Travel-and-See

I’ve been on both Scarlet and Valiant and walk-up reservations are hit and miss. Out of 4 walk-up attempts I was seated 2 times (once at test kitchen, and once at the wake), told to come back in an hour (razzle dazzle) and told nothing was available (razzle dazzle, this was extra annoying since a group of 4 employees were seated in front of me). I’ve also seen guests turned away at extra virgin when there were plenty of seats but I had a reservation. usually I just scroll the app and see what pops up and reserve that. Worst case scenario I eat in the galley or have pizza. but reserving dinner and shows is the most annoying thing about virgin, one of the things that I love when sailing celebrity! If I could just get those 2 lines to mix what I like about both.

If you like to start off with coffee and pastries the coffee bar is a great choice as well. Sometimes the champagne lounge has coffee and pastries too (I think maybe on sea days?). diner n dash in the galley is 24/7 for eggs only (and sides like bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast). During the full breakfast hours you have lots of options from the various galley counters. razzle dazzle is your modern breakfast / brunch option with both basic and creative dishes served in a laid back style. the wake is your fancy breakfast / brunch option with full table settings, fancy china, etc. I wish the wake had some more breakfast options - many of the dishes are more lunch style. all of them are good!

If you’ve ever gone to an adult comedy show on celebrity you’ve heard the same level of language / jokes. The only main difference is you’ll occasionally hear F words or jokes about sex / drug use in the main shows or from the musicians on board. If you think it would be awkward going to a drag show or a dance club with your kids, just don’t go. There’s so many great things to do on Virgin - and the way you can relax on their ships is really great.

On celebrity you can’t easily find solo pricing either. It’s very annoying.

If you are in your 30's I think you will LOVE Virgin (I am as well, and also really like sailing on Celebrity). I wanted to mention the entertainment. The entertainment on Virgin is MUCH higher quality than other cruise ships. The Duel Reality Circus Show is the best thing I've ever seen on a cruise ship and I would absolutely pay to see it if it came to my town as a touring show. The musicians seem to rotate quite a bit on Virgin, but each sailing I've seen some really phenomenal talent vs. the "average" musicians on other lines. The Ship Show Dinner show is an excellent variety show as well. The guest entertainers are also quite good in my experience, it's more stand-up comedy type entertainment but that makes it feel more like going to a comedy bar and less like a cruise ship. Also... having no teens and tweens running around the ship REALLY changes the atmosphere - trust me! haha. The whole vibe is very relaxed and chill.

Honestly, I've seen more people dress up for dinner on Virgin than on Celebrity - you won't be out of place. You'll see a little bit of every style at the restaurants and that's the point. Be as casual or fancy as you want.

Agreed. I haven’t sailed NCL but it’s the same for me with celebrity - it was so nice to have anytime dining and not worry about reservations for dinner and shows. I’ve always gotten into shows that I wanted to on Virgin (usually get a reservation but standby has always worked for me too). But it’s still an extra step compared to just showing up on other lines. I’ve been turned away at restaurants on virgin and I’ve seen others be turned away as well so it is common. It’s annoying to wait for the host only to be turned away and have to try again at another restaurant. the reservations and the digital ordering are my 2 biggest complaints about virgin along with the inconsistent service.

Doesn't HAL have all of that too?

What kind of fun things do other lines like Celebrity offer other than live music?

I’m a millennial and i don’t really agree…. It’s too minimal and cheap looking in my opinion.

I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s more chill and relaxed than celebrity. The teens and tweens on my celebrity cruise were way more “wild” and annoying than anything I’ve seen on virgin. if you’ve ever been to an “adult” comedy show on celebrity or another line you’ve heard the words you’ll hear on virgin haha.

I only sail standard class (inside, ocean, balcony) - but my alternative to celebrity is virgin. There are things I like and dislike about both lines but for me the food quality is much better on virgin, the entertainment is way better, and the overall vibe of the shop is very relaxing especially without anyone trying to sell you anything ever. And of course…. No kids!

I’m a big fan of Virgin in general, but I am not a fan of the cabin designs at all. Celebrity wins big time on that for me The decor is more upscale and luxurious, the space is much better designed not only for storage but just for everyday use as well. The virgin cabins feel too empty and like there is wasted space.

I think it will check all of those boxes for you. There are definitely things I like about Celebrity vs. Virgin still but that’s mostly down to the consistency of service, more luxurious rooms, and more upscale details like all of the artwork around the ship. Overall I agree that Virgin WILL change cruising as they take customers away from the other brands. Free wi-fi, included tips, etc will come.

i can’t speak for all of the dishes, but the ravioli (as an appetizer) the salmon, and the green tea cheesecake was the best tasting meal I’ve had on any cruise ship ever. And once when I tried the butter chicken instead of the salmon I was also quite happy. I’ll give the new dishes a try though! But that green tea cheesecake didn’t deserve to be thrown overboard 😢 haha

@aviators99 thanks for that but oh no!!!! No more ravioli and no more green tea cheesecake! 😢😢😢

It was the ravioli that I loved. Will be sad if it’s gone. They better still have the Green Tea Cheesecake!!!!!

Well… I’ll have to check out the new razzle dazzle menu on my next cruise! Anyone have photos of the new menu?

Test Kitchen is a really neat experience. I highly recommend you order a drink paring. They have wine, cocktail, and zero proof options. I got the zero proof and it really did add alot to the experience (comes off your bar tab!). Each course is a pretty small portion, I definitely had plenty to eat though. It's a bit gimmicky with the over the top presentations but it's very fun!

When there are 2 shows, I've noticed the later shows are usually much more full. So you might want to plan on going to the early show and then having dinner later. Then if you still want more entertainment there is usually live music at "On the Rocks" or a dance party at "The Manor." And of course "The Ship Show" is a dinner show - and lots of fun, you should definitely go. If for any reason you want to skip a full dinner at a restaurant, the Galley usually has a dinner special. I agree with Walter 100% that Razzle Dazzle has the best food on Virgin. The Pasta at Razzle Dazzle is better than the Pasta at Extra Virgin in my opinion!

I was on Millenium this June and there were definitely more than 9 kids on board - I was very surprised at how many tweens/teens were running around on a Celebrity ship. That hasn't been my experience in the past even in the summer but to be fair June is probably THE MONTH for familiy vacations but I still blame the new Celebrity marketing a bit. I don't mind a few kids on the ship, but when you go to the late-night buffet and you feel like you walked into a school cafeteria / hang out something isn't right (that's only a small exaggeration...). Virgin's no kids policy is really nice though... totally changes the vibe of a cruise experience.

If you're looking for things to do like organized activities - there won't be many options. If you're looking to sit back and relax and feel like you own your very own cruise ship and enjoy the peace and quiet - you will be in heaven! haha.

As much as I enjoy VV and my next cruise will be with them again, there are things I really like about Celebrity too. If you like sailing on Virgin it's probably worth giving another line a try. The Virgin boats are honestly kind of boring compared to other lines, which is nice if you like a chill and relaxed cruise but it can also be fun to have a bit more excitement. I thought it was a big negative to be told a restaurant was full when a group of crew members were in line before me and were seated so I'm glad they made this change. I'll probably get hate for this but I think it looks tacky and unprofessional to have crew members regularly eating in the sit-down restaurants on board. There is a reason other lines generally do not allow that. With the salad sation... the crew member could have always placed his order with one of the servers, I know I've ordered salads that way as a guest.

I can't speak for Princess but it's the same difference between Celebrity and Virgin crew. Celebrity staff doesn't act like servants... they are acting the way they should in a customer service setting. I used to work at a tourist attraction and I smiled and greeted everyone - it wasn't a tipped position and I never felt like a servant. I knew it was my job to greet everyone and make sure they had a great time. Virgin on the other hand you will often see employees leaning against walls chatting with fellow employees, and will often ignore your presence even if you approach them wanting to ask a question. It's clear that the brand wants a group of employees that "look cool" - that's the priority. (This may sound negative but if you see my other posts I'm a huge fan of Virgin - I'm just pointing out my observations)

Including shore excursions, I believe.