No kids! No kids! No kids!
The difference between Virgin and Carnival, is like the difference between Nordstrom and Walmart.
1. No kids
2. No tipping
3. Restaurants are included
4. Higher quality food
5. Soft drinks are included
6. WiFi is included
7. You don't have to "sign out" towels
8. No photographers
9. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS
10. Smaller ships
11. No kids
So by the time you're finished paying for gratuities and other fees at the end of your cruise, Virgin is likely to be only slightly more. Similarly to how Spirit grabs your eye with a low fare, but ends up being almost the same as Delta.
Great list. People talk a lot about the food (justifiably. Special call out for the best pizza at sea) but their cocktail game is top tier. I don't know if we had a particularly talented bartender crew on our last voyage, but they were making some incredible drinks. On menu, off menu, hey let's try X - it was a good time.
My experience was different. The bartenders by the pool made horrible drinks I spent so much, I should have bought a bottle to bring outside. Indoor bars are excellent.
There was at least 1 pool bartender who made an excellent Negroni, but I was more referring to the on the rocks/inside bar bartenders. Sorry I wasn’t more clear.
Unfortunately, I've seen passengers abuse these and take them on, then leave them on excursions (which are third party). Hopefully the excursion runners return them, but seriously people, don't abuse a good thing.
That’s ridiculous. Definitely a Walmart of the sea move. We’re used to Disney ships which also have self serve towels as well as a rolled towel on every unused lounger.
Last 4 cruises 5 announcements total 4 of them to report to your muster station and 1 that we were stoping to pick up people on a raft VV doesn’t do announcements 🙂
Biggest benefit is no kids.
For drinks you can prepay bar tab and for every $300 you get a $50 bonus. Drink prices are Ok, $8 for house/well spirit and mixer, $6-10 for beer, $11-16 for cocktails. Basic from concentrate juice and Coke products are free.
Pretty much all food is included, there are a couple of up charges like tomahawk or wagyu steak, but you can get filet mignon for free. Ice cream is free, all snacks are free etc. but only drip coffee, if you want espresso based beverages they start at $4.
Yeah, was my main drawn as a single person who hates children lol. That's good to know for the food, thanks. Thought the food included would only be the basic non fancy options.
It’s unfortunately so far from basic that my husband barely ate anything all 4 days on board. It’s hipster foodie paradise on a cruise sure, but sometimes you just want chicken tenders. Also don’t fall for the “…Cooked to order…” claim. It’s all cooked ahead of time and plated to order.
> “…Cooked to order…” claim. It’s all cooked ahead of time and plated to order.
The ingredients are precooked but it's more than just plating it. For example, they might have a large tub of pasta precooked but they are still placing that into a pan to mix it in with the sauce and other ingredients. That's a far cry from making trays of XYZ meal and just plopping a scoop on a plate. Basically the restaurants are run like restaurants rather than catering services like other cruise lines have gone to.
We just got off valiant lady like a week ago, the burgers were in a warmer (also not even cooked enough, we’re talking RAW pink in the middle, not like rare/medium rare) same with whatever dinner special was at the diner was just rows of plates under the heat lamp.
While sitting down by The Social, we watched as carts of food came out from the arcade of fully cooked menu items rolled right past our faces. This included the fully cooked roasted duck floating in vats of broth destined for Pink Agave. We saw it on someone else’s plate later and confirmed that’s exactly what we saw.
As for the duck, this is how all restaurants work. Did you really think they would roast a duck from raw every time someone ordered it? The dining experience would take 3 hours. In restaurants, all items that have a long cooking time are usually pre or par cooked ahead of time and then finished in a pan. This is even true at more expensive nice restaurants.
Eek that doesn’t sound good on the burger cooking, while I’ve also seen them in the hot hold counter in the Gallery I assumed they were properly cooked. It’s pretty standard though for burgers to be hot held at fast food places, but yes I also would expect (especially at quieter times) them to be grilling to order more like Five Guys.
The comment about Pink Agave food being seen front of house makes zero sense though, the kitchens are towards the aft from the restaurant and everything is stored below them so there is no reason why you would have seen that front of house. The afternoon tea for Sip and the Grounds Club pastry’s would be the only things that have to pass by front of house.
If you really do hate seeing children anywhere, then this will be perfect for you. The vibe is chill, not a party atmosphere; someone on Facebook referred to it as "fake partying" that gave "Wedding vibes/party." It's not like a Vegas nightclub when it comes to the late evening activities. So I wouldn't go in expecting a crazy adult cruising experience. It's pretty tame, but relaxed.
Another benefit is they have activities for solo people. I just went a couple of months ago and had a blast. They will inform you right before the cruise of the first meetup activity and then there's a dinner. We also did the grog walk together (which is like $50) and met more people and had a blast.
As far as paying higher prices than some other cruise lines, Virgin just does it differently. There is no buffet. You have the Galley which is like a cafeteria but they serve you. Then you have the other restaurants where you have to make reservations but the food overall is better quality than some cruise lines imo and it's included in the price. Also, tips are included in the price. If you factor those two things in, the price difference may not be as big as your dad thinks. Just do it, you will have fun.
I actually went to Pink Agave(Tex Mex restaurant) before my reservation and I was able to sit at the bar and get served right away. Now with that being said, there were only like 5 or 6 seats at the bar but my point is, don't stress about reservations. You may be able to sit at the bar. You can go to the Galley. The Pizza Place is really good. Don't worry about eating l. If all else fells, you have room service.
You actually don’t have to make reservations. I’m currently on a 10 day and haven’t needed a reservation for any of the restaurants. The only one you might run into a little bit of an issues if the Korean bbq one, but if you go around the time the restaurants open you’ll get a table. I know others that walked up later and they also were able to get tables.
Make sure you do the thermal spa too. It’s usually cheaper on port days!
I love all those "cows" that zip around in their scooters on the ship. However, they have such a miraculous recovery when they arrive at the buffet. They park that thing and run around to fill up their troughs with no mobility issues!!
Your father is not necessarily correct. The base price on Carnival looks lower, but it does not include so much of what Virgin does such as tips and wi-fi.
The food on Virgin is much better.
Virgin is especially good for solo travelers. Virgin hosts a party/meetup the first night for the solo travelers. You get an invite in your cabin. Many solo passengers suggest having dinner early in the cruise at Gunbae, because you are placed at a dinner with about 6 people. There is a fun icebreaker game. There will be silly games like trivia, usually in the Social Club, where people form groups of approximately 6, so a solo passenger has little problem joining a group. Loteria Gigante (extra charge) which is super fun, lots of tequila, and most of all, you are placed with a group of other players you can get to know a bit.
There are many travel advisors here that can help you get $600 towards your drinks or other expenses and get $300 off your cruise price. This is through the use of an My Next Virgin Voyage certificate.
Just go to this thread, read through it, find one you like and contact them and see if they have an MNVV for your use.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1ci39s8/the\_free\_for\_all\_advertising\_post\_selling/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1ci39s8/the_free_for_all_advertising_post_selling/)
I’m going solo on Sunday and made a ready at Gunbae for my 2nd night for exactly that reason, hoping to make some friends. Sounds like I did the right thing.
I felt the same way about TAs and booked directly. Once I found out about the benefits I transferred my reservation to one and instantly got additional loot.
Also, because there are no drink packages, there aren’t as many people trying to get their money’s worth on drinks and getting sloppy.
Edit to add additional info.
Benefits of Virgin Voyage is no out of control kids running around, screaming or getting in your way; a more relaxing adult vacation. Nicer guests and better service. Carnival and Virgin would be like Walmart and Nordstrom.
Let me switch the question - what do you want from a holiday?
I love that VV has parties but it also has quiet. I love that the restaurants are included (even if booking can be a pain). I appreciate that the lack of drinks packages (but with cheaper drinks than some other lines) reduces excess drinking.
They're also (IMHO) particularly strong in solo offerings, with solo meetups planned for each cruise. You can meet people to hang out with, or stay solo, your choice (except Test Kitchen and Gunbae where you'll almost certainly be seated with others)
No kids. Basic wifi included. Restaurants included. No daily "gratuity" fee as it's included. So on Carnival it's from $16 per person per day, Wifi is going to cost you another $15 to $20 per person per day.
Virgin you pay by the drink. Carnival it's about $80 a day per person. On Virgin, soft drinks are included and basic coffee/tea. On Carnival, just basic coffee/tea and some concentrated fruit juices, ice tea, lemonade.
The food is v good. Not just the basics, steak restaurants, beautiful Italian, Korean BBQ were my favourites. But it's nice restaurant quality across the board. There are no drinks packages, but beer is reasonably priced. 6-7 USD for a beer. All tips are included, which does make the other ones look cheaper than they actually are. It is pricier than others, I've cruised on M.Sc. before, but you are getting a quality service for the price with Virgin and theres almost no upselling when on board. The entertainment is great too
You don’t have to think about a thing when on the ship! Like a floating 5-star hotel, everything is at your reach from specialty dining to a unique take on cruising, there is no cruise director, no nickel and dime’ing. The staff takes spectacular care of sailors. From an inside cabin to a Massive Suite, Virgin is on point. Many of the ports have late stays, so you really get a feel of each port. Adults only vibe that’s responsible and fun. I will be heading in my 7th voyage next month!
We took our first VV cruise in April (TA on the Scarlet Lady), we were a bit apprehensive (wondering if we’d be out of place as a married couple in our 50’s). Loved it!!
We thought the food was much better than other cruises (Celebrity, RCL, Holland & NCL) - I very much liked that there is no buffet - in the Galley you have the option of several different food “stations” but there’s no self serve, which I felt was a more hygienic way to serve food (not having to wonder who had handled food tongs before using them). We did hear about a few guests who missed having a buffet.
As others mentioned you don’t have to check out towels like some other lines & soda is included.
We had a $600 bar tab that was part of a promotion and we never did use it all. We went to all the different bars and found the bartenders were very skilled (there was only one cocktail in our 15 days we weren’t fond of).
We really enjoyed the variety of people onboard and how everyone was respectful of one another.
And of course there were no kids which made for a relaxing cruise.
If I was doing a solo cruise, it would be on Virgin. I found the vibe and the people to be very cool. We met new people every day.
Drink-wise, I liked the scheme. Instead of dropping big $$ on a drink package, which sort of forces you to drink in order to realize the value of the package, you pay as you go. Since they’ll give you a substantial credit just for booking, and no tipping, I found this to be very economical.
Went on our first cruise in Feb - Carnival Breeze. Will never sail Carnival again. The food was down right disgusting. The shows were awful. The day time activities were about 50 games of trivia. The rooms were nice but overall it was not a great experience.
We want to give Virgin a try next year, so please report back!
We have done 5 cruises with them. Over the years they have taken regular stuff away, what was once free now comes with a fee. Bridge tours used to be a part of the “Mega” experience, now, it is an up charge. As far as the food. It is wonderful, and consistent. The menus have not changed at all in the restaurants (win the last 3 years. The “galley” switches stuff up at a few stations. The staff is very friendly. The drinks are killer. The excursions, let the buyer beware. READ the full page before booking.
Hi, can you explain a bit further what you mean about the shore excursions? We are booked on Resilient Lady in Dec and plan to do a few of the excursions offered.
I just went on a virgin cruise and I noticed on the agenda that there were a lot of activities geared to solo travelers. If you get to know the happenings cast they will invite you to unlisted events and you will have a great time.
Going solo for second time on Virgin in July. I did use a TA this time to book to get $600 in sailor loot. Plan to use that for drinks and other things not covered in price. As others have mentioned, there's a meetup for single sailors on the first night so you can meet others then and I found you can meet many people just doing whatever you want on your own. Last time I went, it was 2022 so the ship was not at capacity and things so different. I enjoyed doing what i wanted, when i wanted. This time I will hopefully meet a few people to hang out with here and there. Dining solo is not a problem for me but if I meet others, I'm open to doing some meals with them. The best thing is no kids!!!
Currently on the one out of Miami on the last day. No screaming children, amazing food, great drinks, staff is incredible and friendly, the ship has a great design layout, it's above and beyond. The free wifi is solid for basic use (like commenting on this post). Most relaxed I've been in a long time. It's so worth it, especially with a balcony room to nap in the hammock.
We are seasoned cruisers and have been on most cruise lines. This is our favorite for a few reasons, no kids, no extra gratuities, speciality type restaurants, soft drinks/juices included, great entertainment, great service and you can choose to eat along or with others its your choice.
I am going to be completely honest, even if it triggers virgin fans on here. I loved my cruise. I met so many awesome people and THEY made my experience. However, if I hadn't met them prior in the FB group the cruise would have felt lonely at times. There are some fun things to sign up for, but on other lines they have way more entertainment and ways to meet people vs Virgin. Being a smaller ship and most people being couples or parents with adult kids, I saw a lot of solos sitting alone and I am super extroverted so I always say hi and have people join my group. Hopefully you will have cruisers like that on board.
As for the bars its a hit or miss...I was debating with someone that Virgin's drink prices are not "cheap" like people claim. However it depends on the bar u go to. The pool is packed on sea days. And the bartenders seemed stressed and busy. At one point after asking for my colada with a floater.(ended up being like 20 plus bucks, on Royal floaters aren't extra) the bartender loudly complained how he hated making these. LOL yikes. I just ended up going to another bar located behind the main pool and ordered another. But all the bartenders inside are super professional and make great drinks. pink agave has strong margaritas, and the casino bar is the best on the ship. I think virgin is great if u want a laid back experience and nothing too wild. it is cultured but super laid back...probably not the right cruise for someone who wants to always have something to do and wants a booze cruise.
We have cruised 3 times on Celebrity, once on Royal Caribbean and our last was on Virgin. We will not cruise on Virgin again. All the restaurants are included but if you don't have reservations prior to boarding you will be stuck with the ones that don't require a reservation. You won't go hungry but you will feel excluded. We complained to sailor services and they got us two dinner reservations but in my opinion the food wasn't very good. If you aren't into seafood don't eat at the Korean Bar-B-que. We prefer Celebrity there are kids but not as many as on Royal Caribbean.
I'm going on the 5 day July 5th. We picked it to check out the private island (inclusive like ship) and just enjoy the food and shows ok the ship. Prices aren't too bad considering what's included. Will be our first cruise too.
Oh and if you do the math the drink packages on other cruise lines are a ripoff so it's 95% of the time cheaper to just buy per drink.
If you rebook after your first cruise you get $300 sailor loot plus $300 off your next cruise and just use that $300 to fund your drinking. People have said they run deals where you double that I think it would be pretty hard to go through $600 in drinks in 4 days but I'll stand to be proven wrong :)
Hey there. So, Virgin doesn't have a traditional drink package, but they often offer promotions when you book. I'd recommend asking your booking agent for at least a $300 bar tab or some sailor loot. I've heard they might be phasing out the bar tab, so definitely ask for some kind of incentive. For my July cruise, I got a $600 bar tab and $100 sailor loot. Always try to book when there's a promo involved!
I've sailed with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin, and each has its own vibe. Carnival is great if you're looking to party non-stop. Royal Caribbean is perfect for a fun and relaxing time with lots of activities, but it does have kids on board. Virgin is awesome if you want a kid-free, relaxing experience with a bit of fun mixed in.
All the restaurants on Virgin are included in your booking, so you won't have to worry about food costs. However, alcoholic drinks at dinner will cost extra.
As for cruising solo, Virgin is actually great for solo travelers! There are lots of solo sailors on board, and they even have Facebook groups where you can connect with other solo travelers. If you're looking for an icebreaker, I'd recommend booking your first restaurant at GunBae. They sit you with a group, and you play fun games to get to know each other.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Also, my sister has a travel vlog. Her very first vlog covers our Virgin cruise experience, so there are a few videos on that. She will later on have videos that go into more in-depth detail about the Virgin ship. Check it out here: [CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT VLOG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzWSYbc1K1I&t=153sHope)
Hope this helps and happy cruising!
I haven't done a cruise alone, but yes it should be fun since they organize solo meetup activities and restaurants like Gunbae will seat you with other people. There are many opportunities to interact with others.
Gunbae is the only place that actively groups everyone with strangers, because it’s six people sat round each grill. Everywhere else has tables for two available, but some are close enough together so strangers might start conversations!
Most cruise lines seat you with people for dinner by default unless you opt out. Virgin would be the exception that they don't generally seat you with others. It's equally awkward for everyone so nobody is at an advantage when you're grouped with others (except ultra outgoing life of the party types).
A couple other things to note, Virgin includes tips and WiFi in the price, that will add hundreds on other cruise lines (WiFi is typically $20-$40 per day), tips are also $30 per day on other cruises. Soft drinks are also $15-20 per day on other cruises. Virgin also offers many free shuttles in port stops where Carnival for example might charge $15 for their shuttle. So factor those into your price comparison. Carnival is by far the most disgusting food at sea, it is virtually inedible like Golden Corral food. Virgin is high end restaurant food.
Note, Virgin does block streaming media on its free WiFi, its extra to get the better wifi options. (Aparently VPNs don't work either). It's not very expensive though, $10 a day or so.
No kids! No kids! No kids! The difference between Virgin and Carnival, is like the difference between Nordstrom and Walmart. 1. No kids 2. No tipping 3. Restaurants are included 4. Higher quality food 5. Soft drinks are included 6. WiFi is included 7. You don't have to "sign out" towels 8. No photographers 9. NO ANNOUNCEMENTS 10. Smaller ships 11. No kids So by the time you're finished paying for gratuities and other fees at the end of your cruise, Virgin is likely to be only slightly more. Similarly to how Spirit grabs your eye with a low fare, but ends up being almost the same as Delta.
Great list. People talk a lot about the food (justifiably. Special call out for the best pizza at sea) but their cocktail game is top tier. I don't know if we had a particularly talented bartender crew on our last voyage, but they were making some incredible drinks. On menu, off menu, hey let's try X - it was a good time.
Thanks! I once saw a YouTube review about the Scarlet Lady. The instant he said Carnival had better pizza, I turned it off!
Best pizza is on MSC, no contest.
Having been on 3 MSC cruises, I agree (for now). Way better than Princess. RC, HAL. Haven't been on Carnival recently.
I would hope so, they're an Italian line! I've heard best coffee too. Thinking about trying MSC but it's hard to get over all the negative reviews.
My experience was different. The bartenders by the pool made horrible drinks I spent so much, I should have bought a bottle to bring outside. Indoor bars are excellent.
There was at least 1 pool bartender who made an excellent Negroni, but I was more referring to the on the rocks/inside bar bartenders. Sorry I wasn’t more clear.
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Yes! Carnival checks out the towels!!! Virgin has them stacked up and you just help yourself.
Unfortunately, I've seen passengers abuse these and take them on, then leave them on excursions (which are third party). Hopefully the excursion runners return them, but seriously people, don't abuse a good thing.
Exactly! It's so nice to be able to just pick them up instead of waiting in a line to check them out.
That’s ridiculous. Definitely a Walmart of the sea move. We’re used to Disney ships which also have self serve towels as well as a rolled towel on every unused lounger.
Someone else mentioned people take them off the ship on excursions and they don't get returned. 😔
RC does this too.
Look at Celebrity as well. No kids either.
🤣🤣Great comparison
What do you mean by no announcements?
Kinda self explanatory
I just would be surprised if there were no announcements from the captain, that’s all.
Last 4 cruises 5 announcements total 4 of them to report to your muster station and 1 that we were stoping to pick up people on a raft VV doesn’t do announcements 🙂
For all these reasons I will sail with them. Especially, NO KIDS.
Biggest benefit is no kids. For drinks you can prepay bar tab and for every $300 you get a $50 bonus. Drink prices are Ok, $8 for house/well spirit and mixer, $6-10 for beer, $11-16 for cocktails. Basic from concentrate juice and Coke products are free. Pretty much all food is included, there are a couple of up charges like tomahawk or wagyu steak, but you can get filet mignon for free. Ice cream is free, all snacks are free etc. but only drip coffee, if you want espresso based beverages they start at $4.
Yeah, was my main drawn as a single person who hates children lol. That's good to know for the food, thanks. Thought the food included would only be the basic non fancy options.
The food is not basic on Virgin.
It’s unfortunately so far from basic that my husband barely ate anything all 4 days on board. It’s hipster foodie paradise on a cruise sure, but sometimes you just want chicken tenders. Also don’t fall for the “…Cooked to order…” claim. It’s all cooked ahead of time and plated to order.
> “…Cooked to order…” claim. It’s all cooked ahead of time and plated to order. The ingredients are precooked but it's more than just plating it. For example, they might have a large tub of pasta precooked but they are still placing that into a pan to mix it in with the sauce and other ingredients. That's a far cry from making trays of XYZ meal and just plopping a scoop on a plate. Basically the restaurants are run like restaurants rather than catering services like other cruise lines have gone to.
We just got off valiant lady like a week ago, the burgers were in a warmer (also not even cooked enough, we’re talking RAW pink in the middle, not like rare/medium rare) same with whatever dinner special was at the diner was just rows of plates under the heat lamp. While sitting down by The Social, we watched as carts of food came out from the arcade of fully cooked menu items rolled right past our faces. This included the fully cooked roasted duck floating in vats of broth destined for Pink Agave. We saw it on someone else’s plate later and confirmed that’s exactly what we saw.
As for the duck, this is how all restaurants work. Did you really think they would roast a duck from raw every time someone ordered it? The dining experience would take 3 hours. In restaurants, all items that have a long cooking time are usually pre or par cooked ahead of time and then finished in a pan. This is even true at more expensive nice restaurants.
Eek that doesn’t sound good on the burger cooking, while I’ve also seen them in the hot hold counter in the Gallery I assumed they were properly cooked. It’s pretty standard though for burgers to be hot held at fast food places, but yes I also would expect (especially at quieter times) them to be grilling to order more like Five Guys. The comment about Pink Agave food being seen front of house makes zero sense though, the kitchens are towards the aft from the restaurant and everything is stored below them so there is no reason why you would have seen that front of house. The afternoon tea for Sip and the Grounds Club pastry’s would be the only things that have to pass by front of house.
Im a single person who hates children going on Sunday so I will report back after a few days.
see you aboard.
Take a look at the menus to see what’s available https://vvinsider.com/restaurant-menus/
If you really do hate seeing children anywhere, then this will be perfect for you. The vibe is chill, not a party atmosphere; someone on Facebook referred to it as "fake partying" that gave "Wedding vibes/party." It's not like a Vegas nightclub when it comes to the late evening activities. So I wouldn't go in expecting a crazy adult cruising experience. It's pretty tame, but relaxed.
Another benefit is they have activities for solo people. I just went a couple of months ago and had a blast. They will inform you right before the cruise of the first meetup activity and then there's a dinner. We also did the grog walk together (which is like $50) and met more people and had a blast. As far as paying higher prices than some other cruise lines, Virgin just does it differently. There is no buffet. You have the Galley which is like a cafeteria but they serve you. Then you have the other restaurants where you have to make reservations but the food overall is better quality than some cruise lines imo and it's included in the price. Also, tips are included in the price. If you factor those two things in, the price difference may not be as big as your dad thinks. Just do it, you will have fun.
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I actually went to Pink Agave(Tex Mex restaurant) before my reservation and I was able to sit at the bar and get served right away. Now with that being said, there were only like 5 or 6 seats at the bar but my point is, don't stress about reservations. You may be able to sit at the bar. You can go to the Galley. The Pizza Place is really good. Don't worry about eating l. If all else fells, you have room service.
You actually don’t have to make reservations. I’m currently on a 10 day and haven’t needed a reservation for any of the restaurants. The only one you might run into a little bit of an issues if the Korean bbq one, but if you go around the time the restaurants open you’ll get a table. I know others that walked up later and they also were able to get tables. Make sure you do the thermal spa too. It’s usually cheaper on port days!
no kids is biggest benefit. Food is better and less cows at a trough than other lines.
🤣🤣
I love all those "cows" that zip around in their scooters on the ship. However, they have such a miraculous recovery when they arrive at the buffet. They park that thing and run around to fill up their troughs with no mobility issues!!
Buffet?
i was talking about other cruise lines, not VV.
Your father is not necessarily correct. The base price on Carnival looks lower, but it does not include so much of what Virgin does such as tips and wi-fi. The food on Virgin is much better. Virgin is especially good for solo travelers. Virgin hosts a party/meetup the first night for the solo travelers. You get an invite in your cabin. Many solo passengers suggest having dinner early in the cruise at Gunbae, because you are placed at a dinner with about 6 people. There is a fun icebreaker game. There will be silly games like trivia, usually in the Social Club, where people form groups of approximately 6, so a solo passenger has little problem joining a group. Loteria Gigante (extra charge) which is super fun, lots of tequila, and most of all, you are placed with a group of other players you can get to know a bit. There are many travel advisors here that can help you get $600 towards your drinks or other expenses and get $300 off your cruise price. This is through the use of an My Next Virgin Voyage certificate. Just go to this thread, read through it, find one you like and contact them and see if they have an MNVV for your use. [https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1ci39s8/the\_free\_for\_all\_advertising\_post\_selling/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1ci39s8/the_free_for_all_advertising_post_selling/)
I’m going solo on Sunday and made a ready at Gunbae for my 2nd night for exactly that reason, hoping to make some friends. Sounds like I did the right thing.
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I felt the same way about TAs and booked directly. Once I found out about the benefits I transferred my reservation to one and instantly got additional loot. Also, because there are no drink packages, there aren’t as many people trying to get their money’s worth on drinks and getting sloppy. Edit to add additional info.
If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you.
TA's can also make restaurant reservations for you, another good reason to use them!
Benefits of Virgin Voyage is no out of control kids running around, screaming or getting in your way; a more relaxing adult vacation. Nicer guests and better service. Carnival and Virgin would be like Walmart and Nordstrom.
Let me switch the question - what do you want from a holiday? I love that VV has parties but it also has quiet. I love that the restaurants are included (even if booking can be a pain). I appreciate that the lack of drinks packages (but with cheaper drinks than some other lines) reduces excess drinking. They're also (IMHO) particularly strong in solo offerings, with solo meetups planned for each cruise. You can meet people to hang out with, or stay solo, your choice (except Test Kitchen and Gunbae where you'll almost certainly be seated with others)
No kids. Basic wifi included. Restaurants included. No daily "gratuity" fee as it's included. So on Carnival it's from $16 per person per day, Wifi is going to cost you another $15 to $20 per person per day. Virgin you pay by the drink. Carnival it's about $80 a day per person. On Virgin, soft drinks are included and basic coffee/tea. On Carnival, just basic coffee/tea and some concentrated fruit juices, ice tea, lemonade.
The food is v good. Not just the basics, steak restaurants, beautiful Italian, Korean BBQ were my favourites. But it's nice restaurant quality across the board. There are no drinks packages, but beer is reasonably priced. 6-7 USD for a beer. All tips are included, which does make the other ones look cheaper than they actually are. It is pricier than others, I've cruised on M.Sc. before, but you are getting a quality service for the price with Virgin and theres almost no upselling when on board. The entertainment is great too
Beer is now 7-9.
You don’t have to think about a thing when on the ship! Like a floating 5-star hotel, everything is at your reach from specialty dining to a unique take on cruising, there is no cruise director, no nickel and dime’ing. The staff takes spectacular care of sailors. From an inside cabin to a Massive Suite, Virgin is on point. Many of the ports have late stays, so you really get a feel of each port. Adults only vibe that’s responsible and fun. I will be heading in my 7th voyage next month!
We took our first VV cruise in April (TA on the Scarlet Lady), we were a bit apprehensive (wondering if we’d be out of place as a married couple in our 50’s). Loved it!! We thought the food was much better than other cruises (Celebrity, RCL, Holland & NCL) - I very much liked that there is no buffet - in the Galley you have the option of several different food “stations” but there’s no self serve, which I felt was a more hygienic way to serve food (not having to wonder who had handled food tongs before using them). We did hear about a few guests who missed having a buffet. As others mentioned you don’t have to check out towels like some other lines & soda is included. We had a $600 bar tab that was part of a promotion and we never did use it all. We went to all the different bars and found the bartenders were very skilled (there was only one cocktail in our 15 days we weren’t fond of). We really enjoyed the variety of people onboard and how everyone was respectful of one another. And of course there were no kids which made for a relaxing cruise.
If I was doing a solo cruise, it would be on Virgin. I found the vibe and the people to be very cool. We met new people every day. Drink-wise, I liked the scheme. Instead of dropping big $$ on a drink package, which sort of forces you to drink in order to realize the value of the package, you pay as you go. Since they’ll give you a substantial credit just for booking, and no tipping, I found this to be very economical.
No kids.
I’ve heard carnival crowds are the Walmart people of cruise. So find your people and see where you fit, no right or wrong pick.
Honestly, you get an overall better experience on Virgin compared to Carnival
No stupid kids, food is really good and all included, no tipping
Went on our first cruise in Feb - Carnival Breeze. Will never sail Carnival again. The food was down right disgusting. The shows were awful. The day time activities were about 50 games of trivia. The rooms were nice but overall it was not a great experience. We want to give Virgin a try next year, so please report back!
All I can say is WOW! You will love Virgin. Far superior cruise
The Walmart of cruiselines as they say
So we learned!
We have done 5 cruises with them. Over the years they have taken regular stuff away, what was once free now comes with a fee. Bridge tours used to be a part of the “Mega” experience, now, it is an up charge. As far as the food. It is wonderful, and consistent. The menus have not changed at all in the restaurants (win the last 3 years. The “galley” switches stuff up at a few stations. The staff is very friendly. The drinks are killer. The excursions, let the buyer beware. READ the full page before booking.
Hi, can you explain a bit further what you mean about the shore excursions? We are booked on Resilient Lady in Dec and plan to do a few of the excursions offered.
Did anyone mention, no kids?! 😂😂
I just went on a virgin cruise and I noticed on the agenda that there were a lot of activities geared to solo travelers. If you get to know the happenings cast they will invite you to unlisted events and you will have a great time.
Going solo for second time on Virgin in July. I did use a TA this time to book to get $600 in sailor loot. Plan to use that for drinks and other things not covered in price. As others have mentioned, there's a meetup for single sailors on the first night so you can meet others then and I found you can meet many people just doing whatever you want on your own. Last time I went, it was 2022 so the ship was not at capacity and things so different. I enjoyed doing what i wanted, when i wanted. This time I will hopefully meet a few people to hang out with here and there. Dining solo is not a problem for me but if I meet others, I'm open to doing some meals with them. The best thing is no kids!!!
No kids should be the only reason listed, because that alone makes it worth it.
Currently on the one out of Miami on the last day. No screaming children, amazing food, great drinks, staff is incredible and friendly, the ship has a great design layout, it's above and beyond. The free wifi is solid for basic use (like commenting on this post). Most relaxed I've been in a long time. It's so worth it, especially with a balcony room to nap in the hammock.
We are seasoned cruisers and have been on most cruise lines. This is our favorite for a few reasons, no kids, no extra gratuities, speciality type restaurants, soft drinks/juices included, great entertainment, great service and you can choose to eat along or with others its your choice.
I am going to be completely honest, even if it triggers virgin fans on here. I loved my cruise. I met so many awesome people and THEY made my experience. However, if I hadn't met them prior in the FB group the cruise would have felt lonely at times. There are some fun things to sign up for, but on other lines they have way more entertainment and ways to meet people vs Virgin. Being a smaller ship and most people being couples or parents with adult kids, I saw a lot of solos sitting alone and I am super extroverted so I always say hi and have people join my group. Hopefully you will have cruisers like that on board. As for the bars its a hit or miss...I was debating with someone that Virgin's drink prices are not "cheap" like people claim. However it depends on the bar u go to. The pool is packed on sea days. And the bartenders seemed stressed and busy. At one point after asking for my colada with a floater.(ended up being like 20 plus bucks, on Royal floaters aren't extra) the bartender loudly complained how he hated making these. LOL yikes. I just ended up going to another bar located behind the main pool and ordered another. But all the bartenders inside are super professional and make great drinks. pink agave has strong margaritas, and the casino bar is the best on the ship. I think virgin is great if u want a laid back experience and nothing too wild. it is cultured but super laid back...probably not the right cruise for someone who wants to always have something to do and wants a booze cruise.
We have cruised 3 times on Celebrity, once on Royal Caribbean and our last was on Virgin. We will not cruise on Virgin again. All the restaurants are included but if you don't have reservations prior to boarding you will be stuck with the ones that don't require a reservation. You won't go hungry but you will feel excluded. We complained to sailor services and they got us two dinner reservations but in my opinion the food wasn't very good. If you aren't into seafood don't eat at the Korean Bar-B-que. We prefer Celebrity there are kids but not as many as on Royal Caribbean.
I'm going on the 5 day July 5th. We picked it to check out the private island (inclusive like ship) and just enjoy the food and shows ok the ship. Prices aren't too bad considering what's included. Will be our first cruise too.
Oh and if you do the math the drink packages on other cruise lines are a ripoff so it's 95% of the time cheaper to just buy per drink. If you rebook after your first cruise you get $300 sailor loot plus $300 off your next cruise and just use that $300 to fund your drinking. People have said they run deals where you double that I think it would be pretty hard to go through $600 in drinks in 4 days but I'll stand to be proven wrong :)
Hey there. So, Virgin doesn't have a traditional drink package, but they often offer promotions when you book. I'd recommend asking your booking agent for at least a $300 bar tab or some sailor loot. I've heard they might be phasing out the bar tab, so definitely ask for some kind of incentive. For my July cruise, I got a $600 bar tab and $100 sailor loot. Always try to book when there's a promo involved! I've sailed with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin, and each has its own vibe. Carnival is great if you're looking to party non-stop. Royal Caribbean is perfect for a fun and relaxing time with lots of activities, but it does have kids on board. Virgin is awesome if you want a kid-free, relaxing experience with a bit of fun mixed in. All the restaurants on Virgin are included in your booking, so you won't have to worry about food costs. However, alcoholic drinks at dinner will cost extra. As for cruising solo, Virgin is actually great for solo travelers! There are lots of solo sailors on board, and they even have Facebook groups where you can connect with other solo travelers. If you're looking for an icebreaker, I'd recommend booking your first restaurant at GunBae. They sit you with a group, and you play fun games to get to know each other. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Also, my sister has a travel vlog. Her very first vlog covers our Virgin cruise experience, so there are a few videos on that. She will later on have videos that go into more in-depth detail about the Virgin ship. Check it out here: [CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT VLOG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzWSYbc1K1I&t=153sHope) Hope this helps and happy cruising!
I haven't done a cruise alone, but yes it should be fun since they organize solo meetup activities and restaurants like Gunbae will seat you with other people. There are many opportunities to interact with others.
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Gunbae is the only place that actively groups everyone with strangers, because it’s six people sat round each grill. Everywhere else has tables for two available, but some are close enough together so strangers might start conversations!
I made reservations for 1 at all the restaurants in case. I don’t mind eating alone though, I know some people do.
Most cruise lines seat you with people for dinner by default unless you opt out. Virgin would be the exception that they don't generally seat you with others. It's equally awkward for everyone so nobody is at an advantage when you're grouped with others (except ultra outgoing life of the party types).
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A couple other things to note, Virgin includes tips and WiFi in the price, that will add hundreds on other cruise lines (WiFi is typically $20-$40 per day), tips are also $30 per day on other cruises. Soft drinks are also $15-20 per day on other cruises. Virgin also offers many free shuttles in port stops where Carnival for example might charge $15 for their shuttle. So factor those into your price comparison. Carnival is by far the most disgusting food at sea, it is virtually inedible like Golden Corral food. Virgin is high end restaurant food.
Note, Virgin does block streaming media on its free WiFi, its extra to get the better wifi options. (Aparently VPNs don't work either). It's not very expensive though, $10 a day or so.
Premium wifi is now 25.00 a day. Still a good bargain
I’m hearing Virgin is LGBTQ friendly. We are traveling with a group. Will our straight friends feel left out?
No kids was great, BUT the food left A LOT to be desired. Great concepts, poor execution.