Virgin Voyages – An Epic Adventure: Part 2

Late afternoons were about kicking back at The Dock, an outside lounge which often had live artists playing. Before getting glammed up for a top-notch meal designed by a Michelin star chef and a night of bar hopping around the ship. For the nights when we didn’t want the fun to stop, we’d continue the party in the Manor, the onboard nightclub.

I loved that there was no dress code onboard, Virgin’s ethos is to wear what makes you feel you! And that is exactly what people did, some kept it casual whilst others dressed up to the nines, either way no one was out of place.

With so much to do and take in on Valiant Lady, there was very little time spent in our sea terrace cabin. The sophisticatedly designed room surprised me with how spacious it was, and as with all sea terrace rooms we had the iconic red hammock on our balcony. Virgin have you covered with all the necessities, a dressing area to get your glam on, two full length mirrors for those OOTD snaps, and plenty storage space for those all-important outfit choices. The cabin had lots of cool features like an iPad from which you could open your curtains or set the mood with lighting options.

Finally, a rarity with a cruise holiday, Virgin Voyages offer free Wi-Fi. This came in handy for planning our next port of call agenda, posting on social media and keeping in touch with those back home.

The Galley - The famous none buffet, buffet. A food court style spot, where you raise the flag, and the crew come and take your order from one of the many themed stations. I totally welcomed this concept, you could try as much as you like, whilst being served freshly made food to your table. Whatever your taste buds fancied, The Galley had you covered, burgers, tacos, sushi, salads, paninis, American diner, and of course a dessert stand. My Breakfast go to was French toast, with a side of bacon, sausage & sweet potatoes tots, whilst my partner indulged in a brioche burger (yes for breakfast!). Lunch often started with sushi, followed by the daily burger special and the freshly made (warm) cookies for a sweet treat.

The Wake – This seafood & steak eatery gave me sophisticated vibes, it was a real treat dining here, so of course we went twice! The steak was cooked to perfection and complimented with tasty sides like twice baked potatoes with caramelised onion. As expected, I was full to the brim so went for a lighter dessert; Lemon Cheesecake with blackberry compote & cinnamon cookie crumble…. Need I say more?

Razzle Dazzle – This place had a casual vibe but offered equally as indulgent plates. It’s the place to head if you’re looking for varied vegetarian options. A meat eater? No worries! The secret menu offered some pretty interesting options. I went for the everything crusted salmon and finished it off with milk & cookies; 3 loaded cookies with a side of milk (I chose the biscoff cookie flavour, yum!).

Pink Agarve – An upscale Mexican which was a solid favourite where we started and ended our holiday. Pink Agarve was the perfect place to try a little bit of everything, with multiple size plates to share. My recommendations would be the guac with pomegranate seeds & jalapenos, and seared shrimp, followed by Ribeye steak with a side of papas con chorizo and grilled corn with spicy aioli & lime. To finish off the tacos de chocolate with dulce de leche are an absolute must!

Test Kitchen – Themed like a laboratory, this one is for the adventurous eaters. I was blown away by the fact that such a unique experience was included in the price. A boundary pushing concept that requires you to have an open mind, this one you just have to experience yourself.

Extra Virgin – All your favourite Italian plates can be found here, starting with calamari, meatballs and an antipasti board to share, followed by fresh pasta and ending with a traditional Italian Affogato. 

It’s hard to believe it, but there is so much more to tempt your taste buds. You’ve got The Pizza Place, The Dock House for Mezze plates, Sun Club Café for your boa bun fix, and ‘Lick me till Ice Cream’ for as much as ice cream as you can stomach. You can chose to head to Razzle Dazzle and The Wake for brunch, and I haven’t even mentioned the Korean BBQ place. I need another week onboard just to try it all!

The entertainment really is like nothing else. Make sure to use the app to keep up to date with what is going from morning to night! The eclectic shows kept our evenings varied, our favourites being the Nick Paul: A Marriage of Magic and Comedy and of course the immersive Scarlet Night. When not at a show, our evenings were enjoyed jumping from one bar to next and making sure to stop at ‘On the Rocks’ to check out the live bands performing.

There were lots of activities going on throughout the ship, but you’d more than likely find me sitting back and spectating on the fun. If you prefer being on the go, there was everything from group workouts to the arcade room and social club for air hockey and shuffleboard.

Top tips for your first Virgin Voyages Holiday

If you are a first-time cruiser like me and heading on a Virgin Voyage here are some of my top tips before you travel:

If you’re curious how the whole process of boarding the ship works, it was super straight forward and seamless. Virgin kept us updated regularly before our sailing, we received a designated embarkation time, which was a smooth process of checking your bags in (which then found their way to our room), picking up our access band and stepping onboard.

Virgin Voyages allow you to take two bottles of wine onboard the day you embark. We made sure to head to a supermarket before boarding to pick some up. We popped them in the fridge in the cabin and enjoyed a chilled glass each night before starting our evening.

Towels & toiletries – these are all included. There was large shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower, so no need to pack them. The same goes for beach towels, there was plenty all around the ship for you to grab when you wanted to catch some rays.

Finally, make sure to take your own water bottle onboard as there are plenty water stations around the ship to fill up. This was handy for keeping our water cool throughout the day onboard and taking with us while ashore.

I have barely scratched the service with my experience on Valiant Lady. To sum it up if you are looking for adventure, relaxation, top quality food and a little bit of a party then you are sure to enjoy a holiday with Virgin Voyages.

If you want to chat more about a potential cruise with Hays Travel then pop into one of our 450+ branches, give us a call or message us on one of our socials.