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helengirl

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Posts posted by helengirl

    Any Royal Caribbean cruisers try Virgin?

    in Virgin Voyages

    Posted

    5 hours ago, benjaminnicholas said:

    You can see a theme here already.

     

    The older gen doesn't get this line.  They complain about it being 'woke'

     

    That's what Virgin does.  They shake things up.  It's always been that way across all of their products.

     

    Change isn't for everyone.

    Hi! Not to start anything, but I think woke is being used incorrectly. Virgin makes a point about being different, and it is. No broadway shows, no main dining room, no comedians, etcetera. Woke is defined by Merriam-Webster as "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)" There is nothing on the ship that has to do with racial and social justice that I can see unless you count that they do not discriminate as to gender, color, sexual preferences, and physical size in hiring. Or that they have, for instance, a male mermaid wearing makeup. Nothing to do with woke. The "older gen" made up 95% of the passengers when we were on board and many of the "older gen" loved it. Just depends how much you are into partying and sex/sexual innuendo. And, I spoke to many entertainment crew that said they realize what they hoped to be interactive entertainment is not working and they will be adjusting. The "older gen" were just bored - not being racist or woke or whatever you are saying. As I said, just to clarify for others - not trying to start a debate. 🙂 Happy holidays!

    • Like 6
    • Haha 1

    Any Royal Caribbean cruisers try Virgin?

    in Virgin Voyages

    Posted

    I was on Virgin a couple of months ago. My 27 year old daughter and her friend loved it. My 26 year old, also a girl, hated it. My husband and I (60) were eh - we would take it again if it were really, really, really cheap, but only if really cheap (and I would bring tons of books or games or something to fill my time since there is noting to do on board most of the time). If you have every heard of GTL, this is the cruise line that does that. GYM all day 24/7 - they have a million athletic activities and venues, but watch that if you do not show up for a free reserved in advance class as you will be charged. TAN go to the beach and tan - so, yeah that is normal. LAUNDRY - replace it with PARTY. SO GTL becomes GTP. Gym tan party. That's the theme. Party/drink hard at night. Sleep in. Exercise or beach all day. Take a nap. Party all night. Repeat. Oh, and eat.

     

    TERRIBLE entertainment - some extremely crude (if you are okay with passengers having oral sex with a horizontally cut watermelon on the female's lap and a banana on the man's lap, and a sex therapist tell you why you should have sex with anyone and everyone, then this show is for you). Only saw a band playing one night and a strolling folk trio a time here and there. So no music to sit and listen to or dance to unless you are into the late night loud music disco scene, which was hopping for sure (and that is good for those who like it). They advertise no usual entertainment but um yeah no entertainment - only one somewhat acceptable show (Dueling Reality - think Romeo and Juliet meets unsuccessfully-trying-to-be-Cirque-du-Soleil with no fanfare or costumes, etc). You have to reserve everything - a PAIN. No comedians (if you care). No show with singers/dance.

     

    If you do not like to be attached at the hip to your phone - everything is on an app on your phone (from restaurant reservations to the key to your cabin and everything in between (and all has to be reserved)) and the app did not work 50% of the time - this is not for you. We spent at least 20% of our cruise messing with the app and not being able to reserve restaurants and get into our room,... so go to guest services - again and again and again.

     

    Food from okay to good to great but you have to reserve restaurants and it is a PAIN. Give me a main dining room please. If you go, the Test Kitchen is a must - ask for both the regular and vegan offerings as some of those are really, really good. You can have both - its not too much, especially if you share the vegan dishes in the middle of the table. For non "fine dining" think food mall. Decent though. Again, be ready to order on your phone and it is pretty slow.

     

    Decor - think Ikea, but better quality. Very flashy in places. Definitely planned for Instagram photo ops. When we first got on, our comment to each other was we felt the color and sparseness of cabin decks/stairs, .... were similar to the crew decks of other ships - gray, metal, and stark - but we got used to it. No storage in cabins unless you count a drawer at the bottom of the bed that we did not discover for a couple of days. I just lived out of my suitcase (which I never do) - don't want to be bending down to the floor to get stuff.

     

    Don't think the passengers are young - that is what Virgin markets to, but 95% of the passengers when we were on were 55+.

     

    Boarding SUCKED. It took 4 hours.

     

    So, if this sounds like a bad review, I will qualify it by saying a cruise is a wonderful, luxury experience so, of course, it is a blessing and we had a wonderful time. But compared to Royal, Celebrity, Princess, Holland, MSC, Cunard, and even Carnival, um no (unless on super sale). And forget comparisons to Seaborne, Crystal, Azmara,... but that is a different class so should not be compared. But, my 27 year old will say it is the best cruise she has ever been on out of 50+ cruises - but I qualify that with it is the first time she had a friend with her so having someone to do stuff we old folk won't do makes a difference and her best time might be because of that. My 26 year old will say no Broadway or song and dance shows - nope not for me, no matter what else might be good.

     

    I hope this helps! And have fun! As I said, a cruise is a cruise is a blessing!

    • Like 4

    2021 New RCCL Concierge and Hotel Director List

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Hi fellow sailors! I am so excited to be cruising for the first time since Covid on Independence, this Sunday, August 15 (woohoo!). I have confirmed the concierge is Junior Flores and have researched him?her? (I am assuming him, but that might not be right!) and see that he is an old timer concierge. Does anybody have any feedback on him? Is he either of the men in the attached picture (this is what showed up on Google images but they look like stock photos so probably are not him!). Does anyone know who the hotel director is and what his/her email would be? Thanks and happy sailing!

     

    Would love if we can keep a running concierge/hotel director spreadsheet going since sailing is resuming :)

    tempa.jpg

    Current Concierges continued discussion

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    17 hours ago, SherriZ366 said:

    Eliana Garcia is the DL Concierge on Liberty.   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pz4Im5qh4cqd1zE5A9srLm3wGd0_SNZwTdbLTa59EF4/edit#gid=1209646832

    Hi Sherry - I would like to thank you and the others for doing this - you are so sweet!  I don;t know if I am pulling up an old spreadsheet. I am using the above link though. For instance, Haffnar Periera shows on Jewel going to EN, but he is/was already on Enchantment and will be vacationing soon or is now. Another spreadsheet of yours I looked at did have him on EN, so I am not sure if this one is old. Just fyi, Eliana is listed both under Liberty and Radiance and Spectrum. Maybe you could put an update date on the spreadsheet like "updated 07.05.2019" :) agains thanks for doing this!!!!!!!!

    Current Concierges continued discussion

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

     

    All that is known is in the doc:

     

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pz4Im5qh4cqd1zE5A9srLm3wGd0_SNZwTdbLTa59EF4/edit#gid=1209646832

    🙂 thx! Here is more inf from wolfcathorse post #2876 that I missed when I skimmed - oops! On Liberty. Anis goes from the SL to the DL February 17 and MJ goes to the SL. Anis goes on vacation the end of March and MJ goes on vacation the end of April. Neither know who replaces them.

    Current Concierges continued discussion

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    On 1/19/2019 at 10:44 AM, BEENSAILING said:

    As of today on Symphony Jenn will be Diamond / Diamond Plus lounge. The woman who was there is heading to another ship - I do not  know which one. When Jackie in SL begins her vacation Jenn will join Rahul in the Suites Lounge.  I do not know who will then be in the D lounge. SL always has 2 concierges and D / DPlus lounge 1. When Jackie comes back from her vacation she will go to the D/D Plus lounge. Rahul told me on Symphony there is a rotation of 4 concierges.

    Gosh I hope she is not going to Liberty! That's our next sailing. Is she going as a concierge, or back in Guest Relations?

    Current Concierges continued discussion

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Hi Sherri! Thanks so much for keeping this spreadsheet - awesome! We were on Symphony beginning of January. D Lounge Concierge was Ooma. Worst concierge ever! You show Jacque Yabut and Rahul Baruha on your spreadsheet. Did one of them replace her? Thinking of rebooking in a couple of weeks and don't want Symphony if I have to deal with her :( so hope your list is current (like this week! :) )

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