You Need To Try Virgin Voyages Unique Adult Only Cruise

Virgin’s adults only cruise policy is a refreshing alternative.

In 1985, Premier Cruise Lines partnered with Disney to make a cruise. Since then, more and more family and kid focused cruises have come online. But I’m an adult and I don’t have kids of my own and I don’t really want a cruise loaded with a bunch of kids running between wave pools. Fortunately for those of us wanting a kid-free vacation, Virgin Voyages decided to buck the trend. They are an adult only cruise and it’s a great decision.

The biggest thing is that it makes Virgin Voyages, a very new player in the world of cruising, stand out by offering something different. Without kids on the ship, it allowed Virgin to design a more relaxed, adult focused atmosphere in a lot of ways. We’ve already sailed with Virgin twice because of how nice it is and here’s why.

Tons Of Options For Food

I know I said that I don’t have kids of my own, but I am the oldest of 5 and I’m the oldest by A LOT. With that sort of age difference, it meant that I helped raise all my younger siblings. Changing diapers, making meals, keeping them clean, picking them up from daycare – I was another parent. One thing I know about kids is that they often like eating the same foods day after day. It’s why buttered noodles and chicken nuggets are on every kids’ menu. As an adult, though, you probably want a little more variety in your meals or at least a little more choice.

Adult tastes are better met on an adults only cruise.

The dining experiences, plural, is where Virgin definitely shines. Unlike many other cruises, a main dining room does not exist. Nor does the buffet (thank God!). I was delighted to see that Virgin Voyages flipped the script on cruise cuisine and offered something I really looked forward to. As an adult only cruise, menus on Virgin are designed with adult tastes and desires.

Onboard, there are over 22 places to eat – all of them offering a different menu. Everything from quick service counters to sit-down breakfast and dinners is part of the dining experience on Virgin Voyages. The dinners at any of the 6 sit down restaurants feel, and taste, like top-notch date night destinations. The bars are WELL stocked, with excellent selections and variety.

Everything I just mentioned, except alcohol, is included in your fare. There are no specialty dining restaurants, which cost extra on other lines – often between $60-$100 MORE to eat at one of them. There are a few menu items with an up charge, such as a tomahawk steak, but those are quite rare.

What Is The Atmosphere On An Adult Only Cruise

It’s hard to pin the atmosphere of a Virgin Voyages cruise as any one thing. Let me give you an example of a typical day at sea to illustrate.

On a sea day, I’d typically wake up at around 8:30, handle my morning ablutions and go to breakfast by 9AM. Razzle Dazzle had my favorite breakfast menu, so I went there most days. I’d order a refreshing smoothie and drip coffee and then dig in to a delicious buckwheat waffle. By 11 I would be on the outdoor track for a couple miles then switch to a rowing machine for another 30 minutes.

Virgin Voyages Top Deck Track and Exercise Facilities

There’s a more concerted focus on providing excelent fitness options on Virgin Voyages adults only cruises.

After cleaning up, my wife and I would go grab some lunch from one of the various counter service restaurants. Lunch was followed by a magician performance in a champagne lounge and then we played video games in the free arcade until the speed puzzle game. We would rest in our room for a while before dinner, which was typically a relaxed hour and a half affair. The evening closed out with us going to a diva show and then singing karaoke in a private booth.

A day like that is equally relaxing and exciting and can’t be summed up in a single sentence. More than anything, the general ethos of Virgin seems to be, come on board and relax. If relaxing means the gym, they have a wonderful one. For those who prefer lounging in the sun, you can spend your whole day doing that. People who like parties have plenty to choose from. None of those things dominate the ship but they, and many more things besides, are all available.

I’ve seen a lot of online chatter trying to discern what a Virgin Voyages cruise is like. I think that’s because there’s a question mark for a lot of people about what “adult only cruise” means. The answer is that an adult only cruise means a mix of sophistication, childish indulgences, and a heavy dose of recharging your batteries. Virgin’s passengers are a diverse bunch, just like the world really is. What we all wanted on the ship was a little “me time” and some nice people to be around.

Not Having A Dress Code Is Incredibly Relaxing

Another way that Virgin distinguishes itself is there is absolutely no dress code. Well, okay, you do have to wear clothes, but there’s nothing dictating the style. You also can’t wear your swimwear in restaurants, for the very practical reason of Virgin not wanting to soak their seats in pool water. If you want to glam it up for the evening, go for it! Perhaps a tank top, shorts, and thong sandals are more your speed, that’s cool too. Just wear what you want!

Virgin Voyages is serious about making you feel comfortable, so if you want to wear pajamas up to The Galley restaurants, feel free. I’ll admit, at first, whenever I left my room, I would be dressed like I was going out and running errands or going to a casual dining place. After a day though, I really got into it and began to truly relax. I wore my pjs around in the mornings and shorts with a tank to dinner. I felt more comfortable that way. Other people wore smoking jackets and evening gowns while out for their meals.

Dressing how you feel is a very liberating thing that I think a lot of us don’t fully appreciate. Being able to just wear what I was comfortable in made me so much calmer. I know it’s seems like a small thing, but I was chatting with a woman one morning at breakfast and I think she hit the nail on the head with this. She was so happy that she could wake up in the morning and she didn’t put on her mom clothes.