What About That One Swimming Pool?

[grouchomarx]

29 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Good news bad news. The second 'wellbeing pool' is actually a very large hottub with seating in the middle as well as all around the perimeter. I think that's going to be a popular space. Looks like two other smaller more traditional hottubs flank this pool.

The bad news that's it for the hottubs; there none that we can see at the main pool area. There does seem to be at least one hottub in Richard's Rooftop area.

I wonder why they chose to have so much empty deck space.  Unless they just don't have all the usual loungers out yet since they're not sailing at capacity.  I just seems to me a sun deck really needs some good water features that can serve the whole population.  At least a decent size pool, lots of the large size hot tubs and maybe even a waterfall/grotto type of thing like NCL has on the Breakaway class adults only area (Spice H2O) would seem appropriate for this adults only ship.  Very strange.  Who wants to sit in the sun all day and have nowhere to refresh yourself?  I mean, you can't do yoga all day!

[eroller]

7 minutes ago, grouchomarx said:

I wonder why they chose to have so much empty deck space.  Unless they just don't have all the usual loungers out yet since they're not sailing at capacity.  I just seems to me a sun deck really needs some good water features that can serve the whole population.  At least a decent size pool, lots of the large size hot tubs and maybe even a waterfall/grotto type of thing like NCL has on the Breakaway class adults only area (Spice H2O) would seem appropriate for this adults only ship.  Very strange.  Who wants to sit in the sun all day and have nowhere to refresh yourself?  I mean, you can't do yoga all day!

 

 

All that space will be filled with loungers on a regular cruise.  Remember they are doing a crossing and the weather is just now starting to get a little warmer.  It's still not hot like it would be in the Caribbean.  Also the ship only has 800 pax on it.  It will be triple that on a regular cruise.  

[AlyssaJames]

1 hour ago, grouchomarx said:

Unless they just don't have all the usual loungers out yet since they're not sailing at capacity.

 

You can see loungers stacked up under cover in a lot of the photos. 

[MBP1]

If you follow VV on Facebook you can see on their story today people lounging and hangout out by the pool. Not sure if its just crew relaxing or some preview cruise, mood seems kinda dead. 

[hotsauce126]

21 hours ago, MBP1 said:

If you follow VV on Facebook you can see on their story today people lounging and hangout out by the pool. Not sure if its just crew relaxing or some preview cruise, mood seems kinda dead. 

 

It's people who were invited on the transatlantic cruise that was supposed to be going from dover to nyc and got diverted mid cruise to Miami. It's the 9th sea day in a row with no ports of call on a sailing that wasn't even meant to have under outside decks open originally

[adjjb12]

On 3/4/2020 at 12:30 PM, eroller said:

 

 

This pool looks like it's for 4 people. Insanely small for ship that size and sailing from Miami.

 

If it was a cold weather climate ship (Alaska) it would make more sense.

[CruisingWalter]

On 3/6/2020 at 12:26 PM, MBP1 said:

If you follow VV on Facebook you can see on their story today people lounging and hangout out by the pool. Not sure if its just crew relaxing or some preview cruise, mood seems kinda dead. 

 

From Virgin's Press Release regarding the cancellation of the NYC stop:

The 850 passengers currently on the ship are friends and family of our crew and were invited to join a complimentary test sailing with us. We are working with those who need assistance for travel home from Florida.

[garymfreedman]

Which is about 1/3 of what will be sailing.. I am not going on a cruise to sit in a pool-Poolside maybe, but I can swim at home....

[eroller]

7 hours ago, garymfreedman said:

Which is about 1/3 of what will be sailing.. I am not going on a cruise to sit in a pool-Poolside maybe, but I can swim at home....

I can eat at home too, but it’s likely I’ll still do it on a cruise. Everyone has their priorities and what they like to do on a cruise.  There is no right or wrong.  

[garymfreedman]

You must cook or have someone that cooks-I have to go out to get food, so on the Cruise, it will be the only time I get real food.....

[eroller]

With what is going on now in the cruise Industry, that tiny pool will be the least on Virgin's problems.  The entire industry is heading into survival mode and I fear it will get much worse before it gets better.  

 

Just today, in a shock to the cruise industry, especially after their meeting with VP Pence yesterday, the Department of State issued an advisory against cruise ship travel for US citizens.  This is just another huge blow to the cruise industry that will be difficult to overcome.  I personally feel the US Government threw the cruise industry under the bus.  The whole thing is so sad.  

[rbt001]

Somewhere in the threads someone mentioned that VV may enlarge the pool prior to the delayed launch.  There is a port in the Caribbean used for dry dock renovations for ships.  Any word if this is planned?

[flgrl67]

14 minutes ago, rbt001 said:

Somewhere in the threads someone mentioned that VV may enlarge the pool prior to the delayed launch.  There is a port in the Caribbean used for dry dock renovations for ships.  Any word if this is planned?

Hopefully they do this. Even though I am not one that the pool was deal breaker, it would be nice to have a bigger pool on board.

[twodjs]

Raising the outside of the white edge 3 feet, raising the water level to allow the loungers to be in the water like on Celebrity Edge (sorry, don't have an Edge picture for an easy visual) and thus making the dark blue area swimable, would help minimize the tiny pool problem without a major redesign. 

[garymfreedman]

With Covid-The smaller pool is now a plus, not a negative----

[nigelc]

Will be easy to "social distance" in that pool - only 1 in at a time. 

[garymfreedman]

55 minutes ago, nigelc said:

Will be easy to "social distance" in that pool - only 1 in at a time. 

VV thought about covid when they planned a pool that could only hold 1 person...

[Deanmivin]

It turns out that the problem of a tiny pool can be solved in incredibly different ways, described in this article. Of course, there are differences between swimming pools on a cruise ship and a regular pool in the yard, but many solutions are identical.

[philsuarez]

This is a total deal breaker for me. These are not small ships and for this to be the only pool area is crazy. I had such high expectations for what Virgin would do for cruising but have been left feeling disappointed by the product. 

[Cruiseguys11]

I've seen the pool in person. It's extremely disappointing when you see it. It fits 5 people at best. 

 

The deck itself is disappointing. You can't expect passengers to pay premium prices and have little to no pool space. 

 

This will be a deal breaker for most people.

[garymfreedman]

1 hour ago, Cruiseguys11 said:

I've seen the pool in person. It's extremely disappointing when you see it. It fits 5 people at best. 

 

The deck itself is disappointing. You can't expect passengers to pay premium prices and have little to no pool space. 

 

This will be a deal breaker for most people.

If someone is sailing VV for the pool, they are on the wrong cruise line... Personally, I am not going cruising to get into a pool...

[burnoutbabe]

i have done 10+ cruises. I have never been in the pool. sat around on deck yes but never fancied the pool. so the small pool is fine with me.

 

(i don;t tend to go on med cruises, more places like baltics or alaska.)

[rusky123]

I rarely go into a public pool, prefer my own really clean one without plasters ( band aids) floating about, so pool size does not matter to me. I think they should have another pool or two for those who like a pool though.

[dippyblond]

I'd simply be more than happy if the weather is even warm enough for us Brits to use the pool on our cruise to nowhere! 😎

[F27TW]

On 3/4/2020 at 12:30 PM, eroller said:

 

 

They must be crazy.   Thats the only pool for 3,000 pax.  Look at the size of it compared to the 2 people swimming in it ... it is TINY .   What, Virgin's "pretty people" don't believe in swimming?    

 

Thats really, really pitiful.