Second leg of the maiden repositioning voyage. Please note this cruise line is designed for shorter cruises. All the menus repeat, all the shows repeat. Some guest performers left the ship after the first leg, and new ones joined, but the core entertainment staff repeat their shows, so they are the same on every voyage.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was our second leg of a repositioning voyage. Embarkation was fairly straightforward in Dubai. We had the same cabin allocated (if you’re on a back to back try and do this) so no packing, moving and unpacking.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Book all restaurants in advance. I only booked for sea days. Otherwise you will be eating pizza or eating at The Galley (which has limited choice for dinner).
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pools, hot tub, gym and gym classes (book classes once onboard). Lots of activity with games and trivia and karaoke.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Guest artists were great. Also of interest were guest talks by those with experience working with the Virgin Brand. Very informative.
Make sure you review the events for your voyage in your App once you have boarded, and book everything in advance, otherwise you may miss out.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is clean and new. The Red Room is the main auditorium and is well equipped. The Manor is smaller, more of a nightclub, so it can get tight for seating. I wished they had better areas for bands and musicians to perform. Some of the “stage” areas near bars and lounges were poorly designed for bigger audiences, only suited for intimate groups.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabins on Virgin are clean and comfortable. The room is a good size, bed comfortable and a small fridge is in each room. Curtain on the wardrobe is different, but actually works better than doors. Enables easy access to the wardrobe, even when the bathroom is in use.
Another great feature is the “do not disturb” and “make up my room” signs. Just press the desired choice on a panel near the wardrobe and it illuminates externally on your room number plate to alert the staff.
Bathroom is functional, shower is great with a glass door and don’t forget the hammock on the balcony - it’s the best!!
Overnight in Mumbai. Immigration here in Mumbai was chaos!!
However, eventually we were able to join a great Bollywood evening tour in Mumbai, booked via Muziris Heritage.
Also took a full day Mumbai City Tour the following day. Booked with Hemali of Bravo Bombay. It was excellent!
Major delays (an hour and a half) getting off the ship by Malaysian port authorities!
Had a Twin Towers Tour booked (privately) and missed our time slot! Eventually, after much pleading, the management of the Petronas Towers agreed to let us in. It was definitely worth it - great views in an electrical storm at dusk.
As we were overnight here, we also did a full day tour the following day. The Fascinating Kuala Lumpur Shore Excursion from Port Klang was booked with Viator.
Docked at the new terminal here. Did several excursions, none via the ship.
Booked an evening dinner cruise on Dubai Creek followed by Dubai Dancing Fountains. On another day we took a Dubai City Tour with the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck. Both tours booked with Rayna Tours.
Between these excursions we did a Day Trip to Abu Dhabi by Ocean Air - booked with Viator. It was very good.
Weather dull and overcast today. Joined a Tour by Locals - explore Phuket on a private city tour. If I was doing this again, I’d consider the James Bond tour.
Singapore disembarkation was a nightmare! Long queues and waiting in intense heat and humidity. I expected better.
Top tip, get to disembarkation as early as you can to make the most of your port visit.
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