Having grown up cruising on Royal Caribbean ships, it's not easy considering other lines. But I was intrigued by an adults-only cruise.
Recently, I tried Virgin Voyages for the first time.
While Royal Caribbean remains the gold standard for family-friendly fun, Virgin excels at creating an adult-centric experience, complete with drag performances, late-night parties, and more. In short, the two couldn't be more different.
As a child-free woman in their mid-20s, Virgin's onboard experience was a welcome change. Yet, there were a few things I wish they had stolen from Royal Caribbean's playbook.
Here's what stood out on my cruise aboard Brilliant Lady and where Royal Caribbean excels.
Dining
Virgin Voyages revolutionized the onboard dining experience by getting rid of crowded buffets and noisy dining rooms.
Instead, every ship offers a food hall with stalls serving freshly prepared dishes such as sushi, tacos, burgers, and spicy ramen, as well as six complimentary restaurants. Each specializes in a different cuisine, like Mexican, Italian, Spanish-inspired tapas, and Korean BBQ.
While the concept itself was great, I found myself missing Royal Caribbean's fast-casual options. On Royal Caribbean ships, it's easy to go to El Loco Fresh for tacos or a quesadilla whenever I want, but on Virgin Voyages, I had to carve out more time to wait for my food in The Galley.
Even the pizza on Virgin Voyages is made-to-order, which means I couldn't grab a single slice between activities or late at night. The grab-and-go options were mostly limited to pastries, pre-made salads, and wraps.
Moving on, I missed the basic options available in Royal's dining room. Virgin’s specialty menus focus on innovative and trendy dishes, meaning classic staples like shrimp cocktails and French onion soup are not available.
Although I loved the Dakgangjeong crispy chicken at Gunbae, corn custard and black bean salad from The Wake, and Pink Agave's achiote-marinated smoked pork, it became evident that Virgin isn't the best cruise line for selective eaters.
Planning is also more important than ever. Since there are no assigned dining times, you'll need to log in right at midnight when reservations open. Otherwise, you may get stuck with inconvenient meal times, especially at popular restaurants like Razzle Dazzle, The Wake, and Pink Agave.
As such, my partner and I ended up with a lot of 9:00 p.m. reservations. Instead of waiting that late, we typically arrived at 5:45 p.m., right when the restaurants opened, and asked to sit at the bar.
Activities and nightlife
Royal Caribbean's ships are known for their endless activities, ranging from water slides to zip lines, rock climbing walls, FlowRider surf simulators, ice skating rinks, escape rooms, and more.
Virgin's daytime offerings focus more on relaxation and wellness, and let guests gear up for the high-energy nightlife. As such, you won't find many onboard attractions, other than the main pool, outdoor Athletic Club, arcade, private karaoke rooms, and tattoo parlor.
While Virgin's claim to fame is the iconic Scarlet Night party, the first night started off strong with a late-night PJ party, followed by an electric glow party on the second day.
That's not to say that Royal doesn't have fun parties, but Virgin strayed away from the typical silent discos and predictable theme nights. Everything was edgier and felt like we had a VIP invite to the coolest nightclub in town, rather than a cruise ship dance party.
Entertainment
Royal Caribbean's entertainment is top-tier, especially if you're sailing on a newer ship with Broadway-style productions (i.e., The Wizard of Oz on Icon of the Seas and Back to the Future: The Musical on Star of the Seas). Oasis and Icon Class ships also have AquaTheater and ice skating shows, which showcase jaw-dropping stunts and cutting-edge technology.
That said, Virgin's entertainment is scaled down in comparison and specializes in edgy and unconventional shows. Instead of the standard theater productions, Brilliant Lady features a brand-new murder mystery comedy that focuses on debunking the suspicious activity surrounding the untimely death of pop star Sheena.
The resident drag queen also hosted different events, such as bingo, karaoke, a pop-up storytime in The Roundabout, and more. My favorite, however, was the country-inspired Diva Goes West drag performance.
My biggest gripe with Virgin's entertainment is that there wasn't a reservation system.
Whereas on Royal ships, you can easily make reservations to secure your spots at popular theater, ice skating, and AquaTheater shows, we had to queue up as early as two hours ahead of events for seats in the tiny venues.
Although it's recommended to arrive early for the best seats, I've never had to worry about wasting hours in line on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Fleet variety
When it comes to fleet variety, it's no surprise that Royal Caribbean takes the cake. They have a ship for every type of traveler, from smaller, intimate vessels to the world's largest cruise ships.
In contrast, Virgin's modest fleet of four is nearly identical. Although you may find a few minor changes (i.e., Brilliant Lady doesn't have a record shop, and Razzle Dazzle has a new Spanish-inspired tapas menu), the bones are the same.
Surprisingly, Virgin offers a variety of itineraries despite its limited fleet, ranging from Caribbean getaways to port-intensive Mediterranean cruises and even voyages to The Last Frontier. The diversity helps keep each Virgin cruise interesting, even if the ship is pretty much the same.
Still, because Royal Caribbean has 29 ships (with more on the way), it’s hard to compete with the number of experiences they offer.
For example, next summer, you can book a European cruise aboard Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's next-gen Icon Class ship. However, if you want something more low-key with fewer crowds, Royal will have five other vessels deployed in Europe, so you can choose the perfect ship based on your travel style.
In comparison, Virgin Voyages will have just two ships in Europe next summer. This means that, in addition to fewer itineraries, Virgin sailors have less flexibility when it comes to departure date.
Read more: I chose an inside cabin on my recent Virgin Voyages cruise because it was the cheapest option
Inclusive fares
While finding good cruise deals is still possible, it's more expensive to take a cruise vacation today than in the past. Cruise fares increased by over 15% in 2023 compared to 2019, meaning that travelers are trying to be more strategic with their planning to make their budgets go further.
Royal Caribbean's cruise fares don't include everything. In addition to the base price, passengers will often shell out hundreds of dollars on add-ons like drink and Wi-Fi packages, specialty meals, and gratuities.
It can be frustrating for guests who hate feeling like they're being nickel-and-dimed.
Virgin Voyages, however, prides itself on having more inclusive fares. Although not all-inclusive, guests do not have to worry about budgeting extra for gratuities, essential drinks (like soda, drip coffee, water, and tea), and Wi-Fi.
All dining is included, too. Unlike Royal Caribbean ships, where you have to pay extra for specialty meals, ice cream, etc., Virgin Voyages offers a wider variety of dining options at no additional charge.
Drink packages
One thing you must pay extra for on Royal Caribbean and Virgin ships is alcohol. Royal Caribbean offers three core drink packages, where guests can enjoy unlimited soda, non-alcoholic, or alcoholic beverages for a set daily price.
Virgin, however, doesn't have any traditional drink packages. Instead, you must pay for each drink individually. You can, however, save money by pre-purchasing a bar tab. Essentially, you'll get a little extra free money by preloading your onboard account before your cruise.
The amount of free money depends on how much you spend:
- $225 worth of drink credits for $200 (12% of pre-cruise savings)
- $350 worth of drink credits for $300 (16% of pre-cruise savings)
- $600 worth of drink credits for $500 (20% of pre-cruise savings)
- $925 worth of drink credits for $750 (23% of pre-cruise savings)
- $1,250 worth of drink credits for $1,000 (26% of pre-cruise savings)
That said, make sure you attend Virgin's sailaway party. They have free-flowing champagne available during the celebration.
