Discussion
Deep Thought said:
DodgyGeezer said:
Currently ½way through our VV circumnavigation of the British Isles on Scarlet and.... I have to say that I'm feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Both Mrs DG and I were really looking forward to trying VV but, for us, the hype isn’t justified.
On the positive the food is nice, albeit not outstanding. The shower is reasonably powerful and all the staff seem happy and friendly. I'm not convinced however that we'd rush back - being a grumpy sort it don't like enforced socialising/jollity (I'm looking at you here Gunbae and Test Kitchen!); there don't appear to be (m)any 'quiet areas' (certainly no library). All in all itinerary seems to have a younger/socialising vibe
You in Belfast today?On the positive the food is nice, albeit not outstanding. The shower is reasonably powerful and all the staff seem happy and friendly. I'm not convinced however that we'd rush back - being a grumpy sort it don't like enforced socialising/jollity (I'm looking at you here Gunbae and Test Kitchen!); there don't appear to be (m)any 'quiet areas' (certainly no library). All in all itinerary seems to have a younger/socialising vibe
How you getting on now?
), but credit to VV they resolved that quite efficiently. To a point i feel the same way as I did about MSC (looked great but no real 'quiet relaxing areas), albeit with immeasurably better food (Pink Agave' ribs & prawns were absolutely outstanding). Any potential future VV would definitely depend on the itinerary to carry it
DodgyGeezer said:
We are indeed in Belfast, I'm still of the mind that we'd not rush back to VV primarily (still) for the reasons above. There was a bit of a brouhaha about tenders at Dublin (we were allocated a 13:00 embarkation!! ), but credit to VV they resolved that quite efficiently.
To a point i feel the same way as I did about MSC (looked great but no real 'quiet relaxing areas), albeit with immeasurably better food (Pink Agave' ribs & prawns were absolutely outstanding). Any potential future VV would definitely depend on the itinerary to carry it
We've done four cruises with VV now and - i was thinking about this over the weekend - our best cruises with them have been in hotter climes and in to Med / Adriatic ports. The best of all was the one to the Adriatic but we've also done a Med one that took in Ibiza, etc. It was pretty awesome pulling in to Ibiza in the early afternoon with a pool party on, then watching the world go by (primarily in speed boats and yachts!) from The Dock. Ibiza old town was beautiful to see for those of us who didnt want to hit the clubs. ), but credit to VV they resolved that quite efficiently. To a point i feel the same way as I did about MSC (looked great but no real 'quiet relaxing areas), albeit with immeasurably better food (Pink Agave' ribs & prawns were absolutely outstanding). Any potential future VV would definitely depend on the itinerary to carry it
And yes, when all the outside spaces are accessible it tends to spread those on board around the ship better.
On our last cruise the weather was pretty bad for the first few days (Portsmouth to Barcelona via Morocco, late September 2024) - so much so that the champagne hour on Richards Rooftop for Rock Stars had to be moved to Sip (our thoughts were with them and their families during that difficult time) - the ship does feel quite crowded. All outside space was out of bounds for pretty much two days. That said, i guess pretty much all cruise ships are designed for their outside space to be fully utilised for best effect.
We've nothing booked with VV so far over the next couple of years and no immediate plans to. We'd maybe do the Adriatic again with them at some point or maybe a route that did an overnight in Ibiza again and do the clubs this time.
Have you had Scarlet Night yet? Its worth embracing, especially the pool party and the after party in The Manor is great too.
Deep Thought said:
Collectingbrass said:
Which is fine until you're boarding in Portsmouth or in Toulon and have to hope that the bus driver drops you at the right big grey ship... Still, it probably wouldn't change the number of Bears on board.
Has there been more than one VV ship in a port before? I guess VV plan world domination at some point, but i think we're fine for a while yet....
Deep Thought said:
Collectingbrass said:
You any more VV cruises booked?
Edited by Deep Thought on Tuesday 26th August 12:48
Edited by Deep Thought on Tuesday 26th August 12:48
Deep Thought said:
Speaking of Virgin Voyages, was anyone at the Launch Party for Brilliant Lady in Portsmouth?
We mulled it over but decided against it. For anyone living nearby it would have been a great day and evening, but it would have been a 3 day expedition for us, flying over the day before, flying back the day after, and 2 nights hotel.
We'd like to have seen her but couldnt warrant the cost.
Some walkthroughs up from the vloggers on Youtube.
We’re on Brilliant Lady at the moment, currently mid Atlantic heading toward Halifax, Nova Scotia and then on to NYC.We mulled it over but decided against it. For anyone living nearby it would have been a great day and evening, but it would have been a 3 day expedition for us, flying over the day before, flying back the day after, and 2 nights hotel.
We'd like to have seen her but couldnt warrant the cost.
Some walkthroughs up from the vloggers on Youtube.
First time cruise for us and we’re really enjoying it (I’ve spent years working at sea, so it’s fantastic having no duties or responsibilities).
Loads to do, excellent food, staff have all been great and the weather kind. It’s a ‘friends and family’ cruise so ridiculously cheap but we’d be tempted to do this again even at full price.
Edited by swanny71 on Wednesday 27th August 14:44
Voodoo Blue said:
We're going on Celebrity Millennium next March from Singapore to Tokyo via Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Would welcome any tips from anyone that's done something similar or visited the ports of call.
Did you do this? Didn't see a follow up. I just booked Celebrity Solstice for Mar 27 - 12 days Singapore/Thailand/Hong Kong. First ever cruise, Mrs staying at home and going with my best mate who drinks like a fish. Got the Concierge sunset Aft cabin.swanny71 said:
We’re on Brilliant Lady at the moment, currently mid Atlantic heading toward Halifax, Nova Scotia and then on to NYC.
First time cruise for us and we’re really enjoying it (I’ve spent years working at sea, so it’s fantastic having no duties or responsibilities).
Loads to do, excellent food, staff have all been great and the weather kind. It’s a ‘friends and family’ cruise so ridiculously cheap but we’d be tempted to do this again even at full price.
Result RE: getting on the Friends and Family cruise!First time cruise for us and we’re really enjoying it (I’ve spent years working at sea, so it’s fantastic having no duties or responsibilities).
Loads to do, excellent food, staff have all been great and the weather kind. It’s a ‘friends and family’ cruise so ridiculously cheap but we’d be tempted to do this again even at full price.
Edited by swanny71 on Wednesday 27th August 14:44
VV has started to pique our interest again. We had parked them after our fourth but i think its definitely something we could see ourselves doing again.
mattyn1 said:
Thinking about a first furore into a crisis despite 37 years in the RN.
How “cheap” would I feel if I selected a Britannia Inside opposed to a Britannia Oceanview on Queen Mary 2?
No other passengers will know, so its going to be down to you and how you feel about it. We've done inside rooms a couple of times when the deal was right and really enjoyed them. How “cheap” would I feel if I selected a Britannia Inside opposed to a Britannia Oceanview on Queen Mary 2?
If you've been in the RN then i'm sure you know the pros and cons of an inside room.
If theres only ££s of a difference between inside and Oceanview i'd probably opt for Oceanview. Thats what we did on that one we just booked on Queen Anne. I think it was only something like £30 each of a difference. Had it been £300 of a difference we'd have been happy with inside.
Deep Thought said:
No other passengers will know, so its going to be down to you and how you feel about it. We've done inside rooms a couple of times when the deal was right and really enjoyed them.
If you've been in the RN then i'm sure you know the pros and cons of an inside room.
If theres only ££s of a difference between inside and Oceanview i'd probably opt for Oceanview. Thats what we did on that one we just booked on Queen Anne. I think it was only something like £30 each of a difference. Had it been £300 of a difference we'd have been happy with inside.
Thanks. The worst was in 6Q on Illustrious which my pit was effectively right next to the aircraft lift! If you've been in the RN then i'm sure you know the pros and cons of an inside room.
If theres only ££s of a difference between inside and Oceanview i'd probably opt for Oceanview. Thats what we did on that one we just booked on Queen Anne. I think it was only something like £30 each of a difference. Had it been £300 of a difference we'd have been happy with inside.
At the moment I think there is about £500 difference between Inside and Oceanview.
well finally back from VVSL - and I have to say I'm not sure...
I'll start off with the positives:
- a multitude of restaurants with differing menus and some great choices
- a fairly decent canteen
- ship is modern
- staff are all very friendly
- some of the entertainment is very good!
- Dublin had an issue with tenders to port; after (one suspects) numerous complaints, it was satisfactorily resolved)
- some of the ice cream flavours were lovely
- juice available throughout the day
the negatives:
- the cabin and bathroom is a little on the pokey side
- embarkation was an absolute crapshoot, probably the worst I've been on
- booking the restaurants is likewise dreadful
- forced to share tables in many venues (I'm on holiday with Mrs DG, I don't want to share time with some rando)
- over-reliance on the app. I like my phone but don't want to have to look at messages every 5 minutes in case I miss something
- no 'quiet areas' to relax in
- seats aren't particularly comfortable
- whilst the shows can be good, a little precis of what they're about would be nice
- everything is run on ship-time, even when ashore in Benelux
- day's itinerary only available in the morning, makes it harder to plan out what to do the following day
- if you've got mobility issues (thankfully we don't) I'd imagine the boarding at Portsmouth could be a nightmare as the gangway is steep
- trips seemed to be wildly overpriced
- no real guidance/help/information leaflets for those going ashore, yes I know I can look stuff up but it did seem more like a bus service dropping you off at a stop and then "...ta ta folks, you're on your own..."
- we seemed to be 'dawdling along' on this trip Princess does a similar length UK cruise and, even allowing for Benelux, offers more UK stops (in fairness that was something we, obviously, knew before we booked so not a major issue)
- the rumpsteak in 2 of the restaurants was... poor, over-fatty and tough (several people we were sat near voiced this opinion, so it's not just Mrs DG)
there are doubtless more things I've missed (both positive and negative) but these'll do for now!
Overall I guess we warmed a little more to SL as the trip went on, but we wouldn't rush back to VV, or to put it another was any VV trip would have to be an exceptional itinerary. For us Azamara is still our favourite (by some margin) with VVlosing to the other cruises for comfort/itinerary, though above the others for food (with the exception of the abovementioned steak)
I'll start off with the positives:
- a multitude of restaurants with differing menus and some great choices
- a fairly decent canteen
- ship is modern
- staff are all very friendly
- some of the entertainment is very good!
- Dublin had an issue with tenders to port; after (one suspects) numerous complaints, it was satisfactorily resolved)
- some of the ice cream flavours were lovely
- juice available throughout the day
the negatives:
- the cabin and bathroom is a little on the pokey side
- embarkation was an absolute crapshoot, probably the worst I've been on
- booking the restaurants is likewise dreadful
- forced to share tables in many venues (I'm on holiday with Mrs DG, I don't want to share time with some rando)
- over-reliance on the app. I like my phone but don't want to have to look at messages every 5 minutes in case I miss something
- no 'quiet areas' to relax in
- seats aren't particularly comfortable
- whilst the shows can be good, a little precis of what they're about would be nice
- everything is run on ship-time, even when ashore in Benelux
- day's itinerary only available in the morning, makes it harder to plan out what to do the following day
- if you've got mobility issues (thankfully we don't) I'd imagine the boarding at Portsmouth could be a nightmare as the gangway is steep
- trips seemed to be wildly overpriced
- no real guidance/help/information leaflets for those going ashore, yes I know I can look stuff up but it did seem more like a bus service dropping you off at a stop and then "...ta ta folks, you're on your own..."
- we seemed to be 'dawdling along' on this trip Princess does a similar length UK cruise and, even allowing for Benelux, offers more UK stops (in fairness that was something we, obviously, knew before we booked so not a major issue)
- the rumpsteak in 2 of the restaurants was... poor, over-fatty and tough (several people we were sat near voiced this opinion, so it's not just Mrs DG)
there are doubtless more things I've missed (both positive and negative) but these'll do for now!
Overall I guess we warmed a little more to SL as the trip went on, but we wouldn't rush back to VV, or to put it another was any VV trip would have to be an exceptional itinerary. For us Azamara is still our favourite (by some margin) with VVlosing to the other cruises for comfort/itinerary, though above the others for food (with the exception of the abovementioned steak)
4 days till we set off to the Airport (3rd) stay overnight Term 4 in the Hilton with parking included then fly out on the 4th to Malta 
Sad git that I am, have checked out the weather for every day (I know it can change and all that, but it's looking hopeful) Haven't included embark/disembark days
Sad git that I am, have checked out the weather for every day
(I know it can change and all that, but it's looking hopeful) Haven't included embark/disembark daysCollectingbrass said:
Deep Thought said:
Collectingbrass said:
Which is fine until you're boarding in Portsmouth or in Toulon and have to hope that the bus driver drops you at the right big grey ship... Still, it probably wouldn't change the number of Bears on board.
Has there been more than one VV ship in a port before? I guess VV plan world domination at some point, but i think we're fine for a while yet....
Deep Thought said:
Collectingbrass said:
You any more VV cruises booked?
Edited by Deep Thought on Tuesday 26th August 12:48
Edited by Deep Thought on Tuesday 26th August 12:48
Biggest disappointment was La Coruna as we'd still torrential rain when we got there. Literally had to stay on the ship all day, the weather was that bad (shame as La Coruna is beautiful).
Our Sail Away party become a Sail In party as we sailed in to Lisbon. Amazing sailing in under the bridge with a huge party up on deck!
Fortunately it was a 12 nighter, but we "lost" the use of outside space for 3 days.
Iceland would be excellent. Did there a few years back on a cruise and its amazing. We did whale watching by RIB. You should be able to organise that locally in advance as although i'm sure VV will have it as an activity, they'll be charging two fortunes.
Being an agile RIB, we were able to get up close with the hump backed whales and porpoises.
Definitely worth doing.
mattyn1 said:
Thanks. The worst was in 6Q on Illustrious which my pit was effectively right next to the aircraft lift!
At the moment I think there is about £500 difference between Inside and Oceanview.
Nah i wouldnt be spending that extra! I think ours was £30 difference each so a no brainer!At the moment I think there is about £500 difference between Inside and Oceanview.
Deep Thought said:
mattyn1 said:
Thanks. The worst was in 6Q on Illustrious which my pit was effectively right next to the aircraft lift!
At the moment I think there is about £500 difference between Inside and Oceanview.
Nah i wouldnt be spending that extra! I think ours was £30 difference each so a no brainer!At the moment I think there is about £500 difference between Inside and Oceanview.
DodgyGeezer said:
well finally back from VVSL - and I have to say I'm not sure...
I'll start off with the positives:
- a multitude of restaurants with differing menus and some great choices
- a fairly decent canteen
- ship is modern
- staff are all very friendly
- some of the entertainment is very good!
- Dublin had an issue with tenders to port; after (one suspects) numerous complaints, it was satisfactorily resolved)
- some of the ice cream flavours were lovely
- juice available throughout the day
the negatives:
- the cabin and bathroom is a little on the pokey side
- embarkation was an absolute crapshoot, probably the worst I've been on
- booking the restaurants is likewise dreadful
- forced to share tables in many venues (I'm on holiday with Mrs DG, I don't want to share time with some rando)
- over-reliance on the app. I like my phone but don't want to have to look at messages every 5 minutes in case I miss something
- no 'quiet areas' to relax in
- seats aren't particularly comfortable
- whilst the shows can be good, a little precis of what they're about would be nice
- everything is run on ship-time, even when ashore in Benelux
- day's itinerary only available in the morning, makes it harder to plan out what to do the following day
- if you've got mobility issues (thankfully we don't) I'd imagine the boarding at Portsmouth could be a nightmare as the gangway is steep
- trips seemed to be wildly overpriced
- no real guidance/help/information leaflets for those going ashore, yes I know I can look stuff up but it did seem more like a bus service dropping you off at a stop and then "...ta ta folks, you're on your own..."
- we seemed to be 'dawdling along' on this trip Princess does a similar length UK cruise and, even allowing for Benelux, offers more UK stops (in fairness that was something we, obviously, knew before we booked so not a major issue)
- the rumpsteak in 2 of the restaurants was... poor, over-fatty and tough (several people we were sat near voiced this opinion, so it's not just Mrs DG)
there are doubtless more things I've missed (both positive and negative) but these'll do for now!
Overall I guess we warmed a little more to SL as the trip went on, but we wouldn't rush back to VV, or to put it another was any VV trip would have to be an exceptional itinerary. For us Azamara is still our favourite (by some margin) with VVlosing to the other cruises for comfort/itinerary, though above the others for food (with the exception of the abovementioned steak)
To be honest, i would concur with most of that. I'll start off with the positives:
- a multitude of restaurants with differing menus and some great choices
- a fairly decent canteen
- ship is modern
- staff are all very friendly
- some of the entertainment is very good!
- Dublin had an issue with tenders to port; after (one suspects) numerous complaints, it was satisfactorily resolved)
- some of the ice cream flavours were lovely
- juice available throughout the day
the negatives:
- the cabin and bathroom is a little on the pokey side
- embarkation was an absolute crapshoot, probably the worst I've been on
- booking the restaurants is likewise dreadful
- forced to share tables in many venues (I'm on holiday with Mrs DG, I don't want to share time with some rando)
- over-reliance on the app. I like my phone but don't want to have to look at messages every 5 minutes in case I miss something
- no 'quiet areas' to relax in
- seats aren't particularly comfortable
- whilst the shows can be good, a little precis of what they're about would be nice
- everything is run on ship-time, even when ashore in Benelux
- day's itinerary only available in the morning, makes it harder to plan out what to do the following day
- if you've got mobility issues (thankfully we don't) I'd imagine the boarding at Portsmouth could be a nightmare as the gangway is steep
- trips seemed to be wildly overpriced
- no real guidance/help/information leaflets for those going ashore, yes I know I can look stuff up but it did seem more like a bus service dropping you off at a stop and then "...ta ta folks, you're on your own..."
- we seemed to be 'dawdling along' on this trip Princess does a similar length UK cruise and, even allowing for Benelux, offers more UK stops (in fairness that was something we, obviously, knew before we booked so not a major issue)
- the rumpsteak in 2 of the restaurants was... poor, over-fatty and tough (several people we were sat near voiced this opinion, so it's not just Mrs DG)
there are doubtless more things I've missed (both positive and negative) but these'll do for now!
Overall I guess we warmed a little more to SL as the trip went on, but we wouldn't rush back to VV, or to put it another was any VV trip would have to be an exceptional itinerary. For us Azamara is still our favourite (by some margin) with VVlosing to the other cruises for comfort/itinerary, though above the others for food (with the exception of the abovementioned steak)
We maybe didnt see them as a big deal (and i'm not saying you are, necessarily) and we kind of accept no cruise line is perfect, so theres always niggles.
We had / have Deep Blue Extra status (or whatever its called now) and thus priority embarkation times but they've given that now to easily 25% of cruisers so its bedlam too. They gave everyone in that category the same 13:45 embarkation time and there were literally hundreds of people arriving...
Gunbae and Test kitchen, yes, shared seating. Fairly stuffed there. Everywhere else we got a table for two with no real issue.
A lot of the seats arent terribly comfortable - style over substance seating at The Dock being a prime example - Sip had the best seats, we found.
We were able to see what was happening the next day on our itineraries, maybe thats changed...
Steaks.... i'd do a fillet and my wife does sirloin or fillet. Those were "ok" but i dont think they use anywhere near the best cuts of meat. I guess thats a problem with "all restaurants included" - when there is no speciality restaurant upcharge there is clearly the temptation to cut corners on quality. Overall though we found the restaurants to be good.
Yes, i'd say VV is no match for Azamara and yes, i do think their advertising / image needs taken with a pinch of salt. They made a big pitch for "foodie cruise month" a couple of years back and we happened to be on that month. The advertising made it sound like it was going to be a total rework of the menus and an immersive, food focused experience. What it amounted to was an amuse bouche being given to you in the main restaurants and one extra item of food on each food outlet in The Galley. Was never even mentioned on board...
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff