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While the ships don’t have buffets, The Galley is a large dining hall with a number of different stalls serving different foods. There’s a burger spot, a taco spot, ramen/noodle bar, a sushi area, salad area, dessert spot and more. All of these spots are either grab and go or you simply wait a few minutes while they prepare your meal. If you’ve cruised before, it was likely on a line that has a credit card style room key that served to open your room, check you on and off the ship, and charge items to your onboard account.
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Hopefully, you’re not working on vacation, but if you need to make that one important client video call, you may be in trouble. Virgin ships are also seasonally deployed in Europe (via Transatlantic crossings), with planned visits to several major Mediterranean and UK ports (including Dover and Liverpool). Wartsila's "Dynamic Maintenance Planning" system allows maintenance works to be scheduled based on remotely (real-time) monitored and analyzed vessel performance data. This allows extending service intervals (when onboard equipment doesn't require maintenance). On April 1, 2020, the company launched its "Jet Transfers Direct to Ship" service. The exclusive "fly-cruise" deal is for RockStar Suite passengers only, allowing them to arrive and depart the boat via chartered or private aircraft.
Our cruise ships are making quite a splash online
While we've lived the backpacker life, our travel style now tends to err on the side of luxury. We’re based in New York City with our favorite little traveler, Zoe. If you are flying on either side of your cruise, selecting the right flight times is a delicate art. It’s a good service, but I would actually recommend you skip luggage check when you board. Anyone who sailed with Virgin Voyages in 2021 (Sea-Blazers) or has sailed twice in 2022 and 2023 (Sea-Rovers) will receive Deep Blue Extras.
Short sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean
You’ll arrive in San Juan on 29 December 2023, just in time to see in the new year. Virgin Voyages is still a relatively small line with just three ships, and that means it can't offer too big a range of itineraries. But with at least one more vessel joining its fleet over the coming year, its destination offerings are growing.
When you check in at the terminal, they will give you a bracelet to use during your cruise. The Band is a contactless device that you need to use for pretty much everything on board. It serves as your room key, ID and credit card onboard, and you are required to tap it every time you get on and off the ship. The perks include a $100 onboard drink credit, $10 per day specialty coffee credit, some complimentary laundry services and a free upgrade to premium wifi. You’ll also have access to a dedicated Sailor Services rep onboard, expedited boarding and a special happy hour.
Score up to 80% off your 2nd Sailor
The lightweight device (RFID wristband) is mailed to all passengers and is complimentary (keepsake). The onboard programming features live performances (by the company's Hapenings Cast) and is managed by Richard Kilman (Virgin's VP of Entertainment). On December 19, 2019, was announced the "Sailor Loot" (OBC/onboard credit) program. These promotions offer OBC (per cabin) for shipboard spending during the current voyage.
We're giving a Virgin-style makeover to cruise spas and fitness programming.
Not to mention, the service was slow and seafood options were surprisingly limited for a restaurant that claims to specialize in steak and seafood. After a few days on board, it became clear that what passengers had in common wasn't the age listed in their passports but rather the shared desire to have a good time. For the most part, my fellow cruisers were a diverse, inclusive and vibrant group of vacationers who were all eager to strike up conversations with others, regardless of age.
Virgin ships don't have a main dining room, buffet restaurant, dress code (formal wear policy), assigned dining times or seating. All these concepts were replaced with intimate (boutique hotel-type) eateries offering 20+ dining options - all of which are included in cruise fares. In keeping with its "time to let loose" adults-only vibe, Virgin Voyages has built relatively late stays into several of the port calls on these itineraries, allowing passengers to maximize their fun time ashore. The typical stay at Bimini — where the line holds DJ-led pool parties at its private beach club late into the day — extends until 8 p.m., which is later than most ships stay at Bahamian ports. There’s no need to tip when you go out to dinner or drinks onboard or at their private beach club (more on that later).
Top 11 Things You Should Know about Virgin Voyages
Your room is controlled by a tablet that acts as the remote control and can be used to dim lights, and even activate different colors to set the mood. Of course, if you don’t want to use the tablet, manual controls and a TV remote are also offered. Around the ship are lots of seating and daybeds built for two, which combined with the red you see everywhere, adds to the “sexiness” of the cruise ship.
A major cruise line is testing a monthly subscription service - TheStreet
A major cruise line is testing a monthly subscription service.
Posted: Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Leading up to its maiden voyage in 2021, Virgin Voyages marketed itself as the cruise line for vacationers who otherwise weren't interested in traditional cruising. It aimed to appeal to those who were young and hip, wanted to party and craved an atmosphere without little kids running around. By far, our best Experience was a day sailing to the Pitons in Saint Lucia, where we stopped to snorkel and dropped anchor in a quiet yet colorful bay for local eats and Piton beer. The ship’s food court-styled dining, found on Deck 15, was nothing like a traditional food court. Instead of pizza, burgers, French fries, and chicken fingers, the Galley featured Bento Boxes at Bento Baby, made-to-order salads at Daily Mix, and açai bowls at The Sweet Side.
It is a hybrid of a grab-and-go and dine-in experience, meaning how you order will vary depending on which station you visit. Given all the options available, there were more places than we could try on our first Virgin Voyages cruise. Still, we sought to sample as much as possible during our four-night sailing. However, those adult activities were easy to spot on the agenda, so you could easily skip them if you wanted a more tame cruise experience. The entertainment we experienced fell somewhere between PG-13 and R, though we admittedly headed to bed by 11 p.m., so perhaps offerings leaned more X-rated as the night went on. Based on my trip, I'd say that is still a pretty accurate representation.
For 2024, Scarlet Lady will be based in Barcelona (taking the place of Valiant Lady), offering two western Mediterranean itineraries that mostly focus on stops in Spain and France. Virgin also operates one-off sailings out of Miami around the winter holidays. Typical is a six-night "Valiant Caribbean Holidays" sailing out of Miami on Dec. 20, 2024, visiting Puerto Plata, Nassau and Bimini. These are sailings that stop in more distant Caribbean destinations such as St. Croix and Roatan, Honduras, and will appeal to cruisers who find trips of just four or five days too short. Virgin Voyages got its start offering short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami, and that's still the line's biggest cruise destination focus. In fact, one of Virgin Voyages' two vessels currently in operation, the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, does nothing but short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami.
The ship's originally planned inauguration was for March 29th, 2020 (3-day "Sneak-A-Peek Cruise"). In March was announced an expansion of onboard entertainment fleetwide. The announcement mentioned new cabaret and game shows, new parties (80s Party, We Fancy), and more live music (by the hosted in The Red Room and The Manor program Festival Stage Acts/comedy shows rotating every 2 to 4 weeks). The Internet is provided via MEO and LEO satellites (Medium Earth Orbit and Low Earth Orbit).
The red hammock on the terrace, perfect for lounging, watching the sea roll by. No one understands what voyaging with us is like better than our Sailors. So instead of going on about everything that makes sailing with us an epic experience, we’ll let them do the talking.
If you qualify, these rewards will automatically be applied to your next sailing through 2024. It’s officially wave season, and Virgin Voyages is turning up the excitement with their most enticing offer of the year, along with unveiling 21 new ports for Summer 2025. We saw crew members on the basketball courts, eating in The Galley and just generally out and about around the ship even when they didn't appear to be on the clock, which helped create a more relaxed atmosphere. Additionally, unlike Disney Cruise Line, where cabin attendants make it a point to get to know you and your preferences, Virgin Voyages lacked the same personalized service. I never interacted with a person in charge of our cabin, as it would be serviced while we were out (after pushing a button that sent the request to the crew) by a person that, to us, remained nameless and faceless. It didn't offer as much of a party vibe as Gunbae, but it still felt lively and served a solid selection of Mexican dishes.
OSW provides all the wellness staff, services and products onboard Virgin ships, including yoga and gym trainers, massages, medispa treatments, salon (manicure-pedicure-hairdresser) services. The served facilities include Crow's Nest (outdoor yoga studio), Redemption Spa, Dry-Dock (blowout bar), B-Complex (Fitness Center). While most things onboard can be booked in the app, there are a handful of sign-ups that have to be done in person on the ship. These are things with individual time slots, like tattoo and spa appointments and private karaoke registration, and they will be noted as such in the app. If you are set on any of these services/activities, do some research in advance and plan your first day accordingly. Gunbae's Korean fare was not only delicious but served in a setting that was an absolute blast to experience.
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