C++ is a standardized language. Visual C++ is a product that more or less implements that standard. You can write portable C++ using Visual C++, but you can also use Microsoft-only extensions that destroy your portability but enhance your productivity. This is a trade-off. You have to decide what appeals most to you.
I've maintained big desktop apps that were written in Visual C++, so that is perfectly feasible. From what I know of Visual Basic, the main advantage seems to be that the first part of the development cycle may be done faster than when using Visual C++, but as the complexity of a project increases, C++ programs tend to be more maintainable (If the programmers are striving for maintainability, that is).