bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665 
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 6, 2024 19:37:03 GMT
and want to share their experience?
We're in the VERY early planning stages, which is when I go nuts and watch alllllll the videos I can. We like the options on Virgin for a short 4 night vacation sans kids. I've heard the fact that tipping is included changes the staff vibe as it's been taken care of. We also like the lack of the traditional beverage package (we're not big alcohol drinkers, but I am a big soda consumer) and I've gotten mixed reviews on the food.
My biggest concern is that we're "too" old for Virgin. We're both looking for a peaceful vacation where I can sit in a lounge chair and read my book. If you want to party by the pool by all means go for it, as long as I can't hear it in my cabin lol.
I'm also a tad concerned about the food - while we're not picky eaters, we're not adventurous either. I'm fine with the lack of a main dining room, but I also like knowing if nothing else sounds appealing on the menu I can just get a grilled chicken breast or steak. I'm not seeing that option with Virgin. The flip side of that is you're not sitting in a mass dining room at a set time taking 3 hours for dinner.
Does anyone have an experience?
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valincal
Drama Llama
Southern Alberta
Posts: 5,805
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Post by valincal on Aug 6, 2024 19:54:42 GMT
Hi! We sailed with them last year in Europe. I liked the fact that there weren’t announcements constantly, and of course that there are no children on board! 😄
DH and I are in our early 60s and didn’t feel out of place. I thought the food options were very good. We really enjoyed the upscale dining experience at the Test Kitchen. The steakhouse was just OK as was the Korean BBQ. The Italian restaurant was great. The pizza was excellent, and I liked the concept for casual dining where you could order from a variety of restaurants in a sort of food court setting and the food was brought to you. Food carts were wheeled around the outside decks and they had some really nice snacks.
It was nice not to have to think about tipping and the staff were very very good. They are there from the very start to the very end, unlike some cruise lines where they shove you out the door at the end and you’re on your own! Lol Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I’ll try to answer.
We are sailing with them again next year out of Athens, and I’m really looking forward to it.
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Post by BGsMom on Aug 6, 2024 21:08:15 GMT
My dh and I sailed them last year. Hopefully, I can remember most of the details. First off, we are not big drinkers and I'm very introverted- I don't feel comfortable in big loud crowds. We were always able to find a quiet place to sit. We loved the big shaded beds on deck 5, I think. It was not anywhere near the pool area, so very quiet and you could order food right from your seat and they would bring it to you. (only few choices, but nice to not have to go find food.) They also had bento boxes of fruit, "charcuterie board food" and a couple other things in a cold case that you could just pick up to eat.
My dh liked going to play the old school video games (free) and we both enjoyed playing board games as well. They have a ton of those. We liked the no tipping, that was especially nice. We had a balcony room and liked the hammock that is on the balcony. Room was decent-sized and very modern. The pool was tiny, but I don't like getting in a pool with a bunch of strangers, so that didn't really affect me.
Food was pretty good. I'm not an adventurous eater and I could always find something to eat. I liked the market hall-style food instead of traditional buffet. We never had to wait long for our food, but sometimes I like to look at the choices before deciding and that was not as easy to do as a buffet. We did not do the test kitchen or korean bbq, but everything else was pretty good. We never went hungry. We also liked the pizza and although the hand scooped ice cream wasn't spectacular, it was decent and I had it a few times. Some flavors were better than others. Soda choices were limited to coke products- coke, diet coke, coke zero and sprite. Maybe ginger ale and orange fanta as well.
We had a great time, didn't feel weird and I would go on them again if the ports of call were places that I would want to visit. Hope that helps
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 6, 2024 21:23:03 GMT
I don't feel comfortable in big loud crowds. We were always able to find a quiet place to sit. exactly what I had hoped to hear. I'm happy to let others party if there's a quiet spot! They also had bento boxes of fruit, "charcuterie board food" and a couple other things in a cold case that you could just pick up to eat. And I'm sold. This sounds amazing. |
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2024 21:26:47 GMT
We went this summer and really enjoyed it! Food was great, several in our party aren't adventurous eaters and had no problem - the Galley is always available if you don't want one of the specialty restaurants for pizza, burger, sushi etc. And I think several in our group his the Dock every day as they loved their skewers. We had dinner at all the restaurants - Wake (steakhouse) and Extra Virgin (Italian) were probably our favorites, but we really liked Pink Agave (Mexican) too. Razzle Dazzle and Test Kitchen had mixed reviews from our group (test kitchen is definitey more for adventurous eaters)
The pool is small - so definitely keep that in mind if you're a lounge by the pool type. Quite a bit of seating, but the actual pool isn't large. Our cruise had a lot of ports we wanted to visit, so it was a non-issue for us as we weren't on the ship during the day hardly at all. We also ended up booking a suite, so had access to Richard's rooftop which always had plenty of lounge seating.
Overall everyone said they would do it again and had a great time!
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Post by BGsMom on Aug 6, 2024 21:27:25 GMT
 Hoping this works. It was deck 7- "The Dock" that we liked to hang out. You can go on cruisedeckplans.com and see plenty more pics. **Not my pic** |
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 3,039
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Post by TXMary on Aug 6, 2024 21:27:32 GMT
Hi! We sailed with them last year in Europe. I liked the fact that there weren’t announcements constantly, and of course that there are no children on board! 😄 DH and I are in our early 60s and didn’t feel out of place. I thought the food options were very good. We really enjoyed the upscale dining experience at the Test Kitchen. The steakhouse was just OK as was the Korean BBQ. The Italian restaurant was great. The pizza was excellent, and I liked the concept for casual dining where you could order from a variety of restaurants in a sort of food court setting and the food was brought to you. Food carts were wheeled around the outside decks and they had some really nice snacks. It was nice not to have to think about tipping and the staff were very very good. They are there from the very start to the very end, unlike some cruise lines where they shove you out the door at the end and you’re on your own! Lol Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I’ll try to answer. We are sailing with them again next year out of Athens, and I’m really looking forward to it. I thought about tagging you since I knew you did a Viking last year.  We have not sailed with Viking but our "cruise friends" did one with them earlier this year and really enjoyed it. They are 54 and 58 and they didn't feel out of place at all. They mentioned that they thought the food was really good. They just enjoyed the whole atmosphere and different way of doing things. We're all high up in Royal loyalty so they weren't sure if they would like it or not but I guess they did because they booked two more while onboard. |
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 6, 2024 21:28:13 GMT
thank you all for the feedback. Your answers have really put my mind at ease about the food and atmosphere. I'm setting this intention of doing this as our cruise choice. I'm not working right now and reading reviews and planning helps with my mental health.
Did any of you feel like a travel agent was needed for the trip or do you think it can be done on your own? The itinerary I'm looking at is Key west and Bimini, so one day walking around and one day on the beach - no excursions necessary. It would be booking dining ahead of time and then shows on the ship. Am I missing anything that a TA could do?
We typically book through Costco but it doesn't look like they offer Virgin as part of their cruise line up.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 6, 2024 21:30:52 GMT
We're all high up in Royal loyalty so they weren't sure if they would like it or not but I guess they did because they booked two more while onboard. Virgin does allow you to cross the streams with your loyalty packages, so you can use your Royal benefits on Virgin - there's a table I saw where it shows what they'll offer. You just have to give them your royal loyalty number. |
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valincal
Drama Llama
Southern Alberta
Posts: 5,805
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Post by valincal on Aug 6, 2024 21:46:48 GMT
Hi! We sailed with them last year in Europe. I liked the fact that there weren’t announcements constantly, and of course that there are no children on board! 😄 DH and I are in our early 60s and didn’t feel out of place. I thought the food options were very good. We really enjoyed the upscale dining experience at the Test Kitchen. The steakhouse was just OK as was the Korean BBQ. The Italian restaurant was great. The pizza was excellent, and I liked the concept for casual dining where you could order from a variety of restaurants in a sort of food court setting and the food was brought to you. Food carts were wheeled around the outside decks and they had some really nice snacks. It was nice not to have to think about tipping and the staff were very very good. They are there from the very start to the very end, unlike some cruise lines where they shove you out the door at the end and you’re on your own! Lol Let me know if you have any other specific questions and I’ll try to answer. We are sailing with them again next year out of Athens, and I’m really looking forward to it. I thought about tagging you since I knew you did a Viking last year. We have not sailed with Viking but our "cruise friends" did one with them earlier this year and really enjoyed it. They are 54 and 58 and they didn't feel out of place at all. They mentioned that they thought the food was really good. They just enjoyed the whole atmosphere and different way of doing things. We're all high up in Royal loyalty so they weren't sure if they would like it or not but I guess they did because they booked two more while onboard. Hi! In presume you meant Virgin, not Viking? 😄 Yes we got some decent perks with status matching our NCL level. I especially liked the free laundry since we cruised after a hot week or so on land. 😊 |
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2024 22:11:29 GMT
thank you all for the feedback. Your answers have really put my mind at ease about the food and atmosphere. I'm setting this intention of doing this as our cruise choice. I'm not working right now and reading reviews and planning helps with my mental health. Did any of you feel like a travel agent was needed for the trip or do you think it can be done on your own? The itinerary I'm looking at is Key west and Bimini, so one day walking around and one day on the beach - no excursions necessary. It would be booking dining ahead of time and then shows on the ship. Am I missing anything that a TA could do? We typically book through Costco but it doesn't look like they offer Virgin as part of their cruise line up. I booked through a travel agent only because United was offering a special of 7x miles if you booked through United Cruise which is essentially/actually a TA and it was a big enough amount that I wanted the miles. Not sure I'd do it otherwise, but I'm one that dives deep on researching rooms etc, so don't mind doing my own legwork. |
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 6, 2024 22:28:15 GMT
Not sure I'd do it otherwise, but I'm one that dives deep on researching rooms etc, so don't mind doing my own legwork. Exactly I'm the same way. It makes me happy to read everything I can get my hands on about the ship and everything offered. While I wouldn't do a disney style trip without an agent unless there's a perks benefit, as there is with Costco, I'm ok booking it on my own. |
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valincal
Drama Llama
Southern Alberta
Posts: 5,805
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Post by valincal on Aug 6, 2024 22:36:46 GMT
Not sure I'd do it otherwise, but I'm one that dives deep on researching rooms etc, so don't mind doing my own legwork. Exactly I'm the same way. It makes me happy to read everything I can get my hands on about the ship and everything offered. While I wouldn't do a disney style trip without an agent unless there's a perks benefit, as there is with Costco, I'm ok booking it on my own. I never use a travel agent for booking a cruise though some cruisers prefer to. Head over to the forums at Cruise Critic for lots of great tips and info. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 6, 2024 23:30:38 GMT
DSO and I watched a travel show recently where the presenters went on a Virgin cruise. OMG, it looked so good! My DSO, who would have to be dragged kicking and screaming onto a cruise ship, even said that he would actually do a cruise with them.
Please let us know what you decide! When are you planning on going?
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 3,039
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Post by TXMary on Aug 7, 2024 1:12:22 GMT
I thought about tagging you since I knew you did a Viking last year. We have not sailed with Viking but our "cruise friends" did one with them earlier this year and really enjoyed it. They are 54 and 58 and they didn't feel out of place at all. They mentioned that they thought the food was really good. They just enjoyed the whole atmosphere and different way of doing things. We're all high up in Royal loyalty so they weren't sure if they would like it or not but I guess they did because they booked two more while onboard. Hi! In presume you meant Virgin, not Viking? 😄 Yes we got some decent perks with status matching our NCL level. I especially liked the free laundry since we cruised after a hot week or so on land. 😊 Yes. Virgin. I have Viking on the brain since we sail them in a few weeks. That was another thing our friends liked that I forgot about. They matched their Royal status. I might have to check them out! |
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,665
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 7, 2024 1:13:39 GMT
AussieMeg, not until April of 26 and not unless I start working. Truly researching fun vacation ideas is a mental health break for me, so this is all hey it would be nice to until I start pulling a paycheck. The cruise we're looking a is Key West and Bimini 4 night April of 2026 on the Scarlet Lady. They do this route pretty often and it ticks off a bucket list item for me in going to KW. DH is only going because I've asked him too (apparently looking out on open water with no land in site scares the crap out of him) As I'm the one often afraid of everything in our relationship this is new for me. I'm looking at it from the perspective of going on a ship where he can find things to do inside when we're not headed into a port. I've gone from I'm not sure to this sounds right up our alley. We have teenagers, one of whom will be away at school when we go so it's an easy time for us to leave them home, all the CC reviews say there's no hard sell (drinks package, photographer etc) and that they treat their people well. Interestingly, the Disney Cruise Line people, who travel kid free, also say they love it. I'm surprised because you see a lot of die hards willing to pay big bucks to DCL for less ports and less "amenities" on ship.
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