Great series. I just sailed the NCL Viva in April in a solo studio. While it wasn't cheap ($2500 for 7 days, 6 ports, free at sea plus to get unlimited wifi, streaming and extra dining credits), I loved the cabin, solo lounge and curated solo activities! They did a great job maximizing the functionality of that small space. The bed was high enough to put luggage under, lots of storage and the bathroom was larger than the sea terrace on Virgin Voyages. The $152 on NCL for gratuities on unlimited drinks was much cheaper than a VV bar tab or drink package on other cruises. I did love the food on VV better. I still think the almost all inclusiveness of VV is the best value for me.
Yes, NCL sounds like it really has the best solo cruiser program and it sounds like such a great experience. I really didn't realize how much I liked Virgin's inclusive price until I did this comparison. But still, I'm looking forward to sailing NCL for their solo experience!
That’s great to hear! Between cruises, I’m looking to create content that will help others. I look forward to meeting you on a ship in the future as well!
I found you through Travel Spree’s recent live. I appreciate your review! I did upgrade my room already since I booked my first ever cruise, so I am not saving much on VV. But I think having a hammock and access to a balcony will help my introverted self.
Jessica, thank you so much for checking out my content after the Travel Spree live! So glad you find the review helpful. And yes, in the end, everyone has to decide what is best for their situation. Everyone has different likes and dislikes, so there's not going to be one solution for all solo travelers. I aim to just share what the experience is like and let others know my opinions based on my personal preferences. Go for that hammock on the balcony! I must say it does seem relaxing!
Thanks so much. I’m an agent as well and the nickel and diming on “other” cruise lines is irritating. I love the simplicity of paying for my cruise, knowing I don’t “need” a ton of money and I can dine at every restaurant. Virgin Voyages is my favorite cruise line. No kids is a bonus! To be fair I like the solo lounge provided by NCL. I’ll be trying out their ship for the first time this summer. Keep up the great work!!
I will admit, this exercise made me see the difference. As I went through Virgin in like 2 or 3 clicks, but then had to show additional line item after line item for NCL to make the comparison...that made me appreciate the Virgin booking more. Thank you so much for the feedback and thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow! This video is a goldmine of valuable insights. As a fellow introverted solo cruiser, I often struggle to determine the best value for my trips. Your explanation was incredibly clear and elegant! While I've never considered Virgin before, thinking I may be older than their preferred passenger demographic, your insights have piqued my interest. I'll definitely be checking them out. Thank you for sharing such excellent content!
So glad you found this helpful! And I think I'm older than their demographic as well. I think we can definitely enjoy their ships too. There are a lot of things that aren't shown in a lot of vlogs I've seen. I'm looking forward to sailing with them again on my own to experience their ship a bit more. I think you should too!
I am 68, and I sailed on Scarlet Lady last June with my 29-year-old daughter. We both enjoyed it immensely, and we each have a second cruise booked for this year, on Valiant Lady this time.
Virgin is a little pricey and they say WiFi, gratuity and dining included but they are actually charging everyone upfront in the price opposed to other cruise lines having a smidge lower price and charging a la carte for WiFi and specialty dining. Appreciate how you show the difference in pricing.
Great point, Cydney! Yes I agree and believe that when there’s a claim of an all-inclusive price, it’s actually just built it. It may be beneficial if you normally purchase those items but if you don’t, it’s not beneficial. But it works also be interesting to subtract out gratuities and WiFi prices compared to others to estimate a base price! 🤔 Thanks for watching and commenting!
Cheryl this is great content for us. I do enjoy NCL ships for the price and excursions. I don't care about the internet. since I unplug when I'm on vacation. I just wish the ships would offer 5mins of free internet to check in for my return flight. VV is still on my list to try. one day.
Thank you for the feedback! I agree with you about the wifi. Of course, I use wifi daily when I cruise because of what I do, I do understand that others like to unplug. It would be great for the lines to offer free wifi to check flights, or a station to check flights or something. Yes, I think you should keep Virgin on the list to try. It's a great experience!
I would like to try Virgin one day, but I have yet to find an itinerary that I like that is at a decent price. NCL has a much larger and better selection of itineraries. If I'm going to pay luxury prices for a cruise, I'm going for an all-inclusive, luxury cruise line. Virgin has the high prices without being all-inclusive. For some, it's more about the experience on the ship. For me, it's more about the excursions. NCL is far from fancy, but they do offer a $50 credit toward excursions. I end up paying $0 to $20 for each excursion.
Great points! And yes, I think many have different ideas about what's important in selecting a cruise. I know some who do sail for the ship and others for ports but I absolutely get what you're saying. That $50 credit does sound like a benefit for NCL. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the video. It was a very nice analysis. I wanted to say - NCL ships don't have solo inside cabins. They assign some regular cabins as solo. That's why pricing between solo inside and regular inside is so small. Virgin has much smaller cabins for solo. It would be more appropriate to compare Virgin solo to NCL studio, which only on the new ships. Also I wanted to add one difference between them that makes me like NCL more - Virgin doesn't sell spa pass, only one time pass. I like to visit spa daily or so, on Virgin it'd be too expensive
In this comparison, I compared the solo inside cabins as NCL has it listed on their website. They do list studio cabins, solo interiors, solo ocean views, and solo balconies. The last three are regular cabins that they converted to "solo pricing." I agree that the Virgin's solo insider is most comparable to the NCL studio for a 1:1 equal comparison. I did take a look at the studio in my NCL and observed instances where it was HIGHER than a regular interior. But my intent is to view all of the solo pricing options available. But I agree with what you're saying. And definitely a great point for those who primarily sail for the spa experience! That is a huge difference, and I agree that NCL's spa on the Breakaway was a great experience. I'm just not a frequent spa user so it wouldn't be a factor for me. But definitely something to consider if it is!
Great analysis. Ive cruised with NCL a number of times as a solo. I keep going back to them because of their solo meetups each day, I love that and Ive met some wonderful people that way. This made me think more about VV but then I looked at their itineraries. Well, NCL also has more ships and more itineraries to select from. So I appreciate VV benefits in some ways but on the smaller NCL ships that aren’t sailing in the Caribbean, I’ve hardly seen any kids. I’ll keep VV in mind, but not sure if I’m ready to give them a try yet.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that! And that’s one point that I try to make. Everyone sees value their own way. I did a poll on my page and a few cruisers said solo programs were worth a higher cost. I don’t think one is better than the other, but rather, they offer us options. 😊 And everyone can select the option that’s best for them. Thank you so much for watching and sharing your experience! ❤️❤️❤️
Virgin Voyages 4 nights not interested that's a party cruise. I book 7 nights at least. I don't drink so for me I prefer ncl. At 58 I'm not looking for a younger drinking cruise. Seen a few videos of vv too wild for me.
I agree. I prefer 7 night cruises too but I still mix in shorter cruises. I’m not a partier either but other people partying never bothers me so I can do the short cruises too. And that’s the thing…there’s another side to Virgin. To me, there is a toned down side to Virgin, but I agree you, you never see that. All you see is partying!
What a clear, informative comparison! I was thinking NCL originally, but now i can see the value in Virgin, along with all the razzle dazzle. No kids, and better dining are real plusses.
I definitely see the value in Virgin! I will still cruise the other lines for variety but yes, I love what Virgin offers as a solo cruiser. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Nice! Yes, it doesn't have to be either or. Just awareness. I'm looking forward to my NCL sailing! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, Sylvia!
Hi Cheryl, this was so informative 🙌🏽🙌🏽 This was such a thorough video. I would definitely pay you this commercial!!! It sounds like Virgin definitely has a lock on how to solo cruise the right way. Great video!
Thank you so much, Etta! Yes, I do like Virgin's pricing and I'm looking forward to going back for the solo experience. I'm looking forward to that on NCL as well! Maybe I'll vlog the experience of both ships! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Hello Linda! Feel free to use my link to book and I can assist you when needed (or I can book if for you if you ever desire): www.virginvoyages.com/book/voyage-planner/find-a-voyage?cabins=1&USD[%E2%80%A6]lors=2&toDate=2022-10-04&agentId=101657&agencyId=422 Virgin is a great all-adult experience. I think you will love it!
Yeaaahh, this is an awesome series 🎉 It really helps us during the cruise booking process (esp for us solos) on which cruise line would be better in value. I love NCL, but the way u broke it down compared to VV, makes me want to look into cruising with them one day soon. Great tips 👏🏽
Thanks, Ro! So glad you think this will be helpful, especially to solos! And I really didn't come to a final thought on this until I actually went through the comparison. Although I still will try the NCL solo experience for myself, it makes me just want to book a normal cabin at double occupancy when I sail NCL in the future. Yes, I think you will actually like Virgin. I think there's so much to it besides all the parties you tend to see in the vlogs.
@@SIGCruiser Yea I’ve never sailed in anything other than a NCL regular cabin bc I want space. And yes, the comparison at the end recaps the video nicely 👌🏽
Thanks for sharing. Nice video. I subscribed. My name is Mamie with Mamie Channel. I too have a channel and love to travel and so much more. I pray blessings for you and your channel.
Great video, but I would side with NCL as the better value for solo cruisers. Not only was it cheaper, but it offered more (for a drinker you cannot beat it even with the added gratuity). I cruised VV a year ago and wasn't impressed at all. The food was the worse I've had on any cruise ship and I've been on over 20 cruises. I also found it boring. The shows were good though.
Yes, everyone is different and it’s great to hear that you find the NCL brand to be a great solo experience! My experience on the two lines is the reverse. I found Virgin to have much better food options in taste and quality. And much better ship entertainment, especially music. Yes, NCL was cheaper than Virgin but Virgin is definitely a more premium experience and worth the extra cost. To me, Carnival’s larger classes are a more affordable alternative to NCL with a much better experience. Basic services on Carnival were subpar on my NCL experience (app, GF dining protocol, coffee, just to name a few). But I think it’s okay that people have different experiences and perceptions of value. It’s all about finding the experience that best suits you! Thank you so much for the feedback and thank you for watching and commenting!!! ❤️❤️❤️
@SIGCruiser I think my expectations going into VV were too high. I expected the food to blow me away and it didn't. Actually walked out of the Test Kitchen because the food was horrible and service slow. Gunbae, Razzle Dazzle was ok, but extremely slow as well. I didn't get an "upscale dining" experience from them. On the level of the main dining on NCL/Carnival/Royal to me. Now that white pizza was probably the best I've had on a cruise ship. Missed activities such as water slides, rock climbing walls, ropes course, laser tag, etc.
@lilcw76 Aaahhhh….yes. Personal preferences and expectations. This is why it’s great that we have cruise lines that offer different experiences so we can choose what best suited our likes! See, I don’t care for the water slides, ropes courses, etc. And food is always subjective. I actually enjoyed the experiences you didn’t like. 😂 So glad there are cruise lines and ships for both of us! 😊
Cheryl, this is a great series! The content you create is so valuable for solo cruisers, and your explanations are easy to understand and very entertaining.
Great series. I just sailed the NCL Viva in April in a solo studio. While it wasn't cheap ($2500 for 7 days, 6 ports, free at sea plus to get unlimited wifi, streaming and extra dining credits), I loved the cabin, solo lounge and curated solo activities! They did a great job maximizing the functionality of that small space. The bed was high enough to put luggage under, lots of storage and the bathroom was larger than the sea terrace on Virgin Voyages. The $152 on NCL for gratuities on unlimited drinks was much cheaper than a VV bar tab or drink package on other cruises. I did love the food on VV better. I still think the almost all inclusiveness of VV is the best value for me.
Yes, NCL sounds like it really has the best solo cruiser program and it sounds like such a great experience. I really didn't realize how much I liked Virgin's inclusive price until I did this comparison. But still, I'm looking forward to sailing NCL for their solo experience!
Your comparison was very helpful in my future solo cruise planning. Hope to run into you! @@SIGCruiser
That’s great to hear! Between cruises, I’m looking to create content that will help others. I look forward to meeting you on a ship in the future as well!
I always sail with ncl as a solo traveler. Try booking 2 months to 1 month before the cruise. The solo rooms tend to be cheaper.
@@SIGCruiser Are you planning a group cruise?
I found you through Travel Spree’s recent live. I appreciate your review!
I did upgrade my room already since I booked my first ever cruise, so I am not saving much on VV. But I think having a hammock and access to a balcony will help my introverted self.
Jessica, thank you so much for checking out my content after the Travel Spree live! So glad you find the review helpful. And yes, in the end, everyone has to decide what is best for their situation. Everyone has different likes and dislikes, so there's not going to be one solution for all solo travelers. I aim to just share what the experience is like and let others know my opinions based on my personal preferences. Go for that hammock on the balcony! I must say it does seem relaxing!
Bout to book my first time on a cruise with vv. What got me was the NO KIDS.
You can definitely feel the difference and it's a definite plus!
Thanks so much. I’m an agent as well and the nickel and diming on “other” cruise lines is irritating. I love the simplicity of paying for my cruise, knowing I don’t “need” a ton of money and I can dine at every restaurant. Virgin Voyages is my favorite cruise line. No kids is a bonus! To be fair I like the solo lounge provided by NCL. I’ll be trying out their ship for the first time this summer. Keep up the great work!!
I will admit, this exercise made me see the difference. As I went through Virgin in like 2 or 3 clicks, but then had to show additional line item after line item for NCL to make the comparison...that made me appreciate the Virgin booking more. Thank you so much for the feedback and thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow! This video is a goldmine of valuable insights. As a fellow introverted solo cruiser, I often struggle to determine the best value for my trips. Your explanation was incredibly clear and elegant! While I've never considered Virgin before, thinking I may be older than their preferred passenger demographic, your insights have piqued my interest. I'll definitely be checking them out. Thank you for sharing such excellent content!
So glad you found this helpful! And I think I'm older than their demographic as well. I think we can definitely enjoy their ships too. There are a lot of things that aren't shown in a lot of vlogs I've seen. I'm looking forward to sailing with them again on my own to experience their ship a bit more. I think you should too!
I am 68, and I sailed on Scarlet Lady last June with my 29-year-old daughter. We both enjoyed it immensely, and we each have a second cruise booked for this year, on Valiant Lady this time.
Same here! I’m looking forward to trying Valiant Lady as solo!
Virgin is a little pricey and they say WiFi, gratuity and dining included but they are actually charging everyone upfront in the price opposed to other cruise lines having a smidge lower price and charging a la carte for WiFi and specialty dining. Appreciate how you show the difference in pricing.
Great point, Cydney! Yes I agree and believe that when there’s a claim of an all-inclusive price, it’s actually just built it. It may be beneficial if you normally purchase those items but if you don’t, it’s not beneficial. But it works also be interesting to subtract out gratuities and WiFi prices compared to others to estimate a base price! 🤔 Thanks for watching and commenting!
Cheryl this is great content for us. I do enjoy NCL ships for the price and excursions. I don't care about the internet. since I unplug when I'm on vacation. I just wish the ships would offer 5mins of free internet to check in for my return flight. VV is still on my list to try. one day.
Thank you for the feedback! I agree with you about the wifi. Of course, I use wifi daily when I cruise because of what I do, I do understand that others like to unplug. It would be great for the lines to offer free wifi to check flights, or a station to check flights or something. Yes, I think you should keep Virgin on the list to try. It's a great experience!
Very detailed and helpful comparison on these two solo cruise options!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Peta!
I would like to try Virgin one day, but I have yet to find an itinerary that I like that is at a decent price. NCL has a much larger and better selection of itineraries. If I'm going to pay luxury prices for a cruise, I'm going for an all-inclusive, luxury cruise line. Virgin has the high prices without being all-inclusive. For some, it's more about the experience on the ship. For me, it's more about the excursions. NCL is far from fancy, but they do offer a $50 credit toward excursions. I end up paying $0 to $20 for each excursion.
Great points! And yes, I think many have different ideas about what's important in selecting a cruise. I know some who do sail for the ship and others for ports but I absolutely get what you're saying. That $50 credit does sound like a benefit for NCL. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the video. It was a very nice analysis. I wanted to say - NCL ships don't have solo inside cabins. They assign some regular cabins as solo. That's why pricing between solo inside and regular inside is so small. Virgin has much smaller cabins for solo. It would be more appropriate to compare Virgin solo to NCL studio, which only on the new ships.
Also I wanted to add one difference between them that makes me like NCL more - Virgin doesn't sell spa pass, only one time pass. I like to visit spa daily or so, on Virgin it'd be too expensive
In this comparison, I compared the solo inside cabins as NCL has it listed on their website. They do list studio cabins, solo interiors, solo ocean views, and solo balconies. The last three are regular cabins that they converted to "solo pricing." I agree that the Virgin's solo insider is most comparable to the NCL studio for a 1:1 equal comparison. I did take a look at the studio in my NCL and observed instances where it was HIGHER than a regular interior. But my intent is to view all of the solo pricing options available. But I agree with what you're saying. And definitely a great point for those who primarily sail for the spa experience! That is a huge difference, and I agree that NCL's spa on the Breakaway was a great experience. I'm just not a frequent spa user so it wouldn't be a factor for me. But definitely something to consider if it is!
Great breakdown. Thank you!!
Thank you so much! And thank you for watching and commenting!
Hey SIG!! Thanks for sharing. This is great information
Thanks so much for the feedback, Edna!
Great analysis. Ive cruised with NCL a number of times as a solo. I keep going back to them because of their solo meetups each day, I love that and Ive met some wonderful people that way. This made me think more about VV but then I looked at their itineraries. Well, NCL also has more ships and more itineraries to select from. So I appreciate VV benefits in some ways but on the smaller NCL ships that aren’t sailing in the Caribbean, I’ve hardly seen any kids. I’ll keep VV in mind, but not sure if I’m ready to give them a try yet.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that! And that’s one point that I try to make. Everyone sees value their own way. I did a poll on my page and a few cruisers said solo programs were worth a higher cost. I don’t think one is better than the other, but rather, they offer us options. 😊 And everyone can select the option that’s best for them. Thank you so much for watching and sharing your experience! ❤️❤️❤️
Virgin Voyages 4 nights not interested that's a party cruise. I book 7 nights at least. I don't drink so for me I prefer ncl. At 58 I'm not looking for a younger drinking cruise. Seen a few videos of vv too wild for me.
I agree. I prefer 7 night cruises too but I still mix in shorter cruises. I’m not a partier either but other people partying never bothers me so I can do the short cruises too. And that’s the thing…there’s another side to Virgin. To me, there is a toned down side to Virgin, but I agree you, you never see that. All you see is partying!
Love this vid. I love a good comparison 😊
Hey FAM! Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it!
Loving this series so much!!! Great information! Thank you!!
So glad you’re enjoying the series, Kat!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I loved everything about Virgin and just for Christmas. I found NCL nickeled and dime us for everything
That's what I felt like going through this exercise. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Janis!
great video, thank you
Thank you! And thank you so much for watching and commenting!
What a clear, informative comparison! I was thinking NCL originally, but now i can see the value in Virgin, along with all the razzle dazzle. No kids, and better dining are real plusses.
I definitely see the value in Virgin! I will still cruise the other lines for variety but yes, I love what Virgin offers as a solo cruiser. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Thanks for breaking it down for us!
Thank you so much, Alisa! ❤️❤️❤️
COOL!! Hit me with ALL the tea!!!
Ha! I hope you found this helpful! I have a part 2 coming this one. Let me know if you have any questions!
Another awesome video!!!🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Great video!
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it and thank you for watching and commenting!
Great comparison video. I think both work for me 🙂
Nice! Yes, it doesn't have to be either or. Just awareness. I'm looking forward to my NCL sailing! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, Sylvia!
Hi Cheryl, this was so informative 🙌🏽🙌🏽 This was such a thorough video. I would definitely pay you this commercial!!! It sounds like Virgin definitely has a lock on how to solo cruise the right way. Great video!
Thank you so much, Etta! Yes, I do like Virgin's pricing and I'm looking forward to going back for the solo experience. I'm looking forward to that on NCL as well! Maybe I'll vlog the experience of both ships! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
@@SIGCruiser Absolutely, please vlog both. Great idea!
Will do!
great job!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Jenny! And thank you for watching and commenting! I appreciate it.
@@SIGCruiser I am a TA myself, so can appreciate a good review. I look forward to more like this.
Thanks so much my fellow TA! ❤️
VIRGIN!
Yes, Linda, yes!!! LOL
Is Virgin like Southwest? You have to go directly to their site to book?
Hello Linda! Feel free to use my link to book and I can assist you when needed (or I can book if for you if you ever desire): www.virginvoyages.com/book/voyage-planner/find-a-voyage?cabins=1&USD[%E2%80%A6]lors=2&toDate=2022-10-04&agentId=101657&agencyId=422
Virgin is a great all-adult experience. I think you will love it!
Virgin is also better for those who love a good dance party.
You think so? I'm not a club person or a party person. But I really enjoyed my "quiet" experience on Virgin!
Yeaaahh, this is an awesome series 🎉 It really helps us during the cruise booking process (esp for us solos) on which cruise line would be better in value. I love NCL, but the way u broke it down compared to VV, makes me want to look into cruising with them one day soon. Great tips 👏🏽
Thanks, Ro! So glad you think this will be helpful, especially to solos! And I really didn't come to a final thought on this until I actually went through the comparison. Although I still will try the NCL solo experience for myself, it makes me just want to book a normal cabin at double occupancy when I sail NCL in the future. Yes, I think you will actually like Virgin. I think there's so much to it besides all the parties you tend to see in the vlogs.
@@SIGCruiser Yea I’ve never sailed in anything other than a NCL regular cabin bc I want space. And yes, the comparison at the end recaps the video nicely 👌🏽
❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing. Nice video. I subscribed. My name is Mamie with Mamie Channel. I too have a channel and love to travel and so much more. I pray blessings for you and your channel.
Thank you so much, Mamie! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Great video, but I would side with NCL as the better value for solo cruisers. Not only was it cheaper, but it offered more (for a drinker you cannot beat it even with the added gratuity). I cruised VV a year ago and wasn't impressed at all. The food was the worse I've had on any cruise ship and I've been on over 20 cruises. I also found it boring. The shows were good though.
Yes, everyone is different and it’s great to hear that you find the NCL brand to be a great solo experience! My experience on the two lines is the reverse. I found Virgin to have much better food options in taste and quality. And much better ship entertainment, especially music. Yes, NCL was cheaper than Virgin but Virgin is definitely a more premium experience and worth the extra cost. To me, Carnival’s larger classes are a more affordable alternative to NCL with a much better experience. Basic services on Carnival were subpar on my NCL experience (app, GF dining protocol, coffee, just to name a few). But I think it’s okay that people have different experiences and perceptions of value. It’s all about finding the experience that best suits you!
Thank you so much for the feedback and thank you for watching and commenting!!! ❤️❤️❤️
@SIGCruiser I think my expectations going into VV were too high. I expected the food to blow me away and it didn't. Actually walked out of the Test Kitchen because the food was horrible and service slow. Gunbae, Razzle Dazzle was ok, but extremely slow as well. I didn't get an "upscale dining" experience from them. On the level of the main dining on NCL/Carnival/Royal to me. Now that white pizza was probably the best I've had on a cruise ship. Missed activities such as water slides, rock climbing walls, ropes course, laser tag, etc.
@lilcw76 Aaahhhh….yes. Personal preferences and expectations. This is why it’s great that we have cruise lines that offer different experiences so we can choose what best suited our likes! See, I don’t care for the water slides, ropes courses, etc. And food is always subjective. I actually enjoyed the experiences you didn’t like. 😂 So glad there are cruise lines and ships for both of us! 😊
@SIGCruiser Exactly! I'm not loyal to any line. The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned!
@@lilcw76 Same!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Does virgin voyages still status match? I'm sapphire level one ncl
Here is their information on their status match program: www.virginvoyages.com/sailing-club#status-match
Ty
You're welcome, Tanya!
I don’t drink. I’m not a foodie. I don’t need specialty dining.
Nice. We’re not all the same. It’s great to have options to go with what works for you. Thank you for sharing.
Cheryl, this is a great series! The content you create is so valuable for solo cruisers, and your explanations are easy to understand and very entertaining.
Thank you so much! I hope it's helpful!!!!