WanderingBrit

What makes you think transportation to the pier is difficult to find? We're planning to use Uber, and a random check shows plenty of cars only 2 minutes from the hotel we're staying at with a $20 fare to the Pier.

We've had the issue with a slider slamming open/closed in rolling seas before, and prefer the latching door for this reason.

Sorry to hear this, it seems to be an increasing factor in cruise scheduling. Some cancellations I can understand - the ship not being ready - but when it appears simply that the cruise line has determined there's more money to be made by using their inventory differently it's very tough to accept.

We transferred to a First Mate over 6 months after booking directly with VV.

Do you believe they responded to a feedback card/survey, or something posted online? I ask because I discovered that the General Manager on a cruise we were recently on was a member of a FB group where I had shared some shortcomings with service, and within 4 hours they'd tracked me down and were fawning over us. It actually became almost intrusive, with senior hospitality staff apparently always knowing where we were and "checking in" with us!

Just FWIW: I found that Starlink introduces significant routing delays, possibly the result of carrier grade NATting?, and I got consistently better responsiveness - though not materially different bandwidth measurements - when I had my internet VPN enabled. Cruise Critic would not successfully post photographs unless I had my internet VPN active, but was flawless with it running. Smaller ship on a different cruise line, but still Starlink and we were above the Arctic circle where there are no "close to overhead" Starlink satellites.

I commonly see recommendations to ask your stateroom steward for a mattress topper. The bed is a couch, and vice versa, by design.

Makes no difference. I transferred my booking to my First Mate and still made all my payments directly with Virgin. If your First Mate (TA) tells you otherwise treat that as a sign you should be looking for a different First Mate.

That's been the feedback from others who's perspective I trust. I don't plan to book The Wake for dinner on our upcoming sailing - my wife is 95% vegetarian so it's not a good fit even if service and food were great.

We have DBE confirmed for our February sailing based on NCL Platinum status match, exactly as VV have suggested they would do. The match was confirmed within 24 hours of submitting a screenshot.

You didn't ask, but I'll volunteer an opinion anyway: having stayed in both an ES2 and a PV1 I would never again pay the extra for the ES2 - I'd put the money into traveling more often. We didn't use the "living room" as anything other than a dumping ground for stuff when we came into the cabin, and the arrangement of desk and credenza in the PV1 actually provides more space for this, and with better access to power outlets. Since society sets higher standards for presentation for my wife than it does for me, if I wanted to be able to keep her company while she was getting ready I'd need to be in the ES2 bedroom, whereas in the PV1 I could be comfortably seated on the couch or chair. An opinion that is free and worth every penny 😃

Correct, there are no cabins alongside the lifeboats, only the atrium windows. The lifeboats are on telescoping davits and are largely retracted into the hull when underway, so they don't even obscure the view down from above.

Sadly there's nothing comparable to the nice red leather tags that Viking sends passengers -perhaps as Virgin prices inch ever closer to Viking territory that will change? 😃

We're using HHonors points to stay for free at Hampton Inn & Suites on Isla Verde Ave before our February cruise out of San Juan 😎

We booked Empires Of The Mediterranean for March of 2025 at the end of May, and it's gone up by $450 per person already. Same seems to be true of several other lines also, not just Viking.

Understood, but we don't know that others were similarly afflicted on your cruise?

You're assuming that the intestinal distress was the result of onboard sanitation failings, rather than the varied array of food consumed ashore ....

At the end of July we rolled up at 11:35am with no one ahead of us and walked straight on after a quick ID check 😎

Absolutely standard - even when I'm able to print boarding passes they still say "Doc Check" somewhere on them.

I saw that a new Cast had joined Valiant, do we know how long their contracts typically last? Trying to determine if they'll still be aboard on the February 10th sailing next year - I'm guessing probably not.

If they were a traditional shore-based establishment, no soap in the bathrooms would get them shut down.

Yes, it appears so. Eligible Loyalty Programs | Virgin Voyages

We value the no children, largely inclusive, aspects of Viking and will be trying Virgin Voyages in February for a different take - with a little more emphasis on entertainment and onboard activities. We're also looking for a more dining diversity than Viking offers, and more casual settings. Don't know yet how it will go!

I'll give you my tips, but this is very much a personal thing. I'm originally from the UK but have now lived in the US slightly more years than I lived there. For the last 20 years we've traveled to Aberdeen in Scotland at least once each year as we have a flat about an hour drive from there. Look for a flight leaving the US as late in the evening as possible. From O'Hare there are 2 BA flights during busier months, one between 5-6pm and one around 9-10pm - we always go for the later flight. Have dinner before boarding, and as soon as you're allowed to kick back do so, mask on and ear plugs in, and try to get as much sleep as you can. We always give ourselves 2 1/2 hours for our connection in Heathrow at an absolute minimum, I'd suggest the same at whichever airport you first land before connecting to Barcelona. We've learned that In T5 (which is where our BA flights all center around) there are subterranean walkways that you can take instead of the transit train to get from one concourse to another, we use that to walk as briskly as possible so as to convince ourselves we're awake even though our bodies think it's 4am. Once at Aberdeen I still need to drive a stick shift on the other side of narrow Scottish roads for an hour, and I'm usually holding up pretty well but my wife (11 years younger) is fading fast! At our final destination we try to get outside - hopefully in sunshine if it's available. Walk around as much as we can trying to kick start our body clocks to the change. The goal is to stay awake until 9/10pm that first night. DO NOT NAP. We take Melatonin with us as it's a controlled substance in many countries and cannot be purchased OTC, and I find it helps. Take as directed when going to bed. Usually the first night goes pretty well as you're exhausted from not enough sleep the night before. Assuming you wake any time after 5am, get up and get going! Your body clock will want you to sleep, but you need to get moving and get some sunlight. I'm an early morning guy anyway, so this plays to my preferences. Be as active as you can be during daylight hours, and avoid the temptation to sleep in after 7am or so - you're just prolonging the adjustment. Have a 1 hour nap around 2pm on your first full day if you want, but don't let it be any longer than that. Stay well hydrated, and perhaps be modest with alcohol that first day. Rinse and repeat! I would never arrive the day of departure for a cruise, just asking for trouble as unreliable as flying has become. I'd prefer to tack days on to the beginning rather than the end, as those days are helping me adjust to the time shift and providing a buffer for travel issues. Kevin

I would only take flights from a cruise line if they were free, and I didn't care about the flight itinerary. Cruise lines contract with specific carriers only, and with low cost as the primary goal. You may find yourself making more connections, with less convenient departure times, than if you were given your own choice. If I lacked confidence making these arrangements for myself, I would find someone working in the field who could make those arrangements for me. Here's a relevant video from a chap I like and trust that describes what can go wrong when the cruise line arranges your flights. I recommend watching it through YouTube in order that you can read the notes accompanying it.