Cool ship. Great experience

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 37

Review summary

Valiant Lady Western Caribbean Charm -March 19th Cruise out of Miami First time sailors on Virgin Voyages and wanted to share my experience here: We love the Virgin Voyage branding and aesthetic. That plus no kids is what sold us on this vacation on the Valiant Lady: Ship- not too big and not too small. Good layout with the roundabout being at the center that has a nice but awkward staircase. Plenty of areas to sit and lounge around inside and out. Pools are small and made for dipping not swimming. But didn’t really have much issue w finding lounge chairs. Cushioned seating outdoors went fast . Spa Thermal suite looked nice but the 3 hour window of use didn’t seem like a great deal in my opinion (but might be for some). Room - we had 9014A sea Terrace. The rooms are smaller then we are used to on cruises (atleast ours was) and the space btw TV and bed was really tight. In room controls were nice. Desk Vanity lighting was bad (not great for doing hair and makeup) . AC stopped working 3 times. It was fixed twice. Balcony hammock was fantastic perk (great for reading at sea). Bed was comfy - Nice linens. Bathroom rain shower head was great and having a door made it feel roomier somehow. Food - was pretty great all around. Favorite was the Test kitchen (if you like surprises and elegantly plated meals). Razzle Dazzle was great for a brunch. Wake steakhouse was delicious for dinner (breakfast had a small ok menu) Pink Agave was good Mexican but some dishes were lacking. Gunbae was a cool experience of Korean BBQ and recommend doing it once. Extra Virgin was lovely Italian and their steak was actually fantastic. The Dock House was our favorite place to hang - the mezze style small plates were yummy and the vibe on the back of the boat was perfect to chill out. (Plus happy hour w free drinks at 4pm!) The Galley - what would be a buffet was also good. Slightly more elevated then typical cruises and varied options that were generally the same each day (noodles/ramen tacos, sushi, burgers, all day breakfast, dessert station, salad bar, paninis…) but while convenient to sit down and order, it was a bit awkward to give the staff your random food desires and not feel self conscious. The flag system to get service does work though. We loved the bento boxes and the concept of Quickee grab and go pre packaged food options. The sun cafe on deck 16 had poke rice bowls that we had once, enjoyed but forgot about. Ice cream was excellent but only open till 10 Pizza was actually really good quality and open late. Reservations - need to be made ASAP when boarding the ship, or as soon as the booking opens in Advance of sailing. The restaurant do accommodate walk Ins (some with waiting times) and the shows book up fast. Entertainment - modern shows, mix of entertainment staff our favorite was the Duel which was a acrobatic performance with a nod to Romeo and Juliet. The Ship Show included dinner which was ok , but the entertainment was good. Musicians/music around the ship at different times was enjoyable. Scarlet Night - fun evening on deck where everyone wears red and they tell the myth of the Scarlet Night. Some performances and dancing on the pool deck. Bimini Beach Club - our favorite day at port. Beautiful white sand. Turquoise water that is unreal. Lots of loungers but front row gets snatched up fast. Not great snorkeling off the beach. 2 larger pools. Lots of seating (if you want an umbrella arrive early). Caribbean style lunch included that was tasty. Pool DJ was fantastic - great mix of music and the float party was so much fun. Service - excellent staff. The app to contact sailor services was very handy and pretty responsive. Only grumpy person was a dealer at the roulette table in the casino Cocktails- nice options at every bar and restaurant. Lots of creative choices and good prices with some ranging higher if you wanted more premium. Coffee - included drip coffee was tasty. Intelligentsia coffee at Grounds Club stations was priced decently and very good. All in all we loved sailing with Virgin and despite some things we would have liked to be different (like room space, more pools) and would def book another voyage with them.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

The Beach Club (Virgin Voyages), Bimini Bahamas

Disembarkation