Resilient is my middle name - Christmas with Virgin Voyages

[love_the_life]

For some reason I tought Burnie was a tender port so was very surprised, and happy, to see us up against a wharf when we opened the curtains.
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If it had been tender we weren't going to bother getting off the ship but we wanted (I needed) a walk.

The Galley is VV's take on the ship's buffet. Food was great quality and from our perspective there was plenty of variety. Cereal and fruit, pastries and cakes, bakery, standard egg and bacon, French toast (amazing!), tacos, noodles, toasted stuff, and bento boxes of fruit/cereal/yoghurt etc. Decent tea, coffee and 'juices' were also included in our fare, plus soft drink, water. Only speciality coffee was extra.

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Burnie is a working port so it was necessary to catch a bus out of the port and into town. Buses were queued up ready to take us. Each bus had a volunteer who did a very funny speil as we drove into town. When we arrived on hopped the mayor and deputy mayor. The mayor was wonderful. She loves Burnie a real lot! We've cruised a fair bit and without any question it was the best welcome to any town/city we've visited.

There was a small market set up for us, plus we were told a number of shops had opened specially for passengers of the ship. Burnie is closed on Christmas Eve?

We walked along the beach to the penguin centre then up through the gardens and back into town

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Was the mayor Teeny (or similar) - she greeted us last January when we were on Cunard - she was so funny. We have been to Burnie a couple of times - there was a great cafe with 2 resident assistance (PTSD) folder retrievers who have their own spot and you just step over them on the way to the bathroom.

 

[love_the_life]

Beer and food at Communion were excellent. The lamb ribs are worth a visit to Burnie on their own, just the ribsView attachment 363834View attachment 363835View attachment 363836View attachment 363837View attachment 363838View attachment 363839

After a lovely day in Burnie it was back onboard. Another view of the outdoor area of The Galley
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before another visit to The Dock for more bites and a very ordinary alcohol free mojito
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That doesn't look like the usual Virgin Mojito - where's the mint and lime?

 

[p--and--t]

Well well well. I had discounted VV as another Branson stunt and written it off.

I am now sold!

The food looks great, better than the last half dozen cruises and a livelier atmosphere and NO KIDS. The cabin a bit meah but OK.

(Great trip report BTW)

 

[bPeteb]

Christmas Day on the ship was hilarious. So many people in funny Christmas outfits. Lots of antlers, and santa hats, and for many like us, a reappearance of the Christmas jumpers and pjs

Started with the best French toast (one slice too many!)


some early espresso martinis at Sip Bar


bingo with the diva. Sadly missed out on a win but the final prize would have paid for the whole cruise for the three or four (not a shared prize) who won it!


had a pizza for lunch then visited The Wake, RL's seafood and steak restaurant



lovely calm seas as we tootled along towards Hobart

 

[bPeteb]

That doesn't look like the usual Virgin Mojito - where's the mint and lime?

it tipped me over. I gave up on alcohol free after this!

 

[OZDUCK]

Happily Following another great TR by you. Your ability to make the best of everything you can is admirable.

Now personally I wouldn't be caught dead within 100 km's of this ship but before I booked any sort of cruise I would actually see what sort of on-board ship experience I would be having. A few seconds research, and the slightest knowledge about the 'Virgin' approach, would have told those people complaining about their trip exactly what to expect. I really can't don't have any sympathy for them. Your 'rant' was fully justified.

 

[bPeteb]

There were a few Christmas trees around the ship. There is no mutli-story atrium, just the two level Roundabout. A few high level shops around this space plus shore excursion desk, future cruise and a branded shop. Everyone had two of the soldiers in their cabins, christmas tree decoration sized


Dinner was at The Test Kitchen described as Cooking Lab/Restaurant and Experimental Bar


it was a surprisingly large space, this one of the tables closer to the entrance


It was again excellent. We decided to get the matched coughtails with each course


Those six added up to three very strong coughtails

The menu is, vague


full explanation provided before each course

food prep happening in front of us


Christmas bob-bon jokes, VV style


mushroom


gazpacho

 

[bPeteb]

egg


scallops


duck


beef, chocolate sauce, taro


blue cheese, maple candiedwalnuts


pumpkin





christmas shirt. we weren't matching!

 

[bPeteb]

I have no idea what show we went to. There was apparently trapeze in a hoop



the ship has LED lighting throughout. They can be changed and of course for Dec 25 they were red and green, as were the lights out on the ships balconies


the smooth seas continued

 

[Flyfrequently]

There was a small market set up for us, plus we were told a number of shops had opened specially for passengers of the ship. Burnie is closed on Christmas Eve?

In Burnie's defence @bPeteb Christmas Eve was a Sunday

 

[Pushka]

Prepare for a rant -

This 'we want this cruise to be the same as the other cruises we've been on' was a bit of a common theme across our six nights onboard. To me it indicated that people had booked this cruise with no knowledge of what to expect. I overheard people saying they'd only sailed with Princess and they wish 'this cruise' was more like that. That they wanted to hear 'happy music' playing like on Royal Caribbean. They thought it would be better if they allowed family groups (meaning kids). The one thing I've forgotten to mention, the most important thing of all - VV is adults (18+) only.

I was part of a conversation in the Facebook group for this cruise with a gentleman who said "yet again the minority is telling the majority what to do". Excuse the language but wtf????? He believed VV was catering for the minority and that the majority onboard were having to put up with the tastes of that minority.

What he was actually referring to was his distaste of the open displays of 'diversity'. The drag queen, the shows that had LGBTQI+ content, the flamboyant entertainment staff, the dance music playing around the ship. I'd imagine he also didn't like the tattooed VV crew, and especially didn't like the large number of fairly obviously gay passengers on board.

Well diddums. We've been on fourteen cruises across all of the mainstream cruise lines except MSC and Costa. There have been times on some of those 'mainstream' cruises where other passengers have made us, as a gay couple, feel quite unwelcome. We chose VV to feel welcome and we did.

VV is a cruise line that is 100% about diversity. About pushing boundaries. The entertainment is raunchy. The music is electronic, and often loud. The crew are colourful. It is tech based. If any of these offend you, or scare you, then choose mainstream. Don't go on VV and complain and make the people who have chosen VV specifically to feel comfortable, uncomfortable. The 'majority' have enough choices out there. This minority member wants you to stay there.

Rant over and back to our holiday

This cruise sounds like a lot of fun. Because that's what a cruise is all about. Our most frequent companions on both a Viking and Celebrity cruise and even one on Princess, are two male couples. They've visited us from Canada in SA and we keep in regular touch. And we have a ball hanging out with them.

 

[bPeteb]

In Burnie's defence @bPeteb Christmas Eve was a Sunday

Ah, of course!

 

[mx838383]

I love the trip report so far. I am on the VV ship for Aus day down to Burnie. I’ve booked all the specialty restaurants already. Even with booking ahead, most of the early dinner times are all taken. I am mostly eating at 8pm slots. Thanks for sharing the awesome pics and tips.

 

[Muppet501st]

Great TR, can’t wait till next month, SYD- HBA return voyage, over Valentines and wife’s birthday

 

[SYD]

I love the trip report so far. I am on the VV ship for Aus day down to Burnie. I’ve booked all the specialty restaurants already. Even with booking ahead, most of the early dinner times are all taken. I am mostly eating at 8pm slots. Thanks for sharing the awesome pics and tips.

Nothing wrong with 8pm!

 

[bPeteb]

I love the trip report so far. I am on the VV ship for Aus day down to Burnie. I’ve booked all the specialty restaurants already. Even with booking ahead, most of the early dinner times are all taken. I am mostly eating at 8pm slots. Thanks for sharing the awesome pics and tips.

I booked three 8, one 8:15 and one 7:30 plus Another Rose once we got onboard. We're not early eaters when we're on holidays.

 

[SYD]

I booked three 8, one 8:15 and one 7:30 plus Another Rose once we got onboard. We're not early eaters when we're on holidays.

Anyone who eats dinner (or is that “tea”?) at 5 or 6pm is not VV target demograhpic.

 

[RooFlyer]

Beer and food at Communion were excellent. The lamb ribs are worth a visit to Burnie on their own, just the ribs

That's where the AFFers on the tulip tour at the recent AFF gathering, had lunch. Great choice.

 

[bPeteb]

Pressed the button to open the curtains (we should have been using the tablet but just didn't ever remember), and contrary to the original forecast the Derwent was looking very pretty



we were getting picked up by a uni friend of mine to go spend the morning with Andy and his partner, so we were up early to have brekky



and this also meant there wasn't much movement around the ship so I got some pics of the Aquatic Club


the swimming area of the pool is small but the surface area quite decent. I'd imagine in a warmer climate people would just sit around in the shallow area. From what I've read they police the chair hogs pretty well.


this is Richard's Roof Top, the private area for those who have booked Rockstar Suites. Champagne hour from 5 to 6 each day. I'm not sure what else they get in there

 

[bPeteb]

Disney Wonder in town. It looked so tiny compared to RL. Four decks of balconies compared to seven. Pricing on this ship truly ridiculous but apparently people have been paying the crazy prices to get a pick with Micky


few more of the Athletic Club areas


this bar actually specialises in fancy juices (extra cost)


the hammock without bAlt


after spending the morning with our friends at their cute little house in New Town we were dropped off at Battery Point and went for a wander


Boxing Day means Sydney to Hobart yacht race start so we found a seat at Customs House Hotel to watch the start. They had an amazing stout on tap so we had a couple of them, and a shared fish and chips. Yum.

then we continued our walk and ended up at our favourite - In the Hanging Garden - ITHG | Home