Losing Our “Virgin-ity”

Will Virgin Voyages Live Up to the Hype?

Virgin Voyages Ship at Port Miami (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Virgin might be described as equal parts Rock n’Roll and “Disney for adults.”

We are currently cruising at 33,000 feet somewhere over Nebraska (Hi Derek and Doug from Rope Drop Radio!) on our way to Miami to board our first Virgin Voyages cruise tomorrow. We’ll be aboard the Valiant Lady for a 4-night “Fire and Sunset Soirée” with stops at Key West and Bimini (Virgin’s “private island” experience).

For those unfamiliar with Virgin Voyages, it’s an adult-only cruise line started by Richard Branson with the express aim of disrupting the traditional cruise experience. While it had a rocky start, Virgin seems to have met its goal. With unique staterooms (including accommodations for solo travelers) and an emphasis on creating sophisticated adult experiences - Virgin might be described as equal parts Rock n’Roll and “Disney for adults.”

I’ve been simultaneously nervous, excited and anxious about this cruise for months. We’ve had guest after guest come on the show and tell us how amazing Virgin was, and giving us tips to make the most of our experience. A recent guest even labeled her cruise on Virgin “life changing.” But…I’m just not sure if Virgin will be for me.

Podcast aside, I’m very much an introvert. I fear Virgin is really aimed at the extrovert crowd and will test my own limits and comfort level. I very much cruise to relax. While I can straddle into being an extrovert, it is truly exhausting for me. Sam, will love stretching her extrovert legs for sure. She’s already trying to figure out ways to get in good with the “happenings” staff to get invites to “secret events” onboard.

Virgin Voyages Ship (Photo: Adobe Stock)

I’d say there are five things I’m truly nervous about for our first Virgin experience:

• By all accounts Virgin’s ships are very unique. Designed to be large ships with a small ship feel, Virgin apparently eschewed grand atriums for smaller spaces. I’ll be curious how that impacts the feel of the ship overall. I enjoy having connection to the sea when I cruise. It’s one of my least favorite aspects of Royal Caribbean’s ships - their, at times, closed off feeling.

• We’ve gotten mixed reviews about the food onboard Virgin. Even those who have said they loved the food have also hinted or said it’s not all good. A recent guest also reported it was not as good as Disney. When I cruise, I really expect top-notch food. So, I worry that Virgin’s decision to forego a main dining experience in favor of 20 unique restaurants onboard may have simply spread out a mediocre dining experience.

• Scarlet Night, Virgin’s deck party where everyone is encouraged to wear red, terrifies me. The introverted me doesn’t dance and certainly doesn’t jump into pools clothed. Since this seems to be a signature part of the Virgin experience I worry not enjoying it could really sour the whole experience.

• The few photos I’ve seen of Bimini are really making me question what we can expect on Virgin’s island retreat. It does not look as well built or designed as Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay or Perfect Day at Coco Cay. I won’t be the creator/reviewer who judges something based solely on photos. But, going in, I have some concerns.

• I’m also a little concerned with the onboard service experience. Service aboard Disney Cruise Line is truly world class in nearly every respect. We are sailing Mega Rockstar on Virgin and as of a day prior to embarkation have not heard from our Rockstar Agent even once - except an email to get our ground transportation arranged. I expected better engagement pre-cruise given we are sailing in the pinnacle of Virgin’s suite class. Similarly the tech experience with Virgin has been riddled with issues pre-cruise. I’m hoping that does not carry into our onboard experience.

Virgin Voyages Ship at Night (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Now, all that said, there are also some things I’m truly looking forward to experiencing.

• Virgin is one of the few remaining cruise lines that sails to Key West. This destination has been on my bucket list for some time, and I doubt I’d ever plan a trip to Key West outside of a cruise. So, I’m pretty excited to visit this unique port.

• Although, I haven’t been impressed with the pre-cruise Rockstar service, I am excited to experience our Mega Rockstar quarters, amenities and service onboard. I truly hope this aspect of our sailing lives up to the hype. A record player in our room? A hammock on our deck? A dedicated concierge at our beck and call? Yes please!

• Virgin has some unique venues onboard. From bars to shopping to an onboard tattoo parlor. While I’m unlikely to leave our cruise with any ink (Sam would murder me), I’m nonetheless excited to see what Virgin is able to do with spaces and entertainment when freed from the constraints of needing to provide family friendly experiences.

• We’ve heard repeatedly that Virgin has a different onboard culture. Want to sleep in - great. You don’t need to rush off the ship at Bimini. Grab brunch and then go. Relax in Richard’s rooftop. Show up to dinner in shorts. Experiencing a cruise free from pretense and rope drop culture sounds heavenly. I’ll be interested to see if the more relaxed culture is actually embraced onboard or not.

• I am excited to see Scarlet Night. I know, I know - I just said how nervous it made me. That’s true. But universally everyone we’ve talked to has raved about the experience. I truly hope it feels welcoming to all. Who knows, I may even end up in the pool by night’s end.

So there you have it. My anxiety and excitement wrapped up into one post. We’ll be live Monday night at 5:30 pm Pacific, 8:30 pm Eastern on our YouTube channel to share our experience after freshly debarking the ship on Sunday. So, stay tuned for more thoughts and reactions. I may even share some initial thoughts on Sunday.

If you’ve experienced Virgin Voyages and have any tips or tricks, or things not to miss, let us know. We board tomorrow and will take all the advice we can get!!