Virgin Cruises may be a while out, but we can still anticipate what the cruise line might be like when it finally does set sail as planned in 2020, with the first of three ships through 2022. It's been over a year since the initial announcement was made by Richard Branson that the brand would enter the cruise market, but no further details have since been released. Perhaps part of the picture comes into focus with my first Virgin Atlantic flight.
I had always been intrigued by Virgin Atlantic, but had never taken a ride aboard until our altered Delta Air Lines itinerary redirected my wife and I to the codeshare partner for a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to London. After taking our puddle jumper from San Diego to LAX, a sleek new Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" awaited our arrival, the casual handwritten script logo donning the signature red tail and lowercased "virgin atlantic" spelled out across the white fuselage in a plum purple.
Once onboard, first class beckoned to our left with a snazzy dedicated bar area more reminiscent of vintage air travel than what is known today. Alas, economy class was our destination, but Boeing's latest aircraft did not disappoint even there, as the LED glow from the ceiling and variable tint of the electronic window shades repeated the soothing purple of the brand's exterior typeface.
Handsome cloth seats continued the plum accents and thankfully featured more legroom than I was expecting. Particularly nice were the seats' angle of recline which was flatter than usual, allowing me to get in more winks than I typically can muster from a transatlantic flight. Even the safety video displayed on the seat-back displays was more casual and humorous with great animated sequences including western and superhero film styles. The interface for complimentary entertainment during the flight was also pleasantly streamlined.
However, the one thing I had always heard great things about was Virgin's software, mainly its high level of service. But to be honest, it was rather unremarkable, as was the food that was served to us. Dinner was a bland cheesy pasta of sorts, and when the stewardess took it away when I was finished, she was more concerned that she accidentally spilled some remaining sauce on her uniform than my satisfaction, making it feel like it was somehow my fault. Drawing even more attention to her displeasure, she curtly asked for my napkin - which, of course, I was happy to provide - instead of quietly attending to it discretely. Later, hot chocolate as an after-dinner drink option was at least a fun surprise, as was the candy sendoff at the end of the flight.
But other attendees were aloof as well. It left me with the impression that Virgin is more concerned with hiring attractive young females over capable service personnel. On a more positive note, one gentleman steward was very helpful in accommodating our request to swap seats once we were onboard to ensure my wife and I could comfortably ride together, but even the male ticket agent who boarded us was rather pushy about seeing my Delta Gold Medallion status despite my ticket already reading priority boarding.
To be sure, I realize my first taste of Virgin Atlantic might not be indicative of the line's usual mode of operation, but it certainly left more to be desired. If the leaked concept drawings for Virgin Cruises' ships are anywhere near the look of the final product, the hardware will surely be impressive, but I hope the service will live up to the reputation as well. One thing I do greatly appreciate: the Virgin Cruises website for asking visitors what they would like to see and do onboard. Now that's a positive sign of a customer-friendly company, one for which I still have high hopes!
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