"Secret" cabins

[Midnatsluskeren]

Apart from suites (which I can't afford), are there any "secret" especially desirable cabins on Virgin Voyages' ships?

 

Henrik

 

[FFMilesJunkie]

The accessible Sea Terraces have the same footprint as the seriously suite but none of the bells and whistles.  However they are fully accessible which means roll in shower with curtain and ramp to balcony.  You will sometimes be assigned one if you have a Lock It In rate and they were not booked by those who require them.  I would not want to take one away from someone who truly needs it, but you might be able to ask at check in if any are going out empty and see if they will move you. 

[raphael360]

From my 'School of Hard Knocks University' training: Avoid decks 8 and 14 at all costs.  

[aqlollipop]

Sea Terrace cabins 102 on any deck either side have a bit extra deck space with an angle that looks back across the length of the ship. On deck plans it often appears that the 106 or 104 cabins have this feature, but it's the 102 cabins.

[cantgetin]

47 minutes ago, FFMilesJunkie said:

The accessible Sea Terraces have the same footprint as the seriously suite but none of the bells and whistles.  However they are fully accessible which means roll in shower with curtain and ramp to balcony.  You will sometimes be assigned one if you have a Lock It In rate and they were not booked by those who require them.  I would not want to take one away from someone who truly needs it, but you might be able to ask at check in if any are going out empty and see if they will move you. 

Please note...as one who travels with a mobility impaired relative, I highly agree with the above about not trying to book an accessible cabin if you don't require one.  They do have extra space to allow for mobility equipment, but they also have things missing that are part of a normal cabin.  For instance, there is no shelf under the sink in the bathroom.  That might not seem like a big deal till you realize that there is absolutely NO storage in the bathroom.  The sink is lower and a different design than a standard cabin.  This means you may need to bend over slightly when brushing your teeth.  These changes are to make it possible for a wheelchair to move up to the sink (legs under like a desk) and use the sink.  As noted, there is a roll in shower with curtain and fold down shower chair.  If you don't use this set up correctly, it can mean a wet bathroom floor and those are slippery.  The ramp to the balcony needs to be FULLY extended so as not to present a tripping hazard to someone not using a chair or other device.  And while the balcony is larger than standard, the ramp takes up abut 1/3 of it, making that portion not usable. 

If you need bars by the toilet/shower or a shower chair without the added features of the accessible cabin, you can get those items in an "ambulatory" cabin.

[CineGraphic]

1 hour ago, raphael360 said:

From my 'School of Hard Knocks University' training: Avoid decks 8 and 14 at all costs.  

 

Having stayed in a few obstructed view cabins nearby, 8026A has become our go-to cabin.

It's unobstructed, and we love just being a flight of stairs away from The Dock, and the aft-views.

We also love the aft elevators as they're never as busy as the mid-ship elevators.

[Midnatsluskeren]

1 hour ago, aqlollipop said:

Sea Terrace cabins 102 on any deck either side have a bit extra deck space with an angle that looks back across the length of the ship. On deck plans it often appears that the 106 or 104 cabins have this feature, but it's the 102 cabins.

I was wondering about those cabins. And yes, on Cruisedeckplans.com it looks like it's 106. Interesting! Thanks 😊 

[sid_9169]

The Solo Sea View cabins are pretty cool, and there are only four on the entire ship... All the way forward and triangular in shape...

[Cloud9 Bob]

3 hours ago, raphael360 said:

From my 'School of Hard Knocks University' training: Avoid decks 8 and 14 at all costs.  

 

I've been on 14, but what's the deal with 8?

[jamesv92]

Always wondered about 10374 A & Z sea view cabins. They look massive on the deck plan, be interested to know if that's the case?

[cantgetin]

32 minutes ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

 

I've been on 14, but what's the deal with 8?

Right above the public areas which presents the possibility of noise.  Cabins that are both above and below other cabins tend to be more quiet.

 

[raphael360]

4 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

 

I've been on 14, but what's the deal with 8?

The cabins I was looking at were single solo directly above The Manor. Can you imagine?  

[chillyw]

10 hours ago, raphael360 said:

The cabins I was looking at were single solo directly above The Manor. Can you imagine?  

 

Maybe the constant thump, thump, thump is gonna help them sleep lol

[raphael360]

5 hours ago, chillyw said:

 

Maybe the constant thump, thump, thump is gonna help them sleep lol

My Rockstar suite on 14, under the pool, didn’t go well on Scarlet Night. I’m surprised VV designed their ships with some of their best suites in such a noisy location. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. 

[AdoraBelle]

On 8/30/2023 at 1:41 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Having stayed in a few obstructed view cabins nearby, 8026A has become our go-to cabin.

It's unobstructed, and we love just being a flight of stairs away from The Dock, and the aft-views.

We also love the aft elevators as they're never as busy as the mid-ship elevators.

I loved my cheeky corner suite on deck 8. It was about ten seconds to walk to the smaller aft elevator, to go up to the galley or whatever. 
 

I did get some noise that at first I thought was club or party noise, but by night two I noticed it was always the exact same tempo and it made me wonder if I was hearing engine noise. (Didn’t mind—as a light sleeper I always bring good earplugs and a travel white noise machine that I can set on the pillow next to me. That combo means I can sleep through almost anything.)

[jon81uk]

3 hours ago, raphael360 said:

My Rockstar suite on 14, under the pool, didn’t go well on Scarlet Night. I’m surprised VV designed their ships with some of their best suites in such a noisy location. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. 

I think that’s why the party at the pool shuts down shortly after midnight. But the assumption also is that most people will be at the party, it’s the biggest one of the cruise and followed by a sea day which allows for lie-ins.

[RNPJN]

4 hours ago, raphael360 said:

My Rockstar suite on 14, under the pool, didn’t go well on Scarlet Night. I’m surprised VV designed their ships with some of their best suites in such a noisy location. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. 

That's why we pick the aft suites

[scottie99]

We are in 14326A. In 3 weeks time

 

You now have me worried

[Fogcityca13]

2 hours ago, AdoraBelle said:

I loved my cheeky corner suite on deck 8. It was about ten seconds to walk to the smaller aft elevator, to go up to the galley or whatever. 
 

I did get some noise that at first I thought was club or party noise, but by night two I noticed it was always the exact same tempo and it made me wonder if I was hearing engine noise. (Didn’t mind—as a light sleeper I always bring good earplugs and a travel white noise machine that I can set on the pillow next to me. That combo means I can sleep through almost anything.)

That’s good, in cheeky corner on deck 8 for December then 9 in March. I always sleep with earplugs when not at home. Really looking to being closer to decks 7 and 6. Also looking forward to the terrace and hearing music from the Dock.

[FFMilesJunkie]

3 hours ago, scottie99 said:

We are in 14326A. In 3 weeks time

 

You now have me worried

That’s not bad. You have a Mega Rock Star suite above you so won’t have pool deck noise. 

[DisabledSeawoman]

On 8/31/2023 at 3:10 AM, cantgetin said:The sink is lower and a different design than a standard cabin.  This means you may need to bend over slightly when brushing your teeth.  These changes are to make it possible for a wheelchair to move up to the sink (legs under like a desk) and use the sink.  As noted, there is a roll in shower with curtain and fold down shower chair.  If you don't use this set up correctly, it can mean a wet bathroom floor and those are slippery.  The ramp to the balcony needs to be FULLY extended so as not to present a tripping hazard to someone not using a chair or other device.  And while the balcony is larger than standard, the ramp takes up abut 1/3 of it, making that portion not usable. 

If you need bars by the toilet/shower or a shower chair without the added features of the accessible cabin, you can get those items in an "ambulatory" cabin.

Thanks for the accessibility info. Although I’m not “wheelchair bound” I’ve just been assessed for my first electric wheelchair. I will definitely need it getting around the ship, but will only use in-cabin if really struggling. 
 

My elderly mother is my carer and will be sharing the cabin. We both have spinal damage and I’m wondering if bending over in the bathroom will be too much. Maybe we should go for semi accessible in an extra large cabin instead of the fully accessible cabin even though I’ll have a wheelchair/scooter. Any advice? I’ve never been on a cruise! 

[cantgetin]

Obviously each person is different.  We're in the final stages of editing our YouTube on the features of the various cabins, but likely will not release it till after our next cruise as we want  a little more footage.  I didn't find need to "bend over" in the bathroom.  The counter/sink is a little lower than the ambulatory and standard cabins, but not so much that it is a problem.

You will not be able to fit an electric wheelchair thru the door of anything other than the accessible cabin,  The door is extra wide to allow you to get devices thru.  The extra large cabin mostly adds space in the bathroom, and you get that with the accessible also.  You also would lose the safety bars and shower seat in a standard XL cabin,   Another feature is that the beds in the accessible cabin divide into the "normal" 2 bed side by side configuration rather than the L in the standard cabins.  We find this makes a lot more sense for us.  You DO lose some storage space in the accessible cabin--there is no shelf under the sink in the bathroom, so we bring an "over the door" hanger to hold various things that might be wanted in the bathroom as well as relieve clutter from the desk.  You also don't have the big drawer that is part of the normal bed set up, but if bending over is a problem, you likely couldn't use that drawer anyhow. We've done  15 night cruise on Valiant and had sufficient storage.  Also, in the accessible cabin, you get a second hanging rod that can be reached from a wheelchair.  A standard cabin will have a step up of about 6" from the cabin into the bathroom and another 2" step to get into the shower; an accessible cabin will be flat from the hallway into the cabin, the bathroom, and the shower so you can roll a chair or other device.  There is a ramp to allow access to the balcony.

 

My logic would be that if you need an electric chair, you need the accessible cabin...but again, I don't pretend to know your physical limitations.  Unless you have a very narrow model, you will not be able to get an electric chair thru the door of a standard cabin.  I'm at 49 cruises on multiple lines, and would not attempt to do anything but an accessible cabin with a manual or electric chair.  The cabins are designed for people who need to use the chair, and trying to "get by" with another room just won't give you the features you might need.  

[DisabledSeawoman]

That’s brilliant thanks! The accessible cabin sounds better as I can’t use steps at all. Will look out for your video 👍

[CruisingWalter]

On 8/31/2023 at 12:42 PM, raphael360 said:

My Rockstar suite on 14, under the pool, didn’t go well on Scarlet Night. I’m surprised VV designed their ships with some of their best suites in such a noisy location. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. 

 

That's the bit I've never understood. Putting so many suites directly under the pools and the gym. We avoid those at all costs. The best cabins on the entire ship, in my humble opinion, are the Cheeky Corner Suites from Deck 10 up. The OP said the suites are out of their price range, but Cheeky Corners are worth putting an upgrade bid in if they are available for your sailing. 

[Gretchendz]

On 8/30/2023 at 1:41 PM, CineGraphic said:

 

Having stayed in a few obstructed view cabins nearby, 8026A has become our go-to cabin.

It's unobstructed, and we love just being a flight of stairs away from The Dock, and the aft-views.

We also love the aft elevators as they're never as busy as the mid-ship elevators.

 

I so agree about the aft elevators. I was disappointed when we were assigned very clode to them on 9. Turns out they were very quiet, rarely used and super convenient.