Gill Williams, our Personal Travel Consultant, and her husband recently enjoyed a cruise around the picturesque Greek Isles onboard the beautiful Resilient Lady with Virgin Voyages.
“We have been lucky enough to sail on many cruise lines in the past and, it is fair to say, we are huge fans of cruising”
After seeing so many pictures and reviews online and from other colleagues, I was so intrigued to get onboard Virgin Voyages but I still didn’t quite know what to expect. As older sailors, we don’t love wild parties and dancing all night which seems like a big part of the cruise line. A big question for us was: can you relax on Virgin Voyages?
First Impressions
Boarding was a very smooth process. Once we completed all our details on the app, we didn’t need any tickets or luggage labels which was so easy. At check in, we were given a bracelet which acted as our ‘everything’ onboard – it was our room key and charge card.
The App
I am not techy in the slightest but this app was so easy to use. We used the app to pre-book all our dining venues and it showed us which restaurants and bars were open that night. It also gave you a list of what entertainment and activities were happening throughout the ship.
Another great tool on the app was Sailor Services. We could direct message the customer services with any questions and queries we had and got a response within minutes!
Favourite Areas
Our absolute favourite area of the ship was The Dock. this is a lovely, chilled area at the back of the ship with plenty of day beds, comfy chairs and a great, relaxed ambience. The incredible staff will make you your favourite cocktails alongside a variety of nibbles and tapas. It is just as good in the evening too with chilled music to set the vibe. It was that good that we went there everyday.
We also really loved The Social. This was more for grabbing a bag of treats, from popcorn and gummy bears to hotdogs and chicken wings, as you are passing through. It was a really popular area among other guests for entertainment as they often had quizzes, plenty of games and other activities here.
Our other favourite was the Sip Bar. This was the Champagne bar on board, again really chilled with live bands and great music in the evening. We were really glad that Virgin Voyages had these kind of bars and lounges onboard which were a little more laid back.
Dining Onboard
All 20+ dining venues onboard were including in the cruise fare. I would recommend pre-booking your preferred dining venues on the App, however the restaurants are amazing and will assist you if you require any changes.
The food in each venue is incredible and they all offer something different. Our favourites were Pink Agave, Mexican food, and Extra Virgin, the Italian. Gunbae was an amazing experience. Having visited South Korea several times, I was so pleased that they got this just right! The way the food is presented, cooked and all the accompaniments – even down to the Soju.
Rockstar Rooms
We were staying in a Seaview Terrace. it was a great size and the famous hammock on the balcony was surprisingly comfortable.
The technology within the room was second to none. The tablet opens and closes the curtains, controls the lighting and selects your TV and music options at a touch of a button. WiFi is free onboard too which is a great touch as often you have to pay extra on certain cruise lines for the basic option. You can upgrade to the Premium Package if you need streaming options.
Scarlet Night
To describe Scarlet Night in two words… Completely Mad! As the name implies, guests dress up in something red and party the night away. We saw some amazing outfits!
As the evening progresses, the story of Scarlet Night emerges around the ship with the final chapter being in the main pool where some guests got really involved and ended up IN the pool. It looked incredible fun but there were plenty of other areas on board to relax on Virgin Voyages.
Shake For Champagne
If you open up the app and, quite literally, shake your phone wherever you are on the ship, a waiter will appear, as if by magic, with an ice bucket, two glasses and a bottle of Moet & Chandon.
This does need to be paid for at the cost of $95 but we had a great afternoon – cheers!
Top Tip – Pre book your Bar Tab before you travel and Virgin will give you an additional $50pp. If you spend £240 GBP this will give you a bar tab of $300 USD. Virgin Voyages top this up with $50pp to give you a total of $350 each. All soft drinks are included.
If you want to relax on Virgin Voyages like Gill, call us on 02380 658 386 or browse our Virgin Voyages Cruise Deals.
