What its like to be a Virgin
I recently went on a Virgin Cruise for the first time, I guess that makes me a Virgin Cruise virgin. As someone who has been on more cruises than most, I am very familiar with cruising and have been on Carnival, Celebrity, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Emerald Waterways, Oceana, and Azamara. When I heard that Virgin had reimagined cruising, I was curious to see how and what the key differences would be.
No Kids
The first is the most obvious and the one that really got me excited. No kids! Virgin Cruise is the only cruise line that is kids-free, and that was a huge plus for me. I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the more allergic to children I get. Nothing against your cute little niece or nephew, but kids running around a cruise ship, screaming, jumping in the adults-only jacuzzi and being left completely unsupervised by non-caring parents is just not my thing.
Not having children on board had a noticeable and positive impact on my experience. Kudos to Virgin Cruise for taking a typically family-friendly vacation idea and turning it into an adults-only cruise line.
The overall Vibe
I don’t know how to say this any better than “the Vibe” was just different. It’s not just that there are no kids, it is everything… from the shows, the entertainment staff (known as the “Happenings Cast”, the music, the layout… it all just adds to a very cool (and “cheeky”) Vibe that is unlike any other cruise.
And this is a good thing.
I remember the first time I stayed at a Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. It just “felt” different. In an adult, cool vibe, kinda way. I still can’t put my finger on it, but it felt more comfortable to me, more tailored for me, and its about time we had a way to cruise, not only without kids, but with an atmosphere tailored to adults.
What the cruise is not
The cruise is not an “anything goes” experience. It is not X-rated just because it is adults-only. It’s not stuffy and overtly fancy like you would get on an Azamara or Oceana cruise. There are no giant waterslides and carousels as you would find on Carnival or Royal Caribbean. It is like staying in a hip part of a city, with good cafes, places to work out, good entertainment and pubs. It is definitely not a “swinger’s cruise”, but we did meet other swingers on board (they even sell pineapple clothing and ballcaps, look next to the rainbow ballcaps).
The cruise line does not want to be known as a “swinger’s cruise,” but they certainly cater to open-minded people looking for a more adult version of cruising. I would also say this is the most LGBTQ+-friendly cruise (by far) on the high seas.
The Happenings Cast
This group of 15 people is the heartbeat of the onboard experience. Each one has its own unique titles that reflect its specific roles or personalities:
The Hostess: The main mistress of ceremonies, a singer who hosts major celebrations like Scarlet Night.
The Artist: leads creative sessions, such as painting events and mural decoration.
The Charmer: An individual who performs impromptu magic tricks and connects with sailors one-on-one.
The Flare, The Spark, The Hype, The Glow, The Bounce. These cast members are dancers and lively hosts who keep the energy high at parties, fitness classes, game shows, and other events.
The Foodie: Someone who connects with guests over shared meals and cocktails.
You will find them throughout the ship, hanging out with guests, hosting games, trivia, karaoke, etc… and they all get together for shows and big events like the Pajama Party and Scarlet Night. There is no cruise director, per se; all of the cast help you, in different ways, to ensure you have a great experience.
Bars and Drinks
I thought the bars were very well done and had great bartenders. The selection of liquor was better than any ship I have been on, and the cocktail list was creative, modern, and included more complicated cocktails than I usually find on cruise ships.
Most bars were not merely places to get drinks; they were also venues for entertainment, such as music, trivia, games, sports, or karaoke. It was more like going to different themed bars than just sitting and drinking on a ship. They also had a feature called “Shake for Champagne,” where you could open the Virgin App and shake it, and it would ask you if you wanted a bottle of champagne. Click yes and a bottle would be on the way, no matter where you were on the ship. Cool idea!
Shows & the Nightclub (the Manor)
On most cruise lines, the nightclub is really just a lounge during the day, and they call it a nightclub at night, but it doesn’t really feel like a nightclub. Well, we expected more from Virgin and we got it. The nightclub is straight out of Vegas and Studio 54. I love the Instagrammable entrance and the upstairs (for the voyeurs in the group). It is a legitimate nightclub, and we close it on many nights.
The shows are not your mom’s Broadway play on a static stage. The stage transforms, and I won’t give you any spoilers here, but do yourself a favor and just go to as many shows as possible. There are usually two a night and they are a lot of fun. They are more like the House of Yes, and a Cirque show with Drag queens and magic thrown in. They are creative, modern and not what you would expect on a cruise ship, and THAT is why we loved them.
And the game shows in the main theater are funny and full of adult humor.
The Cabin
First of all, and I should have said this at the very beginning: Whoever came up with the idea to put a hammock on the balcony was a genius and deserves a raise. I have always loved hammocks, but you have to stick your foot out to push off of something so you can rock back and forth. Not on a cruise, the natural motion of the ship rocks you gently without any effort. When I first tried out the hammock, I was surprised because I could lie all the way out in this thing; I thought it was just a chair. The next thing I knew, I woke up without knowing how long I had been there (it was an hour). I spent several hours swaying in the hammock over the course of the cruise, and it was really relaxing, and I can’t imagine cruising without one.
Back to the cabin, it was like most other cabins that I have been in. About the same size and layout. I liked that when you enter the cabin, the lights go on automatically and the curtains open. They have a tablet that controls the lights, TV and allows you to order food. Overall, the cabin seemed fresh, new and had modern touches (like the automatic features and tablet controls. I was very comfortable. My favorite difference (from other cruise lines) is how the cabin lights up at night. There are many different lighting options to help set the mood. Perfect for one of our group cruises.
The Food
On regular cruise ships, there are usually three main choices: The Buffet, the Main Dining Room and then Specialty Restaurants that you have to pay extra for. On Virgin, everything is included (you don’t have to pay extra to go to their steakhouse) and there is no buffet or main dining room. Instead, there are more restaurants to choose from, giving you a very different experience than traditional cruising.
It’s more like visiting a city and hitting up a bunch of restaurants instead of going to the same restaurant and ordering different things each night. The Korean barbecue restaurant was a great experience with friends. My personal favorite was Agave, a Mexican restaurant that offered authentic Mexican cuisine, not just Tex-Mex tacos and burritos. Their mezcal collection was impressive.
While they claim not to have a “buffet,” their Galley is essentially one, without the self-serve option. They have different food sections, such as a food court, and everything is cooked to order and served to you. My biggest disappointment was that the taco place closed at 3 pm (I want late-night tacos!) and they didn’t serve tacos on many days, they had Mediterranean food instead. Give me tacos! Every day and every night. Tacos, Tacos, Tacos. Oh, well, it is still better than a self-serve buffet and much more sanitary.
There was a poke place too, but I often forgot about it because of the location (upper sundeck). It would have been great if this were in the galley. All in all, I thought the food was very good, sometimes great and sometimes just OK. But I liked the variety and the different options. Much better than sitting in the same ol’ big dining room every night.
But is it a good place for us?
No matter what you are into, we think Virgin is a great way to cruise. While not a takeover, the cruise line is the best product we have seen in the cruising industry and whether you go alone or with a group, we think you will love being on a Virgin cruise. We have put together several group cruises and we hope you join us on one of these amazing itineraries.
Summary
The industry needed a cruise line that caters not only to adults but to the LGBTQ+ and anyone in an alternative community and it has found it in Virgin Cruises. I hope you will join us on one of our upcoming group cruises to Alaska or the Southern Caribbean because there is no other cruise line where you can be yourself and not worry about a bunch of kids spoiling your vacation.
They won us over and we can’t wait to go back!
Note: It is important to behave on any cruise line. I have heard stories of people going topless in the nightclub or caught doing sexual acts and if that happens, you should expect to be kicked off the ship and banned from future cruises. There is a time and place for everything and on Virgin Cruise, that place is in your cabin. We flirted with people on board, had a blast but kept everything private in our cabin and that is what you should do as well, no matter what cruise line you sail on.