Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady

We expect to love: 

The Onboard Energy: If you love the concept of cruising—unpacking once and getting to enjoy five or six different islands or ports in a single week—but you find the onboard energy of most ships to be underwhelming, prepare to be overwhelmed. Virgin Voyages’ has packed an array of “Events & Gigs” ranging from immersive modern entertainment to festival-like lineups of performers booked by top producers and directors, into its four-to-seven-night cruises. And with bars and lounges featuring cocktail menus by top mixologists from the Bar Lab to the Cocktail Cartel, the social scene will shake it up into the wee hours.

The Dining Options: With 20 eateries onboard, Valiant Lady offers passengers a veritable global smorgasbord of flavors and experiences—including veggie-forward dining, Korean barbecue, upscale Mexican, carnival-inspired eats and even drag brunches. 

The Cheeky Touches: The suites, known as Rockstar Quarters, feature Peak-a-Boo showers and Rockstar Agents at your beck and call, while standard cabins have free Wi-Fi, mood lighting and bed configurations that pull apart and fold down to create social seating configurations as well as bunks that sleep four (with ladders).

Mega-yacht Style: Valiant Lady will definitely turn heads as she calls on ports along the French Riviera and island hotspots that include Mallorca, Ibiza, Corsica and Sardinia. Her sleek silver-gray hull channels those of the billionaires’ mega-yachts anchored offshore in these sunny playgrounds and the onboard offerings have the uber-cool imprimatur of wealth and celebrity—but at prices affordable to a young traveler.

Rockstar Ambitions: Virgin Voyages aims to create a cruise experience for anyone who aspires to the glamorous lifestyle of their favorite music idol by providing high-design settings for theatrical performances (in The Manor) live music (in the Red Room), private karaoke parties (in The Groupie), and spinning some vinyl (in Voyage Vinyl, the onboard record shop).

Ink-Loving Millennials: Like her sister, Valiant Lady is purpose-built to appeal to travelers in their twenties and early thirties seeking a cruise ship that’s as cool as the dance and music clubs they waited in line to get into pre-COVID-19. For the ultimate souvenir of the sailing, passengers can even head to Squid Ink, the ship’s tattoo studio.

You May Need a Vacation After Your Vacation: Imagine a chic beach club, a trendy urban cocktail lounge and a clubby late-night music venue afloat for a week as it calls on sunny islands in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. If lack of sleep is your thing, party on, mate!