Virgin Removes 24/25 Oz Cruises?

[aussielozzie18]

@mr walker spending the $600 loot in 4 days - you could always get a tattoo or piercing on board… 
 

here are the ideas I have been given so far, in addition to many drinks:

behind the scenes tour $200 usd

tattoo - $150 usd approx for a tiny flash tattoo like an anchor 

shore tours - $300usd upwards

Purchase a your very own handmade red hammock to take home  $200usd

Sunglasses, handbags & Virgin merchandise 

extras to meals like a tomahawk steak

Champagne & caviar at the Champagne bar

activities on board - although sailors can’t see what’s on offer nor book them until you board.

 

I have no plans to get a tattoo or do the behind the scenes tour or book a shore tour  but happy to report back on how I spend my $600 loot in 4 days…

 

 

Edited February 2 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

I booked my Virgin Cruise after doing the Virgin Open night in Sydney.  My girlfriend who  came with me, loved the meal we had on board and enjoyed the Scarlet Party but overall felt Virgin wouldn’t suit her and husband.  They cruise Royal & Carnival.

[fixi]

3 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I have a cruise booked in December.  I haven't heard anything yet. ?

And let's hope they don't change! 

[CountessCookie]

3 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I have a cruise booked in December.  I haven't heard anything yet. ?

I have one booked in January, so fingers crossed they don't cancel all the AU cruises. 

[MicCanberra]

10 hours ago, mr walker said:

We ignored the original hype, including the TV 'doco' & expected that Virgin Voyages would not be something we would do.

 

My sister & BIL recently did a Mel-Burnie-Hobart-Mel cruise and raved about the whole cruise experience - they have done several cruises on various lines. So taken with the experience, she called me from the ship saying that she just bought a FCC (or whatever Virgin call it) for US$300 (A$450) which counts as deposit on future cruise, a US$300 discount on the fare & US$600 OBC. She said she can get one for us - same deal.

 

We bit the bullet and said go ahead - another sister & BIL also did the same. You only live once, right?

 

So, we have invested A$450 & now have to try and find a cruise that suits before end-Jan '26 & we will then become 'sailors' - ahoy, matey. Our placeholder cruise shows as departing Miami 1st Jan 2050 😮 One thing I need to understand is that it seems pretty much all is included in the fare, so how do we spend $600 OBC on a 3-4-5 night cruise??

 

Let's see how this all goes!!!!

Drinks? Shorex?

[Jean C]

Do you by chance venture into international waters so you could buy duty free? If not, you could still treat yourself to something overpriced but a treat, since it's probably better to use such a  generous credit on something worthwhile 🤔

[mr walker]

9 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Drinks? Shorex?

Oh, we will be sure to have a few drinks 🙂 We likely will be just local cruising in Aus, so wouldn't normally use ship excursions for port visits. Maybe a ship logo shirt or two to add to the collection 🙂 

[Jean C]

Or some overpriced jewellery 💍

[Bubbeh]

On 1/31/2024 at 4:25 PM, sewgood said:

Short cruises of three or four days aren't worth my time or the cost of getting to Sydney/Melbourne for me.

Don't think I could be even bothered packing a suitcase for 3 to 4 days.  Nothing less than 10 days and even then I'm not sure.

[wintrev]

Well the plot thickens. Over on the VV thread it has been pointed out that Resilient Lady is listed as visiting St Maarten in December 2024! 
We are booked on a cruise starting 12/12 from Sydney which is still selling on the VV website.

Wish they would clarify things ASAP.

If they cancel are they expecting all of us to travel halfway round the world to get on a ship to use a cruise credit? I won’t be - refund will be expected plus my airfares and hotel costs.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, wintrev said:

Well the plot thickens. Over on the VV thread it has been pointed out that Resilient Lady is listed as visiting St Maarten in December 2024! 
We are booked on a cruise starting 12/12 from Sydney which is still selling on the VV website.

Wish they would clarify things ASAP.

If they cancel are they expecting all of us to travel halfway round the world to get on a ship to use a cruise credit? I won’t be - refund will be expected plus my airfares and hotel costs.

Also in March 2025, according to post #15 on this topic.

 

It is strange, but I have no history with Virgin to know if it is just a mistake or a smoking gun.

[wintrev]

Thanks arxcards -  I missed that post🤦‍♀️

I would contact them but it seems that VV customer service is hit and miss at times. Hopefully theses boards will reveal the truth eventually. 
So disappointing that they continue to sell cruises that may not go ahead.

[wintrev]

Just checked the VV app and my cruise is still listed but I can’t accept the Voyage contract. Says it has hit a snag and try again later. It has been this way for the last month. Get no ticks when filling in any other information such as payment, pregnancy, photo etc. 

I wonder if they are blocking this until the decision is made??

[CountessCookie]

2 hours ago, wintrev said:

Just checked the VV app and my cruise is still listed but I can’t accept the Voyage contract. Says it has hit a snag and try again later. It has been this way for the last month. Get no ticks when filling in any other information such as payment, pregnancy, photo etc. 

I wonder if they are blocking this until the decision is made??

It is all very frustrating for those of us who have booked one of these sailings, right. I think I might contact their customers services, see if I can get any information we can get.

[arxcards]

I doubt the call centres will have any information, as nothing has been decided by the powers that be. This may all hinge on the practicality of relocating to Australia if the Red Sea is still unsafe to navigate. Ships of various lines are yet to confirm what they are doing over the next couple of months, let alone November. The relocation of Resilient Lady back to Europe in March/April is likely to face major changes, and I believe that there has been no decision made for that yet. 

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, wintrev said:

Thanks arxcards -  I missed that post🤦‍♀️

I would contact them but it seems that VV customer service is hit and miss at times. Hopefully theses boards will reveal the truth eventually. 
So disappointing that they continue to sell cruises that may not go ahead.

Alas, they will continue to sell cabins until they are 100% sure those cruises wont be going ahead, as would every other cruise line.

[MMDown Under]

21 hours ago, Bubbeh said:

Don't think I could be even bothered packing a suitcase for 3 to 4 days.  Nothing less than 10 days and even then I'm not sure.

agree 11 days was perfect with accommodation both ends of cruise!

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Bye bye Virgin Voyages!

It was nice for you to try Australia.

 

I thought about trying them but they did not have any longer cruises that did not do NZ! and then the cost of flights to Australia!.

[cruisine21]

We are booked to go to Melbourne on the 19th March. We will spend 6 nights in Melbourne post cruise and hire a car and do a a few road trips

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, cruisine21 said:

We are booked to go to Melbourne on the 19th March. We will spend 6 nights in Melbourne post cruise and hire a car and do a a few road trips

I spent four nights in Melbourne after my cruise.  I like one way cruises where you can stay before and after.

[aussielozzie18]

As a full-time worker lacking in AL atm, the short 3-4 cruises over a weekend are very appealing to me atm.  Especially as they return early Monday morning and I can then head straight into the office.

[CountessCookie]

1 hour ago, aussielozzie18 said:

As a full-time worker lacking in AL atm, the short 3-4 cruises over a weekend are very appealing to me atm.  Especially as they return early Monday morning and I can then head straight into the office.

I'm in the exact same boat. I would love to take a longer cruise, but can only have enough leave for shorter cruises. I keep trying to save up AL, but life always gets in the way.

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, CountessCookie said:

I'm in the exact same boat. I would love to take a longer cruise, but can only have enough leave for shorter cruises. I keep trying to save up AL, but life always gets in the way.

Virgin’s move to shorter cruises should suit you.  Being retired, I prefer longer cruises. I put a hold on a cruise from Singapore to Freemantle in November 2024.  However I didn’t continue with the booking when I discovered, shock horror, that my credit card had a hold because I was over my limit for the first time in my life!  The negatives of a year of travel!!

[arxcards]

Coral Princess world cruise has made a decision not to transit the Red Sea on their world cruise. That cruise departs Sydney on 30th April.

 

Resilient Lady departs Sydney, returning to Europe on 27th March. Just 7 weeks away, yet no plan B announced. Considering this is being sold in legs to Singapore, then Dubai, then Athens, it could be messy.

[Mark_UK]

https://vvinsider.com/virgin-voyages-reroutes-resilient-lady-due-to-red-sea-tensions/?utm_content=cmp-true

 

Also the route back to Australia in October and all Aus/NZ sailings for next season seem to have been taken off sale...