Virgin Voyages Master Thread (do NOT post referral codes – use other thread)
Discuss today's stories:
-
I can now answer my own question on recommendations for a first mate AND give pointers to some Virgin Voyages deals.
First off: If you are making a cash booking, go via a Virgin ‘First Mate’. If you are lucky, they may have access to MNVV vouchers which discount your trip and provide additional bar tab. But even if this is not available – a good agent will be able to investigate all the discount/status/perks available to you.
You still pay via the VV website when using a First Mate, and the process is very neat.
To this end, I contacted a few agents and can highly recommend Col Ord (Travel Less Ordinary).
Some of you may remember him from v-flyer/flyertalk and I think also occasional hfp comments IIRC.
Col’s knowledge for all things Virgin is unparalleled, as proven by his performance in the VS lockdown quiz for those of you who remember those days!From point of enquiry, I think I had my cruise booked via Col Ord within the hour – with all the discounts and perks possible. Definitely beating the VV website offers.
Honourable mention also goes to TheGetAwayGuys who came back the next morning with a very similar offer but unfortunately would have to be paid in USD, which probably wouldn’t have worked well with the cashback offer on the VS+ credit card. They are also a reputable agency who I would happily use (… if I hadn’t found Col!).
Last but far from least – there appears to be an ACCESS KEY offer for the ‘Lock It In’ rates on most voyages this year. Book by 6th Sep and use Access Key VIRGINVV.
Somewhat painfully, it reduces the cruise I booked last week by £900. The only downside being you can’t pick your cabin (and potentially it might be tricker to combine with other offers like MNVV).
If you were on the fence about a cash booking – look again using this code, and also hit up a First Mate.
Thanks Travel Strong, we had our first ever cruise, VV on points, earlier this year and we we’re thinking we might like to do it again next year. With this offer, we’ve decided to bring it forward and have booked a cruise for November!
Thanks again!!
Anyone done Virgin Cruise Resiliant Lady this year from Athens? My wife and I are going on 21st July. Last year the capacity was around 1700 and they had about 1500 on board. Is it similar this year? Also, have a friend how has reward flights for 21st July. Anyone know if there are last minute deals available and where to go to get them?
Thanks
HowardThe one on 23rd June was sold out with around 2550 passengers onboard. Apparently the Greek Island Glow is their bestselling cruise in Europe. However, the ship never felt crowded (except for the pool area which we didn’t use anyway).
Thank you so much for your reply.
Regards
HowardThe one on 23rd June was sold out with around 2550 passengers onboard. Apparently the Greek Island Glow is their bestselling cruise in Europe. However, the ship never felt crowded (except for the pool area which we didn’t use anyway).
How about booking of restaurants on board. Just the two of us going and we cant book any restaurant.
Thanks
HowardGet onboard as soon as possible, join the WiFi and then immediately book the restaurants you want. Watch the available slots on your cruise, people cancelling all the time. But make a plan when and where you want to dine first, depending on shows and departure times.
If you are struggling with the app after boarding seek the help desk onboard. That’s what we did to book Another Rose as the app was not responsive in the first few hours.
Do the shows! Skip menu B of Test Kitchen. Pink Agave is the best. Do the drinks pairings. Buy 300+50 Bar Tab. Enjoy!
Maybe join the Facebook group for your cruise. Look at Reddit. Consider taking the boat from the harbour to Oia instead of the cable car on Santorini. Be prepared to walk down the steps as the queues are too long. Santorini was our least favourite and we loved Mykonos.
We have been twice but with friends so it was easy to book a table of 4 in advance. When we get on board we will go to the restaurants. We loved all the restaurants but did not try the drinks pairing on Pink Agave.
That you so much for your reply. Very helpful.
Regards
HowardGet onboard as soon as possible, join the WiFi and then immediately book the restaurants you want. Watch the available slots on your cruise, people cancelling all the time. But make a plan when and where you want to dine first, depending on shows and departure times.
If you are struggling with the app after boarding seek the help desk onboard. That’s what we did to book Another Rose as the app was not responsive in the first few hours.
Do the shows! Skip menu B of Test Kitchen. Pink Agave is the best. Do the drinks pairings. Buy 300+50 Bar Tab. Enjoy!
Maybe join the Facebook group for your cruise. Look at Reddit. Consider taking the boat from the harbour to Oia instead of the cable car on Santorini. Be prepared to walk down the steps as the queues are too long. Santorini was our least favourite and we loved Mykonos.
Call us cheap but we’re learning from our mistake on our last voyage and bringing our own teabags (they have a few basics onboard and loose leaf tea is $5) and our own wine (their only Provence rose is $14 a glass and very forgettable) – you have an allowance of 2 bottles per cabin which will more than tide us over for the week. Better quality wine that we enjoy more and saving £130+
Always have a tin full of my favoured tea bags in my backpack, whether I’m going to work for the day, or a cruise for a week!
The most amusing response is when I try to *buy* a tea from Starbucks in the USA, and on several occasions they insist they cannot – and can only give me hot water for free to make my own. No complaints here!
Anyway – the Galley tea making facilities work well (with you own tea bags), as does maximising your 2 bottles of wine allowance, maximising room service if you do use it (tray charge of $5 or purchase one cast item – and then fill the order with free food and a fridge full of soft drinks), and taking a lunch off the ship with you for eating on your travels. It’s not cheap – it’s fun!
@Howard0181, we’re currently on board the Resilient Lady.
This sailing is sailing full. It feels more busy than previous sailings.
Some places such as On The Rocks are nigh impossible to get a seat during band performances whereas I’ve never had an issue before.
Still able to get a decent seat at the pool though.
@Howard0181, we’re currently on board the Resilient Lady.
This sailing is sailing full. It feels more busy than previous sailings.
Some places such as On The Rocks are nigh impossible to get a seat during band performances whereas I’ve never had an issue before.
Still able to get a decent seat at the pool though.
Is the vibe of the ship different or can you still get the running track mostly to yourself / find quiet spots away from the galley and pool?
(quote button doesn’t seem to work on Android…)
The vibe is the same as our previous 4 VV cruises.
There are plenty of places that are quiet. It feels busier but compared to MSC which we’ve sailed on as well (in Yacht Club) it’s comparatively quiet. The Dock gets busy now unfortunately. We used to enjoy watching sail away from each port at The Dock but now seats are a premium.
We left the ship as soon as the gangway opened at 10am ship time this morning and got back around 1:30pm ish. It didn’t get busy here at the pool deck until about 30m ago (5pm).
The running track always looks quite empty.
The Galley is now more seamless than before. You can order at each station and they give you a buzzer. Much easier than sitting down, giving an order, and waiting at a table if you want to take food to the pool. It feels quieter in the Galley because of these changes.
The busier the better, I think. My first points sailing was full capacity and there was always room to do anything I wanted.
On a quieter cruise I found that shows and fitness classes were cancelled regularly, the ‘vibe’ was reduced, and it felt like they had trimmed the crew size.
Better that it is busier and everything is full throttle!
Great to hear they are making adjustments as they go to pinch points like the galley service.
If they continue to manage it like that, then it can only get better.I can now answer my own question on recommendations for a first mate AND give pointers to some Virgin Voyages deals.
First off: If you are making a cash booking, go via a Virgin ‘First Mate’. If you are lucky, they may have access to MNVV vouchers which discount your trip and provide additional bar tab. But even if this is not available – a good agent will be able to investigate all the discount/status/perks available to you.
You still pay via the VV website when using a First Mate, and the process is very neat.
To this end, I contacted a few agents and can highly recommend Col Ord (Travel Less Ordinary).
Some of you may remember him from v-flyer/flyertalk and I think also occasional hfp comments IIRC.
Col’s knowledge for all things Virgin is unparalleled, as proven by his performance in the VS lockdown quiz for those of you who remember those days!From point of enquiry, I think I had my cruise booked via Col Ord within the hour – with all the discounts and perks possible. Definitely beating the VV website offers.
Honourable mention also goes to TheGetAwayGuys who came back the next morning with a very similar offer but unfortunately would have to be paid in USD, which probably wouldn’t have worked well with the cashback offer on the VS+ credit card. They are also a reputable agency who I would happily use (… if I hadn’t found Col!).
Last but far from least – there appears to be an ACCESS KEY offer for the ‘Lock It In’ rates on most voyages this year. Book by 6th Sep and use Access Key VIRGINVV.
Somewhat painfully, it reduces the cruise I booked last week by £900. The only downside being you can’t pick your cabin (and potentially it might be tricker to combine with other offers like MNVV).
If you were on the fence about a cash booking – look again using this code, and also hit up a First Mate.
Thanks Travel Strong, we had our first ever cruise, VV on points, earlier this year and we we’re thinking we might like to do it again next year. With this offer, we’ve decided to bring it forward and have booked a cruise for November!
Thanks again!!
Do you have any data points on discount “levels”? Thinking of booking one of the repositioning cruises with 6-8 sea days and the website is quoting me £3-4.5k. Are the discounts significant or rather “just” $600 of loot etc.?
Thats pretty crazy pricing for a transatlantic repositioning trip (assuming it’s not a rockstar cabin or something!).
Transatlantic shouldn’t work with VIRGINVV code (but stranger things have happened), so if you are asking about First Mates discounts: They usually get the same pricing, the difference comes about depending on whether they also have a MNVV available.
If so, there could be the option of a $300 discount and $600 of sailor loot.Doesn’t make a dent on your price above.
@TravelStrong, is this access key still available? I’m looking online but can’t seem to see any dates with lock it in rates left lol…
@Tracy I gather the Athens itineraries (greek glow) have sold well, so I wouldn’t expect anything there.
The below ones were undersold and being pushed with lock it in rates, but that was weeks ago now and I’ve no idea on current status. The code was due to be live until Sep 6th, but will be subject to availability.
Mayan Sol: 11-AUG, 08-SEPT, 06-OCT, 03-NOV
Fire & Sunset Soirées: 21-AUG, 04-SEPT, 18-SEPT, 02-OCT, 16-OCT, 30-OCT, 13-NOV, 27-NOV, 11-DEC
Riviera Maya: 25-AUG, 22-SEPT, 17-NOV, 01-DEC
Dominican Daze: 27-SEPT. 25-OCT, 15-DEC
Costa Maya & Cozumel Charm: 10-NOV
Grand Turk, Puerto Plata & Bimini: 15-NOV
Pre-Holiday Caribbean Refresh: 6-DEC
Saint (Isles) & Seas of the Caribbean: 14-DEC
French Daze & Ibiza Nights: 23-JUN, 07-JUL, 21-JUL, 04-AUG,
Irresistible Med & Rome: 16-JUN, 14-JUL, 11-AUG, 08-SEP, 06-0CT, 18-AUG, 15-SEP, 29-SEP
Irresistible Med: 30-JUN, 28-JUL, 25-AUG. 22-SEP
A Virgin Celebration Voyage: 01-SEP
Glorious Greek Isles To Spanish Sunsets: 20-OCTThanks @Travel Strong, can’t see lock it in rates for any of the european cruises, haven’t checked the others…think maybe all gone. However, some deals are popping up with agents online. Not sure if they can book them then sell them on?
Well given my positive experiences with going via an agent (as documented above) I’d definitely recommend enquiring via a agent / first mate – there’s no downside. Certainly there will be deals they’ve had access to, and at the very least a good agent like Col will know all the possible opportunities, discounts, and perks available to you.
Have any HfP-ers had experience of the supposed free luggage drop/transfer to ship at Barcelona airport?
Various reports of this (unadvertised) benefit e.g. see:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1d6hzdc/luggage_hold_at_barcelona/i.e. you arrive at BCN T1, collect your luggage as usual at the carousel and then hand it over to the VV kiosk reps for free transfer to the ship. The bags are then waiting for you at your cabin door when you board.
Yes, I found that really handy, as it was really hot, and meant we didnt have to carry our luggage to the taxi and in the queue!
Yes, I found that really handy, as it was really hot, and meant we didnt have to carry our luggage to the taxi and in the queue!
Great to hear, seems like a really useful perk.
Is the drop off point easy to find after exiting the baggage hall? Assume it’s after customs for obvious reasons!
I dont think its after customs but im not 100% sure…. It was a bright kiosk with Virgin branding, in the same large area where the luggage carousels are, as you are on the way out.
To be clear, im pretty sure its in the baggage hall, rather than after.
To be clear, im pretty sure its in the baggage hall, rather than after.
Thank you. I’ll pass your information on to family members who are heading there in a couple of weeks time.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
