On arriving at Portsmouth and wondering over to the check in terminal I couldn’t believe how striking the Valiant Lady is. Virgin Voyages have created something so amazing. Perfect for the young at heart, the party animals, couples - gay or straight, mums and dads who love to let their hair down when they don’t have the kids, foodies, exercise fanatics, and anyone that loves a good time.
I was so sceptical about seeing a cruise line ‘challenge the traditional’ having done cruises and ship visits over the years I came to love what traditional cruising is all about and yet Virgin Voyages have taken a concept and modernised it, no main restaurant, no Broadway style shows, instead you choose a different eatery every night and enjoy the never seen before entertainment. It’s a place for meeting new people and socialising, no children means you really can let your hair down. Driven by modern technology that is by no means complicated you can plan your cruise from the palm of your hand.
Staterooms
My first stop once I got on-board was my sea terrace cabin. I was issued a wrist band at check in which you use for essentially everything on board and it also opens your stateroom door. From checking in at the terminal to arriving at my cabin was around 45 minutes and by the time I entered my cabin my luggage was already inside. My first impressions were I could tell I was a brand new ship. Everything was fresh, spacious and modern. The bathroom was similar to those of other cruise lines but the shower was a good size and lovely and powerful.
At the vanity desk there was a deck plan and an I-Pad, this is the hub of your stateroom! The curtains were closed when I arrived and I used the I-pad to open them. Very impressive! From your stateroom I-Pad you also control the lighting and what you watch on the TV. There are several lighting options pre-set to choose from including Zen where when you select this the down lights go down to a minimum and the main lights in the cabin go out but the table lamp comes on. There is also a photo shoot lighting option where once you select this the curtains will open and the lights come on in the cabin giving you the most amount of light for that perfect shot. There are many options to choose from depending on what your mood is.
Finally you use your I-Pad should you want any stateroom maintenance including getting your stateroom tidied, ordering water and ice, having laundry picked up and getting fresh towels. The final thing I must talk about is the balcony – Great size and features a first for any cruise line – A hammock! In Virgins signature red, every balcony on the ship has a hammock and the Mega Rock star suites have two. I was brave enough to get in mine one morning and they are suprising easy to get in and out of and are very comfortable.
If you were sailing the Med in the summer or the Caribbean these would be a great way to relax in the warm sunshine. Talking to my cabin steward one morning he asked me if I had been in my hammock and I told him I had tried it that morning and it was incredibly comfortable, he said that in the summer he doesn’t have to make beds as people will go back to their cabins and sleep outside on the hammocks as they are so comfortable, and the sound of the ocean and the fresh air makes for a very comfy and great night’s sleep.
Cuisine
I was apprehensive about the dining options on Valiant Lady as for the first time on a cruise ship there is no main restaurant. On most other cruise lines you get a main dining room usually spanning a few decks with grand chandeliers and tables of varying sizes couple with a selection of a la carte restaurants to choose from. Virgin Voyages have very cleverly created and utilised the space on the ship to create a choice of over 20 different eateries on-board their ships and you book in for where you want to eat that evening via the Virgin Voyages app on your smartphone. The options are extensive.
There is a brilliant buffet option in the Galley restaurant where you will find different stations including a soup & salad bar, a sushi bar, panini station, noodle bar, taco & burger bars. It is a very relaxed and sociable space and you can come and go here as you please. The most noticeable thing on-board Virgin Voyages is everything is cooked fresh! Whether you’re dining in the Galley or one of the speciality restaurants every single dish is freshly made and bought to your table and it is well worth the wait.
To give you an idea of some of the number of eateries they have on-board, I had a 3 night sailing and ate in 5 of the 20 restaurants available! There are so many choices and it is really easy to get booked in to the restaurants via your smartphone, so if you are a foodie this would be an ideal cruise for you.
The real gem on this ship is the Test Kitchen. The Test Kitchen is the most unique, innovative, and experimental dining experience on ship. This laboratory-like eatery is part cooking school and part restaurant. Best of all it is completely complimentary but be sure to book in early.
You will find an Italian, Mexican, Surf & Turf, Korean BBQ, Mediterranean Mezze, Fast food, Pizzeria, Ice Cream Stand, and Hawaiian at the Sun Club Café and afternoon tea at the Sip Lounge.
Entertainment
You will not find traditional entertainment on-board a Virgin Voyage! I was excited to see the Virgin Voyages entertainment programme as I had previously read that you will not find the traditional after dinner Broadway style shows in a grand theatre. Instead, you will find jaw dropping, modern, intense and audience participation style entertainment.
I booked in to see a show in the ‘Red Room’ called Dual Reality whilst on-board, which is a 55 minute straight through show and the audience are split into red team and blue team. You are given a red or blue band upon entry to the Red room and you are asked to sit on either the red or the blue side of the theatre. The show starts with no warning and before you know it you have the red and blue rival teams, combining stunts and acrobatics with modern dance and a ‘Romeo & Juliet’ style love story with two people from opposite teams who fall in love amongst the chaos. It was a fantastically different show to anything I had seen before. The audience were cheering on their respective teams.
The ‘Red Room’ is the heart of the entertainment on-board Virgin Voyages. It is the first transformational theatre at sea, featuring different modes which enable a variety of unique and engaging experiences. From flat floor mode which puts sailors in the middle of the action with direct access to a bar to proscenium mode, the most common theatre layout in which guests are no more than 50ft from the stage! Another impressive use of space by Virgin Voyages.
Scarlet night – Similar to a gala evening on other cruise lines, don your best red outfit and enjoy the atmosphere on the most prestigious night of your cruise. The Manor - This two story, two bar space, named after Richard's first recording studio, is inspired by the coolest clubs on land layered with a moody and sexy 70’s punk vibe. Enjoy a drink from the extensive drinks list and dance the night away away. The entrance to the Manor is a corridor of mirrors and lights and I anticipate will become the most photographed place on any cruise ship. It really is magnificent.
You will find numerous bars and lounges dotted around this wonderful ship with bands and live acts popping it to add to the ambience. Whether you want lively or chilled you will find it on Valiant Lady.
Summary
Overall, I have fallen hard for Virgin Voyages and I am genuinely going to be booking for my own holiday in 2023. After a 3 night sailing I am left wanting to see and do more. Seeing first-hand how easy it is to book restaurants, shore things and shows. Mixing and matching your day to your mood is a done thing with Virgin Voyages, they are the height of fun, innovation, re-discovering yourself in bright, open and chill spaces, comfortable staterooms, Jacuzzis on the top deck. You want for nothing; waiters are around all day to bring you a cocktail or a healthy smoothie!
If you are young or old, young at heart & love a good time then Virgin Voyages are for you. I genuinely believe they have to be seen to be believed. This is definitely the most chilled and fun cruise I have been on but also the most sociable and quirky. I loved the use of modern technology throughout the ship without it being difficult to use. If you think a Virgin cruise might be for you then get in touch and I will be more than happy to talk to you about all things Virgin Voyages.
