Navigating Virgin Voyages: An Honest Review

It’s always exciting to try a new-to-me cruise line and soak up the little nuances that make a particular cruise line unique. 

I filter my experiences through the lens of various clients and their interests.

What would a new cruiser think? 

Or someone who is a frequent cruiser? 

What about people with kids, or those without? What about the foodies?

On my recent cruise with Virgin Voyages, I did just that. 

I tried as many dining venues as possible, stayed up later than normal so I could see the shows, and really made the most of my experience so I could help you, my valued clients, know whether to select Virgin Voyages for YOUR cruise vacation.

Therefore, without further ado, here is my honest review of Virgin Voyages:

1. Accommodations

The staterooms on Virgin Voyages are your typical size cruise rooms but have some unique features. There is a tablet in the room which controls the lights, has streaming options, and opens and closes the verandah curtains. Touching one button when ready to call it a night was a simple pleasure.

The bed is configured into an L-shaped sofa each day, so that you may lounge as you wish. The bed may be converted to a queen for sleeping or kept in the L shape if you want to sleep separately from your cabin mate. Granted, your heads are still together, so you won't be completely apart.

The WOW of the staterooms is the hammock on each verandah. It's a cozy place to settle in, soak in the views, and enjoy a good book.

2. Public Spaces

The public spaces onboard are very much on par with other cruise lines, both inside and out. There are ample bars, lounges, and seating areas where you may relax, enjoy a drink, and chat with fellow cruisers. While the space is similar, the seating is very different. 

There are more lounge chairs to be found on deck, as well as lounge beds, swings, and hammocks. It really is easy to walk around the ship and find a nice place to relax.

The ship has large gym spaces, with one for weights and the other for treadmills and bikes. 

Additionally, there is an outdoor yoga space, punching bags, and other fitness options available on deck. The cruise line is really focused on wellness, evidenced by the fitness spaces and activities available shipwide. 

One main drawback we saw is that the free fitness classes can only be reserved once onboard. However, the Wi-Fi was glitching, so by the time the system recognized us, all of the classes had filled. We really wanted to try bungee aerobics!

3. Dining

This is what I have been hearing so much about across the travel industry, so I was especially eager to experience it for myself. 

I had high expectations, and I must say that those expectations were met, and possibly even exceeded.

There are six fine dining venues you may pre-reserve ahead of time, all included. We dined at five of them and enjoyed every experience. 

It was really nice to experience so many different venues without an upcharge, and the food was fantastic. The favorites among ourselves, and other guests we spoke with, were Pink Agave (Mexican), Extra Virgin (Italian), and The Wake (Steakhouse). In fact, we went back to Extra Virgin two additional times, just for their fried artichoke and chocolate olive oil cake.

So good!

But the quality of food doesn't stop at the sit-down restaurants. The counter service venues were equally wonderful. 

The food never tasted like it had been sitting there for hours, and the variety of options is astounding. I could have eaten in The Galley (food court) every meal and been happy, because the quality was just that good. 

We're talking paninis, bento boxes with fresh berries and yogurt (and sushi for those who enjoy it), a fabulous salad bar, a taco bar, as well as a 24-hour breakfast window.

As you may know by now, I am a self-designated dessert snob, and I'm often disappointed on cruises. It's a fine art to have desserts both look AND taste good, but Virgin nails it. 

Almost every single dessert I tried hit the mark and left me wanting more. Not just at the sit-down meals, but in the food court, as well. I noticed many gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on the menus, making for a more enjoyable cruise experience for guests following those lifestyles.

Fun fact: We met a couple who have taken 100 cruises. They loved the food onboard and Alfred told me that his filet mignon at The Wake was the best he'd had on any voyage!

4. Service

Almost every person we spoke with onboard was very friendly and professional. When we had an issue, they took their time to really look into it and come to a resolution. 

Our room steward was attentive, responding quickly when we made a request. And each and every restaurant server was kind and attentive, seeming genuinely invested in us having a wonderful dining experience.

The Scarlet Lady felt like a floating hotel with good service. 

For those used to getting to know your servers in the main dining room of a cruise, you just won't have that here. 

You also won't see the captain and his staff out and about, as you might on other cruise lines.

5. Entertainment

I knew going into the cruise that entertainment would be the most iffy for me. I am a fan of traditional Broadway-style productions, and they are limited on Virgin Voyages.

However, I went in with an open mind and really wanted to like them. Here are my thoughts:

The variety of performers was impressive. There was an illusionist, sword balancer, aerialist duo, juggler, gymnasts, roller skaters, and more. Each one was incredibly talented.

I loved the variety of dancers onboard. It thrilled me to see many shapes, sizes, and ethnicities represented. 

No cookie-cutter dancers expected to fit a certain mold. The two theatrical/dance productions we saw in the Red Room were great. 

The vocalist was phenomenal, the best I’ve heard on a cruise line. No pitchiness, a great range, and a silky voice to belt out the notes.

A couple of the shows weren’t my favorite, as the humor just didn’t strike me as funny. It was a little more cheeky than I liked. If you’re a fan of Monty Python, you understand what I mean.

Again, a very talented cast is there to entertain you on your voyage. However, if curse words and drag queens bother you, then you may want to skip the performances. 

You need to know going in that the shows will contain these elements and make decisions accordingly.

Overall, I absolutely loved my experience on the Scarlet Lady. 

Our five days were filled with peace (no kids onboard), excellent dining, and a variety of enjoyable activities. 

I would definitely cruise with them again and will recommend the cruise to clients who appreciate good food and aren’t bothered by an edgier style of entertainment.

If you’d like to discover the various destinations Virgin Voyages sails to, and whether this cruise line might be a good fit for you, I’d love to chat. 

Feel free to reach out any time via email or click here to schedule a phone call. I’ll look forward to it!