Heidi BucoloFor our recent Alaska cruise on Virgin Voyages’ newest ship, Brilliant Lady, we booked a Sea Terrace, Virgin’s version of a balcony cabin. A private balcony is an easy sell in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but Alaska is a different question. With the cold and often rainy weather, is a Brilliant Lady balcony worth paying up for, or are you better off saving the money for shore excursions and other extras? We put ours to the test during a week in Alaska and share our honest answer in this Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin review.
Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin Quick Facts
- Cabin Number: 12294A
- Category: Sea Terrace (balcony)
- Size: 185 square feet + 40 sq ft. balcony
- Location: Deck 12, forward portside
- Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
- Price: We paid $4700 (Premium Voyage Fare) for a 7-day Alaska cruise
- Best For: Alaska cruisers who want constant access to stunning scenery
- Our Verdict: The cabin itself is short on storage, but the balcony and hammock earned their spot even in cold, wet Alaska weather
Why We Chose a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin
Since a balcony room is our preferred way to cruise, especially on an Alaska itinerary, we booked a Sea Terrace cabin for this Brilliant Lady sailing. With Virgin Voyages, you can’t pick your exact room; much like a hotel, the cruise line auto-assigns a stateroom from your chosen category at booking. We were assigned cabin 12294A, a portside Sea Terrace located forward of the forward elevators.
A quick note on Virgin’s naming convention: the line forgoes the traditional port and starboard labels for a simple letter. The letter A designates the port side of the ship, and the letter Z designates starboard side.
According to Virgin Voyages’ website, a Sea Terrace is roughly 185 square feet with a 40 sq ft. balcony. Other balcony room options include the XL Sea Terrace slightly larger at 225 square feet, the Central Sea Terrace at 185 square feet, and the Slightly Smaller Balcony Sea Terrace at 184 square feet. The XL Sea Terrace offers nearly 30% more space and a roomier bathroom. The Central Sea Terrace is located midship, while the standard Sea Terrace cabins are located forward and aft. The Slightly Smaller Balcony rooms have just that, smaller balconies due to the position of the lifeboats, along with limited views, but the interior is exactly the same; some have two outdoor hammocks.
All rooms include rainfall showers, mood lighting, a large flatscreen HDTV, several power and USB outlets, and a safe. Most Sea Terrace cabins also feature the signature terrace hammock and the transformational Seabed, though the default is now to leave it in the bed configuration. In Alaska, all cabins also have blankets to use during the sailing.
Being on Deck 12, this cabin put us close to the top-deck areas and a quick elevator ride or walk down to the dining and entertainment venues on Decks 5, 6, and 7. Our location was pretty far forward, but we never had any issues with noise or motion during the sailing.
Layout of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin
Walking into our Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace room, the tiny bathroom was immediately to our left, with the closet opposite.
The bed sat on the aft wall, facing forward. Across from the bed was the television mounted on the wall. Since the stateroom attendants no longer reconfigure the Seabed during the day, the floor-level square table beside the bed ended up doubling as storage space, but that meant there was no sofa in the cabin.
Beyond the bed, there was a small chair and a multi-purpose table near the balcony, along with the desk and the nearby mini-fridge on the opposite wall.
Finally, there was the balcony. It was just the right size, with two chairs, a small table, and Virgin’s signature red hammock.
Brilliant Lady’s cabins carry the same minimalist, tech-forward style as the rest of the fleet, with a few wooden accents and pops of Virgin red. Still, the staterooms are one of the ship’s weaker points, as they don’t have the same trendy, boutique hotel vibes as the other public spaces.
Inside Our Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin
Bathroom
Quite frankly, the stateroom bathrooms on Virgin Voyages are the smallest in the industry. Upon stepping into the bathroom, you can basically reach the sink, toilet, and shower with one step in either direction. That said, we remain fans of the rainfall shower, which includes a glass door along with Red Flower shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel dispensers. There’s also a liquid hand soap dispenser near the sink.
The vanity area is compact, with little counter space and no above-vanity shelving for personal care items. As always, we brought a hanging pocket organizer to store our toiletries and free up what little counter room there was.
Closet
The closet in this Sea Terrace cabin is fairly standard in size for a cruise ship, yet the space itself isn’t well-optimized. It includes a clothes bar with hangers and a shoe rack, hidden behind a curtain and reminiscent of a dorm room. Adjacent, there’s a narrow run of three shelves, the safe, and three very shallow drawers that are basically useless.
Also, the light switches and the “do not disturb” light are awkwardly positioned on the wall inside the closet.
For an Alaska cruise, especially, the storage space comes up short. With more outerwear and bulkier clothing, it took some strategic unpacking to stow all our gear. Even then, we had to stack several packing cubes and rely on magnetic hooks and our hanging pocket organizer to stash the small stuff like gloves and hats and hang things like bags and coats to dry.
Main Cabin Area
The main cabin area is minimalistic but serves its purpose. The Seabed is a bit firmer than some cruise ship beds, but we had no trouble falling asleep after our long days ashore and late nights on the ship. With the bed left in its default configuration, we were able to slide our suitcases underneath to maximize space in the room.
The desk is small with minimal storage. What it does have going for it, though, is power and tech. There are plenty of outlets and a tablet that controls the mood lights, curtains, temperature, and TV, and can even be used to request room service like fresh towels or water. We also appreciated the additional 120-volt outlets and USB-A and USB-C connections spread throughout the stateroom, which gave us ample power to charge all our devices all week.
Because the desk offered so little storage, the floor-level square table beside the bed became our catch-all for laptops and electronics. It did also have one large drawer where we stored bulkier outerwear that we weren’t currently using.
Adjacent to the desk is the mini-fridge with carafes of water and glasses on top. Virgin Voyages has no single use plastics, so you’ll have to rely on this water and refill stations around the ship. Be sure to bring a refillable water bottle with you.
Nearby the balcony door is one not-so-comfortable chair, but it’s the only seating option beyond the stool at the desk/vanity area.
Balcony
The balcony is where this cabin wins us back. While not extremely spacious either, it features two upright metal chairs, a small table, and Virgin’s signature red hammock. The hammock is the standout, and it’s easily our favorite spot for lounging and taking in the scenery. If you’re on a lower deck, keep in mind your view may be partially obstructed by the lifeboats on Deck 7.
Even with the cool Alaska weather, the balcony was a great perch for scenic cruising through the fjords and scouting for wildlife. We actually used the balcony far more than we expected to on this cool and rainy sailing. Given there aren’t many covered outdoor areas on this ship, our balcony was the perfect private retreat. We could still take in the views with an overhead cover so we didn’t get drenched.
Is a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Worth It in Alaska?
So, let’s get back to our original question now—Is it worth upgrading to a balcony cabin? For us, it’s an absolute yes! While we typically opt for balcony staterooms anyway, we find the upgrade to be even more beneficial in Alaska.
You’re not booking a balcony for the sun and ocean breezes, but we’d argue a crisp morning of scenic sailing with a coffee in hand makes it even more worth it. In a region where the scenery is the whole point, having a private terrace and that hammock to enjoy it from earned its cost for us.
While not on the same level as staterooms from other premium cruise lines like Celebrity or Princess when it comes to decor or amenities, this Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin does get a few things right beyond the view (and the hammock!). We appreciated the 21st-century tech, the rainfall shower, and the sheer number of outlets.
Yes, a Sea Terrace cabin will cost more than an interior room (Insider) or oceanview cabin (Sea View). The difference in price to upgrade from an Insider to a Sea Terrace cabin can range anywhere between $500 to upwards of $1000+ more per sailor.
With the cruise line’s new VoyageFair Choices, guests can also customize what’s included in their fare. Base fare is the cheapest option but has less inclusions and is non-refundable. Essential fare is mid-tier, and Premium fare is the most expensive but includes premium WiFi, Bar Tab, and more generous cancellation policies.
For us, we’d book a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin in Alaska again in a heartbeat, unless of course we were splurging on a RockStar suite, which offers a lot more space and a much larger bathroom. However, if your budget only allows for an Insider or Sea View room, don’t hesitate; you will still have a wonderful Alaska cruise. There are plenty of outdoor public areas for sightseeing as well.
Brilliant Lady Cabin Tour
Pros of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin
- Signature terrace hammock, the best feature of the cabin
- Rainfall shower & bath products
- Abundant power outlets throughout room
- Control tablet for lights, curtains, temperature, & room requests
Cons of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin
- Limited closet space, felt more on an Alaska cruise
- Smallest bathrooms in the industry for a standard cabin
- Lacks the premium feel when compared to other cruise lines
- No sofa, just a single chair for seating options
Comments
Have you sailed in a Virgin Voyages Sea Terrace cabin? What is your preferred cabin category when you cruise? Drop us an anchor below with your Brilliant Lady reviews.
