Cruising the Caribbean With Virgin Voyages

For those who have been on other cruise lines, all I can say is to keep an open mind, as this one will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before and is very different from what has been known in the cruising industry—up until this point.

I personally loved not having to worry about carrying around a ship key card and instead just had to wear a sailor band that would be tapped when ordering a drink or to get into my cabin. It was small, you adjusted to wearing it very quickly, and it was just so convenient. You don’t have to worry about forgetting it in your room!

Accommodation

We were on the Valiant Lady and honestly were so impressed with how clean everything was, and loved the more minimalistic concept in terms of furniture throughout the ship.

The balcony cabin was set up in such a way as to maximize space, and instead of our beds being side by side, they created an “L” shape in order to keep it as open as possible. The red hammock that they’re known for? Absolutely perfect for relaxing on the balcony, taking in the sunrise, relaxing with a cocktail, or even taking a quick nap listening to the waves. If a hammock isn’t your thing, not to worry as they also have chairs and a small table. If you want to relax, read a book or order room service.

Relax on your balcony

On the ship

This is a cruise line that really focuses on having you decide how much or how little you want to do while on your vacation. Once you’re onboard and they have completed the safety briefings and announcements, you will not hear another overhead announcement until it’s time to disembark, letting you sleep in if you want, go to that early morning fitness class without interruption, or go check out what to do in port.

For those that want to know the daily list of offered activities and don’t want to be on the app the whole time, Sailor Services has printouts of everything going on, including operating hours of each eatery, things to know at the port the ship is currently docked at, and what shows are going on.

Staff & service

Overall, the staff was incredible! So kind, so friendly, so helpful. They really went out of their way to make sure that we had everything that we needed, that we were comfortable, and were very cognizant about asking us if we had any allergies that they needed to be aware of.

Our room attendants kept our room spotless, always refilling the water carafes that were in our room (which was a great way to refill our water bottles before going out in port!), and very conscientious about when we had the “do not disturb” sign on or when it was off for them to come inside.

It is very tech-forward, with buttons on the inside of the closet putting on the “do not disturb” or “service needed” and also having a tablet in the room to control the lights and television. The staff I spoke with all had positive things to say about the cruise line, and felt that they really got a chance to show that they were also human (think more relaxed uniforms in most areas, being able to show their tattoos, etc) and that they were treated well. Many had come from working for other cruise lines, and I feel that if they all had experience working elsewhere and these were the things they were saying about this cruise line, that said a lot about the company as a whole.

If the staff are happy, it makes a difference as to how you, being the guest, are made to feel and how the atmosphere is.

The Dock House

In port

One of the top highlights (for me personally, as everyone has their own, different experience), was the itinerary and the ports of call that this cruise aboard the Valiant Lady offered. This was a Caribbean cruise that was roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and went to St. Maarten, St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, and Barbados. Coming from the western United States, these are not as easily accessible islands to visit as it would be if I was visiting from the Eastern U.S., so it was a great way to be able to see places I had never been to before all in one trip with only unpacking once!

There are shore excursions that are offered by the cruise line, some of which are exclusive to Virgin Voyages and are great options. I personally only ended up doing one excursion through the cruise line itself and then my grandma and I booked our own last-minute things to do at the other ports. It is nice to have the options though, and it sounded from other guests onboard that they had a great time doing some of the cruise line’s shore excursions at the various island ports.

My personal experiences at these ports were the following, but I know that everyone has their own experiences and enjoys doing different things. However, if someone is going to ask me about taking a Virgin Voyages cruise in the Caribbean and some of these ports of call are included, then I will be recommending what I did based on my personal experience. It was great because it felt like we got a decent amount of time in each port to enjoy our time, have a great experience, and also got to spend some time on the ship if we wanted to for the day prior to leaving port.

St. Maarten

The word for our day in St. Maarten would be peaceful. We found an amazing gondola ride (not like the boats in Venice, like the moving seats going up the side of a mountain) and went all the way to the top of a mountain where we had the most incredible views of both sides (French and Dutch) of the island, as well as the neighboring five islands!

The St. Maarten Sky Explorer at Rainforest Adventures on Sentry Hill showcases lush greenery, viewing platforms with information about each island we could see, the bar and rest area at the top, and seeing the more adventurous zipliners going down the mountain at almost 55mph made for such a fun time and gorgeous photos!

The beach—no, my grandma and I did not go to the famous beach known for the planes flying directly overhead, but went to another one—was relaxin. The water felt great, the rum punch was on point, and the locals were friendly. It was also very easy to purchase a water shuttle ticket to get directly back to the port and walk right onto the cruise ship!

St. Maarten views

St. Kitts and Nevis

St. Kitts and Nevis was the shore excursion that we purchased through the cruise line. In full transparency, some of what we did and saw on the tour was not included in the description of the tour. However, the guides we had were awesome and we felt like we saw (albeit briefly) everything there is to see on both islands with a great catamaran cruise in-between both ways.

Seeing where Alexander Hamilton was born was pretty cool as I did not know that he had been born on the island of Nevis. The islands are stunning and it was wild seeing monkeys playing in the trees or running through a field and knowing you’re not in a zoo! The beach on Nevis was amazing, right next to the Four Seasons (set in such an incredible location) and the water felt incredible. The catamaran included drinks and the captains and staff onboard were awesome and always checking in on you to make sure that you were having a great time or if you needed anything.

Dominica

We had no idea when we came to the island of Dominica what we were going to do. So many people I had talked to prior to coming on this cruise had no idea this island existed or had confused it with the Dominican Republic.

Full confession: we ended up being those confused-looking tourists who walked off the cruise ship and having everyone descend upon us showcasing what they had to offer, and we ended up going with this guide who had been doing tours like this for over 20 years. It was a driving tour through the island and we ended up having the best time with it being the most random day we had this entire trip! We were treated to such fascinating facts regarding this rainforest island, got spectacular panoramic views, and witnessed the waterfalls and sulfur springs by our guide, and it was wonderful that there was not a lot of walking involved for my grandma but that we still got to enjoy and appreciate this beautiful island!

Dominica

Barbados

Unfortunately, the shore excursion that we had booked for my grandma ended up being canceled due to not having enough bookings, and I was unable to find an alternative for her in time. She ended up enjoying her time in the port, walking through the many many shops and meeting some fellow passengers from our cruise ship.

I had booked a catamaran cruise that included transfer to and from the cruise port, lunch, drinks, and snorkeling and it was wonderful! El Tigre Catamaran cruises was absolutely perfect for the time spent off-board the cruise ship and they guarantee getting you back to your cruise ship on time. A few of us from the cruise ship experienced this tour, but the other passengers either came from other cruise ships or were staying on the island wanting to do a catamaran cruise, and it was awesome getting to meet so many people from other places while we all experienced this tour. The crew were fantastic, very safety-conscious, and were so much fun to talk to and get to know. We went snorkeling at a couple different stops, getting to see sea turtles, shipwrecks, and reefs. Lunch and all-inclusive drinks were included, and getting to see the shoreline of Barbados was incredible! Everyone was so impressed and this was a top-notch experience that I would recommend to anyone if you visit Barbados.

Caribbean sunset in Barbados

Final day at sea

The last day was a day at sea, and it was a day to really experience and appreciate the cruise ship, the staff, and fellow passengers. The weather was perfect, the entertainment top-notch, and everyone was in a celebratory mood even though it was the last night. The various live music entertainers would rotate through what venue they’d be playing at and it was fun to catch them at different times, as well as enjoying our last night at Extra Virgen, the Italian restaurant onboard.

There is something for everyone onboard, whether that is playing bingo, seeing a show, going to the pool, getting a drink, or grabbing a bite to eat. The atmosphere is fun, people are engaging, and everything is clearly marked, so if you end up at one end of the ship it is very easy to find your way to the other.

Dining

Virgin Voyages has some great dining options onboard. Even though that means that you might have to be having different reservations at different restaurants every night, you get top-notch food that is high quality and made to order, especially if you have any food allergies.

Our personal favorite was the Chef’s Kitchen, which is like a test kitchen and the menus rotate every day and then every third day. The staff were absolutely amazing that we even requested our server again for the next evening and it was so fun! We had the best time and the food was absolutely incredible! I highly recommend the pairing menu if you get a chance.

We met fellow passengers no matter what restaurant we were at, and the conversations, food, and atmospheres made for some great dining experiences. There is something for everyone, including Italian, steak and seafood, Korean, American, pizza, and ice cream as well as several different food stations in their dining hall.

There were holiday or specialty cocktails that were the same at every bar, but then each one had their own menus with various cocktail options that you could only find there. Some of the bars were set up as service bars so you could grab and go with your drink, while others had seating set up along the counters where one could sit and chat with the staff and passengers while enjoying their drink and listening to whatever entertainment might be going on at the time.

Sip Lounge bar

Activities & experiences

There is plenty to do on the ship if going out in port isn’t what you want to do or when you’re relaxing during a day at sea. This is the only cruise line that offers a tattoo parlor (Squid Ink) onboard if you wanted to capture something permanent to remember your trip, and the artists that work onboard are all guest artists from around the world who are known for their own craft and studios.

If you want a different type of souvenir, there are shops with something for everyone, as well as a beauty and hair salon, spa services (even offering IVs at sea if you need to detox from the drinks, sunshine, parties, food or just want to keep your immune system strong with all the traveling you’re doing), or maybe grab something red-colored for the famed Scarlet Night.

Part of the pool area

Scarlet Night

Scarlet Night was such a fun event as everyone onboard got into the spirit of things, all wearing red and coming for the show, where they introduced the theme and the story behind it, as well as having a massive dance party. Normally the party is up on the pool deck, but due to weather, the party was held indoors in their massive Red Room Theatre, which was still fun, even though other passengers who have been on a Virgin Voyages cruise before stated that it made such a difference being able to party it up on the pool deck with everyone. Guess that just means I’ll have to go on another Virgin Voyages cruise to truly experience the Scarlet Night party!

The themed nights were so fun, and it was fun seeing how much fellow passengers and even the crew got into the spirit of it all and went all out (matching PJs for the adult PJ party, anyone?). It was a good reminder to not always take yourself so seriously and just go have fun and let loose a little.

There are so many activities on board that if you say you’re bored, then that’s on you! From trivia, magic shows, board games, private karaoke rooms, bingo with the Diva, musical performances, bar crawls, hanging out at the pools, private and group fitness classes, playing on the basketball court, or maybe just relaxing in your hammock on your balcony. There truly is something for everyone.

In sum

We had such a great time. If you’re looking for an adults-only cruise with great itineraries throughout the world, including delicious food, a fun atmosphere, and fabulous cocktails, then look no further! Virgin Voyages is the cruise line for you.

Deck views

The Sailor app

Prior to your voyage, make sure that you have downloaded the Sailor app. This will keep you up-to-date on what you need to know, complete your safety briefing, and where you can make dinner reservations ahead of time. There were times where the app would overwhelm us with everything going on, but other times it was very helpful to be able to keep things straight and so we could keep track of what we wanted to do onboard, what time it was, and the location of the event.

Drinks package & Bar Tab

This cruise line does not require every adult to have to purchase a drinks package if they are sharing a cabin. So if someone doesn’t drink alcohol or maybe only wants one or two drinks, they will be able to use the Bar Tab that is set up with one of the passengers in the cabin and your reservation can be linked, meaning that even if the bar tab is under one person’s name, the other person in the cabin can use it towards their drink purchase. It also gives you the flexibility to purchase a round of drinks for your entire party or for new friends you’ve just made during the cruise.

By purchasing the Bar Tab ahead of time (there are set amounts you can purchase), Virgin Voyages will add money to your bar tab as a thank you! For example, the $300 you put towards the Bar Tab? For our cruise, Virgin Voyages would add an additional $50, making it now worth $350 to be used while onboard.

• Note: Make sure your passport is up to date, and fill out the health questionnaire prior to boarding.

Everyone will have a different experience, of course, but if you’re looking to cruise differently, I highly recommend giving Virgin Voyages a chance! Reach out to your travel advisor as they are able to potentially add perks and find great deals for you with this cruise line.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Cruises page.