Gen-X Xers take virgin Virgin voyage - a head-to-head comparison

[Alsmez]

After 13 years of sailing Celebrity exclusively, we just returned from our virgin voyage on Virgin Voyages (Scarlet New Years Ahoy to Costa Maya, Roatan and Bimini). Since so many X sailors are eyeing VV as an alternative, I thought I’d do a little comparative review to share with this board. Our most recent cruise on X was in May (Eclipse to AK), so we have very recent experience to go on. Our VV trip was to celebrate my husband’s 50^th in early January, which was part of the reason we chose VV – we would normally never cruise during school holidays because we don't enjoy cruising with a lot of children on board, but with no kids on VV to worry about, we were thrilled to be able to do a combined NYE/birthday sailing.

 

ABOUT US: we are younger Gen-Xers (46 and 50), classical musicians and foodies living in NYC. DH has an adult daughter, I am child-free by choice, and we have been big X fans since our early 30s, in large part because of the "modern luxury" focus and few kids on board most sailings. We have sailed in regular balconies, Aqua and a Sky Suite on Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection and Summit over the years, but our sweet spot tends to be an aft or hump balcony on the S-Class plus a specialty dining package covering most or all nights of the cruise. We chose an XL sea terrace for our VV trip, as we didn’t feel the price of even the lowest suites (Rockstar cabins) on VV was a good value given that the only real perk was a slightly larger room and a few bottles of liquor until you got into the really big (and REALLY $$$) suites. For this trip, we traveled with one of my besties from college and his husband, both 48, who had been on a couple of VV cruises before.

 

EMBARKATION: VV gets going quite a bit later than Celebrity – suites begin boarding around 1:30pm followed by other priority passengers and then standard. We had early embarkation through VV’s Deep Blue Extras perk (obtained through status match), but I only knew this because of Cruise Critic – communication from VV was non-existent on this point. When we did pre-cruise check-in on the app, it stated we were to arrive at 3:15. While the later check-in can be a benefit on the other end of the trip (later debarkation means you can have a relaxed morning), I found it a little annoying since we had to check out of our hotel at 11am (common time in Miami) and had to kill time until we were meant to arrive at the port. Overall I would give Celebrity the edge here. That said, embarkation itself went smoothly and the VV terminal is very nice.

 

THE CABIN: Our XL Sea Terrace was a few rooms forward of the forward elevators on 12. Great location, very quiet – overall I think the sound protection is better on VV than S-class. Room, bathroom and balcony were comparable in size to a standard S-class balcony, but I preferred the layout of the VV bathroom – the shower was larger than on Eclipse, the toilet had its own stall for privacy, and there was more counter space around the sink. S-class bathrooms have better storage, though, with all the drawers and shelves. Also, you have to upgrade to the XL room to get a decent bathroom – the standard rooms on VV have TINY baths. The shower on VV was FANTASTIC – loved both the rainshower head and the handheld (incredible water pressure). Drawer space was very limited in the room as well, but we got around that by using our suitcases under the bed as pull-out drawers. Husband didn’t like the curtain that covered our closet, but I preferred it to the solid doors on X that tend to get in the way when opened.

 

VV’s balcony was about the same size/depth as X’s regular balconies (and there is no hump/slant to capitalize on for extra depth), so no advantage there, but I loved the hammock. Beds on VV were very firm but comfortable, and I was THRILLED to have both a king-sized and regular-sized pillow on the bed – X only supplied the shorter standard size on our last cruise and I was forever having to adjust. The wall sconce reading lights were also a nice touch – kept the relatively limited bedside table space free for phones, water, glasses, etc. Overall a very thoughtful design on VV. We didn’t spend much time in our room so I didn’t miss having a couch, but I could see that becoming a factor on a longer cruise. Husband missed the navigation channel on the TV, but was otherwise satisfied with the entertainment setup. I’d say this is a toss-up with S-Class rooms that have not been Edgified (well, maybe VV wins by a HAIR), but I would take VV’s room in a heartbeat over the dreadful Sky Suite we had on Summit post-Edgification. Interestingly, our friends’ suite (one of the entry-level ones) was larger, but not as well thought out, IMO, especially the bathroom, which had an idiotic window into the bedroom that could not be shaded fully – reminiscent of one of the many things we hated about Summit’s S2.

 

VV rooms come with a tablet for controlling curtains, TV, etc. – a nice touch. It also allows passengers to leave messages for their room steward, contact Sailor Services, order room service and more. You can use the app for some of this, but their app is a hot mess, so the tablet is usually a better option. I would imagine S-Class ships will be integrating this technology as they are upgraded (and if they’re not, they should).

 

THE SHIP: No contest here – VV’s ships do not hold a candle to the S-Class (or even the M-class, which are not our favorite ships). While she boasts some cool spaces and features, Scarlet Lady’s layout is awful. The only advantage over S-Class I can think of is the three elevator banks, which did eliminate the long walk from the aft and some of the congestion you find on the S-class. VV’s public areas feel very tight and compartmentalized, and there is a marked lack of connection with the ocean. Low ceilings everywhere. There are no large, enclosed viewing spaces like Sky Lounge. The view from the outdoor promenade on the 7^th floor is blocked by lifeboats. There are also dead ends everywhere, meaning that you have to know which side of the ship things are on before you leave the elevator bank or you might not be able to get where you want to go without backtracking. Public bathrooms were few and poorly marked. As for décor, where S-class features a world-class art collection, VV has gimmicky, Instagrammable backdrops. Everywhere. No real substance in terms of design or style. Materials were VERY cheap and are already showing major wear and tear even though the ship is only a couple of years old – carpets were dingy and worn in high traffic areas, pleather seats were peeling, etc. Also, there is seating everywhere, but no COMFORTABLE seating ANYWHERE. It was either too low, too high, too hard, at a weird angle, had a weird bar, or required too many knees to fit into too tight a space. We were a fairly tall group, but our one average height (5'7") sailor complained just as much as we tall folks. The whole ship feels much smaller than she is, and not in a good way.

 

SHIPBOARD EXPERIENCE: Much has been made of VV’s unique approach to cruising and how great the lack of announcements, photographers, art auctions, children, etc. is. (More on the no children part in a moment.) While all of that was lovely, I think the difference between VV and other lines is more remarkable for people who regularly sail lines like Carnival and NCL rather than X, since those things are kept to a minimum on X already. DH actually missed X’s once-daily announcement from the Captain! No photographers on VV was nice, but they are generally avoidable on X. Same with the art auction. The officers on VV are much less noticeable than on other lines due to their unobtrusive uniforms – I guess some sailors consider that an advantage? It was completely irrelevant to me, and DH actually said he missed seeing officers around, but I feel like many VV sailors would prefer NOT to know they are on a ship (the lack of water views and connection to the ocean play to this as well). No cruise director, either – fine by me. The Happenings cast did a great job running various events and keeping the party going so no need. Overall, this was a net advantage over X, but not a big one.

 

The other big difference on VV is the no-tipping policy, and I will say this was nice. I have always felt that the crew on X engages in some forced socialization with passengers because their tips often depend on these relationships. There was very little of that on VV. We had one waiter, who clearly had worked for another line previously, give us the standard cruise spiel about where he’s from, his wife and kids at home, etc., but no one else. I am perfectly happy to chat with crew members about their lives, but only if it comes up in an organic way, so it was great not to have force this banter. No one even hinted at extra tips and the only place I saw anyone giving any was at the casino bar. I would love to see X adopt this policy.

 

THE CREW/SERVICE: Rooms are cleaned only once daily on VV, which worked fine for us (though I will take the 2^nd daily refresh if I can get it!). The ship overall looked clean and tidy, but the public bathrooms didn’t seem to get as much attention as they do on X. I’d give X the edge on that. The crew on VV, especially the Happenings cast, is more diverse than on other lines and there is a noticeable emphasis on allowing people to do their own thing (pink hair, visible tattoos and piercings, etc.). I don’t understand why anyone would object to this as long as the crew are doing their jobs, but I know some “traditional” cruisers do. Personally I found it refreshing, especially since the service was mostly excellent and unobtrusive. The crew was friendly but not overly so. The no-tipping policy also changes the crew and service vibe as I mentioned above, and IMO, for the better.

 

THE PASSENGER VIBE: As I mentioned, few children on board is one of the reasons we like Celebrity, and one of the main features that attracted us to VV. Well, let me assure you - the SHEER AWESOMENESS of the adults-only policy cannot be overstated. This is a VERY BIG WIN for VV. Even though X is not marketed as a family line and we schedule our X cruises outside of school holidays, it was really striking to notice how much the complete, guaranteed absence of children (which also meant no entitled parent behavior, no rowdy teens, no large multi-generational families, etc.) changed the experience. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I believe X needs to consider adopting this policy for at least part of the fleet, or they are going to start losing market share to VV in a big way.

 

More generally, our VV cruise seemed to attract a more diverse but less international and much younger crowd than we are accustomed to on X – median age seemed to be mid-40s. Very few under 25 or 70+ passengers. There was a strong party vibe, which we expected from VV (and which may or may not have been magnified by the fact that we were on a holiday/New Year's sailing). This was fine with me, although it did mean that there were more people trying to do the same things we like to do at the same time we like to do them. DH prefers to cruise with a more sedate, older demographic that heads to meals and shows earlier so that we can enjoy pools and hot tubs in the early evening without crowds. I think he would call this a win for X outside of school holiday sailings (where VV has the clear advantage), whereas I will take the no-kids policy every day! That said, I’m guessing non-holiday sailings on VV will skew a little more sedate than the one we were on, so we might both get what we want in that regard on a VV different itinerary.

 

POOLS/OUTDOOR AREAS: Clear win for Celebrity, both S-Class and M-class. VV’s pool area on deck 15 is an utter disaster. The pool is tiny and feels very tight and enclosed. There is no indoor option, only a weird fitness pool and an inadequate number of hot tubs. Also, they have a DJ up there all day long that plays music so loudly as to be physically painful – I couldn’t even walk through the area without plugging my ears. VV’s equivalent of the Sunset Bar (aka the Athletic Club Bar on deck 16) also sucks – there is a high wall around it and all of the seats face away from the ocean. Why hang out up there if not to enjoy the sea view? I do like the fact that VV put their walking track on a separate floor from everything else, but given the amount of silly athletic equipment and other junk they have strewn around on deck 16, it’s not any easier to navigate than S-class. We both missed the wide-open expanse of the Lawn, too. The ONLY advantage for VV in outdoor spaces is the Dock House on deck 7 aft – we spent a ton of time there. It was really nice to have an outdoor area with both a nice bar and a food menu available most of the day.

 

FOOD/DRINK: I posted a separate, extensive review of all of the dining venues we patronized onboard Scarlet Lady, which you can find here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2983385-long-ass-dining-review-of-scarlet-lady-122723/ To recap briefly, we ate in every venue except Gunbae, and as a party of four, ended up tasting most of every menu. With just a few exceptions, the food was good to very good and occasionally excellent, although IMO the idea that VV’s cuisine is SO much better than other lines is a lot of smoke and mirrors. The restaurants are certainly better than the MDR on Celebrity, but if you compare them with X’s specialty restaurants or suite-level restaurants, it’s a much closer race. And given VV’s prices, you can likely upgrade to specialty dining on every night of a comparable X sailing and still come out ahead. Beef dishes were consistently weak (low quality beef), and there is a marked absence of higher-end proteins that you typically can find on other lines (albeit for an upcharge), disguised by creative-sounding preparations. Heavy reliance on carbohydrates in most venues as well – we eat low-carb when not vacationing, and if I had tried to stick with an LC diet on this ship I would have been incredibly frustrated. Breads and desserts were mostly mediocre to terrible. The Galley also has a lot of limitations compared with X’s buffet – it worked fine for me, but my husband HATED it given the lack of options and static menu. Having two separate restaurants available for breakfast/lunch helped, but not enough in his view, and I could see getting VERY bored on a longer sailing, especially a TA where you’re not even eating lunches in port. Drinks were relatively expensive if you wanted anything other than well liquor (e.g., a Bloody Mary with Bombay Sapphire gin was $15; a single shot of Angel’s Envy Bourbon was $17). The cheaper wines and champagnes were undrinkably bad and there were few mid-range offerings in most bars (i.e., often you could get the hideous Saint Louis bubbly for $7 a glass or Moet for $25 a glass, nothing in between). We have become accustomed to X’s drink packages and didn’t enjoy having to do the mental calculation of whether a particular drink was worth its price or whether we were spending our Bar Tab too fast (or not fast enough). Their Café al Bacio equivalent was not good – the Intelligentsia brand coffee was horribly acidic no matter how it was prepared (I tried espresso, macchiato, cappuccino and americano). I would say dining is a toss-up with S-class (as long as you upgrade your dining!) on shorter sailings and a win for S-class on longer sailings, especially those with a lot of sea days. Husband would call it a CLEAR win for S-class. For M-class I’d call it a win for VV simply because there are so few specialty venues there, but it isn’t really a fair comparison since M-class ships are smaller. X’s drink packages are the winner for us as well, although if the price climbs much higher they may no longer be worthwhile!

 

ENTERTAINMENT: The shows were a big step up from what we experienced on X in May, but that’s not saying much – X has let its entertainment go to pot. However, after seeing a few of VV’s shows it became clear very quickly that there was a sameness about most of the big production shows – they all have a dance/acrobat/drag queen element in various combinations. The queens, dancers, acrobats and most of the singers were excellent, though! There was a lot of live music in the smaller lounges, but not a ton of variety IMO (mostly rock/pop adjacent – no classical whatsoever, no real jazz). The Arcade and other indoor games in the Social area were lots of fun, and it was nice to be able to enjoy them without kids around. Lots of trivia and other activities available. I’d give VV the edge here outside of the live music options.

 

FITNESS/GYM: For a line that focuses on fitness, VV’s gym is pretty lackluster. Also, free fitness classes are only a value-add if they’re good. And VV’s weren’t. I attended a yoga class with an “instructor” who I seriously doubt has ever so much as watched a yoga video on TikTok, much less had any training. Husband likes to lift free weights and was annoyed at the limited selection and small area devoted to free weights. The random pull up bars, benches, push up bars, etc. near the pool and the deck above did see some use, but mainly by attention-seeking Instagrammers – IMO those public spaces could be better utilized. We aren’t fitness class people anyway and prefer the S-class gym overall.

 

CASINO/SHOPPING: Smaller area devoted to casino than on S-class, but it appeared to be a hit with those who used it. We’re not gamblers and didn’t bother playing so much as a single slot pull on VV so aside from size I can’t really compare the two. Shops on VV were as expected – expensive and not that interesting. I didn’t like the layout of the shopping area on VV nor the selection of merch so I’d give X the win here.

 

PORTS/ITINERARY: Virgin’s Caribbean itineraries are pretty lame in general, and this one was no exception, but we weren’t sailing for the itinerary in this case. They have a lot of catching up to do with more established lines in this regard. The Beach Club at Bimini was nice enough, although mostly because our Rockstar friends were able to get us into the uncrowded, exclusive suites portion of the club. The regular section was TEEMING with people and the pool was hideously loud. Had we been stuck there, we would have gone right back to the ship. We preferred our stop in Coco Cay the one time we sailed there – the DIY snorkeling alone made it a win for X.

 

DISEMBARKATION: As I said, the late embarkation on VV does pay off on the back end. We had a later flight out of Miami this time so we were happy to have an extra hour to lounge on the ship, but it wouldn’t have mattered at all if our flight were earlier. I’d call it a toss up outside of the fact that we were able to have a quiet and civilized breakfast in a restaurant rather than in a crowded buffet.

 

CONCLUSION: There were things we loved and things we didn’t love about VV, but overall, the only compelling reason I can cite for choosing VV over X is the adults-only policy. Entertainment was better on VV and there were a handful of other things we liked more, but nothing that would make me choose VV over X for the same itinerary at the same price. DH feels even more strongly than I do that X is a better product, and if X would go adults-only it would be a slam dunk! That said, there were some negatives on our last X cruise that we hope will be corrected before we sail X again, and we will certainly consider VV as an alternative for future trips as both lines evolve. We’re planning to try the E-Class next so it will be interesting to compare those ships to VV as well. That’s my hot take – thanks for reading!

 

[hcat]

Nice detailed review..

No reason we would try it.

 

We  do not mind well supervised childen/ teens on X..  we just avoid peak times .  Some kids and teens are cool to chat with... insight into next gen! 

[Texed]

Thanks for posting.  😊

[Crazy planning mom]

Yes, appreciate the very detailed review.   I have a similar viewpoint to Hcat re children.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We usually do transatlantic cruise and never see any kids 🤣

Also I never seen crew suck up for tips on the 180 nights we been on X,🤔 but seen it on RCL , 

on X they just want a good rating which is easy to do since the staff does work hard and most screw ups are from head office 😁

I hate hammocks! So that would be a big negative for me 🤣

[Alsmez]

14 minutes ago, hcat said:

We  do not mind well supervised childen/ teens on X..  we just avoid peak times .  Some kids and teens are cool to chat with... insight into next gen! 

 

3 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

I have a similar viewpoint to Hcat re children.

 

I don't mind a few well-behaved children either, but you never know what you are going to get, even on X. It only takes a few non-behavers (or a few non-behaving, entitled parents, which are even worse), to spoil a public venue. It's also frustrating when X compounds the problem by not enforcing rules in adults-only spaces and/or opening them to children. The guarantee that none of those things would be an issue on VV was really great. Also, as I noted, the entire passenger make-up was a bit different - you don't realize how much of an impact a couple of big multi-generational family groups can make on a cruise until they're not there. Of course, Virgin attracts a somewhat different demographic than Celebrity anyway, so it's hard to say how much of a role any given element played in the overall vibe.

[dock]

Thank you for your detailed review. As we are one of those couples looking for an alternative to X ( too many changes atm for our comfort), I appreciated the information. 
 

At this point though, I don’t see us trying VV either. 

[mrgabriel]

56 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

 

 

CONCLUSION: There were things we loved and things we didn’t love about VV, but overall, the only compelling reason I can cite for choosing VV over X is the adults-only policy. Entertainment was better on VV and there were a handful of other things we liked more, but nothing that would make me choose VV over X for the same itinerary at the same price. DH feels even more strongly than I do that X is a better product, and if X would go adults-only it would be a slam dunk! That said, there were some negatives on our last X cruise that we hope will be corrected before we sail X again, and we will certainly consider VV as an alternative for future trips as both lines evolve. We’re planning to try the E-Class next so it will be interesting to compare those ships to VV as well. That’s my hot take – thanks for reading!

 

 

Thanks so much for this well balanced and detailed review! This is very helpful. 

[theopup]

Thanks so much for the thorough and extensive review Alsmez

[mikeysed]

Will be curious to see your review on an E Class ship. I have cruised on several Celebrity S and M ships and taking the new Ascent next month. I hope the entertainment is better and will love the newness and modernness of the new ship. I am also interested in exploring VV cruises so this was a good read. Wish you had already gone on an E-class ship to compare.

[Nado44]

1 hour ago, Alsmez said:

ABOUT US: we are younger Gen-Xers (46 and 50), classical musicians and foodies living in NYC...We have sailed in regular balconies, Aqua and a Sky Suite on Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection and Summit... we traveled with one of my besties from college and his husband, both 48...

 

You may want to try sailing an Edge-class ship next and maybe in Retreat. Demographic on E-class also skews younger (40-55) than S- or M-class and is more sophisticated. Very rarely are kids present. Celebrity also has a nightly LGBT happy hour on all sailings. They also designate certain voyages in May/June as being Pride sailings.

 

Edited January 8 by Nado44

[Alsmez]

2 minutes ago, mikeysed said:

Wish you had already gone on an E-class ship to compare.

Same! We were supposed to sail E-class a couple of years ago, but covid interfered. I'm looking at Northern Europe itineraries for 2025 but I have a feeling DH will convince me to do a shorter Caribbean getaway on E-class before then. I'll be sure to keep the board posted! Everything I have seen and read about E-class leads me to believe that we will love it just as much as we do S-class.

[Alsmez]

Just now, Nado44 said:

You may want to try sailing an Edge-class ship next and maybe in Retreat.

E-class will definitely be up next for us, but probably not in the Retreat. We did a suite on Summit a few years ago and enjoyed it, but the prices have shot up since then and I don't think Luminae and the other perks are worth the price they're charging. We'll likely do an aft balcony (DH is opposed to the Infinite Balcony) and a dining upgrade - the specialty restaurants on E-class look really nice.

[paulh84]

1 hour ago, Alsmez said:

THE PASSENGER VIBE: As I mentioned, few children on board is one of the reasons we like Celebrity, and one of the main features that attracted us to VV. Well, let me assure you - the SHEER AWESOMENESS of the adults-only policy cannot be overstated. This is a VERY BIG WIN for VV. Even though X is not marketed as a family line and we schedule our X cruises outside of school holidays, it was really striking to notice how much the complete, guaranteed absence of children (which also meant no entitled parent behavior, no rowdy teens, no large multi-generational families, etc.) changed the experience. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I believe X needs to consider adopting this policy for at least part of the fleet, or they are going to start losing market share to VV in a big way.

 

This is the root of where Celebrity is making a mess for themselves IMO. Trying to appeal to and appease everyone. They want the lux traveler, the DINK, the young, old (well not according to most here), couples with kids, the big 40 person family with matching t-shirts........ You can't be everything to everyone. They are experiencing some 'jack of all trades, master of none' syndrome. 

 

We're going to try a VV at some point but it will have to be late to last minute since their deposit policy doesn't really work for me. Their suite pricing has also increased significantly and aside from the larger room I'm not sure there is all that much value in it. 

[gcornell]

Some children can be irritating but it’s the adults that scare me traveling these days. Not a week goes by without another meltdown video

[Alsmez]

21 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

This is the root of where Celebrity is making a mess for themselves IMO. Trying to appeal to and appease everyone. They want the lux traveler, the DINK, the young, old (well not according to most here), couples with kids, the big 40 person family with matching t-shirts........ You can't be everything to everyone. They are experiencing some 'jack of all trades, master of none' syndrome. 

Couldn't agree more. When we took our first X cruise in 2011 I felt the delineation between them and other mass market lines was clear (I had previously sailed Carnival, so I had a pretty good basis for comparison 🙂). Fewer kids, more upscale without being stuffy, focus on wine, cuisine and culture while still offering some of the "fun" of other lines. Now they seem to be trying to blend in with the others rather than differentiate themselves, which I think is a big mistake if Virgin's success is any indication. Offer a unique experience, market and price it correctly, and you'll find your customer.

[Jim_Iain]

Enjoyed read your well written comparison.   Thanks for taking the time.

 

[jayoldschool]

Really appreciate this detailed comparison. I'm in the same demo (age and cruise history) as you, and I have been thinking about giving VV a try (especially with status match).

 

I really think the right corporate move is to make X adults-only and keep Royal as the family-focused line.

[Alsmez]

2 minutes ago, jayoldschool said:

I really think the right corporate move is to make X adults-only and keep Royal as the family-focused line.

FULLY AGREE. As it stands now, Virgin has no head-to-head competition among mass market lines largely because of this policy - Celebrity is a natural choice to fill that void. Now to get corporate to agree! 🙂 

[Crazy planning mom]

I am not sure there is enough demand to make Celebrity adult only.  Celebrity has many more ships to fill than Virgin.  Perhaps, they could designate a couple of ships to be adult only.  I could be mistaken but P & O has a couple adult only ships.

[Alsmez]

1 minute ago, Crazy planning mom said:

I am not sure there is enough demand to make Celebrity adult only.  Celebrity has many more ships to fill than Virgin.  Perhaps, they could designate a couple of ships to be adult only.  I could be mistaken but P & O has a couple adult only ships.

Maybe not, but I think the cruise lines might be surprised if they would just give it a try. A couple of adults-only ships per class could be a good starting point for X. Adults-only resorts are popular for a reason. Milennials are having kids later, if at all, and prioritize spending money on experiences rather than things. As more younger adults try cruising on lines like VV, I think the adults-only policy will see a huge surge in popularity. Like I said in my review, you really can't appreciate exactly how much the adults-only policy can improve the cruise experience until you've tried it.

[OC_Voyages]

I appreciate your detailed and transparent review!

[DaKahuna]

@Alsmez Thoroughly enjoyed your excellent review.  Thanks for doing the comparison.  

[Texed]

I can remember when Celebrity had some cruises that were adult only.  But, they stop having them years ago.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

19 minutes ago, Texed said:

I can remember when Celebrity had some cruises that were adult only.  But, they stop having them years ago.  

They still have them  🤣

https://www.blisscruise.com