Virgin Voyages – Valiant Lady – Cruise Blog – Day 1 – Miami

November 15, 2024 Randy Young

Last Updated on November 19, 2024

Last week, I embarked on my first Virgin Voyages cruise, a 5-day Mayan Sol itinerary sailing from Miami with stops in Costa Maya, Mexico, and Bimini aboard Valiant Lady. I’m excited to take you through this cruise day by day, providing the same level of detail you’ve come to expect from our cruise blogs. Since Virgin Voyages is a relatively new cruise line, I’ll be making comparisons to other lines throughout, which might be helpful if you’re considering sailing with them.

Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady Day 1 Overview

Cruising out of Miami
Getting to the Valiant Lady
Virgin Voyages Boarding Times
Splash of Romance Package
The Bands and Boarding Process
Valiant Lady’s Bold Elegance
Day 1 Schedule
Checking Out My Central Sea Terrace Cabin
Enjoying the Pool Deck
Muster Station Drill
Sail Away Party
Pink Agave for Dinner
Trivia in the Social Club
Miss Behave Show in Red Room
Pajama Party on Valiant Lady

Cruising out of Miami

We arrived in Miami a day before our cruise. As the largest cruise port in the US, Miami is conveniently located just minutes from the airport and downtown. Having sailed from the Port of Miami numerous times, I’ve explored different areas of the city each time. South Beach, with its beautifully manicured beaches (including the famous Muscle Beach), vibrant nightlife, and several tourist attractions, offered a quintessential Miami experience.

We stayed at The Fairwinds Hotel, located in the heart of South Beach. The location was perfect, just blocks from the beach and Ocean Boulevard. The rooms were spacious and quiet, and the facility had a pool on the top floor. We arrived a day early, so we checked out the sites, including dinner at Havana 1957, which was incredibly delicious, and a trendy brunch at Bacon Bitch.

bacon bitch miami breakfast — Bacon Bitch was a great, trendy brunch before boarding. I loved the hashbrowns.

Getting to the Valiant Lady

We took an Uber from our hotel to the cruise port; the ride took about 30 minutes with traffic and cost $25. Virgin Voyages docks at Terminal V in Port Miami, a custom 3-story facility built specifically for Virgin Voyages which debuted in early 2022. Just walking up to the building, you’ll know you’re in for something different than other cruise lines. Instagram-worthy signs greet guests, and Virgin’s signature red color is used throughout the space.

Virgin Voyages Boarding Times

Virgin Voyages has a unique approach to embarkation. Unlike the massive holding rooms in other cruise terminals, Terminal V is relatively small, and Virgin enforces a strict arrival time policy. When you arrive at Terminal V, you get into a roped-off line for your arrival time (each time has a different line). Arriving too early means waiting outside in the covered (but seating-less) area, which can be uncomfortable in Miami’s heat and humidity.

They do offer early luggage drop-off starting at 9 AM, so if you’re traveling in, you can drop off your luggage, check-in, and then take an Uber or the city trolley to go to Bayside Marketplace to kill some time before you return for your actual boarding time.

Tip: Unlike other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages doesn’t use luggage tags. When you arrive, you drop off your large suitcases with the porters and give them your cabin number.

Virgin Voyages also boards later than other cruise lines, typically starting around 1:30 PM. You can select your preferred arrival time using the Virgin Voyages app when you book your cruise.

Tip: Keep an eye on the app in the week leading up to your sailing, as earlier boarding times may become available one week before sailing. We managed to snag an earlier slot, moving from 3:45 to 2:15.

Splash of Romance Package

For this cruise, I booked the Splash of Romance Package. It’s a special package from Virgin that gives you a few benefits. For me, the most important thing was priority boarding. With Splash of Romance, you are one of the first people aboard the ship.

Annoyingly, Virgin Voyages does not communicate how the Splash of Romance Priority Boarding works.

With Splash of Romance, you can arrive at the terminal anytime and get right to the front of the line. If you want to be the first onboard, arrive around 1:15. You show the attendant your “Splash of Romance” add-on in the app, and they’ll direct you past all the lines and directly to the priority check-in. Once checked in, you wait in the lounge until you’re called; it’ll be right after their Suites (called Rock Stars) and Deep Blue Extras (the highest loyalty tier).

It’s been reported that there are only 100 Splash of Romance packages per sailing, so if you’re interested, book as soon as you book your cruise. The cost is currently $250 per cabin.

The Bands and Boarding Process

We walked into the terminal and proceeded to check in. We showed them the boarding pass on our phone and gave them our passports, and they checked us in within a few minutes. It was an incredibly streamlined process but on par with what I’ve experienced in other Miami cruise terminals.

Once done, they gave us our “Bands” – Virgin Voyages’ answer to traditional key cards. Made from recycled plastic, these lightweight wristbands are surprisingly comfortable. They grant access to your cabin and can be used for onboard purchases, eliminating the need to carry a separate card. I’ve used Magic Bands at Disney before and hated how bulky and uncomfortable they were in the Florida heat. These bands were so much better, being secured with just a bit of rope; most of the time, I didn’t even notice it was there.

Next, we headed into the large waiting room. The space was bright and airy, with vibrant red couches. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed us the beautiful ship we were about to board. In all the reporting I’ve done on Virgin Voyages, I never realized how the ship was actually more gray than white, almost like a modern take on old ships, giving it a kind of sophistication.

At 1:45, the Rockstars started to walk onboard. There was no announcement because the Rockstars are in a different VIP section of the terminal with premium coffee and a separate entrance.

Tip: Once people start boarding, the Wi-Fi from the ship will be strong enough to connect to the system, and use the app to book any onboard items you couldn’t before.

As the Rockstars boarded, I connected to the Valiant Lady’s Wi-Fi and opened the Virgin Voyages app. It immediately refreshed once it saw I was “on the ship” and updated a lot of the functionality. The first screen let me choose which internet I wanted. I stuck with the included basic internet, which didn’t allow streaming. Then, I quickly went through and booked all our dinners. For standard cabins, 75 days before sailing, you can log on at Midnight EST and make dining reservations. Unfortunately, all the good times were gone by the time I tried to book at 7 AM the next day, and all reservations were gone a week before the sailing. Thankfully, Virgin only releases a small percentage of reservations ahead of time (it’s been reported to be about one-third). Once I was on the ship’s Wi-Fi, all the times became available and I was able to secure the coveted 7 PM dining time each night.

At this point, you could also book things like Fitness Classes (which are included) and some extra-fee activities like the Grog Walk, Sip and Paint Class, etc). Shows and entertainment no longer need to be booked. Before we even started to walk onboard, I was all set.

At 1:52, they called Deep Blue Extras members to board the ship. A few minutes later, at 1:56, Splash of Romance started boarding. We walked up the vibrant red gangway and stepped foot onboard precisely at 2 PM.

Valiant Lady’s Bold Elegance

As we boarded the Valiant Lady, the Happenings Cast, Virgin Voyage’s name for their entertainment staff, immediately greeted us and helped us figure out which way to go to get to our cabins (on Virgin Voyages, your cabins are ready as soon as you board). Before we headed to our cabin, we wanted to explore the ship a bit.

You enter Valiant Lady on Deck 7, at the ship’s center, at a place called “The Roundabout.” This two-story space serves as the heart of the ship, and is lined with a few shops, bars, and places to book shore excursions and your next cruise. A multi-colored light fixture is at the top, and a wide stairwell descends to the next level. It doesn’t have the same show-stopper entrance as older ships with floor-to-ceiling atriums, an expansive interior promenade, or more open setups like are seen on Norwegian’s Prima Class and Carnival’s Vista Class ships.

Overall, I’d describe Valiant Lady’s look as “Bold Elegance.” Many of the bars had high-end finishes, unique light fixtures, and bold colors that made a statement. While spaces would be themed, none felt overly cheesy or childish. For example, octopus tentacles can be seen coming up through the floor in The Roundabout, but they don’t feel like a gimmick. At the same time, it didn’t feel overly stuffy; you won’t find Swarovski crystal-embedded steps on this ship. It held a good balance of being modern, high-end, and approachable at the same time.

Most of the cruise ship was designed by people who have never worked on cruise ships before, so a lot of the spaces don’t feel like you’re on a ship (although the excellent use of windows in many public spaces makes it feel more like a ship than Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class which isolates you from the ocean).

Virgin Voyages – Mayan Sol – Day 1 At a Glance Schedule

Checking Out My Central Sea Terrace Cabin

My Central Sea Terrace Cabin (Virgin Voyages’ term for a balcony cabin) was on Deck 12. The cabin door unlocks with a simple tap of your Band, and upon entry, the lights gently illuminate, the curtains open to reveal the balcony, and soft music begins to play—a welcoming touch.

However, as I looked around, I realized the cabins weren’t as premium as the price and the rest of the ship would suggest. At 185 sq ft with a 40 sq ft balcony, it’s relatively small compared to new ships from other lines like Norwegian, Carnival, and Celebrity.

Ship	Standard Balcony Cabin	% Larger Than Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady	185 sq ft
Norwegian Viva	231 sq ft	25%
Carnival Celebration	200 sq ft	8%
Celebrity Edge	200 sq ft	8%
Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas	180 sq ft	-3%

The Cabin

The decor is pretty sparse, resembling a cross between an Ikea showroom and a dorm room. There’s no closet per se, but a cabin with a few shelves and then racks that can be covered by a curtain. The furniture is understated, and parts of the room seem pretty bare, although a wood-toned slat wall and beam over the bed help warm up the space a bit.

The bed is positioned closest to the door, with a large black platform next to it. This platform is a remnant of Virgin’s initial plan for a convertible bed/couch design, which was abandoned due to the impracticality of making and tearing down a bed each day. The bed itself is quite low to the ground, making it difficult to get in and out of, and impossible to store large luggage underneath (something that can be done on nearly any other cruise ship).

With this configuration, there isn’t a dedicated sitting area. A small chair sits in the corner, but the TV doesn’t swivel. I didn’t use this area once during the whole sailing.

However, the cabin offers the essential amenities you need. It has 1 US outlet and 2 standard USB ports on each side of the bed. The outlets on the balcony side of the bed will need a long cord to reach. The desk has 2 US outlets, 1 UK outlet, and 2 standard USB ports. You also have a small mini-fridge under the desk.

On the desk, you’ll find a tablet to control nearly everything in the room: open/close the curtains, turn on the lights, adjust the temperature. It even controls the TV with a wide variety of on-demand movies to watch at no extra cost. The tablet sits in a dock so you can take it to the bed with you.

The Balcony / Sea Terrace

The balcony is a good size for a cruise ship and it has a good amount of privacy compared to Carnival’s Excel Class ships where the tiered layout lets people stare into most balconies. Its standout feature, though, is the red hammock. 86% of balconies on Virgin Voyages come with a red hammock, and while I initially thought it was a gimmick, it proved to be incredibly comfortable. It’s much more functional than the typical upright chairs found on other cruise lines. The hammock made the balcony much more usable, it was easily the most my balcony has ever been used.

Tip: The door must be closed AND locked for the air conditioning to work in the cabin. That means if someone wants to sit outside, the person inside will have the temperature slowly get higher. It’s a really poor design choice.

The Bathroom

The bathroom, while stylish, is very small. You can literally brush your teeth while sitting on the toilet! The shower has a fantastic waterfall showerhead with a glass shower door, but the enclosure is on the smaller side, and you have to maneuver around the door to get in and out (other ships, like Carnival’s Excel Class, use a floating hinge that takes up less space when the door is open).

Overall Cabin Impression

Another issue was the cabin’s upkeep. While clean, the furnishings showed signs of wear and tear, unexpected for a ship that’s only been in service for 2 1/2 years. The carpet had set-in wine stains, and the leather on the chair was cracking and worn.

Overall, the cabin was serviceable but didn’t align with Virgin Voyage’s premium positioning and pricing. Comparable cabins on newer ships from mainstream lines like Norwegian and Carnival felt more upscale.

Enjoying the Pool Deck

One of the best parts of getting on a ship early is you can enjoy the pools and hot tubs before they’re packed. Most people forget to bring their swimsuits in their carry-on, so they can’t go in until their luggage comes later in the day.

We put on our swimsuits and headed to Deck 15. We first entered the pool deck from the mid-ship elevators. Entering the area, we spotted the Well-Being pool. This large circular pool may look like a hot tub, but in reality is a cold water pool with chairs throughout. Because of the design, people can lounge around and chat rather than stand in the middle of a pool. Flanking the Well-Being Pool are two small hot tubs that can seat up to 8 guests each, according to signs (although that’d be tight). You’ll also find a full-service bar and outdoor workout equipment like monkey bars here.

Walking further towards the front of the ship, we saw the “main” pool on Valiant Lady in the Aquatic Club. If you’ve read anything about Virgin Voyages ships before, you’ve likely already heard this, but the pool is ridiculously small for a ship of this size. At first glance, the pool already looks small, but then, looking closer, you realize only one-third is actually a pool; the rest is just a wading area. Day beds surround the space immediately around the pool, and other lounge seating fills in the rest of the deck.

If the pool is your “scene” on a cruise ship, you might not love this setup. The space feels small and confined, and the pool is cramped on pool days. Luckily, tons of sun loungers are available on the deck above for more relaxing.

We went into one of the hot tubs because the pool was too cold. There are no bubbles in the hot tubs, so it’s basically like sitting in a bath with friends. It’s a bit odd.

Muster Station Drill

After some time in the hot tub, we completed the muster drill, a mandatory part of any cruise. Virgin Voyages does it a bit differently. First, you have to watch the video in your cabin. It’s a cheeky, well-produced video with the “Virgin” feel, but it was a bit long. Once you watch that, you head to your muster station to check in, but you can only do it between 4 and 5. It was 4:30, so we headed to our muster station to get our bands scanned, and we were all set. Then, we returned to the cabin to unpack our luggage.

Sail Away Party at 5:30 PM

Virgin Voyages Sail Away Party kicks off at 5:30 PM, regardless of the actual sailing time. It typically takes place on the pool decks, featuring the Happenings Cast and free-flowing champagne.

Unfortunately, rain forced the party indoors to The Roundabout on Decks 6 and 7. Virgin Voyages, which rarely uses the PA system, instead alerted guests via the app and elevator video screens.

The Roundabout was bustling, but with no clear direction, people seemed unsure where to go. We found a spot on the upper deck of The Roundabout and waited. The Happenings Cast, dressed in their finest red, circulated and introduced themselves. They were incredibly approachable during the party and throughout the sailing, rivaling some of the best entertainment staff I’ve seen on a cruise ship.

Champagne service began, but the upper deck was crowded, and drinks were snatched up quickly as servers circulated. We went down one level using the spiral staircase, and the space was much less crowded. We were able to get a seat, and then the champagne kept coming…and coming. It wasn’t one per guest; in fact, they were encouraging us to take several, or when our glass was half full, they’d drop off another one.

The energy built as guests enjoyed their bubbly and a DJ spun tunes. I know there’s a whole toast and speech when this party is done outdoors, but I guess they don’t do it indoors, so it felt like there was no format or structure to the party.

Still, guests were having fun, and we could see people on the upper level dancing around and doing the electric slide (unprompted, Virgin doesn’t do line dances like some other lines, but guests want what they want). It was a lively scene; I imagine it’s even better outdoors. This event perfectly set the tone for the cruise, showcasing Virgin Voyages’ unique and fun-loving vibe.

The party wrapped up at around 6:30 PM, and after 5 or 6 glasses of champagne, it was time to get dressed for dinner.

Pink Agave for Dinner

We decided to go to Pink Agave, Virgin’s Mexican restaurant, for our first night. Our reservations were at 7, so at 6:55, we headed down (as much as I love big ships, I love that on smaller ships like this, you can walk across the whole thing in 5 minutes).

It took a bit of searching to find Pink Agave; it’s relatively isolated on Deck 5. You can only get there by taking the midship elevators and walking past guest services. The entrance is highlighted by a walkway with a constellation of glowing orbs hanging from the curved ceiling.

The restaurant avoids typical Tex-Mex decor and instead offers a contemporary and cosmopolitan interpretation of Mexican-inspired design. The main dining area features a mix of intimate circular booths with cozy blue chairs, plush banquettes for larger groups, and comfortable orange couches for a more relaxed dining experience. Dark walls, warm lighting, and pops of color create a sophisticated backdrop, while circular cut-outs in the wall dividers add a touch of whimsy.

We were seated immediately and greeted by our waiter within minutes. He explained that the menu here is family-style, with small and large plates, and suggested we order a bunch of each. My favorites were the esquites (grilled corn), the cochinita pibil, and the ribeye steak with Oaxaca cheese on it that everyone raves about.

The food came out very quickly; we had our small plates within 10 minutes of sitting down and our entrees within 20 minutes. At several points, our waiter came back and asked if we wanted to try other things and convinced us to get a few other dishes; they came out so quickly.

See Pink Agave Dinner and Cocktail Menu

For dessert, I got the tacos de chocolate, which were cute and small. They were bitter chocolate, so just a few bites were all I needed.

Overall, it was a fantastic meal. Total service took 45 minutes, which was impressive, if not a bit too quick. The wait staff was so attentive and friendly; it set the bar high for the rest of the cruise.

After dinner, we headed to the Social Club for Salty Trivia. The Social Club is a cool space on deck 7 of the ship that ended up being one of our most frequented areas. It’s a relatively big venue that’s great for casual hanging around. It feels like a cross between an old-school diner and a fairground. They had booths, bar seating, and tables throughout the space, with a large selection of board games.

You could order boozy milkshakes at the counter, but the included food was more impressive. From Noon until Midnight, you could get hot dogs, buffalo wings, hot pretzels, fresh popcorn, or a variety of tasty treats like gummy bears, cake pops, and fudge. On other cruise lines, this would all cost extra, but it’s all included on Virgin Voyages.

See the Social Club Diner Menu

Next door is the Loose Cannon, a nautical-themed bar. It’s hard to understand why they separated it from Social Club, as the space opens directly into the Social Club and was usually used for the same games and activities. It would have made much more sense if they made it one big space for both, but I guess that’s one less bar they could brag about.

See The Loose Cannon Bar Menu

The Hostess, one of the Happenings Cast, greeted us and welcomed us to the first trivia. We had three rounds of 10 questions each. In between the rounds, you’d pass your paper to your neighbor to grade you. The questions had a good difficulty level, with the highest score being 23 points out of 30. People enjoyed it, and although the space was full, it wasn’t uncomfortably so. The winning team got a round of drinks.

Miss Behave Show in Red Room

After trivia, we went for our first Virgin Voyages show, the Miss Behave Show. The show took place in the Red Room, Virgin Voyage’s main theater. Like several other cruise lines have done, the Red Room is a convertible theater with several different setups. For the Miss Behave Show, it’s arranged as a traditional theater with stadium seating. The chairs were very comfortable and very solid for seating that could slide back into the wall, and almost all the seats had excellent sightlines with no obstructions. Overall, though, the space felt very bare and industrial. It wasn’t as polished as the convertible theater that Norwegian put on its Prima Class ships with vibrant LED screens and a video chandelier, but it served its purpose well.

The theater felt small, holding only 450 guests in this configuration. Virgin Voyages no longer takes reservations for shows, so you just line up and go in if you want to see it. I prefer this method over booking a show months ahead when you have no idea what you will want to do that day. We arrived 15 minutes early and had no problem getting a prime seat at the 10 PM show. By the time the show started, the theater was at about 90% capacity.

The Miss Behave Show was interesting and even after sitting through it, it’s hard to describe precisely what it is. The show was developed by Amy Saunders, who also has similar shows in Las Vegas. It’s loosely structured as a game show, but there are really no contestants or prizes. It’s just a good way to introduce comedy and jokes throughout the performance. Halfway through, the “ass-istant” performed an impressive aerial silk show, suspending himself in the air and performing jaw-dropping acrobatics. Overall, the show lasted just about an hour, and it was quite amusing and different from anything I’ve ever seen at sea.

Pajama Party on Valiant Lady

After the show, it was time for one of Virgin Voyages’ signature parties, the Pajama Party, which started at 11 PM. We quickly changed into our pajamas and headed up to The Athletic Club on the back of Deck 16 (if it’s inclement weather, the party is usually held in The Manor).

The Athletic Club is at a weird place on the ship; it’s not directly accessible by elevator. The only way to get to it is to take the midship elevators to Deck 16 and then walk to the back, either passing by a narrow corridor of white, sheet metal cabanas or through the outdoor fitness equipment. The large space has a double bar setup, TV screens, and lots of built-in chairs and couches.

We arrived around 11:15, and the party was already going. People were in all kinds of pajamas, from comfy flannel pants to Halloween onesies to lingerie (although if I had to rate it, for this sailing, most people opted for comfy, matching pajamas). The DJ was mixing music while people lounged around and enjoyed the atmosphere. I wouldn’t call it a dance party but more of a lively lounging activity where people can be comfy, enjoy the beautiful night air, and look up at the stars.

Around 11:30, The Hostess and The Diva (the ship’s resident Drag Queen) welcomed everyone. They did a quick competition for who had the best pajamas and they led a brief dance-off. Then they bid us good night and said we’d be in for a sweet treat if we stayed until the end. I knew they handed out warm cookies at the party and was determined to get one. Unfortunately, it started to mist at this point, and people started to crowd under the small awning that covered the bar. The weather was making it less enjoyable, and by midnight, there were still no cookies to be seen. I was fading fast, it had been a long day, so I headed in before the end of the party, but it was later confirmed to me that cookies were indeed passed out later in the evening. (I also learned that I should grab some cookies from the Grounds Club in the afternoon every other day and store them in my room for late-night snacking).

Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady Day 1 Wrap-up

Overall, day 1 was great, and so far, Virgin Voyages had really impressed me. The staff was excellent, and the energy was so high without feeling like a college booze cruise. The ship, while it had its quirks, was well suited to this 5-day sailing and a crowd of this size (we were sailing at around 75% capacity).

I constantly found myself loving how much was included on this cruise, like all the food, the internet, and soda, a pleasant surprise from being nickel and dimed on other lines. And lastly, I was surprised by how much I noticed the lack of kids. Normally, kids on a cruise ship don’t bother me (unless they’re being obnoxious), but what stuck out to me was the lack of commotion and noise that they generate. I was excited to see how the rest of the sailing would be.