4 Nights From Melbourne to Hobart Onboard Resilient Lady, Virgin Voyages

I boarded the resilient Lady in Melbourne, which was a very easy process, with the option to drop your luggage early and come back to board the ship later in the day, which is very easy. Boarding took maybe 10 minutes, and most of that time was walking down the pier from luggage drop off. The first impressions of the ship were great, it is only a year old and you could really tell, it was extremely clean, and well looked after.I was in a Standard Balcony cabin, which had enough room, the bed was comfortable and the hammock on the balcony was a real highlight.

One of the key differences with Virgin Voyages is that all the restaurants are included in cruise fare, there are only a few items here and there that there is a surcharge for. the food was excellent, I made it through four dinner restaurants, The Wake (steakhouse), Extra Virgin (Italian), Test Kitchen (experimental set menu), and one dinner at a show (extra charge for this but drinks were included and well worth it). Spent most breakfasts up at the Galley, which is almost like. bunch of different food stalls with different foods. All the food was excellent, there was a lot of it, and so many different choices at all times of the day. Alcohol was of course plentiful, but there are no drinks packages, so you need to pay as you go, but make sure you get in touch to get some onboard credit included with your fare.

Entertainment was great, there was a good variety of different acts, but be aware as there is no kids allowed, shows are definitely aimed at adults, and very different from other cruise lines. Highlight was Scarlet Night. The entire boat turns red so don't forget to bring your red clothing. There is a story to Scarlet Night, with short performances popping up all over the ship, until later when the party moves up to the pool deck until very late! It was a fantastic night, and I've never seen anything like it on a cruise before!

I recommend Virgin Voyages for adults trips away, would be great for solo travellers right through to big groups, that don't mind a different spin on cruise travel. Make sure to get in touch to book you and take advantage of some extra onboard credit.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on cruise travel. In need of further inspiration? Check out April Sampleton’s guide, How to Make the Most of an All-Adult Cruise by Virgin Voyages.