Excellent

The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating! The ship provides you with all the amenities a larger ship would but with the inclusivity of a small ship. One of the highlights of this voyage was the Magic Show presented in the Martini Lounge. Absolutely incredible! Funny for all ages! The magic was not only spectacular but the humor and inclusion of the guests set it over the top, it was the highlight of onboard entertainment by far! The cruise port selection was fantastic! They made it extremely easy to book excursions and the people working the excursion desk were so helpful in booking something that would suit our needs. I would not hesitate again to book with Celestyal. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze and shuffle services were on time and friendly. If you are looking a fantastic, affordable, memorable experience for a cruise ship, I would highly recommend looking into Celestyal!

My first cruise experience

Just got back from an unforgettable week with MSC Cruises (June 7–14) and wow – what an experience! My mum and I had the most amazing time on board. The staff were incredibly kind, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the entertainment? Honestly better than the West End! Huge shoutout to our amazing waiters at Table 743 (8:30 pm seating) in the Symphony Restaurant, as well as to Mbaki Joy at reception and Alexis Diaz, our lovely housekeeper. You are all truly special – MSC is lucky to have you, and thank you to many others who I don’t get their names. If I had to make one tiny suggestion, it would be to offer a wider variety of movie genres on board. Otherwise, it was a 10/10 experience – would absolutely recommend to anyone considering a cruise. And quick tip for first-time cruisers: get travel health insurance beforehand. A consultation on board starts at £90, so it’s better to be covered just in case! Already dreaming of the next one…

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.