Sarah BretzThis past April, I set sail on my very first transatlantic cruise which took place aboard Virgin Voyages’ ship Valiant Lady. I’ve taken many cruises over the years (in fact, this voyage marked my 20th!), but none were across an entire ocean or as remote as this one.
While I was excited about the brand-new adventure, I was a bit apprehensive as well. What would so many sea days in a row be like? Would I feel safe out in the middle of the ocean with no land or other people anywhere nearby? I’m happy to report that those concerns, while valid, didn’t wind up affecting my experience, and I had a wonderful cruise.
Here’s a full Virgin Voyages transatlantic cruise review of my eastbound crossing, from the dining and lounges to entertainment, activities, sea day experiences, and more.
Table of Contents
The Ship & Itinerary
My transatlantic cruise aboard Valiant Lady departed Saturday, April 25th. Virgin Voyages’ ships — especially its first three — are largely identical. Valiant Lady is the second of the group; debuting in 2022 following the official launch of the line’s first ship, Scarlet Lady, in 2021. All four ships in the Virgin fleet are strictly adults-only.
Originally scheduled to depart from Manhattan, New York, the departure point for my cruise ended up being at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal instead. It is my understanding that this change was due to Manhattan’s Pier 90 being taken out of cruise service earlier this year. It was a rainy evening as we sailed under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, making for a memorable start to the voyage.
Our cruise would include five full days at sea making our way across the ocean before arriving in our first port: Ponta Delgada, Azores. The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago out in the Atlantic Ocean, located about 900 miles west of Lisbon. Our second port, Funchal, was also on a Portuguese island (Madeira) which we arrived in after another day at sea.
After yet another sea day, it was time to visit Tangier, Morocco, marking my very first time in Africa. That evening, our ship sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar, and it was so cool being able to see both Europe (Spain) and Africa (Morocco) at the same time.
As our ship made its way into the Mediterranean, our itinerary continued with visits to Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The voyage concluded in Barcelona on Saturday, May 9th. All in all, it was a two-week sailing with eight sea days and five ports of call.
Stateroom
I took this cruise with my boyfriend, who celebrated a milestone birthday while we were onboard. We booked a Central Sea Terrace stateroom, which is a balcony cabin located towards the middle of the ship. The central location is ideal for us as it provides quick access to many amenities.
Our stateroom was a standard Virgin Voyages cabin, featuring a queen-sized bed (made of two twin beds pushed together), a chair, a curved desk and mirror, built-in rack and shelves for storage, a safe, and a mini-fridge. For a standard length cruise, the space and storage in the cabin is ample. For a two-week voyage, storage space did seem a bit lacking. That being said, we made it work.
Also in the stateroom is a tablet to control things like the curtains and mood lighting (there are different lighting presets for things like relaxing (zen mode) or taking OOTD photos (photoshoot)), making housekeeping requests, or ordering room service.
If you’ve taken a cruise, chances are you know that cabin bathrooms are tight. Well, Virgin Voyages’ are even smaller. You can basically stand in one singular spot and wash your hands, sit down on the toilet, and take one step into the shower. I’ve taken multiple Virgin cruises so I’ve become accustomed to their tiny bathrooms, but it can still be a bit challenging at times. One pro is that the shower does have a glass door, so at least you don’t have to worry about a shower curtain sticking to your body.
The balcony is one of the best parts of a stateroom on Virgin Voyages. Why? The line’s signature red hammock, of course. While not EVERY balcony cabin features a hammock, the vast majority do, and it’s a memorable perk. We spent many an afternoon hanging around in the hammock, swaying with the ship as it cut through the water across the Atlantic. Also on the balcony were two metal chairs and a small table. The chairs are so-so. They’re metal with zero cushions, and they aren’t the most comfortable.
Overall, our stateroom on this transatlantic cruise was exactly as I was expecting and was a great home base during the two-week voyage.
Dining
All dining is included on Virgin Voyages, which made it extra easy to enjoy all the restaurants the ship has to offer multiple times throughout the sailing. Instead of having large main dining rooms, Virgin Voyages has smaller themed restaurants — most of which would be considered specialty restaurants on mainstream cruise lines.
While I’ve sailed Virgin Voyages multiple times before, I never took a cruise long enough to try all the restaurants in one sailing, and never took full advantage of the casual venues at dinnertime. During this transatlantic cruise, it was nice having more time to truly enjoy the various dining options on board without feeling rushed.
Sit-Down Restaurants
Gunbae
We had one meal at Gunbae, which is the ship’s Korean barbecue venue, and it was actually my first time dining there. You share a circular table with other cruisers around a flameless grill at the center of the table. The experience starts off with a fun drinking game, then you make your menu selections. You choose the appetizers and desserts you want, and they cook all of the entrées for the table, family-style. A chef prepares each entrée one at a time, with selections including mixed veggies, beef bulgogi, and a seafood course.
Overall we had a great experience at Gunbae, from the food and staff to the conversation around the table. If you’re okay with meeting new people and enjoying a lively “experience”-style dinner, I’d recommend Gunbae and would do it again on a future cruise.
Razzle Dazzle
Razzle Dazzle is one of my favorite restaurants on Virgin Voyages. As an important note, though, our cruise was the last sailing on this ship offering a traditional Razzle Dazzle experience in the evenings. Following our voyage, the ship underwent a dry dock to transform Razzle Dazzle into an Indian restaurant called Ariya. By day, the venue will still serve the Razzle Dazzle brunch menu. But by night, it now has a brand-new Indian menu.
Resilient Lady is now the last ship in the fleet still serving the Razzle Dazzle menu at dinner. Since dinner aboard Valiant Lady is no longer what I experienced, I won’t say much aside from the fact that we had dinner here a few times and enjoyed it, as always.
We had brunch at Razzle Dazzle several times throughout the sailing as well. My go-to menu items are the fried chicken sandwich and the açai bowl. Yum! My boyfriend enjoyed the avo toast, nutty gazpacho, and sunny side hash — all of which had a kick to them and all of which were delicious. We recommend the watermelon sesame “cream” as well — just be sure to ask for a half size if you’re not sharing it with 2+ other people! Don’t miss the smoked bacon either — it’s almost candied and one of the best things on the entire menu.
The Wake
Though the name evokes the sea you’re sailing, The Wake is all about steak. Located (of course) at the ship’s aft, we had both dinner and brunch at this elegant venue. The space is beautiful, the service is very good, and the food was excellent.
I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a huge steak person. However, my boyfriend did have some steaks, and he gave me his thoughts about them. During our dinner, he indulged in the “Treat Yourself” steak option on the menu, which was a 32 oz. aged tomahawk that comes with a $75 upcharge. Our waiter prepared and served it tableside and it was cooked perfectly, from the temperature to the seasoning and overall flavor. He said he’s had a lot of pricier cuts on land and at sea, but this was the best steak he’s ever had across 60+ cruises.
If you have brunch at The Wake and want a steak, try to make your visit at noon or later. It’s at that time that a supplementary menu is available, which includes a New York strip and a filet mignon. My boyfriend had the filet mignon during our brunch, and said that of the included steaks at The Wake, that’s his favorite. His only minor complaint was that he likes his steaks a bit more seasoned. Don’t miss out on the sauces, either, as the bone marrow béarnaise is the perfect pairing for all of the different cuts.
Two of our favorite things at The Wake, aside from steaks, are the clam chowder and the parker house dinner rolls. To me, they’re must-haves, to the point that one evening we were having dinner somewhere else, but we stopped by The Wake ahead of time just to have cocktails, rolls, and an appetizer.
Test Kitchen
The laboratory-themed Test Kitchen is not a “go-to” kind of place to enjoy over and over throughout a sailing — at least for me. Instead, it’s a unique experience that’s fun to try once or twice over the course of a cruise. A five-course affair, you choose from just two options per course, with mysterious menu items like “corn/truffle,” “tofu,” “beet/cashews,” “lamb rack,” and “strawberry/pistachio.” Unless you have food allergies or ask what each menu item actually entails ahead of time, you won’t truly know what you’re getting until it’s placed in front of you.
I would not consider myself a foodie. Therefore, Test Kitchen is a bit hit-or-miss for me. Some courses were delicious, some weren’t my speed at all. But each time I’ve gone was a fun experience trying interesting textures, food combinations, and presentations, so even I have — and would continue to — go back again. If you or someone you’re traveling with is an adventurous eater, or you want to step a bit out of your comfort zone (after all, it’s free!), I’d recommend giving Test Kitchen a try.
Pink Agave
Pink Agave is Virgin Voyages’ Mexican restaurant, with a moody Latin vibe and traditional, flavorful recipes. Admittedly, my favorite versions of Mexican food are the big, cheesy plates of enchiladas, burritos, or quesadillas. Pink Agave is a bit more elevated than my taste, but my boyfriend loves this style of Mexican and it’s his favorite restaurant on Virgin Voyages. The guacamole is one of the best both on land and at sea, and the esquites street corn and papas con chorizo are our go-to appetizers that are consistently delicious.
For entrées, my usual is the salsa verde enchiladas, which are good but not saucy/cheesy enough for my taste. His go-to is the Bistec Marinero en Escabeche, a ribeye steak covered in melted Oaxaca cheese and topped with chile ancho. Not counting the tomahawk steak at The Wake, this is his favorite steak on Virgin Voyages. The cheese and chiles perfectly pack a punch, creating a complex and exciting flavor.
When it comes to dessert, don’t skip it at Pink Agave. Two of the best desserts on the ship can be found here: the tamale de chocolate which is like a chocolate cake-like tamale, and the tacos de chocolate, which are mini tacos with flavors of chocolate, dulce de leche, and cinnamon.
Extra Virgin
The Italian restaurant aboard Valiant Lady is Extra Virgin, and it’s my second-favorite sit-down restaurant after Razzle Dazzle. On this voyage, we had the affettati misti cheese/meat board, the crispy artichoke, braised mini meatballs, potato gnocchi, and the pappardelle al ragu, among other things. While the gnocchi is extra soft and may feel overcooked to some, it was still delicious and we were happy with our meals here. The charcuterie board is small but has a great selection, and we ordered it more than once over the course of our sailing.
Arguably the highlight of a meal at Extra Virgin is dessert — specifically the affogato cart. Exactly as it sounds, if you order affogato your server comes over with a cart loaded with gelato, espresso, and a variety of toppings. Tell them exactly what you want and they prepare your affogato right in front of you. It’s a scrumptious treat and the perfect way to end a rich, satisfying meal at Extra Virgin.
Casual Dining
The Galley
The Galley is Virgin’s food hall venue. Taking the place of a traditional buffet, The Galley’s various food stations allow passengers to walk up, place an order or request something that’s already prepared, and seat themselves. If you place an order for something that has a wait, you’re usually given a buzzer which is very handy. Other things, like sushi, breads, pizza, desserts, fruit, and the special hot meal of the day are either grab-and-go or are already ready.
Tables also have small menus with flags, which you can raise if you need service. You can place a food order with these crew members if you don’t want to get up, or you can order things like specialty coffees and teas and alcoholic beverages.
I found The Galley on this transatlantic cruise to be the best iteration of this venue that I’ve experienced. Crew members were efficient, the food was fresh and well-prepared, and the daily specials were thoughtful and delicious. Some of our favorite specials throughout the sailing included crispy reuben spring rolls, butter chicken, shepherd’s pie, and the Spanish-inspired La Catalana burger.
The only true complaint I have is that the full selection of breakfast stations in the morning don’t open as early as I wish they did on port days. While the classic American breakfast station Diner & Dash is open 24 hours a day, other stations don’t start opening until a bit later. On some port days, the other stations didn’t open until 8 am — just one hour before we had to meet for our excursion.
The Social Club
The Social Club is a diner-inspired counter-service venue located amidst the arcade, the Loose Cannon bar, and a variety of tables for doing puzzles and playing games. The venue also plays host to a variety of activities throughout the sailing like trivia and karaoke. It serves a simple menu of four different hot dogs, soft pretzels, chicken wings, and popcorn. You can also get floats and dirty sodas there, as well as sweet treats like fudge, saltwater taffy, and gummies.
The Social Club is a great place to grab a bite to eat if you’re feeling peckish between meals. We’d stop by for a pretzel, a hot dog, or a piece of fudge and continue on our way. The food is quick and simple, but tastes great and hits the spot when you start to get a bit hungry.
The Pizza Place
Open from midday until late into the night, The Pizza Place is Virgin’s classic quick-casual pizza joint. Instead of just grabbing a slice or two, though, pizzas are served as whole personal-sized pies. With a few varieties to choose from, pizzas are made to order with fresh ingredients and delicious, chewy crusts. I’ve had many pizzas from this venue, and I’ve never had a bad experience.
Grounds Club
Grounds Club (and Grounds Club Too located in The Galley) is the ship’s coffee shop. A case of bakery items such as muffins, sweet breads, and cookies are complimentary, and they were awesome. We often walked away with a couple cookies, even when we weren’t planning to get any, and they always tasted fresh.
Specialty coffee and tea costs extra on Virgin Voyages. However, if you have status in the Sailing Club loyalty program, you’ll get one or two free specialty coffees/teas per day. We went to the Grounds Club just about every day, and were overall happy with our drinks.
Virgin Voyages uses Intelligentsia coffee, which we really like. I will say that my mileage did vary with the iced lattes I got. I’d always get some kind of flavored syrup, like mocha or caramel. The strength of those flavors seemed to vary a bit day by day, probably depending on who was working. I’d say I consistently had better mochas during my cruises on Scarlet Lady.
Bars and Lounges
There is a bar to suit just about anyone’s taste and style on Valiant Lady. You have the large, plush On the Rocks bar located at the bottom of The Roundabout atrium which plays host to a variety of live music sets. There’s also the nautical-themed pub The Loose Cannon, the glamorous Sip champagne lounge, The Dock House lounge, and The Dock outdoor deck space with bar at the aft, among others.
On every Virgin cruise I’ve taken, including this one, our usual spot to grab a drink was The Dock (if it’s daytime/nice outside) or The Dock House (if it’s evening or chilly/rainy outside). Located adjacent to each other, these spaces exude a laid-back coastal style, with lots of cushy seating and conversation areas. Throughout the afternoon, they serve a Mediterranean-inspired light bites menu with things like grilled shrimp, goat cheese polenta, and hangar steak.
For a few set hours, the menu switches to “Opa Hour,” with things like a mezza platter, lamb sausage skewer, and a selection of Greek sweets available. Opa Hour happened to include my favorite cocktail at The Dock House, the “Kleo Patra” made of kleos mastiha, lemon, and basil. Late-morning through early evening it can be difficult to find a good spot to sit at both The Dock and The Dock House, but it’s well worth it if you do. This is a great spot to hang out on board.
Other bars that I particularly enjoyed on board include The Loose Cannon (so many good cocktails here and I love the theming!) and On the Rocks (settle in here to enjoy some live music). Just note that Virgin Voyages does not have traditional drink packages like most other cruise lines.
Sea Day Activities
As with any cruise, you can do as little or as much as you want during sea days. However, if you want to do a lot, there was always something happening on our transatlantic cruise. Examples of common activities include trivia, live music, cruiser meet-ups, fitness classes, bridge classes and tournaments, karaoke, challenges and quizzes, and dance classes. We spent most of our time at sea doing our own thing, hanging out on deck or in various lounges.
We did participate in what the line calls “Summer Camp Arts & Crafts,” which was making bracelets or keychains with embroidery thread. It’s a nice activity to pass some time, and I got a cool handmade keychain out of it. But I wish the line was a bit more inventive with their summer camp-themed crafts, and had a wider rotation of the actual crafts that are done. They also had designated times during the sailing where they’d put up a big paper mural that guests could color in together. That looked fun, but the mural wasn’t very long so people were a bit on top of each other trying to color it.
Something that’s special about a transatlantic crossing on Virgin Voyages is that there are guest speakers that come onboard to talk about their area of expertise. We attended a show put on by a former submariner, Eric, who was in the British Royal Navy. His show was very educational about what it was like to be train for, live, and work on a submarine, but also lighthearted — full of jokes and quips about his experiences at sea. Another guest speaker was one of the co-founders of Virgin Atlantic, David Tait, talking about what it was like to help build an airline.
Entertainment
There are lots of ways to stay entertained during a transatlantic crossing aboard Valiant Lady. Live music is easy to find around the ship, with guitarists and vocalists playing in venues such as On the Rocks (the bar in The Roundabout atrium), The Dock House, and Sip champagne bar. We caught musicians here and there, and all were good at engaging with the crowd and very talented.
There were several shows and parties in the theater, including the dinner variety show It’s a Ship Show, UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING which is part show, part dance party, the Around the World with the Diva travel-themed drag show, and The Magnets a capella group, among other events. I’m not generally a huge theater show person, so I didn’t attend much during this sailing. However, we did see Around the World with the Diva which was funny, a bit raunchy, and overall a great time.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Virgin Voyages cruise review without talking about Scarlet Night. On our transatlantic voyage, Scarlet Night happened on day 9, the evening following our day in Funchal, Madeira. Scarlet Night is really more like Scarlet evening AND night. Activations happen all around the ship, as various public venues transform into red hues and octopus tentacles start appearing in different places. There’s a photo station, a glam station, live music, a signature red cocktail, and more. The party truly kicks off with an event in the Roundabout atrium that includes music, dancing, and competitions. Then, everyone gathers on the main pool deck for the Scarlet Night party. It’s the best cruise ship party I’ve ever experienced and you can’t miss it if you take a Virgin cruise.
Spa Thermal Suite
Though I’ve sailed Virgin Voyages before, I’d actually never experienced the line’s thermal suite in the spa — until this sailing. In fact, we spent not one, but two afternoons enjoying the various amenities that included a salt room, steam room, sauna, mud room, hot and cold plunge pools, and a room temperature pool.
Overall, the thermal suite was great. I’m a big fan of spa thermal suites, and have tried them on multiple cruise lines over the years. On Valiant Lady, my favorite experiences were the salt room, sauna, mud room, and hot tub. The room temperature pool was a great size and made for a nice area to talk with fellow passengers, but I wish it was just a bit warmer. It was cold enough that it was uncomfortable to get into, and I really was wishing the spa had a large hot tub-style pool instead. The hot tub that WAS there was tiny and could only comfortably fit 1-2 people.
Surrounding the room temperature pool were chairs with foot rests. They are small, upright chairs that don’t have very high backs, which to me didn’t make for a very good place to relax. So really, the only place to truly lay back is on the heated marble hammam benches, which are located off to the side with porthole ocean views. More like layered platforms than benches, this area is where you can put down a towel and fully lay down to relax. Of course, you are literally laying on marble, which means this isn’t the comfiest option either.
How do transatlantic cruises differ from Caribbean sailings on Virgin?
It probably goes without saying that things are even more laid back than usual on a transatlantic cruise vs. a Caribbean cruise with Virgin. There’s more time to spread major events out, so you won’t have Scarlet Night just two nights after the pajama party. Guests tend to spend more time indoors on transatlantic cruises than in the Caribbean too, particularly during the crossing. This is largely due to weather, which on my crossing varied widely between cold, drizzly and windy to warm and sunny. It’s also because there’s just more time. Sun-seekers who might want to soak up every ray of sunshine possible in the Caribbean will have more time to alternate between being outside and enjoying indoor amenities/activities.
The average passenger age skews a bit older on longer sailings, which goes for transatlantic voyages as well. In line with that, The Manor nightclub is less attended than on shorter cruises, except on themed nights like Scarlet Night where you’ll find a bigger crowd.
Progressive trivia can be found on longer sailings such as a transatlantic cruise, where the same teams play and accumulate their points throughout the voyage (the prizes are bigger, too!). You’ll also find more specials in the restaurants, both sit-down and at The Galley. And as mentioned, The Galley had some really outstanding specials that we were able to enjoy.
In the pre-cruise realm, guests are able to have more bookings per restaurant ahead of time than they would on a shorter cruise.
Of course, many of these differences are not exclusive to a transatlantic cruise; they would apply to any voyage that’s longer than average. However, they are things we noticed on this sailing that aren’t typical of the Virgin Voyages experience.
Why take a transatlantic cruise on Virgin Voyages?
One of the biggest selling points of Virgin Voyages that may be an even BIGGER pro during a transatlantic crossing is the fact that the line is adults-only. The elevated, adult-focused atmosphere is perfect for kicking back and relaxing during sea days without worrying about kids being underfoot or doing cannonballs into the pool.
Virgin’s balcony hammocks are also a huge plus. What better time than on an ocean crossing to sway in your hammock as you read a book, hang out with your travel mates, or close your eyes and listen to the waves? If you’re considering a transatlantic cruise with Virgin, we highly recommend you book a balcony cabin and make sure it’s one with a hammock.
I also love the more inclusive nature of Virgin. While it’s not considered an “all-inclusive” line, it IS “more” inclusive than mainstream lines and offers great value. Things that many other lines charge for like wifi, soda, fitness classes, and all dining is included in the fare. If you pre-purchase a Bar Tab for drinks, it’s pretty easy to walk off a Virgin Voyages cruise having spent little to nothing while onboard if you so choose.
Who should take a transatlantic cruise with Virgin Voyages?
In my opinion, a transatlantic cruise aboard Virgin Voyages is great for young adults (and those who are young at heart!) who don’t mind longer voyages with lots of time at sea. Our sailing had a wide variety of ages represented onboard, with people from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life. Virgin Voyages does create a bit more of a trendy and party-like atmosphere than most cruise lines so if you’re looking for a quieter, more refined cruise, another line might be a better option.
While the age demographic of transatlantic cruises tend to skew much older on other cruise lines, the difference isn’t as pronounced on Virgin Voyages. On mainstream cruise lines, you’ll find that the demographic difference between a standard Caribbean cruise and a transatlantic cruise is quite noticeable. While I did notice more older passengers on the transatlantic than I did on my previous Bahamas and Caribbean sailings with Virgin, there was still a large number of younger/middle-aged guests.
If you’re looking for a longer vacation without a higher price tag, transatlantic cruises, or any repositioning cruise, should be on your radar. These cruises (more sea days, less ports of call) usually offer significantly lower per-day fares.
Virgin Voyages Transatlantic Cruise Review: My Overall Thoughts
I had a fantastic time on my Valiant Lady transatlantic cruise. While I was a bit disappointed that it started off so chilly and we couldn’t spend much time outside, we stayed cozy inside, enjoying the ship and our fellow passengers. During the times when it was warm, it was fun to head outside and see everyone gathered, eager to soak up the sun and enjoy the endless ocean views.
I know I didn’t mention our ports much in this review, but they were fantastic. We did hiking excursions in both the Azores and Madeira, and they were two of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. We visited a blue-drenched ancient city called Chefchaouen during our call in Tangier, Morocco, and explored on our own during our port calls in Spain. I hadn’t been to Europe in years, so being back again — and in all new places — was a real treat for me and a huge highlight of the cruise. And of course, my first time visiting Africa was a highlight as well.
I was a bit apprehensive about taking a ship all the way across the ocean, but I’m so glad I did. Lots of people on our sailing had done transatlantic crossings before, and now that I’ve done one I can see why they came back. It was relaxing, beautiful, and so much fun. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m excited at the thought of potentially doing crossings on different cruise lines and ship sizes in the future. If you’re considering a transatlantic cruise, I say jump in and do it. You won’t truly know for yourself until you try, and chances are if you love being on the ocean, you’ll love crossing one. I know I do.
Comments
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