10/19/2026
VIRGIN VOYAGES REVIEW! We just returned from our Mexican Riviera cruise which became a California Coastal cruise due to Hurricanes Rachel and Simon. I'll admit, I was a little disappointed in that itinerary change, however, we had never been to California so we just rolled with it and still had a great time. Instead of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, we visited San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ensenada, Mexico. What makes Virgin Voyages different? A lot of things! First and foremost, they are an ADULTS ONLY cruise line. If you aren't at least 18 years old, you aren't getting on any of their ships! I'm going to run down some of my likes and dislikes, although there aren't many dislikes! Here's what they do different and some things that I like. There is no cruise director onboard; there are no annoying public announcements on the PA system that you usually can't understand anyway; there is not someone lurking around every corner trying to sell you a spa appointment; there are no photographers onboard interrupting your dinner, although there is a self-serve photo booth onboard during Scarlet Night; there are no drink packages! That's right, no drink package, however they do a bar tab which you prepay before your voyage. You decide on how much you want to spend on alcohol and prepay a bar tab in increments of $100. For every $100 spent, they kick in some extra. For instance, if you buy a $100 bar tab, they give you $110. You also only need to purchase one bar tab for both people in the room--it can be shared!!! There is no 18% gratuity added to a drink--if a b**r costs $8 on the menu, your account will show $8 for that purchase. There is no main dining room! Instead, there are about 20 different places you can eat onboard, all free of charge. Some restaurants required reservations, and some took walk-ins. We ate at the Gunbae Korean BBQ, The Wake (steakhouse), and Extra Virgin (Italian)--all delicious! There is no traditional, self-serve buffet! Instead, there is The Galley with a buffet-like feel, however, they serve you and they are very generous in portion sizes. I felt like a lot of food got wasted onboard, but I do like the fact that you are not touching utensils that thousands of other people have touched as well. There are no "set sail" or "sea pass" cards to fumble with, instead you get wristbands. I loved the hammock swing on our balcony which was so relaxing! There was tons and tons of seating on this ship. Plenty of padded sunbeds, loungers, and indoor seating. I loved that we had two carafes of water with glasses in our room that was replenished every day. We also saw three shows and they were all good, and that Scarlet Night party was pretty entertaining to see! Now for the dislikes, and there are only a few. Speaking of that seating, all of the indoor furniture sits low to the floor and most of it wasn't comfortable. Our bed sat low to the floor also. Our room was plenty big enough for us, however, it was definitely smaller than what we had on our last cruise with a lot less storage. The b**r selection wasn't that great either. It you like Budweiser, Miller or Coors, you aren't going to find that onboard. However, they did have Michelob Ultra as well as several import brands. I dislike the fact that I did not make it to The Dock to eat, and that I forgot they have a place onboard that serves chicken wings lol. They also have a place where you can get bags of popcorn or a bag of candy. Oh, and here's another one for the "like" category. I tried a Pear C***r from a Swedish brand called Rekorderlig, which was delicious! I hope I can find it here in the U.S. Embarkation and disembarkation were also a breeze. Because of our itinerary change, they gave us some FCV (future voyage credit), and some onboard credit, so if you know me, you know I already have plans to rebook! I am looking at a 5 night out of Miami for September 2028 going to Bimini, Bahamas and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, but I am not booked--yet! If you want more info, get in touch with me! Here are a few pics from our trip!
