Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady MerMaiden Voyage!

My third Virgin Voyage did not disappoint!

The Brilliant Lady is a sister ship with nearly the same design as other Virgin vessels, but there were some small differences. For one, it’s brand new! Everything was clean and sharp and felt untouched. Even the towels in our cabin felt fresh.

They also made some minor changes to good effect. For example, at the Dock, on previous voyages, there were large tree stump-like chairs that looked beautiful, but were heavy and difficult to move, plus uncomfortable to relax on. They used different chairs here that are more comfortable and easier to shift into the perfect position. Another big change was the launch of Rojo at Razzle Dazzle. Their tapas-inspired menu with a fresh look and modern ambiance was interesting for those of us who’ve traveled on Virgin before. While I missed the previous roasted cauliflower dish, I was very happy with the new one. The entrees were delicious and I was surprised by the generous servings of delectable Iberian ham they delivered. I’m glad I was in a large enough group to try everything.

The Happenings Cast was super energetic and very friendly—getting everyone in the mood—and Dixie Crystals was a blast on stage and off. We loved the steaks at the Wake, and the Italian cuisine at Extra Virgin was delicious. Slight changes to the menus led us to try delightful new dishes.

While navigating the “bar tab” process instead of an all-inclusive-leaning bar package is a slight change, I appreciate the flexibility of having “days off” from social drinking and being able to have a different approach than my cabin-mate.

As always, the Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extras are so worthwhile—having premium Wi-Fi, a bar tab bonus, and included laundry (a huge bag) are great. We used the gym most days (loved the new equipment) and enjoyed singing to our hearts content in the Groupie.

In terms of where improvement could come, I understood that a percentage of the staff is brand-new and they were still getting used to the new processes for a new ship in a new port, so there was a bit of inefficiency in the check-in process and my spouse had to have his band reformatted several times (eventually they gave him the older, larger version, which worked fine). This was not a big deal and the staff were very kind and helpful; I’m sure these little wrinkles will be ironed out quickly. Disembarkation was quick and easy. We walked a few blocks after exiting the terminal and found a NYC taxi reasonably close by.

As on other Virgin ships, the wonderful benefit of the variety of sumptuous upscale restaurants is tampered slightly by the need to reserve in advance (we were lucky enough to reserve early, but found it difficult to find an open spot at the new restaurant, Rojo). Make sure to reserve at least one brunch time slot at the Wake or Razzle Dazzle, as they go quickly. The bacon at Razzle Dazzle is a must-order! Also, be sure to double-check your Pink Agave reservations against the schedule, as our 8:30 pm reservation wound up overlapping with a special DJ party at the same time whose volume was above typical dinner conversation levels.

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