Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: What's up, everyone?
[00:00:02] Speaker B: It's me, Stephanie, the one that's doing the intro for the first time ever and trying not to mess up. But you know what? We've got a fantastic episode for today. I'm so excited. Virgin Voyages. Adults only, kids free. Did I say adults only? That's right. We're talking about the hottest new cruise line out on the waters. You don't want to miss it. We've got fantastic rooms, delicious meals. Did we mention a bar tab? It's all right here. So stick around because the episode starts right now.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: That would never happen to me, but if any of that lump wants to rub off, I'm all in.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Well, on that note, you did mention staterooms.
Let's dive in there.
They have state rooms for groups, they have state rooms for couples, for solos. You know, I get a lot of people asking me what the solo accommodations look like at Virgin Voyages. So why don't we start there and then we'll work our way up. Actually, please.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: I'm so ready for this.
When it comes to. And we call them cabins at Virgin Voyages because of our lingo. It is what it is.
On board, we have our cabin categories. Now, not only do we have solo cabins, my solos are my inside or sea view. Then also there's over 40 of those, by the way, so it's not just five. And then you're, you know, tossing the, you know, hat in and having to pay that single supplement for a second sailor on another one.
We also have promotions that cater to our solos.
Now, this means that you can get one of our balcony cabins without paying that single supplement.
So you're not penalized for not having a plus one. If you like to travel alone, we've got you covered. This is really popular here in Florida for Those in the 55 and over communities who, you know what, maybe you don't have a plus one or maybe your plus one doesn't like to travel like you do. That's fine. You don't have to share your experience with them. Have your own. And why would you pay additional for going solo? Now, going from that cabin category, let's go to my insiders. So we have inside cabins just like any other cruise line, but not a ton, because most sailors that come on or guests that come on, they want some sort of view of the ocean. And we understand that now there are a few that come on and they're like, you know, I'm just going to drop my bags and then I'm going to leave. We understand that as well. So we have our inside cabins.
Those fit, like I said, solos up to 4 people depending on the cabin category. My SE views have a porthole window with a nice little window seat in there.
And then we go from those to my sea terrace categories. Those are my balcony cabins. Now anything that I just mentioned does come standard with a mini fridge. They also have watercrafts that are refilled with water with no extra charge. Even if you want sparkling or still water, we'll refill it daily. So you're all set there. And then once we go up into my fabulous sea terrace categories, there's four options we have. And for my avid cruisers, I know that everyone always asks, do you have a midship cabin category? We've got you covered. We do. It's called central sea terrace. Then we've had the limited view, which is usually has a little obstruction but for less value, so you don't have to pay the additional sea terrace category. That's either going to be forward or aft. It's going to have that beautiful balcony. And then we have an extra large sea terrace. Now this one, the interior of the cabin is the same, the balcony is the same. What makes it extra large is you're going to have a larger bathroom space, you have your own toilet space separate from the shower space and, and you have more room for all your glam station acquired pieces that you have to have for Scarlet Night. Or if you just want to make sure that you have extra space, you've got it covered in that bathroom.
Now, our balconies. You ready for this? Let me go ahead and paint the picture of what it's like as you're getting on. Remember, as soon as you're on the ship, your cabin is ready for you. So you're going to have your band. This is your key to purchases as well as to your cabins. You're going to go ahead and touch the little space over where it shows your cabin number and it's going to open it up, unlock your home away from home. So as you open the door, the cabin is going to kind of come to life. That's when the air is going to kick on. You're going to have a little bit of music in the background, the curtains are going to open up and you're going to see this beautiful red hammock waiting for you on your balcony.
Now, once you're in your cabin also, you're going to have this tablet that's there that can control your air as well as your lights, your tv, so you don't have to figure out, okay, this light switch does this, this remote does this. Everything's at your fingertips right there. And then what I do love also, like I mentioned, having that mini fridge means that you can grab some of those grab and go options and have them in your cabin if you need a light stick snack in between.
Now those cabins fit between.
Sometimes we had those solo opportunities. So one up to four sailors. And then when we go from there, let's go into our suites. Does anybody here ever book a suite or do you have those friends or maybe those clients that look at suites? Look, we're all rock stars. That's fine with me. But when it comes to our suites and our ships, we have over 78 suites. On our ships, we start out 78, and then as our ships keep going to the yard and coming back revamped, they keep adding more.
Now what I love about our suites is we have two levels. So we start out with our Rockstar suite. Rockstar suite has a European king size bed. It fits between two to four sailors in our four different categories.
These are really rock star experiences. You have your in suite bar first round on us. We also make sure you have elevated experiences when it comes to your plush bedding as well as when you're in your lovely marble bathroom. You've got this beautiful view of the ocean wherever you are. Even if you're in the shower, we've got a window so you can see the ocean. So probably wouldn't share that cabin with my in laws. Just saying. But it's a great space. You can always see the sea wherever you're at. Now, you also have these plush robes waiting for you. So if you'd like to just order your breakfast in sea, sit on your hammock and your robe and just watch the waves go by, we've got you covered. We're also going to make sure that you're taken care of. Like I mentioned earlier in this podcast, we do have a two week window for making sure that you can book your shore things as well as your dining before it opens up to general public. And you're also going to have kind of like your concierge at sea once you get on board as well. So they're there to help you if you weren't able to get the dining that you'd like. If you have some questions about maybe some of the event lineups and you want to make sure you have seats, we've got you covered there.
Now, does anybody remember what vinyl record players look like?
[00:07:48] Speaker C: I actually have one sitting like right over here.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: So remember I mentioned Virgin Records and Virgin is very much got that music in our DNA. All of our suites have a vinyl record player in them with a few vinyls. So if you'd like to bring your own vinyls and you trust traveling with them, go for it. If not, we have a free full record store that you can ask for records in.
I will say it gives you bonus points if you remember your wedding song and you have that record waiting for you. If you're celebrating an anniversary, gotcha. Don't you worry. But it's a fun thing to have. And of course, if vinyl records are not your thing, I had to call my mom to ask how to start mine because when I was doing a ship tour I was like, I don't know how this thing works. We have a Bluetooth speaker. So if you'd like to just bluetooth your music over and pretend it's the vinyl record player, that's fine.
We do not judge on board.
Now when it comes to the in suite bar, I know I said it is included. These are not many bottles that you see on the airplanes. These are nice size bottles. And of course what I love is if you want to customize it once you're on board and that's an availability you can.
Now a big question I always get with my suites is do you have any ADA type suites? Usually on other lines. You only have ADA options on the certain category and it's usually inside or sea view. We have over 40 types of ADA cabins and four of those being suites. And then when we go into my Mega Rockstars, I have one of those as well. So so does not mean that if you have ADA and you need to have accessible cabins that you're stuck in a certain category. We've got you covered. Just like that Smokeless casino. We thought of it all.
Now the next level, I haven't lost you guys yet. We have our mega rock stars. This is think of this like your penthouse suites. So there's only 15 on deck. 15, huh? Gotcha.
One of those are my ADA cabins, but those are four different levels. And what I love is the largest one that we have.
It's called the massive suite. It's a little over 2100 square foot.
I know a bit. Are you thinking how big is the house? Yes, a little over 2100 square foot. And with this massive suite, it has two bedrooms. One of them is a full guitar room that converts into a second bedroom. You do have in all of my Mega Rockstar suites We have Nintendo switch, we have PlayStations.
We also, if you need a specialized game, we've got you covered there. So our gamers, this is the gaming room for you. And of course this is also the great space if you want to host a party because not only do you have your en suite bar, it's fully refillable throughout your whole sailing. And not only that, we're going to include drinks throughout your full ship experience as well as your beach club experience. So it's like a daily bar tab on us. We've got you covered. Does that sound like a lot?
[00:11:04] Speaker B: Keep going.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: A little bit more.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: Keep it. You're just feeding the addiction.
[00:11:09] Speaker A: I got you.
So we also have Redemption Spa, like you mentioned, it's our award winning spa on board. We have a thermal spa through suite on there that has a sauna, we have a mud room, steam room, salt room, and these beautiful plunge pools as well as these nice hot stone areas where you could just lay, take a nap and just enjoy, you know, a relaxing day. That's included. For anyone that's booked into those mega rock stars, there's no additional charge for that. And also we're going to include transfers to and from the ship. And yes, I know my ship is in Miami and that doesn't include Galveston and transfers all the way from home to home, but we do go up to 50 miles. So if you're not really up for staying in Miami, if you're more of a Fort Lauderdale folk, that's fine, you can stay up here. Sometimes it's easier to get flights into Fort Lauderdale than it is to Miami. So you can stay in Fort Lauderdale and your transfer will pick you up. It'll be at whatever degrees you'd like. So if you like a vehicle at 68 degrees, we got you covered. We will make sure that you're at the port in plenty of time because you have your own entrance.
And then of course you get to get on the ship early as well. There's much, much more, including a exclusive area for our suite sailors called Richard's Rooftop. And when you're at the beach club, it's Richard's retreat.
Lots of inclusions there, but suites are where it's at, everyone. That is really where you feel that Rockstar VIP feel. That sounds incredible.
[00:12:46] Speaker C: I'm speechless.
[00:12:47] Speaker B: But wait, there's more.
[00:12:52] Speaker D: Look, I, I, I do, I do have one question about the, the music room.
Can you play the guitars?
[00:13:01] Speaker A: You absolutely can. You can also request an amp if you'd like.
I've hosted parties when I was back my VIP group stage of life.
We hosted parties on board that were fully for music. We've actually hosted sail away parties where we had Domperion Pong on these balconies. I mean it's a full on fun how you want to experience your rock style lifestyle.
[00:13:27] Speaker D: Now do you do, do you take away access if you start playing Wonder Wall on the acoustic guitar, is it.
[00:13:34] Speaker C: Like guitar center where like there's restricted songs.
[00:13:38] Speaker A: It whatever your heart's desire. And same thing with the switch. So if you like Nintendo Switch you could take it anywhere throughout the ship.
[00:13:47] Speaker C: You.
[00:13:47] Speaker A: We actually have a place called the Social Club where you can connect your switch to the TV and play live there with others playing as well. So we make sure that you're taking care with that.
[00:13:59] Speaker C: Virgin voyages is in 2025 like they.
[00:14:02] Speaker D: Are here, they're in 2035.
[00:14:07] Speaker A: That too long are the days where you were just playing shuffleboard and at 9pm the lights go off and everyone's like, well now what?
We make sure there's something for everyone on board and we stay true to our virgin DNA when it comes to the experience because we want to make sure everyone has a great experience on board and has something memorable. Right, so we've got you.
[00:14:34] Speaker B: We didn't even talk about that one venue and I. The name escapes me where it's. It's like carnival food but then you have like that.
[00:14:45] Speaker A: That's it, that one. Yeah, the Social Club. So I was trying to look it up as you're walking through. No, I got you. So you can grab cake pops if you'd like to have some, you know, little snacks like gummy bears or you like to have Swedish fish or some homemade fudge, something like that. You can go over to the Social Club, grab those. It's also set up kind of like a 50s dieter. So if you want to get your hot dogs, we've got you covered there. Chicken wings. And the reason is because it's also caked to our sports bar. So if you want to watch your favorite game or if you want to play a board game, we've got you covered. But if you really, really want to have some fun, don't worry 80s babies. I have a fully loaded arcade and you don't have to bring your quarters. We're all set there.
And yes, I made the board for Mrs. Pac Man. So if you beat my score. Sorry, you know, I tried my best but we've got you covered on that. And don't worry, we do. Also over there, you're all set with boozy milkshakes. Or of course, if you need a drink, we've got our draft bar right there. But what I love is there's so many different ways to have fun.
And I saw some faces. You guys have played arcades in your lifetime. Did y' all have those at the pizza parlor for all the birthdays?
[00:16:14] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:16:15] Speaker D: The skating rink, all that.
[00:16:17] Speaker C: Pac Man, Asteroids, all the good ones.
[00:16:21] Speaker A: Ninja Turtles was always my favorite.
[00:16:24] Speaker C: Duck Hunt. Love me some Wrestle Fest. Yep.
[00:16:29] Speaker A: See, I know they've got Donkey Kong, they've got Mario Kart.
A lot of good Old Faithfuls in there. So don't worry about.
Of course.
Well, it's kind of hard though when you're at sea because, you know, it depends on where you're at on where.
[00:16:45] Speaker D: You might get a tilt.
[00:16:46] Speaker A: You never know. But we even have skeetball. If you want to just sit there and play skeetball, we've got you covered. So it's really for the adult fun at sea. You could be that inner child and just have a blast while you're at. On board with this.
[00:17:03] Speaker B: So two last two things that I want to mention or highlight, I should say regarding the staterooms before we move on to the next topic, and that is the balconies.
They do have hammocks which were mentioned, and they are these beautiful. I, I don't know of any other cruise line that has hammocks on their balcony. So this is a Virgin Voyage exclusive. But also you will see that there if you've seen pictures or not. They do have their hammocks, same signature red as the rest of the cruise line and, well, everything virgin.
But what's phenomenal and something that Virgin Voyages does is that they're always trying to look for ways to give back and be sustainable and be eco friendly, so on and so forth. And I remember with my training, if I butcher this, I apologize. But the hammocks are made.
These women in. Is it Thailand are actually hired to make this, these hammocks. And it's, it's a special type of like rope fabric that is non flammable and all these other fantastic. I can't even remember all of it because it was just in shock. I'm like, this is fantastic.
Michael is a firefighter and he, you know, once I told him that, he's like, are you kidding me? I'm like, yeah, how cool is that?
It's a little. It's the little things. But anyways, it's, it's Virgin's way of giving back to A community of a small community over in Thailand who doesn't. Don't have much, but this gives them the opportunity to be able to, like, send their kids to school and things like that, which I think is phenomenal.
If I missed anything on that, please fill in the blanks for me. I kind of butchered it. I was trying to remember.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: You got this? No, it was fabulous. But it really does. And what I love is each hammock on all of our ships, they actually sign the hammocks after they've created them, so you can see who's actually created it. And we actually have a lot of folks that take photos of that and just them enjoying the hammock. And we share that with the team that creates them just to show how far they've come. And it's an incredible experience.
[00:19:26] Speaker B: I absolutely love that. That is beautiful, honestly.
[00:19:30] Speaker A: And that is amazing.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: They do a lot.
Virgin Voyage does a lot to give back, which I think is amazing.
The second thing that I wanted to highlight, and I also learned this with my training, is they have this modern, sleek aesthetic, different and unique to Virgin Voyage.
[00:19:56] Speaker A: Seabed.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: What is a seabed? Steph, what is a seabed?
It basically transforms from a sofa to a bed or a bed to a sofa.
So it basically creates a. If you want a, you know, it creates your bed, but also creates a larger kind of like a living room area for you, so you can have that flexibility in your room to do whatever you want, whether you want to invite other people in your group that might not be staying with you or just, you know, I'm going to hang out here and watch movies. And that's what I want is my relaxing trip.
You can do it on the sofa, you can do it in your bed. It doesn't matter. You have that option. I think it is so cool if I miss something. Please, Lindsay, fill in the blanks for me.
[00:20:39] Speaker A: No, and I love that you touched on that, because the seabed doesn't get enough highlight.
And honestly, when we first launched, we had it in kind of day mode, so sofa mode. And sailors would come on and go, well, where's my bed? I'm so confused. But what happens is it, you know, does turn into that nighttime mode, where it turns into that European queen size then. Or of course, whatever configuration that you need, depending on the sailor configuration. So sleeps two, sleeps four. But it is a great way to save space when you are in your cabin as well as, like you said, when you have friends coming in, maybe you're getting all set up for dinner. Together.
You know, it's so nice that your friends can come in and there's not that one person that talks with their hands like me and they're holding a drink and it's right there over where you're going to be sleeping on your covers or that one person that touches their face with all their makeup and then they get on your sheets and you're like, that's a full handprint on my sheets.
It is so nice that you can invite people in. You have this extra space, but it's not on where you're bedding, where you're going to be laying your head at night. But this, of course is an activation, kind of like shake for champagne. It is a request that you can put on your tablet if you would like your room turned into dates mode to night mode or beyond. But if you'd like to keep it as is, which is usually we have it set up with the bed. We've learned people want to see the bed when they come in. That's perfectly fine. It could stay like that, the whole thing.
[00:22:13] Speaker B: I just think it's a really cool and unique thing. And you guys had a special architect who came in and designed this for you guys specifically. Sorry, Kelton, you were going to say something?
No, no, I'm good.
[00:22:26] Speaker C: Go ahead.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: I was just interjecting and saying that so.
[00:22:29] Speaker C: Because I've, you know, cruised quite a bit and I.
I really enjoy a good, comfortable mattress.
So when I hear a bed that transforms per se, I think college dorm room, pull out couch.
And I know how uncomfortable a pullout couch is. It doesn't matter how expensive or if it was built in 2024.
Where does that fall in this? I mean, how comfortable are these? How good of a sleep am I going to have on these ships?
[00:23:19] Speaker A: I've got you covered there as well. We've thought of everything. So we do have these additional toppers that we put on whenever it is into that nighttime mode. And if you like a super soft option, you can request a additional topper for your stateroom host or your rock star movie to create a softer feel. Because of course we want to make sure you don't have those flashbacks of those college days or you know, that one guest room that you're like, we can't stay there. I'm gonna sleep on the sofa. No, we've got you covered.
Of course with this, we want to make sure that comfort is always a plus because this is your home away from home. So those toppers really do make a huge difference. You're not going to feel that gap. And when they're creating that European queen bed experience. So the toppers definitely do help. And I love a super plush bed. Whenever I am traveling, you know, especially hotels and different spaces, it's always nice. You always check the bed first because that sets the tone. That's going to be your home from my home. That's your whole mood right there. So, you know, if the bed's off, you're going to be off. But it's the best sleep I ever have. And it's such a comfortable and great sleep, deep sleep. And it's not because the sun, the sand, the shaking. For Sampagne, it really is the bed and how they have utilized that experience and made it even more plush.
[00:24:51] Speaker C: That, Lindsay, was perfect.
Okay, that was perfect.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: I feel like you need a tester sailing, though. So we'll have to test this out with the food, the experience, shaking for champagne. And of course, you have to give me feedback on your bed experience, experience on softness.
[00:25:09] Speaker C: We also need to go and record a whole podcast from the group. Me room, too. I mean, that's.
[00:25:16] Speaker A: That would be awesome. I saw you all writing it down.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: You were, like, taking notes. So along with your very comfortable, very relaxing and rejuvenating sleep, you might also want an experience to work off the food that you're eating and the drinks. And one of the things that makes virgin voyages also stand out is their. What they offer all their. Their group athletic classes.
And it's not just yoga. It's not just, oh, we're going to do Pilates or whatever. No, no, no. We have different levels. We've got different types of accommodations. And I say we. It's virgin voyages. Lindsay, please.
[00:26:13] Speaker A: I've got you covered. So wellness, a lot of folks, especially here that are traveling, it's hard to go to certain places, especially if you are in a routine routine and you have a wellness routine in your day to day. Sometimes that might be the way that you refresh your brain or get your day started. No one should have to leave that behind when they're on vacation if that's part of your day to day. We made sure that wellness is something that is accessible for everyone while you're on board. But also we didn't want to give that cookie cutter hotel gym vibe where you're like, well, here's an 8 and here's a 15, and that over there is broken. But I think I can figure it out.
Exactly. We wanted to make sure that there is something for everyone, whether you like to Do a fitness class or if you like to just go to the gym to refresh your brain if you want to walk laps. Now remember what I said earlier, fitness classes are included so you are not going to get nickeled in dimes. If you like to go to sunrise yoga or maybe you want to try one of our fitness classes like the VHS workout which is full on Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda working out, you guys knew what you were doing because I came in there with my neon ready to go.
Those kicks get you, they get you real fast. And then the shake weights, that's a, that's a workout right there. But we really make sure that you can keep that wellness balance while you are at sea. Traveling with us now with our B complex gyms, we have free weights and this is not going to be like I mentioned when you're at the hotel gym and there's just a handful and they don't match. We have up to 150 pound dumbbells. So to each their own.
Enjoy that. We do also have our machinery with the weights included. Then if you go over to my cardio, we have our full length cardio spaces. Whether you want to run on the treadmill or of course if you want to be on something, maybe the row machine. I do have a spin class. We have spin classes daily.
There's over 20 bikes. If you want to bring your spin class to see remember that groups opportunity. I said this is a great way to bring everyone outside of one studio into another. And then what I also love is we do host a lot of wellness classes throughout the ship. And yes, we do have some fun ones. Like I mentioned the VHS workout. We also have some 90 boy band dance classes. So if you want to do that. Does everyone remember?
Yes, we got you covered.
[00:29:04] Speaker D: Do we remember?
[00:29:07] Speaker A: Oh yeah, yeah, I thought so. But you know it's fun to do that. We have dodgeball, we have pickleball on the ship, we have hit classes. And for those that just like to maybe run, jog, walk while you're at sea, we've got a full Runway on deck 17 where you're not running around someone's loungers or the pool area or you're having to walk around others. Now if your version of Runway is walking in a fabulous outfit to get a photo, that's fine as well. But I love that these areas throughout the ship can keep that wellness focus in.
Now I also like to highlight meditation because that's huge. Especially here. Not just east coast, west coast and beyond, but we do have those as well, because it balances everything as you're going through, whether it is a sunrise meditation or of course, if you're at our beach club. And has anyone ever done paddleboard yoga?
[00:30:06] Speaker C: I can't even get up on a paddleboard.
[00:30:09] Speaker A: We offer it. There's no additional charge for that. That's at our beach club at Bibbity. So that's something that we have. We have bungee yoga as well. So lots of options. And, you know, sometimes these things, maybe it's not in your day to day life, but if it's included, wouldn't you want to try it out just to say that you did? I mean, maybe it's your new favorite thing. The bungee yoga. Look, that was another one. I went in and I was like, oh, we're just going to like get on the bungees and, you know, Peter Pan our way through life and everything's going to be great until he's like, all right, we're going to do push ups and now you're going to feel flip and you're gonna do upside down.
Would I do it again? Probably not. And it's just because my flexibility is not what it was when I was 20.
But I tried it and it was free and it was fun and it was an experience like no other. So that's just the vibe when it comes to our wellness. Lots of options and of course, we've got something for everyone.
[00:31:05] Speaker B: This whole ship, all these ships sound like the ultimate adult experience if you ask me. I mean, you guys thought of everything quite literally, or at least that's what it feels like. And I'm sure my co hosts here would agree with me as we are all looking at what itineraries there are.
Where can we go?
[00:31:25] Speaker A: I see. But it's so much scrolling happening over to the side. I'm like, I know what website you're on. I got you guys.
[00:31:32] Speaker D: Yes, I will, I will ask, are these, are these fitness classes? Are they all offered on your ladyships?
[00:31:45] Speaker A: Yes. So of course we have different ones depending on our happenings cast who's on board. Because we do have kind of like your wellness happenings cast that's there to help you, guide you. So it does depend. But when it comes to our standard, we've always got some sort of sunrise yoga. We've got our gym set up, we have our hit classes, we also have our VHS workouts. Pickleball is huge right now and that's global, but that's something you could do. We have a basketball court for anybody. That wants to go and, you know, shoot some hoops, but lots of options. But I love that we also have some specialty options from ship to ship. So it's not the same experience from all three of our ships. And as we bring Brilliant in and.
[00:32:31] Speaker B: So on that note, currently there are three.
Three lady ships out at sea.
Scarlet, Valiant, Resilient.
Yes, right. Yes. And Brilliant, as you said, is coming out in September. And for those of you that might not know, these ships debuted back in 2021. So mean we're talking pristine new, quite literally.
[00:32:59] Speaker C: You could still smell it.
[00:33:00] Speaker A: A new ship smell.
[00:33:04] Speaker B: What is the guest capacity for each of these? Do you know?
[00:33:07] Speaker A: Absolutely. So these are more medium sized ships like I mentioned. So boutique hotel at sea experience.
This is built by Fencantieri, so it's more like a yacht feel. You're not gonna feel like you're top heavy or anything. And with those stabilizers, we keep it very stable as we're going through different ports. We're actually able to go through some of the other ports that other ships aren't able to because of our size as well as how we're built. Remember, brand new ships. Now what I love is it's a max of 272770 when it comes to our sailors on board and about one crew member to every two sailors.
I mean, that's more than my hometown, so. So I feel like that's a lot until you get on board and you're like, oh, wow, this is incredible because there's so many spaces that you go to and it almost feels like a private oasis, a private yacht. Because Even though there's 2, 700 people on board, there's so much to do and so many spaces to explore. It feels like a small town when you're.
[00:34:07] Speaker B: Sounds like an elevated experience. Seriously. Wow.
[00:34:10] Speaker C: So with 2700 people, 2700 sailors, one crew per every two sailors.
That is very small.
[00:34:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: You know, a medium sized ship, like I know other cruise lines that really pack them tight like a can of sardines in there. So I'm pretty impressed.
[00:34:35] Speaker A: Yes. We didn't want everyone to feel like that flight where there's six people where there should only be four, three people in a row. We want to make sure everyone has that experience, but doesn't feel like they're being packed in and packed in because that's not what you want with your PTO time. Right. You want to be able to enjoy and experience it. But of course, experience vacation where it feels like vacation. Nobody needs a vacation from Their vacation. And that's why we want to make sure that you experience when you're on board. Now, Steph, can I chat about Brilliant how she's a little different than our other lady ships?
Okay, so Brilliant lady will be launching out of New York City. So we're gonna have another ship here stateside very soon. Less than, I believe it's less than 90 days. Where's my chat GPT when I need it?
Yes. So very soon. September 5th. So I feel like it's less than 90, maybe around 70 days now.
So she's going to be going out of New York. But we wanted to do something a little different with our last ship of this fleet. And whenever we were listening to feedback, of course we know we want to keep our essence of still saying that medium sized ship. But everyone was really asking for a ship on the West Coast. Well, the easiest way to get through the west coast is where through the Panama Canal. So we had to build her a little different.
So where her mustard ships are, we actually brought that in a bit and that actually gave us an additional cabin category, which is a slightly smaller sea terrace because then you have those mustard drills or those muster ships coming in. But that's because we're going to go through the new locks of the Panama Canal. So still built the same overall when it comes to our cabins as well as the experience experiences in the venues. But we wanted to make sure that she's able to get through those new locks and of course come back.
And not only that, when she's going into those new locks and then going over to her Alaska sailings, she's going to be able to get in some of the ports that other ships are not allowed to go into because of the size that of the vessel that we have and the new technology that makes sure we're not harming the environment while we're in there.
So that's brilliant.
[00:36:57] Speaker B: I really can't wait for those Alaskan sailings with the brilliant lady because you don't really get too many new cruise ships over in Alaska. And to have a new ship that has that size while also being a. An adult free cruise or sorry, an adult only cruise. An adult sorry, yeah. Blending the adult only. I do that.
[00:37:26] Speaker A: Well, imagine you're sitting in your hammock and you're going through the Tracy Arms Fords and you're doing the cruise and you're sitting there watching the glaciers go by. As you're in your hammock, you're, you know, snuggled up with your mat blanket Just watching those beautiful glaciers go by, that's my dream. But of course, when Brilliant, before she gets over to Alaska, she will be in New England. She'll make her way down to Miami. So for those that aren't going to make our Alaska just yet, or can't wait for 2026 when she gets there.
This winter is the first time in Virgin history we're going to have four ships in our Caribbean market. So all right here, three going out of Miami, one going out of San Juan. That's going to really tone into those Eastern Caribbean itineraries. But if you can't wait for Brilliant when she gets to Alaska, you want to see her. You don't quite want to see the leaves change in New York or feel that chill. Come down to Miami and see her when she's here. She'll be doing some longer itineraries. And remember, brand new ship. So if you want to be one of the first.
[00:38:35] Speaker B: I love the pictures you paint, Lindsay, because seriously, just, it really enhances just the visualization of us talking about this and how just beautiful Virgin ships are ladies ships. So another thing that makes Virgin so unique is that it is one of the few, very, very few cruise lines that do offer some late night or overnight port stops. And I know I am totally calling out my best friend right now.
She. Her thing with cruise lines is that she does not like that her days are kind of like cut short when she stopped, you know, when you're going to different locations, ports in this case.
So I've completely sold her on Virgin Voyage, which is hopefully coming soon after she gets married. But the idea is, hey, you don't have to have such a strict schedule when you're at some of these ports. Not all, but some. And I really feel like that really caters to adults only because adults do have their own schedule. When you're with kids, you're trying to tailor more to them, making sure that they're staying happy and not throwing a tantrum.
So having this flexibility of sorts I really think makes some of these itineraries stand out and so much more attractive.
I mean, you have some fantastic staffs. I mean, Curacao, Aruba, going through the Panama Canal.
Seriously, some beautiful stops along the way. And then on top of that, you also have the Bimini or the beach club at Bimini. And there are some itineraries that do stay there very light, very late or overnight. So do you want to talk a little bit more about some of the itineraries and what makes them more unique? You know, More unique than others, I guess.
[00:40:35] Speaker A: Absolutely. Well, I always say if you sell on her, it's a lot easier to understand. But of course, when it comes to our experience for these longer days in a port of call, our real esthetic for a sailor, when we were building this product, we wanted to make sure you got to experience a port of call like a local. You didn't feel like, oh, I have to book a shore excursion and then I have to run back to the ship because that's all I get to do.
No, we want you to explore the port. We want you to really see what makes it special and the reason we chose it. And we're very particular on some of these ports of call that we do choose because we want to make sure that of course, when we're at these ports of call, even our shore things, we're saying as sustainable as possible. But also we want to make sure that it gives you something that not everyone else has now. For example, late days in Santorini, when you're in our Greek isles, it is so nice to take that little trolley up. But then again, you're tendered in, but you see a few other ships, you know that Santorini is going to be busy, but you're going to see those flags running back over to that gondola to go back down before their ship leaves. We're there till 8 o' clock at night so we can go and have dinner, we can go and explore. That's when you could go and do some real shore things and feel like a local and you're not having to be rushed back to your ship because you're going to be late and you're going to miss something.
We want you to really be immersed in the experience now.
Overnights, overnights in Ibiza, overnights in Mykonos, overnights when you're in Bermuda. These are great aesthetics that not a lot of cruise lines have. And how nice is it that if you want to go to, you know, shop in Mykonos, that's fabulous. But then of course, if you want to see what the nightlife is on your Mykonos, enjoy. This is the brand for you. This is the experience for you. Not only that, I, like I mentioned, I'm still a full on golden girl. I don't do nightlife like I did, you know, 10, 15 years ago. But that doesn't mean I won't give it a good old college try.
This is where you can actually have that experience. And then you're still back in bed by midnight. And guess what? Your cabin is waiting for you as soon as you're ready to come back. And then the next morning, you can have those sunrise walks in these beautiful cities because you're still there. You can go and have breakfast in a castle or at a beautiful fort or. What I loved when we were over in Ibiza is, of course you have all these beautiful places to have a nice breakfast. But of course, for those that do travel, know that if you're on Mediterranean time, you're on Mediterranean time. So if it says it's opening up at 9 and if it was a late night, it's up to them if they open up or not. Just FYI. But that's one of those things we want you to be able to experience yourself and of course, enjoy as a sailor. So that was really what we wanted to have for the aesthetic for the sailor experience.
And I'm happy to say the feedback on that has been tremendous.
[00:43:57] Speaker B: Mute.
[00:43:59] Speaker A: Amateur. No, mute.
[00:44:02] Speaker D: Steph, it's not like you've. You've been doing this for.
[00:44:07] Speaker B: I'm so like, immersed in like the storytelling of Lindsay that it's just like, oh my God, I forget my own step to unmute myself.
No, I'm totally captivated. It really, again, it's setting a standard for adult vacation that you don't really see anywhere else.
So I have one more question before we start wrapping up. Unless my co hosts have any other questions.
I guess never mind. Too.
What awards and recognitions has Virgin Voyage received for being such a unique experience?
[00:44:41] Speaker A: Well, remember, we're still a new cruise line, new to the industry, and cruising has been around for a very long time. And I'm talking about not just the Titanic times, but, you know, even before that. Cruising has been a way of life for a lot. And it used to be such a unreachable vacation for so many. And of course, now it is something that's standard throughout. So for us to be a brand new Cruise 9 coming into this industry that's already so inundated with the experience, we weren't sure how people were going to take this adult only experience. And of course, the way that we've changed things up from what other cruise lines are doing.
Honestly, you ready for this? Remember, we've only been sailing since 2021. We've won over 200 awards and accolades just on the Virgin Experience, the Virgin product, as well as our food. And then beyond one of my favorite ones, I know in 2025 I tried to highlight a few of these because 200 we'd be here all night. But best adult only cruise line, which we're I believe, still the only fully adult only cruise line at sea. I know a few of them, sprinkle in a few sailings here and there.
And of course, you know, river cruises are river cruises. But yes, adult only cruise line is still number one. And that's us today. Then of course, I love that kind of nast. I mean, that was one of the number one large cruise ships, which I feel is kind of funny because we're medium sized, but we'll take it. We actually won that one.
[00:46:22] Speaker B: It's called years in a row.
[00:46:26] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Whatever you're like, okay, I'll take it.
Cruise critic, Cruise choice awards. We've won so many of their awards, including best dining for large ship category, best ocean cruise line.
And like I mentioned, we are for everyone. We say we are exclusively for everyone. So come as you are. We really love that premium cruise line experience. And we actually won best premium cruise company from Travel Weekly in 2024. And then not only that, remember we chatted about that wellness program. We actually won the Travel Age west for best onboard wellness program. And bits and pieces of the accolades that we have collected through the years and more to come. I know, but it, it just speaks volumes on what our sailor experience has been, especially because these are not, this is not something that you can put in for.
You have to be nominated and the people have to vote for this. So kudos to everyone that's been on that's put our name at the top of the list. But like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg of when it comes to the awards that we've been able to gain through the few years that we've been making waves.
[00:47:48] Speaker B: Quite literally.
That's amazing. That's impressive. And you know, it really highlights that people should not overlook Virgin Voyages and try it out for themselves because you never know if it is or it isn't going to be for you. But it seems like you guys have thought of everything to be able to accommodate to any type of cruiser within, you know, 18 plus.
Okay, so my last question.
I know we've had you here for quite some time, but honestly, the information is so juicy, it's been hard to, you know, cut it short. But to wrap things up, my last question overall. How do you compare Virgin Voyages voyages to other cruise lines?
[00:48:30] Speaker A: Okay, well, this is where I kind of open mic it all because you've heard all of the good details and you guys are avid cruisers and of course I'm a Little biased when it comes to our company. I always say it's everyone's got their own experience. But what I love is the way that we compare to others is apples to oranges because we wanted to make sure that we stood out, but we didn't want to take away from someone that loves a certain brand. We know that there's something for everyone and we understand that some folks really do love buffets.
Some folks like to bring the kids and we don't want them to feel any different for our brand than theirs. But we wanted something that was missing out of the market and that's where Virgin Voyages came about. But I'm going to open the mic now that you guys have kind of heard Virgin Voyages compared to other lines. Where do you feel that, you know, we fit in or stand out compared to others?
[00:49:31] Speaker C: So with being.
And I've been sailing, cruising, first cruise was 2008 or seven somewhere in there.
And we just branched out to our second cruise line like four months ago.
So with Virgin like and I understand that, you know, it's hard to compete when you're in the same pool with every other line between Royal Disney Carnival, Norwegian and all the. So having just the 18 plus, I think is going to be a big thing because I can understand, you know, being in the millennial generation, there's a lot of people who choose not to have kids. So why would you want to go on, you know, maybe a carnival or a Royal that is usually full. I mean you look at Royal Caribbean now with building their icon class ships which are becoming straight, all inclusive resorts out at sea when, you know, couples not gonna really go for that. They, they're gonna go for a true relaxing vacation.
Then I'm to me, Virgin is like coming in top tier because I'm the type of person, my wife and I are, the type of people that the, we've done, we've done the Caribbean, especially Western Caribbean. I don't need to get off the ship. We like staying on board.
So all the stuff that, you know, the, the ladies offer on board is very appealing.
So I'm, I'm sold on, on Virgin. I mean, you know, you don't have to worry about that.
[00:51:21] Speaker A: Well, I appreciate that and like I said, we really wanted to shake things up and you know, I know you guys are very heavy on the magical mouse and I have to share Virgin was built by a lot of folks that came from that magical mouse over. So that's where you're going to see those similarities when it comes to that guest service or guest experience or sailor services or when you're on board, because when your crew is taken care of, they're going to take care of your sailors, which then again paints that picture for you guys. And that's why this is the best place for those that are always booking all inclusives. This is where you go if you're always looking for a certain vacation, but you've got the older kids, this is a good opportunity. And then also, how nice is it if you pay a price and it's that price for that there's none of those hidden fees. Now, of course, if you want to elevate the experience, you have that option. And if you want to add things on, that's fabulous. But with what is all included, there's nothing that you really have to keep adding and keep adding. And it's so nice that you can actually have a chance to get off the ship with a fully zero balance folio.
And it just depends on, of course, what you did in the casino, Kelton, or what happened with Brooks over in that prime rib station if he needed to maybe order a mocktail or two to go with it. Or Steph, maybe it was, you know, you found something over in High street and you wanted to go shopping and you just tapped and added it to the cabin. That's what I love about this. We wanted to make sure that that nickeling and diming piece was never something that someone said that we had had in the process. We wanted to make sure this is the cruise line for those that have a budget in mind and want to stay in that budget.
This is where we've got you going and we want to make sure that we have that vacation for you and your plus ones that want to join you as well.
[00:53:27] Speaker B: Well, does anyone else have any other questions?
Because I think we're all just really in awe with our jaws on the ground.
And I've heard this before and I still just can't get enough of it. Seriously.
[00:53:44] Speaker A: Well, I always get the question when I'm out and about, out in the wild, talking about virgin voyages. I always get asked about military first responder discounts. That is something that we do offer for our U.S. and Canadian citizens. We also do have resident rates for certain select regions. So even though I don't have a Texas one, sorry, we do have a Florida Georgia, we have New England as well.
So there are opportunities to really stack onto promotions to get those extra discounts. So we, we are looking at adding more, maybe some teacher discounts as well as, you know, some Additional discounts on top of that. So stay tuned because remember, we're brand new company, we'll be building more into it as we grow, but we really want to make sure everyone has the experience and everyone's taken care of.
And of course we appreciate everyone in service and for everything they do. We want to make sure they have that special discount as well when they're coming on board.
[00:54:49] Speaker B: I love it. And don't forget everyone who's listening. I know it's been a long episode. This is actually going to be a two parter. But one of the pro tips that Lindsey had shared with us earlier is if you do pay your bar tab ahead of your sailing, you might get a little extra bar tab credit. So we love all these pro tips that you've mentioned. Is there anything else that you might want to share that might not be as commonly known?
[00:55:20] Speaker A: Ooh, so many options. Well, honestly, it really is. Make sure that you come with, you know, no expectations, ready to have some fun.
When it comes to some of our fun activities, I always like to highlight every sailing that we have has Scarlet Night, like you mentioned, as well as we have a PJ party first night where you get in some fun PJs.
It's the nice little icebreaker. We've got a DJ up there. You're gonna hear a lot of 80s and 90s when you're up there as well.
You're gonna get some milk and cookie options because what's a sleepover without, you know, milk and cookies and some light bites? But this is really bringing back those sleepover vibes. When you had your friends, you're in your PJs and you're just jamming and having a good time.
This is the start off, so make sure you pack those PJs, you pack that scarlet night outfit or that splash of red. And I'm sure Kelton has a red hat somewhere, right? Or at least one with a splash of red that you can wear.
[00:56:27] Speaker C: I have a red hat.
[00:56:28] Speaker A: There you go.
I remember you said you had your hat and your boots. So I was either red hat or red boots. And I would love to see both options. Just saying. But bring that splash of red. Bring that PJ option if you're ready. And don't worry for those over in Texas, I have seen the full Bucky PJ set at our PJ parties, so that is exciting. Accepted. Come on and have some fun.
[00:56:57] Speaker B: I love that adult pajama party out at sea.
Oh my gosh. Talk about fantastic.
It's just again Saying that you guys thought about everything is just.
I feel. It feels like it doesn't describe it enough. But we did have a TR question to wrap things up.
And the question of the night is how many itineraries does Virgin voyages have in 2025?
Lindsay, you want to tell us the answer?
[00:57:32] Speaker A: Okay, I'm all in.
In 2025. Like I mentioned, currently we have three ships sailing in our winter season. We will actually have our fourth ship coming over and coming down into Miami. So that'll give us a all four ships in our 2025 season. We're really excited about that. But with that four ships, we're going to have over 400 opportunities to get on board with 21 new destinations, itineraries, and of course, like I mentioned, that brand new ship experience.
Remember, we haven't been sailing long, so they all feel pretty brand new. Remember, no shag carpeting. But this brand new ship is ready for you, you guys. And I can't wait to welcome you all on board.
[00:58:21] Speaker B: Thank you, Lindsay. Honestly, this episode has been nothing short, but amazing. Fantastic. I think we've all learned a lot, not just us here at the podcast. But I'm sure after your amazing visuals, there are people in the audience who are definitely just dreaming about when they can go on a Virgin voyage ship.
So any final thoughts from my co hosts?
[00:58:48] Speaker A: This all just sounds incredible.
Just like the vacation that every adult needs.
[00:58:57] Speaker D: I will ask, can I teach the boy band fitness class?
[00:59:04] Speaker A: You know what? For you, I'll make it happen.
Don't you worry. You let me know when you're on board.
[00:59:11] Speaker C: That's true. BDM right there.
[00:59:12] Speaker A: And we will make make it happen for you now.
[00:59:16] Speaker D: Because I don't know if you knew this. I used to be a high school mascot and Ba ba ba was my signature dance.
[00:59:23] Speaker A: Yes, I was gonna say, is there an outfit you had in mind?
[00:59:27] Speaker D: Of course. That was like 20 plus years ago.
[00:59:30] Speaker B: So I feel like I need to.
[00:59:32] Speaker A: Do a comeback with this mascot costume and the bye bye bye whole routine. I'm ready for it.
[00:59:41] Speaker B: The entire Mouse ears universe is here for you, Brooks. We want to see this.
[00:59:44] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:59:47] Speaker D: Well, I would have to make sure my wife would not be around for that because I am forbidden to do the worm in her presence.
[00:59:54] Speaker B: So I'm not even ask a question. I'm not even ask the dance move.
[01:00:01] Speaker D: The worm where you.
Yeah, that was my. That was my. That was signature move.
[01:00:07] Speaker A: It wasn't the sprinkler.
No.
[01:00:11] Speaker D: I used to also do a James Brown split. I definitely can't do that anymore.
[01:00:15] Speaker B: Oh my goodness.
[01:00:16] Speaker D: I would. I would break a leg.
[01:00:19] Speaker B: Literally nothing a mocktail can't fix. Just kidding.
Lindsay, again, thank you so much for being on on this episode. It's been fantastic. We've learned so much and and again left us wanting more. So hopefully you'll want to come back on a future episode. But for now, this about does it for this week's episode of Mouse Ears Podcast, don't forget to join our Mouse Ears Podcast Facebook discussion group and our Facebook page. You can also follow us on TikTok X and Instagram. To stay up to date with all things travel, but mostly Disney. And if you're interested in having a Fairy Tale Journeys age at both your next trip to Virgin voyages, visit fairytale journeys.com and let them know that the podcast sent you. Lastly, if you enjoy our weekly episodes of the Mousers podcast, we'd love for you to leave us a review wherever you listen. Until the next episode where we will be covering Disneyland's 70th anniversary with a special FTJ Agent guest. Thanks everyone. See you next week. Bye.
[01:01:21] Speaker A: Cheers everyone. Thank you.
Thank you.
