Perfect Trip on a Perfect-ish Ship

Our fourth Virgin Voyages cruise, and 3rd in the Mediterranean. As always, we had an incredible time onboard. Background: husband and wife, early 50's, 17 cruises. We enjoy good food and drink, pleasant company, and exploring the world. Rarely do I act my age, and I've never been accused of holding back an opinion. Our adult children think we travel a lot, which means we are doing the "empty nest" thing correctly. We arrived on 10/1 to Athens, and settled into the Electra Palace Hotel. Wonderful location, fantastic service, delicious breakfast and amazing staff. We used Welcome Pickups for our transportation and they were on time and very easy to work with. We arrived at the port for our 1:45 pm embarkation in a thundering downpour, and then had to wait as the wifi in the port terminal was down. Once we checked in, we had about a ten minute wait to board the ship as the Rockstars had also been delayed in boarding due to the wifi issue. There was confusion as the waiting areas for Rockstars, Deep Blue Extras and Splash of Romance were not clearly delineated, and some people seemed to be upset when they didn't just get to walk onboard immediately after checking in. Luggage was delivered to our room within twenty minutes of arriving onboard, and some of the suitcases were a bit damp. I'm sure it was difficult to load thousands of pieces of luggage onto the ship in the middle of a driving rainstorm, so not a big deal. Our cabin stewards (Olga and Nevena) were kind enough to provide us with plenty of hangers to dry out anything that had gotten damp. Food on board: as always, Virgin ships shine with the food quality. We had delicious meals in all the restaurants, and from the Galley, dock, pizza place, Lick Me Till Ice Scream, and Sun Club Cafe. Service was very good in each venue. My wife had an undercooked steak at The Wake on our second visit, and our waiter sent it back three times until they got it done correctly. My only complaint with the food is that it would be nice to add some new items to some of the menus, but they now have dinner specials at many of the restaurants to spice things up (ie seafood risotto in Extra Virgin one night, Mahi Mahi in The Wake, etc). All of the food was well presented, cooked appropriately (other than that one pesky filet mignon), featured fresh and tasty ingredients, and served at the correct temperature. Bars on board: the drink menus are unique at each of the bars, and the bar staff was always engaging and friendly. Special shout out to the staff at the Dock/Dock House for excellent service and recommendations. We had High Tea on a sea day for the first time in Sip, and that was a fun experience. Fitness: On our last cruise, I participated in almost every fitness class I could register for. However, on this port-intensive itinerary, I couldn't find classes that would fit into our daily plan, as most were offered at times when we preferred to go ashore during the day. Also, the spin classes never did populate on my app, so we were unable to sign up for those. The gyms (both the cardio and the weight sides) were kept spotless with good equipment (although one TechnoGym bike seemed to have issues connecting to programs, where the others were fine). Cabin: We were booked in a XL Sea Terrace on the 10th floor. We've stayed in Rock Star suites, central sea terrace and the XL Sea Terrace, and it's our favorite. The extra space in the bathroom and the cabin really makes a difference, and the layout of the cabin seems to create better flow than the regular Sea Terrace room. Entertainment: We saw the Griffin and Jones magic show (meh), PureSound (Motown), MOBO (also a Motown review style show) and tried to see Lola's Library (but didn't want to stand in the balcony behind people, so gave up). The Motown shows seemed to be "traditional" cruise line style entertainment, but the audience was very into it for both shows, so maybe Virgin has decided that some "traditional" entertainment isn't a bad thing. The standout, however, was Persephone. It was awesome, with great singing and dancing and a humorous storyline. Highly recommend catching it while onboard, and the staging for it really draws you into the show. Yes, you are standing up during the show, but the action is happening around you, and you're in the center of it, feeling apart of the story (rather than snoozing in a theater seat). We also enjoyed the Charmer, Nimai, and his secret show. Can't give anything away but my wife and I are still talking about the tricks he pulled off. I know there's a secret to them, but darn it, he was so good you really did believe he could read minds and tell the future. Scarlet Night ended up indoors due to high winds (the only bad weather of our cruise) so I broke my streak of jumping into the pool fully clothed on every Virgin cruise, but it was still fun, but not quite the same "off the hook" levels normally associated with the best party at sea. The Vibe/People on board: I think Virgin really shines in the Mediterranean cruise space. Being onboard a Virgin ship in the Med feels like one of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books you used to get when you're a kid. You want to party all night, lounge by the pool all day and drink yourself silly? You can do that. Want to get up at the crack of dawn, work out for 2 hours, drink beet smoothies and hike mountains? We got you, boo. Want to pamper yourself with a shopping trip through high end stores, sip martinis while updating your socials, and get a massage and salt dry stone facial therapy thingy?(probably not a real thing, but you get the drift) No problem. No matter what you choose, you can do your own thing without any judgment from others. People onboard are from all over the world, on each side of every political or social issue, and everybody just gets along. We've met so many incredible people onboard our Virgin cruises, and this trip was no different. The average age on this trip felt older than past voyages, however, and it was clear that many older cruisers were trying out Virgin for the first time. It took many of them a few days to figure out how to navigate the Galley, find the bathrooms, and learn to embrace the differences that make Virgin a great alternative to "traditional" cruising, but by the last day, every person we spoke to said the same thing...this cruise was great, the staff was wonderful, we loved the ship and we're going to book another Virgin Voyage. So even if the average age is going up onboard, the vibe is still the same....as relaxing/chill/invigorating/wild as you want it to be. Ports: O.M.G. The ports on this cruise are simply outstanding. Santorini, Bodrum, Mykonos, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu? After the first three ports, we were commenting that they were all so beautiful, it was a shame they were out of the way so soon in the itinerary...and then Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu just kept getting better and more beautiful each day!!! Highly recommend getting off the ship in each of these ports and seeing how incredible these locations are. Excursions/What We Did: Santorini: We did the Two Wineries and Oia shore thing. The guide was great, the wineries served delicious wine, and it was easy to get on the island with tender to Athinios port, then bus up the caldera. We visited Santo Wines with incredible caldera views, and then Artemis Karamolegos Winery which was a beautiful location in the middle of the island (and had fantastic wines). The bus took us to Oia where we had 2 hours to wander around in search of that "perfect photo" op and then were bussed to Fira. We then rented a dune buggy from Fresh Rent Santorini (highly recommend) and drove down to hike to the Red Beach, Akrotiri lighthouse, Pyrgos, and then returned to Fira and took the cable car down at 6:00pm (no wait, and there were 2 other ships in port that day). For Bodrum, we walked to Bodrum Castle, which is a pleasant 15 minute walk along the bay. The castle was really interesting and photogenic, and the Underwater Archaeology Museum exhibits in the castle are well placed. We went to the Bodrum Bazar, which was less than inspiring on a Saturday as the main market wasn't happening. After a delicious lunch, we taxied to Bitez Beach for the afternoon. Very nice beach area, lots of chairs/daybeds to rent for low prices, and clear water. We found Bodrum to be a ....Turkish Delight. (ba-dum-ching) Mykonos: We did the Vioma Organic Winery shore thing, which made it easy to get off the ship and out of Mykonos town on a bus (there were 8 ships in port that day). The winery was very rustic but had great wine and snacks. The bus took us back to Mykonos town (Chora) were we had a one hour walking tour that was...okay. The guide stopped in very congested places, and then talked too much while our group was blocking the walkways, so we left the tour at the windmills and rented dune buggies (CCC Rental...highly recommend!). We drove to Kalafati Beach, which is an incredibly beautiful local beach with crystal clear water and great snorkeling. Then we drove to Armenistis Lighthouse to watch the breathtaking sunset, and then back to Mykonos town where we ate dinner at M-Eating (fantastic food and service). Pro tip...once all the other cruise ships leave around 8pm, you've got the Old Town to yourself when Virgin does an overnight (and it's even cooler at night than in the day). Nothing better than Ubering back to port to see the beautiful Resilient Lady proudly proclaiming "I <3 Mykonos" in her cabin lights to the world. Dubrovnik: If you've made it this far in my review, congrats. The previous three ports were merely an appetizer for the Michelin-star style ports that closed out our trip, starting with the grand lady of Westeros herself, the walled city of Dubrovnik. We hiked the city walls (buy the Dubrovnik pass!), toured the Rector's palace and the monastery, ate a delicious lunch at Terrace, then cliff jumped and swam at Buza Bar before taking a taxi (cable car was down for maintenance) to Panorama Restaurant at the top of Mount Srd for a sunset dinner. Absolutely perfect day. Kotor: We toured the Old town in the morning and then walked along the Bay of Kotor to meet our sailboat charter. We booked through Yacht Monty B, and I would highly recommend using them. Tim from Yacht Monty B was back in the UK by the time our trip came up, but he arranged his friend Yuri and his wife and their beautiful 49 foot sailboat, Virtus, for our tour. We sailed around the Bay, swam in the crystal clear waters, enjoyed champagne and G&T's, tried fishing with Yuri, ate delightful sandwiches, fruit and chocolates his wife provided, and took in so many breathtaking sights. Another perfect day that will live in our memories forever. Corfu: Another perfect day (sensing a theme here?). Rented a car from Rolando's (highly recommend! Met us at the cruise terminal) and drove to Paloekastritsa. We hiked up to the monastery, then swam through caves, paddle boated, snorkeled and cliff jumped at Agios Spiridon beach (clearest water i have ever seen) and then drove up the curvy mountain roads to Angelokastro to hike up to the ruins and see the views 1000 feet above the sea. Again, absolutely fantastic day. Disembarkation: If you've made it to this point, pat yourself on the back, because you deserve an award (or maybe just book a trip on Resilient Lady, because it's seriously an awesome ship full of amazing people who truly care about making sure you have a great trip). Disembarkation took all of five minutes, and that's just because we had 4 suitcases that took a lot of effort to drag across the parking lot. We walked off at 10:15 am and were in the taxi line at 10:20 to head to our hotel (Monument in Athens...in a Ernest Ziller designed restored mansion...incredibly beautiful and artistic in such a cool way!). Final thoughts: Resilient Lady is a beautiful ship, but it doesn't "wow" you with bells and whistles the way that the new mega-ships try to do so. She's like Sandra Bullock or Sophia Loren...classically beautiful, everyone likes her, the perfect blend of beauty and grace, and you admire the way she stands out without trying. The staff is wonderful, the food is fantastic, the rooms are well-planned and executed, and when you add incredible ports to the mix, you end up with the perfect trip. There may be a hiccup here and there on your voyage, but when you arrive home after spending time on Resilient Lady, you'll always say "Man, that was unforgettable. We should do that again soon."

Virgin experience!

My first cruise and as a seasoned traveller, over it was excellent. Only small issues were.. - suitcase delivery very close -No iron in room, steamers not effective -Need to have coffee or Nespresso in room, cannot function without -Pool not heated for first few days way too cold - some food bland, not seasoned especially Pink agave, which really was not Mexican. -Santorini spoilt with four ships in and tours not returning to drop off point but had to go down cable car. A mess thousands of people, a fight and no personal on hand to organise. The best thing was the staff, fabulous, so friendly even when under pressure, well done Casino bar and on the rocks the best! Shout out for Hari! - took several tours, would be good to highlight where the boat is moored in town as some not necessary. Some tours very expensive - ship tour booked then cancelled as it was 200 dollars each and no cost to Virgin, crazy!

Great cruise to relax to

Loved the ship, excellent facilities and I loved all the tech. The crew were great. Not the over-friendly, try-hard (please like me so you will tip extra) that you get on most cruises. Friendly, professional and the team in the spa nailed it - engaging but not in your face. We loved the food and the variety - it was easy to stay on the healthy diet or break out if you wanted to. Fortunately, we only found the ice cream bar two days before the end of the cruise or the extra kilos could have been worse. We enjoyed the different spaces and events on the trip. We loved the Dock in the afternoon, working hard at diminishing our generous bar credit, listening to an Australian duo who were really talented and eating mezze. Probably, our favourite experience. We also enjoyed high tea, our two spa experiences, and the tea class we attended. We loved the dance classes learning the hula and boot scooting. We enjoyed the other musicians as well. Of the specialty dining, we tried the Italian (fine), the Korean bbq (great), the Test Kitchen (our favourite) and Razzle Dazzle (great). We missed out on the Wave but heard it was good. The only sour note on the cruise was the big production number Another Rose. My friend had a birthday while on the cruise and I paid the $USD50 each for the tickets to have the worst experience of the trip. The dancing was good, the singing was competent (about the standard of your local RSL club on the Tuesday morning $15 special for the old dears), but the production values, costumes and story lines were were inadequate and the food was terrible. The offer was unlimited alcohol (or at least 5 drinks - welcome drink plus matching drinks for each course) plus 4 course dinner. The welcome drink was super strong and we stopped there. The first course (a salad) was fine. The next was some sort of ball shaped pastry case made out of chickpea flour and filled with green goop. It was edible but you couldn’t say much more about it. The main course was just nasty. I had sea bass, which was cooked but had no flavour and it was served with vegetables (fine) and some disgusting rice dish that was made for consumption by people with no teeth and who had swallowing difficulties. I couldn’t eat it. By this time my friend and I were heartily bored with the show and left. The staff engaged with us trying to tempt us with dessert but we didn’t want to risk it and went for a nice cleansing walk around the deck instead. Overall, I would rate the cruise 8 out of 10 but don’t go because you expect big production numbers or great cabaret. You won’t get it. You will get a fabulous cabin, great crew, excellent variety of food, lots of spaces to go to, plenty of low key entertainment that is great to listen to and drink and just relax.

First cruise on Virgin

My wife and I traveled with 3 other couples, we had sailed mostly with Royal Caribbean and this was our first time on a virgin boat. We liked Virgin better than Royal which was not what we expected. The ship was very clean, room had plenty of room, staff was wonderful. It was much more laid back then what we have been used to. The parties were great and a lot of fun. I feel there were too many interruptions during some of the parties by the staff entertainers, it would have been great just to let people have a great time. One thing we found we did not like was the difficulty finding the bathrooms, they were very spread out and not the same on each level of the boat. This boat also, catered to the alternate life style which I had no problem with but at times felt over looked since they were leaned toward more of the alternate life style shipmates. My wife and I look forward to sailing again with Virgin!!!!