When Virgin Voyages began sailing three years ago, they began offering something that no other cruise line offered. An adults-only cruise geared towards the mainstream market.
I was on their very first sailing, a four night cruise to The Bahamas from Miami on Scarlet Lady. When I wrote my review, I loved many aspects of the cruise but was also critical of many things that I thought were well, ridiculous. You can read that review here.
Last week, I disembarked from a week-long cruise on Virgin that was part of the cruise line’s Virgin Celebration Voyages. Virgin invited me on board to experience everything that they now have to offer on their ships.
By the end of the week I had just one thought, Virgin Voyages has perfected cruises. They have made critical changes over the past couple years that really makes it the perfect adults-only cruise.
“Virgin Voyages perfected cruises” – Cruise Fever
Here is how they did it.
Since it was a Virgin Celebration Voyage, many of the cruise line’s executives were on board including CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu. Also on board for part of the cruise was Sir Richard Branson, Boy George who DJ’d for three hours, Raygun and Virgin Galactic astronauts.
On one of the sea days, Saverimuttu sat down with sailors (what Virgin calls their passengers) and gave them an update on Virgin and also had a Q&A session with them.
He talked about many important changes that were made since they started sailing three years ago. “Never Sleep Alone”, the sex therapist show, is gone.
He said that they didn’t want the wrong story being told about their brand. While it was just one show, people got the impression that it was more of a “sex cruise” than what it really is, a cruise with no kids. They didn’t want one show to define who they are so they got rid of it.
Also, all of the ridiculous show descriptions I talked about in my first review have been removed. Now, instead of trying to be “edgy”, they are adding more entertainment like live music and comedy shows. Things people actually want while on vacation. There was live music all over the ship, it was really nice.
A lot of the oddball entertainment that used to roam the ship is also gone.
One of the reason for the changes is that the CEO of Virgin listens to their guests. I have talked to every CEO from all of the major cruise lines and Saverimuttu is the first one I’ve even seen pull out a small notepad from his pocket and write down ideas/complaints that guests tell him.
Now, Virgin Voyages offers a premium cruise experience with no kids on board. Saverimuttu said that not having kids on board allows them to invest in better food and services. If you want a kid-free vacation or holiday, you can’t beat the experience that Virgin offers.
What’s Included in Cruise Fares
One of the things that makes Virgin Voyages so great is what’s included with your cruise fare.
First of all, every dining option on the ship is included. Now, the six main specialty restaurants do have a few options that cost extra but I never found the need to order one of them.
Extra Virgin, the Italian restaurant, has become my favorite Italian dining option on any cruise ship. Tip, get the gelato for dessert. (Thank you to Nadia who works in Guest Services on Scarlet Lady for this tip.)
For lunch or a late night snack, The Pizza Place can’t be beat. Cruise Fever rated it as the #1 complimentary pizza shop at sea. They even have to go boxes if you want to take it away. At night, it is extremely popular. One crew member told me that they make 1,000 pizzas a day.
The view from The Wake, the steakhouse and seafood restaurant, can’t be beat.
For a truly unique dining experience, visit The Test Kitchen.
In addition to the six main restaurants, there are also a load of casual options all around the ship including food to go in The Galley. The best part, you don’t have to pay extra for any of it.
Basic WiFi through Starlink is also included although you can upgrade for the fastest speeds if you want.
Basic beverages like soda are also included. You can go to any bar and ask for a Coke and there’s no charge. There are also self-service fountain soda machines in The Galley.
One thing you won’t find on your bill at the end of the cruise are daily gratuities added. Also, the price listed for drinks and spa appointments are what you pay. You can tip extra if you want but it’s already part of the price listed.
Sailors who book a Rockstar Suite have access to Richard’s Rooftop at the front of the ship. This is the quietest area on the ship and a great place to relax. There’s also a free happy hour from 5-6:00 pm each day.
What You Won’t Find
There’s no nickel and diming on Virgin cruise ships. Even the arcade that’s full of retro games from the 80s and 90s is free.
There are no photographers on Virgin’s ships interrupting your dinner for photos.
There are no formal nights and there’s really not a dress code, although most tend to put on something nice for dinner. This creates a relaxed vibe, something I personally look for in a vacation.
There are no art auctions, no guess the price of a Peter Max and all the nonsense that goes with that.
There is also no main dining room on Virgin’s ships.
Crew
I’ve always said that the two most important factors of a cruise are the food and service. Virgin Voyages excels in both. Cruisers can overlook other things that may not be up to par but not these two areas.
Since I’ve already talked about the food, I want to talk about the crew on Virgin’s ships for a minute.
Nirmal Saverimuttu gave a few comments on the crew that really stood out to me. He said that if you treat your people right, your business will thrive. Virgin lets crew members be themselves and they also give them free WiFi. Happy crew makes for better service!
They manage by exception, not rules. He said this is what makes them successful.
I can’t say enough great things about the crew members on my latest Virgin cruise on Scarlet Lady. The service was phenomenal everywhere I went.
Unique Virgin Features
Scarlet Night is the most unique night that you’ll find on a cruise. It takes over pretty much the entire ship, even the hallway lights turn to red. The night ends with a deck party up by the pool.
“I’ll be the ocean, if you’ll be the moon, this is our Scarlet Night.”
If you’re going on a Virgin cruise, bring something red to wear for this night.
There is no smoking allowed in the casino on Virgin’s cruise ships. The best part of this is that there is no smoke traveling to other parts of the ship that are near it like on most cruise lines.
Virgin remains the only cruise line to have a tattoo parlor on their ships.
The staterooms on Virgin Voyages are also unique in a few ways. For one, they are smart rooms and you can control the entire room from a tablet. You can turn the lights up, down or off, open/close curtains, operate the thermostat, control the TV etc., all from a tablet. This is something that every cruise line should do, it’s so nice.
Also, every balcony cabin has a red hammock. It seemed like a gimmick when I first heard about it but after having a balcony cabin, I want it on every cruise. Whether it’s in the morning with a cup of coffee or just relaxing on a sea day, the hammock is great feature.
When Virgin Voyages first debuted, I had several colleagues who have covered the cruise industry for decades tell me that Virgin would be out of business in a year and one of the major cruise lines would end up buying their ships.
I am glad to report that they were wrong.
Three years later, Virgin’s cruise ships are sailing at or near capacity and they offer a cruise experience that you can’t find anywhere else. Yes, it’s different than the traditional cruise experience but that is something that draws people to Virgin.
I still remember my first day on a Virgin cruise back in 2021, I really did not like it. Fast forward to today and they would be my first choice if I was taking a cruise with my wife.
Note: For transparency, the first several cruises that I took on Virgin I paid full fare and this latest one I was a guest of Virgin Voyages. This article is a combination of every cruise that I took on a Virgin cruise ship, but most of it is about the latter.
