Thanks Johnathan. Don't tell anyone, but this format means I can recycle bits of script for each new video! Makes an otherwise tricky process a bit easier!!!
Really positive stuff! I’d book this ship for the food alone and everything else would just be a bonus. I get the feeling I’d have no choice but to use the gym though!
Thank you for your great video 😊. I'm going on her on the 18th to the Norwegian Fjords. It's my first time on her and now I have an idea of what to expect.
If that's 18th of May or June it'll be out of school holidays - kids will still be aboard but it'll be a much calmer experience than going during holiday time! Have a great trip!
Came across your channel by accident just tonight, I just came back from my first ever cruise 2 weeks ago (7 nights). Whilst I was generally pleased with it a few bits did annoy me (perhaps thats because I was a cruise novice) such as no padding inside the wardrobes to stop hangars banging against the back/doors on choppy days. I did the alcohol free drinks package, which in hindsight was probably an error as I would have spent less had I just paid each time. But overall, it was good. Agree that the buffet wasnt the best laid out and did lead to queues but the food I was pelased with, but I did find the buzzers to call for bar service were very intimmitent and about half of them seemed to not work. And indeed, you're right that the solarium gets very full on days where the weather isnt so great. Whether this is the same for all crusies, I thought my steward was very good as well. I think though that my biggest gripe is, and this isnt aimed at MSC, but Im not sure crusies are good for solo travellers such as I was as that one certainly, was full of families, so it felt quite isolating even if you were around 4000 other people 24/7.
Thanks - glad you enjoyed it! I have to say that MSC has done a better job of filling their ships since I had my 2 trips with them so there are now some grumbles about how crammed certain areas can be at certain times... I've not been solo on a cruise for many years but have one coming up so will look to make a video about the experience - I guess your personal comfort with talking to strangers is key to success... I'll always have an excuse of retreating to my cabin to edit videos if I get a bit lonely!!!
Thanks Marl - sorry for the slow response! The main theatre shows are all included in the fare, as are the venue performers and anything that takes place in a communal area. The VIrtuosa has a secondary venue up the back of the ship which is an extra fee - although I did pay for that show on my second cruise on the Virtuosa and it was quite good, and I thought it was worth the fee!
Hello Mr. Matt, me and my family like cruises just as much as you do, and we're going with the same ship in France and Spain tour. So I watched all of your Msc Virtuosa videos from 2022 and this year and got valuable information. And I want to say thank you for sharing all these information and your experience with everyone. Love from Cyprus and hope to see you in a cruise one day ❤
Holy moly. Did you say 12 days? Must of been really nice. I hope there wasnt a single day where you felt bored. I always believe that with cruises its all about the drinks, food and more importantly the company you are sitting with. Im planning to go on the ship for 8 nights. Really looking forward to it. Thanks for the honest tour
Thanks for this video! I’m off to Norway on the Virtuosa in August and this helped me get an idea of what it might be like as a solo traveller 😊 Thanks for the comprehensive but still interesting video!
Thanks so much - have a great trip. There was a single meet up every day (I think?) on this year's cruise if that's your thing... If not, avoid the TV lounge around 5pm every day!!
@@Radishhead I had a great time! It was very busy for sure, but I never had too much trouble getting drinks anywhere. My favourite was the Infinity Bar because they had fancy coffees and hot chocolates (I had the alcohol free package). I sometimes took food from the buffet back to my room if I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by people. The Sky Lounge (child free area) is nice during the day but gets busy at night. You'll get to know it quickly and work out your favourite spots!
Great video Matt.. We are going on the virtuosa next week for the third time this year..but this time in warmer weather. I'll have to be up at the crack of sparrows to nab a sunbed cos the ship is sold out..lol
Great Video Matt. As for the Number 13, it can either be related to the last supper or to the 13th October 1307 was the day the Knight templars were massacred by the catholic church.
I didn’t know that you had a cruise channel as well. My daughter and I will be taking our first cruise in September. We want to see if we have suffer from seasickness before booking a real cruise. Our dream is the Eastern Med from Trieste, because it is most easily reached from our home in Bavaria. Have you ever done a cruise from there?
Thanks for comment and sorry for the slow response!! I have sailed from Trieste - videos are on the channel on the Norwegian Gem. I found the entire Med to be extremely calm as its an enclosed body of water with generally good weather...
There are a lot of negative/scathing reviews out there about Virtuosa. Have things changed for 2023 season? Looks like a busy party ship........which is not always what you want. Can you avoid all this (other than not sailing on Virtuosa)? What balcony cabin grade where you in - they seem to start at Bella? Just had a disappointing cruise experience with P&O.
Thanks Stephen. The shorter the cruise, the bigger the party. There's 3-4 days cruises on Virtuosa and they get manic I hear... Ours was 12 days but a 14 day cruise is less likely to be manic as you need a lot of stamina to keep that up for that long! Or at least I do... And you could avoid it to some degree by keeping early hours, which an early dining time does kind of force... Almost like jet-lagging yourself back an hour or two and you'll be on a different cycle to the worst of it! Not that it ever got really bad on our cruise... And I've not really mastered the different brandings they put on their cruises, Bella etc - I was on the most basic tier, although I did have the drinks package which I think takes you up a level?
Great ship, be interesting to see how Euribia differs (if at all) when she takes over Virtuosa's routes (I think) before long. Food was much better than expected I agree, though I'd say Princess gets the top spot, at least from the operators I've sailed with - the buffet deserts on Virtuosa looked good but I was usually disappointed. Solarium was particularly good in March for long games of scrabble!
Thanks Mike. I do prefer it when cruises lines change their ships cruising from ports so us guests can get some variety... I'm not a big dessert guy but I know what you mean - they looked a little underwhelming (and small!!!) but the few I did try were quite tasty... And the solarium is a great place to hang out if its cooler - if you can get a seat!
Hi Matt, can you recommend a drink package ? My husband and I do enjoy a drink with our meals and just can’t decide if it’s a good idea to spend 3k for both of us on the easy package “cheapest one” 🥺. We got the 28 day cruise at a very good price so I suppose they make up for it with the drink’s package. Cheers
Hi there! Sorry - was travelling hence the slow response.... You've got a really tricky issue... 28 days is a monster cruise - repositioning Dubai to the UK?? I think a few TH-camrs are on that cruise as its such excellent value.... But 28 days x the daily package price is going to be an eye-watering number. If you think about taking that budget to the local supermarket, imagine how many car fulls of booze you could buy... But it comes down to how much you like a drink. A lot of people don't feel the daily rate is value, as they only have a couple of drinks a day. I'd imagine you'd have a few dry days over the course of the 4 weeks, so the cost of those can be added back into the daily calculation, meaning you could go over the daily limit quite frequently, depending on how many dry days you anticipate... And still be better off.... But if you add the drinks cost to the cruise cost, think about whether than combined value is good value for basically 28 days with an open bar, and you are confident you won't kill yourselves, then the specific price of the drinks isn't so relevant... Its a tough one for sure... Quite a few sea days too if I recall, which might tilt you slightly towards taking the package as it does help you fill the days!!!
I travelled with my Mum but we were two singles in separate cabins. All cruise lines will happily accept one person in a two-person cabin, provided you're prepared to pay as you're taking the space (and revenues) of two. Some cruise lines give strong discounts and some have cabins specifically designed for singles.
I'm still working with small sample sizes and I would like to get on one of P&O's newest, biggest ships, but there's certainly a conversation to be had!
Thanks Steve. Gary Bembridge just cruised on MSC and thought the food was quite good - not gourmet by any means but not as terrible as you might think from watching other videos!
Just to confirm - your "day in the life" format is infinitely better than an aimless wandering some do.
Thanks Johnathan. Don't tell anyone, but this format means I can recycle bits of script for each new video! Makes an otherwise tricky process a bit easier!!!
Really positive stuff! I’d book this ship for the food alone and everything else would just be a bonus. I get the feeling I’d have no choice but to use the gym though!
Self discipline is the key... "Marathon not a sprint" and all that!
Thank you for your great video 😊.
I'm going on her on the 18th to the Norwegian Fjords.
It's my first time on her and now I have an idea of what to expect.
If that's 18th of May or June it'll be out of school holidays - kids will still be aboard but it'll be a much calmer experience than going during holiday time! Have a great trip!
Came across your channel by accident just tonight, I just came back from my first ever cruise 2 weeks ago (7 nights). Whilst I was generally pleased with it a few bits did annoy me (perhaps thats because I was a cruise novice) such as no padding inside the wardrobes to stop hangars banging against the back/doors on choppy days. I did the alcohol free drinks package, which in hindsight was probably an error as I would have spent less had I just paid each time. But overall, it was good. Agree that the buffet wasnt the best laid out and did lead to queues but the food I was pelased with, but I did find the buzzers to call for bar service were very intimmitent and about half of them seemed to not work. And indeed, you're right that the solarium gets very full on days where the weather isnt so great. Whether this is the same for all crusies, I thought my steward was very good as well. I think though that my biggest gripe is, and this isnt aimed at MSC, but Im not sure crusies are good for solo travellers such as I was as that one certainly, was full of families, so it felt quite isolating even if you were around 4000 other people 24/7.
Thanks - glad you enjoyed it! I have to say that MSC has done a better job of filling their ships since I had my 2 trips with them so there are now some grumbles about how crammed certain areas can be at certain times... I've not been solo on a cruise for many years but have one coming up so will look to make a video about the experience - I guess your personal comfort with talking to strangers is key to success... I'll always have an excuse of retreating to my cabin to edit videos if I get a bit lonely!!!
Interesting and very informative video. Thank you!
Is the entertainments, the evening concert/performance are included in the basic package?
Thanks Marl - sorry for the slow response! The main theatre shows are all included in the fare, as are the venue performers and anything that takes place in a communal area. The VIrtuosa has a secondary venue up the back of the ship which is an extra fee - although I did pay for that show on my second cruise on the Virtuosa and it was quite good, and I thought it was worth the fee!
Hello Mr. Matt, me and my family like cruises just as much as you do, and we're going with the same ship in France and Spain tour. So I watched all of your Msc Virtuosa videos from 2022 and this year and got valuable information. And I want to say thank you for sharing all these information and your experience with everyone. Love from Cyprus and hope to see you in a cruise one day ❤
Thanks so much. I enjoy making these videos so its always nice to hear when they help someone out! Have a great cruise!
Just booked a cruise for next spring on this ship. First time not being on RC. Can't wait.
I hope you have a great time!
@@MattsOceans Thanks! I’m sure we will. Really looking forward to seeing some of Norway.
Great video with loads of useful information, thank you👍
Thanks!
Holy moly. Did you say 12 days? Must of been really nice. I hope there wasnt a single day where you felt bored. I always believe that with cruises its all about the drinks, food and more importantly the company you are sitting with. Im planning to go on the ship for 8 nights. Really looking forward to it. Thanks for the honest tour
Thanks - yes it was 12 days! I didn't get bored but I've always got my laptop with me and something to tinker with if its a slow sea day!
Thanks for this video! I’m off to Norway on the Virtuosa in August and this helped me get an idea of what it might be like as a solo traveller 😊 Thanks for the comprehensive but still interesting video!
Thanks so much - have a great trip. There was a single meet up every day (I think?) on this year's cruise if that's your thing... If not, avoid the TV lounge around 5pm every day!!
How did you find it? I’m on the same Norway cruise next August - are there any bars that are a bit quieter, as I’ve heard it gets very busy and noisy!
@@Radishhead I had a great time! It was very busy for sure, but I never had too much trouble getting drinks anywhere. My favourite was the Infinity Bar because they had fancy coffees and hot chocolates (I had the alcohol free package). I sometimes took food from the buffet back to my room if I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by people. The Sky Lounge (child free area) is nice during the day but gets busy at night. You'll get to know it quickly and work out your favourite spots!
@@gemmielee Thanks for replying, and I’m glad you enjoyed it :) The Sky Lounge sounds like a good place to be!
Great video Matt..
We are going on the virtuosa next week for the third time this year..but this time in warmer weather.
I'll have to be up at the crack of sparrows to nab a sunbed cos the ship is sold out..lol
Cheers Bill - wasn't so bad on port days but I reckon 9am is the latest for a prime spot by the pool - perhaps even earlier... Actually - let me know!
Very nice video, Matt! Keep 'em coming!
I will!
Great Video Matt. As for the Number 13, it can either be related to the last supper or to the 13th October 1307 was the day the Knight templars were massacred by the catholic church.
Thanks - they're probably both better reasons for a superstition than Vixi but all of it is a bit silly to my mind!
I didn’t know that you had a cruise channel as well. My daughter and I will be taking our first cruise in September. We want to see if we have suffer from
seasickness before booking a real cruise. Our dream is the Eastern Med from Trieste, because it is most easily reached from our home in Bavaria. Have you ever done a cruise from there?
Thanks for comment and sorry for the slow response!! I have sailed from Trieste - videos are on the channel on the Norwegian Gem. I found the entire Med to be extremely calm as its an enclosed body of water with generally good weather...
Its a great ship cant wait to back on i like to party but there are plenty off other bars that are quieter 🎉
It is a good ship - think its going elsewhere next Summer though....
Which bars are a bit quieter? I’ll be on it next august!
litterally going on this tmr
Have a great time! Half term I believe, so there may be a few more youngsters aboard than usual...
There are a lot of negative/scathing reviews out there about Virtuosa. Have things changed for 2023 season? Looks like a busy party ship........which is not always what you want. Can you avoid all this (other than not sailing on Virtuosa)? What balcony cabin grade where you in - they seem to start at Bella? Just had a disappointing cruise experience with P&O.
Thanks Stephen. The shorter the cruise, the bigger the party. There's 3-4 days cruises on Virtuosa and they get manic I hear... Ours was 12 days but a 14 day cruise is less likely to be manic as you need a lot of stamina to keep that up for that long! Or at least I do... And you could avoid it to some degree by keeping early hours, which an early dining time does kind of force... Almost like jet-lagging yourself back an hour or two and you'll be on a different cycle to the worst of it! Not that it ever got really bad on our cruise... And I've not really mastered the different brandings they put on their cruises, Bella etc - I was on the most basic tier, although I did have the drinks package which I think takes you up a level?
Great ship, be interesting to see how Euribia differs (if at all) when she takes over Virtuosa's routes (I think) before long. Food was much better than expected I agree, though I'd say Princess gets the top spot, at least from the operators I've sailed with - the buffet deserts on Virtuosa looked good but I was usually disappointed. Solarium was particularly good in March for long games of scrabble!
Thanks Mike. I do prefer it when cruises lines change their ships cruising from ports so us guests can get some variety... I'm not a big dessert guy but I know what you mean - they looked a little underwhelming (and small!!!) but the few I did try were quite tasty... And the solarium is a great place to hang out if its cooler - if you can get a seat!
Hi Matt, can you recommend a drink package ? My husband and I do enjoy a drink with our meals and just can’t decide if it’s a good idea to spend 3k for both of us on the easy package “cheapest one” 🥺. We got the 28 day cruise at a very good price so I suppose they make up for it with the drink’s package. Cheers
Hi there! Sorry - was travelling hence the slow response.... You've got a really tricky issue... 28 days is a monster cruise - repositioning Dubai to the UK?? I think a few TH-camrs are on that cruise as its such excellent value.... But 28 days x the daily package price is going to be an eye-watering number. If you think about taking that budget to the local supermarket, imagine how many car fulls of booze you could buy... But it comes down to how much you like a drink. A lot of people don't feel the daily rate is value, as they only have a couple of drinks a day. I'd imagine you'd have a few dry days over the course of the 4 weeks, so the cost of those can be added back into the daily calculation, meaning you could go over the daily limit quite frequently, depending on how many dry days you anticipate... And still be better off.... But if you add the drinks cost to the cruise cost, think about whether than combined value is good value for basically 28 days with an open bar, and you are confident you won't kill yourselves, then the specific price of the drinks isn't so relevant... Its a tough one for sure... Quite a few sea days too if I recall, which might tilt you slightly towards taking the package as it does help you fill the days!!!
Did you go alone ? Do they accept solo traveller, single room ?
I travelled with my Mum but we were two singles in separate cabins. All cruise lines will happily accept one person in a two-person cabin, provided you're prepared to pay as you're taking the space (and revenues) of two. Some cruise lines give strong discounts and some have cabins specifically designed for singles.
You are tempting me away from P&O!!!
I'm still working with small sample sizes and I would like to get on one of P&O's newest, biggest ships, but there's certainly a conversation to be had!
@@MattsOceans I would favour iona as Arvia does not appear to be consistent...
M S C normally the biggest criticism is the food offering. Sounds like they are a lot better now.
Thanks Steve. Gary Bembridge just cruised on MSC and thought the food was quite good - not gourmet by any means but not as terrible as you might think from watching other videos!