 credit is acceptable for our own mistake.  Next time we will book on board.

[cantgetin]

You are right that there is the possibility of losing your cabin in the few minutes between canceling your reservation and making the new one, and I fully understand wanting a particular cabin (we have a fav as well).  If you are happy with your booking, keep everything as is and enjoy your next cruise.  But I'd still find a gold level TA.  We've done nearly 50 cruises, and I am perfectly able to book on my own.....but I enjoy the service and perks that a good TA can provide.  I've also met a few bad ones along the way and realize that they are nothing but a pain.  You can rebook on board and give the name of your TA  who can then add the various perks if they have any available.

[warmwinds]

ok, another question for those of you who are regulars...

 

We found there to be a big lack of vegetables/salads on board.  There was not a "salad bar" option in the Galley (of course we were only there for breakfast), and we did not see in most restaurants that you could order a side of veggies (as you can, say, in a landside restaurant).

 

Were they there and somehow we just missed them?

[Russiamomm]

26 minutes ago, warmwinds said:

ok, another question for those of you who are regulars...

 

We found there to be a big lack of vegetables/salads on board.  There was not a "salad bar" option in the Galley (of course we were only there for breakfast), and we did not see in most restaurants that you could order a side of veggies (as you can, say, in a landside restaurant).

 

Were they there and somehow we just missed them?

They have a “Chopt” type station in the Galley at lunch.  Loved it.  It’s basically a salad bar, but they make it for you.  You go down the line and tell them what you want in your salad.  They mix it up for you with the dressing of your choice.  It was my go to for lunch.  It’s next to the coffee shop in the Galley.

[warmwinds]

20 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

They have a “Chopt” type station in the Galley at lunch.  Loved it.  It’s basically a salad bar, but they make it for you.  You go down the line and tell them what you want in your salad.  They mix it up for you with the dressing of your choice.  It was my go to for lunch.  It’s next to the coffee shop in the Galley.

Great info!  We'll look for it next time.

[cantgetin]

Lack of vegetables?  No way.  First, there is a salad bar in The Galley that is open for lunch and until 10:30 pm. You can order the salads on the menu or indicate what ingredients you want in your custom made salad.  The Galley also had a dinner special each night that was some sort of meat dish with all the trimmings.  We've done that a couple of times.  The Beef Wellington with carrots and beans was great.  Most of the restaurants have some sort of veges with the "main" and you can always ask for extra veges.  Razzle Dazzle is a "plant forward" restaurant with all sorts of vegetable dishes.  You are right that outside of Razzle Dazzle, I don't remember many vegetables at breakfast.

[warmwinds]

Will have to go to the Galley outside of breakfast (actually did once, got paninis).  Look forward to that salad bar.

 

But I still don't think we got that many vegetables with any of our entrees in the restaurants.

 

Razzle dazzle was great - LOVED  the mushroom tartare.  But I'm talking about a side of carrots, or brocolli, or whatever with our dinner entrees.  

 

We were truly overwhelmed by everything that it will take the next cruise to help us focus better.

[cantgetin]

We ordered extra carrots with our Wellington.  Pink Agave has a delicious corn "small plate."  They also have guac, as well as a squash and carrot small plate.  Extra Virgin has a romaine salad, crispy artichoke, brussel sprouts with chilis, the pork is served with spinach....not sure what else there.  THe Wake has a corn and black bean starter, wedge salad, and sides of mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach.  I don't know what half the stuff in Gunbae is, but some of it looked like veges.  In RD, you can get a side of anything that is included with any dish....green beans, mixed veges that come with the salmon, kimchi that is served with the pork, and of course any of the vege dishes.  In Test Kitchen, you are on your own.....and if you want something you don't see, you can always ask if they can prepare it for you.

[warmwinds]

Yeah, you're right.  All hiding in plain sight.  We'll be smarter next time.

[jdacombe]

I'm 72 next year and my wife will be 64, but we are both "young at heart", with regard to music and outlook on life.

Considering VV lean towards a younger demographic would a cruise with Virgin be suitable for a couple of "old codgers" like us.

Thanks for any information 

[jon81uk]

I agree that a lot of dishes weren’t served with enough vegetables. I love the corn in Pink Agave but there wasn’t a green vegetable option for those who wanted it. At the Wake there is creamed spinach and mushrooms but still not the healthiest. Gunbae is probably the worst for vegetable sides, but that’s not kinda expected with the type of cuisine. The meal at the Ship Show dinner show probably needed something else on the plate alongside the chicken escalope.

 

But I eat lunch from the salad bar in the Galley regularly when onboard, the choice there is pretty good and they also have daily specials of smaller salads along with the menu options or create your own.

[warmwinds]

52 minutes ago, jdacombe said:

I'm 72 next year and my wife will be 64, but we are both "young at heart", with regard to music and outlook on life.

Considering VV lean towards a younger demographic would a cruise with Virgin be suitable for a couple of "old codgers" like us.

Thanks for any information 

I had hoped my review here would help others our age decide.  While we were in the minority, we certainly weren't the only ones our age on board.  Whether you "like" it or not has nothing to do with age...I would ask what cruise lines you've been on before and what you thought of them.  I've never been on Carnival and I've never been on Crystal but I know I wouldn't be happy at those 2 ends of the spectrum.  Virgin's porridge was "just right" for this Goldilocks.

[WanderingBrit]

@warmwinds I really appreciate your thoughts and reflections, which to me serves to reinforce the notion that the inclusivity strategy of Virgin really does benefit all. I'm looking forward to our first experience with them next February, even though I'm trailing you by a few years 🙂

[warmwinds]

6 hours ago, jdacombe said:

I'm 72 next year and my wife will be 64, but we are both "young at heart", with regard to music and outlook on life.

Considering VV lean towards a younger demographic would a cruise with Virgin be suitable for a couple of "old codgers" like us.

Thanks for any information 

jdacombe, I just thought of something you may or may not know...they are coming out with a new ship that will be based in Portsmouth, UK.  I had hoped it would travel around the British Isles, but it seems it will be doing short cruises - one to Amsterdam and Brugges, and another to Bilbao and Bordeaux.  That might be a good way to get your feet wet with Virgin without a huge commitment since you're based in the UK?

[cantgetin]

6 hours ago, jdacombe said:

I'm 72 next year and my wife will be 64, but we are both "young at heart", with regard to music and outlook on life.

Considering VV lean towards a younger demographic would a cruise with Virgin be suitable for a couple of "old codgers" like us.

Thanks for any information 

69 here.  Got off my first VV cruise with 3 more booked.  Bottom line, average age in 2022 was 43 with a range of 18-90s.  I saw recent info posted by a TA which said average age was 48, but didn't give the dates used to establish that.  If you have a "live and let live" attitude, VV is great.

[jdacombe]

Thank you for the information warmwinds. I had seen these cruises via an email, which is what caught my interest.

I think that these short cruises for 2024 from Portsmouth are at 30% off the normal fare and also has up to $300 bar tab credit depending on the length of the cruise, although I think I saw somewhere that they have to be booked before 30 September.

We've previously sailed with Princess, Celebrity and RCL .

As we are only 69 miles from Poortsmouth it's certainly something to seriously consider, although we have the Fjords booked with Princess for 2024 as well

[kwokpot]

People seem to focus on age but age isn't the issue. It's all dependent on the types of activities and entertainment choices and environment you're interested in spending your vacation. If you're looking for ballroom dancing, big band music, show tunes, '50s sock hop night, comedian shows you're not going to find that on a Virgin cruise. 

[aqlollipop]

I've stayed in 9102. You don't need to worry about the lifeboats. They are still a deck below. Here's a picture from the balcony. Obviously you can see the boats and they are closer than when you were on deck 11, but not obstructing. My recollection is there is no boat directly out from the balcony.

[basenji56]

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

People seem to focus on age but age isn't the issue. It's all dependent on the types of activities and entertainment choices and environment you're interested in spending your vacation. If you're looking for ballroom dancing, big band music, show tunes, '50s sock hop night, comedian shows you're not going to find that on a Virgin cruise. 

No comedians?  I didn't realize that comedians were an "old people" form of entertainment?