Everything from pre-boarding (app) through boarding, the cruise, and debarkation was excellent! This was our first Virgin cruise although we've cruised dozens of times on other cruise lines. Although, at some level, it's all cruising, Virgin is different. First of all, no one under age 18. If you've already raised kids like we have, we prefer to vacation in an all adult environment. The main difference from other cruise lines are the restaurants. All "specialty" restaurants are part of the package. And the "buffet" is replaced by many small boutique spaces. Yes, there are burgers and salads. And also Udon noodles, tacos, sushi, and much more. The drink package works differently, too: "pre-pay" your bar tab and they'll give you about 20% more (e.g., $500 buys $600 in drinks) including specialty coffees, etc.

The entertainment is a little bit lower-key. Many small venues for live music (although one of the guest performers seems to have been a no-show). The Red Room theatre is medium-sized but very flexible for different kinds of performances. The Manor disco was awesome; 2 stories, multiple bars, good music and lots of places to sit between dances.

Even though Valiant Lady has capacity for over 2,700 passengers, the overall feel was not as crowded as other cruises we have been on. The New Years celebration was a great pool party (pretty typical) where we did get a sense of lots of people. But in the restaurants and (many) bars, generally pretty open. Read more