Try virgin for your first cruise!

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 15

Review summary

I really enjoyed my first cruise ever, and was glad that it was with Virgin. Let's start with the pros first: The food was amazing, well presented, and had plenty of variety. The wait staff were always friendly, genuinely happy to serve and engaging. My cabin had a balcony with a hammock, that I didn't get enough time to enjoy with all the activities. The space was very well organized, beautiful and had customized lighting. I thought the bathroom was going to be too small but was pleasantly surprised that it had both a rainforest shower and handheld attachment. I had absolutely no issues with nausea or seasickness from being in the front part of the ship. My trip to the spa was lovely! The room had a great view, and my masseuse was awesome! Now as this was my first cruise I could only state what I've heard, but not having children on a cruise is a HUGE plus! Everyone was respectful, no one was underdressed or naked, we did bump into a drunk guy on ship who was sunburned, but even he was polite, just disoriented. Now for the cons: I knew going in the app would be a little glitchy, but it was a nightmare! I had to wait upon arriving with guest services to get it to work, and even then it was a nuisance. The app has so much potential, they really need to get it fixed! I was also disappointed that upon disembarking the ship, I wouldn't be able to look at past activities or any of the things I got up to while on the ship. The app simply doesn't work once you leave and you might as well uninstall it. Another pet peeve I had was with the shows, dual reality was okay, the acrobatics were entertaining but the plot was a little cheesy. Disco night was a disappointment! I was expecting to be able to at least get in a few dances in but the cast immediately started with very risque, sexual behavior that I thought should have at least been added at the end of the show. I would really appreciate in the future that they blow a siren, flash some red lights, and announce that "it's about to get hot in here" to give us conservatives a heads up so that we can politely dip out before it gets too spicy. Everyone deserves to party and I would have liked to be able to have stayed more than 5 minutes. And finally, the pool... Or should I say the paddling pool. I knew going in that it was going to be small, but man it is not for swimming! Strictly for Instagram pictures, and dancing in shallow water during a party. Just be ready for that, you'll have to wait until a stop to get in a few laps at a real pool. Now, back to the spa... I wasn't comfortable with it being coed (especially as the space was so small), so I didn't stay for the additional fee, which I thought was over priced anyway. You'd have to pay $60 just to sit around because the jacuzzis they had could only hold a few people comfortably. I would personally redesign that entire space and make the pools a lot larger, that would have made the difference. In conclusion, I would definitely go back because you get more than what you pay for in the quality of food and service. I cannot stress this enough the staff is amazing! I heard Richard actually visited the staff and made sure they had everything they needed, and felt heard. That is what leadership looks like, based on the feedback from his staff I'll definitely be investing in the stock of this company. Everyone was committed to making you feel happy and safe (security was on point for the parties). There's plenty to do, and although I was not that impressed with the shows there were an artist that performed on the deck that so talented! He was a one-man show. If my app worked off ship then I'd be able to give you his name but again the app is useless once you leave. Hopefully by the time sail again, there be some improvements, and I am so looking forward to it!

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Children's Programs

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

Key West, Florida

The Beach Club (Virgin Voyages), Bimini Bahamas

Disembarkation

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