The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Virgin Voyages ship
Anyone looking for the best Virgin Voyages cruise itinerary will want to start with its sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The three-ship line has focused most of its energy since its debut in 2021 on creating relatively short, fun, adult-focused voyages out of Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the two regions, with two of its vessels spending a significant amount of their time on such itineraries.
For a line with so few ships, that makes sense, as the Bahamas and Caribbean account for the biggest chunk of demand for cruises.
Still, as Virgin Voyages grows — it has a fourth ship on order — it is likely to greatly expand its offerings in other parts of the world.
Already, in addition to a year-round presence in the Bahamas and Caribbean, Virgin Voyages has been offering regular sailings in the Mediterranean on a seasonal basis, from spring to fall, with at least one and sometimes two ships. With the arrival of its third ship recently, it also was able to expand its offerings with its first voyages to Australia and New Zealand.
While the latter voyages aren't starting up until the end of 2023, they're already open for bookings.
What are the best Virgin Voyages destinations you can visit and itineraries you can choose? Here are TPG's top five picks.
Short sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean
Virgin Voyages got its start offering short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami, and that's still the line's biggest cruise destination focus. In fact, one of Virgin Voyages' two vessels currently in operation, the 2,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, does nothing but short sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami.
In all cases, these sailings include a stop in the Bahamas. Some then add a Caribbean stop, while others add a stop in Florida.
Related: I've been on more than 150 cruise ships; here's why Scarlet Lady surprised me
Specifically, Scarlet Lady offers four different four- and five-night Bahamas itineraries out of Miami year-round. All include a stop at Bimini in the Bahamas, where the line has a private beach club, as well as a single call in either Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Key West, Florida. The four itineraries are:
- Fire and Sunset Soirees itinerary: a four-night cruise to Bimini and Key West, plus one sea day
- Riviera Maya itinerary: a five-night cruise to Bimini and Cozumel, Mexico, plus two sea days
- Dominican Haze itinerary: a five-night cruise to Bimini and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, plus two sea days
- Mayan Sol itinerary: a five-night cruise to Bimini and Costa Maya, Mexico, plus two sea days
In keeping with its "time to let loose" adults-only vibe, Virgin Voyages has built relatively late stays into several of the port calls on these itineraries, allowing passengers to maximize their fun time ashore. The typical stay at Bimini — where the line holds DJ-led pool parties at its private beach club late into the day — extends until 8 p.m., which is later than most ships stay at Bahamian ports. Visits to Cozumel, Mexico, also extend to 8 p.m.
Scarlet Lady has operated these sailings since it debuted as Virgin's first vessel in 2021, and it'll continue rotating through the itineraries until May 2024. At that point, Scarlet Lady's nearly identical sister vessel, the 2,770-passenger Valiant Lady, will take over these Bahamas and Caribbean routes.
Longer sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean
Initially, Virgin Voyages only offered shorter sailings of five or fewer nights to the Bahamas and Caribbean. But its list of itineraries in the regions is now peppered with longer voyages of six to eight nights.
These are sailings that stop in more distant Caribbean destinations such as St. Croix and Roatan, Honduras, and will appeal to cruisers who find trips of just four or five days too short.
Related: 11 things I loved on Virgin Voyages, and 6 things I kind of hated
For 2024, Virgin is offering four such longer itineraries, two of which are out of Miami and operated by the line's second ship, Valiant Lady, as well as its original vessel, Scarlet Lady:
- Eastern Caribbean Antilles itinerary: an eight-night cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Croix; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Bimini, plus two sea days
- Western Caribbean Charm itinerary: a six-night cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Bimini, plus two sea days
The other two longer Caribbean itineraries that Virgin is offering in 2024 are both out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and operated only by Valiant Lady.
- Sunsets in the Lesser Antilles itinerary: a seven-night cruise to Aruba, Curacao, Martinique and St. Kitts, plus two sea days
- Southeastern Caribbean Isles itinerary: a seven-night cruise to Tortola, Antigua, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and Barbados, plus one sea day
Virgin also operates one-off sailings out of Miami around the winter holidays. Typical is a six-night "Valiant Caribbean Holidays" sailing out of Miami on Dec. 20, 2024, visiting Puerto Plata, Nassau and Bimini.
The Mediterranean
Another top destination for Virgin Voyages is the Mediterranean, where the line has been expanding quickly as it adds new ships.
In 2023, Virgin sent its new ship, Resilient Lady, to the Mediterranean through October to join Valiant Lady in the region, doubling up on its Mediterranean departures as compared to 2022. And the line plans a similar two-ship lineup for the Mediterranean again in 2024, when it'll be Scarlet Lady joining Resilient Lady in the region from spring to fall.
The addition of a second ship in the Mediterranean for the summer season has allowed Virgin Voyages to offer seven-night voyages every week during the season out of both Barcelona and Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens) — a first for the line.
For 2024, Scarlet Lady will be based in Barcelona (taking the place of Valiant Lady), offering two western Mediterranean itineraries that mostly focus on stops in Spain and France. Specifically, one will spend most of its time at the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Ibiza along with stops in Marseille and Cannes in France, while the other features stops in Ibiza; the French island of Corsica; Toulon, France; and the port for Carrara, Italy.
Resilient Lady will continue to be based in Piraeus, alternating between eastern Mediterranean itineraries that focus on the Greek islands and the Croatian coast, respectively.
Related: Don't miss these extra perks with the Virgin Voyages loyalty program
The Greek Islands itinerary, called Greek Island Glow, includes stops at Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos, as well as a visit to Bodrum, Turkey.
As with Virgin's Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries, its Mediterranean itineraries are specifically designed for fun-seeking travelers looking for a late-night experience.
In the case of the Greek Islands sailings, Resilient Lady's Santorini visit is a day call that continues until 10 p.m. The Mykonos stop on the same sailing is an overnight call, with the ship remaining in port until 2 p.m. on the day after it arrives.
The Croatian coast-focused itinerary, called Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems, also includes several late-night stops. The ship stays in Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia until 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. A call at Corfu, Greece, lasts until 9 p.m.
Australia and New Zealand
The first Virgin Voyages sailings to Australia and New Zealand on the line's new Resilient Lady will begin this winter. After its initial summer cruising in the Mediterranean, the vessel will reposition to Australia in December for a series of 11 sailings ranging from five to 14 nights.
Among them will be round-trip sailings out of Melbourne, Australia, as well as one-way trips between Melbourne and Auckland, New Zealand. Itineraries include:
- Aussie MerMaiden: a five-night cruise out of Melbourne with stops at Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania, plus one sea day
- Resilient New Year's Pacific Ahoy: a 14-night cruise from Melbourne to Auckland with stops at Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania; Sydney; and Tauranga, Napier and Picton in New Zealand, as well as five sea days
- Tasman Sea, Fjords and Maori Shores: an 11-night cruise from Auckland to Melbourne with stops at Tauranga, Dunedin and Christ Church in New Zealand, and Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania, plus four sea days
A pair of one-way, 15-night trips between Singapore and Australia will bookend the Australia and New Zealand sailings. Scheduled for November 2023 and March 2024, the two sailings offer overnight stays in Bali and calls at Airlie Beach, Cairns and Darwin in Australia.
Transatlantic
The expansion of Virgin Voyages sailings in the Bahamas and Caribbean this year meant the line could send more ships back and forth between Europe and North America than in the past. That's created an expanded lineup of so-called "repositioning" cruises across the Atlantic that feature many sea days.
Among the transatlantic sailings on the line's schedule for 2024 are:
- A 14-night voyage from Miami to Barcelona departing April 21, 2024, that includes 10 sea days plus stops at Madeira, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca. The voyage will take place on Scarlet Lady.
- A 16-night voyage from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) to Miami departing Nov. 28, 2024, that includes 11 sea days plus stops at Barcelona, Malaga, Madeira and Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands. The voyage also will take place on Scarlet Lady.
Related: Too hip or just right? Here's what it was really like to sail Virgin Voyages for the first time
Bottom line
Virgin Voyages is still a relatively small line with just three ships, and that means it can't offer too big a range of itineraries. But with at least one more vessel joining its fleet over the coming year, its destination offerings are growing.
The brand has the broadest array of options in the Bahamas and Caribbean, where it got its start, and is rapidly expanding in Europe. Sailings in Australia and New Zealand are just beginning this coming winter.
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