Anyone searching for one of the best Virgin Voyages cruise itinerary will need to begin with its sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The two-ship line has centered most of its power since its debut in 2021 on creating comparatively brief, enjoyable, adult-focused voyages out of Miami to the 2 areas, with its vessels spending the overwhelming majority of their time on such itineraries.
For a line with so few ships, that is sensible, because the Bahamas and Caribbean account for the largest chunk of demand for cruises.
Still, as Virgin Voyages grows — it has a third and fourth ship arriving in May and December, respectively — it’s planning to considerably develop its choices with extra itineraries in different elements of the world.
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Already, along with a year-round presence within the Bahamas and Caribbean, Virgin Voyages has been providing common sailings within the Mediterranean on a seasonal foundation, throughout the summer season months, with a single ship. With the arrival of a 3rd and fourth ship this 12 months, the road will develop its choices within the Mediterranean and in addition start its first voyages to Australia and New Zealand.
While the latter voyages aren’t beginning up till the very finish of 2023, they’re already open for bookings.
What are one of the best Virgin Voyages locations you may go to and itineraries you may select? Here are TPG’s prime 5 picks.
Short sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean
Virgin Voyages bought its begin providing brief sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami, and that is nonetheless the road’s largest cruise vacation spot focus. In truth, one in all Virgin Voyages’ two vessels at present in operation, the two,770-passenger Scarlet Lady, does nothing however brief sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami.
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In all instances, these sailings embody a cease within the Bahamas. Some then add a Caribbean cease, whereas others add a cease in Florida.
Related: I’ve been on greater than 150 cruise ships; this is why Scarlet Lady stunned me
Specifically, Scarlet Lady affords 4 totally different four- and five-night Bahamas itineraries out of Miami year-round. All embody a cease at Bimini within the Bahamas, the place the road has a personal seashore membership, in addition to a single name in both Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Key West, Florida. The 4 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 retaining with its “time to let free” adults-only vibe, Virgin Voyages has constructed comparatively late stays into a number of of the port calls on these itineraries, permitting passengers to maximise their enjoyable time ashore. The typical keep at Bimini — the place the road holds DJ-led pool events at its non-public seashore membership late into the day — extends till 8 p.m., which is later than most ships keep at Bahamian ports. Visits to Cozumel, Mexico, additionally lengthen to eight p.m.
Scarlet Lady has operated these sailings because it debuted as Virgin’s first vessel in 2021, and it will proceed rotating by the itineraries till May 2024. At that time, Scarlet Lady’s almost equivalent sister vessel, the two,770-passenger Valiant Lady, will take over these Bahamas and Caribbean routes.
Longer sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean
Initially, Virgin Voyages solely provided shorter sailings of 5 or fewer nights to the Bahamas and Caribbean. But its listing of itineraries within the areas is now peppered with longer voyages of six to eight nights.
These are sailings that carry stops in additional distant Caribbean locations akin to St. Croix and Roatan, Honduras, and can attraction to cruisers who discover journeys of simply 4 or 5 days too brief.
Related: 11 issues I beloved on Virgin Voyages, and 6 issues I form of hated
Currently operated by the road’s second ship, Valiant Lady, they’re itineraries that solely are provided seasonally for now, throughout the winter months.
For 2023, Virgin is providing two lengthy itineraries, each out of Miami.
- 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.
For 2024, Virgin Voyages is including two extra lengthy Caribbean itineraries, each out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Sunsets within 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.
The two new itineraries shall be operated by Virgin Voyages’ fourth vessel, the two,770-passenger Brilliant Lady, after it debuts on the finish of December. These cruises are already accessible for reserving.
For the approaching 12 months, Virgin additionally plans two seven-night sailings out of Miami on Valiant Lady across the winter holidays. Starting on Dec. 16 and Dec. 23, respectively, they embody calls at Puerto Plata, San Juan and Bimini.
The Mediterranean
Another prime vacation spot for Virgin Voyages is the Mediterranean as a result of the cruise line is massively increasing the variety of European departures it is providing this 12 months, due to the arrival of its third vessel, Resilient Lady.
Scheduled to debut in May, Resilient Lady will be a part of Valiant Lady in spending the May-to-October interval within the Mediterranean, permitting the road to double up on departures as in comparison with 2022. A second ship may even permit Virgin Voyages to supply seven-night voyages each week throughout these months out of each Barcelona and Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens) — a primary for the road.
Valiant Lady shall be based mostly in Barcelona, providing two western Mediterranean itineraries that largely give attention to stops in Spain and France. Specifically, one will spend most of its time on the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Ibiza together with stops in Marseille and Cannes in France, whereas the opposite options stops in Ibiza; the French island of Corsica; Toulon, France; and the port for Carrara, Italy.
Resilient Lady shall be based mostly in Piraeus, alternating between japanese Mediterranean itineraries that target the Greek islands and the Croatian coast, respectively.
Related: Don’t miss these additional perks with the Virgin Voyages loyalty program
The Greek Islands itinerary, known as Greek Island Glow, contains stops at Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos, in addition to a go to to Bodrum, Turkey.
As with Virgin’s Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries, its Mediterranean itineraries are particularly designed for fun-seeking vacationers searching for a late-night expertise.
In the case of the Greek Islands sailings, Resilient Lady’s Santorini go to shall be a day name that continues till 10 p.m. The Mykonos cease on the identical crusing shall be an in a single day name with the ship remaining in port till 2 p.m. on the day after it arrives.
The Croatian coast-focused itinerary, known as Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems, additionally contains a number of late-night stops. The ship will keep in Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia till 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. A name at Corfu, Greece will final till 9 p.m.
Australia and New Zealand
The coming 12 months will carry the primary Virgin Voyages sailings to Australia and New Zealand on the road’s new Resilient Lady. After spending its preliminary summer season cruising within the Mediterranean, the vessel will reposition to Australia in December for a collection of 11 sailings that vary from 5 to 14 nights.
Among them shall be round-trip sailings out of Melbourne, Australia, in addition to one-way journeys between Melbourne and Auckland, New Zealand, with a wide range of calls. Itineraries embody:
- Aussie MerMaiden. A five-night cruise out of Melbourne with stops at Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania in addition to 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, in addition to 5 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, in addition to 4 sea days.
The Australia and New Zealand sailings shall be bookended by a pair of one-way, 15-night journeys between Singapore and Australia. Scheduled for November 2023 and March 2024, the 2 sailings provide in a single day stays in Bali, in addition to calls at Airlie Beach, Cairns and Darwin in Australia.
Transatlantic
The growth of Virgin Voyages sailings within the Bahamas and Caribbean this 12 months means the road is sending extra ships forwards and backwards between Europe and North America than up to now. That’s creating an expanded lineup of so-called “repositioning” cruises throughout the Atlantic that supply a number of sea days.
Among the transatlantic sailings on the road’s schedule for 2023 and 2024 are:
- A 15-night voyage from Miami to Barcelona departing April 22 that features 10 sea days plus stops at Bimini; Cadiz, Spain; and Palma de Mallorca.
- A 14-night voyage from Barcelona to Miami departing Oct. 29 that features 9 sea days plus stops at Ibiza and Malaga, Spain; and the Portuguese island of Madeira.
- An 11-night voyage from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Lisbon, Portugal, departing April 20, 2024, that features six sea days plus stops within the Canary Islands and at Madeira.
- A 14-night voyage from Miami to Barcelona departing April 21, 2024, that features 10 sea days plus stops at Madeira; Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
In addition, Virgin Voyages in late 2023 will function its first repositioning cruises from Europe to Australia as Resilient Lady repositions to Australia for its first season within the area. The sailings embody a 14-night voyage from Piraeus, Greece, to Dubai, and a 15-night journey from Singapore to Sydney.
Bottom line
Virgin Voyages continues to be a comparatively small line with simply two ships, and meaning it could actually’t provide too large a variety of itineraries. But with extra vessels becoming a member of its fleet over the approaching 12 months, its vacation spot choices are rising. The model has the broadest array of choices within the Bahamas and Caribbean, the place it bought its begin, and is quickly increasing in Europe. Sailings in Australia and New Zealand are coming subsequent when the road begins operations within the area in late 2023.
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