Beautiful ship for a cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 27

Review summary

Virgin's Valiant Lady is a new and beautiful ship. The decor and themes were beautiful and clever. The layout could be awkward with particular decks not connecting stem to stern, as well as bathrooms being poorly labeled or oddly placed. The sinks in public restrooms have "touchless" faucets, which need some adjustments as there was a lot of touching to get them to operate. The room was great. We booked a guaranteed ocean view room and we were placed in a partially obstructed balcony on the 8th floor. The shower is huge for a cruise ship, the rest of the bathroom small. The balcony featured their famous red hammock, which is awesome. The lights, curtains, room service, and TV are all powered by a tablet that is pretty neat, but had some quirks needing a reboot periodically. There was a touch button by the door that controls DND mode/room turnover ready, making it easy on you and the staff. Our room, however, on the port side of deck 8, was 1 level above The Manor night club, so we could hear the bass of the music into early hours of the morning. Most of the trip: itinerary, bills, events, reservations, and excursions are all managed through their app. The app needs a good IT tune up, as it has the potential to be very efficient but unfortunately was not very user friendly. The basic WiFi on the ship was adequate for general internet use, but would probably pay the upgraded WiFi if you have the intention of working remotely. Food is excellent, they made an effort and accommodations to anyone with allergies or intolerances. Whilst it is advertised as Michelin Star chef prepared, please keep in mind it is still a cruise ship where food is ordered in bulk for a massive audience. That being said, better food than any other cruise line with very diverse and interesting menu options. You have to book restaurant reservations ahead of time but we found them to be accommodating if you had to come early/late. What was less than accommodating were the shows in the evening. They were usually scheduled around 7/7:30 (generally when one would be having dinner), and you had to register to attend them...and you CAN'T sign up until you are on the ship, and shows were "sold out" immediately, whilst on a ship at less 70% capacity. You can go standby to a show, but if that show is at The Manor, you might be standing over someone's shoulder who has a seat...it's awkward and not enjoyable. They also didn't have another show option at the same time to help draw the crowd in a different direction. The entertainment itself was good but we only got to see a few things. Several events were cancelled for various reasons leaving a vacacy in our anticipated evening. Despite showtime entertainment being somewhat of a bust, there is a casino if you like gambling, but what I thought was pretty neat was the game area with karaoke, board games, bar, snack bar, and an arcade featuring all the classics (coin free!). They also have a separate area for Korean style karaoke (private rooms). Givey the fact that Virgin Voyages has only been operating for probably less than a year because of Covid, I know they are working to fix their kinks and I hope that they do because I would love to sail with them again.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Children's Programs

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.

The Beach Club (Virgin Voyages), Bimini Bahamas

Disembarkation