Valiant Lady

Theater and Shows on Valiant Lady

Another thing Virgin Voyages does differently is entertainment. Whereas the traditional cruise line approach is to offer several theatrical performances, most of which take place in the main theater, Valiant Lady takes the show on the road. Yes, the biggest productions, including Duel Reality, take place in the main theater, The Red Room. But we were smitten with the variety of pop-up performances that took place throughout the ship. It adds to the festive atmosphere, and there's a bit of magic when you're sitting enjoying a drink one minute, then watching an acrobatic performance from the ship's actors the next.

Duel Reality is the cornerstone of the entertainment. It loosely follows the plot of Romeo and Juliet, with rival gangs dancing and flipping on bars and giant seesaws. It's a visual stunner that will have you holding your breath by the end. It's immersive, in part because the setup of the theater has banks of seats facing each other.

Another much-talked about show on Valiant Lady is Never Sleep Alone, which takes place in the Manor. This one is a bit more divisive: We spoke with people who loved and people who hated it. We couldn't find a middle ground. Virgin Voyages says "it's not for the faint of heart," which perfectly sums up this playful and somewhat raunchy voyage into sexuality. Be warned: It is interactive. If you attend, you will participate.

Other nighttime to-dos include Untitled Danceshowpartything, an entertainment mash-up that is beyond explanation and built for experiencing, and a late-late-night House of Yes-inspired afterparty.  

Tip: Several showings of the various productions take place throughout your cruise, so if you miss one, you'll get another chance. Still, make reservations through your app.

Daily Things to Do on Valiant Lady

As busy as Valiant Lady is at night, we found a bit of a dearth of scheduled activities to do during the day. This could very well be by design: Going late into the night often means sleeping late into the morning (or afternoon).

Events are made available in your app, though a printable version of the schedule is available at guest services. Many of the activities focus on wellness: a couples' massage workshop, for example, or a nutrition class. You'll also find the occasional offbeat session, like a workshop on taking photos of food or cocktails to share on Instagram (for a fee).

Our favorite organized sessions were the trivia offerings, which were standing-room-only on our cruise, expertly led by Stephen The Gamer. Trivia was offered every day, mostly in the afternoon/evening time period.

If you're a game lover, Valiant Lady has you covered, offering a video arcade, along with free table games (shuffleboard and air hockey) and a huge card/boardgame cabinet. Grab Cards Against Humanity, Bananagrams, Clue or Trouble to play with friends while chatting in The Social Club. It's a fun dose of nostalgia.

Nightlife on Valiant Lady

Valiant Lady was made for the nightlife. It virtually screams party from the second you board this ship. Part of this comes from the spaces themselves: Every restaurant has a bar that is great for a pre-dinner -- or, heck, during dinner -- cocktail, which feels very boutique hotel. Other bars, like the vast and more subdued Sip Lounge, stand on their own.

But it's also just the overall approach. You never know where a party will break out, where you might stumble across a mermaid or merman leading an impromptu parade of revelry. Dance parties are a certainty, and crewmembers are encouraged to be themselves. It feels truly joyful and unforced.

Of course, you will find more prescribed nightlife as well, if you skim your app. But it's the secret, pop-up fun that had us buying into the nonstop Virgin party. Live music abounds, and an impromptu tap dance could occur. One of our favorite nightlife experiences happened truly by accident: We were invited to join a secret mystery VIP group that added an extra, unexpected layer of immersive-ness across the ship, including access to crew-only areas and learning the real story behind the ship's Scarlet Night. It was both unexpected and hilarious.

Outside of nightclubs, lounges and entertainment that lasts into the wee hours, Valiant Lady also has a fairly large and active casino, where people can hit the slots or play table games at all hours, when the ship isn't in port. For people who prefer to be their own entertainment, Valiant Lady also has three bookable (but free-of-charge) private karaoke rooms at the ship's Deck & The Groupie space. Sign-ups are first-come, first-served, and the song selection is stellar.

Tip: People tend to find their favorite spots onboard and stick with them, but the array of nightlife offerings is exceptional. Change it up because you'll likely discover new favorites every night.

Valiant Lady Bars and Lounges

Valiant Lady drinking packages do not exist, though Mega Rockstar Suite guests get a free daily bar tab across the ship, and both Rockstar levels are treated to free in-suite bar setups. Otherwise all drinks not included in your cruise fare will be paid for a la carte, unless they are part of a special experience or other situation where it is explicitly stated drinks are on the house.

Virgin softens the blow from this a bit by including self-serve still and sparkling water, a selection of juices, Coke products and tea and coffee readily available for free around the ship (which is more than most non-all-inclusive cruises offer). 

Cruise Critic Valiant Lady Bar Picks

For a Craft Brew: It's rare to find a decent variety of craft beers at sea, so color us thrilled to find the Draught Haus on Valiant Lady. The menu was extensive, with craft beers from a variety of mostly U.S.-based breweries. Bonus: Try Miami-based Wynwood Brewing's Stray the Course, a red ale exclusively made for Virgin Voyages.

For VIP Vibes: Richard's Rooftop is one of the ship's only exclusive spaces -- it's only accessible to guests staying in Valiant Lady's Rockstar Suites (and their guests). The vibe here can alternate between laid-back sun lounge and rowdy bottle-popping party, depending on the time of day (or night) and who's around.

For Competitive Spirits: Things really get competitive over at The Loose Cannon, a classic nautical-themed pub. During the day, fellow sailors convene with chats over cocktails or pints, and several cruisers bring in board games. In the early evenings, this is where increasingly competitive rounds of trivia take place.

For Social Seekers: This is a social ship but two areas seemed to always be buzzing: the Sip Champagne Lounge that stretches along the starboard side of the ship on Deck 7 and On the Rocks Cave Bar, a sleek martini bar in the Deck 6 atrium (to be fair, this is where much of the night's live music went off).

Pools and Hot Tubs on Valiant Lady

Virgin Voyages has taken flack for the size of its ships' pools. And it's fair: The main pool and adjacent Well-Being pool on Valiant Lady are tiny. In cool weather, that's not a problem, but on a hot day, these will fill quickly.

The pool deck offers several hot tubs, which were busy during our entire cruise. Richard's Rooftop, an exclusive area for suite guests, also offers hot tubs.

Sundecks on Valiant Lady

What Valiant Lady lacks in pool square footage, it more than makes up for in sundeck space. Sundecks on Valiant Lady are abundant, and they offer plenty of options for socializing -- or solitude.

The prime spot for sunning is the Sun Club, on Deck 16. Here, you can lounge or grab a covered red beach chair (called Strandkorb), which comes with no extra charge. (A bit of weirdness here: These hooded red chairs, which fit two people, face the water. But there are multiple rows. If you're not in the "front" row, you'll gaze at the chair in front of you.)

Deck 16 also offers cabanas for rent, and there's a photo-friendly suspended catamaran net at the ship's aft, which is ostensibly for lounging but mostly used for killer Instagram pics.

Richard's Rooftop also has extensive space for sunning, again, just for suite passengers.

Tip: While the traditional sundecks are great for tanning and talk, we love the ship's many outdoor spaces, especially The Dock, a roomy outdoor bar that has the best ocean wake views.

Services and Wi-Fi on Valiant Lady

Valiant Lady includes a variety of cool and high-end shops, with necessities, clothing, makeup, jewelry and more. The ship has turned a large chunk of Deck 6 into the swanky retail space.

Notable among the ship's services is the

Squid Ink tattoo shop

You won't find self-service laundrettes onboard, but you can send out items to be washed and/or pressed.

Basic Wi-Fi is included in the cost of your cruise, but it is pretty slow. You won't be able to stream anything. It's required to power the app, where you'll find your schedule, make reservations, see your wallet and book shore excursions. When the internet doesn't work, your app won't either, which can be a pain when you're trying to remember for what time you made your restaurant reservation and the like. You can buy an upgraded package; it's free for suite guests.

All food on Valiant Lady is included in the price of your cruise fare, and you'll find what feels like infinite variety onboard. Overall, the quality and service is excellent, no matter the venue you pick. You won't find a traditional big main dining room on Valiant Lady, a departure from what most other cruise lines offer. Instead, the ship takes a dine-as-you-want approach, letting you pick which restaurant you're in the mood for at mealtime. This is mostly a freeing tactic throughout the day, but in the evening, it means you'll need to make reservations, which fill up fast. Your best bet is booking on the app before you even set sail.

Worth noting: One of the things we love about dining on Valiant Lady is the abundance of grab-and-go options, packaged neatly in reusable containers for you to eat where you wish. You also can order food delivered to you virtually anywhere, at an extra charge.

Free Restaurants on Valiant Lady

Pink Agave

Designed by Tom Dixon (the same designer behind the ship's Rockstar Suites) and with a menu by Mexican American chef and activist Silvana Salcido Esparza, Pink Agave tastes as good as it looks. Big bubble lights guide guests through Sailor Services into a hip, hidden pocket of the ship featuring dishes from the Yucatan and Mexico City. Plates here are meant to be shared family style and come in three sizes: small, medium and large. Coming with a big group -- or just a big appetite -- is a great way to experience as much as possible from the menu, but don't miss out on the tuna aguachile and esquites street corn salad, pato roasted duck mole or the smoked pork cochinita pibil.

Tip: Start or end your email with a smoky tasting from the restaurant's in-house mezcal bar, or at least treat yourself to one of the fantastic Mexico-inspired cocktails or fresh juices (agua frescas).

Gunbae

Valiant Lady sees the return of the line's wildly popular Korean barbecue spot Gunbae, which we found to be surprisingly good, not just for a shipboard specialty restaurant, but in general. Budget some time for your meal here, be open to trying new-to-you dishes and be prepared to hilariously fail at some traditional Korean drinking games that, at first, seem like child's play. Here, you'll get your fill and grill on with go-to dishes like the marinated galbi, side dishes of banchan, bibimbap rice bowls, spicy jjigae kimchi soup, seafood platters and savory pancakes. Dietary restrictions are well-catered for here, impressively even gluten-free.

The Wake

While there are no formal nights on the ship, it's common for cruisers to tart themselves up a bit for meals at this steakhouse favorite. Located at the aft of the ship, the best seats in the house overlook the ship's wake, making sunset-timed dinners a sight to behold. Traditional menu items from starters from the raw bar, sizzling bone marrow and wedge salad lead into The Wake's meaty menu of lamb chops, various cuts of beef and a handful of seafood selections. There are a decent number of gluten-free items, though, as expected, not a lot on the menu for vegetarians or vegans. The Wake is also open for weekend brunch, serving a variety of eggs Benedict and bubbly -- and reservations book up fast.

Tip: After you descend the stairway entrance, look up at the hanging light fixtures and you'll notice the subtle nautical design nod -- they're hung in the shape of a nautilus.

Razzle Dazzle

Dedicating a restaurant to vegetarians and vegans on board feels like it's been a long time coming, and Razzle Dazzle proves that Virgin Voyages was ripe and ready to answer the plant-based call. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, this eye-catching restaurant decked out in angled black-and-white stripes is a can't-miss while on board, even if you're normally a meat muncher. Dig into the mushroom tartare, coconut milk fairy toast (a rainbow-sprinkled crowd favorite), "fish" and chips, heirloom winter squash ravioli or even a juicy plant-based burger.

Tip: Plant-based isn't as black-and-white as it seems here: They've got a "naughty" meat-friendly add-on menu hiding in the back for those who know to ask.

The Dock House

We loved this mezze-meets-dim-sum casual eatery. Located toward the aft starboard (right as you’re facing forward) side of the ship, The Dock House is the perfect place to grab a casual, lounge-y few bites or full-on meal, depending what you're feeling. No reservations required, just plop down in one of the seating areas, and wait for the mezze cart to wheel on by. Pick the tapas you want to try or order a larger main from the menu to be delivered. We're still thinking of the beetroot hummus, grilled Spanish octopus, and the cauliflower couscous (not to mention the chocolate hummus for dessert).

Tip: Come here whenever you're looking for a tasty top-up between lunch and dinner or for some light pre-dinner snacks and drinks. Live music also makes an appearance here most nights.

Extra Virgin

An Italian restaurant with some seriously great options, Extra Virgin offers a mix of classic dishes and some fun, modern takes as well. As with many Italian restaurants, the meal is a multicourse affair, meant to be enjoyed slowly. There's an antipasto course, a stellar meat and cheese sharing board, a pasta course, a main course and dessert. Diners can pick and choose what they want if they don't think they can make it through a full five-course meal, and while we found portions to be right-sized, we cried uncle after three. If you're going to limit yourself, make sure you order the meatballs and the bucatini carbonara, with a grilled Mediterranean sea bass. The wine list here is extensive as well, and a sommelier can help you with course pairing.

Tip: If you're not up for the full meal, sit at the bar, sip a negroni and share a charcuterie board. You can watch chefs whip these up fresh at a nearby prep station.

The Galley. Valiant Lady claims it has no buffet, which is technically true, though it does have what it calls "The Galley," where guests head for quick casual bites. The approach feels like a true food hall: You order from different food stations, all in one place, offering a variety of items, so you could grab a little sushi, a bit of tacos or a nice big salad. The difference, ostensibly, between The Galley and a buffet is that all food on Valiant Lady is made fresh to order; nothing sits in massive warming trays under tepid lights. Additionally, The Gallery experience is waiter-served, a temporary COVID-19 approach that ended up being popular and stuck. The sheer variety is great, and we found favorites quickly with the sushi and spicy ramen bowls. We also loved that you could grab to-go options from coolers near the entrance, and these changed depending on time of day, so in the morning, it was fruit or overnight oats, while at snack time, you could grab cheese and meats. The Galley is open all day, and it even has a breakfast-all-day menu.

Tip: A number of seating areas, particularly those at the aft, feature charging stations with USB ports and U.S. outlets, in case you need to juice up while you fuel up.

The Pizza Place: The ship's aptly named spot for grabbing a pie offers dine in or carry out. The space itself is chill: The best part of the restaurant is actually the wonderful, shaded outdoor seating area. Many diners lingered long after their meal was finished. As with every other restaurant on Valiant Lady, food here is made a la minute, so you order your pizza and wait for your buzzer to signal your food is ready. If you just can't wait, premade salads are available in a cooler next to where you order. The variety of pizzas is fairly small: just six options, including a vegan pie. Pizza here is just OK; we weren't wowed, but it hit the spot when we were hungry for something different. It's also open late into the night, so it got pretty popular after the evening's entertainment began to wind down.

What Restaurants Cost Extra on Valiant Lady

You won't have to pay extra for specialty restaurants on Valiant Lady. The cost of all food on Valiant Lady is included in your cruise fare.

Dietary Restrictions on Valiant Lady

Even outside of the dedicated vegetarian-forward restaurant Razzle Dazzle, Valiant Lady offers an exceptional selection of marked menu items for vegetarians and vegans alike. Gluten-free items are also marked on most menus across the ship (and nearly every dish at Pink Agave is naturally gluten-free), though we found these were less likely to be as advertised on more than one occasion. Servers are trained on dietary restrictions via an online course, and passengers are advised to speak to a restaurant manager if they have allergies. There is no dedicated onboard space for preparing allergen-friendly meals.