Virgin Voyages has revolutionized the cruising industry in just a few short years. It’s no wonder cruisers are raving about Virgin Voyages with their unique entertainment, incredible value, laid back approach to luxury, and distinctive heath and wellness opportunities. VV has a 95% satisfaction score and 40% onboard rebooking rate, so you are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy your next cruise. We found so many things to love about Virgin Voyages and some things that we didn’t necessarily like. However, that doesn’t mean we didn’t overall LOVE our Virgin cruise. I put together a love/hate list to share more information about cruising on Virgin Voyages. We recently sailed on the Valiant Lady but many of these details will be similar on all the Ladies.
Here’s what we liked and didn’t like about sailing with Virgin Voyages:
Loved how much is included for FREE. All dining, entertainment, fitness classes, wifi and gratuities are included in the cruise price. There are some up charges you could make at the restaurants and paid activities such as the Grog Walk (Pub Crawl). However, you could get away without paying another dime while onboard (assuming you’re not drinking alcohol).
Hated lack of restrooms around the ship. This was the first cruise where I actually thought about restrooms. One example: the women’s restrooms are far away from Extra Virgin. This was a complaint we heard from 3 people that were sitting near us during dinner. Men’s restrooms are located by Extra Virgin while the women’s are located across the ship by Razzle Dazzle. It was inconvenient while dining or relaxing around the ship to have to hunt for a restroom. There were some unisex that I know can put some sailors off, but I’d rather have more restrooms around the ship than worry about who I’m washing my hands next to.
Loved that Virgin Voyages is adults only. I love to travel with my kids but when it’s vacation time without them, it’s fantastic not to have to deal with other peoples kids. The ship has an entirely different vibe being 18+. It’s not that it’s a big party vibe, it just feels more relaxed.
Love/Hate the Virgin app. I think the app design could be more user friendly and the app goes down frequently. I had trouble at 7am on a sea day when not a lot of sailors are trying to use it. I also wasn’t able to access the app once we arrived at the port. Thankfully, I had taken a screenshot of our cabin # so I could give it to the porter. This is one of the main complaints we read about before sailing and I’m surprised Virgin hasn’t addressed the issue.
I do love that everything can be booked right in the app such as Shore Things (excursions) and dining reservations. I could easily see my daily schedule plus “heart” activities I was interested in. I also loved the wallet feature where I could see all my charges. I would have liked a tab to see how much of my bar tab was left, though. The app has a ton of great features and has simplified some of the tedious booking processes necessary while cruising.
Loved having a personal, freshly baked pizza. The pizza took about 15-20 min when it wasn’t busy. I read that there can be long lines late at night, so that’s something to keep in mind. You receive a buzzer after ordering, so you don’t have to wait around inside. The pizza was tasty although I’m not sure it’s as good as Sorrento’s Pizza on RCCL.
Hated the lack of IPA’s. Derrick drinks IPA’s and they were sold out of most of the brands on the day of sailing. As a couple of examples – there are no IPA’s at Extra Virgin and the IPA at the Dock was different from on the menu. Derrick read this was a common complaint, so he was expecting it but it was still frustrating for him.
Loved the Thermal Suites at the Redemption Spa. Thermal Suites included a mud room, salt room, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pools, hot tubs and a room temperature soaking pool as well as heated marble hammam benches. Access can be booked for a 3 hour period and you will be provided with a locker, robe and sandals. Towels and water are available as well. If you go on an “off” time such as in the morning or on a port day, you will have a completely wonderful and relaxing experience. At peak times, it can get crowded, so I know that could affect how some sailors feel about the experience. We soaked up every minute of our time and left feeling detoxed and relaxed. Mega Rockstars will have complementary access. Otherwise the fee is $59 on port days or $79 on sea days.
Loved the FREE coffee in The Galley. On many cruiselines free drip coffee isn’t very good. We were pleasantly surprised to find the coffee in The Galley to be tasty. We didn’t feel the need to purchase a specialty coffee the entire cruise!
Loved the FREE soda. We don’t drink a lot of soda but it was great to grab a free glass of ginger ale after a night of over indulgence.
Loved and Hated embarkation times. I didn’t like waiting until 3pm to board the ship BUT I loved not having to be off the ship until 10:30am. You can’t have it all! Rockstars and those sailors with Deep Blue Extra’s or the Splash of Romance Package can board around 1:30pm.
A big issue is that VV requires sailors to wait outside for their scheduled boarding time. There are roped off areas separated by boarding time and you aren’t allowed to wait inside the terminal. This can be a big deal during summer months in Miami and Puerto Rico. However, you won’t have to deal with this if you show up no more than 15 minutes prior to your embarkation time as shown in the app. Virgin Voyages does explain this on their website, but new cruisers may just assume they can arrive early as on other cruise lines. We arrived at 3:10pm for our 3pm boarding time and were checked in and on the ship in about 15 minutes.
Loved the bento boxes of fruit and yogurt for a light breakfast in the stateroom or to take to enjoy by the pool. The fruit was always fresh and the containers make it easy to transport. I also loved the sushi boxes served for lunch and dinner. The sushi was fresh and FREE.
Loved how eco-friendly Virgin Voyages is and their efforts for sustainability. Just a few items to note – there are no single use water bottles and the plastic containers such as the bento boxes and take away containers are all reused.
Hated not having outlets on both sides of the bed. However, having it on one side of the bed plus the extra on the desk was sufficient just inconvenient. There are USB and European outlets at the desk if you feel you need extra charging space.
Loved the diversity of passengers. While I had read that Virgin Voyages is a ship for all ages (assuming you’re at least 18) I was still expecting more sailors in their 20’s than any other age group. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sailors ranges from 18 to 80’s with a large majority of sailors in their 30’s – 50’s. We chatted with countless passengers from all over. Everyone was super friendly and drama free.
Loved the sea brackets. It’s super convenient to tap your wrist to enter your stateroom or make a charge instead of carrying a card. However, Derrick had a terrible time remembering our cabin number the first day. For someone with usually a good memory, it drove me crazy. I finally wrote the number on a piece of paper for him to put in his pocket like a 4 year old. The sea bands stayed on well and looked pretty cute. I remember my kids fishing WOW bands out of the sea during our last RCCL cruise. VV’s sea bands are a definite step up and are made from recycled ocean plastic!
Loved all the free games on board. There were so many options to have a little old fashioned fun. Plenty of board games are available plus the arcade is FREE. We had a great time playing packman and even headed outside for a game of shuffle board one afternoon.
Hated the Bar Tab approach to alcoholic beverages. I do prefer the all-inclusive drink packages on other cruise lines, especially when it’s included or given as a perk such as on NCL and MSC. I like to know how much it will cost me in advance. The Bar Tab is fine in theory and I love how they will give you a bonus for purchasing set increments such as $50 when you purchase $300.
The biggest reason that I don’t like the Bar Tab is it’s only available for beverages and can’t be used to purchase other things on the ship. It’s also a use or lose tab. You don’t get reimbursed for any money you don’t spend.
Love the in-room iPad and it was also fun to play around with the mood lighting. We ordered Ship Eats (room service) and watched a movie one evening. You selected what you want on the iPad and can play it on the TV. You can also use the iPad to watch the safety video in your stateroom.
Hated the lack of storage space. One notable thing missing is the typical storage areas beside the bed. It was pretty much just a table. The design comes from the beds being able to convert to a couch during the day. You essentially have a sofa arm on one side of the bed and a base on the other side that part of the mattress would be moved to when the couch is set out. The minimalistic design is great, but that means the desk has no drawers. There are 2 small shelves which I used to keep my purse and other travel item tucked out of the way.
However, the closet had plenty of storage areas for our clothing, shoes and backpacks. Empty Suitcases always go under the bed. There could also have been more storage in the bathroom. Even though it was small there was still wall space available that could have held a shelf. Thankfully, we alway bring our toiletry bag with a hook, so that hung on the back of the stateroom door.
Loved all the fresh fruits and vegetable available in The Galley. Sometimes fruits and raw veggies on the cruise ships can be lacking in quality and freshness.
Hated not being able to see all the available rooms in my category when booking online. I’m not a fan of VV telling me what they think the best cabin option is. I prefer being able to see all the staterooms available and choose my own. Even on cruise lines where they nickel and dime you, I can see what staterooms are available on each deck.
You can call to learn about available staterooms or ask your First Mate (Travel Advisor). Don’t have a First Mate? Contact me and I’ll help book your next Virgin Voyages cruise.
Loved all the delicious and unique food options. Virgin Voyages gets a gold star for their food quality and variety. So many times we have cruised and been disappointed with the food unless we were eating at a specialty restaurant. There were some culinary misses but that was mostly due to our personal preferences than the dish itself. I loved the ramen and sushi available in The Galley. The burgers, pastries, tacos and salads were also pretty tasty.
Gunbae was a fun dining experience and the Korean bbq was delicious! I can’t wait to get some more kimchi fried rice! The pasta at Extra Virgin was excellent and we really enjoyed the table side espresso and ice cream. Derrick felt the steaks on the Virgin cruise were some of the best he’s ever had while cruising and that includes when we’ve actually had to pay extra for them!
Loved the 2 carafes of water in the stateroom and the water stations all around the ship. It’s so nice to stay hydrated easily for free and it reduces waste. Most ships, when I bring my water bottle on board, I have to fill it in the buffet area. I also would have to remember to fill my bottle before bed, so I have water to drink at night. On VV the water was always refilled and you could request a refill through the app. There were countless fill stations around the ship so there was no reason to head to The Galley for each refill. The water didn’t taste the greatest, but I wasn’t going to be picky since it was free and available everywhere.
Hated the bed in the standard sailor cabins. It was harder than the beds on many other cruise lines. I did read this being a complaint as the original idea had the area turning from a bed to a couch during the day. You can still request a changeover, but I personally prefer to keep the bed out in case I want a nap. You can request a mattress topper which I will definitely do on our next cruise. If you prefer a hard mattress then you will love it.
I think they missed the mark with this design. The Rockstar suites had an actual King mattress, so they don’t have the same problems. The pillows and bedding were comfortable.
Love the pressure in the shower even though the shower stall is small. It’s usually difficult to rinse my hair on a lot of cruise ships since they have allow very little pressure. Virgin Voyages gets an A+
Loved the free wifi included for all sailors. I was able to text and FaceTime with the kids, post on Facebook, search the web, and check emails. Pretty much anything but streaming is possible with the free wifi. You can upgrade the wifi for $100 on a 5-night cruise if you need streaming capabilities or are working during your cruise. VV uses Starlink PRO and SES Cruise mPOWERED to get the best wifi at sea.
Don’t miss our Virgin Voyages Miami Roundtrip: 5-Night Riviera Maya Review
Hated the lack of AC throughout the ship. I’m used to needing a sweater while on cruises and this was the exact opposite. Both Derrick and I mentioned how warm it was countless times throughout our cruise. I get that it’s more eco-friendly but as someone who gets hot flashes, I’m not a fan. Probably one of my biggest issues with the ship. Our stateroom didn’t get cool enough either so Derrick was a nasty ball of sweat in the morning. I know – TMI
Loved all the included workout classes and gym equipment. Virgin cruise line excels at having everything you need to stay fit while sailing. The classes will fill up quickly so make sure to book as soon as you board. I can’t wait to try the bungie class next time! There is also a great track for those wishing to run or walk off some of those calories. They even have bungee fitness class included!
Loved Bimini, Bahamas. The small island destination includes free access to the private beach club. The beach club is only available to cruisers when Virgin Voyages is in port. The beach club is perfect with a stunning white sand beach and crystal clear water. The service was great and food is included. Drinks are available for a fee, just tap your sea band for purchase. The island is small enough that you could rent a golf cart and explore South Bimini on your own.
Don’t love or hate it but… some of the ship space layouts are strange. To enter Pink Agave, you have to walk through a fairly narrow area which houses Sailor Services. You basically have to walk past the people waiting in line for Sailor Services to find the restaurant.
I also have mixed feelings about the pools. I loved that their were no kids and we didn’t walk out on the pool deck each day to discover people had reserved all the deck chairs but didn’t actually use them. The pools are quite small for the number of passengers. The pools were packed on sea days even though our sailing was only at 80% capacity.
Overall, I loved way more aspects of sailing with Virgin Voyages than I didn’t like. My only 2 big complaints would be the temperature throughout the ship and in our stateroom and the extra hard bed. Despite the few items we didn’t particularly enjoy, Virgin Voyages has quickly become one of our favorite cruise lines. We already have our next 2 voyages booked! I’m also eyeing sailing on the new Brilliant Lady when she debuts in September 2025. I foresee many more vacations taking a Virgin cruise.
What do you love and hate about Virgin Voyages?
More articles worth reading:
- Virgin Voyages Miami Roundtrip: 5-Night Riviera Maya Review visiting Cozumel & Bimini
- 50 Virgin Voyages Cruise Tips & Tricks
- 24 Things to Pack for a Cruise: Plus Printable Packing List for Cruise Vacations
- FREE Printable Cruise Planner (another option)
- Cruising Do’s & Don’ts – Essential Tips for a Great First Cruise
Contact me to help book your perfect Virgin Voyages trip!
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