Is Virgin Voyages a Potential "Threat" To Celebrity?

[Lightngsvt]

First, let me say my wife and I have been loyal to Celebrity (10 sailings so far), and Azamara (1 sailing).  I have also been on Carnival and Norwegian.  I love Celebrity, and the experience you get onboard.  I have to be honest I was not that impressed with the Edge and am in no hurry to go back on her or the Apex, I much prefer the Solstice ships and even the Millenium ships.  The Summit with the revolutionizing was excellent!  We will continue to book the "old" ships whenever possible.  The one thing Edge had is the decor, and Im glad to see that coming to the entire line.  Anyway, after hearing the hype and looking into it I became very intrigued by Virgin Voyages and what they have to offer.  We are in our 40's, a bit older than their target some would say, but I've heard they are for the young at heart regardless of age.

 

The decor, cabin design, deck plans, array of eateries and bars, etc are all much more modern (in a hip way) than Celebrity and most other cruise lines.  A huge bonus is no kinds onboard, though Celebrity does a good job of keeping kids entertained.  Lets not forget the free beverages, free wifi, free gratuities and no up-charge for specialty dining as well as 24hr food and drinks on VV.  On a per day basis, our Sept Caribbean sailing on Virgin is no more costly than our upcoming June Alaska sailing on Celebrity Solstice.  I'm very excited for our Virgin cruise in September honestly.  

 

My long winded point/question is do you think this "new" way of looking at cruising will have an impact on more traditional/main stream lines like Celebrity?  Will it affect their bottom line?  Will they be more likely to offer "all-inclusive" fares (beverages, wifi, gratuities) as standard?  I know that they offer the various perks depending on sailing, but it's not quite the same thing.  Will they look for way to bring a more "hip" crowd to the brand?

[ano]

Is Virgin Voyages a Potential "Threat" To Celebrity?

Its unlikely. We have cruised for 20+ years and gone on probably 25+ cruises. Carnival, RC, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, and Oceania.  Except for Oceania, we decided we have had enough of the nickle-and-diming,  and poor free food choices that are normal in the industry today. (But weren't 10 years ago.) We would do Oceania again and an looking at Virgin.  So no, unless I'm missing something, Celebrity is not competing with Virgin. At least not in our eyes. 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by ano
Spelling

[ldubs]

I can see that folks might look at VV as a potential upgrade. Or, some might want to give it a try just for a new experience.  If it sticks, then I guess Celebrity (or princess, RCI, etc) loses a customer.   

 

The kids/no kids thing isn't an issue for us.  I"m OK with paying as we go, so the nickel/diming thing isn't an issue either.  Guess we are happy with Celebrity (& RCI) for the time being.  Not to say if VV has an appealing itinerary at a good price we wouldn't give them a try. 

[chemmo]

Some of the marketing/advertising this side of the pond is pricing for flights, one week AI resort and cruise...This may tempt less experienced travelers who may like the ‘security’ of a package...Certainly they seem to be focusing on younger couples.

 

We will be looking for reviews before thinking of trying. The Celebrity S class cruise experience seems to ‘fit us like a glove’...not too formal, not too laid back, not too modern but not dated either. If you are happy with a product then you are less likely to ‘risk’ trying another cruiseline.

 

The only issue we have with Celebrity at present is the cost of cruising in the Mediterranean...If we do ‘jump ship’ and try a different line it will be in this region.

 

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Not for me. The advertising makes it look way too frat party for my liking.

[Fly and Sail]

Generally speaking with a new cruise line there will definitely be a few pax who venture over but I can't see Celebrity being in that bracket. The whole Virgin brand has an image of being very "loud" in terms of design, style and crowd. Think Virgin Upper Class or alternatively a W hotel. I'm definitely curious myself but that doesn't fit the Celebrity clientele under normal circumstances. Also, Virgin needs a lot more ships to be a competition. I can see them being dangerous for AIDA.

[sanger727]

As if right now virgin is marketing 3-4 day ‘party cruises’ at a premium price. I don’t see that competing with any of the current cruise offerings. Carnival maybe except many of their cruisers don’t want the higher price tag. I don’t see a majority of celebrity cruisers being drawn to that. I’m not personally. Now, if they keep the ships and switch to 7+ day cruises with unique itineraries I would be willing to pay the premium prices and give them a shot. But not for a 3 day cruise to key west and Mexico.

[tallnthensome]

No,  Virgin is targeting 40 and under and the fact that they have a tattoo parlor on the ship confirms that ....Virgin couldn’t be farther away from what Celebrity targets and their current guests. They are more likely to challenge Carnival.

[hcat]

Thought I saw the  same topic / title awhile ago..

Wondering if this is new or a re do? Reads like a promo....

 

We have NO interest in Virgin .  EDGE Class with a few tweaks is a great direction for Celebrity!

[Bo1953]

You compared an Alaskan sailing to Caribbean sailing in terms of cost?

 

Pending on where one is traveling from, even, that is not a good compression IMO.

 

Even different port experiences for both regions.

 

bon voyage

[[g]cruiserke]

From what I've seen in their advertising and market presentations, Virgin Voyages want to position themselves as "a cruise line for people who don't like cruising". That rules us out, because we LOVE cruising!  

 

That said, advertising and commercial hype are just fluff, so I'll reserve my judgment on whether they're a contender for my cruise dollars until there is reliable feedback after the first few months of commercial operations. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by [g]cruiserke

[MightyMike]

I don't see Virgin as a threat to Celebrity's current market, but I do see overlap in where they are going. Celebrity's current market is dying off. The unique features of the Edge-class ships are an attempt to appeal to a new, younger audience--where some overlap with Virgin is likely.

[coconut telegraph]

We travel with children, so we are out.  I'm all for new lines and more competition to keep the cruise industry fresh and on their toes.  Happy sailing!

[hcat]

Not dead yet and loving EDGE!

[4774Papa]

7 hours ago, Lightngsvt said:

First, let me say my wife and I have been loyal to Celebrity (10 sailings so far), and Azamara (1 sailing).  I have also been on Carnival and Norwegian.  I love Celebrity, and the experience you get onboard.  I have to be honest I was not that impressed with the Edge and am in no hurry to go back on her or the Apex, I much prefer the Solstice ships and even the Millenium ships.  The Summit with the revolutionizing was excellent!  We will continue to book the "old" ships whenever possible.  The one thing Edge had is the decor, and Im glad to see that coming to the entire line.  Anyway, after hearing the hype and looking into it I became very intrigued by Virgin Voyages and what they have to offer.  We are in our 40's, a bit older than their target some would say, but I've heard they are for the young at heart regardless of age.

 

The decor, cabin design, deck plans, array of eateries and bars, etc are all much more modern (in a hip way) than Celebrity and most other cruise lines.  A huge bonus is no kinds onboard, though Celebrity does a good job of keeping kids entertained.  Lets not forget the free beverages, free wifi, free gratuities and no up-charge for specialty dining as well as 24hr food and drinks on VV.  On a per day basis, our Sept Caribbean sailing on Virgin is no more costly than our upcoming June Alaska sailing on Celebrity Solstice.  I'm very excited for our Virgin cruise in September honestly.  

 

My long winded point/question is do you think this "new" way of looking at cruising will have an impact on more traditional/main stream lines like Celebrity?  Will it affect their bottom line?  Will they be more likely to offer "all-inclusive" fares (beverages, wifi, gratuities) as standard?  I know that they offer the various perks depending on sailing, but it's not quite the same thing.  Will they look for way to bring a more "hip" crowd to the brand?

Virgin may draw passengers from Celebrity, but currently Virgin only offers cruises in the Caribbean and Med (out of Barcelona). 

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

No,  Virgin is targeting 40 and under and the fact that they have a tattoo parlor on the ship confirms that ....Virgin couldn’t be farther away from what Celebrity targets and their current guests. They are more likely to challenge Carnival.

You could be right.  If many passengers get tattoos, that would keep me away from the pool.   I can't stand tattoos.

[terrydtx]

I see VV as a potential competitor for the premium under 40 age market to Viking Ocean, Azamara and Oceania not Celebrity. They are targeting  a younger demographic with less than 7 night cruises than the other premium lines. With only one ship and another on the way they do not offer much in the way of itineraries and seem to be more of a party ship for the elites. It looks more like the Sandal's crowd who want to cruise is their market.

 

If any cruise line is a  Celebrity competitor it is Viking Ocean with their smaller ships, long and varied itineraries and all inclusive cruises. A cabin on a Viking all deluxe suite type cabin is very competitive with the Edge Class cabins in AQ  and Suites Class when you count all that is included in the fare of VO. This why we are trying VO later this year. In two years VO will have a total of 8 ships sailing all over the world and most of their cruises are sold out a year in advance. Our Venice to Athens cruise in September was sold out by December 2018, we booked in October 2018 with one of the last Penthouse Veranda( PV1) cabins. Celebrity will always have their market and loyal customers but the Premium lines like VO will be an alternative for something not that much more in price and loaded with a lot more all inclusive amenities. When we booked our VO cruise we looked at an almost identical HAL cruise on the Veendam but when we added in all that was included in the VO cruise VS the Veendam suite with a veranda VO was actually less in cost.

 

Will VO become our cruise line of choice, I do not see that because we book a cruise more on itinerary than brand, that is why we are booked on the Infinity for next year. No other line had the Spain and Portugal itinerary that we wanted.

[Jeremiah1212]

As someone who is on the younger end of the Celebrity customer spectrum, Virgin doesn't really have any appeal. Prices are high, deposits are high, 5 nights is too short and the itineraries are lackluster. I think they're reaching for more of a Las Vegas/Breathless/Hedonism/All Inclusive traveler. Personally, I think Las Vegas is miserable and All Inclusives aren't my thing at all. I would like to find an alternative to Celebrity, but for us there just isn't one out there right now. 

[Fouremco]

Based on reading the comments on this board over the last ten years or so, I don't foresee many passengers jumping from Celebrity to Virgin. Up and coming young professionals with more money than available leisure time seem to be the target clientele, but Celebrity appeals to a much broader demographic.

[Gimpy McFarlan]

56 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

If any cruise line is a  Celebrity competitor it is Viking Ocean with their smaller ships, long and varied itineraries and all inclusive cruises. A cabin on a Viking all deluxe suite type cabin is very competitive with the Edge Class cabins in AQ  and Suites Class when you count all that is included in the fare of VO.

 

I would agree with terrydtx.  We have not sailed VO yet; however, based on what I know about VO they would be the best alternative Celebrity.  Smaller ships, focus on food and service, no casino, no smoking, interesting itineraries, modern design, no young children, etc...

 

[prim8keeper]

I think the overall threat to X is minimal though as other posters have stated there will be some overlap and people who try it. We are in our 30's and started sailing on X in our 20's. Initially when Virgin Voyages was announced we were very interested. However, as they began releasing information we lost interest as did our friends. Personally, I found the prices and their sailings disappointing. I will be really interested to see how things go once they start sailing and who specifically is sailing on their ships.

 

The longer we have cruised the more we find ourselves looking for longer more interesting sailings that we never would have considered when we first start cruising. I know everyone says people in our age bracket want shorter cruise options and sometimes that is true. However, I think it also misses those of us who would rather take one less vacation and do something that is more interesting and for better or worse I think that is a big weakness in what VV is currently offering.

 

I agree with @terrydtx that Viking Ocean is probably a bigger treat to X. However, at the same time their final payment requirement of 6 to 12 months out is a huge negative, especially when you work. A lot can happen in a year and even though the cancelation policy is similar to X, I would rather not have to get my money back should something change. All that said we currently have a Viking booking because it is something X doesn't offer. We also find ourselves looking at VO regularly and have booked Azamara in addition to X.

[Cruising89143]

I think Virgin is going to attract first time cruisers who are younger (Gen Y). I don’t see them as a threat to any of the cruise lines. Their prices will keep those who usually cruise with the bargain lines away. I personally have no interest at this time but I will wait on the reviews before making a final judgement. I don’t think I fit their client profile.🙂  I love the look of their first ship. Different and in this industry, that’s a good thing in my book. 
 

With that said I am trying MSC in April and May. One out of Europe and one out of Miami. Both in the YC. I can’t bring myself to pay X’s suite prices anymore. I have read that the YC dining room is not as good as Luminae but we’ll survive. 😉 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Sticking with Celebrity. Heard VV ships don’t have casinos. But even if that’s not true, VV still offers nothing appealing to us. We are 50 yo. 

[Essiesmom]

We are far from the proposed demographic of VV.  However, we do love an adventure and if prices were to come down significantly or a bargain suddenly popped up, I would bite.  Tried MSC on a whim and liked it.  Trying to get as much mileage out of what life and health we have left.  EM

[Denny01]

3 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

You compared an Alaskan sailing to Caribbean sailing in terms of cost?

 

Pending on where one is traveling from, even, that is not a good compression IMO.

 

Even different port experiences for both regions.

 

bon voyage

I agree. If you are going to play the compare game between standard cruise lines and all-inclusive, make them the same itinerary. I can make Celebrity appear much cheaper than a Celebrity comparing a 7N Caribbean to a 7N Alaska......

 

I’ve taught senior classes on travel and have done the compare spreadsheets between land/bus tour/self driving and cruising to show differences, and talked the difference experiences each provide, not just cost. Also done the luxury all inclusive compare to a standard cruise line. Some of the attempts by the luxury line to show it costs the same are more than a stretch, but there are some specific cruises that are close but most aren’t. The luxury line will compare their 7N Med cruise with free business air and all inclusive to a standard line’s 7N with commercial business air and all the added packages to show they are close. But when you look closer at the standard line options, it isn’t that straightforward, especially since few of us fly to Europe for a 7N cruise and when you compare the 10-14N cruises, the differences jump way up. And most standard lines are adding packages (yes, really at a discount, not ‘free’ but cheaper). 

 

With that said, I’ve done a Crystal and now doing a Silver Sea and booking a Viking Ocean . One was just to try an all-inclusive with a good deal to allow ‘us standard cruisers’ to try it, and the two others because they have very different itineraries by going many more smaller ports and I’m willing to pay the differences. One one, I’m going oceanview because its so port intensive, the other goes way up the Norwegian coast and I want to try that. 

 

So yes, all-inclusive can be a positive, nothing like almost finishing my glass of wine and the steward walking up and topping that baby off, but my go-to will continue to be Celebrity and I’ll add a few special cruises.....river and special itineraries I’ll pay more for. 

 

Den