Valiant Lady Live in the Med - First Time on Virgin

[brazilgirl]

3 hours ago, warmwinds said:

Love your pictures, what a great itinerary.

 

But to the fried chicken in Razzle Dazzle - from the 4 pictures you posted, I could tell the lamb shank, but nothing looked like fried chicken!  (to me! 😋) and love chicken.  Which picture was it?  Will definitely try it next time!

Here is the fried chicken… it is really quite delicious! You must try it. My husband and I had the lamb shank and the fried chicken and shared. Another recommendation is the fried green tomatoes and okra appetizer, quite good!

[brazilgirl]

I didn’t mention our meals at The Wake. Very elegant venue. We had dinner there as well as brunch. My husband had the Salt Baked Dorado with lemon caper sauce, which was exceptional. The salmon I had was less exciting. I didn’t get a photo of his dish, but really worth trying if you enjoy fish. Clam Chowder is nice and Citrus Cheesecake very yummy as well

[brazilgirl]

After going to Ibiza in the evening, we decided to take the ferry to Formentera for the second day to enjoy the renowned beaches. There are multiple ferries . Costs about 50 Euros roundtrip and if you like charming villages and crystal blue water, it is a must. We then rented a little car and drove around the island had lunch. A perfect last cruise day.

[brazilgirl]

We arrived in Barcelona this morning and disembarked. We left the ship around 9:30. We had a nice breakfast and coffee and headed to the airport. Luggage was easy to find and disembarkation process was extremely organized and easy. Kudos to Virgin.

 

Now the million dollar question… would we cruise Virgin again? 
 

There was a deal breaker on the cruise that really affected the experience overall for us. It certainly is a personal issue and does not detract from the great service, lovely food and interesting and well thought out decor. 
 

The deal breaker is the loud music in the public such as the pool and many bars. My husband and I are music lovers and we don’t expect elevator music all over the ship. But it really felt overwhelming at times and we struggle to find a nice quiet corner to relax and unwind. As I said, very personal issue and depends on each person’s taste and personality. I loved the diversity on the ship and there is definitely a market for the more “vibrant” type of ship.

 

i might venture to say that Virgin could be for us if the tweaked their product a bit and had some more areas that were geared to quieter folk ( lots of younger and older people who have sensory sensitivities). Who knows? We did really like “The Dock” outdoor area and music was fun and at a better volume ( for us)

 

I would be happy to answer any questions. Some more around the ship photos.

[notscb]

3 hours ago, brazilgirl said:

more areas that were geared to quieter folk

I wonder if anyone who has cruised virgin more regularly could help us figure that out. It's good to know that there's a lot of music around as something I really enjoy about cruising is finding that quiet spot to relax, read a book and listen to the water.

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, notscb said:

I wonder if anyone who has cruised virgin more regularly could help us figure that out. It's good to know that there's a lot of music around as something I really enjoy about cruising is finding that quiet spot to relax, read a book and listen to the water.

Well, I love reading on my hammock.  You'll see lots of people hanging out in the chairs around the Social Club and Dock House.  Yes, at times, there is music or activities in these areas, but there are lots of times where it is individuals just "hanging out with their book, crochet, etc.  We have usually organized a "book swap" on board, either an official meet and swap time or posing notes on FB when we leave books on the shelf near the big red desk.  The Roundabout is another area that is quiet most of the time but has active periods.  There are plenty of chairs on the less popular decks outdoors...and indoors as well.  You don't need to go to 15 to get air.  At times other than prime meals, another great spot is the rear of The Galley--the outdoor space.  We never lacked for a quiet hang out space, even if we found our first choice of spot occupied with an activity.

[brazilgirl]

I think having a balcony would have made a difference, the hammocks looked very inviting.

 

And discovering the live music at the Dock House outside are was a highlight, although the same group playing inside made us change seats to be as far as possible because of the really high volume.  Again, this is very personal and many people may not be bothered by it.

 

A video of the great group playing outside, which we really found to be lovely.

[Freelancer3]

10 hours ago, notscb said:

I wonder if anyone who has cruised virgin more regularly could help us figure that out. It's good to know that there's a lot of music around as something I really enjoy about cruising is finding that quiet spot to relax, read a book and listen to the water.

I agree with  Cantetin and brazilgirl and their list of quiet places. My wife and I enjoy quieter places. I spend countless hours in the balcony hammock. If its raining or cooler, we like the Deck 7 chartroom areas close to the long Red Tables. It does depend on the time of day and activities to find the quietest places. If there were no quiet places- VV would not be our favorite cruise line. 

[warmwinds]

 

This music issue is so true.  We literally took our books and walked around the whole ship, sitting for a minute and getting up and then moving to find a quieter spot.  WHY????  Why does every inch of the ship have to have music?  And not that all of it was loud, but it was omnipresent.  Sometimes even your own balcony is facing the wrong way and the beating sun keeps you off so that is not always your sanctuary.  And I even had my balcony neighbors playing their own music outside one day!!!  A few well placed coughs and they got the hint, but c'mon.

 

Funny you should mention the pool music - we went first thing in the morning, were the ONLY people each day in the water, a handful lounging about, and music was quite nice - I can recall "oldies" stuff like Carol King, the Eagles, etc., at a decent volume.  Until at 10 am - UP it cranked to unbearable both in volume and style and off we went.

 

Glad you reminded me to bring noise cancelling headphones this time.

[waterwoman123]

This topic really has my attention. About to take my first VV cruise and really value my quiet time while cruising. I’ll be sure to try out all your helpful suggestions. 

[Surfguyxxx]

On 10/14/2023 at 4:59 PM, ctrusler said:

We are headed on the same cruise October 22-29 for our 20th and my 50th (both of which were in 2020....). We really have not booked any restaurants or excursions and am trying to pull things together this weekend. Panicking a little about some of the reviews I'm reading on how booked things get. Any tips? Ive been to Barcelona and some of the places in France and Italy, but not since I was a law student in the mid 1990s. Hubby has not been. We will spend some extra time on the way back in Barcelona.

I'm on this same cruise  LOL.  See you soon.  We leave Thursday.

[TheDarkestBlue]

So you guys are saying that no matter where you turn, there is music? Even in the cabin? I live in a very quiet place and love music, though I'm not sure how I'm going to react to that. My kid listens to music doing homework and I can't figure it for anything. I have to be able to hear myself think. I hope it's not as overwhelming as it's beginning to sound.

Edited October 16, 2023 by TheDarkestBlue

[brazilgirl]

I would put me in the category of more sensitive/aware of sound than most people. I really don’t like restaurants that have loud music, it can really bother me. I lived in California , then in very intense Brazil, and now I live in a small Portuguese coastal town which is the place that suits me most.

 

But I would say that I have never really had issues on other cruise lines with the sound, so certainly it was more noticeable and intense. Just for baseline, I have been to multiple concerts, including The Clash 😂, but the loud techno seemed to be more intolerable to me

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, TheDarkestBlue said:

So you guys are saying that no matter where you turn, there is music? Even in the cabin? I live in a very quiet place and love music, though I'm not sure how I'm going to react to that. My kid listens to music doing homework and I can't figure it for anything. I have to be able to hear myself think. I hope it's not as overwhelming as it's beginning to sound.

The only way there is music in your cabin is if you turn it on.  You might be bothered with music on your balcony if your neighbors are rude and are running one of their devices loudly; we were far more bothered by their various types of smoke.  We had no problem finding quiet hang out spots around the ship.

VV is certainly not like DCL, where you literally walk from one music zone to the next....whether live or recorded.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by cantgetin

[TheDarkestBlue]

4 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

The only way there is music in your cabin is if you turn it on.  You might be bothered with music on your balcony if your neighbors are rude and are running one of their devices loudly; we were far more bothered by their various types of smoke.  We had no problem finding quiet hang out spots around the ship.

VV is certainly not like DCL, where you literally walk from one music zone to the next....whether live or recorded.

 

 

Thank you 🙂 as long as I have some place to retreat to, I think I'll be okay. It doesn't seem to bother me if I'm moving on the dance floor, it's kind of like the persistence of sound that gets to me. Black and white checkerboard floors and strobing lights 🙈 

[TheDarkestBlue]

52 minutes ago, brazilgirl said:

I would put me in the category of more sensitive/aware of sound than most people. I really don’t like restaurants that have loud music, it can really bother me. I lived in California , then in very intense Brazil, and now I live in a small Portuguese coastal town which is the place that suits me most.

 

But I would say that I have never really had issues on other cruise lines with the sound, so certainly it was more noticeable and intense. Just for baseline, I have been to multiple concerts, including The Clash 😂, but the loud techno seemed to be more intolerable to me

 

Brazil must have been a bit crazy! I'm a little hesitant to go there (for more reasons than just the  intensity) although my husband would love to. I found many restaurants in Portugal to be extremely loud, as the sound bounces off of all those hard surfaces. I went to many concerts when I was young, and maybe that's how my hearing became bothersome, as it didn't affect me back then much. I do have ringing in my ears now. Love the Clash 👍🏻

[jon81uk]

Although every bar or restaurant had music it didnt seem any different to the real world to me where bars and cafes have music on. It only gets louder when it’s a band or DJ performing. Generally Sip is the quieter of the bars and the upstairs roundabout area is not loud and the outdoor spaces on deck 7 or the Athletic Club at rear of deck 16 is quieter than the pool area.

[ConnieTact]

Your report was great. The pictures are stunning. Do you take them with your phone or a camera? 
I was interested in the conversation about music as I am sensitive to loud music and would need peace n quiet on occasions too! 
The food also looked very good.
Thanks for sharing your trip.

[brazilgirl]

2 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

Your report was great. The pictures are stunning. Do you take them with your phone or a camera? 
I was interested in the conversation about music as I am sensitive to loud music and would need peace n quiet on occasions too! 
The food also looked very good.
Thanks for sharing your trip.

Thank you! I took them with my iphone, which is always handy ❤️

 

There are definitely some areas which are quieter, the pool area is one on the more intense areas noise wise. I’d recommend taking a book and maybe some noise reducing ear loops if it is an issue for you.

 

Have a great cruise!

[neverendingcruising]

Deck 16/17 aft are usually very quiet. Deck 7 outside between the dock and mid ship is a personal favorite. Had many a hard nap on the deck loungers there. Sip is usually quiet during the day

[kpatrick74]

Thank you for a great report and pictures. I will make sure to pack earplugs and noise-cancelling airpods for when I need quiet/relaxing time. 

[DorothysFriend]

I just got back from the French Daze sailing in Valiant Lady that debarked on Oct 22, and I agree about the music and other hubbub in most public areas. What saved it for me though was that I bid to upgrade to the Brilliant suite, partly because I was traveling with a friend and not my partner. But let me tell you that it was so worth it for the peace and quiet inside our spacious cabin! We ordered room service breakfast most days and had plenty of room to eat in peace at the large coffee table, or on the long balcony outside. Richard’s Rooftop was also not crowded at all and so much quieter than the rest of the ship. I really noticed it the one sea day where it was super windy and they blocked off the hot tubs in Richards rooftop. We went to the regular hot tubs the deck below and they were more crowded and had all the pool noise. Also, no jets!! I know the music and activity is a super fun vibe for most people, but for some of us it’s just not as great. Another benefit of the suites was the fast embarkation with no crowd, bypassing the big line. That was nice when I was still jet lagged and tired from no sleep on the plane the night before. I would only sail Virgin again in a suite, so that i could escape the fun party vibe when it felt like too much for me. I know that’s a really privileged thing to say, but it’s true. My partner is even more introverted than me so I know this is the only way she’d enjoy it, too.

[brazilgirl]

On 10/29/2023 at 11:42 AM, DorothysFriend said:

I just got back from the French Daze sailing in Valiant Lady that debarked on Oct 22, and I agree about the music and other hubbub in most public areas. What saved it for me though was that I bid to upgrade to the Brilliant suite, partly because I was traveling with a friend and not my partner. But let me tell you that it was so worth it for the peace and quiet inside our spacious cabin! We ordered room service breakfast most days and had plenty of room to eat in peace at the large coffee table, or on the long balcony outside. Richard’s Rooftop was also not crowded at all and so much quieter than the rest of the ship. I really noticed it the one sea day where it was super windy and they blocked off the hot tubs in Richards rooftop. We went to the regular hot tubs the deck below and they were more crowded and had all the pool noise. Also, no jets!! I know the music and activity is a super fun vibe for most people, but for some of us it’s just not as great. Another benefit of the suites was the fast embarkation with no crowd, bypassing the big line. That was nice when I was still jet lagged and tired from no sleep on the plane the night before. I would only sail Virgin again in a suite, so that i could escape the fun party vibe when it felt like too much for me. I know that’s a really privileged thing to say, but it’s true. My partner is even more introverted than me so I know this is the only way she’d enjoy it, too.

Looks like a great way to opt for some quiet time!

 

I see you will be on the Azamara  Quest, interested to see how you like it. We loved Azamara!

[DorothysFriend]

4 minutes ago, brazilgirl said:

Looks like a great way to opt for some quiet time!

 

I see you will be on the Azamara  Quest, interested to see how you like it. We loved Azamara!

We will be on the Pursuit and really looking forward to it. My partner is vegan and wanted a smaller ship, so Azamara seemed like the best option. 

[Roel94]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:46 PM, notscb said:

I wonder if anyone who has cruised virgin more regularly could help us figure that out. It's good to know that there's a lot of music around as something I really enjoy about cruising is finding that quiet spot to relax, read a book and listen to the water.

My balcony Abd the rooftop during day but not at sail away. I never sat at pool and got a tan.