WWYD? My inexperienced TA friend asked me to join her on Virgin cruise.

[robinb]

I hope I can ask this on the DCL group. You are experienced cruisers and I'm sure you'll have some good advice.

I have a friend, Kim, who I have known for over 40 years. We are not particularly close, but we see each other a few times a year. We meet up for dinner when I'm in town around where she lives and she comes up to Wisconsin to enjoy our outdoor Shakespeare theater with us. I enjoy spending time with her. Both she and I like to cruise and we almost always chat about our latest cruise. We have talked about cruising together and have started to alert the other when we book a cruise. She and her family are mostly a RCL cruisers and we are NCL cruisers, so we haven't meshed on a cruise yet.

We are Platinum on NCL and we have been cruising once or twice a year for the last few years. We just came back from 15 days on a Panama Canal cruise on the Bliss and we booked a NYE cruise on the Encore while we were on board. I know how the NCL promos work like the back of my hand. We always book with Cruise Next certificates and with a TA to get OBC. I usually book with one of the mega agencies in New Jersey which provide great deals and no hand holding and it works for me because I know NCL so well. For instance, on my Panama Canal cruise I got free gratuities (worth $600) and another $300 in OBC. Score!

Kim texted me a couple of weeks ago that she and her sister have just booked a transatlantic on Virgin's Scarlet Lady in October 2026 from Barcelona to Miami. She asked if we were interested in joining them. Well ... it just so happens that a transatlantic is on my bucket list, Virgin Voyages intrigues me, and we are planning to go to Oktoberfest in September of 2026 so we'll be in Europe anyway. Our cruise stars have finally aligned!

Apparently Kim is a TA for multiple cruise lines as a side gig. She THEN tells me that she is a Virgin Voyages "First Mate" which is their version of a travel agent. Mind you, she has NEVER sailed on Virgin but she signed up to be a First Mate to save a bit of money and sell cruises to other folks. Like me. She wants to be my First Mate but she knows next to nothing about the promos offered by Virgin. I started to look into the Virgin product and I feel I know more than she does. For instance, she didn't know about their "Refer a Sailor program" that gets the person making the referral *and* the new sailor $150 in a Virgin "Bar Tab". BTW, the referral program is NOT applicable to someone who has already booked a cruise. So, she missed out herself and her sister and she's a "First Mate"! Then I found a program that matches status, so my Platinum status would get me their "Blue Extras" tier. She didn't know that. When I texted both of these to her last night and asked her to send me a referral she found out that she couldn't because this was her first cruise herself. She sent me a referral link from another friend and then said that if I gave her our birthdates she could put the cruise on a 24 hour hold right away.

Let me say it louder for the people in back: YOU CANNOT GET THE $150 REFERRAL IF YOU ARE ALREADY BOOKED ON YOUR FIRST CRUISE!

I have not agreed to buy the cruise through Kim and her ineptitude means that I will have to learn all the ins and outs of a new program and basically keep an eye on things myself. She already almost cost me $150 ... twice. In addition, folks on Reddit say that it's super important to get a very experienced (Top 100) "First Mate" because they can offer more perks because their know the program inside and out and know what promos mesh with others. My major concern is not the money, although I always like to save a buck or two (or $900!), but that she doesn't seem to know anything about the product and it would be the blind leading the blind.

FWIW, I was in a very similar situation last May. I met Marla who is a TA on a cruise on the NCL Epic in 2023. We became Facebook friends and I noticed that she was going on a cruise on the NCL Sky in May 2024. I asked her about it and she gave me some numbers. We booked it but I ended up going with my NJ TA instead. Marla was friendly onboard, but something was just a tad off. She was with a group of people who had booked with her and they had a lot of fun together and I ended up feeling really bad that I didn't give her my business over $100. It really wasn't worth , I would have preferred to be part of the group. Marla goes on an annual NYE cruise and she looked like she had so much fun a on her 2024/2025 cruise that I thought, what the heck ... a NYE cruise is also on my bucket list ... so booked it with her even though my NJ TA would have given me a couple hundred in OBC. [Actually, I booked the NYE Encore cruise on board the Bliss to get a free upgrade in cabin (IF to IA) and I transferred it to Marla when I got home.] The difference is that Marla knows her stuff. She knows the NCL program better than I do and will watch out for me. I will still book cruises with my NJ TA if I'm not sailing with Marla, but if we're on the same cruise I'll now give her my business.

So ... WWYD? Would you book with Kim because you are friends and know that she's inexperienced and that you will have to work hard to understand the program and get the best promos when they finally come along? Or, would you book with an experienced TA that knows the system, one that could possibly get me better promos and one that I could trust (but verify ) my cruise vacation with?

 

[Girl of the South]

Sounds like a question for Dear Abby!

 

[DCL58]

So very complicated. I wouldn’t lose a friend over a few hundred dollars, but that’s just me. I would just book with the friend since you would be sailing together.

 

[supercarrie]

In your situation, since you'd be sailing with her, I'd probably suck it up and go with her as the TA. I would certainly not be booking any further cruises via her, though. If you didn't book via her, I think the cruise has the potential to be very awkward, especially since she extended the invite to you to join her. It is a 40+ year friendship, and I wouldn't want to risk that over a few hundred dollars.

FWIW, I have several friends who are also TAs (as side hustles, not full time) and do not book with them for my trips. I either book with an experienced Dreams Unlimited TA (because I've had good experiences with discounts and knowledge, plus the OBC offers that Dreams offers works for me) or more rarely, directly with the cruise line if they offer a returning guest deal that I want to jump on. I just feel like this situation is a bit different since she asked you to go with her.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I side hustle in the travel industry and sometimes travel with friends. I try to find the best deals and when I find deals that are better than what I can book I tell them and they decide how to book. Sometimes they choose to still book with me, sometimes they don’t. We still travel together in all cases and have a great time with no awkwardness because our bond is the friendship, not business.

In this case since it isn’t a close friendship I just wouldn’t sail with her. Keep the status-quo.

If you must go on this exact cruise then check with some of those top TAs and see what their deals are. If it is better than your friends deal tell your friend you’re going to join them but you’re booking through XYZ because it’s a better deal. Could it end the friendship? Sure. But if it does it wasn’t a real friendship anyway.

If the cost is the same you have to decide if it’s worth the risk of booking with your friend. You are already aware of her competency level. I wouldn’t be cool with that because when she screwed up once she didn’t turn around and try to fix it by seeing what else she might have missed for you.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

As Virgin cruise line and the transatlantic sailing are both bucket lists for you and the timing works out with plans already made for you land trip. I would book the Virgin cruise with your normal TA, and just go on the cruise with your friend Kim and her sister. Let them book and manage their cruise plans and you book and manage your cruise plans separately. Then on the cruise you can enjoy each others company and have a great time, without any of the business aspects or feel you are missing out due to their lack of knowledge or experience.

As for your other friend the TA you meet. That sounds like whats called a group cruise. I see this often on YouTube with TA's. They block book or get a special rate for a group of people, but the catch is the cruise has to be booked through them, as they receive commission from the cruiseline. The reason Marla was friendly onboard, but something was just a tad off is because you still went on the cruise but booked through a different TA and lost her money. The reason she was with a group of people who had booked with her and they had a lot of fun together was because she was being paid to be with them and act as host and organize activities for the group. You had not paid to be part of her group, so therefore onboard you were not invited to any of the activities they planned.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I have done the First Mate training too, I think it does take a bit of "observing" if not "research" to find everything......

but if she did send you her friend's referral link, did y'all get the bar tab? I only saw how she (may have) cost you $150, but not twice.....but if you got it, then you didn't lose out on anything....did you know anyone else that could have given you a referral? I see it as a bonus if she (after you pointed it out) found you a referral....

I am unaware of anything further to gain from outside of the promos that you might book under (though I have never taken a VV either).....so you just have to find out what promos are available...

I do know that, just as with other cruise lines, if you get a MNVV it will at least be connected to your current First Mate and you will have to change it if needed.....

If your normal TA can do better, then I would say go with them, and encourage your friend by saying something like "we can learn this cruise line together!" while being with a TA you trust more.....

 

[tidefan]

Don't worry about the term "First Mate", that is what Virgin calls all of their agents, even the experienced ones. Also, be a tad careful as I would quiz your agent, even if they are in a high group. There are very good TA's out there that that aren't in that group (because if you are in FL and can organize groups out of communities there, you are going to be a higher seller).

I am all for giving someone who is doing a small business a chance. For NCL, it sounds like the big box place with their mega-group placeholders are good for you because you know NCL so well, However, what I would look for is someone on Virgin that has a Gold Seacademy rating (their highest training level). You are correct about Blue Extras (the status match program), but you can do that on your own on the VV website. Actually the best deal would be if your friend still had one of the old MNVV (My Next Virgin Voyage) placeholders that got you $300 off and $600 Sailor Loot (OBC). Those are transferrable! (NOTE: Virgin has changed the MNVV program, so it's not quite as lucrative). I would also say, perhaps give your friend a chance, but let her know upfront what you expect from her.

I highly suggest going on Virgin Voyages. It is our current favorite line. We've sailed on VV 6 times and they have all been amazing. The food is incredible. My only thing would be that I am not sure if I'd start out my VV cruising on a transatlantic as if you don't like it, you're on there a couple of weeks. VV is very different, in a good way. It is not going to be like what you are familiar with. If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

Funny, I've got 42 cruises under my belt and 6 coming up in the next year or so, and I have never been on NCL as I find NCL to be the most confusing of all of the lines We have a lot of DCL, but also Princess, Carnival, and now Virgin (tried a few RCCL, but found that wasn't for us). We have our first HAL cruise coming up next month and I am excited to try them!

Good luck with whatever your decision is, just remember that you will have a great time no matter $100 here or there...

 

[Retiredcruiser]

Don't worry about the term "First Mate", that is what Virgin calls all of their agents, even the experienced ones. Also, be a tad careful as I would quiz your agent, even if they are in a high group. There are very good TA's out there that that aren't in that group (because if you are in FL and can organize groups out of communities there, you are going to be a higher seller).

I am all for giving someone who is doing a small business a chance. For NCL, it sounds like the big box place with their mega-group placeholders are good for you because you know NCL so well, However, what I would look for is someone on Virgin that has a Gold Seacademy rating (their highest training level). You are correct about Blue Extras (the status match program), but you can do that on your own on the VV website. Actually the best deal would be if your friend still had one of the old MNVV (My Next Virgin Voyage) placeholders that got you $300 off and $600 Sailor Loot (OBC). Those are transferrable! (NOTE: Virgin has changed the MNVV program, so it's not quite as lucrative). I would also say, perhaps give your friend a chance, but let her know upfront what you expect from her.

I highly suggest going on Virgin Voyages. It is our current favorite line. We've sailed on VV 6 times and they have all been amazing. The food is incredible. My only thing would be that I am not sure if I'd start out my VV cruising on a transatlantic as if you don't like it, you're on there a couple of weeks. VV is very different, in a good way. It is not going to be like what you are familiar with. If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

Funny, I've got 42 cruises under my belt and 6 coming up in the next year or so, and I have never been on NCL as I find NCL to be the most confusing of all of the lines We have a lot of DCL, but also Princess, Carnival, and now Virgin (tried a few RCCL, but found that wasn't for us). We have our first HAL cruise coming up next month and I am excited to try them!

Good luck with whatever your decision is, just remember that you will have a great time no matter $100 here or there...

Agree with the thoughts on going along to keep the friendship. If nothing else, you will be able to say together in unison "DCL does this so much better than VV" . In other words, we found VV to be different and not in a good way. We too have tried many of the other lines in search of different experiences with RCCL and VV now floating down to the bottom of the list as our worst cruising experiences. If you have a choice, travel with your friend while avoiding those cruise lines.

 

[tidefan]

Agree with the thoughts on going along to keep the friendship. If nothing else, you will be able to say together in unison "DCL does this so much better than VV" . In other words, we found VV to be different and not in a good way. We too have tried many of the other lines in search of different experiences with RCCL and VV now floating down to the bottom of the list as our worst cruising experiences. If you have a choice, travel with your friend while avoiding those cruise lines.

Yep. People either love or hate VV, there doesn't seem to be much in-between, which is why I suggested a shorter cruise first. However, they are not Conde Nast Traveler's top cruise line for the past two years for no reason. We absolutely love VV. NOTE: If Duel Reality is on your ship, do not miss it! I am Platinum on DCL and love VV, so you will get varied opinions! For us, we loved how different it was (and the hammock on the balcony...)