What it's really like to sail with Virgin Voyages
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Unless they're a real Broadway show (found on the likes of NCL or Royal Caribbean), I'm usually walking out or picking them apart before they end. The public spaces on the ship invite you to grab a friend, a drink and chill for a while. It's also a ship for travelers with open minds, who embrace differences and aren't easily shocked or insulted. You'll find crew, from entertainers to waiters, who may be gender-fluid, tattooed, pierced or openly gay.
Longer sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean
You'll pay extra for the third or fourth person sharing your cabin. I was also impressed how the cruise line creates parties and events that everyone shows up for and gets into. On other cruise lines, a deck party might attract a couple hundred guests, but on Virgin's Scarlet Night, pretty much everyone turns out. I did not have the normal dinner experience at Extra Virgin, the ship's Italian restaurant, due to the themed sailing I was on, but I still got to try some of the venue's popular dishes. Previous cruisers tell me Extra Virgin is a surprise favorite because Italian restaurants are so ubiquitous, but Virgin's version delivers with fabulous dishes. Everyone raves about the meatballs, the pappardelle pasta and the ricotta bomboloni (like Italian donut holes).
Food on Cruise Ships - July Eat & Drink Festival - Virgin Voyages
Food on Cruise Ships - July Eat & Drink Festival.
Posted: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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In April 2019 was contracted V-Ships Leisure USA (ship management company) which is part of V-Group Ltd (vessel management and support services provider, industry's first with a dedicated cruise ship division). V-Ships Leisure is responsible for Virgin ships' technical support/management and crew sourcing. Wartsila's "Dynamic Maintenance Planning" system allows maintenance works to be scheduled based on remotely (real-time) monitored and analyzed vessel performance data. This allows extending service intervals (when onboard equipment doesn't require maintenance).
Travel Interests
The Croatian coast-focused itinerary, called Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems, also includes several late-night stops. For 2024, Scarlet Lady will be based in Barcelona (taking the place of Valiant Lady), offering two western Mediterranean itineraries that mostly focus on stops in Spain and France. These are sailings that stop in more distant Caribbean destinations such as St. Croix and Roatan, Honduras, and will appeal to cruisers who find trips of just four or five days too short. Virgin Voyages got its start offering short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami, and that's still the line's biggest cruise destination focus. In fact, one of Virgin Voyages' two vessels currently in operation, the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, does nothing but short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami. Finally, by catering to adults Virgin has shifted the design of everything from the ship to food to entertainment to more mature tastes that are more appealing to many.
Group Fitness Classes
Virgin Voyages passengers benefit from an impressive variety of cruises to choose from in the inaugural 2020 season of the line's new build. The 4- or 5-night "Havana After Dark" itineraries allow Sailors to explore the Cuban culture and include an overnight stay in Cuba's capital city. All the scheduled between March 26-August 7th (a total of 29) departures were canceled.
I didn't like cruises until trying Virgin Voyages' adults-only sailing - Business Insider
I didn't like cruises until trying Virgin Voyages' adults-only sailing.
Posted: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
What’s Good About Cruising Virgin Voyages?
Lonely Planet writer Zachary Laks hopped aboard Richard Branson’s new Virgin Voyages to see how cruise lines are pivoting to COVID safety protocols. The highlight for me was the ship's “Untitled Dance Party Show Thing”. The one-of-a-kind variety show makes the audience the spectacle as the space transforms into a dance club. The young crowd went wild for it and so did I; it may be one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. Making waves with its very direct approach to onboarding the next generation of cruisers, Virgin Voyages has finally launched its first of four ships in the US earlier this month. The Band — an adjustable cord bracelet with a scannable device attached — is your room key and charge "card" when you sail.
The ship takes an unconventional approach to cruise ship dining, with no main dining room, no buffet and no extra-fee restaurants. In this way, your onboard dining experience will feel like a land-based trip, but with fewer Yelp reviews to read. You'll likely eat in a new venue every night, most with an attached bar for pre-dinner drinks, and need to make reservations in advance or take your chance as a walk-in, either early or late. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Virgin Voyages ship
Much to my surprise, though, there was a fair mix of people on my sailing. The first in the Virgin Voyages’ fleet, Scarlet Lady is designed with the sleek lines and livery of a super yacht, with cool interiors filled with chic bars, city styled eateries, clever accommodation and rock star suites. Be sure to bring something red for Scarlet Night, whether that's a red dress, shirt or accessory. (Consider a red swimsuit if you intend to end the party in the pool.) Other themed nights include a pajama party and an '80s bash, so pack accordingly.
In addition, you will need to check in for your cruise online, fill out the appropriate information and select an arrival time for embarkation day. I highly recommend booking a three-hour pass to the suite and enjoying the sauna, steam room, salt room, mud room and more. There's nothing like taking a cup of mud (which looks like a chocolate milkshake) and rubbing it all over your body (or your partner's – this is Virgin after all) in the company of strangers. You won't need three hours, so consider showing up a bit late to avoid the rush at the beginning of each session. Outside Training camp is a boxing ring, props for alfresco body weight exercises, a sports court for basketball and an adult playground with swings and a seesaw.
I miss Valiant Lady and her crew and hope to sail with Virgin Voyages again soon. By far, our best Experience was a day sailing to the Pitons in Saint Lucia, where we stopped to snorkel and dropped anchor in a quiet yet colorful bay for local eats and Piton beer. Of the ship’s additional restaurants, we loved Pink Agave’s taste of Mexico through tlayuds, memelas, sopes, tortas, esquites, and tamales, but were less impressed by Test Kitchen. The ship’s food court-styled dining, found on Deck 15, was nothing like a traditional food court. Instead of pizza, burgers, French fries, and chicken fingers, the Galley featured Bento Boxes at Bento Baby, made-to-order salads at Daily Mix, and açai bowls at The Sweet Side.
On Deck 6, men can get a shave at Stubble and Groom, while women can get blowouts for Scarlet Night at Dry Dock. Also here is Virgin Voyages' groundbreaking tattoo parlor, Squid Ink, where you can pay inflated rates for the bragging rights of having gotten a tattoo at sea. For your other bodily needs, The Tune Up offers medispa treatments, manicures and pedicures by the pool on Deck 15.
The bathroom was quite small, to the point where it bordered on being a claustrophobic experience. In addition to featuring more than 20 grab-and-go spots and traditional sit-down eateries, there's the large Galley venue with various vendors arranged in a way similar to what you'd find in a food court or buffet. While there is a "Scarlet Night" celebration featuring lots of red lights and sailors donning their best scarlet-colored attire, the atmosphere on board is far from what you'll find in Amsterdam's Red Light District. There was only one way to satisfy my curiosity — I booked a sailing on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady. Entertainment and performance is the star of the show aboard the Scarlet Lady.
Despite some underwhelming aspects here and there, such as some design choices we didn't love and a very crowded pool area, we had a great time. Other than the cabin cleanings, the crew was more noticeable, too. We saw crew members on the basketball courts, eating in The Galley and just generally out and about around the ship even when they didn't appear to be on the clock, which helped create a more relaxed atmosphere.
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