Virgin Voyages Arvostelua 1 333

I absolutely love VV and this was my fourth cruise with them. However, this cruise was my least favourite!
It was my first sailing on Scarlet Lady and I found the ship disappointing. I had paid for a cabin upgrade, as it was a celebration for me starting my retirement. I wish that I had not bothered as the cabin was shabby and showing its age ( Scarlet Lady is their oldest ship)!
Carpet coming away from the wall, a cracked toilet and water damage to the headboard to name a few things.
VV do so many things well but here are my general issues.
1) Their check in on embarkation day is a shambles.
2) The restaurants are amazing but some newness is required in the menus. They always seem to stay the same.
3) Repeating shows over several years is disappointing for repeat customers. Persephone is great but I don't want to see it again.

They are great but could be better.

First time cruisers so imagine our disappointment when we had to cancel our shore tours as booking a tender was impossible. None of this was told before cruise except for Kotor.
Dinners very ordinary unless you booked a restaurant that again so hard to do.
Pool area very poor, overcrowded, pumping noise all day.
Not telling us about port shuttle buses until day before which meant booking things that were not needed.
Rooms pretty good. Staff generally good.
Information was not communicated well. Virgin cruise app lots of hiccups.
Overall it was an underwhelming experience.

The excursions were very unorganized and not what was expected. Food was ok, but almost no sugar free options for diabetics. This was our 1st cruise, so we don't have anything to compare it to, but if we do decide to cruise again it will n ot be with Virgin Voyages.

I just want to start this off by saying that the overall experience with our Virgin cruise was positive. We would cruise with them again, just with more...limited expectations.
First, I want to acknowledge that we had a Rockstar Suite and therefore had turndown service every night with amazing housekeeping staff and our own Rockstar Agent named Anastasiia, who was phenomenal and helpful throughout the voyage. We also had wonderful experiences with every staff person we met, like our server Julia from Test Kitchen, who was fun and very sweet. The service is definitely not an issue on a Virgin Voyages Cruise.

A lot of the issues arise from the boat itself. It. is. boring. Sea days are almost torture when there is (1) pool for 1,000 people to use. There is a plethora of hot tubs, but it was 80-100 degrees in the Bahamian sun and I'm not 70+ years old. Even in the Rockstars only area, it's just (2) hot tubs. There's karaoke, restaurants, shops, a board game area, events and shows but overall, it's just dull. My husband and I had been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before, a mid-level boat on that cruise line had an adult only area with (3) pools and (4) hot tubs, its own bar and was in a dome at the front of the ship. That was one area on the ship. One. In the cruises attempt to not be boring, they constantly have "partiers" running around the boat and just acting as forceable hype men. Which is truly the laziest attempt of creating atmosphere that exists. Labelling a dude "The Gamer" when all he does is host a Pac man game on the boat is a waste of time and honestly insulting to anyone who has picked up a deck or controller. The drag entertainer and the other host woman had this whole banter schtick that got old so fast. On Scarlet night the host woman even sang live like she was making her past Disney channel career mine and everyone else's problem. Felt like I was a captive audience to a grown-up theatre kid troupe most of the time I was on the ship. The Miss Behave Show was spectacular and funny though.

We had fun on our excursions; we did a Catamaran Sail away in Grand Turk and a Sapona Ship Wreck & Shark Excursion in Bimini. Those were memorable. However on Bimini, we had access to a Rockstars only Golf Cart shuttle around the island and we had to wait forever for it. In the span of time it took for the VIP Golf cart to get to the Virgin Beach Club, (2) regular shuttles came and there's no way to find out where the golf club is. It was annoying.

While the food overall was fantastic, another big issue being on this cruise was our allergies. My husband is allergic to coconut and I'm allergic to legumes and nuts and the cruise just flips you off for having them. It's like someone in Richard Branson's life who has allergies wronged him at some point. I couldn't eat at some of the restaurants because they weren't "allergy friendly" according to the signs and they couldn't make substitutions or even avoid cross contamination. Like completely wrote off the Ice Cream place after I told them about my allergy and they said they couldn't do anything because they had used the scoop with all the flavors already, but I was staring at flavors that hadn't been touched AT ALL. I grew up with my allergies so I'm not terribly sensitive about not eating at places anymore but watching it happen to my husband pissed me off.

All and all it was a good trip, I liked the hammocks on the balconies and if you book, book a suite because the regular rooms are so small you'll hit your head sneezing. Our friends had a regular room and spent most of their time in ours or outside it.

Everything about this cruise was absolutely fantastic from the time we arrived at the Port of Seattle. Luggage drop off and check in was quick and easy. The staff was so welcoming and friendly. They were so excited for us to be their first cruise out of Seattle. Upon our return to board the ship, we breezed through security and were greeted with welcome drinks. The vibe on the ship was incredible, upbeat and friendly. Definitely ready to party! The fact that your room is ready as soon as you board is a huge plus to me. And the fact that our luggage was already outside our door was an added bonus. The ship was beautiful! Sail away party with free champagne? Chef's kiss! Bars, food, and shows were topnotch. Crew and cast were so friendly and helpful. They would just stop to visit. It felt like we were a part of the family. Rupert, at Gunbae, made the experience memorable. His knowledge and guidance through the menu guaranteed that we tasted the best of everything. Gede, at Extra Virgin, was equally helpful. Great recommendations. We thoroughly enjoyed every restaurant and the crew at each meal. We were lucky enough to try all three menus at Test Kitchen, even though I did one by myself because my party didn't want second dinner that night. Lol. Be adventuresome! Check them out! The room was perfect. The hammock...I spent so much time in mine. Didn't realize how much I would enjoy it. The perfect place to read, relax, and enjoy the scenery. We splurged and did Shake for Champagne and saw Up With a Twist, a dinner show with a cocktail pairing. Both were extras that make Virgin stand out. I cannot say enough good things. I cannot wait to book with Virgin again!

Customer service and staff efficiency were great. Virgin has it figured out with the bar tab and wristbands. Great food, entertaining shows, and plenty of things to do. Loved it.

I'm very conflicted writing this. There was so much that was great on Scarlet Lady, but enough negatives - and one in particular - that I can't give more than 3.

The pros: Great food (with a couple of exceptions) and eateries that would cost a lot extra on most lines. No kids. Mainly great crew (again, with a couple of exceptions). Our heroes were Mariane and Killian at the Draught Haus. Chilled vibe. NO DRESS CODE!! Modern, cool ship. Adequate wifi included. Brilliant Martin Audio sound system (British!). After initial chaos at Piraeus, easy embarkation. Disembarkation an absolute breeze. Scarlet Party was great with a super happy atmosphere.

We were a party of 4, each with our own balcony cabins. They were perfect for 1, but would be tight for 2. Small balconies but hammocks a genius idea - SO comfy it was hard not to fall asleep. Deck 11 mid, they were quiet and isolated from thumping music, clanking anchor chains etc. Beds very firm, but I found them fine and slept like a log (rarely the case for me). Water in the carafes had a ghastly chemical aftertaste and was undrinkable. No beverage facilities in the cabins, which I would have expected. A trudge up to deck 15 for a decent glass of water, or a coffee/tea was a pain.

Cons: Piped music everywhere. There was no escape other than one's cabin - and after cleaning, the maids would turn on and leave the TV on a music channel. I have a radical idea that will set the management reeling, but why not have a quiet bar, or quiet areas? At breakfast in the Galley it was too loud and too much nasty reggaeton. Given the demographic, do the sunbathers really relish the booming club music played in the pool areas? Sometime it was at a background level, sometimes deafening at seemingly random times. We knew it would be a noisy ship, but it's too much, too much of the time.

Circular staircase at the roundabout very difficult to walk up or down. Poor bit of design.

Can't speak for the shows as they're not my thing, but one friend did do one (with the Branson hologram) and loved it. I run a mile from drag of any kind (and I'm gay) so didn't appreciate that element at all. The same friend also did "Lights, Camera, Drag!" and left after few minutes, so awful was it.

The major negative for me was just how American the whole thing was. EVERYTHING is geared to American tastes including food and the predominantly awful beer, and Americans made up at least 80% of the passengers. On a cruise line that is still 49% British owned, and sailing within Europe I did not expect this, and found it intolerable. They were loud, brash, no manners but overwhelming and inescapable. As someone who won't set food in the USA again in the current scenario, and avoids patronising American businesses, this really impacted on me. The only benefit was that I felt a lot less body concious as a 66 year old with a belly, as there were people 3 times my size and with their tops off. I was shocked, as I'd anticipated gym toned milleniums (of which there were a few, but a minority).

It's a shame, as Virgin are definitely closer to my ideal than any other cruise line. Would I do another? Hard to say. I did enjoy it, but the crazy music-everywhere policy puts me off and the sheer Americanism makes it unlikely. If I wanted it, I'd go to America.

Seven days sailing through the Greek Islands on Scarlet Lady and I can honestly say this trip was everything I didn’t know I needed. From Athens to Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum, and Mykonos, every stop felt magical in its own way with beautiful views, warm weather, great food, and the kind of ease that settles into your spirit.

The ship was stunning, the service was amazing, and the energy onboard was pure joy - sunsets on deck, sea days that felt like therapy, laughter, new friends, and memories I’ll hold onto for a long time.

Me gustó por haber adoptado cambios con respecto a los demás cruceros como son eliminar las fotos. Las noches formales, las comidas en un mismo restaurante o las cenas todos los días, la organización por horario en el checking para evitar el tumulto y también el desembarco fue bastante rápido eso me sorprendió.

So much fun! The food was epic. Only thing could’ve been a little more
Lively is entertainment. But cleanliness, drinks, food, comfort all 20/10!

Virgin was definitely an experience. Very modern ship. All adult guests. Great adult food options. Very adult content shows. Very diverse and gender inclusive.

Overall it was just OK. We had a "Rockstar" room which was nice. Compared to NCL's Heavan it's not as good at all. Food was not good. The Galley is a glorified buffet, but frankly if I was going to eat that style I prefer buffet. They serve to you, but the people are like robots, only slower and it forces a tone of lines at each station. The shows were not great and the constant LGBTQ Diva stuff was too over the top to the point of annoying if you are not gay.

I have only ever cruised NCL before. If you are a middle aged heterosexual - it's a no brainer - go NCL.

Scammed. That is the honest summary of my experience.

I care about the quality of my drinks and cocktails, and what I experienced fell far below the standard I expected from Virgin Voyages. This is not only about the type or brand of alcohol used. It is about the overall quality, taste, presentation, and finishing details of the drinks.

Champagne, prosecco, and several cocktails were served in plastic flutes or plastic cups across many bars. I fully understand and appreciate the need for safety around the pool area. However, serving drinks this way in venues such as Sip Lounge, the Casino Bar, The Red Room, and The Manor does not feel like a safety measure. It feels like laziness, cost-cutting, or a lack of care for the guest experience.

The cocktail execution was also disappointing. Espresso martinis tasted like they were made with cheap, artificial coffee, no coffee beans on top at times. Mojitos were served with mint that was not muddled. Margaritas came without salt rims, Tajín, or any thoughtful finishing touch.

These may sound like small details, but they are exactly the details that separate a premium experience from an average one. I chose Virgin Voyages, not Carnival or MSC.

The service culture also felt off. At times, it felt as though some staff members forgot that they were at work and that we were the ones on vacation. One example was the closure of the Athletic Club Bar and jacuzzis during popular port days, seemingly so staff could go ashore. We had chosen to stay on board, only to find facilities closed. I had to make a scene just to have them reopened, which should never have been necessary.

Another serious concern occurred while I was jogging on The Runway. The ship’s exhaust released soot, which landed on me and ruined my clothing. More importantly, I am concerned about the health implications of inhaling or ingesting concentrated carbon soot. This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a potential health and safety issue that should be investigated properly.

Room service was also poor, with many items unavailable. The Happenings Cast felt uninspiring and boring. The mattresses around the pool were extremely uncomfortable, visibly dented from overuse, and clearly in need of replacement. Housekeeping was below standard and lacked the consistency and polish expected from a brand positioning itself as premium.

Overall, the brand has lost its glow. Virgin Voyages entered the industry with strength, personality, and a promise to disrupt cruising for the better. Sadly, it now feels like it is becoming similar to the cheaper cruise lines, while still charging a premium price.

That gap between promise and reality is exactly what made this experience so disappointing.

- The entertainment onboard was underwhelming. The performers appeared to do their best given the material. Virgin's performances are written in house (though none of the music is original), and they should rethink this method. We tried to go to every show scheduled. However, both the Red Room and The Manor venues do not have adequate capacities. This resulted in many standing in the back, if they were allowed in at all. Most performances were not worth the hassle and felt like older people were forced to write for a younger target audience but had no idea what younger people like, so they used ChatGPT to compensate. We managed to see the following performances: Out of Time (a bad time travel story), Red Hot (This was by far the worst show, a weird cult-like love for Richard Branson coupled with seemingly AI generated background images. I could go on about how terrible this show is and how much it irked me, but I digress), Murder in the Mansion (Also a meh show, suffered from poor writing), Dual Reality (the best show, but the acrobatic performances were poorly executed and required more rehearsal), and Love, Love, Love with the Hostess (This lady sexually harassed people for an hour, and it was extremely cringy.).
- Virgin Voyages needs to do a test run of an itinerary before having guests sail on it. When we booked the cruise, I was under the assumption that this was not the inaugural cruise to Alaska. They didn’t seem to have any forethought, resulting in a lot of headaches for the guests. First, they botched the glacier talk with the naturalist, where they had it scheduled for noon on the Hubbard Glacier day. However, we had already departed the glacier before noon. The onboard naturalist informed us that the talk was at 9 am. When we mentioned it wasn’t on the schedule, the naturalist told us that she discussed this with the entertainment staff the night before, requesting an earlier talk while at the glacier. This should have been communicated to guests. Simply, add a 9 am talk to the schedule and/or notify us through the app; they notified us about buying a spa package several times a day and were able to broadcast last minute updates about performance schedule changes, so they were capable of sending this notification. Well, friends, that is not the case. They refused to add it and said better luck next time when we brought the issue up to Sailor Services.

The second major issue that arose with their itinerary was tendering in Juneau. The crew seemed ill-prepared for operations in every aspect from lack of cold weather gear to lack of boat handling. The app notified us to book tendering reservations during the cruise, two days prior to the Juneau in port. If you didn’t see the notification as soon as it was sent out, you missed almost half the day in Juneau and possibly missed your excursion. To remedy this, there was an unannounced standby line that was sheer chaos and frankly a safety concern with the trampling. There was a family we sat next to on the tender that wasn’t able to get a reservation because they wanted to have less phone time while on vacation. It took about 45 minutes to make it to shore, when Sailor Services told us it would be less than 10 minutes. After this mishap, I jokingly commented that there was absolutely no plan to get everyone tendered back to the ship. Unfortunately, I was right. The last tender was supposed to leave the dock at 4 pm, but this was delayed due to no plan to address peak hours. Only two tenders ran the entire day. This resulted in an hour wait in the pouring rain. Additionally, Virgin didn’t have enough umbrellas for everyone, and they didn’t bring out another box until the line was mostly gone. They had all day to unbox the umbrellas, but the crew was extremely reactive rather than proactive, resulting in a miserable time. Sailor Services was not willing to admit any wrongdoing, and even gaslit me and claimed that it only took 10 minutes for tendering. They used the time I boarded the tender, NOT the time we got to shore. I asked for compensation but Sailor Services refused and could not provide any policy documentation that Virgin does not allow partial refunds. They offered free admission into the spa but no treatment, an offensive offer.

- Lastly, the food was good but it became repetitive quickly. My significant other is vegan, and it really limited the variety of food that she could eat. With this being said, we picked Virgin Voyages based on the fact that they supposedly had a great variety of vegan options available. Even for me, the food got old really fast because the menus never changed in The Galley or in the restaurants (with the exception of Test Kitchen who rotates the menu once at the halfway point of the cruise).

While the service around the ship was great (especially Monique in Extra Virgin, Wawan in The Wake, Pernanda in Rojo and Kodak in Pink Agave) the food in The Galley was all cold and the venue needs to be redesigned. There was also never anything different on the various menus. While we went to 4 different restaraunts, we went to 3 of them for more than one dinner and each time the choices were the same. The cabin was small - I had to turn sideways to get to my side of the bed - with hardly any storage and a LOT of wasted space. There was no storage room in the bathroom at all. And while a rainhead shower seems like a great idea, it doesn't work too good for someone like me (who is 6'4") and the shower head is about an inch from the top of my my head.

Feedback: Brilliant Lady 11-Day Alaska Cruise from Vancouver
The Positives
We truly appreciated several aspects of the cruise. The no kids or teens policy was a huge bonus and created a more relaxed, adult-oriented atmosphere. The ship itself is beautiful, with vast, spacious decks and fast, uncrowded elevators. Sodas were included at no charge, and water was provided in the room. The hammocks were great when the weather cooperated.
Food was above average and very good overall. The Galley (buffet) had excellent selection, and the restaurants were also very good.
Staff performance was exceptional overall — the crew clearly enjoyed working for Virgin and it showed. The musicians and bands were genuinely great. We loved the star-gazing event on the dock area (fantastic atmosphere and storytelling, even with cloudy skies). The ship felt uncrowded, which was very pleasant.
The Negatives
Unfortunately, the entertainment and dancing offerings were major disappointments, especially given Virgin’s music heritage.
• Dancing Opportunities: There were almost no good dancing options. Venues with live bands had carpeted floors and were crowded with limited viewing space. The Manor (the main dance venue) was frequently reserved for paid dinner/production shows before 11 p.m., leaving little else for regular guests. When dancing was available, the DJ mostly played hip-hop that didn’t appeal to the crowd, resulting in an empty dance floor. Music was often painfully loud (even with earplugs). The dance floor was frequently sticky and dirty from spilled drinks.
• Unused Spaces: The Dockyard (near Wake restaurant) had a perfect smooth floor and music equipment set up but was never used for bands or dancing — a huge missed opportunity.
• Entertainment Issues: No cruise director on board. Production shows were turned into paid, limited-space events in the Manor, leaving repetitive or lower-quality shows (e.g., the Richard Branson show) in the Red Room. Overall entertainment felt disorganized and amateurish. There was very little to do before 11 p.m.
• Cabin Noise: Deck 14 was extremely noisy due to the galley/food court above — constant banging and dragging sounds day and night. Many guests complained. We had to be moved to Deck 10 to sleep properly. Strongly recommend avoiding Deck 14 and Deck 8.
• Deck Usability: The vast, spacious decks were largely unusable on this Alaska sailing due to cold weather and rain, highlighting that the ship is much better suited for warmer climates.
While the ship, staff, food, and certain experiences were enjoyable, the lack of proper dancing venues, poor music programming for dancers, underutilized spaces, and unresponsive management left us disappointed. With 30+ cruises behind us, we go for the ship experience as much as the ports, and this one fell short of expectations for a Virgin sailing.
We wanted to love it and hoped for something refreshingly different, but we cannot recommend the Brilliant Lady for anyone who prioritizes dancing and evening entertainment. Happy to get off the ship at the end.

I don't understand the hype with Virgin Voyages. they are just one step above Carnival Cruise line. the entertainment was pathetic at best. Food lines were long. The App was hideous to work with. Was not impressed at all with cruse line

I’ve been trying to get Virgin Voyages to step in on a dispute regarding a booking made with a travel agent.

It’s been a month. Aside from a brief email asking me to be patient after my first follow up, I got no answer from VV.

This is really bad. It looks like this might be the end of the great service we knew, and as far as I’m concerned, quite likely the end of my journey with VV.

Dear Virgin team, if you are reading this, could you please man your inbox? Kind regards.

We just returned from a 7-night Mediterranean cruise on Scarlet Lady (Barcelona to Athens) and it was the perfect way to celebrate my 50th birthday with my girlfriend.
From the moment we boarded with our Splash of Romance package, everything felt special. Priority boarding was smooth, the daily juices were refreshing, and the Thermal Suite (especially the salt room and mud room) was a highlight — we used our passes multiple times and loved it. The Shake for Champagne was such a fun surprise, and Virgin even delivered an extra bottle for my birthday!
The ship itself is stunning — modern, stylish, and full of personality (we loved the cruising ducks, the butterflies on deck, and the retro arcade). Food was excellent, especially at Extra Virgin and The Wake. Scarlet Night was an absolute blast!
The itinerary was beautiful (Rome, Amalfi Coast, Catania/Sicily, Mykonos), and even with a delayed flight from Manchester, we still made it onboard comfortably.
Overall this was one of the best cruises we’ve ever been on. The adults-only vibe, amazing crew, and relaxed yet fun atmosphere made it truly memorable.
Would we sail with Virgin Voyages again? Absolutely — we’ve already put a deposit down on our next one!
Highly recommend, especially for couples or milestone celebrations. 5/5

absolute blast.
Everything was clean
staff was friendly
restaurants food was great
the eateries food was great

the ice cream was okay not amazing.

Room service was amazing.
entertainment was also amazing

all in all - absolute blast