Virgin Voyages Reviews 1,313

Although the ship, Brilliant Lady just entered service it has some hiccups. I've been on Scarlet Lady and Valliant Lady and they are both better in my opinion.

Brilliant Lady seem to struggle with A/C in certain areas of the ship, some very hot and others very cool. My terrace had a door jam bracket that simply fell off every time you opened the door. Molding was also already coming loose around the walls as well.

Booking dining was chaos as there was no line, no podium, nothing just a free for all waiting to get a sailor services person to help you upon boarding. In the past it was held at a podium on deck 5 but since has been moved to the roundabout sitting area.

The dining choices are solid if you're able to secure a reservation, which I did ultimately .

The entertainment on board is also plentiful and offered throughout your voyage. Abi Gold the Hostess is a great addition as she's a bit cheeky and playful. The singers are very talented in the shows and offer good entertainment.

The casino is small and they don't offer a high limit room as with Resilient Lady or Valliant Lady. The odds on roulette are better than most any casino with a single zero and double zero table offering reasonable bet sizes. The slots are as tight as I've ever seen in any casino on land or sea but that's to be expected.

Above all Virgin Voyages are still my first choice for cruising but this ship needs a bit more polish.

We went on the Friends and Family pre-cruise from Portsmouth to New York. The ship is amazing the crew are fantastic and nothing was too much trouble. On these points I cannot rate them highly enough. Unfortunately, for me, they have one massive failing (and it is the same situation on Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady) FOOD. If you are a 'gastronaut' and like what I call 'Arty-Farty' food, then you will absolutely love it. However if, like me, you prefer simple, old-fashioned, home cooking like your Mum/Grandma used to serve up, you will find the themed restaurants a total nightmare. Virgin Voyages say their menus are 'Michelin inspired' which means the dishes are full of stuff you have never heard, don't want, and have to 'Google' to find out what they are trying to feed you. To be fair, The Wake will serve you a pretty decent steak if you ask for it cooked plain with chips and without all their usual rubbish accompaniments. The Galley also does some more basic dishes each evening (so you will not go hungry) but even those can sometimes catch you offguard. After we got off the ship and went onto our final destination in Tennessee, we went to a Crackerbarrel where I ordered Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and green bean. I am convinced I heard my stomach sigh with pleasure upon receiving some proper food again after two weeks of so-called Michelin inspiration !! My advice to VV (not that they will listen) - normal people do not eat like this guys and you need to tone it down.

This was now my 2nd time on Brilliant Lady and my 6th time on Virgin Voyages overall. I've sailed in the Sea Terrace Balcony and as a Rock Star (in a suite) and both are amazing. I highly recommend.

There's nothing like being on a new ship with new shows, a new restaurant (Rojo) and an all new cast and Happenings Cast. Everyone that works there is just as excited to be on board as you are. It is a wonderful time. Just do it! You will not be disappointed.

PS definitely pack PJs for the PJ Party and a red hot outfit for Scarlet Night. Beyond that, the dress code is anything goes so just be yourself and be ready to make so many new friends! (The Grog Walk... a bar crawl event... was fun too. First time doing that and it was awesome. So was the Up with a Twist dinner show experience! We actually did that twice.)

Wow!!
Totally amazing fun time on Brilliant Lady!
The crew were fabulous, food was mind blowing and the ships are just beautiful.
A choice of many a La carte restaurants, all complimentary.
The fitness classes which started with sunrise yoga at 6am were just incredible. Everything from Zumba, HIIT classes, spin classes, the gyms, the running track, everything is set up to just easily join in, the whole ship fitness instructors were brilliant and all again complimentary.

Cabin was lush, modern clean and technology buttons to open the curtains and dim the lights etc

Fave restaurant was Pink Agave Mexican but followed by Razzle dazzle and the wake.
Yummy all of it!
Try the Test Kitchen! So different and an experience not to be missed!

All in all an amazing Brilliant cruise 🚢
We cannot wait to travel with Virgin voyages again!.. just which destination!!

Excellent cruise! The crossing was amazing. Brillant Lady had many new employees and they were fantastic. This was our 5th cruise with Virgin and I can’t imagine cruising on any other line :). The food is amazing. No buffets, excellent selection in the galley and the restaurants are top notch. Entertainment, excursions, fitness classes, the track, the pool area, the spa…..all fantastic! Haven’t had a bad experience on any cruise with Virgin!

The cruise was great due to the Crew - amazing people who anticipate your needs before you even think about them. Food was a bit higher level than other lines; especially in the main Galley where disease is rigidly controlled by spotless everything and a food distribution system that relies on food cooked to order as well as wait staff that hands your items to you. There are no buffets; no dirty hands on the utensils; no one grazing as they use their fingers to go from one dish to the next and no ick factor from wondering who might have used their sppon to taste every item before you arrived at the serving area.

We went for our first ever cruise (M/F couple) and did a lot of research as to which cruise line to go for. We are so glad we went with Virgin Voyages. Everything was great. The cabin? Spacious and amazing! (We had a sea view one). Entertainment? Something for everyone. And the food? To die for. From the standard spots available throughout the days, to the 5 bookable restaurants, everything was incredible. Each one was a different experience, different vibe, and all good was great. If you're thinking about it, just do it! You will thank yourself later.

We had a fabulous cruise, from beginning to end! The food was outstanding, the staff was professional and very attentive, and the accommodations were quite comfortable!! Our time in Jamaica was fun, and we also enjoyed Grand Cayman. It was unfortunate that we were not able to dock at Bimini, but we applaud the decision that, based on the weather, it would not be safe to do so! Virgin did a super job creating an unexpected day at sea filled with a variety of fun activities aboard the ship! Suffice it to say, we had a blast, and Virgin has set the bar very high for any other cruises we might plan to take in the future.

We've sailed 4 times on Virgin Voyages and the first three were great, though I did notice a reduction in entertainment from the first to the last. My most recent cruise (Nov) "Sunny miles of tropical Isles" will likely be my last. The crew were good, the stops were good (especially Barbados) the problem was this:
Before booking I received numerous emails saying I had unlocked Blue rewards (loyalty). I also received a call from a Virgin rep before I booked who said he would ensure a bottle of champagne was waiting for us on board if we booked from his link that day, which I did. Once we were on board there was no champagne and no Blue rewards, I spoke to sailor services and showed them the email evidence for both, it took them 2 days to come back to say "our shore team said you are not eligible and there is no record of champagne". I sent screenshots of the emails and the reps name and details. I'm not really that bothered about the champagne but it shows what kind of company they are to promise everything before you pay and once you have paid they will not honour. Virgin claim they're different, unfortunately now that they fill most the ships they are becoming exactly like all the rest. Note: I assume I received email saying I get blue rewards, as I have sailed 3 times previously, as these were points bookings they dont count but they forgot to exclude point booking customers. If you send someone 3 emails saying these are your benefits, it's fair for that person to assume they would get them, at the very least an apology/explanation would be due. I no longer trust virgin voyages.

We have cruised on other lines and were very impressed with Virgin. First of all, the service was impeccable, staff always attentive and very friendly. The ship was immaculate and staff in idle time always cleaning. Dinner reservations were easy and amazing! The best part was having a relaxing time with no kids while on vacation. Also, a side note, if you book excursions through them and an injury occurs the ship medic takes care of you. We had very friendly medical staff, big thanks to Dr. Santiago, better care than on land! We already booked a spot for future cruise.

Our Rockstar agent and the accommodations were great. Virgin has excellent staff all around!
The food was ok nothing to write home about. Best thing was the Ramen and the pizza.
Opportunities exist with VIP bookings for Scarlet night. We could not find the attendant after we paid and were in the space. We experienced a bunch of people coming into the area after we paid a few hundred for the space. He came in later and removed them from the area but the damage was done. Poor guy was trying to manage too many areas without any additional support. We still had a fantastic trip but that area needs attention
Overall it was a great trip on a fantastic ship!

We were given a defective suite (the Sweet Aft Suite (11009A) that had intermittent creaking, rattling, and cracking sounds in the wall above the bed, which became apparent as soon as we left Miami. We asked various Virgin employees for help with this problem. A total of seven people heard these noises. Two Virgin maintenance crew members said the room would have to be taken apart for at least two days in order to find and correct the problem. We asked our Rock Star Agent if we could move to another room but he said that all other suites were taken.

We then spent all of the second day, trying to resolve this problem, but got no help at all from these three Virgin employees: (1) the Sailor Services Manager (name unknown) who twice refused to meet with us about this; (2) Jonathan the Manager of the Rock Star Agents who also refused to meet with us; and (3) Alfredo, our Rock Star Agent, who was less than helpful, lied to us, and ultimately told us that the noise did not exist and we would just have to stay where we were.

By Sunday evening we were extremely angry about how we were being treated and that we had a defective room where it was impossible to sleep because of the noise. Fortunately we had a friend on board who we told about our dilemma. He knew the right people and was able to get some action taken. Within the hour we were moved to a new suite that was identical to our first and completely noise free.

This was the worst customer service we have ever experienced. The Sailor Services Manager, the manager of Rock Stars, and our Rock Star Agent have no business working in hospitality or customer service at any level. They made no efforts to do their job—which was to provide Virgin guests with a smooth and enjoyable vacation experience. Instead they treated us with indifference, dishonesty, and contempt.

We love to cruise but we will never sail on a Virgin ship again.

We had an amzing time on Brilliant Lady.

The ship is amazing, the food even better and the Staff the best.

Henry (our cabin guy and also his assistand, whose name i forgot unfortunately), Emi (the Galley and Extra Vergine), Mary Ann, Corsi, Charlie (all at Rojo), Deepak (The Wake), Octavio (Pink Agave) only to begin with. Everyone was beyond wonderful.

All the different ship spaces are modern and so much fun.
There was something to do for everyone at anytime but also some quieter spaces, if you wanted to relax.
We would have stayed longer, if possible. We went to the gym a few times and also for sportive people, there is an amazing offer.

From check-in, do disembarkation and embarkation on the islands, everything was organised very well and there was little to no waiting time.

We of course enjoyed the fact, that the cruise was adults only ;)

It started the first day when we arrived in our cabin and the corner of the bed met the desk so there was no way to walk to the closet without sliding across the bed. Then we noticed the fridge wasn’t working which needed to be replaced. Then as we were leaving the cabin to go to dinner with friends, the cabin door wouldn’t auto lock securely. I had to call FIVE times, and ask our cabin steward to help since I wasn’t going to leave our cabin unsecured. I’m glad I didn’t, because a couple on the wrong floor accidentally opened the door while I was waiting on maintenance. I missed our first dinner with friends we haven’t seen in 10 years. Not the way I wanted to start my first cruise with Virgin. Then on the second day when trying to use my prepaid premium WiFi, it didn’t work as stated. Not only did it not work correctly then, but it never worked correctly the entire cruise despite my having to go to Sailor Services every day for the remainder of the cruise. While the food was excellent in some of the restaurants, the entertainment was mediocre at best. However the lack of customer service that my friends and I received when issues arose with our cabins as well has truly been the worst we’ve experienced in the 17 cruises we’ve taken over the past 25 years. Sadly, this was our first and will be our last cruise with Virgin. I guess our expectations should have been lower. We are not the type to complain, but I am glad to have this opportunity to share our experience with the hope that future cruisers won’t have the same or similar experience.

I went on a cruise a year ago and it was great. One one now and there is a lot of boring downtime. Here I am on scarlet night again waiting for something to happen. There is nothing to do after 7 pm until 11 or midnight which is a super long lull. I have found myself going to bed early just because I am bored. Where are the happening crew? Where is the diva? The fun???

terrible never again
its like a carnival ship but with adults
heard some hate speech on this boat and discrimination

Best cruise we have been on. The cast is amazing and really know how to get the crowd going. Food is fantastic and so was the ship. Brunch and Dinner at the Wake are a must. Also, make sure you try the test kitchen as well.

The excursions were also on point. Did a Lobster lunch/Catamaran cruise and a Regatta Race, where the crew is you. They teach you a position and you race against another group (US/Canada).

We did get off the boat at each port and found something fun to do, whether it was a tram tour or spending time on the beautiful beaches. Don't skip.the local food...you will not be disappointed

Loved all the themed nights and how everyone just had a good time. Make sure you check out virgin pages before your cruise so you can participate.

We are in the process of booking the next Virgin cruise and already are so excited!!!

Just finished a cruise on the Valiant Lady out of San Juan with @VirginVoyages. I know that everyone’s experience is different. People take Virgin and absolutely love it. And others like me…. Not so much. Again this is just my experience. Virgin is overhyped and underwhelming when you cruise with them. They amp up the no kids on board policy which is great but it doesn’t make up for the other issues.

If you are not a Rockstar, don’t expect anything above and beyond. I paid for two people to come on the cruise and because of the government shutdown, he had to stay home. I asked simply if I could have upgraded internet to keep up with my person back home and was scoffed at by guest services. This trip was very tough not having my person next to me and to be treated in that way, hurt. I definitely felt less than. Maybe as a Rockstar, they would be more attentive and less likely to respond in the way they did.

Cleanliness was ok on the ship. The beds by the pool, be careful. I developed a rash from laying on them. Had to see my doctor for it. Parts of the ship smelled like dirty mop water. Areas that looked like they hadn’t been clean in a bit. A few people even had bed bugs in their cabin.

At one of the restaurants, the server handed me a plate which was scolding hot. It burned the inside of my hand that has just now healed. The server after the fact reminded me “oh yeah, hot plate”. The management of the restaurant didn’t seem bothered and I had to go wrap my hand myself. A couple of servers at other restaurants seemed bothered by simple requests from our table… can you bring 2 diet cokes so you don’t have to run back and forth so quickly. Met with rolled eyes and terrible expressions. We were so super nice during all of our meals.

Things were broken. Exercise equipment. Automatic doors to the galley you had to force open with your hands several times. No ice at one point because ice machines were broken.

Gym way underwhelming. Shows underwhelming.

Book as a Rockstar, you might have a better experience.

This is primarily aimed at Virgin Voyages IT systems. Unbelievably crap. It is like it has been purposely designed not to work properly in an effort to ensure that customers DO NOT get their loyalty tier bonuses.

But the most annoying thing is that for years I have personally told them how poor the IT system is and yet years later it is unchanged.

There is also no way of complaining, and Richard obviously does not care as he is getting his money.

The vast number of extraordinary events, extremely cordial crew, and delicious food with immense options, made the experience great!
Since it was our first voyage and cruise experience, we took 2-3 days of 6, to figure out the interesting novel spaces around the ship. An app buddy to connect first timers with experienced sailors would be a great app feature.
Will definitely go on another voyage in Europe!