I think Virgin Voyages would be better suited for LA than Miami

[DrSea]

I think VV would be much better suited for CA for many reasons. 

 

1. The emphasis on fitness in CA would align with very well with VV since the emphasis on fitness is much more prominent in CA than FL

2. Vegetarians and vegans, which there are many in CA, would go to VV bc of razzle dazzle

3. I think the market for those looking for Korean BBQ is bigger in CA than FL, as there are many more Korean BBQ restaurants in CA than FL.

4. All of those instagram designed areas would do well for those looking to get more followers on instagram, twitter, snapchat, etc. There are tons of those influencers in LA looking to make it big. 

5. This whole thing of "exclusive experiences" where you get pulled into a separate room for a drink or something else reminds me of a lot of the pop up events that are ubiquitous in CA. 

6. The NSA show is geared more towards CA than FL as ppl in CA are much more open to talk about sex than those in FL 

7. LGBT ppl - there are more in CA than in FL. I think they would flock to VV.  

8. More upstream market - there are a lot of wealthy ppl in CA.  

 

Disclaimer: I have never sailed VV

[drewdawg199]

I agree with most of what you are saying, being in southern CA myself.  However, LA is just not a major cruise market, as you said, lot of wealthy people here, if we want a tropical vacay we just go to Bora Bora or Hawaii would be the backup plan, if that puts things in perspective a bit.

[yarramar]

There is still another 2 VV branded ships yet to enter the market. Maybe LA is in the planning once cruising picks up post covid and the brand becomes better known.

[jon81uk]

You know it’s possible to fly into Miami?

people come there for the Caribbean weather. What would the reason to sail out of LA be? The wealthy will travel to where they want to vacation, being able to board a few minutes from home is more relevant to those who can’t afford to fly.

 

It’s also obvious you haven’t actually been onboard VV ships. Razzle Dazzle isn’t actually that vegetarian focused, with the “secret” steak and butter chicken dishes there are now more meat main courses than vege.

Dont think there are that many of the exclusive experiences either, mostly it is a small magic show. 
If you can get Korean BBQ at home then having a not quite so great one on a cruise isn’t an exciting experience. 

[cantgetin]

As I was reading the first post, my thought was that they had never cruised VV....so thanks for making that clear.

 

Tom McAlpin has stated in a public speech that "there are no good ports on the west coast," implying that they have no intention of basing there.  There are direct flights from LA to MIA--booked far enough ahead on AA, they are only $150 each way!  That's also about the same as terminal parking in Miami.

 

Razzle Dazzle is NOT a vegan/vege restaurant.  It is oriented in that direction, but there are vegan/vege choices all over the ship, and there are meat and fish based dished in Razzle Dazzle.

Gumbae is not a REAL Korean BBQ, as in what you would get in Korea or Tokyo.  It is a nod to that, but I don't think my Korean friends would feel it was authentic. (and yes, I've had Korean BBQ at real and tourist placed in Asia.)
 

The comments about the population in LA vs FL....yes, the overall population in FL is older than the current average on VV.  But there are plenty of young people, LGBT people, exercise centered people, and wealthy people on the East coast as well.  And there are people in other parts of the country who are willing to fly in to MIA for a cruise.  Disney has based a ship in LA or SD  for a few months each year since 2005 (there are lots of kids in LA!).  Why not more time?  Because they don't fill their smallest ship and often discount those cruises.  West coast cruises are just not that popular.  Their ships out of FL fill!  OK, some do the WDW tie in, but could do Disneyland as well.  We'll see what happens as the line grows; the current plan is that the next ship will be based in Australia.

 

[angela12345]

I don't live in Florida (and also not California).  I am planning a Virgin Voyages cruise.  I'm not scared of hearing sex talk even though I'm not from California.  We have BBQ restaurants where I live as well even though I don't live in California.  I am wealthy enough to travel even though I don't live in California. I don't even have a Tweeter account or Instamagram or Snappity Chat, and the only person who follows me is my hubby and that's only following me through Costco because even though the aisles are wide enough for 3 carts or 8 people, for some reason he always follows me instead of walking beside me.  Although it IS true, I don't love to exercise (ugh!) and I'm not LGBT, but I don't think that's because I don't live in California.  And I'm certainly not vegetarian.  I love me some ground up cow formed into patties and cooked over an open flame.  Hell I'm not picky, they don't even have to be ground up, I'll eat them in steak form as well. 

 

Question to OP:  let's say VV did cruise out of Cali ... what PORTS would the ships sail to ?!?  Last time I made a list, of just Carnival, they were sailing to 45 ports or locations in the Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda area alone.  Not counting Europe, Hawaii, trans-Atlantic/Pacific, Alaska, Canada, Australia, and the 8 west coast California/Mexico ports.  (I've sailed to 17 of them on Carnival alone a total of 54 times because of repeats, my goal is to complete the Caribbean!!!)
 

Edited November 14, 2022 by angela12345

[FlyingCruiser2]

On board Valiant right now.  Almost everyone we’ve talked to is not from Florida anyway,  unlike the mainstream lines we’ve taken before, so they would have to fly no matter where the port is.  Many people on board from Europe - although I suspect they are mostly on “free” trips or super-discounted because of prior cancellations. Otherwise it seems to me a long way to go four a 6 nighter.

 

I feel terrible for the large number of pax that we’re on a Virgin flight from Europe to Miami that got diverted to Dulles for a medical emergency Saturday, and due to crew time limits and a maintenance issue ended up not getting to Miami on time.  Cannot imagine how disappointing that would be.

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, FlyingCruiser2 said:

 

 

I feel terrible for the large number of pax that we’re on a Virgin flight from Europe to Miami that got diverted to Dulles for a medical emergency Saturday, and due to crew time limits and a maintenance issue ended up not getting to Miami on time.  Cannot imagine how disappointing that would be.

That's why we always fly in at least a day ahead and purchase travel insurance.  Flying in a day (or even 2 when we are going to Europe) ahead can eliminate a lot of the potential flight issues.  Nothing takes care of the disappointment, but at least travel insurance can make another trip financially possible.  

We have friends in the UK who come to Florida regularly, but they don't just do a 4 or 5 night cruise.  They will combine a cruise with theme park or other locations, and typically stay in the US about 3 weeks.  No, I can't see flying to the US for a 4 night cruise, especially when Valiant Lady was in Europe until a month ago.

[shark Fan]

No, totally disagree.  Have been on one VV cruise and have another planned in a few months.  It is exciting for us to meet people from different areas and we have to fly to Miami from NM.  Respect your opinion even if it is naive.  In my opinion..😎

[FlyingCruiser2]

14 minutes ago, shark Fan said:

No, totally disagree.  Have been on one VV cruise and have another planned in a few months.  It is exciting for us to meet people from different areas and we have to fly to Miami from NM.  Respect your opinion even if it is naive.  In my opinion..😎

Are you responding to OP?

[conandrob240]

Are you from CA?

 

the vibe they are going for is far more Miami than LA. (And cruises from CA suck in terms of where they can go)

[rebeccac]

Plus, they are definitely pivoting their marketing away from what it was originally.  While it used to be geared almost exclusively toward young people, the marketing is now much more open to a variety of ages and people.  

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, rebeccac said:

Plus, they are definitely pivoting their marketing away from what it was originally.  While it used to be geared almost exclusively toward young people, the marketing is now much more open to a variety of ages and people.  

Average age on VV is now pushing 50, with 50% of "sailors" being married couples.  The longer the cruise, the older the mix tends to be.  Age range has been 18-90s.  At least OP stated that they had never cruised VV.

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by cantgetin

[CruisingWalter]

On 11/13/2022 at 9:33 PM, DrSea said:

I think VV would be much better suited for CA for many reasons. 

 

1. The emphasis on fitness in CA would align with very well with VV since the emphasis on fitness is much more prominent in CA than FL

2. Vegetarians and vegans, which there are many in CA, would go to VV bc of razzle dazzle

3. I think the market for those looking for Korean BBQ is bigger in CA than FL, as there are many more Korean BBQ restaurants in CA than FL.

4. All of those instagram designed areas would do well for those looking to get more followers on instagram, twitter, snapchat, etc. There are tons of those influencers in LA looking to make it big. 

5. This whole thing of "exclusive experiences" where you get pulled into a separate room for a drink or something else reminds me of a lot of the pop up events that are ubiquitous in CA. 

6. The NSA show is geared more towards CA than FL as ppl in CA are much more open to talk about sex than those in FL 

7. LGBT ppl - there are more in CA than in FL. I think they would flock to VV.  

8. More upstream market - there are a lot of wealthy ppl in CA.  

 

Disclaimer: I have never sailed VV

 

So you've never cruised VV but you know their market better than they do. You do realize the Miami marketplace pretty much dovetails with many of your, shall we say, suggestions. The biggest influencers in Cruising right now are in Europe along with Tony who is here in Florida. 

 

So all of these Californians who do things on land will automatically flock to VV because they live in California? Just because these are 'California things' on a cruise ship? Those statements, to put it very kindly, are naive, insulting and plays into VERY old stereotypes. 

 

And you do realize that most people who cruise are not from Florida, especially in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale with direct flights from all points in the globe. So comparing Floridians with Californians is completely moot for the sake of discussion. You also realize that Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are the two largest cruise ports in the world. California barely has a cruise port, so if you want to compare "who has the most and the best" well Florida will win every single time when it comes to Cruise Ship Operations. Nobody does that better than Florida.

 

1. Fitness is global. I haven't checked lately, but I believe there are gyms and fitness centers all over the United States, including a very active fitness community in Florida. The ability for year round outdoor activities plays into that. 

 

2. The entire ship is vegan/veggy friendly, as is much of the cruise industry. Virgin places more emphasis on Razzle Dazzle as a veggy first restaurant, but you can order meat items in that restaurant. And the rest of the industry supports and provides great veggy/vegan options, they just don't advertise it like VV does.

 

3. You're joking right? Korean BBQ's largest concentration is in Houston, that city is legendary for Korean BBQ and their Korean community. And Gunbae is not 'real' Korean BBQ. It's a really fun dining experience but if you're a huge fan of Korean BBQ, you will probably be disappointed, whether you're from California, Ohio, Idaho, Florida and pretty much any of the United States.

 

4. This one made me laugh out loud. As someone who works in marketing, actively works with influencers, who has hired influencers for campaigns, that's not how this would work and would be a horrible business decision to move to LA for 'influencers' who will cruise on a ship one time to show their audience and then never sail again. 

 

5. So having a pop up experience potential means people from LA will flock to the ship? Hardly. Pop ups are in Miami, New York and many other cities where people come to cruise, but it's hardly a reason to get on a cruise ship. 

 

6. The stereotypes in your statement are just so silly, no need to add a further comment.

 

7. I would love to see the census report where you found out that California has more LGBTQ+ population than Florida and why that means the LGBTQ+ crowd would want to get on a ship out of California more than one out of Miami. Because the LGBTQ+ has been well represented on cruises during my almost 20 years of cruising out of Port Canaveral, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. Celebrity Cruises has been especially popular with the LGBTQ+ crowd for many years and VV is certainly attracting that audience with their come as you are approach.  Please share that link to the population report, I really want to see the LGBTQ+ census. 

 

8. You really don't know Florida, especially Miami where VV is located. Once again, the wealthy have access to jets so they can get to Miami easily enough and they probably own a home in Miami.

 

One thing you don't seem to understand is that Virgin Voyages is a middle of the road, reasonably priced experience. Massive Suite/Fab Suite are around $25,000 ish for a week while the Iconic Suite on Celebrity Edge Class is $40,000+ for a week (I've seen it as high as $80k), the 3 Story Family Townhome on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas is $63,000 for a week, The Haven on NCL can run $24,000 or higher for a week.

 

So there's nothing 'status worthy' about going on a VV ship other than the fact that it's a really REALLY good cruise experience, I think one of the best in the industry. And because it IS such a good experience she is positioned exactly where they need to be for the cruise market. Miami is the largest cruise port in the world, if you want to be seen and discovered by the cruise audience and by a very hip demographic, that's where you do it. You can literally see the ship from downtown and the sports arena the way she's positioned. And when the ship isn't there, their terminal is a HUGE billboard during major events. 

 

I would suggest you educate yourself about the cruise industry, the demographics and why Miami is so important to any cruise line that wants to 'make it' and why California is honestly not all that important. It's nice to have cheap options to run to Mexico, and the round trips to Hawaii are really nice. But California can't support the growth of a cruise line like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale can. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CineGraphic]

As if LA has a monopoly on hipsters. lol.

[zackarykeef]

I’m curious where OP lives to make all these assumptions re: LA and Miami. OP is making all the points in favor of LA (a city), then comparing it to all of Florida (a state).

 

I live in downtown Miami across from the cruise port. Miami is basically LA minus Hollywood plus South American influence. It’s 💯 opposite the rest of the state of Florida. Similar to how LA is opposite much of more rural CA. Miami is full of fitness, health, ultra-rich, influencers, LGBT, etc…it’s literally like LA. The comparisons in OP’s post just don’t make sense…unless of course you want to compare LA with Ocala or Miami with Sacramento.

 

So, with easy access to all of the Caribbean with much better ports, plus easier accessibility from Europe and the large UK market on Virgin, Miami is the obvious choice 🤷🏼‍♂️

[tinkr2]

On 11/16/2022 at 11:37 AM, zackarykeef said:

I’m curious where OP lives to make all these assumptions re: LA and Miami. OP is making all the points in favor of LA (a city), then comparing it to all of Florida (a state).

 

I live in downtown Miami across from the cruise port. Miami is basically LA minus Hollywood plus South American influence. It’s 💯 opposite the rest of the state of Florida. Similar to how LA is opposite much of more rural CA. Miami is full of fitness, health, ultra-rich, influencers, LGBT, etc…it’s literally like LA. The comparisons in OP’s post just don’t make sense…unless of course you want to compare LA with Ocala or Miami with Sacramento.

 

So, with easy access to all of the Caribbean with much better ports, plus easier accessibility from Europe and the large UK market on Virgin, Miami is the obvious choice 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

I was wondering what part of Florida he was comparing to LA. I had settled on Jacksonville or Ocala.also.😆

And Korean BBQ is so popular hear in Orlando, I bet 10 opened recently.

[Don Kehote]

On 11/15/2022 at 12:36 PM, WheresWalter said:

So you've never cruised VV but you know their market better than they do. 

Walter, I don't know you, but I think we should be friends.  I don't even smell bad.  Usually.

[Dre67]

I sailed on the Scarlet Lady during the week Hurricane Ian in late September.  We were able to stay ahead of the storm and navigate to different islands that weren't on the original itinerary which was fine.  The food on the Scarlet Lady was the best I have had on any ship or cruise line in my 14 previous cruises on RCL, NCL, Celebrity or Carnival.  However with that being said, I would probably not sail on another Virgin Voyage in the Caribbean.  I live in California and would love my local friends, relatives and customers to experience the ambience and food on Virgin without having to pay an additional $1000+ for plane and lodging expenses by flying to Miami.  I don't think Virgin has to set up a permanent LA schedule, but at least a couple months out of the year for west coast residents to experience without paying too much out of pocket.  All Californians aren't rich as some say, but they do fill up RCL and Carnival ships all year round sailing to Mexico and if there was a Virgin ship sailing out of Long Beach/San Pedro at least 10 sailings a year to Cabo, Ensenada, San Francisco or Vancouver it would sell out.  I had  considered sailing Virgin in Europe, but I already have a cruise scheduled via NCL next year, because I don't like the current Virgin European itineraries.  

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Dre67

[CruisingWalter]

5 hours ago, Dre67 said:

I had  considered sailing Virgin in Europe, but I already have a cruise scheduled via NCL next year, because I don't like the current Virgin European itineraries.

 

In Europe, Princess, Holland America and Celebrity have some of the best itineraries of the mainstream cruise lines that are based in the U.S. P&O has some great itineraries as well and is one of the cruise lines I plan to sail in 2023 or 2024. In fact I really want to get on the Mein Schiff ships one of these days, that'll be interesting trying to converse with a mostly German crowd and I don't speak a lick of it. 🙂

[CruisingWalter]

13 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

Walter, I don't know you, but I think we should be friends.  I don't even smell bad.  Usually.

Ha! If we get a chance to meet IRL on a ship, I will gladly buy you a drink! 🙂 

[garycarla]

 

There are many reasons that all the cruise lines have limited west coast cruises.

 

Virgin is no different.