Villa Vie's Marketing Campaign Keeps Getting Worse.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ธ.ค. 2024
- I received two emails from Villa Vie. One on Thanksgiving and one on Black Friday. Both offered a Black Friday deal, but each had different and conflicting information. By the way...just to clarify, this video was produced on Friday, so if when I say I received emails "yesterday" or "today", I'm referring to Thursday and Friday.
#villavie
I would be home sick in two weeks. People need their own space. I would be sick of eating with others ever day and night. It’s one thing to wave at your neighbor on the street every now and then, but day in and day out, ummm no
Sadly, this ship is going to have more than these problems to contend with. I know a couple of people who worked on her repairs during her prolonged stay here in Belfast, and they were more shocked than surprised that the residents truly believed that they had years of cruising ahead of them on The Odyssey. They said that if the company survives longer than one year (which they sincerely doubted, having had to deal with Villa Vie's management team for such a lengthy time) the ship (requiring such further maintenance) may not.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this will happen
@@BelfastDave I truly hope the best for all, but I’d be concerned if I’d purchased a cabin on this older gal.
" You Know " ? 🤔🤔🤔
What I wouldn’t pay to see Ben and David sail for a week or two on VVO and review this ship being that they are so objective, comprehensive and excellent videographers of cruise travel that I have seen.
Notice that none of the well known cruise vloggers have gone on this ship. There is a reason they have not been " invited".
Does anyone feel that the onboard vloggers are afraid to post anything remotely negative? Are there nda’s?
They are definitely being intimidated to not be totally honest. But when you think about it, it would be self-defeating if they are honest about the problems. If they’re honest, those considering purchasing will decide not to. If they don’t get sales, then everyone who has already invested will lose their investment due to lack of operating capital. And as they say, “Misery loves company.”
@@pizzapizza4991well said
Yep, I’ve said this from the start. As commented, in addition to be under some censorship, it could be that they just don’t want to spread negativity, because the more cabins VV can sell, the better for everyone onboard. Quite sad really 🤔
YES! I was very interested in this concept and immediately followed every vlogger I could find so that I could learn more, and follow along with their journey. As I watched I became increasingly weary of the idea there could be a "Karen squad" on board. Meaning, if you don't fit into the clique you're not going to be comfortable living on that ship. Imagine being stuck with people you hate in the middle of the ocean? hell to the no! If I ever become rich enough to float my life away I'd rather buy a small yacht or sailboat and go it on my own. I can't imagine being stuck with the equivalent of a Florida HOA board with no option to escape them other then a dingy cabin. I did try to ask some of the vloggers if there was any uncomfortable tensions but they all, and i mean ALL disregarded my questions. After the "get away from Trump for 4 years" ads I unfollowed all of them. I'm a nope on this concept now. Sadly.
@@pizzapizza4991I don’t think they are “definitely being intimidated” that’s pretty extreme. But I do think like you said they don’t want to deter sales for the reason you said. I also think they are a lot of smug people who don’t want to admit they made an ill informed purchase.
When you have cruisers who are just happy to be going anywhere at all, as long as they're moving and docking and able to go explore a port town, it's easier to meet expectations, especially since expectations are low. MLC are such cruisers. They'd be fine with mattresses on the floor, a lukewarm shower, do your own laundry all the time, and 2 meals a day with 1 "fend for yourself" breakfast or lunch. Their needs are simple and more uncomplicated, and their gratitude for anything they get, appears to be high. So a VVR cruise that doesn't meet marketing brochures is not that big a deal, since this is what they can afford, and it's this or nothing else in terms of residential cruising. Very different from high-end cruising either short or long term, and galaxies away from something like The World cruise, which caters to very wealthy and discerning residents.
The prices are still too high for the standard these people are cruising at , I saw this ship years ago it was already at the end of its life
They are not as happy as you think they are. They are trying to make that 2% commission on a sale of a cabin. 350000 cabin, $7000 commission. They are trying to make money on you tube and keep this ship from going under.
@@georgettenorth2776 steven and Angela seem checked out
@crimson25543 - RE: "MLC are such cruisers. They'd be fine with mattresses on the floor" except when theey then decide they need a mattress topper...... 🙂
Your videos are great, keep up the good work.
In my opinion, anyone who bought or is planning on buying anything on this ship needs to rethink their plans. It is definitely a scam!!
I’m not aware of anything that they’ve done, that hasn’t raised red flags 🚩🤦♂️
So typical of what these nefarious marketers do. Make promises they don’t keep, change terms randomly and do not follow through on any complaints. This has been a disaster from the beginning with false promises, delays, taking back firm commitments and launching a flawed product without enough residents to break even. Now they are desperate for cash. When they run out, ship will be held at port leaving dveryone stranded. I hope I am wrong but they need 600 to keep it going with all the fixed costs.
For the sake of all the good people that purchased a cabin on this ship, I hope things aren't as bad as they look.
There has to be some physical work that has to be done to these plumbing systems or else the certificates would have been renewed. It is not just a paperwork situation. How many extensions can they get???
I’m really enjoying these videos. Plz keep them coming. Thank you.
The price change for the Black Friday deal was a good idea. Its much better to raise the room price and lower the monthly rates.
Yeah they screwed up on the dates of the deal at first, but I think its smart that they noticed it wasn't a great deal so they changed it to something better.
This is like a time share on water! No thanks! I’ll select my cruise ship at the time I reserve based on cdc clean ratings etc.
I’m thinking worse than a timeshare because fixing ships is expensive!
It definitely has time share DNA all over it and not in a good way.
I too have made comments to vloggers and I get a one line generic type response.
Love the term "floggers" for the coopted video folk!!!!
@@sai123aei lol that was a typo. I fixed it'
@@sassy81852 No! No! No! "Floggers" was a perfect term in this situation!!!!
Their inconsistent marketing is filled with mistakes and inattention to detail. Now that I think about it, it perfectly markets the product you’re going to get with this ship. 😂
LOL!!!!
This is a thirty years old plus ship , it’s going to need constant maintenance.
The videos online show a very basic standard of decor compared to new cruise ships, for the amount of money these people are paying you would expect luxury accommodation,the fit outs are basic by today’s standards.
I firmly believe this ship is not going to make it long term. I'm happy I'm not one of those that sold everything and bought the dream of living on a cruise ship. I think they are having money issues. Not enough people onboard.
@@1cruiselvr656 I wonder what their occupancy rate is. How many sold out of how many cabins. It's a great idea but I agree I don't think they will survive long term.
@@user-vi2dk1qz5f Midlife just reconfirmed there is still only around 188 onboard (29% occupancy) and 50-100 are expected to board in Panama so if we use the top number that will be 288 after Panama. VV now says capacity is 650 (1/2 cabins single occupancy, 1/2 cabins double occupancy) so that would be 44% occupancy at that point.
@@RetiredZGrtNot enough paying passengers. Remember a single in a cabin pays less than a double. The bring your friends and family on board for $35 a day is also negative cash flow.
@@RetiredZGrt Oh please. How often have we heard 100 people will be boarding.....in Spain...in France....before the TA...in Barbados...in (name the port).
🤣
@@Traveling_Man_64 Agreed. Some residents say 50 some say 100 , if either are true it's probably closer to the lower number. Either way it doesn't matter as it's still well below 50% occupancy.
The purchase contract states that any disclosure of price paid, monthly fees, or any other incentives given shall not be publicly discussed or published. While not a formal NDA it has the same force and effect. The optics of this language seems to suggest everybody on the ship is paying a different price for what they get even if the cabin grade is equivalent. While there's nothing nefarious about this is certainly gives pause for thought about the ships financial basis. The whole concept of VV is alluring but one look at the inside cabins, and the prospect of living your life in one of these, takes the luster off the dream. I'm sure some adventurous people will tolerate and maybe even enjoy the living arrangements. I don't think anyone is hoping the concept fails but are simply expressing some real reservations about investing in such a venture. I could be wrong but I don't see many people spending 15 years in their cabin and the cabins will be flipped many times before the ship ages out of existence.
@garyjarvis2730 The "15 years" seems part of The Dream and is VV Marketing Speak not actually based on anything with no guarantees it is anything more than The Dream.
RE: "the prospect of living your life in one of these," - ... but the vloggers worked hard, in the earlier days, to repeatedly explain/market that your cabin is only your bedroom.... you have the whole ship (and all the rest of the passengers), as your "house". Now, what could be wrong with that.....!!!!! I do wonder what the passengers do for quiet space and perhaps reading without interruptions, especially if they don't have at least a balcony escape. Being trapped in your tiny cabin (especially interior, which I believe is 140 sq ft) to get some quiet time, day after day, would feel oppressive after a while, at least to me. Well, I guess I could always use the Golf Simulator, or play in the Culinary Kitchen, as promised.... (Oh, wait.... sigh.)
@@RetiredZGrt They do have a prorated buyback ownership structure in place that amortizes the full 15 years. However, like with all contractual issues, the promise of a buyback is totally predicated on VVR having the resources to honor the terms. There are several options available for access to the ship. Some will make sense only to certain passengers based on their individual circumstances. You have complete ownership, a time share variant, a single purchase of a journey segment, and an all inclusive 1, 2, 3 and 4 year contract. Each is based on the notion the ship will function correctly for the term you select. I have not seen any mention of an insurance policy to protect you in cases of your cancellation. All have a no refund provision which means you get locked in to some extent no matter how you sign up. With this being a somewhat novel concept only time will tell how it all works out. The "dream" is enticing in spite of some not so obvious realities.
When they get more passengers, it wil be very difficult to find a place to sit on the outside deck, in the "theater", a lounge and elsewhere. Lanette said there are now lines at the buffet with 150 passengers, imagine 600 @@sai123aei
@@garyjarvis2730 Yes the "buyback" is as ephemeral as the "15 years" is.
Here's a question for you, Jeff. Assuming that the Odyssey remains in operation long enough for this to occur, when a current owner (or their heirs) sells a cabin to a new owner, will the monthly fees attached to that cabin contiue to apply? Many of the early adopters got bargain prices for their cabins and bargain prices for their monthly fees, including those who didn't buy in as "Founders". I haven't seen any discussion of what contract provisions may apply regarding new owners' fees after a sale.
Yes the monthly fee contracted for is guaranteed to be passed on
@@Pugs-x2x Are you an owner? If yes, can you (or any other owner reading this) post the excerpt from your contract that specifies this provision?
As I said when you try to refresh something probably as old as the original Love Boat, you know you’re in trouble. As we say in Oz, Mutton dressed as lamb !!
I don't get it. If you buy a space you still have to pay those prices? Is this like a time share, where you buy a few week but you are stuck paying membership due monthly.
HOW can you trust so much money to dolts that can't figure out dates and prices? Seriously, this makes me not trust them at all. My heart. breaks for those that invested because I know it's not going to end well. I really hope I'm wrong.
They cant be trusted
Management capability is fluid at best lol
Can you follow up on Vv asking the residents to pay back the money they were given before they left Belfast? Thx
I do not think they were given anything. They were promised reimbursement which was cut back to $140 from $200 per day of delay.
Wow really
I really hope things work out for this ship and idea but I have a feeling that they are swimming against the currents. I wish them a lot of luck.
@user-vi2dk1qz5f And unfortunately those aren't naturally occurring currents. Those are tidal waves they themselves made and now are having to struggle against but with the same management team and perspective and capabilities that created the tidal waves in the first place.
@ I wonder how many units they have sold so far.
@@RetiredZGrt to quote Einstein (or at least a version of this quote): “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”
As W.C. Fields once said, “A sucker is born every minute”. The cheerleader blogger couples depict a meaningless and purposeless lifestyle that in no way mimics informative , interesting or meaningful exploration of ports. Aimless wandering, in search of local beers and the like and then reboarding a ship of fools.
@ first of all, it was PT Barnum that stated that there’s a sucker born every minute second of all I hope you get over the anger over this ship.
Oh that's nothing. We have been Disney passholders for years and they do the same thing especially during summer and holidays because of the amount of literature being reviewed, emailed, published, and printed.
You must know every inch of those theme parks.
Oh... money runns out. Certificates issued month per month (Anyway, at one point, we have to stop sailing)...
How long do we still have to see your videos about that story?...
@mathiaskokartis2308 That depends on how long VV can keep not actually resolving their critical systems issues and instead just beg another short term extension from DNV (4 so far just on the Ballast Waste Water Treatment Method) and how long they can put off other certifications (like those for the US) that they should have gotten during renovation as well as those for Antarctica that they will never be able to get.
I hope till the very end. I am not a cruiser, but as a business person, I find this entire adventure interesting. Can't wait to see how it plays out!
I think they are saying the following: the monthly fees are based on inside cabins, and they have been saying there would be an increase.
But there are no inside cabins left for sale. The increase they were warning about took place several months ago and it was in the price of the cabins, not the monthly fees
@@CuencaExpat I simply don't believe it.
@@CuencaExpat I wonder if the inside cabins are actually sold off, or just blocked off in order to 1)create the impression of being busier than they are, and 2) directing/forcing new customers into the pricier ocean view or balcony cabins. It doesn't cost VV more to have a balcony passenger than an inside cabin passenger, but the revenue stream is greater.
@@CuencaExpat There are inside cabins available for Segments (not purchase) on Deck 4.
There is a resident on the VVO who occasionally updates on his blog. He has a recent post that is fairly meandering. His main focus is that he wants to become a better writer. He does speak about life on the VVO, but his follow-ups often go often into the horizon.
One thing he said that stood out to me is, "Kathy (CEO now) recently said that some folks, including (unfortunately) current residents, simply don’t understand that this is not an ordinary cruise." I wish he would have elaborated more as to what exactly she meant, or he understood of that.
From an outside perspective, my best personal conclusion is that people signed up for a once "luxury" (now "comfortable") and "all-inclusive" experience. With that comes certain expectations that anyone following the saga of VVR knows the experience has fallen well short of the definitions of those words.
Andy, if you want to become a better writer, I suggest not curbing your opinions so much. You seem to put interesting thoughts out that need a better picture painted so to speak. I felt left hanging on several comments such as what other residents have said to be experiencing--no names necessary. Have dinner with Joe Rhodes. He blogs and has no issues defining his world as he sees it.
Joe Rhodes is # 1. He is way up there! The rest of the writers can't even begin to touch all the space between him, and the rest of them. A looooot of empty space that never seems to be filled.
I read one post from Andy. I only remember how much he wrote about being a better writer. Bla bla bla, and then some more bla bla.. He just went on and on about that. Rather boring for us readers. He did not bring anything to the table. So anonymous and careful/subdued/muted/controlled (by the VVR dictatorship).
For me, I came to the realization that the only way to frame this with any positivity is to change your expectations from the dream of a luxury cruise experience, to a life adventure, where even the "missteps" and problems are just part of the adventure of living, and travelling around the world. This reframing dawned on me when one of the early vloggers minimized the inconvenience (and with it the absence of luxury), from not having drinking water in the early days, and using bottled water. This was no big deal as it was still better than rural Nicaragua. If that is your anchor point/comparator, then everything on board is almost a luxury, and is just part of "the adventure". As for those early marketing promises and non-deliverables, that too is just part of the adventure. You just roll with it, like you learn to do with their flat bottomed, rolling ship....
@susan3831 The full comment was "Kathy (CEO now) recently said that some folks, including (unfortunately) current residents, simply don’t understand that this is not an ordinary cruise. This is a lifestyle. She’s right. We’ll see how that all turns out. Mixing people who live here for months and years with people who are on an international hop-on/hop-off tour and want the experience of a “cruise” is going to be daunting. It is not impossible to resolve, but we’re not anticipating the problems well enough."
It's pretty clear what he is referring to in his unclear, meandering long form way. People shouldn't have short term vacation cruise ship expectations where all experiences are maximized, lots of bells and whistles and full entertainment and lots of dining options and fully functioning pools and all A/C working and prompt responses to issues or questions. No. It's a long term living situation as in a low to mid level retirement community where you do it on your own and expect things to break down because they are old and they do breakdown. With Segmenters and renters coming on in Panama, we may start seeing some truth-talking as those short termers haven't had their expectations lowered and they've bought the Perfectly Happy Picture VV, Livinglifeonacruise, DC Hidden and Midlife have been selling them.
@@RetiredZGrt By what both Joe and Andy say with the residents splitting into subgroups, it will be very interesting to see what happens when the "segmenters" and renters board. Woo-hoo get the popcorn.... And I cant understand why anyone would do a segment let alone buy into this dog's breakfast.
@@RetiredZGrtand segment renters dont have the fear of loosing their entire investment
My little dog might consider biting, but she is not allowed onboard!😕
Ownership, marketing and promotions sounds like its coming from first year finance major students who enjoy the on-campus parties a little too much. If I were residing on the VV and invested for the long haul, I would worry about all the constant setbacks. I suppose no one promised a fret-free life cruise!
.... or perhaps they graduated, not at the top of the class, but at the bottom....
I dont think they graduated at all..@@sai123aei
@@sai123aei mmmmmmmmmmmmmk.
You misunderstood the emails. I received those emails too, and during the Black Friday campaign, it mentioned that all the villas were impacted. The lowest monthly fees are for the inside villas. Also, the Thanksgiving event is only on Porthole Deck 3, which is why the monthly fees are listed higher there. You might want to reconsider this video. It doesn't really come across as if you fully understand the topic you're discussing. Maybe a bit more research and clarification could make it stronger?
💯
According to their own deck plans there are only 13 cabins available on what you call Porthole Deck 3 The rest are marked as reserved so not much to sell on that deck seems strange to puch them in a sale.
He misunderstood the emails only so he could make a video and complain and get views and make some MONEY.Don't forget to ring the bell.
As i said, wait till the New Year, its a doozy
@simonhaines3441 And you know this because...?? Why all the mystery and no actual clues?
And I'll ask again; can you elaborate on just exactly what that "big news" will be? For anyone on the fence, it might be nice to know...
@@CuencaExpat well if they fix things before then it wont matter, but im not blowing my sources information, its down though to money, and you can see why from the last 2 shows.
The discrepancies in the ads AFA monthly pricing is because the first ad ($120K for oceanview) listed the corresponding fees for oceanview cabins while the second ad listed the monthly fees for an inside cabin. The claim that prices "start at $129K" no longer applies since the last available inside cabin disappeared yesterday. BTW, there aren't any oceanview cabins available at the $120K price either. Deceptive advertising at its finest
But is the chart of sold cabins real?
@@bodyloverz30 Who the $#@! knows? Is anything about this cluster$#@% real?
@@CuencaExpat Yes so true!
I think you are misreading their deck plans. I just clicked on an inside cabin shown a available for segments BUT when you see what comes up, it can be purchased or booked for segments. Therefore, there are alot of cabins that are inside that can be either purchased or reserved for segments.
@@georgettenorth2776 The information shown on the website is misleading. I spoke to Anne Alms (now former Villa Vie sales manager) two months ago about this very question and asked her specifically, "Will you consider selling any of these cabins color coded in yellow (denoted as being for segments less than 18 months)?" and she answered with an emphatic "No." At that time there were still a few inside cabins remaining for sale (color coded in green) on Deck 4 that were less desirable because of their extreme forward location and because they are positioned directly under the theater. I asked Anne if Villa Vie would consider exchanging one of the "Reserved for Segments" cabins located in midships for one of the (then, at that time) "Available for Sale" less desirably positioned forward cabins and again her answer was "No".
I understand what you are saying in that if you click on one of the "Reserved for Segment" (yellow) cabins, pricing information will appear; however, they are NOT for sale. Similarly, if you click on any cabin color coded in red (Sold/Reserved) you will also receive pricing information on them; obviously, these are not for sale either. It's poor information systems management and is obviously deceptive.
I have never seen so many negative comments about a single business by a youtube blogger , what have they done to you ? Give them a break 😢
Paul, you can go to your cabin now. Nitey, nitey.
The business plan was poorly developed, ill conceived and badly implemented. The management team seems to be way over their heads in managing issues and communications. The financial situation seems to be precarious and the ship is substandard. That all is just for starters. But there is a lot of sympathy for the folk who have trusted and paid out good money and are now trapped by NDAs and limited options for refunds or cancelling. Less sympathy though for the bloggers who mislead and bury any problems. They get less of a break.
I have no intention of joining the ship but see no point in trying to destroy it .
@@paulharrop8657 - apart from not believing "we" are that powerful to "destroy" this business, there are a lot of views of concern about the amount of misleading information out there about the luxury and excitement of this venture, which may result in yet even more folk committing big dollars and long term time frames to something that may not deliver as promised. My bet is that a lot of the commenters here are more interested in not seeing more people getting fooled by this, than in defending the business enterprise that will happily take their money.
Mike and Kathy are the biggest A-HOLES on earth! Being a-holes is what they do best, and have caused a lot of distress, and financially shattered lives to a lot of people throughout their dishonest, incompetent lives. Threatening people to silence in all ways possible. I was warned about Mike last December 2023. Mike threatened to sue me both in the US and in Europe if I spilled the beans.
Some days before that, when the choice of the Braemar ship was made public, I was the only one that raised concerns over that choice (Mike in his first webinar a couple of months before that, mislead potential investors that he was not so keen on choosing the Braemar. He mentioned some options of ships then in the first webinar). I got kicked out from their Facebook group when I questioned the choice of that ship..
I for one, can't wait for the demise and final failure of the Villa Vie (even the name of their company, "villa", reveals the cynical, cunning nature they have).
I try to live a life without hate and resentment, but the characters and actions of Mike and Kathy makes it near impossible to do. I have my champagne bottle ready in my wine cooler. Ready to pop the day I hear news of Mike's newest/most recent bankruptcy, the "Villa" Vie Residences..
In their defense, some of the other Cruise Lines do the same with their pricing, especially RC! They up the price triple, and then claim that you can save 60% off! That the child sell free.. but when you do a mock booking, you are still paying for the child!
Why don't you join the management to help them get this great idea of affordable retirement on a cruise ship on to a successful trajectory? With your critical eye, you could help them set priorities to make the venture a success.
It appears to me that Villa Vie Residences could use someone like you as a full partner. For you, you would then be on the ground level of an overdue approach to retirement living. If you were to train your critical focus on senior living, CCRCs, Life Plan Communities, and the like, you would find more to fix and a bigger audience than probing life at sea.
My suggestion is to read Anne L. Belden and Paul Gullixson's book, Inflamed, and then tout life at sea as a better alternative for healthy, safe aging. You have so much to offer with your entrepreneurial mindset and your well-trained mind. Use TH-cam as a fulcrum to leverage you into transformative living.
I think the prevailing opinion is that a 30 year old ship is not the platform to launch such a venture. Regardless of how skilled or savvy you may be putting lipstick on a pig doesn't make it a princess. Many of VV's problems are cooked into the equation and there simply is no valid work around. All we can do is hope they get things ironed out over time. Of course you are always free to invest your resources by investing in some of the cabins as a way of helping out.
I don't have the sense that anything you are suggesting Backroads Tourist should do, per your suggestions, are anything that are on his list.... I am not sure if you were implying criticism of BT for his various observations, if you were being sarcastic, or disingenuous...
Smart ass comment.
@@georgettenorth2776 Your crude reply is not helpful in making life work. I have to believe that you have something constructive to suggest. What would you do given the opportunity and the challenges?
@@sai123aei I was series. I'm impressed by Backroads Tourist. I'm appalled by certain Villa Vie Residence business decisions. For instance, it's unfathomable that they would guarantee no monthly fee increases for 15 years or more into the future given the reality of global inflation. I think that VVR needs someone like Jeff, with his good business sense, on their team. Do you disagree?