Virgin Voyages Cruise Review January 2024

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Wow so many comments and I appreciate so many of them! However just a reminder to be kind and constructive. Unkind comments will be deleted. Thanks so much and have just the best day ever! Also UPDATE from Virgin: they reached out and refunded us $300 (the difference in fare between the two cabins) and no other compensation was offered.

[@codent]

good job on the video, you framed it well to describe the problems without ranting (not easy for many of us!)

[@cherylbaxter1457]

For anyone commenting about this review being “sus” I feel I need to speak up for Jen & say you obviously aren’t a regular viewer or you’d know she is very fair & is accepting that things go wrong sometimes but that’s when the company involved needs to step up & not show a total lack of customer service. She’s doing us a service by sharing this review & without people like Jen we wouldn’t know about these issues. I for one are really grateful she shared this video & I feel awful for you both having such problems on this cruise.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Cheryl you’re the best! I deleted that comment but I so appreciate you vouching for my credibility. Seriously it means a lot to me.

[@donnabaardsen5372]

Can someone tell me what "sus" means?

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

@@donnabaardsen5372 Donna I love you. It means suspicious.

[@sade66119]

People can be ridiculous, I agree Jen wouldn't make something up for views

[@xwpfan2]

So, true. Jen is so honest and that's why I'm glad she did this review. It needed to be said.

[@RobinEmpson]

I was on this same cruise. Our very first cruise ever as my husband and I both celebrated our 70th birthdays. We were in sea terrace room on the 10th floor. I had heard about the mattress topper and thought I would be need it. However, we slept very well each night, and I didn't feel the need. When we got back from Key West, we noticed the power had been out in our room but was back on. Sailor Services called our room twice to be sure our power was indeed restored, which we appreciated. We did have dinner reservations each evening and got to try each restaurant except for Test Kitchen. Each restaurant did not disappoint. We had brunch reservations on our day at sea and also on the day we disembarked. It was all lovely. I guess we were very lucky. We enjoyed it so much we did take advantage of their offer for $300 off and $600 onboard credit and booked an eight-night cruise for 2025. I am sorry you had such a rough experience and am thankful we did not. Thank you for sharing.

[@garyc]

The room downgrade & offer of $150 compensation is such a shame. I think anyone would feel fobbed off. Thankfully the entertainment saved it from a total letdown x

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Gary THE CHOREOGRAPHY you would have died - I mean not literally but ya know. Per usual ARTISTS saved the day!

[@maureenbeckwith128]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge the shame is i would so love to see an Adam Hatton, Gary c and Jenn virgin voyage Collab, maybe in a fully compensated rockstar suite with all the fabulous restaurant bookings taken care of VIRGIN VOYAGES IF YOUR LISTENING👌👌😂😂😍😍

[@algauthier]

It’s such a good example of how customer good customer service is so linked to feeling that you are seen and cared about as a person. Money isn’t even the issue here, it’s the lack of ownership and sincere apology that has given all these bad feelings. Had virgin responded with ‘we are so sorry! We can see this has really affected the enjoyment of your stay with us. Let’s do everything we can to make you comfortable - free food, free spa, etc etc AND someone came to you personally with a sincere, personal apology and not just a corporate response, I have a feeling you’d feel differently. As someone who spent many years in retail and customer service, I’ve always noticed how people will put up with unreasonable situations when they feel seen and feel that the company cares. When they feel they are unseen and just a number, people get angry.

[@saramerrill8592]

The “Obviously this was not sponsored by Virgin Voyages” cracked me up! 😂

[@rhondalockrey9592]

My jaw dropped when you said there were at least 200 cabins that had no power & they choose to sail away still. What if the entire ship lost power. Those poor people with no air conditioning on an inside cabin. I agree with Scott people could of had heatstroke or anything. The staff on the ship can really only do so much but they could of communicated with people even if they had no answers. They shouldn't of continued to sail. I am glad you are working with head office & it sucks they didn't treat this as a serious situation not acceptable at all. I would like to see you do a vlog update when you get an compensation cross my fingers for it. I would not be in a rush to sail with them again now trust is broken.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Such a great way to state it and you’re right. Trust is broken. Ugh I hate that.

[@sabrenacallis412]

How old is this ship and what's the name

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

SCARLET LADY and I believe 4 years old@@sabrenacallis412

[@luvtravel6207]

I’ve done over 20 cruises with HAL, Princess and Viking. I considered VV but after hearing all of this, it’s a firm NO. Vacations are a expensive and in this economy these companies need to deliver the experience that consumers pay for. Their response was unacceptable.

[@peytonsassafrass2207]

I've done 36 cruises, I was looking at Virgin ,after your very heartfelt review I won't be booking with them.

[@jocaz4931]

I think Scott was right. This situation was a safety issue. And they should have been not only proactive but should have kept you informed the whole time. It is a failure in service and I hope they make suitable amends.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Honestly the uneasiness really came from feeling like nobody was paying attention! Thank you for pointing that out.

[@Gwen-r7s]

I have to use a cpap and many people need to keep meds cool in their fridge. From that perspective, it was a big safety issue

[@marjielalonde3875]

Good point!

[@Natalie_11188]

My first thought was for people who had medical devices and couldn’t use them because of the power outage.

[@barbaraa9511]

Hi Jen! I met you on the Virgin Voyage at the coffee area after you overheard me tell my friends I was being moved to another cabin. This was after sailor services told me around midnight they would send an electrician to help me turn off the emergency lights in my room. I waited for hours under blaring lights with almost no sleep, and no electrician. Yet Sailor Services closed my issue as "resolved". I eventually did get moved to another room, but again, sailor services said that someone would come get me and take me to my new room. No one ever showed up and I ended up lugging my suitcase down to Sailor Services where I was moved to a cabin with a view of the lifeboats. I still considered myself lucky to get a room with power. I didn't get a note under my door and I have yet to hear anything from Virgin Voyages.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

UGH I am so sorry. Your story is what made me stop feeling sorry for myself because it really could have worse and for you IT WAS WORSE. This is NOT OK, Barbara, and I sincerely hope you hear from them very soon. Doing some online research about their customer service I'm not hopeful but I sincerely hope they happily surprise us both! It was wonderful meeting you!!!!!

[@entropiaeight8622]

You did an excellent job on that video. Your frustration and anger came through, while still sounding 100% together. Your complaints seemed balanced, fair, and cogent. Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but I'm glad you and your spouse are a good pair!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

OK that's exactly the feedback I needed and hoped for. Means more to me than I can tell you. Thank you! And yeah, he's truly such a kind soul and he works so hard and I HATE that I couldn't plan and give him and amazing vacation. As we know, I travel for fun quite a bit but he doesn't get to do that like I do and I want a do-over of our anniversary trip!

[@1DawnMarie1]

As a person who doesn't cruise, I was still waiting for this video just because I'm nosy and want all the details!

[@shirleydunn8050]

About five years ago my friend and her husband & two children went to stay at Caribbean Beach in WDW. They arrived as a storm had just passed through & there was no electricity in the rooms or food court which they had closed. They had flown from England so were tired and hungry. My friend rang reception ( even though her hubby said not to) to enquire if they knew how long it would be till the power went back on. They said they’d ring back. They said “ how about we put you all up at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the whole of your trip?” Er…..yes! They even sent a taxi to take them there. Whilst I appreciate I’m not talking about a cruise line- that was great customer service. The cast member kept on saying thank you for bringing this to our attention it’s so hard to rectify when you are back home. They got a suite near the giraffes which are Cathy’s favourite animals.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! What a wonderful example of great customer service. And as Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favorite spots on earth, I really appreciated this!

[@shirleydunn8050]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge They had been to Disney before and they knew by the age of their children that it would be the last time they would want to go there with their parents. So they ended up having the most amazing time. I’m sorry you had that shocking experience on your cruise. Xx

[@neko-chan6145]

That is why Disney gets people coming back over and over again. Disney magic

[@shirleydunn8050]

@@neko-chan6145 They are the loveliest family- they couldn’t believe it and were so appreciative!

[@coreym.9125]

I am blown away that this ship left port with a known issue with their electrical systems. That’s probably why Scott was so unamused. Ships are like planes. If there’s an issue with 1 system then there’s probably issues elsewhere. What if all the power had gone out when the ship was back at sea? Can you imagine walking on a plane and there’s power in the cockpit/first class but not main cabin and the pilot decides to just fly the plane like that. Absolutely not. Clearly these cruise ships need more oversight. This is wild.

[@MJohannaS89]

Even after such a negative trip, it is nice to hear you talk about the love and relationship that you have with Scott. What a wonderful partner for life.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

I am beyond fortunate and I thank God everyday!

[@Ontario100]

Just returned home from a Virgin cruise yesterday. (Valiant Lady) Our biggest problem was an issue that delayed embarkation for over two hours. That is two extra hours standing in the Miami heat. They did give each passenger a $75 bar tab credit though. I wish your food server at Razzle Dazzle had explained that you can order as much food as you like. I was with two friends and we asked them to bring us one of everything on the included menu, then we ordered seconds of what we liked. BTW, our food server suggested this. I am very sorry to hear about your experience.

[@ericaingram9747]

I appreciate your Vlog . We had to move once on a Carnival Cruise ( due to a maintenance issue-so similar to your electricity issue) . They gave us back the full amount of the reminder of our cruise which was 3 nights. And 50% off another cruise along with a free drinks package. And that was a “lower end “ cruise line. They did really well. Constant communication. That is what you should expect when you run into issues. I’m sorry you experienced all of this, and I hope they make it right for you.

[@amyknee7511]

Two words I would probably never use to describe your videos would be sensationalized or overly dramatic. I appreciate your honest thoughts and reviews on the places you travel!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you Amy!

[@WhoAteThePeach]

I’m very pleased you DID do this review. Because it could really act as a warning for future travellers and also, you did express plenty of good things too. I am now thinking I may only try short cruises because - fair enough - this was only four days… but what if it had been longer…. I don’t know how I would cope if I had t managed to sleep and I need a decent bed! Thanks Jen, this was a genuine and articulate account of what happened and I hope that Virgin see this and that you get the compensation you deserve, (along with the other passengers!) X

[@tamarahopkins2522]

Bad vacations are the worst especially when you work so hard and getting time off of work is difficult.

[@suewolf3279]

I have opted for a mattress topper on several cruises and several Cruise Lines. The last one I was unable to obtain a mattress topper, but they brought in a large comforter, folded it in half, and placed it on my side of the bed under the sheets. It did make a big difference

[@bethpolasky126]

I am not a cruise person, but I love the way you talk about this. I'm going to learn from you. Gratitude, grace and determined!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

It’s the only way forward!! Thank you for the kind words!

[@theresalehigh5381]

Your honest and candid review is appreciated. I'm in the customer service business, a Platinum DCL Guest and DVC so I have very HIGH expectations. I would feel the same way. Again thanks for sharing your experience. Wishing you an acceptable resolution.

[@CaroleDowney]

Something similar happened to us on Anthem of Seas in Portland ME. Toilets and Water not working for much of ship for hours. They were still going to depart. We called Coast guard about health and safety issues a couple of times. Within about 45 min they cancelled the departure until water and toilets started working.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Wow that's jaw droppingly bad. So glad they didn't leave port until it was fixed!

[@tracywalker244]

I have a cruise in April with VV will definitely use this tip if something unsafe happens. Thanks!

[@markdaniels7724]

We just got off this ship yesterday after a 5 day cruise and thankfully didn’t experience anything like this. When we tried to reserve specialty restaurants on the app before the cruise it said they were full. When we boarded the ship we went Razzle Dazzle and they booked every restaurant we wanted close to the time we wanted. I was left wondering how other cruise lines would have handled this as most are sailing 100% full. What would be an acceptable resolution to this issue?

[@disneymamallama]

Omg JEN! Your honesty is what keeps us coming back. I was waiting to book my VV cruise until I saw this review and omg. I'm a travel planner for our couples now and will absolutely be swaying people away from Virgin. You nailed it when you said "You can tell how good a company is not when things go right, but when things go wrong." That's how we've run our business for 20 years and I was *shocked* about their meager onboard credit offer!! I hope you get a resolution soon.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yeah I’m trying hard to release it but the longer it goes with no word the more antsy I am. Insane that I haven’t heard anything yet.

[@Lee_lee_27_7_27]

We LOVE Virgin. We have been on 6 sailings in less than 2 years, and we're hooked. We haven't had any poor experiences - not one. We have had to visit sailor services a few times, but every time they've been nothing short of helpful. I wonder if they weren't indifferent, but instead, they were overwhelmed. I know from all the Facebook groups, reddit threads, and reviews, that my opinion is the rule, and this experience is the exception. Everything is not for every one, so I hope you dont have this sort of experience on any other cruise line you try. And you should ABSOLUTELY give them another try if they give you a free cruise! I can't tell you how much fun we have on every sailing

[@srjinlv]

I get so irked by folks that say " be grateful you're on a cruise". While yes, I am grateful for any sort of trip a lot of people aren't able to go on, I also PAY for this experience. If it were free, well, maybe I would be able to take things more with a grain of salt. However, I have limited vacation time and I'm not overly wealthy by any means, so when I am able to take a special vacation, I want it to be great. I can roll with the punches but with a situation like yours, I would expect the company to make things right!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Truly at one point I just wanted to pack up and go home. There’s an unspoken agreement you make when you board a ship that they’re going to take care of you simply because you CANT just leave. They didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. It’s so much worse than just bad customer service at any other place because you are literally stuck there.

[@srjinlv]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge Agree 100%

[@michellefurnas7039]

Thank you for making this video. I took a Virgin cruise out of Greece last fall. We experienced issues with our onboard being correct, and it took several visits to Sailor Services. The employee was very nice and trying to help, but it was very clear she had no power, and even told us we had to wait for the office in Miami to fix it, which was almost 2 days into our cruise. Nothing compared to what you experienced, but as you started talking about their response, I was not at all shocked with how they handled it.

[@marisadawndesigns5458]

I think the no air conditioning for inside cabins could have been a safety concern depending on the weather. I am sorry you had this experience!

[@marinare]

"obviously this was not sponsored by Virgin" almost spit out my coffee. another thoughtful, balanced and funny video! so sorry about your experience, thanks for taking one for the team.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Seriously I did this so you don’t have to.😂😆😘

[@kellyrutherford2147]

Thanks for the review. I told my husband about these electrical issues. He is a retired electrician who worked at a very high level (skyscrapers in Seattle, Amazon Web Services work, Boeing facotries, data centers, etc...). He said that this issue was probably not an "electrical" issue but rather a software problem. Of course it would take a highly trained person to solve this software problem and that Virgin should have stayed in Key West and gotten someone in to deal with this (or even, they may have had to fly someone in from Europe depending on the software). Anyway, it should have been handled better and I agree that you and the others affected should be compensated more for the severe disruption of your vacation.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yeah that makes sense since they use the iPads to control everything in the cabins? Great insight!

[@OzConnection]

Thank you Jen for sharing. I just said to my husband that was the nicest awful review of a cruise. In a world of clickbait, we follow you because you don’t do click bait, are earnest, lovely and not sensational. We respect your review and hope that Virgin take note and change. We certainly wouldn’t be in a rush now to try Virgin Cruises until we hear of significant improvement and will stick to Disney Cruiseline for now. Colin A.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

That’s such a wonderful compliment thank you!!❤️❤️❤️

[@tracycampbell5237]

Thank you for your honest review. It’s 100% true a company can be judged by how it handles problems. We had some minor issues on a Disney cruise and they went above and beyond in their response, particularly with checking in with us multiple times over the cruise.

[@EnglishJoanInOregon]

My husband and I were on a Silversea cruise in the north Atlantic and the ship could not avoid a rather nasty storm. The high waves and spray found gaps in the door seals to the veranda, and water flooded into the cabin. A pipe in the restaurant above us broke, and water poured down one of the inside walls. The Silversea crew immediately relocated us to another, smaller, suite. We wrote to the company afterwards to ask for a refund of the difference in price between our original larger cabin and the later smaller one. The answer came back that they did not do refunds……. BUT they did offer us a credit on our next cruise with them, and the credit was about four times the value of what we had asked for. Needless to say, we said yes, and booked our next Silversea cruise. Silversea is still one of my favorite cruise lines.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Amazing customer service!

[@KarenAllen-iq4jy]

I had an awful experience on a Viking river cruise due to negligence on board…tripped and broke my hand and had a concussion due to no lighting while disembarking before sunrise…and got absolutely no help or resolution from Viking. “Accidents can and do happen” was their pat answer. In talking to lawyers I have found out that these cruise companies are governed under European laws and there is little way to hold them accountable. So, number one, always buy trip insurance or else you may be out thousands of dollars…I had to have surgery and expensive medical tests…and two, don’t trust any cruise line to take care of you after they get your money. Viking is highly rated, and my cruise was delightful, but their customer service is awful if you get sick or hurt on board. To make it clear, I was on board the ship and they provided no assistance when I tripped in the pitch black dark. In the US this was clearly negligent on their part to not have adequate lighting or assistance.

[@mizzToya]

I am a new subscriber to your channel, and I could feel nothing but honesty from this video, AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR IT. I have never cruised before and I had already decided that I wanted to try Virgin first. But I'm really really reconsidering at this point. I truly that you for this video.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Well first off WELCOME. I’m honored that you’re here. There were people on our exact sailing who had no issues and a wonderful time so it’s definitely not bad all the time? I don’t know I’m conflicted too. There was so much to like.

[@ilsehunt6798]

I’ve had trouble with virgin Atlantic customer service when they lost my luggage ! We flew to Newark for 4 nights in Manhattan in a January ( my coat was in my suitcase ) they assured me my luggage would be there on the next flight ! 4 days later I flew to Orlando still with no luggage ! I eventually got my luggage 28 hours before the end of my 2 week vacation ! No compensation just a refund of the amount I had to spend on some clothes I had to buy as I just had what I had on ! It took ages for it to come through ! They put 4000 miles on my virgin card ! I complained so they doubled it ! Don’t hold your breath with virgin ! Customer service was bad ! Good luck

[@jaymelogan9736]

I would never call any of your videos over dramatic, I love your reviews for that reason even when you really love a place you don’t over dramatize it. I’m so sorry this happened and I’m sorry for their customer service agents who probably wanted to do the right thing but we’re not able to and felt helpless as well, thank you for being calm and respectful even when expressing your concerns.

[@jenn.maynard]

This is a perfect example of how a business should NOT handle a bad situation. Thank you for telling your story. I will think twice before booking with Virgin but as you say, I hope they can learn from their mistakes.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yeah, as someone who worked in retail and customer service for a lot of years, I was actually super surprised by the lack of response. Very strange and not what I would have expected. Scott said it felt like when you fly on Spirit . . .

[@tracywalker244]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge😮

[@neko-chan6145]

Thank you for putting this together the way you did. I liked that you gave your views positive and negative. How a company handles a major upset for their customers is a big factor in purchasing. I appreciate you putting yourself out there and making this video

[@studogman]

Jen - Thank you very much for the review... it is honest and sincere. My wife and I have been on 8 cruises... all on Carnival... we have enjoyed all our trips, even the cruise that was affected by a hurricane. Our 30th anniversary is coming up this September and we have been looking at the Virgin Voyages... really apreciated your review to help consider our options!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Happy to help and honestly I wish my review could have been different! Happy sailing no matter what you decide and thank you for watching!

[@gMagicScott]

I'm curious what kind of wiring nightmare would make it so every light and the AC is on full blast and can't be turned off or down. I believe it happened, but HOW? I need to know

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

I too have questions

[@TheJm129]

We had an even worse situation on a past HAL cruise. The second night of the cruise in hot and humid Mexico, our room lost air conditioning for the remainder of a 7 day cruise. Were told that there were no empty rooms to move us to. For 6 evenings there was minimal sleep due to the heat and humidity, and the bathroom mirror was continually fogged up so shaving was a risky proposition. We were given a floor fan and a plate of appetizers for our "inconvenience". Only after submitting our complaint back to their home office, we were mailed a highly restrictive 10% off a future cruise. Never used it, and never sailed HAL again. Glad you have a platform to inform others of how this was (mis)handled!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Omg. The comments here have been such an education for me. Truly horrible. I’m SO SORRY for what you went through!!!

[@Huntress-jg4gb]

Hi Jen, we were on the same cruise with another couple. We both loss power to our cabins. Ours did come on in a couple of hours. However the other couple did not. They ended calling Sailor Service three different times from our cabin and was not offer a new cabin. It was not until the next day after they reach out first via app with no resolution that they went down in person at 5am and at that time offered a new cabin. They understood they were the lucky ones for the change. We both had other with issues Sailor Services issues and the communication was horrible and that was disappointing.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Ugh. I’m not sure if it’s just the Scarlet Lady or if the customer service is this bad across the board but not acceptable. I hope you still had some fun moments in spite of it! Thank you for commenting!

[@Jimmy-Mc]

I think you've made a fair request. Your room was downgraded because of an issue on their part, so they should refund the fare difference. I also think that not empowering customer service employees to make things right is definitely the norm for most companies, with Disney being an exception. I wouldn't be surprised if a $150 onboard credit is the most a manager on the ship is allowed to offer. For a product marketing itself as as more luxury than a mass market cruise line, I think this is a mistake.

[@Petunia956]

I am thankful you have this platform to express your experience. It helps me consider my response if I meet with a similar situation. To respond in a kind way in getting my message across and not give up until there is a resolution. It seems to me their attitude was….lets hope she gets tired and stops bugging us…not a good response to a company which is in the service field.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

OMG you're absolutely right! that just occurred to me! Because everything in me just wanted to enjoy my vacation and let it go but then I felt like I was getting taking advantage of. UGH.

[@amyexcell7903]

Thank you for all your work and this honest review, Jen. I admit you made me nervous - I literally just booked this same sailing for a month from now. As a platinum Disney cruiser about your age with grown kids who has watched you for a while, I know that I tend to look for the same attributes in a cruise that you do. I agree with your perspectives 99 percent of the time and had the same concerns about Virgin’s vibe, etc that you did. Very glad to hear those fears were unfounded! But I’ll definitely be on edge to see if we have any similar issues with service. Because we also booked fairly late and aren’t boarding until 3, I’m worried about seeing the great shows you mention. Appreciate your insight on everything and so sorry about your disappointing experience!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

thank you, Amy! I hope you have a beautiful sailing!

[@cathyhicks4959]

So, I’ve been off of the Scarlet Lady for 48 hours…was in a sea terrace. I would have LOVED to have known they had mattress toppers!

[@JohnnaBeckham-rl5nw]

Thank you so much for this honest and fair review. We were considering this specific cruise in March and are now taking a step back to see if we are willing to take the same chance. A very good friend recently went on a longer Virgin Voyage cruise and absolutely loved it. So to be fair I’m just not sure I want to be held hostage on a ship without any sort of control over my environment. Again thank you!

[@juliepatrick2666]

Good job Jen! I was looking forward to your review since your comments on Thread. You were very fair and respectful in your review. I hope Virgin comes thru with adequate compensation for your and Scott's disruption. For my future travels, I now know of how to handle a simular situation and not let it totally ruin my trip. Thank you for sharing and teaching.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Honestly Julie that’s my hope as well!! So much good but they have to figure out the customer service piece.

[@cynthiahiatt2715]

As a loyal VV Sailor, I understand and do not think you were nasty about your review and experience. I’m just disappointed you had a horrible experience. You two made the best of it with your husband

[@Gwen-r7s]

Jen, I believe you. Your reviews are always 💯. I’m sorry that you and those other passengers have not been treated well or compensated for the lack of a good vacation. For some people, this might have been their only holiday this year. Thank you for telling us about your experience

[@buffalogirl1961]

Thank you Jen for the honest review. I travel solo and was considering Virgin as one of my solo cruises. The crew and shows do sound great. I agree, the lack of customer service when something goes wrong is making me hesitant to try them. I’m sorry that you and other passengers were treated so badly.

[@eHeersin]

I was really looking forward to your take on this cruise as I have been considering it for an adults trip coming up. Thank you for sharing your experience. I am shocked at their poor response to the problems. We cruised with Disney to Alaska this past summer (convinced after watching some of your videos), and the airline lost my luggage. This was not even Disney’s fault at all, but they were in communication with the airline to try and get the luggage part-way through the trip, and updated me via a phone call for the first few days until it became clear that the luggage was not going to make it on the ship. In the meantime my stateroom host gave us a bag with extras like a hairbrush/toothbrush etc, I was given a gift card for the gift shop to buy a few clothes, and had a personal note from the guest services with chocolates apologizing for the inconvenience. Keep in mind I had mentioned my lost luggage to no one other than one guest services person to try and link up the airline in case they were able to fly the luggage to the next destination. And this wasn’t even Disney’s fault. They gained a life-long customer.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

This is the level of customer service I have come to expect and I learned the hard way how unusual that is. Wow what a fantastic way to handle a challenging situation!!!

[@heathergray7315]

Disney really does go above and beyond. We were staying at their Vero Beach resort and somewhere along the line lost or left our son’s swimsuit behind when we moved to their Polynesian resort. I called just to see if Vero or bell services had found it. They promptly gave us a gift card to buy a new swimsuit. Way above and beyond to what was most likely our mistake.

[@schoat333]

I don't blame you at all. I would be demanding a refund, or a free cruise. We will be going on VV for the first time in June, but we will be on Valiant Lady. I hope our experience is better. Like you said, we took vacation and spent hard earned money.

[@poeticlovestone]

I think you did an amazing job to be open and non biased. You just expressed your experience. I appreciate it!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you so much! Yes, I tried to be fair but also honest. Can be a tricky thing to do so I appreciate that very much.

[@robd7934]

Thank you for sharing your experience. The part you mentioned about the bed stood out, as I was considering Virgin for my wife’s birthday this year. How does a premium cruise use cheap beds for their cabins? After hearing your story I’ll be looking at other cruise lines.

[@04taylorj]

Any update on your complaint escalation? Really sorry to hear your experience but appreciate your thorough review

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

We were given an additional $300 (the amount of difference between the two cabin types) but nothing more.

[@tinymouse.travel]

It's not only the difference between the two rooms, but the amount of time you spent on your holiday trying to sort it out.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

This exactly.

[@samandkellealbrecht9034]

This is very upsetting. You can be grateful for having a vacation and upset at not getting what you paid for at the same time. I’m so sorry for this. Vacation time is a precious commodity and to have it go badly is always hard.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Exactly! Thank you

[@roserose45]

Thanks for sharing this difficult experience and for always being fair and balanced. You continue to earn our trust!

[@spmarsh3747]

Hi Jen! I was looking forward to hearing this review as I’ve always trusted all of your reviews! I am so sorry for the problems you and the fellow passengers had on this sailing. I’ve only cruised on RCCL and NCL and had wonderful experiences, I never worried about power and a lousy mattress on my cabin! I hope you hear from Virgin. Not a bit surprised you and Scott made the best of it, I hope your next trip together is MUCH more enjoyable!

[@dylpckls]

Was on this cruise and we had a fantastic time but we also didn’t have any of these issues! I don’t believe they knew the vastness of the electrical problem when it happened; otherwise maybe they wouldn’t have disembarked? I do agree that their response was severely lacking but I’m also wondering if the people on the ship have any pull like that other than giving onboard credit. Hopefully corporate can make it right for y’all because it really was an awesome time if you didn’t have any problems. I’m happy we just got lucky!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yes I was just commenting to someone else if you didn’t know about the issues and didn’t have any it was probably a fantastic sailing! And we couldn’t have asked for better weather!

[@denisefazio6708]

You are a better (calmer) person than I. On to the next video. Really enjoy your work.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you so much!

[@JodieMiners]

On a different cruise, I had to move from try accessible room to the regular sea terrace due to a terrible smell in the bathroom. They said they would deep clean it but I thought no, they would have cleaned it already and that smell will definitely come back. I also had the escort to change rooms and that was great. I had no issue with the bed as I love a hard bed. I thankfully had no issues with the shower but found on day 4 of 5 that the door to the shower swings both ways so that made the shower access easier and the bathroom feel way bigger. I also had the guaranteed cabin but I was very happy with my replacement cabin. I did not have the issues with Sailor services you did. I had multiple issues reported and all sorted easily by the chat and I got credits that I was really happy with. But I understand this was a much bigger deal as so many people were affected. I also had a situation where onboarding was so bad that I missed the whole first night because I was just so exhausted and just needed to sleep. Thankfully I had a second cruise booked in a few weeks later and was able to get a "do over" on the first night and it made the whole experience so much better.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yes I need a do over!

[@juliemartin4011]

lol! Just started watching and the first ad: Virgin Voyages! 🤣🤣🤣

[@barbarakhan5275]

As a travel advisor, I have not been impressed with my dealings with Virgin Voyages. I am choosing not to book them anymore. Clients enjoyed the ship/cruise, but I had a major problem with an accounting issue (client was charged incorrectly) and I struggled to get any help resolving it, even dealing with my business development manager at the cruise line. As you experienced VV Sailor Services or whomever is responsible for assisting when there is problem are very negligent. It seems like NO ONE cares!! One thing that annoys me about them, is they are very into their cutesy stuff/terminology (Sailor = passenger, Ship Happens, Sea Terrace, you get the idea!), but they don’t seem too concerned with customer service and problem solving. 200 cabins having an electrical issue and offering $150 is NOT sufficient. Your point about the letter under the door offering an onboard credit for a future cruise was spot on. That offer is an insult. The price difference might be anywhere between $150-200 between the Sea Terrace and XL Sea Terrace. So they should have offered something on top of that for your inconvenience having to pack up, move, and waste a lot of your time trying to get a resolution. I hope you get a decent resolution from them.

[@debwlv]

I want to commend you on this video…..as you said, there is a big commitment of time, money, effort and emotion that goes into planning a vacation and you are doing a service to let people know of your experience. It allows others to make a more informed decision about which company to cruise with.❤. Good job!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you so much!

[@carol_draper]

This sounds like a huge safety issue to leave a port with severe electrical issues. We also are platinum on Disney and I’m scared to sail on another line. We do have a celebrity cruise booked for later this year. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 Love your honesty Jen!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

thank you so much for the kind words, Carol!

[@sonyaemorrison]

We all work hard for our money, nothing worse than feeling you’ve received poor value for good money. Bad customer service and a lack of responses to emails is not acceptable in any industry especially when the issue lies with a service provider. I signed up with Virgin a few months ago, I will definitely think twice about cruising with them. Stay strong keep fighting

[@jeffmanning9817]

Thanks for your fair and honest assessment. You are always tactful.

[@blesskittens4484]

You give so much grace in a bad situation! I don’t think I could do that. These companies are in the people business and should know better than to be unresponsive and apathetic to their customers problems. We’ve traveled with companies where things have gone wrong beyond anyone’s control, but the compensation and immediate response made all the difference. You were more than fair to them,Jen. You are a class act as usual. ❤

[@sylviachacon4152]

Thx for your review! Am planning a cruise hopefully next year.

[@michellea6189]

Thank you for the honest review!

[@FiveHungryTravelers]

Thank you so much for sharing, even when it feels vulnerable. It's so important that you gave your fellow sailors a platform to share their stories. And the more I hear your story and think about our one VV experience, I do think Sailor Service is the weak link there. It can be an amazing vacation if everything is "smooth sailing" (pun intended) but you're absolutely right, the service agents don't seem empowered to make things right for their customers and the lack of response is completely unacceptable. I'm so sorry you went through that stress and loss of money and time.

[@brendaprice3713]

What a horrible experience. We sailed on Virgin in December and loved it so much we’ve booked for April 2025. I think issues arise on a lot of ships, but they should have taken care of you in someway.

[@AlisaHof]

Is there any follow up to this video? Did you get compensated? What a nightmare. Thanks for sharing.

[@IRunThings]

Man. What a nightmare. So sorry you and so many others had to go through this

[@AdeleWDWdreamer]

Did you guys purchase vacation protection? I wonder if filing a claim would help recoup some money back. I saw that a VV lost power but didn't realize that was the one you guys were on. I've heard many stories of how things were handled and am sorry y'all had to go through that on vacation.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

We booked so last minute that we did not purchase the insurance and I'm not sure that would help anyway? Maybe it would have. And yeah, it was a whole mess.

[@Jenshalom01]

When they provided you an alternate cabin that was operable did they reimburse you the difference between the cabin categories?

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

No they didn't.

[@thecleaningteacher638]

As always, you presented a very thoughtful and informational review. Well done with a tricky topic. Thanks for sharing your experience. ✅

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Glad it was helpful!

[@havantgirl]

What a nightmare for people with the lights fixed on - and not the restful cruise holiday you wanted. Thank goodness it wasn’t a longer cruise! I can’t imagine DCL letting this situation happen

[@eddiesteele13]

I’m curious how many cruise ships that you’ve been on where the power was lost 200 cabins and how any other other cruise line would’ve handled it any different? Yes you were one of the lucky ones, but this could happen on any ship at full capacity. Would you then post a negative video about singleexperience?

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

If I had a response from customer service as I and many others in this sailing had? Oh yes. 100% I would make that video. Take care!

[@wolfsonryan]

We had an issue on a cruise, completely different circumstance and cruise line, but they would not budge either. We did not have an accident report so they would not compensate us. We did have trip insurance and we got back about half of our cruise fare for a "trip disruption/interruption" because of an injury. The trip insurance came through (Allianz). I'm so sorry you guys experienced that level of disgust. Thanks for sharing.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

I’m sorry that happened to you. Thank goodness for the insurance!

[@wolfsonryan]

Thank you.

[@lindablake8040]

Im do sorry about your experience. We just came back from s Virgin Voyage cruise on the Valiant Lady and it was amazing. The service, the good, the entertainment, cleanliness was on point. My only complaint was that our tour was to Bimini and Cozemel but because of the hurricane we were re-routed to the Dominican Republic for a day. We didn't like the DR resort: it wasn't a VV property. We got a $75 credit but felt it wasn't enough since we had booked for two different ports. All in all the customer service and food was amazing. Perhaps your feedback helped improve things.

[@K0kjk01977]

I am so sorry for your experience on Virgin. We were on the same cruise but at a different time and had no issues. We leave for another Virgin cruise as a mega rock star in a week. I’m super nervous now as it’s obvious that when things go well with Virgin, they are superb. It’s super disappointing to find that when things fall short, they don’t live up to their brand. I can understand why you won’t be giving them another chance.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

I think you are now armed with knowing how to advocate for yourself quickly though - had we been more proactive, it wouldn't have impacted us as much as it did (and odds are very good nothing will go wrong and you will have an amazing time!)

[@fernandakravetes4649]

Could you please share your and other cabin numbers affected? I have a sailing schedule on scarlet lady already. Thanks!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

As there were over 200 cabins affected that wouldn't be possible.

[@roxannae3]

Well done, Jen! I think your review was very gracious. I definitely want to know the final outcome of this ordeal, for you and the other passengers involved. Virgin Voyages has a lot to answer for. Thanks for sharing!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

My pleasure and thank you for all your support, Friend!

[@lindamiddleton6785]

I know you were nervous about making this video but you did great!. Candy coating it wouldn’t provide your viewers with any value at all. The way a company handles things when things go wrong, speaks volumes about their values and how much they appreciate their customers. Please do let us know how this story ends!

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Oh thank you so much, Linda and I will I promise!

[@damonharrington2948]

Going on our 4th VV in two weeks. I’ve never heard of anyone not getting any dinner reservations or not being fit in at a decent time almost every single night. I am glad they brought back their iconic Eat & Drink Festival such as Asian Night Market at the Galley. Cabin 3.5 star? Hmm 🤔 I have no other cruise line experience to compare. But I am not displeased overall & comparing to any hotel resort would be apples to oranges. I agree that there’s some mattress issues. The cabin power issue extremes would of T’d me off as well, so I empathize. I assumed you were going to be petty but your gripes are well founded. We sailed with some people that had a horrible experience on our last voyage & I feel that they were treated poorly by staff. I had praised VV staff & customer service up until that point & in my personal experience still do. I’m sorry you had horrible experiences. Please give us a follow up if there is a VV update.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Yes, the food situation was honestly a rookie mistake and VERY minor comparatively speaking. It's a shame, too, because I really wanted to like the cruise line. They did reach out but their response was very lack luster and I'm just glad to have it behind us.

[@cynthiahiatt2715]

As a loyal Virgin sailor, I am so sorry this happened to you. I fully understand your frustration and disappointment. Oh my gosh! Our cabin in November had full sized Red Flower brand soap bars. The mattresses, it is a love hate with them. They mostly are more firm hence the mattress topper. I do know personally Sailor Services is hit and miss for quality service, which is wrong. I really hope that Virgin makes this right for you and everyone affected. It was unsafe since was your door locking properly? I do know the ship is more enjoyable if you do a 7 day cruise. Not always possible, due to timing and budget. Yes Virgin is all about health and fitness. It is a different brand of ship from Viking. You tried to be very open and patient with all this. So sad. Please, I hope you come back and tell us Virgin corrected this. I wouldn’t want a room credit, especially if I wasn’t planning to step foot on the ship again.

[@trocks7418]

Love your honesty Jen, all best wishes.

[@abigailnora]

I am a medium time viewer and you are one of my favorite, if not my FAVORITE disney creator because you have such a good attitude and your videos always make me happy. All that to say … I know you are not trying to be sensational AT ALL. I’m so sorry you had to deal with this and the way they handled it!! I agree with Scott about leaving Key West. I get it, at this point you may as well have thrown that money directly into the ocean. I hope this gets resolved for you and the other passengers. Could you reach out to your credit card or anything? I would NOT cruise with them again even if they offered. I think you were incredibly fair in your assessment.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you so much for the kind words!! Means the world to me.🥰

[@ashlynneeley7302]

This is why I have not been on a cruise. Part of me would love to try one and the other part of me is worried about things like this happening. You did a great job with a difficult subject.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

It's definitely not something I ever thought would happen. It has even me rethinking cruising!

[@SilverDraco]

@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge Oh, Jen, I hope it hasn't turned you completely off cruising. I know, "One bad apple..." and all that, but think of how many great, great cruises you've been on. Don't give up on the whole industry. 😢​

[@mp5564]

Oh I HOPE that they try to sponsor a video for your channel! Wow! You are so right, it's not the problem that is the problem, it's how they handle the problem. Your husband has valid concerns about the safety of leaving the port with electrical issues. He has a checklist kind of mind. You all know that if the bathroom door doesn't latch right, the plane doesn't take off. I'd be more interested in WHY the electrical issues occurred. Like what is happening to cause this? Is there a fire hazard as a result of it? The least amount of compensation I would accept would be the cost of the room you ended up in. Is that good enough for all your hassle? No, but at least it is the product that you used, so you couldn't argue with paying for that. However, my goodness, they owe you so much more than that!

[@tiffanyw5359]

Thank you for sharing! We are loyal to Royal but we are considering Virgin. I’m so sorry this was your experience. How stressful. 😢

[@calves1]

Thank you for sharing your experience and I'm so sorry you had to experience this. I was on the fence about Virgin, but poor customer/guest services is a deal breaker for me. Cruises are NOT cheap, and the stress of a situation like this is just too much.

[@StayWildWanderlust]

I don't know if I missed it but I am curious which ship you were on? My son and daughter-in-law sail in Virgin in April. I hope it's not the same ship.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

We were on the Scarlet Lady and honestly, had those things not gone wrong we would probably already be booked on our next sailing! So I think either way go and enjoy yourself and if something does go awry, just be pro-active about getting a solution.

[@Randilynn66]

Uh oh. We have our first VV on Valiant Lady in October. Its only a 4 days.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

We were on a different ship and as I said in the video, had there not been such a weird technical issue (and the ensuing poor customer service) we would probably already be booked on our next sailing! Go and enjoy.

[@MrSwagnificentSpeaks]

I am very sorry to hear about your bad experience with Virgin Voyages. I just got back from my cruise with Virgin Voyages. It was from Jan 28,2024 until February 2,2024. I had no issues at all and I never heard anything from other sailors about any issues they were having. I had a great time on my trip with them. You are not limited on how much food you can eat at the restaurants on Virgin Voyages. If your husband wanted more food at Razzle Dazzle he could have asked for it. They would have given him more without any problem. Everything is unlimited when it comes to food. You can also show up at any of the restaurants on Virgin Voyages cruise ships and ask to be put on the waitlist list. You will most likely get in that way. No availability on the application doesn’t immediately rule out your opportunity to eat at a restaurant that interest you. I learned this before my cruise by watching a lot of videos about Virgin Voyages and from my first hand experience when I was cruising with them. I truly believe that you should give them another chance. If things don’t go well the next time,then it might be a sign to move forward from vacationing with Virgin Voyages. Thanks for the video on your experience. Have a great day.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Hi! The restaurant issues were not why we had a bad voyage. The electrical issues with our cabin were why we had a difficult time and that is what disrupted our vacation and the customer service response was our main issue. It’s possible you didn’t watch the whole video? I thought I made that pretty clear. Take care!

[@MrSwagnificentSpeaks]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge I did listen to everything you said. That is why I said I and other sailors had no issues on our cruise. I just mentioned the restaurant thing because you mentioned that your husband was not happy with the portion size of the food. Pointing out the unlimited food options meant that wasn’t an issue for anyone. Just order more. Also, I mentioned the restaurant wait list because you said that you could not get into most of the restaurants. You two could have eaten at the other restaurants if you had walked over to them and talked to the restaurant hostesses. I did and got in quickly. Bad luck happens at times. I hope that you give them another chance and see the good things they offer. Have a great day.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

@@MrSwagnificentSpeaks thanks for the tips but quick question just because I’m curious: how do you know none of the other sailors had any issues? I believe the ship holds more than 2000 people. Thanks so much again for watching!

[@lindavalentine3547]

I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but for anyone else traveling with them, you can get into restaurants without a reservation, especially for early dinners with only 2 people. Their cabins may be less Lux with extras, but you are also not being upcharged for dining at better restaurants. Unfortunately, the danger in last minute booking & letting the line choose your room is that you will likely get a worse room. Best to use a travel agent familiar with the line. The electricity thing is unforgivable though. They should have canceled the cruise. It could have been unsafe if you needed electricity for medical reasons. They should have offered more in compensation. The only thing I can say is that thankfully it was only 4 days. The bad publicity that they will get for your experience will cost them more than a free cruise.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

Thank you for your comment and yes, it's really unfortunate. The other issues were minor and I definitely chalked up to it being our first time, but we won't be chancing it again because we really did feel it was a safety issue that wasn't properly addressed. And as they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

[@julianarojas2900]

I just came back from a trip from virgin voyages and I had a completely different experience. I think if you go on this cruise you must plan ahead of time. They open restaurant reservations 40ish days before the cruise. It’s a shame you couldn’t try the restaurants because all of them were amazing. My husband also thought the portions were small but we just ordered more. I think people forget that they serve smaller portions so there isn’t as much waste. As for the trouble with sailor services, it’s a shame you had such a horrible experience. I had a great experience with them and they answered all my questions. I understand your hesitation to book another cruise with them, but maybe give them another chance later ? I believe the food alone makes it worth it.

[@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge]

The food was literally the least our worries. And it’s so odd as your comment is almost word for word what many I’ve seen as a response.

[@julianarojas2900]

@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge My experience overall was very positive. I did do a ton of research before going. Most people do recommend to make reservations asap since they fill up pretty quickly. My trip was last week (Feb 2-7) and it’s fresh in my mind. Maybe that makes me a little bias. I do agree with you about the cabins. They do feel a little 3 stars hotelish, but we spend most of the time out in the ship, so it didn’t bother me too much. However, I do feel like they ignore safety concerns by not taking care of the cabins with the electricity problems. I did not encounter any of those things, so overall I would recommend people to give them a try.