FirstTimeFreddy

August 2024 -  We lasted just two days on board the Viking Tialfi's Rhine Getaway before self curtailing. It was our first river cruise and will certainly be the last. It was like a cattle market. Forced to sit on large tables making meals awkward and uncomfortable. The noise was awful with nearly 200 people crammed into the Restaurant, shouting conversation at one another. Every course was served in sequence at the same. If you skipped the starter, you had to wait until everyone reached the main course. Nil 2 seater tables for couples. Nothing remotely refined or enjoyable about the experience whatsover.

The only escape was the Aquavit Terrace, but this had very limited seating, and you had to camp out to secure a seat at either of the two seater tables. There was also no flexibility offered regarding what time you ate. It was all or nothing! You weren't even allowed to eat your dinner in the Lounge, as crew would only serve you on the Aquavit Terrace. 

Nothing to eat but cookies and apples between meals. If you remained on the longship between lunch and dinner, roughly 6 hours in between, you were left hungry. Not the best if you're a diabetic. We literally had to order take out to be delivered to the boat!

Cabin smelled of sewage upon arrival. Took 24hrs for it to subside. Cabin's were poorly insulated from surrounding noise, and even worse than on a cruise ship. Woken from 6am with the sound of vacuum toilets flushing. PA announcements were made inside our cabin from 8am regarding excursion pick-ups. We hadn't even booked any! We tend to be late risers, so this noise intrusion was awful, and we were even wearing ear plugs. 

We were pi**ed off and exhausted. Viking's ocean cruising product is far superior and better value for money. For our own mental and physical well being we felt we had no choice but to return home. We disembarked at Kehl and took a taxi to Strasbourg airport and flew back home to London at our own cost. The relief when we got home was palpable. The whole thing was an ordeal on our senses from beginning to end. It was the biggest waste of £5k ever, not that Viking will care. Never again.

Have just got off the Apex on an 11 night to Iceland. It was my first time back with Celebrity since cruising on a few Solstice Class cruises pre-pandemic. I then switched to Princess for a while. 

Not only did I see cut backs in menus, portion sizes and overall quality, the price gouging for speciality restaurants and excursions was crazy. I remember speciality costing $25-$35pp and now it's $70-$80pp for some. We ate at Fine Cut and the bill was $200! Celebrity aren't alone in this, as has been mentioned. It's across the board. 

We're currently on a 12 day UK cruise on the Regal. Our 4th Princess cruise. We had the opportunity to get a very cheap fare on the Viking Venus for an 8 day Adriatic, when cruising was only beginning to return in 2021. There was only 175 passengers on the ship and it was amazing! It felt like having our own private yacht.

We love both cruise lines, but they're very different from one another. In 2023 Viking cruise prices are upwards of 3k pp and for us there's better value for money with Princess. We have no issue cruising with the masses and the Regal even at capacity has never felt too crowded. We would like to try Viking again one day and would highly recommend them. In the meantime, right now we're more price focused and are happy to stick with Princess.

We've all been woken by in room announcements at 5.40am relating to an emergency in the engine room. All in-room electrical power, plumbing and air conditioning was shut off for at least 30 minutes before being restored at 6.15am. As I use a Cpap machine to breath, it stopped working due to the loss of power and that's what initially alerted me to a problem. We're currently off the coast of Ireland close to our intended port stop for Dublin. Have no idea at this stage what is happening, but the ship is at capacity and everyone on board will have been awoken by the situation. 🤷‍♂️

We're currently on the Regal Princess in L301. Balcony is great but the noise is awful. There are two automated doors that are directly beside this room that give access to the Lido deck. The rattling and banging is non stop. It starts as soon as crew/passengers are awake around 6am and doesn't stop until around midnight. Added noise is made from carts being moved from the bars and towel carts through these doorways, as they loudly bang the metal floor guards. We've been on many cruises and you should always expect some noise, but not even our ear plugs prevent us from hearing the noise. My partner was forced to wear noise canceling headphones in addition to the ear plugs just to get some sleep. We requested a room move but to no avail as the ship is sold out. Guest Services said that they are aware of the noise issues related to L301 and we're not the first passengers in this room to report the problem.

25 minutes ago, englishlee said:

I'm currently on board and in a quarantine cabin! Walking down the corridor to get to our 'new' cabin there seemed to be quite a lot occupied, no idea of exact numbers but I'd say 20-30 cabins currently being utilised maybe significantly more.

So sorry to hear this. We board the Sky on Saturday and this scenario sounds awful. I take it you'll be quarantined until you test negative and/or the cruise ends?

Out of curiosity, did the Princess drinks packages always have the 15 alcoholic drinks limitation? Were they ever unlimited?

15 hours ago, cruisingrob21 said:

We personally liked the ones on the lido deck, deck 16 - MC and MF category I believe.  If you are in a warm climate and enjoy being outdoors by the pools, hottubs, buffet its a great location.  If you are more of a "deck 7" kind of person during the day and night, its several decks down (and eventually back up) and may not be everyone's preference.

Agreed. We're returning to a Mini-Suite on Deck 16 exactly for the reasons you mention. We loved the location on our last cruise on the Sky Princess. The Buffet, Pools, Hot tubs, The Mix Bar, Slice,Swirls and the Salty Dog Grill are all a short walk from your room. 

56 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

No water sold at gangway on sky princess this week.  Most any drink on the ship is included….other than a very few single malt scotches and maybe some others I haven’t found.  The “house” wine are included in the dining rooms…..not identified other than Shiraz Chardonnay, etc.  I order a more expensive wine and pay the extra $2-4 but I know what I’m drinking.  For the most part, the medallion you wear isn’t used for drinks..you just tell them your cabin and your picture shows up so they can verify it’’s you.  You can order a double wine or drink (unlike Celebrity where you can only order a single). Straight bar drinks are 1.5 oz.

As an aside, what's your experience been like on the Sky? We board on the cruise after yours and wondered if others have enjoyed the Sky. 

It puzzles me how Viking UK and Viking US/CA operate different promotions. In the UK airfare is always included in all prices, promotions or otherwise. Yet in North America you have to pay for airfare unless promoted as a free airfare offer, like the one above AFA22. 🤷‍♀️

On 7/25/2022 at 5:40 PM, eadv said:

We are scheduled on the maiden voyage November 17 from Istanbul.  I'm looking for some fellow cruisers to talk to prior to departure.

We're also booked on the November 17th cruise from Istanbul. I didn't realise it was going to be the maiden/inaugural cruise. Now I'm a little worried that the ship may not be ready. What does Viking usually offer if they cancel your cruise?

Disclaimer:  This review is based on my experience of a 5 night Amsterdam to Portsmouth sailing on 24th April 2022. This was my first experience with Virgin Voyages, but not the Virgin brand. I can only speak from my own experience of the ship. Your mileage may be different. On this particular sailing of Valiant Lady, only 600 passengers were on board. I sailed solo and I'm a 48 year old man.

As a loyal Virgin Atlantic customer and also regular cruiser, I decided to try Virgin Voyages on a 5 night sailing on the Valiant Lady from Amsterdam to Portsmouth. From the moment I boarded the ship it was very apparent that Virgin were determined to do things differently and set themselves apart from the mainstay cruise lines. They've dared to challenge passenger (Sailor) expectations and in many ways the ship feels like it's 'out with the old and in with the new'. On paper this clean sheet approach sounds quite exciting and innovative. However, the reality is somewhat opposite, as there are numerous problems with Virgin's 'redefined' cruise model.

Firstly let me start with some positives.

1. The attitude and demeanour of the crew.

The friendliness of the crew was the real silver lining to my voyage. The crew seemed genuinely relaxed and happy to be there. Every crew member that I encountered was friendly and approachable. Virgin have introduced a relaxed dress code for its crew and they all seemed to appreciate the less formal environment. Virgin have also allowed crew to be individuals as part of their policy of inclusivity. You will find many of them sporting Tattoos and Piercings and the crew certainly appreciate and enjoy this freedom of expression. This was great to see and I think other cruise lines could learn a thing or two here. 

2. Hydration won't be a problem.

Unlike other cruise lines that charge for bottles of water or include them in paid drinks packages, Virgin ensures that everyone on board has access to both still and sparkling water at all times. You can order multiple Carafes of water to your room at any time without charge. There is also plenty of water bottle filling stations throughout the ship. You won't go thirsty for water on a Virgin Voyages cruise. 

3. The Cabins and the Hammock.

Since debuting their first ship, the Scarlet Lady, Virgin have brought some much needed extra warmth to the interior of the cabins on the Valiant Lady. Many have criticised the cabins as looking like an Ikea catalogue, but I really enjoyed the decor and as a solo cruiser, there was plenty of storage. However, I can appreciate that others may require more storage overall. All cabins have tablet controlled LED mood and main lighting. In the Sea Terrace (Balcony) cabins, your tablet can also control your curtains/drapes. I thought the mood lighting was fun and innovative idea and it helped bring an extra feel to the cabin. However, the winning feature was the Hammock on the balcony. It was comfortable, safe and very relaxing, no matter what your body size is. I'm a big chap and would never dream of getting in a Hammock usually, but I did get into this one and it was extremely relaxing and a lovely addition to the cabin.

4. Virgin's interior design.

I thought the ship looked modern and stylish, just as you would expect from the Virgin brand. The real stand out were the elevators which have large LED screens on the back wall, as well as clever lighting that gives the illusion of being in an Aquarium or Pool. Very innovative and a fun addition where every elevator has a different colour palette.

5. Some honourable mentions.

The speciality restaurants on board are very good. In particular, Pink Agave which is their Mexican cuisine offering. It was delicious. But overall, all of the speciality restaurants on board served food of excellent quality. The fact that these restaurants are included in your cruise fare is also a great move by Virgin Voyages. Big thumbs up from me.

Which brings me to the things I didn't like about the Valiant Lady.

1. Level of service

On any other cruise ship you can expect to be offered a drink, be it alcoholic, soft or a hot beverage not matter where you are on the ship. On other cruise lines you can happily sit in the Atrium, soft seating areas of the ship or the sun decks and be tended to by plenty of waiters. However, on my particular sailing Virgin really let itself down. I sat in the Atrium area of the ship very close to a Bar. It took 20 minutes before a member of the bar staff approached me to ask if I wanted a drink. He had been busy chatting with his colleague prior to this. When he eventually came to me, I asked for a coffee and some milk, but was told 'No'.

Virgin sell premium Coffee on board and also free drip Coffee from specific areas of the ship. The bars onboard don't have individual Coffee machines and bar staff won't bring you a hot beverage. They will bring you a paid alcoholic drink, but if you want a Tea or a Coffee, you'll be told to go to the Coffee Bar and purchase a drink or visit those decks that have free drip Coffee available. This is unheard of on other cruise lines. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than capable of getting up and getting my own drink. However, this is not what we've come to expect from full service cruise lines such as Celebrity, P&O, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Likewise, on the sun decks there was one member of bar staff behind the bar and just one person acting as remote bar staff nearby. I appreciate that sailing the English Channel is hardly typical sun-bathing weather, but when the sun did come out, there simply wasn't enough crew to take drinks orders. I spent one afternoon on the highest sun deck of the ship and not once did the bar staff come near or by. 

What confuses me is that Virgin already knows how to provide excellent waiter service. Just look at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow. At the Clubhouse your every need is tended to and anything you want is brought to you. Why Virgin haven't simply taken this model and transferred it to their cruise ships is beyond me. But this issue needs to be addressed and improvements made.

2. Crew training and levels of cleanliness in The Galley

On deck 15 you will find The Galley which is Virgin's take on main dining and a buffet. Virgin have removed all main dining options from their cruise ships and instead offer 6 casual dining options in a buffet style table service area. You have to sit and wait for a crew member to approach you to take your order, then wait for your food to be brought to you. As lovely and friendly as the crew are, the level of cleanliness was very disappointing. Crew were so laid back and chatty with one another that often tables were left dirty with crumbs and other food detritus left on the floor.

On my first afternoon on the ship I decided to eat in The Galley. I watched crew members within feet of dirty tables, making no effort to clean them. It finally took a supervisor to instruct them to clean the tables and the floor. On another occasion I decided to grab some drip Coffee from The Galley. I decided to sit and enjoy the sea views, but quickly realised that 5 tables in my vicinity were dirty with no one around to clean them. Then on my third day on the ship I attended The Galley for Breakfast. The table looked clean and so I sat down ready to order my food. To my dismay, when I looked at the floor under my table it was strewn with food and crumbs.

There is clearly a training issue here that needs to be addressed by Virgin. Not once did I see any crew member with a broom or dust pan cleaning under tables. On other cruise lines standards are much higher, but with Virgin there seems to be no one assigned to specific tasks. Instead it appears that all crew are expected to share the responsibility. Sadly, from what I witnessed, few wished to accept that responsibility. Though I appreciate Virgin's relaxed approach, its crew seemed easily distracted by one another and were quick to forget that they have a job to do.

3. Poor entertainment, little to do of a daytime and removal of a daily newsletter.

Apart from a Guitarist and a venue where you can play board games, I found very little else to do on the ship. On other cruise lines you have a Cruise Director who is visible and interactive with their passengers. There is no such person that I could see who fulfilled this role on the Valiant Lady. Indeed I couldn't even tell you who the Captain was. On other cruise lines you have such things as indoor archery, dance classes, a Library,  glass blowing, art auctions, ice skating etc. Virgin's reinvention of the cruise experience has completely removed such things. Instead, they seem focused on fitness and wellbeing and concentrate their offerings in this area. Overall, the ship lacked the energy and atmosphere that I've experienced on other cruise lines.

Virgin have also removed paper daily newsletters from cabins. Instead, they wish you to use the Virgin Voyages App to keep abreast of what's happening on the ship. For me, this is a big step backwards by Virgin. The App isn't reliable and the events information contained within it is piecemeal at best. With the conventional newsletter, a cruise passenger could expect up to 4 pages of concise information detailing events and opening times. Though I appreciate Virgin wanting to save on paper waste, most cruise lines have comprehensive recycling systems in place. I can see what Virgin was aiming for by removing paper and replacing it with a digital technology. However, the App must at least be on par with what it's replacing. Sadly, it isn't. In addition, not everyone is tech-savvy or can download and use Apps. Older generations or experienced cruisers may not appreciate this move away from what they're used to on other cruise lines, and may not be inclined to use the App.

As for the entertainment, I could only find one main show. Duel Reality was their only offering and it was located in their theatre called The Red Room. Now I say theatre but I use this term very loosely. Virgin call it a 'transformational multi-use theatre at sea', but it looked more like a basketball court with cinema style seating on either side. It was very odd looking and didn't have the capacity of a conventional theatre. In fairness the show was entertaining and fun, but in my opinion, cruise ship theatres really don't need Prosceniums or Alleys. As innovative as it appeared to be, it added nothing to the experience. 

4. Terrible WIFI that cannot be upgraded.

The WIFI offered by Virgin Voyages is included in your cruise fare, but it was very poor. It didn't help matters that the crew are also given free reign to use ship WIFI, so at any one time there can be a lot of people trying to access it. Also, you cannot upgrade to a better WIFI package that enables streaming of any kind. I was so relieved when we arrived into Zeebrugge for two days, because I was able to use the 5G connectivity on my phone. Compared to its competitors, Virgin's free WIFI is bare bones and I found it incredibly frustrating that there was no way to upgrade it.

5. Noise from the Gym & Running Track in Deck 14 cabins.

My cabin was 14124Z on the deck 14. The Gym is located directly above and covers both sides of the ship. One side is cardiovascular and the other weight training. The crashing and booming of weights being dropped or pull bars being released with heavy weights attached, was horrendous. The Gym must have been open 24hrs because the noise was continuous day and night, even into the early hours of the morning.

I complained to the Gym attendant and was told that signage had been placed in the area to ask people to use the equipment responsibly. However, both crew and passengers were slamming the weights continuously. Upon inspection of the Gym, none of the heavy equipment had any kind of rubber matting underneath to absorb the noise. Equipment on the Valiant Lady has simply been placed onto the floor surface. As such, there isn't any kind of noise dampening, and so noise travels directly to the decks below.

It's also worth noting that the elevated running track attached to Deck 15 doesn't have any noise dampening. In deck 14 cabins you will continuously hear the pounding of running feet above you. In all my years of cruising I've never experienced a cabin with so much noise coming from above.

In fairness to Virgin, every cruise ship has noise and vibration issues. Some cabins are in close proximity to theatres, clubs, bars and sun decks. I've learned from experience to always travel with a good set of Ear Plugs and I advise anyone going on a cruise to take plenty with them. Nevertheless, If you're cruising with Virgin, make sure you look at the deck plans very carefully before selecting your cabin. Avoid cabins on the upper decks on these Fincantieri designed ships. You have been warned.

In conclusion:

Virgin Voyages have tried to reinvent the wheel, but did the wheel really need reinventing? By trying so hard to be different, they may have only succeeded in confusing the traditional cruiser, making the experience less, not more enjoyable. Virgin's service provision isn't on par with its competitors and it shows. There are personal touches that you'll find on other cruise lines which are glaringly omitted here.

Though it's commendable that Virgin have tried to think outside the box and innovate, they've removed or reimagined parts of the cruise experience that really didn't need to be touched. Other cruise lines have finely tuned their offerings over many decades and with great success. They know what the customer wants and they make sure they deliver in order to grab their share of a multi-billion dollar market.

To this, it seems quite arrogant that Virgin has entered the industry presuming it knows better. The truth is that it's possible to be both innovative and trendy without removing some of the traditional spaces on a cruise ship. Just ask Celebrity or Norwegian and look at what they've created on their new ships. Change for the sake of change doesn't make sense.  

There's a lot of style to be found on Virgin Voyages, but sadly the substance still needs work. If Virgin Voyages want to play with the big boys, they're going to need to improve service standards in line with their competitors. They're charging a premium price and experienced cruisers will have premium expectations. Indeed, for the same price you pay on a Virgin cruise, you could cruise with other all-inclusive cruise lines and have alcohol included. 

In my opinion, Virgin Voyages will appeal to the younger, trendier, fitness focused and less experienced crowd. For those of us that are older and have had the pleasure of experiencing many other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages as it currently operates, can only disappoint.

1 hour ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

This is true, we received a notice left in our stateroom and guest services confirmed it. 

Great news! Thank you for the update. 👍🥳

This is such a shame because the port of Kotor is beautiful. I'm sure Viking have planned for this reality and will let you all know what they intend to do. It's a tough call because if they refuse to change the itinerary they'll lose a ton of money from UK cruisers whom will have to cancel and reschedule. 😔

Received this in the post from Viking UK. Reduced pricing for the Danube Waltz for winter 2021.

I've just received these new special sale prices for 4 different European cruises for this November and December. Prices from £1,490 and also 50% Single Supplement.

If you're boarding in the next 7 days, I would strongly advise waiting until you're on board before booking. You'll likely get an even better deal, as well as onboard credit. Otherwise offer expires 31st August👍

2 hours ago, claranda said:

Hi All!

A new question for you. We’re Brits holding back for a while on booking a Oct/Nov first cruise with Viking until we know we’re going to be allowed in, to, eg. Italy (currently five days self-isolating required). Anyway….I’ve been watching a very nice couple on Youtube describing how it is on one of the Viking Malta cruises, and there is this awful MUZAK playing in the background. Tell me, does this foul noise follow you everywhere or is there a muzak free zone where one can sit and read without such pollution? As you can tell, it’s a real hate of mine….dealbreaker possibly…

The youtube video you're referring to was filmed in the Explorer's Lounge upper floor. We relaxed in this area many times but was never bothered by the music. It was never as loud as it appears in that video and I'm sure you could ask the crew to turn it down or even off, if needed. As Rizello said, the ship has a lot of live piano and string music in different locations.

6 hours ago, les37b said:

It would appear (for the UK) that all the Malta cruises to Croatia and Greece for September have been pulled from the Viking website.

 

Having had my early morning BA flight cancelled to Malta for the 19th September and replaced with an afternoon flight 2 hours later than I would otherwise have already boarded, all flight options left for Viking have either become sold out or too expensive. On my particular flight, there was an option to fly business on Air Malta but that would have added £1000 to my fare, which a flight 4 hours earlier really is not worth it.

 

So having already accepted that much later BA flight was my only option, I called after I noticed September sailings had been removed.

 

Viking was no longer able to offer cruise and flights packages!

 

The cruises are (thankfully) still sailing and they are prepared to now allow "cruise only" bookings with a £150 discount, which you will obviously struggle to get an airfare for that price.

 

But it does open it up to use airlines like easyjet and arrive and depart when you like. You could probably even get your return fare for that price and then pay for a few days to site see Malta, which has been an option always available to US bookings.

 

We were actually also given the option to keep our return flight and make our own way there, but no discount, all costs at our expense and on your own if it went pear shaped. the latter sealed it for is. If our BA flight was cancelled and we missed the boat (pun intended!).... they would get us to the next port and duty bound. That is worth not taking any risks for to me.

Business Class is an absolute rip off with most European airlines. They've ripped out the traditional 2 seater rows and replaced them with 3 economy seats instead. Then they have the audacity to leave the middle seat free and call it Business Class. 😠 Fortunately we had three seats to ourselves in economy on our BA flight in July, but this time around I'm guessing our 10.50am flight with Air Malta will be rammed.  Thank goodness it's only a short flght. 🙏

51 minutes ago, Famsw said:

Hey can someone on the Venus tell me if there is a ping pong table up on the sun deck? We're on the ship in October and some of our group will bring their paddles if so.  Thank you!

Yes there's a ping pong table on the sun deck. 👍

58 minutes ago, barney61 said:

Just a question on this guys. Is it right that you cannot register your Day 2 test until the due time but you must have the reference number available to put on the PLF for return to UK?

You must complete your UK PLF within 48hrs before arrival back into the UK. As far as I'm aware it cannot be processed outside the 48hr period. You must have that reference number to input into your PLF otherwise the PLF website will not allow you to complete the document.

We used Express Test the moment we arrived at Heathrow for our day 2 PCR test. We wanted to get it out of the way. You can take your day 2 test any time from arrival day (day 0). I think we paid £68 each which is a con, but then most are. We got our results the next day at 5pm. Express Test are one of only a few who test at Arrivals & Departures at Heathrow. I believe they have car park testing and drive through testing at airports as well.

As Barney said, you'll need reference number as proof for your PLF back to the UK and the system knows if the number is not correct. I tried to see if it would accept any number. It didn't. Plus that test number is electronically linked to your passport number.

44 minutes ago, les37b said:

 

Annoyingly, BA have just cancelled my 06.15 early morning flight on the 19 September.... I wS originally allocated 10.50 with air Malta and rang to ask if could get on the early option.

 

I've now been booked on 14.15 ..... That's day 1 on my "11" day cruise gone.i arrive in time for bed... If on time. Ridiculous times.

 

Not Vikings fault I appreciate. I asked to get back on the 10.50, but only business is available and they expect me to pay an additional £1000 for a flight I already rejected as too late.

 

I wonder if arriving a day early in Malta is an option?

There is a 10.50am Air Malta flying out from Heathrow the day before on the 18th, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Viking will not allow UK guests to orgainise their own flights on these Welcome Back cruises. Which doesn't make sense, as many US guests are able to arrange their own flights and arrive into Malta days earlier than the cruise. 🤷‍♂️

Thank you Rizello for the VK. It was interesting to read the part about excursions and the CDC. 'Due to the CDC updating its advisory for Greece to a Level 4, independent exploration is not permitted.'

As a UK citizen, I'm not confined by CDC advisories. Therefore, does this mean that us Brits can run gay abandon at each port? 🤣

Vaccinated or not it feels like all bets are off with regard to the Delta variant. Of course the vaccination was never a cure, but I've been surprised at how quickly the Delta variant has taken hold.

Regardless of vaccination status, Carnival has introduced a mask policy inside its ships now, as well as PCR testing. It seems like Covid is not going away any time soon, so the cruise lines have just got to work with it. 

I feel reassured that Viking has done everything possible to mitigate risk, especially after experiencing it first hand on the Venus in July. Though the possibility of being removed from the ship and placed in 14 day quarantine or sent home seems to be on increase in both Malta and Iceland. 

I've received an email from Viking to say that our cruise on 22nd September 2021 has an itinerary change relating to the island of Crete. Instead of visiting Souda Bay on 30th September, the ship will call at Heraklion instead.

Have any other cruises in September on the Greek itinerary been impacted by this change?