Virgin Voyages Adults-Only Cruise
This blog is written as a result of a non-paid Press Trip with Virgin Voyages. All thoughts and opinions are my own. They don’t even know I am writing this blog as this was not required. If, after reading you feel compelled to explore vacationing with Virgin Voyages please use this link to access their website as it would help my channels and website greatly.
How I got on the Cruise
Ever since I found out Virgin Voyages launched their Adults-Only Cruises I knew I had to get on one! When the opportunity came along to collaborate with Virgin Voyages, although unpaid (unlike my typical cruise partnerships), I had to jump on it just so I could experience their cruises and provide insight to my community of travelers because well, I love y’all.
You may not know this but I stalk my follower’s pages just like they stalk mine so I am pretty sure I know what vibe everyone is on. In my mind, I thought that Virgin Voyages would be very fitting vacation option for my ladies so that's really why I went and girrrlll you won't believe the experience I had! Just keep reading.
Which Cruise did I Take / What Ship/ When did I go
In late June 2023, I traveled with my partner, Dr. Jones, to Athens, Greece and we took the Greek Island Glow 7 Day Cruise on the Resilient Lady. This particular ship is brand new and has only been sailing for about 1.5 months at the time we took the cruise.
What was included in the cruise price
Virgin Voyages operates differently than your typical big brand cruise line. Included in your cruise price (besides lodging and transportation) are all onboard dining options, essential drinks (soda, water, sparkling water, coffee, tea, juice), basic wifi (which worked well), unlimited group workouts, most nightly entertainment (except the dinner show) and tipping.
Resilient Lady Ship ( June 2023)
Routes & Stops
Our cruise stopped in Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum (Turkey) and Mykonos (overnight stay). As much as these destinations are great to visit , I did find some of the ports difficult to navigate. In Santorini we had to get on a boat and a cable car to get to and from the ship and the lines were quite long in the afternoon. Bodrum and Rhodes had the easiest ports to get off at but overall it was a great route in my opinion. The weather was great in the Mediterranean Sea which meant the ship barely felt like it was moving. I didn’t use my patches or sea bands at all.
Overall 8/10
Lodging-Cabin Review
I booked a Central Sea Terrace Cabin and was assigned stateroom number 13122z. I always recommend that cruisers book a balcony room. There’s nothing better than waking up to a sunrise with an infinite ocean view and hearing the waves crash at night. But back to the topic on hand; The Sea Terrace Cabin on Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady.
The design of the cabin was very modern and spacious. I did find that there was a slight lack of storage for your belongings. You could put your luggage under the bed but the drawers in the closet weren’t very deep and the drawer under the bed forces you to bend down every time you want to open it since it's basically on the floor. Luckily we travel light so this wasn't an issue for us but for those two travel heavy this could easily be an issue.
The bed was super comfortable, everything was clean, and due to the ship being new, nothing was stained, worn, or outdated. The bed can actually be converted into a couch but we never had the need for that. There was a tablet that controlled everything in the room and the TV came with some movies you could cuddle up in bed and watch at night (which we did one night).
My favorite part of the entire cabin was the hammock on the balcony. I don't know whose idea this was but that thing is amazing! I particularly love how easy it is to sit into, unlike some hammocks that will have you risking your life trying to climb into. You literally feel like you are floating and the hammock cradles you so gently. It's the perfect place for an afternoon nap (and I took several). I wonder if they sell them because I want one and I don't even have an apartment!
Overall, the cabin was quite comfortable and provided everything one would need for a sea voyage.
Overall 8/10
Sea Terrace Cabin (Resilient Lady Ship)
*Bonus Note: Rockstar suite *
I accidentally got a tour of a Rockstar suite! This was totally unplanned but Dr. Jones made some friends in the hallway outside of our room and they told us they had a Rockstar suite and invited us to check it out! I didn’t record anything about this room (but you can view it on the Virgin Voyages website) but it was pretty nice! It was located on the AFT (backside) side of the ship on Deck 13.
The suite was very spacious but the most spacious part of the suite was the balcony which was almost bigger than the suite itself. The balcony only had a seating area and lounge chairs which surprised me because I thought it might at least have a hot tub. The inside of the suite had LOTS of storage space, a bar , and a large bathroom with 2 sinks. It was pretty nice!! The couple who let us hang out in their room were a gay married couple from Florida celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. While giving us a tour they also told us that the Rockstar Suites also have a special room service menu not accessible for the lower cabin tiers (like ours). I don’t know how much they paid for this suite but it looked really nice and would be a good splurge if you have a special celebration coming up.
Overall 9/10
Food & Drinks
I have so much to say about this! Ugh, I loved it so much! All restaurants and dining options are included in the price of your cruise. The only thing you really need to pay for is if you want a special item on the menu like a large seafood platter, oysters, etc.
Virgin Voyages doesn't do buffets like other cruise lines. Instead, the food is made to order and then brought to you. Instead of having main dining rooms that you eat at every night at a specific time, Virgin has different restaurants that you can dine at that would be considered “specialty restaurants” on other cruise lines.
We ate at every restaurant they had available and my favorites were the Test Kitchen and Pink Agave. I really liked the Test Kitchen because it’s a pre-set menu and you don’t really know what you’re eating next until they explain it to you.
You can also order room service for no extra cost through the Virgin Voyages App.
Let’s talk about these drinks! Most cruise lines offer some kind of drink package that you can buy but Virgin Voyages doesn’t do that. You do pay for your drinks onboard but they aren’t super expensive ($5-$20 each). There are bars all over the ship and yes the drinks are good, not watered down. We had access to Richards Rooftop which served us unlimited Moët Champagne every day from 5-6pm which we made sure to show up for each day.
Right now Virgin Voyages has a special sale going on where you can get an onboard credit which is perfect to use for your drinks while onboard!
Overall, 9/10
Entertainment & Onboard Activities
As soon as I walked up to board the ship I already knew it was going to be entertaining by the way the well-manicured man was dressed at the entrance! His whole outfit screamed “it’s party time” and they did not disappoint! Allow me to breakdown all the entertainment & onboard activities that we had onboard the Resilient Lady.
They have dinner shows, themed parties at the nightclub like 80’s night, fun activities and classes like sip and paint, live music and special events like Scarlet Night where there's a big party onboard! They even have a glam station where you can get glittered or gemmed up before going out for the night!
Shows
I really enjoyed the shows in The Manor but unfortunately I wasn't able to catch any of the shows in the Red Room but I am sure they were good too! There are a few shows that are only available on certain days of the week and require a reservation so be sure to book that in advance so you can see all the shows if that's important to you. I would pay close attention to when the dinner show is and pre-book a spot through the app before you begin your cruise or on the first day.
Wellness & Fitness
Virgin Voyages also offers a wide variety of fitness classes in the morning from cycling, HITT, boxing, yoga, and meditation that are included in the cruise price. The gym is large and the thermal spa area has all the rooms you need to stay refreshed and relaxed during your cruise. We had access to the thermal spa room where they had a Himalayan salt room, a steam room, and a mudroom as well as various hot and cold pools.
Activities & Classes
Virgin Voyages takes a fun adult-only approach to their activities and classes they offer onboard. Some of these activities cost extra money anywhere between $30-$60. We paid $35 to take a class on how to photograph food but it was also a cooking class where we prepared the food and it was also a bottomless brunch at the same time! Another fun activity I saw on the schedule was Paint and Sip which looked interesting. They also had a college party which consisted of a big game of beer pong and pub crawls hosted around the ship.
Nightlife
The nightlife was pretty active on this cruise ship. Their nightclub “The Manor” had an awesome DJ and hosted themed parties like 80’s night but they also had risqué shows like Lola’s Library. The DJs were good and played music I actually enjoy and knew the words to but don’t expect to hear the most recent hip-hop and R & B here. There were also pub crawls and parties around the ship like Scarlet night when they light up the ship red, everyone dresses up in red, and there’s a big party on the pool deck. It was a really fun experience that you can’t miss when you’re sailing with Virgin Voyages. The sail away party was pretty lit too especially with the free flowing Moët champagne. How can you go wrong? And of course how could I forget the Pajama party which was pretty fun as well and a great way to start off our sailing adventure. If you are looking for great night life on a cruise, Virgin Voyages does not disappoint!
Other Ship Amenities
There's no arcade, no water park, or no water slides but they do have two pools, a casino, tons of lounging space, a basketball court, boxing ring, spa, a gym, and an outdoor track so you can definitely keep yourself occupied while on the high seas. I’m sure I’m forgetting something so be sure to check their website to see all the features and activities they offer onboard.
Overall 10/10
Excursions/Shore Things
Let’s talk about excursions or “shore things” as they call it on Virgin Voyages. The Virgin Voyages app offers a lot of options for activities you can do at each port stop. I noticed that the option prices ranged from $75-$300 per person. Most activities consisted of wine tasting, island tours, boat tours, and cultural activities. It was basically pretty similar to the shore activities you would find on any typical cruise.
We actually ended up booking tours through a third party app, in person with a man on the street, or just winging it and doing our own thing. Whichever path you choose when you get off the ship, I’m sure you will have a good time. Just make sure you get back on the ship before they set sail! Don’t get left behind bestie!
Demographic
The main demographic for the people on this particular cruise were Americans over the age of 45. There were also a lot of cruisers in their 30s and late 20s. I do want to point out that a lot of the staff on the cruise appeared to be in the 27- 40 age group which gave the cruise as a whole a young and youthful feeling. This cruise is definitely for “grown people”.
It is worth noting that this cruise line is LGBTQ+ friendly and they do have shows and activities that involve drag queens and that are risqué. If this type of stuff bothers you, I would not take this cruise. If you are open minded, fun, and like to have a good time, then this is definitely the spot for you!
Crew & Customer Service
I found the crew on this particular cruise ship to be very friendly and helpful. I would like to add that our cruise only had about 1500 cruisers (capacity 2700 approx.). On the first day of the cruise a lot of the crew asked us if it was our first time cruising with Virgin Voyages and when we told them yes they would give us all types of insider info about how the cruise works and what their personal recommendations were.
The bartenders were also very fun, quick to serve you, and made great drinks. The crew members who teach the classes and run the activities on the ship are a lot of fun too!!
Overall 10/10
Value and Pricing
The price of our cruise for 2 people was approximately $4,500. We also got to take advantage of the current offer Virgin Voyages has where you get $600 onboard credit during your sailing which can go towards drinks, shore things, or extra onboard activities.
Virgin Voyages offers cheaper cruise options available as well with cruises starting at around $700 per person as seen on their website.
I think for what’s included and the fact that there are no kids onboard cruisers are definitely getting a good value for their money. Nothing about this experience seemed “cheap”.
Overall 10/10
Overall Rating
9/10
I’m NGL, there are some elements that are lacking and I will write a separate blog about that. It’s definitely a short list because this is by far my favorite cruise I’ve been on. I liked the ship, the cabin was comfortable, the entertainment was fun, and it definitely surprised me with the nightlife options. My job is to do fun things so my fun meter is pretty high and this is definitely high on the fun meter! With that being said, I will leave you with this word of advice: Do not eat and sleep too much on this cruise because you will miss out on the fun!
