Gosh! Where to begin? My Absolutely Brilliant Day on board Virgin Voyages’ new ship – Brilliant Lady – in Portsmouth this summer was all I could have imagined… and even more. As a Virgin Voyages virgin, I am now hooked!
CONCEPT: “Virgin Voyages is a casually, luxurious, kid free cruise experience where everyone is made to feel like a rock star”. Sign me up!
Passengers are sailors. Travel agents are first mates. Ahoy instead of Hello. The day was a linguistic lesson in itself.
WHY A CRUISE? Well… there really is a cruise for everyone. It’s like going on a series of holidays where you can wake up in a different destination every morning without having to pack and change hotels every day! Oh, just pick up the phone to me and I will happily chat about the pros of cruise holidays. They really can’t be beaten for value, variety and quality.
WHY VIRGIN VOYAGES? Virgin Voyages is perfect for anyone looking to get away – with the average age of sailors being 48 – without the kerfuffle of kids (your own, or other peoples – not sure which are worse TBH). They now have 4 Lady Ships that visit 140 destinations around the world.
On board you are easily able to choose between energetic, epic entertainment (from live musicians to shows and immersive experiences), or slide into absolute solitude somewhere like a lounge, the spa or the comfy hammock on your own private balcony. Party or no party – it’s up to you as you make your own choices on your own epic holiday.
COST: Although a cruise holiday is not usually a cheap option, it really does offer great value as you know what you are paying up front and what is or isn’t included. With Virgin Voyages you get some amazing extras included in the price you pay such as WIFI (which can cost an absolute fortune on a cruise), pick ‘n mix sweets, retro arcade games (I got thrashed at PacMan), well-deserved tips to the really authentic crew, unlimited group workouts, certain essential (non-alcoholic) drinks, entertainment and so much more.
They often have offers available such as discounts for additional sailors, or the (optional) drinks packages too.
CABINS: Such a huge range of cabins to choose from at every price. All decked out in modern, white, luxury décor there were roomy interior cabins that still felt bright and comfortable, up to the “Massive Suite” at a whopping 2147sq ft including a gigantic private balcony, hot tub and a personal music room! The names are such fun with Fab Suite, Posh Suite (yes please!), Brilliant Suite and Gorgeous Suite all offering sailors vinyl record players and cocktail cabinets, Rock Star privileges for Suite residents include access to a private lounge area on “Richard’s Rooftop” sundeck.
FOOD & DRINK: What no buffet on a cruise ship? No problem at all! Because all the 20+ restaurants on board serve à la carte meals and are even included in the price of your holiday. Even “The Galley” (the most buffet-est eatery) prepares food to order and brings it to your table 24/7 when you pop your “Ahoy” flag up on your menu. I love all these fun little quirky details.
I enjoyed a meal in the Mexican “Pink Agave” which was delicious, beautifully presented and plentiful. I can also vouch for the drinks at several bars around the ship which were delightful 😊
ENTERTAINMENT: I was mesmerised by the colourful, fun and entertaining show “Out of Time”. Brilliant! In fact the music on board in every location was exactly up my street. Singing along to Rock Me Amadeus while relaxing by the pool waiting for dinner was a fave moment of mine. Oh. And then I somehow ended up in a nightclub. First time in a while! I particularly enjoyed the jellyfish umbrellas. You have to see it, to believe it!
FAME AT LAST: And… here I am talking up the Absolutely Brilliant day to Travel Gossip (a travel trade publication.)
Contact me now for further information and to book following my first-hand experience of this brilliant cruise company.
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