Is Virgin Voyages a Good Cruise Line? (Pros & Cons to Virgin Voyages)
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If you’ve found your way here then it is probably safe to say that you’re planning for your first Virgin Voyages cruise and you’re wondering ‘is Virgin Voyages a good cruise line?’
Well, you’re in luck! Amy is a travel agent and sells Virgin Voyages regularly at work but is a Virgin Voyage actually worth it? The answer to this generally depends on the type of person you are, what cruises you’ve been on before and enjoyed, your age and a number of other factors.
That’s where this blog post comes in where we share our personal review of Virgin Voyages so that you can make your own decision on whether this is a cruise for you!
Follow through this guide to find the pros and cons of going on a Virgin Voyages and some insider tips from Amy as both a Virgin Voyager and a travel agent!
Summary: Is Virgin Voyages a Good Cruise Line?
In short, yes, Virgin Voyages is an amazing cruise line and there is lots of fun to have whilst you’re on one of the ships! From exciting parties, relaxing spa on board, awesome entertainment and one of the best parts is the incredible food on board.
If you’ve been on a cruise before then the first thing to remember is that Virgin Voyages is not like other cruise lines. They pride themselves on doing things a little differently. As an example, you don’t have buffet dining vs. speciality restaurants like you do on traditional cruise lines. Instead, all of the restaurants are included and there are options to add extras at each restaurant for an additional cost if you choose to do so. However, it is really not necessary so all the food is included at the Michelin star restaurants on board.
As it is quite different to traditional cruising, it is hard to do a direct comparison but that is one of the things we love about Virgin Voyages!
Virgin is quite new when it comes to cruising but that doesn’t mean that they’re not a fierce competitor in the cruising world! Read on to find out about the pros and cons of sailing on the magnificent Virgin Voyage cruise line.
Pros for Going on a Virgin Voyage Cruise
1. Adult’s Only
Honestly, as a young couple, this is a huge plus because for us, we have Liam’s son but when he is not with us, there is no chance we want to be around other people’s kids.
There is just nothing that appeals to us about being around screaming kids. When we cruise, we want to relax and just be around adult company and not have to worry about a thing!
There are a few itineraries with other cruise lines that are adults only but it is not very common so for us this is definitely a unique selling point.
2. 20+ Eateries Included
When it comes to cruising, traditionally you will have buffet style meals included in your fare and then any speciality restaurants on board are an additional charge.
However, as you may have realised, Virgin Voyages like to do things a little differently. On their ships they have 20+ different eateries available and ALL of them are included with the cost of your cruise.
You have your sit-down restaurants that include an Italian, Mexican and a Steak House (our personal favourite) which are great for in the evenings to have a delicious meal.
Alternatively, you can visit the Galley where you will find an array of different food stands to choose from. Whether you’re craving tacos, an all-day breakfast, something healthy or even something a little naughty, you will find plenty of choice!
All the restaurants are absolutely delicious and for us this was a big part of why we chose Virgin Voyage in the first place. We’ve never been a fan of buffet dining like you get at an all-inclusive!
3. Classic Drinks Included
Again, with a lot of cruise lines, even soft drinks are not included. Some only include water! However, with Virgin Voyages, all classic drinks are included whether it be Coca-Cola, Lemonade, Water, Tea, Coffee and more.
The only soft drinks that are not included are your speciality teas & coffees, mocktails and that sort of thing!
We think that this is really reasonable and to be honest, if you don’t drink alcohol then you’re pretty set and everything is included for you!
4. The Cabins…
How can we not mention the cabins? After working in travel for a while, Amy has seen a lot of different staterooms and it’s safe to say that Virgin Voyage has some of the best cabins!
There are a few different options to choose from whether that be an inside, sea view, sea terrace or even a Rockstar Suite! If we had the money, my gosh we would LOVE to stay in a Rockstar Suite, these are definitely the cream of the crop!
If you’re planning a cruise on Virgin Voyages then we highly recommend choosing the sea terrace cabin. They are absolutely stunning, spacious and very well-thought out.
Not to mention that there is also a hammock on every single balcony so you can truly relax and watch the sea drift past!
Every cabin is fitted with mood lighting, USB ports, rainfall showers, tablets with Netflix installed, a mini-fridge and so much more.
5. Bar Tabs
Something we found with Virgin Voyages is that they give back. Their drinks packages are done differently than normal cruise lines and instead of paying for a drinks package you would purchase a ‘bar tab’.
We personally really like this because you only pay for the amount that you think you’ll need for drinks. Nearly everyday, Amy speaks to someone who doesn’t want to purchase drinks packages on different cruise lines because they drink a little bit but not enough to justify the cost of a drinks package.
With Virgin Voyages you won’t have that problem and the best part is that the drinks are all reasonably priced as well!
Another perk with the bar tab is that if you purchase this in advance embarking on the ship then Virgin Voyages will also top this up for you. As an example, if you purchase $300 of bar tab (approximately £280) then Virgin Voyages will top this up to $350 so you’re always getting more for your money!
To give you an idea on drinks prices for Virgin Voyages you’re looking at around $7-$9 for beer, $11 for a basic cocktail and around 40% of their wine by the glass are under $11.
For us, we would spend around this on drinks if we went out in Edinburgh so we thought that they were quite fair pricing to be honest!
The more bar tab that you purchase, the more that Virgin Voyages will top it up which means the more that you have available to spend on board.
6. Scarlet Night
This is a big event on board any Virgin Voyages ship and anyone that has cruised with them before will become very well-prepared!
On the day of Scarlet Night, the ship will be buzzing with lots of activity, new decorations, themed events and more. Before embarking any Virgin Voyages, make sure to pack something dazzling in red and plenty of glitter if you fancy it!
Come the evening, there will be a huge party on the rooftop deck where everyone gets wild with performers, great music and an incredible atmosphere.
Don’t miss out and make sure to pack something red because trust us, when you’re looking for it, it’s really hard to find something red at each port!
7. What it says on the tin
Virgin Voyages are true believers in no hidden costs and that is also something that is different to traditional cruise lines.
When you purchase a sailing with Virgin Voyages, your wi-fi is included in your purchase which most cruise lines usually charge extra for.
Another thing we are really grateful for is that all your tips are included as well so you do not need to add these on or tip when you’re onboard (unless you want to of course) which means that all their staff are given their tips at the end of the cruise.
8. The Casino
One thing we loved the most about our time on the Virgin Voyage was the casino. Wow! That makes us sound like gambling addicts! However, that’s not true at all, we don’t usually gamble at all.
What we liked about the casino is that all the staff are there to help you out and teach you the different games. This is perfect for people like us that don’t really gamble.
Whilst we were on board, we got to learn how to play craps and it was so much fun! We ended up coming off the boat $90 up from when we got on.
However, if you’ve always wanted to learn these different games like Blackjack, Poker, Craps or Roulette then you are in the right place!
9. Unique Itineraries
One of the things we love the most about Virgin Voyages is that they have really unique itineraries available as well. When you’re looking at itineraries for different cruise lines, you often find that they tend to be very similar.
However, we find that a lot of the itineraries Virgin Voyages offer are quite unique. As an example, next year we are sailing on the Brilliant Lady from Vancouver stopping at Astoria, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Francisco, Catalina Island and ending in Los Angeles.
Whilst some cruise lines have itineraries that touch in a few destinations in the US, they often tend to be Miami, Orlando etc. There are some beautiful Greece & Turkey itineraries as well as itineraries that focus around the Caribbean!
10. Great for Solo Travellers
There are not too many cruise lines that are suitable for solo travellers. As Amy used to do a lot of solo travelling herself, this is something that she often keeps an eye out for because let’s face it, the struggle is real!
You can go on any cruise line as a solo traveller but you will often pay a supplement for the privilege. With the exception of Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages is one of the best cruise lines for a solo traveller.
There are cabins specialised for solo travellers, plenty of solo meet ups available on the ship and it is an all-round social experience.
One of the best areas to hang out on a Virgin Voyages as a solo traveller is the Social Club. You will find lots of games to play, lots of people mingling, a great bar with delicious drinks (including boozy milkshakes) and yummy hot dogs to match!
11. Lush Luxury
When you go on a Virgin Voyages, you know what to expect and luxury is definitely one of the best parts about it. From plush cabins, delicious drinks and lush spaces on the ship, you will feel like you’re in heaven!
We found that when we were on the Virgin Voyages that we felt like we were VIPs! Of course, we weren’t but the vibe was there that’s for sure.
If you like the finer things in life then one of the best spaces on the ship to visit is the Sip Lounge where you can enjoy the finest caviar and champagne with beautiful views out of the ship portholes.
On the pool deck, you will find a gorgeous pool with luxury soft loungers around the pool. This is the area where you want to relax and enjoy the sun, the views and the experience.
Everything on the ship is state of the art and is built with adults in mind! You’d be crazy to not feel like you’re living the lush life!
Cons for Going on a Virgin Voyage Cruise
1. Can Get Wild
Feedback that we’ve heard from Virgin Voyages is that some people think that the parties can be a little too wild. In our opinion, you need to be a type of person to fully embrace the Virgin Voyages experience.
If you like a little bit of a party, you’re an open person and enjoy living life to the fullest then this is definitely a great cruise line for you.
The people that Virgin Voyages attract do tend to be more flamboyant, quirky and wild which for us is absolutely fine! With that being said, Amy has met people of all different ages, with different personalities that have absolutely LOVED a Virgin Voyages so it’s all about what you make it!
The one thing we will say is watch out for the upside down pineapples. #IYKYK
2. Pre-Booking Restaurants
One thing that we did find frustrating is the need to pre-book the restaurants. We understand why you need to pre-book the restaurants but we found that there wasn’t as much availability as we would have liked.
The restaurant booking becomes available before your cruise and this will show up on your app when they open. Our top tip for you is to make sure that you add this onto your calendar and get booking restaurants when they open up.
We did this for our last Virgin Voyages and logged into the app to book up our restaurants. Even 10 minutes later, we found that a lot of the good timeslots were already taken. We managed to get booked up for all the restaurants we wanted but we just found that there wasn’t as much availability as we would have liked.
For us, we booked a restaurant for every single night and a couple of brunches too so that we had something planned. When we got on the ship, our plans changed a few times so there were a couple restaurants that we cancelled.
We are not alone with this so you will find that there will be some last minute availability at the restaurants when you get on the ship so it’s definitely worthwhile speaking with Sailor Services if you didn’t get the restaurant bookings you wanted.
Don’t let this stress you too much because only some of the restaurants are sit-down restaurants that you need to pre-book. If you don’t have a booking at a restaurant then you can go to the Galley where there are plenty of food choices.
TOP TIP: Book yourself into ‘The Wake’ at least twice for when you’re on the ship. This was our FAVOURITE restaurant on board!
3. Small Swimming Pool
This didn’t really affect us if we’re being completely honest but this is feedback that Amy has received from others about the swimming pool. For the size of the ship, the swimming pool definitely isn’t the largest so if you’re the type of person that likes to swim laps or spend most of your cruise around the pool then this may not be the right ship for you.
What we will say is that it is also not the type of cruise line that people spend a lot of time around the pool anyway so you will find that there is still plenty of space anyway.
Whilst we were on our Virgin Voyages, we spent a few different occasions around the pool and we didn’t have any trouble getting a sunlounger or having enough space in the pool. That is our personal opinion but it really does depend on the type of person you are.
As it is quite a social ship, you will find that lots of people congregate around the top deck, casino and social club in complete honesty!
4. Smoking Areas
When we’re abroad, we both love to smoke (especially when a few drinks are involved). For us as smokers, we found that there weren’t enough smoking areas on the ship.
There are currently 2 areas on the ship where you can have a cigarette which is by the casino or a small area on the top deck. Depending on where your cabin is located, it’s not ideal for a morning smoke we will say that!
5. Not Enough Sailings… Yet!
As Virgin Voyages is still quite new when it comes to cruising, they currently have 4 ships which means that the sailings are a little bit more limited than other cruise lines.
As a result of this, you do need to be a little more flexible if you’re wanting to join Virgin Voyages. However, they are expanding and we expect that over the next few years, we will see a new ship and hopefully more itineraries!
Get Ready for Your Virgin Voyages
The facts speak for themselves when the pros of going on a Virgin Voyages outweigh the cons. Some of these cons are really minor as well so we wouldn’t let that get in your way to stop you experiencing Virgin Voyages.
If you’ve never been on a cruise before then this is a perfect way to start your cruising journey. Every type of person is perfect for a different cruise line and part of your cruising journey is to try different brands and find the right cruise line for you!
In our opinion, Virgin Voyages is everything that we would want from a cruise and we absolutely loved our time on the ship and looking forward to our cruise next year too. We just wish it was much sooner to be honest!
If you’re still in doubt as to whether a Virgin Voyages is for you then make sure to check out our Scarlet Lady Review to find out more!
Embrace life and give Virgin Voyages a good try, you never know you might just LOVE it!
FAQs
Is Virgin Voyages Adults Only?
Simple answer, yes! Virgin Voyages is the only cruise line that is completely adult only.
Are Drinks Included on Virgin Voyages?
Classic Drinks are included on Virgin Voyages as standard but if you’re looking for alcohol or speciality drinks then you need to purchase a bar tab for this. However, the drinks are average prices so you only need to pay for a bar tab of how much you think you’d usually spend on drinks.
How Much is the Drinks Package on Virgin Voyages?
Virgin Voyages doesn’t have a drinks package as such because you would instead purchase a bar tab. The way this works is that you purchase your bar tab to spend on drinks instead of purchasing a drinks package which is used everyday. We prefer this as you only purchase for how much you think you will spend which usually works out cheaper than a drinks package would be on another cruise line.
What’s Included on a Virgin Voyage?
Classic Drinks, Group Workouts, Wi-Fi and Tips!
