A Review & Comparison of Virgin Voyages Rockstar and Mega Rockstar Levels
I sailed on the Scarlet Lady twice this year, the first in July as Rockstar on the Mayan Sol itinerary, and just recently as Mega on Dominican Daze, both 5 night sailings out of Miami.
I found looking at reviews very helpful while deciding which experience would be better for our trips and deciding on what to book, so I’m hoping this comparison of Virgin Voyages Rockstar vs Mega Rockstar experiences can be helpful for our readers.
- The Mega Rockstar status is truly built for hosting and entertaining.
- I’m a little unsure about whether or not the Mega Rockstar experience & price are worth it for most people
- The biggest difference between Rockstar and Mega Rockstar is the alcohol.
Arrival and Boarding: Effortless and Exclusive
We drove to the port of Miami and parked in the garage for both trips. The process of parking is simple, though on our first cruise, there were multiple cruises sailing out on the same day so it took a little time and patience to get around to Terminal V.
We didn’t realize there was a separate luggage drop-off for Rockstars so we dropped at the main area, but our bags were still in our room about 5 minutes after we got there. We also didn’t realize we could drop our bags before parking and had to lug them from the garage. On the second cruise, we dropped first and then parked and it was much easier.
As Mega Rockstars, transportation is included in your cruise booking price and also includes covering your parking fee if you drive, which is a nice bonus (you will receive a card at debarkation to comp this). You can arrange transportation prior to the cruise and the cruise line will send someone to your hotel to retrieve you & your luggage!
Our boarding time for both cruises was 1:30, we arrived at the terminal around 1ish and quickly got signed in and escorted to a waiting area for Rockstars with snacks and some drinks. They then collect the deck 15/Mega Rockstars for first boarding followed by Rockstars.
As Rockstars, we were directed to the Manor where the agents were available to help book reservations for dining, shows, or classes. It was helpful to have their guidance as I had some issues with the wifi at first – not sure what they did with my phone settings, but whatever the agent did it made it work better. We also met our dedicated Rockstar agent here. Once we were done we could head up to our rooms or wherever we wanted.
For Mega Rockstar boarding we were first on the ship – they still gave us Moet, since they love their bubbles on Virgin, but we were directed to go directly to our rooms to meet our Rockstar Agent there. We waited around about 30 minutes and ended up just booking everything ourselves in the app, and by that point were hungry so we went to the galley to grab some food.
It ended up being about an hour and a half after we had initially boarded before our Agent came to our room to see if we had any requests or wanted him to get us booked for any shows – basically as Mega Rockstar he said we were guaranteed to get into any show we wanted, but I’m not sure if he would have been able to get us into any booked up classes so I’m glad we went ahead and booked those ourselves before they filled up.
Rockstar vs. Mega Rockstar: A Comparative Experience
We booked a Brilliant Suite for both sailings, but I bid on an upgrade to the Gorgeous Suite for our second and got it (I was informed about 4 days before sailing) The minimum bid was about $1500 and I bid $1650 – I didn’t expect to win the bid, thinking the offer was too low, but figured I might as well try! For reference, the other Mega Rockstar rooms had minimum bids of $3500+ and I just couldn’t think about spending that much.
Both Rockstars and Mega Rockstars have some great perks. What I find most “worth it” for the cost of booking the Rockstar experience is the access to Richard’s Rooftop and the VIP area of Bimini Beach Club. As someone who prefers quiet, relaxing trips and not so much loud, crowded parties, it was really nice to have these quieter spaces to spend my time.
Richards Rooftop Happy Hour included for Rockstars & Mega Rockstars
Dedicated Rockstar Agent
You have a dedicated Rockstar Agent for both levels. As a Rockstar, our agent checked in with us constantly, helped send us reminders about excursions and happenings, and set up ship eats orders for us. We love having coffee on the balcony in the morning and she was able to arrange daily ship eats delivery for us even when the times we wanted were booked up already in the app. Our agent was amazing and really set the bar high.
As Mega Rockstar, your agent is supposedly a little more hands-on. I feel like our Rockstar agent was more attentive and visible, but some of the main differences were that our Mega Rockstar agent took care of things himself. He was the one who brought us coffee and any room service orders (he even brought us specific latte orders instead of just the basic ship eats coffee). We were also able to have food from the Galley brought to us, and while I was told we could do that for any open restaurant, we preferred our dinners out so we didn’t try that perk.
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The Mega Rockstar agent was also able to reschedule one of our dinner times when it overlapped with a show we wanted to see, even though the time wasn’t available for regular booking. We probably didn’t take advantage of all of the special requests we could have made (we’re pretty easy people), but we did request a bridge tour and he was able to make it happen for us – a very cool experience!
Included bar setup as a Rockstar or Mega Rockstar sailor
The biggest difference between Rockstar and Mega Rockstar is the alcohol. For context, we aren’t major drinkers. We like 1-2 drinks per day on vacation, occasionally a few more depending.
As Rockstars, we had the in-room mini-bar set up. We were allowed to make swaps on the first day (but no special requests – we didn’t want the rum so we were able to swap for tequila, but it had to be the same kind of tequila that was already there). We didn’t even touch the stuff and ended up bringing it all home. We did take advantage of Moët hour on Richard’s Rooftop and then had a $300 bar tab between the two of us that we honestly didn’t use all of.
As Mega Rockstars we received the same bar setup, but it gets replenished if anything is finished. We only opened one bottle of gin to share with some new friends and had a new bottle in its place the next morning. In addition, all drinks under $25/each are unlimited, you can get 2 $90 or under bottles of wine daily (we didn’t even get any of those), and anything over $25/$90 you pay for but get a 25% discount.
Rockstar suites get: Half bottles of rum, gin, whisky/bourbon, vodka tequila, white wine, rose wine, red wine, and most champagne. Two cans each of Heineken beer and Wynwood ale. Some RedBull and some premium tonic water.
You can swap out 2-3 bottles by talking to your agent (so replace the gin with more vodka for example.
Don’t forget rockstars also get unlimited Moet at Richards Rooftop 5-6pm each night.
We only did Moet hour on the first night because there were just so many drink options that it was overwhelming, and the champagne hour didn’t seem as exciting when we could drink pretty much whatever we wanted at any time. Safe to say, if you sail Mega Rockstar, don’t bother buying a bar tab unless you’re planning on drinking a lot of really expensive stuff.
A few extra bits of info when booking a Rockstar suite
Worth noting:
Unlimited access to the thermal spa that came with being a Mega Rockstar – This isn’t something I would usually pay for outright but was a great way to relax a bit.
Squid Ink – I had originally read in an article/review somewhere that Rockstars could get an early consultation at Squid Ink for tattoos, however when we asked our agent upon boarding he told us that was the one thing that he couldn’t help us with and we’d need to just go wait in line for it. It wasn’t a big deal, but I figured it’s good to know in case anyone else has read that same review! (I passed on the tattoo experience)
Accommodation: Suites of Serenity
We sailed in the Brilliant Suite and Gorgeous Suite – they’re basically the same room layout, but the Gorgeous has a bigger balcony with lounge chairs. As someone who could spend a good portion of the day on the balcony watching the water, this was part of what made the upgrade worth it
Our Brilliant Suite was on deck 14. I have read reviews about noise levels on deck 14 since you’re under the pool, but honestly, the only night we had any noise issues in the room was Scarlet Night, but the music shut off pretty promptly at midnight when the party moved inside. It was definitely shaking until then though. Other than that I never heard anyone moving chairs around or anything. The biggest noise issue was actually our neighbors who liked to blast music starting around 1 am, but that’s a gamble you get with any room on any ship.
Our Gorgeous Suite was on 15 under the Sun Club and at promptly 7:10 every morning the staff started moving chairs and tables. I’m an early riser so it didn’t bother me much as I was already awake, but definitely something to note if you like to sleep in. I think it might be a little better if you are further forward, but it was definitely loud. Scarlet Night was moved indoors on our sailing so can’t say whether it was quieter or not. It was disappointing to be paying so much for the high-level room and have it be super noisy.
Bimini: A Haven of Relaxation
My favorite thing about Bimini was the Rockstar area because there were tons of seats available on the beach all day and it was far away from the loud pool party (which just isn’t my vibe). The food at Bimini was fantastic – we were most looking forward to that when we returned on our second trip. Overall the only complaint – and even this is minimal – is that part of the Rockstar perks includes more private transportation to and from the beach club on a golf cart instead of the big tram. What we experienced on both trips was having to wait a very long time for the private transportation. In the time it took to wait for the private golf cars to come pick us up at the club, 3 regular teams went by. We ended up just taking the regular tram back. It really was not a big deal, but if they’re going to highlight it as a perk of paying for Rockstar status, they should really make it an actual perk and not a hassle. They could also do with some better signage at the port for the separate pick-up area for Rockstars.
A few other things To Note
As Mega Rockstars, we had premium wifi included. On our first sailing we didn’t pay for premium and from here out I always will, it was just so much smoother.
We weren’t told this upfront but as Rockstars you get priority seating for some of the shows in the Manor. Get there right before doors open and there will be a separate rockstar line. We only found this out because for one show we were standing in line and someone in front of us told us she thought there was a separate Rockstar line, and then one of the agents pulled us out of the regular line.
Is the Rockstar or Mega Rockstar experience worth it?
In summary, the Rockstar tier offers significant value for those seeking a blend of relaxation and luxury, while the Mega Rockstar tier caters to those who desire an elevated level of service and indulgence. I likely won’t ever sail as non-rockstar because the perks are just worth the cost for us.
I feel like the difference I always end up emphasizing is that Mega Rockstar status is really built for hosting and entertaining. It’s great if you’re going with a group or you like hosting parties and making friends. If you’re looking just for benefits for yourself, I definitely see more value in regular Rockstar.
Conclusion: A Voyage & Experience Worth Repeating
Both sailings left an indelible mark, and I eagerly anticipate my next voyage with Virgin Voyages. The Rockstar experience aligns perfectly with my preference for a peaceful, luxurious journey. Next year’s adventure aboard the Valiant Lady beckons, promising new experiences and the same exceptional service.
Do you have a comment?
Did we miss something? Have you had a different experience? Did we get it wrong?
