15 Nights Eclipse in the Land of Fire and Ice Cruise

Miami • Key West • Bimini

Fantastic Getaway! We did a small upgrade on our cabin which was beautiful and gave us a smidge bigger bathroom & storage space. The restaurants are all delicious & the ship had GREAT entertainment -my favorite was the Miss Behave show & the A cappella group “The Magnets” & it’s a ship show (dinner show). We rented a golf cart in Key West Florida to tour the island and sample all the key lime pie - *Kermit’s & *Key Lime Pie Co. were our top picks! I highly recommend going straight to south point if you want that pic, to beat the rush. The highlight of the trip was our off shore adventure in Bimini, Bahamas - we did the Sapona shipwreck & shark snorkeling (20-30 reef sharks)! Bimini has beautiful tranquil waters and the Beach club does not disappoint, it is a great last day. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Don’t forget Red for Scarlet Night and pajamas for the PJ party both were a blast!

Great First Experience with Virgin!

We have been loyal cruisers of the "fun" ship brands for years but tried Virgin just to experience the difference. Wow, night & day experiences between the two. We loved the small ship atmosphere. Valiant Lady only has about 2700 passengers. At no time did it ever feel crowded, except sea days around the pool area, but to be expected. We absolutely loved the no buffet experience. I've always hated waiting at buffets for people to pick over food, waste it, and get back in line for more. None of the food service areas ever seemed really crowded. The food was excellent throughout the cruise. We weren't big on the Italian restaurant, called Extra Virgin, it was our least favorite experience. We booked all the restaurants we could based on our number of nights on board. Pink Agave was our favorite (order the chips and guac), and Nelson (sp) our server (previous Disney crew) was awesome as a host! My wife loved the coffee options. The food portions were great. The crew was very professional and always willing to help. The bathroom/shower area is small, but manageable, provided you aren't a large person. We loved the idea of no children on board; it made the cruise that much better. Despite the amount of alcohol, other sailors acted as adults and not first-time drinkers. Our only complaint would be the comfort of our bed, it was a bit too hard, but otherwise, this is one of the best cruising experiences we've had.

The Wow Cruise Trip

This trip ("Dominican Daze" on Valiant Lady) had a real wow effect on me. It was my first time traveling without kids and also my first time on a cruise ship, and I can honestly say I was having the time of my life. It was fun, exciting, and filled with new experiences. Boarding the ship felt like the start of a party; energetic, lively, and welcoming. The atmosphere was full of joy and anticipation. However, disembarking was a completely different story. It felt rushed, with no staff around to say goodbye or offer guidance. We stepped off the ship into what looked and felt like a cold, empty warehouse. It was a disappointing end to such an amazing journey. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful, and we made sure to show our appreciation. Special shout-out to the Happenings cast, especially Annabell and Ali, and to our favorite waiters Igede and Atim. You all truly made the experience special. That said, it’s important that all staff are on the same page when it comes to offering service. I understand not everyone has the same personality, but encountering an unfriendly staff member can really bring down the energy, which luckily only happened twice. There is definitely room for improvement in organization. Our itinerary changed at the last minute, and both of our shore excursions were cancelled. On top of that, we received a flood of app notifications while on board, which quickly became overwhelming and confusing. When we booked this trip well in advance, we were surprised to see that prices dropped significantly closer to the departure date. We reached out to customer service twice because we felt a bit cheated for having paid so much more. Unfortunately, nothing could be done. So next time, we’ll likely wait for a last-minute deal and hope for a better price. Overall, it was a truly great experience for my first cruise. With a few improvements in communication, service consistency, and organization, it could easily go from great to unforgettable.