Virgin Voyages - Day 1 - Miami, FL
Won't ya let me take you on a sea cruise? – Sea Cruise (Frankie Ford)
I had never been on another cruise line other than Disney Cruise Line prior to this trip, so I really had no idea of what to expect. I knew that everyone that I had talked to that had been onboard had tons of fun, so I expected to have a good time. Being from Florida, I did not travel the night before (which I would recommend to anyone coming out of state). I took an Uber from the Brightline station to Terminal V at the port and waited for my turn to board the ship. There were multiple queues forming when I arrived, and the Virgin Voyages crew were very happy to direct you where to go.
A surprise for me was that I qualified for "Deep Blue Extras" due to my loyalty with Disney Cruise Line. This was a promotion they were running until the end of 2023. You can also qualify for these in other ways, but they are date based, so if you want to know if you might qualify at the time of you reading this, shoot me and message so I can give you the most up-to-date information! One of the perks of "Deep Blue Extras" was that I could be in the first group to check in and board the ship. This was great news for me as I didn't have a Port Arrival Time until 2:45 and I arrived at 12:30 PM because I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time for potential travel hiccups.
The check-in process was extremely smooth, confirmed some details, and I was on my way to security with my "Band", which is a wearable bracelet that is your stateroom key and credit card while onboard. Once I was through security, I walked into a large room full of red seating. I waited until my group was called and then I was onboard!
I hung out in my room a bit to relax after traveling. I was thrilled to see a great movie collection to choose from on the room TV. I started watching "Barbie" while I waited to meet my friends. I knew my suitcase would be arriving shortly as I passed it in the hall as I was looking for my room. Once that was delivered, I unpacked and went to find some food and friends. We decided to get some pizza. I will admit that I am NOT a pizza girl, mostly because I'm not a cheese girl, but I must admit that this really hit the spot as the hunger was setting in after not eating a lot on the train because I had eaten a lot in the lounge in the AM. I noticed the line for the ice cream was long and remembered hearing that the ice cream was good so before heading to meet our full group, I stopped to try the ice cream. I tried the Malted Strawberry Milkshake which ended up being my favorite the entire cruise. I am obsessed with malt powder and it's rare to find anything that uses it besides actual malts. Random fact: I used to be a bartender at Red Robin and 75% of what I made were shakes and malts and it's the ONE item from my Red Robin days that I still cannot eat because I will immediately feel like I smell like soft serve.
We met up with our full group at The Draught House which is a beer drinker's heaven. I am not a beer drinker, so I ended up with a delicious passion fruit flavored shot and passion fruit became a running flavor profile theme for me throughout this cruise. It was time to head up to the pool deck for the Sail Away party. It was full of energy and champagne. I do have to say I was a fan of the music on this entire cruise! Since it's adults only, it plays to the audience. I think we heard "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston at least 4 times through the cruise.
We went to our first dining reservation which was at "Razzle Dazzle". This menu is a bit unique; it has many vegetarian options but also has options for meat eaters. I had not properly prepared my stomach for cruise eating, I'm not normally a three-course meal kind of girl, and I was still full of pizza! I ended up getting some wings that were on the starter menu for my meal and sat the main course out because I didn't want to waste food that I knew I wouldn't be able to eat. I ended up eating some Fried Okra that someone else couldn't finish and it might win for some of the best fried okra I've ever had! I didn't pass on dessert though because they had a Crème Brulé that caught my eye. I will say it was on the "Smoked" part of the dessert menu and it checked that box. The caramelized top portion had a very smoky flavor to it. It was not my favorite flavor, but the rest of it was so tasty so I finished it.
One thing I really enjoyed about Virgin Voyages already on the first night was how efficient the bar service was. Because everyone wears "The Band" whether they have a bar tab or not and the ship is "tip-less" all you have to do is order a drink, scan for the drink, and you are all set once your drink is made! No signing receipts is necessary which makes lines so quick!
There were a few theme nights on the voyage, and Pajama night was tonight. People wore everything you can imagine from sweats, to robes, to hoodies, to matching PJ sets, whatever you want to wear - no one will bat an eye. I will say I saw this red set a lot: https://amzn.to/3BO5Xfm . I personally wore something from my boutique (Crystal Capris (Sonlet | 365 Days a Year - Shop with Katie Duncan - Cozy: Crystal) and Kate Top (Sonlet | 365 Days a Year - Shop with Katie Duncan - Cozy: Kate) - if these links don't work - send me an email at KatieLLR912@gmail.com).
The Pajama Party led us to an entertainment venue called "The Manor". It is the location of one of the most popular Instagram photo spots on the entire ship with its beautifully lit hallways. I'll admit I was pretty tired by the time I got to this party, but the 90's Playlist the DJ was playing was giving me renewed energy. However, after a few Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears jams, it was time for me to head back to my room and pass out.
Coming Up…Day 2!
If you want to book a cruise on Virgin Voyages, you can book through me through this link: https://www.virginvoyages.com/book/voyage-planner/find-a-voyage?cabins=1&USD[%E2%80%A6]lors=2&toDate=2022-10-04&agentId=148969&agencyId=5310
OR fill out a quote request here: https://travefy.com/f/6ws9rqequmpara2uwxzesgnu3gdappcy4a
Note: Some links are affiliate links in this post and this cruise was taken in November 2023.
