Not sure if we would book again. It’s different than other lines. Probably would definitely book virgin if we were going to cruise during Christmas or spring break though. We’ve done those weeks and can have upwards of 1,000 kids on other cruise lines. Virgin would be a must during those times of you want a children free experience.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Easy on at terminal V port of Miami. Arrived at 2:40pm, on ship at 3pm. Boarding starts later than other cruise lines at 2pm. Rooms are ready immediately which is nice. This sailing was at about 50% capacity or about 1,300 passengers so that helped.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
No main dining room, all specialty restaurants are included. It’s a nice change from other cruise lines. We ate at test kitchen, the wake, and razzle dazzle which were all good except service was a bit slow. Another disappointment was the seating in the restaurants, with ship half full, restaurant hosts continually seated everyone basically on top of each other - elbow to elbow instead of spacing out people. Also there is no buffet on ship, but a concept called the “galley” which is a strange mix of grab and go, buffet style and sit down ordering. It was very confusing as to what needed to be ordered versus just grab. And you had to wait sometimes 10 or so minutes to get your food. We are used to just grabbing a quick bite but that is not really available in the galley. Same with the pizza restaurant- you have to order the pizza and wait for them to cook it. Not a big deal just a bit different and not as quick as other cruise lines.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Nice mix adult oriented activities. More limited than other cruise lines. Very small pool but lots of outdoor fitness activities. Nice touch was no up- selling of additional items such as internet or drink packages. Also unique is that there are no photographers that I saw and no photos to purchase which was fine with me. Also no art auctions or aggressive spa up sales.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Nice adult shows but somewhat limited in amount each day. They fulfill up quick and need to be prebooked as soon as you board, but a tip is that you can access the Wi-Fi in the terminal and book your shows before you board. Same with the dining. Only two venues for shows - the manor which is the smaller disco/ nightclub and the Red Room which is the larger main theater but is much smaller than what you might find on other similar sized ships.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone seemed mostly friendly and helpful. Although since gratuities are all included I got the sense a bit that the staff and crew were not exactly willing or wanted to do anything extra.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Ship is new and clean but the design and layout is a bit confusing with lots of dead ends on decks and the aft staircase does not connect to the rest of the ship below beck 6. By the fourth and last day I finally was getting the layout right. Also corridors on main decks are a bit narrow and would think would be quite congested with a full ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Ship tip
Book dining and shows in terminal before you board since you can access ship Wi-Fi
No issues and it’s nice they allow you on the ship until 10:30am. No early rush to disembark and the galley is open until 10am. They aren’t using facial recognition for customs so you have wait in line for immigration. Took about 30 minutes at 10:15am to get off
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