DorothysFriend

For suites, can your butter book things for you?

I am curious to hear how you are enjoying VV so far, if you have boarded already. I did the French Daze and Ibiza Night with my gay BFF (since my wife couldn't come) - we are 47 and 54. We stayed in a Brilliant Suite since that has a sofa that can be made up into a separate bed. I think going Rock Star is going to be key for quiet, early to bed types since you have access to Richard's Rooftop and a calmer vibe on top of the ship. I also loved being able to order room service without any additional charge - fresh fruit and pastries to your room in the morning may suit you better than the considerably noisy galley for breakfast. You will probably have trouble drinking all the alcohol that comes with the room, in addition to the bar tab (I know we did). One of my fave things about VV was the inclusive vibe on the ship, being welcomed by the very diverse and fun "happenings" cast on embarkation and seeing them all around the ship, eating where we did, etc. The Rockstar agent was very helpful making any reservations we wanted and changing anything, etc but it was not English Butler service if that's what you are used to on other lines. I will say that traveling with my BFF and a large gay group meant that I left my early to bed, early gym workout days behind me for a week and stayed up late for meals at 9am and the big parties afterward. That was fun but also wore me out and I am looking forward to a quieter cruise with my wife next year. I wanted to maybe try one of the VV Greek ones but it was sold out for the dates we wanted. Although we attended nearly all of the parties, I also met people on the ship who went for earlier meals and entertainment and seemed to really enjoy their cruise without going to the late night parties. We did some of the group workouts but I would have liked to spend more time in the gym. I am really interested in hearing about your experiences on VV, given your background with other cruise lines and smaller ships.

We will be on the Pursuit and really looking forward to it. My partner is vegan and wanted a smaller ship, so Azamara seemed like the best option.

Good news: OBC shows up Bad news: dietary restrictions were lost Heads up to anyone with dietary restrictions or other special requests- you may need to select what you need again.

I apparently overbid for the suite but that’s OK because I had my original room for free (I won a contest). I was initially surprised by the overhang but I would book it again because I would prefer to sunbathe on Richard’s Rooftop and have shade to eat and read on the balcony. But I could see how they would be a dealbreaker for others. And I loved being able to order all the Diet Cokes I needed to my room for free at any time 👍🏽

Brilliant suite 14 229 Z was quiet. Upgrade in the « good » range for our sailing, which was not cheap but since I’d won the cruise, it was well worth it to travel with a friend and have 2 large beds. Wish I’d taken more pics of the room now and also wish I’d known I could have asked our fantastic RS Agent Igor for a sun lounger for the double balcony.

I just got back from the French Daze sailing in Valiant Lady that debarked on Oct 22, and I agree about the music and other hubbub in most public areas. What saved it for me though was that I bid to upgrade to the Brilliant suite, partly because I was traveling with a friend and not my partner. But let me tell you that it was so worth it for the peace and quiet inside our spacious cabin! We ordered room service breakfast most days and had plenty of room to eat in peace at the large coffee table, or on the long balcony outside. Richard’s Rooftop was also not crowded at all and so much quieter than the rest of the ship. I really noticed it the one sea day where it was super windy and they blocked off the hot tubs in Richards rooftop. We went to the regular hot tubs the deck below and they were more crowded and had all the pool noise. Also, no jets!! I know the music and activity is a super fun vibe for most people, but for some of us it’s just not as great. Another benefit of the suites was the fast embarkation with no crowd, bypassing the big line. That was nice when I was still jet lagged and tired from no sleep on the plane the night before. I would only sail Virgin again in a suite, so that i could escape the fun party vibe when it felt like too much for me. I know that’s a really privileged thing to say, but it’s true. My partner is even more introverted than me so I know this is the only way she’d enjoy it, too.