Is Virgin Voyages a Potential "Threat" To Celebrity?

[tfred]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Yes, absolutely. 

Yes, absolutely. 

I can't say, but they offer these as "perks" quite frequently as you mention.  I think the VV model does away with a lot of "plus, plus" pricing and is easier for consumers. 

Celebrity has been trying to lower the average onboard age for quite a few years now.  

 

Anyone denying that VV is going after a portion of the Celebrity demographic is kidding themselves.  VV is not targeted at traditional style cruisers. Also, VV is not marketed or intended as a "Booze Cruise".  That's still going to be your 3 day party barges.  This is aimed at the couple who might otherwise fly to an island or Vegas for a few days in a nicer resort hotel.  We are late 30's/early 40's and using Celebrity as a step up in atmosphere and service from Royal Caribbean and when looking at a trip for "just us" and leaving the kids home I am way more inclined to try out a 5 night on VV's new experience/cabins/ and dining and entertainment concepts than I am to book a 7 day Celebrity just without bringing the kids.  

 

VV is the first I have seen of trying to really do something different from the regular cruise industry playbook and that is exciting.  It ought to scare Celebrity and force them to be competitive for that segment of the market (35-55 singles and couples)

 

We have a winner !

 

very few people spend a week in Las Vegas, Atlantis or any number of high end resorts.  They have a week of vacation.  One day to get there and one day back.  The middle days are the vacation

 

These are the people that Virgin wants.  There are a ton of people who have never "cruised" and never will.  They would go on a high end vacation in a hotel at sea.  I have flown Virgin Upper Class a few times - it is fantastic. The Clubhouse in London is part of that package and indicates what Virgin Group can do.  Virgin Atlantic is an airline (just the same as Delta), but the experience on VS is one big notch above

[LMaxwell]

I don't really see the Edge as being different enough from regular Celebrity offerings.  It offers new gimmicks and amenities, but the itineraries and how the cruises are functionally run/onboard scheduling fall within the majority of Celebrity product.  A long time Celebrity cruiser would likely be very comfortable with the Edge (insert Infinite Veranda opinions here).  

[amyr]

If any of you know Emma Cruises and have ever watched her video ship reviews, you'll know that she generally loves most ships and is pretty upbeat.  At 25, she's probably also in their target demographic.  Here's her review, she did a pretty good job going over everything you could think of in one of their terrace cabins.  It's a good review, but she didn't love it:

 

Scarlet Lady

[hrt4girls]

First, I have to say that I love Celebrity!  We have sailed them many times and are definitely our favorite cruise line. But, when the information came out about the new Virgin Voyages, I looked into it and booked a trip for my husband and myself at the end of October.  I suppose since we are in our late 50's we might not be the target audience, but I didn't realize that and now that I know, I really don't care.   I was thrilled with the policies of no kids, gratuities being included and not having to pay for nonalcoholic drinks.  The price of a balcony cabin was $2500 for the 2 of us for a 5 day cruise.  I am looking forward to seeing how the dining establishments work as opposed to a buffet and main dining room.  The tattoo parlor is not a feature that we will use, but we can just avoid it.  We do that with the art galleries and auctions on  every other cruise we take.  Some of these posts seem to judge every passenger on board as lower class because of the tattoo parlor.  I don't get that attitude.  We are looking forward to a trip that stops in the Dominican Republic since we have not been there.  We are also looking forward to the private island and the events that are scheduled for that day.  Will we start to sail VV instead of X?  I don't know, but I really don't think anyone should judge the new cruise line by the one ad that they run.  Maybe we should wait and see how the passengers like it.  For us it will be a fun adventure.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I stayed in a Virgin hotel in Chicago.  Never again will I darken a Virgin property, whether on land or on sea.

[little britain]

It was a Mediterranean cruise and our friends said the majority of passengers were European and there were a lot of smokers compared to HAL and Celebrity.

A lot of Europeans still smoke. It’s a fact.
No smoking allowed indoors on YC on MSC.





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[Jossie1960]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

A lot of Europeans still smoke. It’s a fact.
No smoking allowed indoors on YC on MSC.

 

..........but they make up for it elsewhere, MSC ships stink of stale tobacco.  

[mickey89]

How can Virgin Voyages compete with anyone let alone Celebrity.  

Scarlet lady looks pretty from the outside but almost totally impractical inside from sofas that act as beds, with no drawers in the cabins, nowhere to store your suitcases and anyone with a higher than average bmi score, don't even attempt to use the bathroom as you may never see the light of day again.  The rest of the ship well .............no comment.

 

Over priced nonsense which is destined to go the same way as Virgin Rail, into oblivion. 

[terrydtx]

18 hours ago, kelmac said:

Until they offer 10 -- 14 night cruises, we will pass.  Some overlap with the Edge/Apex, but we loved our experience on the Edge.  Thought the IV cabin was the best we've ever sail (in 79 cruises).  Some features seem similar to MSC with the modern sparkle and chrome.  The aft area looks just like the Seaside.

Never say never, as I'm sure some day we will be onboard Virgin Cruises.  

 

Good luck and keep the competition coming,

Kel😉

My Sister and BIL , both Elite Status, who left Celebrity last year and this year for a Viking Ocean and Viking River cruise are returning in 2021 in a Sky Suite on the Edge in the Mediterranean. They loved their VO cruise last year but they are giving X another try after being a loyalist for 20 years because of the uniqueness of the Edge class ships, this is their first cruise on the Edge. In her opinion a SS on X is comparable to VO in price and most amenities when you add in Elite and the 4 perks they got for this booking. If they enjoy the Edge they may stay with X and the Edge class ships. We joked about VV and she said no way would they even consider them, they are both over 65 and not their demographic and they do not do any cruise less than 10 days in length.

[little britain]

2 hours ago, Jossie1960 said:

 

..........but they make up for it elsewhere, MSC ships stink of stale tobacco.  

I have been on 5 MSC cruises and only once did I find a venue inside where you could smell the smoke wafting up from the casino below where it came up the stairs.  I didn't use that bar. Simple.  No smell anywhere else. 

Which MSC ships were you on that "stank"?

Edited February 24, 2020 by little britain

[little britain]

16 hours ago, amyr said:

If any of you know Emma Cruises and have ever watched her video ship reviews, you'll know that she generally loves most ships and is pretty upbeat.  At 25, she's probably also in their target demographic.  Here's her review, she did a pretty good job going over everything you could think of in one of their terrace cabins.  It's a good review, but she didn't love it:

 

Scarlet Lady

Wow!  Those beds!    Suppose you want a sleep (or a cuddle session) in the afternoon - do you have to put your bed together yourself?

 

I think X learnt the hard way of getting non cruisers to design a ship - a la Hoppen - and their impractical furniture!   

[kr00t0n]

That said, the interiors on Scarlett Lady scream Ikea/Student Accomodation more than Hoppen's attempt.

[bEwAbG]

Those beds in the standard rooms are a no-go for me.  I appreciate the idea that they're trying to make the cabin more usable when you're not sleeping but it's essentially a futon, and I'm not going to pay to sleep on a futon for a week.  Trying not to color his opinion, I said "what do you think of this?" and showed my friend (not a cruiser) pictures of the ship.  His first comment on the cabin pictures was "do other ships put people on futons?"

 

In the suite rooms, I don't understand having windows into the bathrooms.  So much for traveling with friends.  If they can be closed off, that needs to be part of the room description.

[poeticlicensed]

Virgin holds zero appeal for me. Tattoos and futon beds? I had to ask my kids who Diplo is. It's pretty clear they are trying to appeal to the Hard Rock vegas party demographic. I dont think that's the majority of Celebrity customers. The no kids sounds great but frankly unless you travel exclusively in the summer or during school holidays most Celebrity cruises only have a small number of kids anyway.

[CoconutOne]

I haven't read all the replies, but after seeing a video on VV, the line is a complete disaster. It's very reminiscent of Revel in Atlantic City. Without major changes, there's no chance of VV making it in the long run.

[deliver42]

After looking at the ship on You Tube, i don't know if it's even a threat to Carnival. They completely messed up what appeared at the outset, a beautiful ship. The interior looks cheap, and the pool like a big bath tub.

[luckyinpa]

9 hours ago, CoconutOne said:

I haven't read all the replies, but after seeing a video on VV, the line is a complete disaster. It's very reminiscent of Revel in Atlantic City. Without major changes, there's no chance of VV making it in the long run.

 

i regretting not going when they opened and love that oceans is now open. such a nice big airy place to spend time. 

[Moby Jones]

On 2/16/2020 at 5:43 AM, 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?

 

I was excited to see Branson turn his attentions to a cruise line. I did think they could give Celebrity a run for their money initially. Then I followed the evolution of VV and can honestly say right now, I don't think they'll be any real competition at all. They seem to be focussed on completely different markets at this time. 

The number of X pax jumping ship will in my opinion be minimal. 

[Lindagop]

Put me on a cruise ship and I am happy. That being said- Just Not S. Lady.I personally  feel  it is a disaster. After watching this video I feel depressed. IKEA seems class when compared. All I can say is Helllllllppp if this becomes the future for all new cruise ships.

[Moby Jones]

51 minutes ago, Lindagop said:

Put me on a cruise ship and I am happy. That being said- Just Not S. Lady.I personally  feel  it is a disaster. After watching this video I feel depressed. IKEA seems class when compared. All I can say is Helllllllppp if this becomes the future for all new cruise ships.

 

 

It won't. 🙂

The average age of cruisers may be slowly lowering but let's be honest, most people are of an age where they appreciate a real bed and not a convertible sofa! 

[UnorigionalName]

I hope celebrity goes in that more modern direction with food.  why is cruise line food stuck in the 90's.  The food from VV looks actually decent and a step in the right direction.  I am definitely one of those people cross shopping edge/apex and scarlet lady.

[bEwAbG]

Have they shown any of the actual food, though?  So far we've seen signs about what they'll serve.  My work cafeteria has some interesting "takes" on what you'd expect by what they call it, but that's doesn't always make it good.

[AlyssaJames]

10 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Have they shown any of the actual food, though?  So far we've seen signs about what they'll serve.  My work cafeteria has some interesting "takes" on what you'd expect by what they call it, but that's doesn't always make it good.

 

Menus and real-world pictures from social media in this thread:

 

 

[bEwAbG]

3 minutes ago, AlyssaJames said:

Menus and real-world pictures from social media in this thread:

 

Thanks for the link.  I'm not seeing anything that I haven't seen on other cruise ships.  It all looks ok but nothing novel.  Of course, food quality is more about how much of your fare they're devoting to it, so this is another one of those "wait and see" things.  If that is something people rave about, they can "dine out" on it for years.  Celebrity is still known for their food even though that reputation was earned from past glory.

[AlyssaJames]

2 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

I'm not seeing anything that I haven't seen on other cruise ships. 

Heh, okay.