Two Premium Cruise Lines - Which is BETTER? | Celebrity Cruises or Virgin Voyages

If you are looking at going on the premium cruise lines Celebrity Cruises or Virgin Voyages, you will ant to learn what the difference between the two cruise lines! We will chat about it's food, entertainment, pool areas and more letting you know which premium cruise line I prefer for each category and why!
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[@brendaprice3713]

We just did a Virgin cruise the beginning of December and put our down payment for our next one. I definitely didn’t get bored with their food in the galley. The pool is disappointing and probably the only part that I don’t like, but I just loved the adult atmosphere in the ship.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

You are not alone in that Brenda! Many people live it just for the no kid policy! And as more cruise lines invited more kids, think this will become an even bigger thing.

[@ADHDcutieSingleMama]

thanks very much Brandon; this comparison was very helpful

[@2Aforme]

Thank you for the info. Thinking of trying out virgin voyage this year. 👍👍

[@ernestwinata7908]

Congratulations on 15K subs, Brandon. You earned and deserve every single one of them.

[@LukeofAllTrades.]

I had to go check, I thought he had way more subscribers, he definitely deserves it!

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Thanks Ernest! Amazing how it has happened and you have seen me hit many of these milestones! Thank you for always cheering me on!

[@brenttuckertravel3859]

Hey Brandon, Happy Holidays. Thank you for your videos this year.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Thanks always Brent and for cheering me on! It means a lot!

[@faithfellman7747]

Great comparison. I loved Celebrity Silhouette!

[@AC-lz1zv]

Love this comparison!

[@tedcoates402]

Hi Brandon Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Id like to see a RC vs C comparison.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Hey Ted! I could do that but it would not be a very favorable video for Royal Caribbean right now. What I am going to make is a list of my top cruise lines for 2024 which will highlight a lot of thoughts comparing.

[@derekfinnegan734]

Love the shirt Brandon, perfect cruise wear. Doing my first Celebrity cruise in February, 10 nights on the Celebrity Infinity.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Have a blast! Check the channel for the full Infinity ship tour I did in December of last year! Was on here for 11 nights in South America and had a blast!

[@derekfinnegan734]

@@TheWeekendCruiser one step ahead of you Brandon! I’ve watched that vlog a couple of times now.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Hi Brandon! Thanks for making this excellent comparison video. My husband and I are going to be 65 and 70 next year and both of us like a quieter experience and we used to really enjoy the dining room experience if the food is really good and it is not too noisy. I think that Virgin looks to have a more mixed crowd and it has lots of friendly gay staff. I am only basing my thoughts on KZbin videos as we have not been on either one. We have only cruised on RSVP (owned by Atlantis Events now) fully chartered cruises that we used to take once per years, probably not since 15 years ago before we felt and acted old.

[@joangroothuis4031]

Merry Christmas

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Merry Christmas and happy New year!

[@Deadeyebcf1]

I’ve done virgin twice now and I’m in the process of booking a third for 2025. My experience with them has always been top tier.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

That's awesome to hear! They are def a solid cruise line.

[@helenalovelock1030]

What do you like about them ?

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Posted a video just this week on the topic! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXmrZ3iBp8-MicU @@helenalovelock1030

[@mv90281]

Love your videos! Did you notice on the shorter 3 & 4 day Celebrity cruises still has a majority older crowd? I've done Virgin and loved it but came across a great deal on a 4 night Celebrity out of Ft Lauderdale in August. Just dont want to be the youngest (40's) on the ship 😂.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

The 4 nights I have done that are Thursday to Monday AM on Celebrity have still been an older crowd, noticeably so. The weekends just started and I am doing the first one this Friday, so more to come! I am interested to see what a weekend on Celebrity will look like.

[@pinky818smith-christian8]

Hi there! Thank you for this fabulous video. We have not been on a Celebrity cruise yet but I think if we go it will be on a newer ship in hopes that the demographics would be a little more like VV (and not just with the age). I love VV (no kids is the BEST!) but the pool is the only thing that is not very appealing. We are, however, still Loyal to Royal!

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

I do hear that Celebrities newest Edge class ships do attract a different crowd and have friends who swear by them. I just need them to do a few weekends!

[@brantthompson199]

We love Virgin. Haven’t tried Celebrity yet

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

You would probably really appreciate Celebrity too.

[@pamelabrauer9450]

Try the Celebrity Ascent for elevated entertainment. You have excellent shows in the main theater, Eden, and the Club. You won’t be disappointed. Also the dining options are excellent and varied. I thought the age demographic was also younger and more “energetic” than you experienced on Silhouette.. I definitely think the Edge class ships have a bit of a different vibe in general. But this is just my experience and I have not sailed on VV yet. And not sure that I ever will. That whole pool vibe looks chaotic. And I must say we always had music on the pool deck on my last cruise on Ascent. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I do agree the dining looks interesting but I also feel I want to eat when I want to eat. And it sounds like that is a hassle.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Thanks for sharing Pamela! Would LOVE to get on one of Celebrity's new ships but they need to start doing weekends! I have friends and folks on here who swear by them!

[@SamanthaAiken-rh6ny]

We've been on RC and were told that Celebrity was a big step up in terms of food. It was NOT. My husband said it was worse, I thought it was about the same quality but suffered from fewer options. Considering Virgin but I liked the pool experience on Celebrity.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

If you are a pool person, Virgin is not a great ship for you. That is by far their biggest downfall. Surprised the food on Celebrity ranked so bad! I wonder if it was just that ship or sailing?

[@benjaminsmith2287]

When talking of Celebrity there are 3 distinct types. There's the Edge ships which are class ships and change aspects of entertainment as well as an altered Celebrity experience and look/feel. The established Celebrity ships include the Millennium and Solstice class ships. Then the Gallopogus Series which are very small excursion ships. The Edge has Eden and acrobats and high tech theater in their entertainment. Solstice has some acrobats as well. I also wouldn't say that Celebrity has a senior demographic. It depends on the ship, itinerary and length of cruise. But I would guess that Virgin has a significant amount of cruisers in the 24-45 range in a higher number overall than Celebrity. Still, may depend on itinerary and your particular sailing. I was 38 on my first cruise on Celebrity and that was decades ago. Also, I wouldn't necessarily say that the Edge class are low-key. The Millennium and Solstice ship are for the most part. The Edge ships have their main public areas arranged so that there is some pretty high energy at times coming out of them though in the daytime they're more low-key. Why is Virgin considered premium? Food? Adults only and they don't nickel and dime? I do like the idea of some entertainment in venues but if you want quiet, can you get it? Maybe that's not part of the line? The physical ship looks kind of not so premium in some areas. It's hard to tell, though. I think Virgin needs to rethink their pools but may have on different ships? On upcoming ships?

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

This might be a good video idea. Why does the travel industry consider a cruise line to be mass market, premium, luxury, ultra luxury. For hotels, the star rating is pretty straight forward, wonder if this is too?

[@murphsan84]

Thanks for the comparison video. Can't wait to try Virgin's food court and restaurants. You're right when it comes to booking though. I just booked last week for a sailing in January and all the early times are gone. Hopefully I meet some friends that can slide me in with their time. 😂

[@LennieB9]

They do release more dining slots on the day of the cruise so if you have a look on the app as soon as you board you might be lucky.

[@murphsan84]

@@LennieB9 Copy, I also did the status match and got the Deep Blue Perks so I get to board in an exclusive line I read. I still definitely try for better times once I'm on.

[@wakemiamigreatagain]

I don't think you can just join another group for any restaurant reservations, I believe you have to book your own. Virgin is not like traditional cruise lines. I understand Virgin only releases about 30-40% of the reservations about 45 days in advance. You can definitely book once you can connect to the ship's wifi. If you have problems connecting to the wifi when you embark don't wait, go directly to Sailor Servicers to book everything, shows also. Otherwise, you will have problems later trying to get into anything you want.

[@murphsan84]

@@wakemiamigreatagain I see an option to add a person via QR code, but you're probably right, a new reservation would have to be made.

[@wakemiamigreatagain]

@@murphsan84 I could be wrong. We will be taking our first VV cruise in Feb. Either way, I hope you get to do everything you want.

[@barbarasiqueira9533]

Thank you so much for this comparison! Me and husband will definitely never get to Virgin and I'm super excited to try out celibrity. We're in our 40s and all we want is to relax and have a good time. We love to talk to older people and the classis style of theater is our thing.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Then be careful which Celebrity ship you may pick should you decide to cruise them. Celebrity is trying to attract a younger clientele and they're making the ships less laid-back than their more established product, the Millennium and Solstice class ships. I think Celebrity has become noisier over the years. At one point, the open Grand Foyers had little music and when they did, it was soft or a string quartet and such. Now they have sometimes loud music playing in them that you can hear in above areas with people dancing, singing and sometimes shouting. Not all Celebrity passengers think that is a good thing. Especially the established long-time ones. Pick Edge class (Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent) if you want a ton of restaurants, don't mind some areas of the ship are for suite passengers only, can deal with more noise and some crowding, want a state of the art theater with more updated entertainment, like the concept of Eden, care about the Magic Carpet, want more deck space. If you care about quiet areas, it lacks a library, card room and just the quiet spots the Solstice and Millennium class ship have. Solstice class (Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, Silhouette, Reflection), has a good amount of restaurants, real ship lounges including a forward observation lounge missing in the Edge class, library, card room, quiet spaces, lawn on the upper deck, and more varied spaces to mingle/mix with fellow passengers). So, they seem quieter and more intimate. Reflection does devote more space to suite passengers but they don't take up as much space as on Edge class ships. Although Solstice class are smaller (but by no means small) than Edge, they actually have a larger amount of public spaces that aren't suite areas or restaurants aboard.

[@barbarasiqueira9533]

Hello, Benjamin! Thank you so much for being so kind and generous to write me this message. I must confess that me and husband were having high expectations to go on celebrity. It seems like most of the average lines are trying to get new customers, forgetting about the ones who made them what they are. Our first cruise was on MSC and it was perfect. Each of the following ones were no good. Once again, thank you from the heart, you have no idea how important was your message. Happy holidays!

[@benjaminsmith2287]

@@barbarasiqueira9533 You're very welcome.

[@davidc5191]

I assume another demographics difference is that Celebrity has kids, but Virgin of course doesn't.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

I would phrase it more as Celebrity allows kids versus has kids. I've been on several cruises where there's literally five kids lol but def a distinction.

[@wayneking4590]

Great comparison review Brandon. I just completed my second solo voyage, this time on the Equinox after almost meeting you in Oct. on the Scarlet Lady! lol I am celebrating the big 6 0 next week so my opinions differ just a bit. I liked the food on Equinox better, and the dining experience in general but not by much as Virgin was also really good. I felt the crew in Silhouette went above and beyond to accomodate me as a single traveler. I also prefer the entertainment on Celebrity and the theater was fantastic, full bar, bathrooms, etc. on Celebrity. Worst part of the trip was parking at Port Everglades. First time there, terrible signage or non at all. Parking garage was full sent into the overflow lot and lost the car, me and many others!! < looking the the Ascent next!!

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Def see all the points you made here! Parking continues to be an issue and with lage ships doing weekends, it isn't helping!

[@RobynLichter-sv3xj]

We just got off the Celebrity Equinox. We departed Dec 19th, have sailed many times with Celebrity. We were so disappointed to see so many children and misbehaved teenagers. Never experienced this before!!!!!

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

It's one of the risk Celebrity is running right now. Every day they are turning more and more into Royal...

[@monicap9662]

That's what happens when you cruise when school is not in session.

[@gerardacronin334]

The tiny swimming pool on VV would be a dealbreaker for me. I like Celebrity, but as a solo cruiser, their recent outrageous discriminatory pricing means I will be taking my custom elsewhere.

[@Jon_T19]

I truly love both lines!! I know Brilliant Lady is still postponed, but VV really needs a ship re-design. The wasted space and tiny pool on deck is a massive, missed opportunity. Replace that silly net with a plunge infinity pool and get rid of the unused exercise equipment, for more outdoor bars/lounges and revamp some restaurants, and VV would be a near perfect Cruise Line. No line can claim that!

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Love your suggestions! You should work in cruise ship strategy!

[@Jon_T19]

@@TheWeekendCruiser As long as my office is a sea terrace, I’m in!!!

[@sak_5]

Agree with the infinity pool, that would even spread the crowd from the main pool. Exactly what I just told my partner when sitting at that area. Another thing is having large infinity jacuzzis by the windows like the Explora Journey… that would be awesome!

[@Jon_T19]

@@sak_5 Great idea! I wonder if one of the reasons Brilliant Lady is so delayed is that VV is listening to the consistent feedback, and making design changes, instead of copy and pasting a 4th ship. That would be incredible, if true.

[@pumpkin462]

I really want to try Virgin but they only Homeport out of south Florida which is just too far to travel for a 5 night cruise

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

They've got seven nights starting out of Puerto Rico. The flights. They are normally pretty crazy but they are offering longer sailings

[@Becca734]

Thank you for the comparison! I have never been on a cruise before! I am looking to possibly go on one in 2025 with me (early 40's) my mom ( in her 80's) my sister (mid 40's) and niece (30's) I have been seeing what ship would be the best and so far it looks like maybe NCL, Royal Caribbean or Celebrity. Any thoughts?

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Ha, I did the exact same thing with my Mom not too long ago! Here are her thoughts as a more senior adult kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWfMdaJtocaSh9E

[@Becca734]

@@TheWeekendCruiser thank you!

[@helenalovelock1030]

Have you been on NCL ships ?

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Not yet! The NCL Sky used to do more weekends be covid but they haven't had a solid option since... :-( I will one day though!

[@melvinjacobs2328]

The difference between the S Class and the E Class on Celebrity is like day and night. Completely different vibe.

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

That's what I've heard Melvin! I would LOVE to try an Edge class ship but they have to start doing weekends! 😂

[@cyndihanson157]

Wait, wait, wait….. top over Royal ???❣️

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Hahaha yup! Think I might make a video on this...

[@cyndihanson157]

@@TheWeekendCruiser please do❣️❣️

[@TheRiverPirate13]

I haven't sailed on either cruise line. I think outside of being more premium cruise lines you made a good point of WHO these cruise lines are marketing to that is the main difference. The Silhouette is an almost 14-year-old ship at 122K tons vs Scarlet Lady which is almost 4 years old and 111K tons. I'm glad to see Celebrity is keeping the Silhouette updated! I have gotten enough feedback from fellow cruisers that have sailed on both cruise lines, and it seems Celebrity is the laidback experience, and the Virgin Voyages is the endless party experience. I hope to sail on Celebrity Xcel sometime in the near future, but I'll take a pass on Virgin Voyages. I cruise to relax. Lol!

[@wakemiamigreatagain]

Any cruise is what you make of it. If you want to relax on a VV cruise you certainly can. There are plenty of relaxing places to be alone and read a book or have a drink while listening to chill music. But if you want to catch a show or dance till late in the night you can do that too. I think it's a bit unfair to say that VV is ONLY an endless party experience. I'm sure you can party on Celebrity too, if that's what you want.

[@TheRiverPirate13]

@@wakemiamigreatagain Oh I’m not saying it. lol! I’ve never been. Just the feedback from fellow cruisers who have gone of VV. One couple I am friends with who are in their 70’s hated the cruise, said there was underage drinking, constant party etc. The other couple was in their late 30’s and said it was great, food and shows and lots of parties.

[@wakemiamigreatagain]

@@TheRiverPirate13 Well, there you have it. VV is not a traditional cruise line and I can see older cruisers that expect a certain type of cruise not getting that traditional cruise experience. My wife and I are in our early 50s and we're going on VV in Feb, we have done a lot of research and know what to expect. We are certainly not a party all night kind of people so we will join the festivities when we want and then have fun doing other things like the shows, karaoke, bingo, trivia, seahorse racing, arcade games, relaxing and listening to music, enjoying our terrace and other stuff and thats just on the ship. VV is also very friendly to the LGBT+ crowd, so anyone not accepting will probably not enjoy a Virgin cruise.

[@bigtruckbygod]

Virgin’s galley does change during dinner. They offered beef Wellington, curry chicken, etc. on different nights. I loved our Virgin cruise but the bed was awful. We did 8 nights and I was missing a good bed by the last night 😅

[@TheWeekendCruiser]

Jealous you had different food! Which station was offering these? Will seek them out next time!