Anybody in search of the most effective Virgin Voyages cruise itinerary will need to begin with its sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The 2-ship line has centered most of its vitality since its debut in 2021 on creating comparatively quick, enjoyable, adult-focused voyages out of Miami to the 2 areas, with its vessels spending the overwhelming majority of their time on such itineraries.
For a line with so few ships, that is smart, because the Bahamas and Caribbean account for the most important chunk of demand for cruises.
Nonetheless, as Virgin Voyages grows — it has a 3rd and fourth ship arriving in Might and December, respectively — it’s planning to considerably develop its choices with extra itineraries in different components of the world.
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Already, along with a year-round presence within the Bahamas and Caribbean, Virgin Voyages has been providing common sailings within the Mediterranean on a seasonal foundation, in the course of the summer season months, with a single ship. With the arrival of a 3rd and fourth ship this 12 months, the road will develop its choices within the Mediterranean and likewise start its first voyages to Australia and New Zealand.
Whereas the latter voyages aren’t beginning up till the very finish of 2023, they’re already open for bookings.
What are the most effective Virgin Voyages locations you’ll be able to go to and itineraries you’ll be able to select? Listed here are TPG’s high 5 picks.
Quick sailings to The Bahamas and Caribbean
Virgin Voyages obtained its begin providing quick sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami, and that is nonetheless the road’s largest cruise vacation spot focus. Actually, one in every of Virgin Voyages’ two vessels at the moment in operation, the two,770-passenger Scarlet Girl, does nothing however quick sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Miami.
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In all instances, these sailings embrace a cease within the Bahamas. Some then add a Caribbean cease, whereas others add a cease in Florida.
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Particularly, Scarlet Girl presents 4 completely different four- and five-night Bahamas itineraries out of Miami year-round. All embrace a cease at Bimini within the Bahamas, the place the road has a non-public seashore membership, in addition to a single name in both Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Key West, Florida. The 4 itineraries are:
- Hearth and Sundown Soirees itinerary. A four-night cruise to Bimini and Key West, plus one sea day.
- Riviera Maya itinerary. A five-night cruise to Bimini and Cozumel, Mexico, plus two sea days.
- Dominican Haze itinerary. A five-night cruise to Bimini and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, plus two sea days.
- Mayan Sol itinerary. A five-night cruise to Bimini and Costa Maya, Mexico, plus two sea days.
In step with its “time to let unfastened” adults-only vibe, Virgin Voyages has constructed comparatively late stays into a number of of the port calls on these itineraries, permitting passengers to maximise their enjoyable time ashore. The everyday keep at Bimini — the place the road holds DJ-led pool events at its personal seashore membership late into the day — extends till 8 p.m., which is later than most ships keep at Bahamian ports. Visits to Cozumel, Mexico, additionally prolong to eight p.m.
Scarlet Girl has operated these sailings because it debuted as Virgin’s first vessel in 2021, and it will proceed rotating via the itineraries till Might 2024. At that time, Scarlet Girl’s almost equivalent sister vessel, the two,770-passenger Valiant Girl, will take over these Bahamas and Caribbean routes.
Longer sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean
Initially, Virgin Voyages solely provided shorter sailings of 5 or fewer nights to the Bahamas and Caribbean. However its checklist of itineraries within the areas is now peppered with longer voyages of six to eight nights.
These are sailings that convey stops in additional distant Caribbean locations resembling St. Croix and Roatan, Honduras, and can attraction to cruisers who discover journeys of simply 4 or 5 days too quick.
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At present operated by the road’s second ship, Valiant Girl, they’re itineraries that solely are provided seasonally for now, in the course of the winter months.
For 2023, Virgin is providing two lengthy itineraries, each out of Miami.
- Japanese Caribbean Antilles itinerary. An eight-night cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Croix; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Bimini, plus two sea days.
- Western Caribbean Appeal itinerary. A six-night cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Bimini, plus two sea days.
For 2024, Virgin Voyages is including two extra lengthy Caribbean itineraries, each out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Sunsets within the Lesser Antilles itinerary. A seven-night cruise to Aruba, Curacao, Martinique and St. Kitts, plus two sea days.
- Southeastern Caribbean Isles itinerary. A seven-night cruise to Tortola, Antigua, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and Barbados, plus one sea day.
The 2 new itineraries can be operated by Virgin Voyages’ fourth vessel, the two,770-passenger Good Girl, after it debuts on the finish of December. These cruises are already accessible for reserving.
For the approaching 12 months, Virgin additionally plans two seven-night sailings out of Miami on Valiant Girl across the winter holidays. Beginning on Dec. 16 and Dec. 23, respectively, they embrace calls at Puerto Plata, San Juan and Bimini.
The Mediterranean
One other high vacation spot for Virgin Voyages is the Mediterranean as a result of the cruise line is massively increasing the variety of European departures it is providing this 12 months, due to the arrival of its third vessel, Resilient Girl.
Scheduled to debut in Might, Resilient Girl will be part of Valiant Girl in spending the Might-to-October interval within the Mediterranean, permitting the road to double up on departures as in comparison with 2022. A second ship can even permit Virgin Voyages to supply seven-night voyages each week throughout these months out of each Barcelona and Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens) — a primary for the road.
Valiant Girl can be primarily based in Barcelona, providing two western Mediterranean itineraries that principally deal with stops in Spain and France. Particularly, one will spend most of its time on the Spanish islands of Mallorca and Ibiza together with stops in Marseille and Cannes in France, whereas the opposite options stops in Ibiza; the French island of Corsica; Toulon, France; and the port for Carrara, Italy.
Resilient Girl can be primarily based in Piraeus, alternating between japanese Mediterranean itineraries that concentrate on the Greek islands and the Croatian coast, respectively.
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The Greek Islands itinerary, referred to as Greek Island Glow, consists of stops at Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos, in addition to a go to to Bodrum, Turkey.
As with Virgin’s Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries, its Mediterranean itineraries are particularly designed for fun-seeking vacationers in search of a late-night expertise.
Within the case of the Greek Islands sailings, Resilient Girl’s Santorini go to can be a day name that continues till 10 p.m. The Mykonos cease on the identical crusing can be an in a single day name with the ship remaining in port till 2 p.m. on the day after it arrives.
The Croatian coast-focused itinerary, referred to as Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems, additionally consists of a number of late-night stops. The ship will keep in Break up and Dubrovnik in Croatia till 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively. A name at Corfu, Greece will final till 9 p.m.
Australia and New Zealand
The approaching 12 months will convey the primary Virgin Voyages sailings to Australia and New Zealand on the road’s new Resilient Girl. After spending its preliminary summer season cruising within the Mediterranean, the vessel will reposition to Australia in December for a sequence of 11 sailings that vary from 5 to 14 nights.
Amongst them can be round-trip sailings out of Melbourne, Australia, in addition to one-way journeys between Melbourne and Auckland, New Zealand, with a wide range of calls. Itineraries embrace:
- Aussie MerMaiden. A five-night cruise out of Melbourne with stops at Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania in addition to one sea day.
- Resilient New Yr’s Pacific Ahoy. A 14-night cruise from Melbourne to Auckland with stops at Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania; Sydney; and Tauranga, Napier and Picton in New Zealand, in addition to 5 sea days.
- Tasman Sea, Fjords and Maori Shores. An 11-night cruise from Auckland to Melbourne with stops at Tauranga, Dunedin and Christ Church in New Zealand, and Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania, in addition to 4 sea days.
The Australia and New Zealand sailings can be bookended by a pair of one-way, 15-night journeys between Singapore and Australia. Scheduled for November 2023 and March 2024, the 2 sailings provide in a single day stays in Bali, in addition to calls at Airlie Seaside, Cairns and Darwin in Australia.
Transatlantic
The enlargement of Virgin Voyages sailings within the Bahamas and Caribbean this 12 months means the road is sending extra ships backwards and forwards between Europe and North America than prior to now. That is creating an expanded lineup of so-called “repositioning” cruises throughout the Atlantic that supply plenty of sea days.
Among the many transatlantic sailings on the road’s schedule for 2023 and 2024 are:
- A 15-night voyage from Miami to Barcelona departing April 22 that features 10 sea days plus stops at Bimini; Cadiz, Spain; and Palma de Mallorca.
- A 14-night voyage from Barcelona to Miami departing Oct. 29 that features 9 sea days plus stops at Ibiza and Malaga, Spain; and the Portuguese island of Madeira.
- An 11-night voyage from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Lisbon, Portugal, departing April 20, 2024, that features six sea days plus stops within the Canary Islands and at Madeira.
- A 14-night voyage from Miami to Barcelona departing April 21, 2024, that features 10 sea days plus stops at Madeira; Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
As well as, Virgin Voyages in late 2023 will function its first repositioning cruises from Europe to Australia as Resilient Girl repositions to Australia for its first season within the area. The sailings embrace a 14-night voyage from Piraeus, Greece, to Dubai, and a 15-night journey from Singapore to Sydney.
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Backside line
Virgin Voyages remains to be a comparatively small line with simply two ships, and which means it could’t provide too large a spread of itineraries. However with extra vessels becoming a member of its fleet over the approaching 12 months, its vacation spot choices are rising. The model has the broadest array of choices within the Bahamas and Caribbean, the place it obtained its begin, and is quickly increasing in Europe. Sailings in Australia and New Zealand are coming subsequent when the road begins operations within the area in late 2023.
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