Everything You Need to Know about Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady

Pre & post-cruise stays

Virgin Voyages' home is located in Terminal V at the port of Miami. There are hundreds of beautiful beach resorts near and along Miami Beach, many of which offer awesome extra perks to Fora!

My sister-in-law and I decided to stay at the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon since we were flying in late and didn't want to travel far. The view from our room was of the beautiful Miami skyline and lagoon around the hotel, and the hotel itself was gorgeous!

However, once we drove closer to Terminal V on embarkation day, we definitely had hints of envy as we saw some of the hotels along the beach. The Mandarin Oriental Miami was nestled just across the bay from the port, and it looked like such a fun place to stay before you cruise. Picture watching cruise ships pass by as you prepare for your own departure!

Image 1: Location: Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas ; Image 2: Sneak Peek at the room onboard. Beware, the comfy red throw blanket dares you to take it home with you every trip!

Another stand-out hotel we saw near the port was the Intercontinental Miami, which we could see right across from our balcony while docked at the port!

What to bring & not bring on your Virgin Voyages cruise

Virgin Voyages is unique in that you do not get a cruise card for your cruise… You get a fashionable cruise bracelet! This made it super convenient, because you don't need to bring a lanyard or special waterproof wallet for your card.

Virgin Voyages allows you to bring two 750mL bottles of wine, sparkling wine or champagne in your carry-on. Virgin has very decent alcohol pricing, but it may save a few dollars by purchasing alcohol beforehand to bring for your room.

Don't forget to pack PJ's for the PJ party and something red for Scarlet Night (you'll regret not doing it)! I noticed everyone got involved on the themed nights. It was super fun to see how creative everyone was.

The rooms are very spacious with plenty of storage, so I found that I didn't really need any extra storage hooks like I would on other cruise lines.

The ship

Valiant Lady is an absolute dream of a ship. The design feels very luxurious, artsy, open and relaxing. The details in the design of the ship are impressive. From the comfortable loungers to the fun aquarium screens inside the elevators that update with port information on port days, everything has been considered!

There are over 20 eateries onboard, six of which are specialty dining restaurants with Michelin-star chef-curated menus. All are included in the price of the voyage! All of the eateries are phenomenal. My personal favorite restaurant was Extra Virgin, an upscale Italian restaurant with from-scratch pasta and tableside dessert service. My favorite quick-service spot was the Pizza Place, which serves mouthwatering pizzas late into the night.

There are plenty of spots onboard for activities, including a full shopping center, casino, hairdresser, tattoo parlor, spa, multiple pools, an open-air track, boxing gym, sports court, adult playground equipment, fitness center and a few live music stages.

Entertainment & activities

There is so much to do on board, it was impossible for us to do it all in one trip! The shows are super different from traditional cruise entertainment, but they are truly not to be missed. I found myself laughing so much during the shows that included the Diva, and sitting on the edge of my seat during the acrobatics shows. If your cruise has the “Untitled Dance Show Party Thing”, don’t even think about missing it! It was such a fun and different experience.

I do recommend spending a little money on Bingo! Even if you don’t care about winning (someone won $5,000 during our cruise!) the Bingo games come with a show.

One of my biggest regrets is that I did not take advantage of the awesome included fitness classes on board. I was really hoping to do the bungee fitness class, but I was so busy with all of the other fun things on the ship that I never got to. There is something for everyone, even sunrise yoga! Walking through the fitness center, I was impressed by the sweeping views from the treadmills.

Port of call: Beach Club at Bimini

One of the ports of call during our cruise, and my personal favorite, was the Beach Club at Bimini! The Beach Club is privately owned by Virgin Voyages, but the island is not. So you can still easily enjoy some of the fun stuff outside of the cruise-bubble by simply hopping off the free tram that takes you from the ship around the island. Though, I’m not sure why you would want to do too much outside of the Beach Club, because it was amazing!

Even though probably the entire ship was visiting, it did not feel crowded at all. There were so many spots to relax along the beach or some of the many pools. There were plenty of bars to get refreshing cold drinks and a restaurant serving delicious Caribbean food (the Yucca fries are delish!)

Virgin also hosts lots of fun entertainment at the Beach Club, from a pool party to a camp tournament (you get free drinks if you win!) So be sure to participate and make the most of your time in port.

Costs/inclusions

Virgin Voyages is one of the only cruises that is truly all-inclusive. Your cruise fare includes pretty much everything you need to have a wonderful experience, such as your room, food and specialty dining and non-alcoholic beverages. This includes most activities/entertainment, fitness classes, most amenities onboard, daily refilled in-room water, wifi and tips! Seriously, you don’t need to pay a dime more when you board if you don’t want to!

The only extras that cost a bit extra are a few special menu items (like high tea or wine tasting menus), cooking/cocktail classes, pub crawls, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees or juices, spa services, tattoos, shopping and the casino. That’s really it!

Virgin Voyages is easily one of the best cruise lines available. It is adult-only, which means no kids killing the relaxing vibe on board. The food is absolutely the focal point of the cruise. I highly recommend trying to hit every restaurant and eatery at least once during your cruise.

There is so much to do onboard, so it’s important to plan by using the Virgin Voyages app. The app allows you to organize the daily activities that you want to do and reserve dining at the major restaurants onboard. Restaurant reservations are highly recommended for the six main dinner spots! You can also reserve breakfast at Razzle Dazzle or the Wake if you want a sit-down meal in the morning.

Overall, I would highly recommend Virgin Voyages for cruisers of all ages (18 and up). There is something for everyone onboard, and I personally think the price is so worth everything that is included.

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