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The "resort experience" also features morning open-air exercises (yoga and meditation), afternoon DJ poolside parties, night beach bonfires and live musical performances. Virgin's private resort is located on North Bimini Island and at a short bus transfer from the docking pier. This is a 750-acres (3 km2 / 1,2 mi2) beachfront resort-casino-marina-hotel complex operated by Genting Group (Malaysia-based multinational corporation). Virgin ships' hull art designs are Mermaid-themed (by different artists) and Inspired by traditional figureheads mounted on the bows of historic wooden ships.
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I’ve sailed a variety of cruise lines throughout the years, beginning with my first voyage as an 18-year-old living in Fort Lauderdale when my mother took me on a nighttime sail. Back in those days (not to date myself), you could get on a ship out of Port Everglades and go into international waters to drink and gamble. The club offers a couple of large pools, ample lounge chairs and towels, plenty of bars and a picture-perfect beach.
Brilliant Lady
While I loved the lack of announcements over the intercom system or at the end of shows, I did feel like it was easy to miss out on things on board. While the artwork on both ships impressed me, I preferred the art on the Virgin Voyages cruise. The array of mediums and cohesive style made the art feel more immersive rather than just decorative. Due to its grand size, the Wonder of the Seas was packed with activities, most geared toward children. Inside was an arcade, an ice skating rink, laser tag, and an escape room.
Sign up, set sail, score (extra) savings — loyalty Sailors sail with perks.
Since its founding in 1968, the travel company has become known for breaking records with some of the largest cruise ships in the world, according to Cruise Critic. Of course, a sea day wouldn’t be a sea day without a visit to the spa, and Valiant Lady offered an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy the spa with its Thermal Suite Pass. For two hours, we could take advantage of Redemption Spa’s steam room, sauna, salt therapy room, mud bath room, hot and cold plunge pools, and heated Turkish marble lounges.
Anyone who breaks the rules will be fined $500 and may be disembarked at the next destination, with no refund for missed days on the ship and no compensation for lodging and/or airfare back home. In April 2024, the ship will sail an epic 14-night transatlantic cruise to Barcelona, which will be Scarlet Lady's homebase at least through October 2024. From Spain, it will sail seven-night itineraries to ports in Italy, Spain and the French Riviera, all with overnights on the party island of Ibiza.
Sail from Barcelona or Athens
Virgin Voyages sails three identical ships, with one more on the way by the end of 2023. Cabin categories and design are standard across the fleet, so if you're familiar with one ship, you're familiar with them all. So as we welcome our newest lady ship to the fleet, we do so loudly and proudly. And while her mermaid, and all her brilliant destinations are still to come, we’re so excited for her arrival. And we can’t wait to tell you more about her, and all the places she goes, (very, very) soon.
Caribbean
Plus, there's no option for hot food that you plate yourself and take back to your room if there are no seats because you have to have a table to order food at The Galley. Sometimes you just need those steam-tray eggs, grabbable bagels and premade pancakes, and you don't want a waiter-served meal. The food was enjoyable, but it took forever to get served mid-afternoon after a tour. The Dock and The Dock House are twin restaurants rocking the Mediterranean resort vibe.
On November 28, 2018, Richard Branson and Tom McAlpin announced in Miami the company's plans to build a new (Virgin-exclusive) cruise terminal in PortMiami. "Virgin Voyages Terminal" is sized 100,000 ft2 (9300 m2) and is on the seaport's northwest side. Virgin cruise line's staff and crew uniforms were designed by Gareth Pugh and manufactured by Cintas Corporation (via the "Design Collective by Cintas" division). In September 2022 Virgin partnered with RSB/Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (an independent global membership organization). Virgin also signed long-term agreements with three providers of waste-based sustainable fuels (Argent Energy, GoodFuels, Twelve) to supply the fleet's bunker fuels.
foodie-approved eateries designed by a Michelin-starred chef collective
Always one to enjoy Sir Richard Branson’s hotels and airlines, a trip aboard the Valiant Lady seemed like an ideal match. Virgin Voyages does not simply give its amenities and activities quirky names — like "Lick Me Til Ice Cream" for the onboard ice cream shop. The overall experience is a bit different than what you'll come across on traditional cruise lines. On-island entertainment is available as well, though I can't speak to what happened as the afternoon wore on, as we hit our sun quota by midday.
Cruise Guide: Transatlantic and Reposition Cruises - Virgin Voyages
Cruise Guide: Transatlantic and Reposition Cruises.
Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
But your clothes will hang from a rack behind a curtain that you likely won't bother to close. In one corner is a luggage stand with two shelves, each with a wicker basket. While practically no one uses the daybed layout, the arrangement means you're sleeping on a couch cushion rather than a plush mattress. My bed on Scarlet Lady was not the comfiest I've had on a cruise, but the sheets and duvet were fine and I slept well. I had the same experience at The Dock after a late excursion; several of us waited far too long for a waiter to appear and take our order – even though a server had escorted me outside five minutes prior.
I did not have the normal dinner experience at Extra Virgin, the ship's Italian restaurant, due to the themed sailing I was on, but I still got to try some of the venue's popular dishes. Previous cruisers tell me Extra Virgin is a surprise favorite because Italian restaurants are so ubiquitous, but Virgin's version delivers with fabulous dishes. Everyone raves about the meatballs, the pappardelle pasta and the ricotta bomboloni (like Italian donut holes). Scarlet Lady's entertainment impressed me with its innovation and its quality. The dancers were incredible; they moved about the stage like they were performing on "So You Think You Can Dance" (or other TV dance competition), not in your kid's high school dance recital. "Dual Reality," the Romeo-and-Juliet-themed show, was the first cruise-ship acrobatic performance I've seen that had a compelling plot; so many cruise lines throw dancers on hoops or silks in the air simply because they can.
Virgin Voyages is pretty gung-ho about its scarlet red hammock on the balconies, but having the hammock hanging down made it feel even smaller for both of us to enjoy the space at the same time. It is a petty complaint, considering we were hardly ever in our suite, but the only time we would be in the hammock was when the other was in the shower. Your cruise price covers dining at all of these spots, plus the quick bite options on the ship. However, some restaurants offer buy-up options labeled as "treat yourself" dishes that cost extra.
Actually, it was super easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle aboard Valiant Lady. We couldn’t get enough of Rees and his high-energy Spin classes set to Beyonce, Rhianna, and Madonna. We had decided to make our vacay a week of self-improvement, promising to partake in the ship’s more than 100 free exercise classes. We also swore we would utilize the open-air track on Deck 17 called The Runway, join the calming morning yoga sessions on The Perch, and visit the ship’s gym, B-Complex. Honestly, adults-only simply meant “adult time.” To us, that equated to a lot of relaxing, listening to live music, and reading on a lounge chair with a cocktail in hand.
The four-person arrangement is two twin beds arranged in an L shape head to head, with two bunkbeds also in L shape right above. The intent is for the lower beds to be made up as couches during the day and transformed into beds at night. While these cruise rooms may be unique in the cruise industry, you won't have trouble choosing your cabin or suite. Virgin offers a reasonable three styles of standard cabin and eight categories of suites, so your choice will be guided by your requirements around space, price and light. Some hotel rooms have balconies, but the balconies in our rooms come with our signature red hammocks, perfect for sleeping in the sea breeze.
On the outdoor decks, there was a surf simulator, multiple rock climbing walls and water slides, and sports like ping pong, basketball, and mini golf. Adults could also enjoy dance classes ranging from salsa and swing to hip-hop and ballroom styles. In addition to the main pools, both ships had several whirlpools and small plunge pools on the top decks. On board Valiant Lady, there were two pools, and both were smaller than the Royal Caribbean options but also less crowded.
That's why I booked a Sea Terrace cabin for my Virgin Voyages cruise. The 18-deck ship is 1,200 feet long, 210 feet tall, and 235,600 gross tons, with a passenger capacity of 7,000, according to the cruise line. Friend groups, solo Sailors, and duos alike can get in on the Insider action. Roomy Rainshowers and mood lighting punctuate our cozy escapes — giving you the space to recover today and prepare for tomorrow. For solo Sailors looking for quiet moments with the sea from our super large single beds, or duos perched on our nautically-inspired window seats — the ocean is yours to make eyes with.
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