Longtime Royal Caribbean cruiser gets SHOCKED on Valiant Lady Cruise! Virgin Voyages vs. Royal

[@keithmoore6334]

Great content. A body builder who cruises often is another level of discipline. Salute 👍🏾

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@keithmoore6334 it’s tough and you pretty much have to just accept that it will be a cheat period. While I’ve done vacations where I stayed on my calories and have even lost weight, I have to admit it sacrificed too much. Now, I’m ok with gaining a few pounds of fat just as long as I don’t go really crazy

[@keithmoore6334]

@ salute to you sir. I am definitely weight and health conscious, but never at the body builder level. Kudos to you.

[@ChristineLozada]

I loooved this perspective! NEW SUBSCRIBER! Loved the shoutout to Mona. I'm going to be thinking about this video while I cruise with Royal in early 2025. And also.. AHOY FROM VALIANT! I'm back on board and watching this while at seeeeaaaa!

[@MidRiseLiving]

Thank you Christine!

[@bffielder2287]

REF 7:38 - Royal still allows smoking in the casino, although they have a small, smoke free casino on some ships. Virgin has the poker rooms too!

[@MidRiseLiving]

thanks for the update. Yes, they had that on Allure last time we sailed on it. It was really small and didn't give us that vegas-like feeling. I read that RC was experimenting with making the entire casino smoke free, but haven't really kept up with how that went.

[@bffielder2287]

@@MidRiseLiving I would love to have that, or at a minimum, do like NCL does and have fully enclosed smoking rooms. Many of the Royal ships have a casino where the smoke just billows up into the promanade or into a neighboring dining room. At least it's not like Carnival where you have to walk thru them to get to other areas of the ship though.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@ that would be nice. On Freedom of the Seas you actually do walk through the casino to get to the aft part of the ship if i remember right

[@marcroy8023]

Thanks for the video, I have done both, the Gym on Virgin is plenty for the daily Gym Gower since you also have the track on top with more equipment. Royal is way to crowded. One suggestion is to try a Cheaky Corner Suite as a Rockstar, you get almost 400sq ft of Terrace, and it was absolutely the best. We have done 20+ cruises and only go on Virgin if we can going forward.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@marcroy8023 how long were your sailings on Royal? The gyms were never crowded for our 5 and 7 night sailings on RC and Disney For Valiant Lady the gym was always packed. I think it’s the demographic where the VV guest is more active

[@zanelowery6718]

Can’t wait to cruise virgin in 14 days!

[@ScottTaylorRealtor]

Great review. Watching this made my wife and I anxious to try Virgin. We’ve been on more than a few Royal Caribbean ships of all sizes, a few Oasis class ships and just got off Icon. I’m not into the big ships anymore. We will probably do more Royal but smaller ships only. We also enjoyed Holland America, Princess, Disney Carnival and NCL ships. So far Royal is our favorite. We’re almost Diamond which is a motivator to stick with them for those 4 free drinks each per day, LOL. Subbed to your channel.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@ScottTaylorRealtor thank you! Make sure you watch my latest video I just uploaded. I talk about the subject of whether or not cruise ships water down drinks. 🥃🥃🥃Let me know your opinion in the comments of it!

[@marcusnmaryland6041]

I loved my VV experience and I am in my 50s.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@marcusnmaryland6041 that’s great! We met someone traveling solo in her 70s. Make sure you check out my latest video on whether or not cruise ships water down drinks. Would love to hear your comments in that one too!

[@marlap712]

VV is my favorite. I've also done carnival and royal. I've out grown Carnival and Royal has big beautiful ships, but they are also boring and generic imo. I prefer the true all inclusiveness of VV, the healthy options, the food, and the relaxed vibes.

[@andrewsmith1168]

We hated virgin cruise line the food was good but the rest was junk. The only thing I will say about the speciality restaurants is I don’t like that you can’t use them all the time which is odd. Plus to us the perks we get on royal being diamond plus and prime in the casino. It isn’t for us but we did try and we hated it so staying loyal to royal from now on.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@andrewsmith1168 you don’t think Royal starts feeling repetitive?

[@flooshoomoo7104]

1 metal detector is crazy. There’s usually at least two and I have priority boarding with Virgin so there’s very few ppl even there yet and they still run 2+

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@flooshoomoo7104 yes I was very surprised when we reached the bottle neck

[@sixers0126]

If i was younger Virgin did night life thing so much in 20 and 30s I'm way over it. Comfort is everything

[@thomaskuykendall4024]

why are you putting down the pinnacles on Royal?

[@MidRiseLiving]

What part?

[@kirkl0766]

Virgin we took it. Dinner after 6 is a joke. Went to their cafeteria idea and ordered a burger hour later and it sucked. Food is hit or miss. Sorry but just honest.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@@kirkl0766 I’ve never went to the Galley for dinner. Always did reservations at a restaurant. The burger was good enough for recovery food at 1 AM, but I don’t think I would’ve been satisfied with it for my dinner

[@MichelleWAperth]

Im a pinnacle with royal. I am over Royals diminution in quality so am exploring other cruise lines. I did take a virgin cruise and won’t do it again unless free. The debauchery was non stop and in your face. It got to be quite tedious. I don’t care what people get up to in their private life but when its shoved in your face relentlessly, you feel like you are being pressured to affirm what they get up to. I simply don’t care to know. My cruise was constant oppressive innuendo. I don’t care to interact with a stranger in this manner when it’s completely uninvited. I don’t care to not need to hear things like “i come pre lubed” hissed at me with a snear. Ffs, just let me enjoy myself

[@itdadof3]

My first thought when I watched the video is that I would enjoy the cruise except how immoral what i have seen from the videos so I can only imagine how bad it is for what you can't see. I already posted about the debauchery before I read your post.

[@MidRiseLiving]

while that wasn't our experience, I've heard this before. How many nights was your sailing? I did notice that the last night some were getting pretty aggressive at the Manor and we left since we had to get up early anyway.

[@user-jx9nu3ef1j]

Just been on a 14 day cruise with Virgin and there was zero debauchery, didn't really even see any public displays of affection. I will say we were in our cabin by 10:30 p.m. because we get up early even on vacation. A couple of the shows are a little raunchy/racy but they always mention "we don't touch, you don't touch" and the costumes weren't really any more revealing than other cruise lines I've been on. Like Carnival, there may be passenger behavior issues with the shorter cruises.

[@MidRiseLiving]

@ we DID stay out past 1 AM and it was pretty tame for us. We’re accustomed to Vegas as mentioned in the video. Our cruise was a 5 night sailing and I agree with what you said. The shorter ones tend to bring the younger crowd, but then again everyone’s comfort zone is different.

[@DDTC73]

What do you consider to be debauchery? I assume you're talking about 2 men kissing, how was it shoved in your face relentlessly? It's funny but when you see a man and woman kiss, do you think that is shoving it in your face? When you see people with kids, do you think, ugh I dont want to know what they get up to in the bedroom? Clearly Virgin Voyages isn't for you. They're all about inclusively and people being themselves, which was evident through their amazing relaxed Crew and passengers who are there to have fun and chill with other sailors, without judgement.

[@cam6406]

Dude does three cruises over two years and thinks he is an expert.

[@MidRiseLiving]

It was actually 4 but still doesn't make me an expert. :) Especially considering I run mostly real estate content.

[@mariesheriff5926]

After listening to video, I am still staying Loyal to Royal.. Diamond Plus with 500 points. We like the YMCA song so I can do the signature TRUMP DANCE. The MAGA supporters will be dancing it out. Brillance of the Seas can't wait !!!

[@MidRiseLiving]

have you gone on icon yet? It's tough for us to do smaller ships after being spoiled on Oasis sized ships.

[@Wendy-lq8uw]

We were on SOS in October and we did the dance

[@itdadof3]

I just don't care for the debauchery on Virgin.