We currently sail with both DCL and VV. We matched our status, but it wasn't worth it for us as we recieved deep blue extras from VV which was basically the highest tier awarded to anyone who sailed when they very first started - the benefits outshine the Platinum benefits we got with DCL (when that was the highest tier):
- 2 Speciality coffee credit per day (i need this for Cove Cafe!)
- 1 bag of laundry per cruise
- priority boarding
- drinks reception
- extra drinks credit bonus when buying g bar tab
- $100 bar tab
- free premium WiFi
- dedicated sailor services support (ive never used or worked out how you access this).
I really rate the food on VV. I am so bored of the food on DCL and find it to be mononous and underseasoned. It feels like every night its almost the same dish as the night before - with a tweak here ans there - with VV i fond each restaurant is unique - although I will say sonce our first sailing until now, they are falling a bit into "steak on every menu" cruise ship trap. That said, every steal ive ever had onboard has always been perfectly seasoned and cooked well - I guess this is the benefit of not having everyone sit down at rhe same time like on DCL.
I will agree that entertainment is a bit "out there" but we make it an enhancement to our evening rather than base our evening around it - on our most recent DCL cruise (Med, May 25) the lines for shows were INSANE and as we like to be near the front of the theatre. We then usually grab a cocktail and head to bed - on VV we dip in and out of the shows but spend a lot more time socialising in the bars or finding a quiet spot for a drink just the two of us - there is always something going on til at least 1am - where as on Disney i feel it hits 11pm and they are tucking you into bed!
The best way we can describe it is Disney is it is homely. It's comfortable, its familiar, its reliable (a little too reliable when you know what's for dinner or lunch before you even rock up to the restaurant). They guide you through a cruise with announcements and other points of guidance and the whole thing is a scripted show/well oiled machine. It's the same cruise director jokes, the same format every cruise. In a way I hate it as I like things to be mixed up, on the other hand I love it because who doesn't love familiarity and comfort.
Virgin seem to leave you to it. To find your own way through the cruise and very much make it your own. I'd say in a way the staff take a back seat a little and let you forge relationships with other sailors rather than with them - VV staff are working, DCL staff are performing. I think the wait staff take a more relaxed/stepped back approach because they don't need to do back flips and jokes for your tips. It feels more genuine to me - but maybe thats because im European and we have a different view towards service (i should add ive worked on DCL as a server).
- 2 Speciality coffee credit per day (i need this for Cove Cafe!)
- 1 bag of laundry per cruise
- priority boarding
- drinks reception
- extra drinks credit bonus when buying g bar tab
- $100 bar tab
- free premium WiFi
- dedicated sailor services support (ive never used or worked out how you access this).
I really rate the food on VV. I am so bored of the food on DCL and find it to be mononous and underseasoned. It feels like every night its almost the same dish as the night before - with a tweak here ans there - with VV i fond each restaurant is unique - although I will say sonce our first sailing until now, they are falling a bit into "steak on every menu" cruise ship trap. That said, every steal ive ever had onboard has always been perfectly seasoned and cooked well - I guess this is the benefit of not having everyone sit down at rhe same time like on DCL.
I will agree that entertainment is a bit "out there" but we make it an enhancement to our evening rather than base our evening around it - on our most recent DCL cruise (Med, May 25) the lines for shows were INSANE and as we like to be near the front of the theatre. We then usually grab a cocktail and head to bed - on VV we dip in and out of the shows but spend a lot more time socialising in the bars or finding a quiet spot for a drink just the two of us - there is always something going on til at least 1am - where as on Disney i feel it hits 11pm and they are tucking you into bed!
The best way we can describe it is Disney is it is homely. It's comfortable, its familiar, its reliable (a little too reliable when you know what's for dinner or lunch before you even rock up to the restaurant). They guide you through a cruise with announcements and other points of guidance and the whole thing is a scripted show/well oiled machine. It's the same cruise director jokes, the same format every cruise. In a way I hate it as I like things to be mixed up, on the other hand I love it because who doesn't love familiarity and comfort.
Virgin seem to leave you to it. To find your own way through the cruise and very much make it your own. I'd say in a way the staff take a back seat a little and let you forge relationships with other sailors rather than with them - VV staff are working, DCL staff are performing. I think the wait staff take a more relaxed/stepped back approach because they don't need to do back flips and jokes for your tips. It feels more genuine to me - but maybe thats because im European and we have a different view towards service (i should add ive worked on DCL as a server).
