What To Know Before Going On A Cruise With Virgin Voyages

Cruising for the first time might feel overwhelming, but understanding what to know before going on a cruise is essential for making your trip as enjoyable and stress-free as possible

Having cruised six times, we’re here to share our insights and experiences to help you navigate this exciting journey with ease.

Virgin Voyages Sea Terrace Cabin Resilient Lady Balcony View From Bedroom — *Sea Terrace Cabin*

While this guide focuses specifically on Virgin Voyages, reflecting our many adventures with this cruise line, we promise there are valuable tips here that will benefit passengers on any cruise line. We dive into everything from choosing the right trip to preparing for boarding day, enjoying your time on board, and smoothly handling disembarkation.

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Choosing a Cruise Trip

Booking The Right Cruise Itinerary

Research the cruise line’s trip offerings before choosing your itinerary. We have noticed that shorter cruises with Virgin Voyages often attract younger crowds, who tend to have a more active and lively vibe. If you’re seeking a relaxed atmosphere, consider:

Opt for a longer cruise.
Avoid spring break or summertime.

virgin voyages valiant lady ship scale model joenidcorner — *Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady Ship Scale Model*

Virgin Voyages also offers diverse seasonal routes across their fleet:

September to March: The four Lady Ships typically offer trips within the Caribbean, taking advantage of the warmest weather during this season.
April to August: They offer several routes in the Mediterranean, the US West Coast, the US East Coast, and the Caribbean. If you are sailing out of Europe for a Mediterranean cruise, arriving a day early in Spain is a must, we love staying at the Seventy Hotel in Barcelona for a stylish and relaxing pre-cruise stay.
Repositioning Routes: These are unique trips where you embark and disembark in different ports. For example, we did a repositioning sail from Miami to San Juan and enjoyed several stops across the Caribbean, including the famous St. Maarten where airplanes fly over Maho Beach.

Read More: Check out our St. Maarten Port Guide.

How Early Should You Book A Cruise?

Typically, it’s recommended to book a cruise at least 90 days in advance, because most of the time prices tend to increase. After booking, we suggest tracking your cruise fare, as prices may fluctuate. If you notice a price drop, you can reach out to the cruise line for an adjustment.

Tip: Consider booking your trip through a First Mate, which is the Virgin Voyages travel agent. These experts monitor prices daily and can help you save some cash.

Here are a few more reasons to book early:

Cabin selection. Booking early allows you to choose the best cabin before it becomes unavailable. When selecting your Virgin Voyages cabin:
Avoid being near noise-prone areas like the Galley (Deck 15) or The Manor (Deck 7).
Some balcony cabins are cheaper because they may have an obstructed view.

Read More: If you want to know more about choosing the right cabin, check our Virgin Voyages Cabin Guide.

Restaurant time selection. To dine at your preferred times, book early. Dining reservations on Virgin Voyages open before embarkation: 15 days before for Basic, 45 days for Essential, 60 days for Premium and 120 days before for RockStar.

lighting entrance to Pink Agave Virgin Voyages

puerto plata cruise port photos lazy river virgin voyages cruise joenidcorner

Perfect balcony view, Pink Agave entrance, and the Virgin Voyages cruise

Perfect balcony view, Pink Agave entrance, and the Virgin Voyages cruise

Pre-Cruise

Passport Rules For Cruising

On Virgin Voyages, if you are sailing on an eligible closed-loop sailing from Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York, you might be allowed a passport requirement exception allowing you to sail with your birth certificate and government ID. However, we don’t recommend traveling without your passport. It’s essential, especially if you find unexpected circumstances that require you to fly home unexpectedly. To be on the safe side, ensure your passport is valid at least 6 months beyond your trip.

Download The Virgin Voyages App

As soon as you book your trip, the next step in your pre-cruise preparation is downloading the Virgin Voyages app. Familiarizing yourself with this app is crucial because you’ll rely on it for both pre-cruise and onboard bookings. Make sure to have your booking reservation number, passport, and credit card details handy for a smooth check-in process.

Traveling To Cruise Port Plans For Boarding Day

Arrive Early: Plan to fly, drive or take the train into the cruise departure city a day before embarkation to avoid travel mishaps. For example, when sailing out of South Florida, we love staying right in the heart of Miami at the chic Greystone Hotel in Miami to kick off vacation mode early. Alternatively, on one of our sails, we got to Miami using the high-speed train from Orlando. If you are wondering if it’s worth it, check out our detailed guide on How to Take the Train to Miami.
Parking Tips: If you’re driving to the departure city, take a photo of the location of your parked car in the parking terminal before boarding the cruise.

What’s Not Allowed To Pack For A Cruise

For security reasons, there are certain items that cruises don’t allow to be brought on board. This includes illegal drugs, weapons, or anything that poses a fire hazard. To avoid surprises, make sure to review the Virgin Voyages cruise prohibited items before boarding.

Cruise Boarding Time

When you book your cruise trip, it’s essential to choose your boarding time while checking in via the Virgin Voyages app. General boarding time typically starts at 2:15 pm. However, if you want to board earlier, there are three ways to get priority boarding.

Book a RockStar Suite or a Mega RockStar Suite.
Purchase a Splash of Romance. For a fee of $250, this package grants you priority boarding, typically at 1:45 pm (right after the Rockstars group).
Achieve a Deep Blue Extra status. If you’re part of this group, you’ll board right after the Splash of Romance group.

virgin voyages valiant lady the sea terrace 12038z joenidcorner

DON’T FORGET TO READ:

Simple Guide For Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady Cabins

Boarding Tips

Luggage: On Virgin Voyages, as soon as you board the ship, your cabin is ready for you. However, if you check your bags, be sure to keep your passport and a carry-on filled with essentials handy. Pack items like a swimsuit, hat, and sunscreen in your carry-on because your checked bags may take some time to reach your cabin.
Cruise Exploration: After boarding the ship, take the opportunity to explore all decks. Walking around not only allows you to familiarize yourself with the ship’s floor plan but also allows you to locate dining areas, theaters, and pools.
Use the stairs to avoid the crowded elevators.
If you need to use elevators, opt for the elevators located in the AFT, which tend to be less busy.
Spot the perfect places on board where you can get the most Instagrammable photos. ➡️ We prepared a full instagrammable spots guide on these locations that you might want to have handy for your upcoming cruise.
Stair Color Meaning: Exploring a cruise ship for the first time might be confusing, but you can make it easier by using the stair color coding to help you locate yourself on the ship.
The purple stairs are located on the forward side of the ship.
The red stairs represent the mid-level.
The blue stairs represent the AFT (back side).
Phone use on a cruise ship: To avoid unwanted data roaming, set your phone to airplane mode. The good news is that Virgin Voyages includes complimentary access to basic Wi-Fi, which works for checking your mail, but you might opt for a premium paid version if you plan to work remotely from the cruise.

Now we're Voyaging Anchor at Miami Virgin Voyages cruise port — *Virgin Voyages Anchors in The Miami Cruise Port*

Onboard Experience

Sail away party: Participate in the sail-away party typically starting around 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM or 5:30PM – 7:00PM, since it’s a good way to kickstart your trip with a complimentary flute of champagne. The sail away party starts on Deck 15 by the pool, and once you get your complimentary drink, we recommend you make your way to Deck 16 for a stunning view of the departing port city. In addition, when there is bad weather, the sail-away party is moved to the Roundabout on decks 6 and 7.
Get to Know the Happening Cast: Unlike traditional cruise lines, which have a cruise Director leading all cruise activities, Virgin Voyages features a unique group known as the Happening Cast. Each Lady Ship has its own cast, and they have their own characteristic in charge of entertaining the sailors during the entire trip.
Scarlet Lady Happenings Cast Instagram
Valiant Lady Happenings Cast Instagram
Resilient Lady Happenings Cast Instagram
Brilliant Lady Happening Cast
Dining: Unlike the typical formal dining schedule on other cruise lines, Virgin Voyages features six specialty restaurants where they open from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM. There are two options: reserving ahead of time or walk-ins, though we strongly recommend reserving your dining before your boarding day. Other options if you missed reserving your dining before boarding.
Once you board, visit the sailor services on Deck 5 to secure a dining spot.
Keep tracking the Virgin Voyages app, sometimes, space gets open when other sailors cancel their reservations.
If you decide to show up at a restaurant without a reservation, be prepared to wait for a seat, and potentially you’ll be seated sharing a table with other diners or enjoying a spot at the bar.
Account Settlement: Track your onboard account daily via the Virgin Voyages app, and if you see any discrepancy, make sure to resolve it before the day of disembarkation to avoid long lines.

cruise port North Bimini Bahamas — *Cruise Port North Bimini at Bahamas*

Explore The Port

When planning your cruise, consider how you’ll explore the port. There are two ways: booking a cruise excursion or exploring on your own.

Cruise excursions are good because they have everything scheduled for you, and if you book via the cruise line, they warrant your return to the ship on time. Alternatively, you can book independent shore excursions through platforms like Viator or GetYourGuide.
Exploring on your own is typically more affordable, and staying close to the cruise port allows for a more relaxed experience since you control your schedule.

Ensure you research port safety and transportation options. Some ports, like our recent visit to Costa Maya, are safe to do on your own. Others, like Puerto Plata Cruise Port, are well equipped with outstanding facilities and attractions to spend a relaxing port day.

taino bay puerto plata shops joenidcorner

Shops at Taino Bay at Puerto Plata, Amora Costa Maya Sign at cruise port, and Virgin Voyages Pool Party at Bimini

Shops at Taino Bay at Puerto Plata, Amora Costa Maya Sign at cruise port, and Virgin Voyages Pool Party at Bimini

Tip: Anytime you visit a new cruise port, always follow the ship’s time instead of the local time. This simple trick makes sure you get onboard before the ship’s departure time.

Disembarkation Day

Virgin Voyages has the flexibility to allow you to disembark no later than 10:45 am, which is excellent because you don’t have to rush to get off the ship on the last day. Typically, we have enough time to enjoy breakfast at The Galley or a delicious brunch at Razzle-Dazzle.

If you have a flight early on disembarkation day and are worried about time, we recommend you reserve your departure time (as we have experienced long lines to disembark) to ensure you don’t miss your flight.

Check every corner and drawer

Inspect every corner and drawer of your cabin before you leave. We’ve accidentally left behind souvenirs before, and once you are off the ship, there is no going back.

Luggage Options for Disembarkation

You carry your luggage outside the ship.
Virgin Voyages crew will handle your luggage for you. If you opt for this option, you must place your luggage outside your cabin no later than 10:00 pm the night before the disembarkation.

a cruise in the ocean in one of the cruise port guides

To Wrap Up on What To Know Before Going On A Cruise

Planning ahead and keeping these insights in mind can greatly elevate your overall vacation experience, preventing any unnecessary stress as you set sail. Remember that a great getaway is all about exploring new places with peace of mind.

Explore More Virgin Voyages Guides

Planning your next voyage? Check out our other helpful guides to make the most of your time at sea:

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What to Know Before Going on a Cruise with Virgin Voyages