Virgin Voyages Review: Honest Tips & Firsthand Advice from Our Travel Advisors
- paigelandrum
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Over Memorial Day weekend, A Mouse and a Beach Travel Company sailed on Virgin Voyages, an adult-only cruise line with elevated dining, unique entertainment, and stylish ships. They are known for blending relaxation, nightlife, and luxury to appeal to everyone. Our crew wanted to take advantage of their PTO, and a cruise on Virgin Voyages was the perfect way to relax.
To provide the best recommendations, we want to see it for ourselves. We prioritize firsthand experience, which made our agency sailing on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady incredibly valuable. Exploring the ship with our ‘advisor brains’ turned on made this one of our favorite team trips yet. We asked each advisor to share their top three takeaways from the adventure.
Their favorite part of the cruise
Something they wish they'd known before sailing
Their best advice for future Virgin Voyages sailors
If you've been considering a new way to cruise, without kids(!), this cruise line may be the perfect fit. Side note... it's even MORE fun with friends.
Dave & Mary's Take | @amouseandabeach
"One of the biggest surprises for us wasn't just the incredible food (although yes—it absolutely lives up to the hype!). What really stood out was the atmosphere onboard.
Virgin Voyages truly offers something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a lively vacation with parties and entertainment or a relaxing escape with quiet spaces to unwind, you'll find your perfect balance. We also loved seeing such a diverse mix of travelers enjoying a kid-free getaway. That surprised us the most... the average age range of the sailors was probably 35-45.
Before sailing, we wish we knew that the lifeboats would be in our view on deck 9. We are all about some balcony sittin' and that was a bummer. We recommend decks 10-12 for best views and placement."
Our Favorites
The balcony hammock (we're seriously considering buying one (or two) for our home!)
Spending time with our clients onboard
Grab-and-go sushi
The SEAsaw
Private karaoke rooms
Complimentary bottled water in the stateroom
The wearable wristbands that make everything onboard so easy
And yes...the adults-only atmosphere. We love kids, but uninterrupted time together hits differently and we love prioritizing each other to keep our marriage strong!
Kelly's Take | @travel.kellywestbrookÂ
"This was my second Virgin Voyages sailing, and I was just as impressed this time around.
The food continues to be one of my favorite parts, especially Pink Agave and The Wake. I also love that the ship gives you options—there's always something happening if you're feeling social, but plenty of peaceful places when you just want to relax. The Dock remains one of my favorite places onboard, and I love the convenience of the wearable bands. Much like Disney, I rarely needed to carry anything with me."
I Wish I'd Known...
I usually study deck plans carefully when booking clients, but this time I focused on getting a larger balcony instead of the cabin location. Unfortunately, we ended up directly above late-night karaoke, and we definitely heard it. Going forward, I'll be recommending cabins on decks 10–12 whenever possible to my clients.
My Advice
Virgin's ships are very similar to one another, so don't expect dramatically different experiences between ships. The good news is that Virgin continues updating restaurants and entertainment to give each ship its own personality, and I'm excited to see those changes continue.
Jennifer's Take | @travels.by.jenniferÂ
"I sailed with one of my closest friends, and we packed our trip full of everything Virgin had to offer. Some of my favorite memories include the incredible food, Lola's Library, the private karaoke rooms, and spending the day in Bimini enjoying that beautiful turquoise water."
I Wish I'd Known...
I wasn't prepared for how long the walk is at Bimini—or how few signs there are! If I could do it again, I'd absolutely take the tram.
I also wish I had looked more closely at the entertainment schedule before making dinner reservations because we accidentally missed one of the shows we really wanted to see. These types of details are how I will help my clients make their itinerary plan when they book their sailing through me.
My Advice
Take the tram at Bimini.
Get off the ship early in port to claim the best beach or pool spots.
Book dinner around 5:30 PM or 8:30 PM if seeing the shows is important to you.
Reserve dining as soon as reservations open.
Lindsey's Take | @world.land.and.sea.adventuresÂ
"For me, the itinerary was one of Virgin's biggest selling points. I loved visiting destinations like Bimini, and I appreciate that Virgin offers itineraries with ports you don't always find on other cruise lines.
Of course, the food deserves another mention. It was consistently the best cruise dining I've experienced, regardless of which restaurant we visited."
I Wish I'd Known...
One evening we skipped making a dinner reservation because the menu didn't sound appealing. We quickly discovered that getting into another restaurant wasn't easy, and we ended up grabbing burgers and pizza instead. The food was still delicious, but I had been hoping for a steak dinner!
I also found that eating around 6:00 PM sometimes left a long gap before the late-night entertainment started.
My Advice
Reserve dinner every single night—even if you think you might change your plans.
Consider the Splash of Romance package for early boarding and extra perks.
Research your ports ahead of time.
Don't feel like you have to book expensive excursions everywhere. Some ports are wonderful to explore on your own.
Sara's Take | @vacationplanningbysaraÂ
"There was so much to love about this sailing! One of my favorite ports was Taino Bay in Puerto Plata. It was clean, organized, and included complimentary access to the pool and lazy river, making for a fantastic day ashore.
Back onboard, I fell in love with The Dock on Deck 7. It became our nightly tradition to relax there under the stars. My husband was equally obsessed with the balcony hammock and somehow managed to squeeze in an afternoon nap every day!
As a child of the '90s, I also loved the free arcade games, trivia, and nostalgic touches throughout the ship.
I Wish I'd Known...
The main pool area felt smaller than I expected, and I wish I had planned our embarkation day in Miami a little better since there was extra time between arriving at the port and boarding.
Disembarkation was another lesson learned. Since our flight wasn't until later in the day, we took our time leaving the ship—but so did everyone else. Next time, I'd leave earlier to avoid the long rideshare lines.
My Advice
Priority boarding (or the Splash of Romance package) is absolutely worth considering.
Stay up until your dining reservations open so you can secure the restaurants and times you want.
Don't feel pressured to do every activity onboard. Skip the things that don't interest you and enjoy the vacation your own way.
Our Biggest Takeaway
Although every advisor had their own unique experience, a few themes came up over and over again:
The food is exceptional.
Dining reservations matter.
The hammock is a balcony game changer.
The adults-only atmosphere creates a completely different vacation experience.
Virgin Voyages gives you the freedom to be as active—or as relaxed—as you want.
Thinking about trying Virgin Voyages? We'd love to help you decide if it's the right cruise line for your travel style. Better yet, you'll be working with advisors who have sailed it themselves and can share firsthand tips to make your vacation even better.
