Can a Princess Love a Virgin?

[Steelers0854]

2 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sooo, my DH and I are probably booking for 2025.  The prices are actually not that bad for what you get.  Looking at Europe in a balcony cabin.  Lots of attractive amenities.

 

Thank you for sharing your adventure.  You’ve certainly sold us!

they do run a lot of specials and discounts. We booked on one and saved 40% overall I believe. 
 

You’ll have a great time. 
 

I also have to admit I’ve never seen an owner/CEO on board any cruise ship we have been on but we saw Sir Richard on ours. Apparently he tries to come aboard each cruise in the Caribbean if he can. Super nice guy, paused and talked with and spoke with everyone that wanted to say hello. 
 

 

[ceilidh1]

As a former Princess loyalist I have converted to Virgin, too! I've sailed them twice and have a third booked, along with another future cruise certificate waiting to be used! My only "gripe" is that they don't sail from the West Coast - this adds a whole lot of expense to the trip when you factor in the flights and hotels on the East Coast!

[Lady Arwen]

3 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

they do run a lot of specials and discounts. We booked on one and saved 40% overall I believe. 
 

You’ll have a great time. 
 

I also have to admit I’ve never seen an owner/CEO on board any cruise ship we have been on but we saw Sir Richard on ours. Apparently he tries to come aboard each cruise in the Caribbean if he can. Super nice guy, paused and talked with and spoke with everyone that wanted to say hello. 
 

 

I feel that cruise excitement coming on!  The feeling when you know you just need to book it.  I love that’s it’s just something so different from our usual cruises on Celebrity and Princess.  Also, the perks we would normally be paying extra for are included.  My husband is a Brit and he admires Sir Richard.  We won’t be doing a Caribbean cruise, tho.  Been there done that many, many times.

[Lady Arwen]

11 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

As a former Princess loyalist I have converted to Virgin, too! I've sailed them twice and have a third booked, along with another future cruise certificate waiting to be used! My only "gripe" is that they don't sail from the West Coast - this adds a whole lot of expense to the trip when you factor in the flights and hotels on the East Coast!

It sounds like I could be converted, too.  The non smoking casino is a huge plus!  And, included drinks is my style. lol. Have you sailed other than Caribbean itineraries?  We don’t usually.

Edited February 17 by Lady Arwen

[ceilidh1]

1 minute ago, Lady Arwen said:

It sounds like I could be converted, too.  The non smoking casino is a huge plus!  And, included drinks is my style. lol. Have you sailed other than Caribbean itineraries?  We don’t usually.

No, just Caribbean unfortunately. That's my only complaint. It's either Europe, Australia, or Caribebean with Virgin. They need to bring ships out West and do Hawaii, Mexico, and California Coast. I would literally sail every month! FWIW I don't think this is a product that would fare well for Alaskan itineraries...

[Lady Arwen]

4 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

No, just Caribbean unfortunately. That's my only complaint. It's either Europe, Australia, or Caribebean with Virgin. They need to bring ships out West and do Hawaii, Mexico, and California Coast. I would literally sail every month! FWIW I don't think this is a product that would fare well for Alaskan itineraries...

I understand what you mean.  Hawaii would be lovely for you.  We only sail Europe, now.  Please let us know all about your next Virgin cruise when you return. I’ll be checking their CC boards!

[c-boy]

36 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

they do run a lot of specials and discounts. We booked on one and saved 40% overall I believe. 
 

You’ll have a great time. 
 

I also have to admit I’ve never seen an owner/CEO on board any cruise ship we have been on but we saw Sir Richard on ours. Apparently he tries to come aboard each cruise in the Caribbean if he can. Super nice guy, paused and talked with and spoke with everyone that wanted to say hello. 
 

 

 🫶 this is a sign of gratitude, and sir Richard feels he is not above that.

[Thrak]

50 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

It sounds like I could be converted, too.  The non smoking casino is a huge plus!  And, included drinks is my style. lol. Have you sailed other than Caribbean itineraries?  We don’t usually.

 

Be aware that alcoholic drinks are not "included". One can pre-pay for Bar Tab but there is no "drink package" per se. Any unused Bar Tab funds are not refunded.

[Lady Arwen]

Just now, Thrak said:

 

Be aware that alcoholic drinks are not "included". One can pre-pay for Bar Tab but there is no "drink package" per se. Any unused Bar Tab funds are not refunded.

Yup, saw that.  Not a problem.  

[Ellipooh]

Well I have been looking at the solo pricing, and I'm impressed enough to keep VV under consideration.  There's a lot to like.  And no one has mentioned this tidbit, which I think could be very useful:

Change the name on your voyage up to 48 hours before you head out if you can’t make it, or want to change whoever is sailing with you.

[New2cruise2022]

49 minutes ago, Ellipooh said:

Well I have been looking at the solo pricing, and I'm impressed enough to keep VV under consideration.  There's a lot to like.  And no one has mentioned this tidbit, which I think could be very useful:

Change the name on your voyage up to 48 hours before you head out if you can’t make it, or want to change whoever is sailing with you.

That is amazing. I love that feature. 

[CineGraphic]

During our first Virgin sailing, we called our TA and had her cancel all of our future Princess bookings.  In the past year we've sailed with them 4 times and have 3 more on the books.

No kids. No photographers, No cruise director. No announcements to interfere with your day.

Great music. Great shows. Great crew, and they matched our loyalty status which entitled us to early boarding, free laundry, $10 daily for specialty coffee, $100 bar tab, and a private sail-away party.

The status-match program is currently on-hold, as repeat sales have been very strong.

[CineGraphic]

P.S. We sent John Padgett a thank you note for making us look for another cruise line.

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

During our first Virgin sailing, we called our TA and had her cancel all of our future Princess bookings.  In the past year we've sailed with them 4 times and have 3 more on the books.

No kids. No photographers, No cruise director. No announcements to interfere with your day.

Great music. Great shows. Great crew, and they matched our loyalty status which entitled us to early boarding, free laundry, $10 daily for specialty coffee, $100 bar tab, and a private sail-away party.

The status-match program is currently on-hold, as repeat sales have been very strong.

It sounds simply delightful.  

[mtnesterz]

25 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

P.S. We sent John Padgett a thank you note for making us look for another cruise line.

I used to enjoy your posts here on the Princess board and wondered which line you were sailing with now.

[Honolulu Blue]

7 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

One might argue that Virgin is everything we would want Princess to be and is a return to the way things were with a more all inclusive experience.  If you love the Princess product the question is should you try Virgin? And if you do will you like it?

 

If I can best sum it up, the answer to any question you might ask is “only if you want to”. Do you need to dress up? Is the entertainment risqué ? Is it a party ship?  Only if you want to!

 

-No gratuities anywhere. Buy a drink, no gratuity. Spa treatment, no gratuity. It’s a wonderful experience.

 

-No one is selling anything anywhere, because there is nothing to buy. No drinks packages, no photographers, no art auctions, no WiFi packages (you can upgrade to premium WiFi but there is no one pushing to). Plenty of folks around to get you anything you want any time you want it though.

 

-No specialty restaurants here. The ship is designed without a main dining room and you go to whatever restaurant you feel like. Want Mexican food, go to Pink Agave. In the mood for Asian, headed to Gunbae. The issue is you really need a reservation especially with a larger party. They aren’t difficult to get, we didn’t have a big issue booking them 60 days out or even a few change when we first boarded. But we often heard staff turning people away that didn’t have a reservation.

 

-they do have a “buffet” with different stations it at no time do you get your own food with the exception of the grab and go section. The fact that they have a grab and go section throughout the day with delicious food you can take with you is amazing. In the “buffet” you can walk up to a station and order anything you want, they will plate it for you. Or sit at a table and a sever will take your order for you and deliver it to you. Only downside, there isn’t any real rotation in the food each day. There will be a special of the day at a few stations but everything else is consistent each day.

 

-food overall was better than anything I’ve ever had at any MDR or specialty restaurant on Princess. They had a lot of options for DW and her allergies. And the food was exceptional. A whole Pizza, included.  Hand scooped gelato Ice cream, included. Sushi, included, at the buffet every day. Ramen, included.

 

-DW and I aren’t the party type. Even though we are at the tail end of our 30s we are old souls. We never once felt out of place or surrounded by a party we didn’t want to be at. I felt more out of place on Carnival than I ever did here. But if you want to party, there is plenty of that on board!

 

-Shows. There aren’t quite as many as on Princess. And what they have is a little more “adult” than in Princess. Think rated R vs anything more than that. They drop the F bombs every now and then, you get the occasional sexual reference but nothing that made us uncomfortable or was overly raunchy.

 

-cost difference. There is a cost difference between Princess and Virgin. But you also have to compare apples to apples. Almost everything is included with Virgin. So when you look at it from that perspective they are closer than they appear. But still if price is your only concern you’re probably going on Carnival 😉

 

-International Cafe: they don’t have a true comparison but I’ve found much more variety on Virgin. There are a number of grab and go places as well as quick service bites scattered around the ship. Walk past the coffee bar and grab a cookie, walk by the social club and get a rice krispy bar etc. plus they have these little carts setup around the ship with healthy snacks like fruit, hummus and salads.

 

-It’s a pretty app based experience on board. There are no overhead announcements (except the mandatory ones like when they are refueling and doing emergency drills) but they send push notifications to your phone letting you know about everything from itinerary changes (we had 2 hours added to a port) to when you can disembark at a port and where on the ship etc. I actually much prefer it because you never miss a message. No running to the cabin door to crack it to hear what they are saying.

 

-The app they have is great, easy to use and navigate, reserve shows and dining, save things to your agenda, order food (free but a single $7 delivery fee) etc.

 

-you’ll see crew everywhere. Virgin has a much more relaxed approach to crew in guest areas. But never did I encounter a situation where crew were anything but professional, warm, fun and helpful or in my way or taking up space in lieu of a guest. It’s actually quite a refreshing experience as a guest vs the overly professional take most other lines have. In fact one small issue maybe you may have a hard time distinguishing some crew from guests as some don’t wear a standard uniform and only have their name tags. But that’s Virgins point, a more seamless experience.

 

-Any fitness class you want is included and they have some excellent classes. Want to do yoga you’re outside in a beautiful space at the very top of the ship. Cycling? They have a studio with ride metrics and cycling shoes they provide. HIIT classes, even a bungee class.

 

-They give you a bracelet and sensor that’s like the medallion but doesn’t have your name or ship info on it. In port Virgin gives port security one of the tablets and they simply scan you sensor and that’s it. It’s wonderful and exactly what Princess should be doing. No pulling out your ID them reading your card or medallion etc.

 

 

Overall DW and I loved our Virgin cruise. They have a more restrictive version of the Future Cruise Deposit, theirs to get the full benefit of you have to BOOK within 60 days and you have 2 years to SAIL, and are only allowed to change your booking 1 time. The only reason we didn’t get one was that we have trips planned through 2026 already.

 

Ultimately Princess is still our Favorite if you force me to choose, but it’s so close that Virgin will be in the mix a lot more than not. For us, right now it would look like:

 

Princess/Virgin/Disney(if cost we’re not a concern)

Celebrity/Royal

Not Again: Carnival/NCL

happy to answer any questions you may have or provide any additional context. 

Thanks for sharing your experiences and opinions on VV.  I mostly quoted this so I have it on record for future reference.  I don't have any particular questions at this time.  The fact that VV sails from sunny San Juan is a big point in their favor (IMHO), but there are enough little things I don't like that make me wary of paying much of a premium for the experience.

[mthomp5]

8 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

One might argue that Virgin is everything we would want Princess to be and is a return to the way things were with a more all inclusive experience.  If you love the Princess product the question is should you try Virgin? And if you do will you like it?

 

If I can best sum it up, the answer to any question you might ask is “only if you want to”. Do you need to dress up? Is the entertainment risqué ? Is it a party ship?  Only if you want to!

 

-No gratuities anywhere. Buy a drink, no gratuity. Spa treatment, no gratuity. It’s a wonderful experience.

 

-No one is selling anything anywhere, because there is nothing to buy. No drinks packages, no photographers, no art auctions, no WiFi packages (you can upgrade to premium WiFi but there is no one pushing to). Plenty of folks around to get you anything you want any time you want it though.

 

-No specialty restaurants here. The ship is designed without a main dining room and you go to whatever restaurant you feel like. Want Mexican food, go to Pink Agave. In the mood for Asian, headed to Gunbae. The issue is you really need a reservation especially with a larger party. They aren’t difficult to get, we didn’t have a big issue booking them 60 days out or even a few change when we first boarded. But we often heard staff turning people away that didn’t have a reservation.

 

-they do have a “buffet” with different stations it at no time do you get your own food with the exception of the grab and go section. The fact that they have a grab and go section throughout the day with delicious food you can take with you is amazing. In the “buffet” you can walk up to a station and order anything you want, they will plate it for you. Or sit at a table and a sever will take your order for you and deliver it to you. Only downside, there isn’t any real rotation in the food each day. There will be a special of the day at a few stations but everything else is consistent each day.

 

-food overall was better than anything I’ve ever had at any MDR or specialty restaurant on Princess. They had a lot of options for DW and her allergies. And the food was exceptional. A whole Pizza, included.  Hand scooped gelato Ice cream, included. Sushi, included, at the buffet every day. Ramen, included.

 

-DW and I aren’t the party type. Even though we are at the tail end of our 30s we are old souls. We never once felt out of place or surrounded by a party we didn’t want to be at. I felt more out of place on Carnival than I ever did here. But if you want to party, there is plenty of that on board!

 

-Shows. There aren’t quite as many as on Princess. And what they have is a little more “adult” than in Princess. Think rated R vs anything more than that. They drop the F bombs every now and then, you get the occasional sexual reference but nothing that made us uncomfortable or was overly raunchy.

 

-cost difference. There is a cost difference between Princess and Virgin. But you also have to compare apples to apples. Almost everything is included with Virgin. So when you look at it from that perspective they are closer than they appear. But still if price is your only concern you’re probably going on Carnival 😉

 

-International Cafe: they don’t have a true comparison but I’ve found much more variety on Virgin. There are a number of grab and go places as well as quick service bites scattered around the ship. Walk past the coffee bar and grab a cookie, walk by the social club and get a rice krispy bar etc. plus they have these little carts setup around the ship with healthy snacks like fruit, hummus and salads.

 

-It’s a pretty app based experience on board. There are no overhead announcements (except the mandatory ones like when they are refueling and doing emergency drills) but they send push notifications to your phone letting you know about everything from itinerary changes (we had 2 hours added to a port) to when you can disembark at a port and where on the ship etc. I actually much prefer it because you never miss a message. No running to the cabin door to crack it to hear what they are saying.

 

-The app they have is great, easy to use and navigate, reserve shows and dining, save things to your agenda, order food (free but a single $7 delivery fee) etc.

 

-you’ll see crew everywhere. Virgin has a much more relaxed approach to crew in guest areas. But never did I encounter a situation where crew were anything but professional, warm, fun and helpful or in my way or taking up space in lieu of a guest. It’s actually quite a refreshing experience as a guest vs the overly professional take most other lines have. In fact one small issue maybe you may have a hard time distinguishing some crew from guests as some don’t wear a standard uniform and only have their name tags. But that’s Virgins point, a more seamless experience.

 

-Any fitness class you want is included and they have some excellent classes. Want to do yoga you’re outside in a beautiful space at the very top of the ship. Cycling? They have a studio with ride metrics and cycling shoes they provide. HIIT classes, even a bungee class.

 

-They give you a bracelet and sensor that’s like the medallion but doesn’t have your name or ship info on it. In port Virgin gives port security one of the tablets and they simply scan you sensor and that’s it. It’s wonderful and exactly what Princess should be doing. No pulling out your ID them reading your card or medallion etc.

 

 

Overall DW and I loved our Virgin cruise. They have a more restrictive version of the Future Cruise Deposit, theirs to get the full benefit of you have to BOOK within 60 days and you have 2 years to SAIL, and are only allowed to change your booking 1 time. The only reason we didn’t get one was that we have trips planned through 2026 already.

 

Ultimately Princess is still our Favorite if you force me to choose, but it’s so close that Virgin will be in the mix a lot more than not. For us, right now it would look like:

 

Princess/Virgin/Disney(if cost we’re not a concern)

Celebrity/Royal

Not Again: Carnival/NCL

happy to answer any questions you may have or provide any additional context. 

Thank you for sharing your experience and the link to your live. I’m going to read it! What’s included in the Virgin fare is perfect for us. We usually get Princess Plus for the Wi-Fi and gratuities. We don’t drink a lot of alcoholic beverages so just get the package for convenience. Water, soda, coffee and tea would be enough for us.  
 

Only question I have is, is the ship very noisy with loud music playing throughout the ship? 

 

[Steelers0854]

19 minutes ago, mthomp5 said:

Only question I have is, is the ship very noisy with loud music playing throughout the ship? 

not at all. Our cabin was quiet. The venues are pretty well isolated. Much like any cruise ship you hear it when you get closer to the venue. But I didn’t find it any louder than any Princess ship we have been on. Now our last NCL cruise, don’t get me started on that one, like sleeping in the middle of a dance club…..

[CineGraphic]

32 minutes ago, mthomp5 said:

Only question I have is, is the ship very noisy with loud music playing throughout the ship? 

 

 

Virgin was a record label before anything else, so sound is very important to them, and the average ship with all of it's hard surfaces can become a large echo chamber. Virgin has spent a small fortune on acoustical engineering, and several members of the various bands we've heard on-board have stated that they've never sounded better.

[IndyKid]

5 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Be aware that alcoholic drinks are not "included". One can pre-pay for Bar Tab but there is no "drink package" per se. Any unused Bar Tab funds are not refunded.

Oh, trust me, that would never be an issue for myself....😁

[SCX22]

Virgin Voyages is amazing, if you're willing to look at with fresh eyes.  Food is much more inspired than the traditional fare that's served on Princess.  Virgin makes Princess food seem like hospital fare.  Ships are pretty spartan, but this is the norm of contemporary design.  Much better looking, IMO, than the clutter of having so many tables and chairs in public spaces on Princess.  Having said that, there's no shortages of spaces to sit and enjoy.  The crew seem much happier to serve passengers.  It's always a pleasure to interact with the bartenders and waiters.  You don't need OceanNow when the crew is amazing and can serve passengers in a timely manner.

 

Virgin Voyages isn't for everyone.  I think the traditional Princess cruiser would have many complaints about them.  The demographic is primarily Gen X and Millennials.  What many would appreciate is the no kids policy, but their no kids policy doesn't make the ship feel like a floating nursing home.

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, IndyKid said:

Oh, trust me, that would never be an issue for myself....😁

 

Yeah, me neither. Not a chance. I have had leftover OBC though. I took home an "extra" $600 on one cruise (the casino got the rest of the "extra" and had over $600 left on our last cruise(s) but it was AUD so not actually as much as it sounds.

[cantgetin]

I've has a suite on Princess  as well as balcony cabins, and I'll take a Sea Terrace on VV over a suite on Princess.  People have listed a lot of what they like or don't like about the lines.  My big suggestion would be to go into it looking at it as a new experience.  If you compare each thing to your experience on your favorite line, you're not going to enjoy it for what it is.

One thing I LOVE is the bar tab.  On other lines, each of us would have to spend $80-$130 per day for a drinks package.  On VV, I can pay an amount in advance and get a "bonus" added based on how much I pay. Bonus ranges from 10% to 33%.  That is mine to spend on any charged beverage on the ship.  I can share it with anyone.  I can use it any way I choose.  For me, as a light drinker, this is great. Also, for about the last year, there has been a free bar tab included with most bookings.

 

If you want everyone to be dressed up, go to Princess.  VV is a "you do you" atmosphere.  You can go to the fanciest restaurant on the ship in jeans and a t-shirt if you want to.....or you can wear a tux/ball gown or anything in between,  I would suggest you look at some VV info on YouTube,  THe ones by Where's Walter Travels are detailed, accurate, and informative (not "look at me" or "I'm on my 12th drink today).

VV is different.  If you are looking for Princess with a different color scheme, this isn't the line for you.  If you are OK with more of an "almost anything goes" atmosphere, this is it,

[wintrev]

Steelers0854 thanks for your honest review. We are loyal Princess cruisers also and tried Virgin over Christmas last year from Australia. Will never do a Christmas cruise on any other line as they are completely overrun with children and their parents who seem to not care what they are doing.

Hubby and I boarded with no expectations so that we would not be disappointed. We were very happy with some things and disappointed with others. The crew were nothing but totally professional and happy to make our cruise a memorable one. Virgin are NOT a mainstream cruise in any way and you need to forget how things are done on any other line. 
However we did complain about the barista coffee club being shut down at 8.00 pm each night. The bar staff were woeful in making a coffee. We explained that after coming out of the shows it would be nice to grab a coffee to which we were directed to The Galley to drink the brewed coffee - yuk! Obviously they didn’t research how much barista coffee Australians drink! We enjoyed the food but as we are not people who dine out found ourselves looking for some plain food with more hot vegetables not covered in different sauces. Overall would we book again - yes we did but are now regretting that! 
There is currently so much uncertainty about Resilient Lady coming back for the 2024/2025 season especially as she is booked into St Maarten at the same time as here in Sydney. We understand the world is a mess but if Virgin think we are going to fly to America to use a cruise credit they are about to see how much you don’t want to deal with some grumpy Aussies.

It was wonderful to sail on a newer ship - something we don’t get in Australia.

 

 

Edited February 18 by wintrev

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 hours ago, mthomp5 said:

Thank you for sharing your experience and the link to your live. I’m going to read it! What’s included in the Virgin fare is perfect for us. We usually get Princess Plus for the Wi-Fi and gratuities. We don’t drink a lot of alcoholic beverages so just get the package for convenience. Water, soda, coffee and tea would be enough for us.  
 

Only question I have is, is the ship very noisy with loud music playing throughout the ship? 

 

We found it a tad noisy for us but that was our only negative. It would have been nice to have one bar that was a quiet zone with just gentle background music.

 

But other than that we loved our four night cruise on Resilient Lady. It was fun, the food was amazing, and the hammock was very comfortable and easy to get in and out of.

 

Having so many included items was a big plus and we were able to status-match our Princess status so had the Deep Blue extras. 

 

We'd cruise Virgin again however the itineraries out of Australia are fairly limited.