On September 15, I took my first Virgin Voyages (will now be VV going forward) cruise. This was a five night cruise to Puerto Plata Dominican Republic and Bimini Island from Miami.
A quick take, If you are looking for a great short cruise, Virgin is the way to go.
Virgin gave me a 4pm boarding time, which I ignored and boarded at 2:30. Youll scan your passport and get your bracelet (room key and charge card) and get right on the ship.
Immediately, I noticed a different vibe on VV. Was a really fun and exciting energy while boarding and through the ship. The Scarlet lady came out in Feb of 2020, so it is new and in excellent condition. I still had my bag on me, so I went to my room immediately, which you can see a video of on this page. I will say I think the beds are too hard, and I am someone who likes a firm bed. You may want to ask for a pad.
The ship layout is different then a lot of ships and takes some getting used to. A lot of the venues are smaller and it seems like the "prominade" spaces on the lower deck are smaller and really only for relaxing. I didnt see any service out there and hardly ever any people.
The dining rooms are all the size of specialty resturants on other ships. I had no issue finding a table each night, however keep in mind you need to reserve your dining each day. VV only allows you to book one dining experience before boarding. There are a lot of different resturants to choose from. I did Pink Aguve and the Steakhouse. Both were really good. I also really enjoyed the buffet. The food was always the proper temp and there was plenty to choose from. They also have an all day breakfast option and an all day burger (close around 2am)
You will find your preferred hangout spots and its fun to explore the ship. Try the ice cream bar, great ice cream and waffle cones!
Our first port stop was Puerto Plata, DR. The port has an awesome private area for cruisers. Pools, dining, lazy river, drinks, shopping. It looked great. I went to my old home town, Cabarete. I lived here during my last term of college. I volunteered for Dominican Dream Project, which is a charter school. I wanted to see the changes and I wanted to see what had stayed the same. It was a great day. I got a taxi to myself all day for $250. Highly recommend getting a taxi for your group. They will be waiting as you exit the port area.
Our last stop Was Bimini. Lots of ships are stopping here now, but its best with VV. You have full access to the Resorts World beach and pool club with a BBQ. They do a massive pool party which was fun and the beach great. Get their early for your choice or chair or lounge shell. The cabanas will cost you anywhere from $300 to $500 but the chairs are free and so are the day lounging shells. Golf cart rental will be at the first trolly stop and those are $100. I will do that next time. If you leave the resort area, there are a few cool beach bars to explore in town, plus you can easily get back and forth around the island.
Final Thoughts:
I would do this cruise again. I highly recommend VV for any cruise. They have some really great promos going on right now to add some value, which includes $300 bar tab. The service was great, attentive and quick. Plenty to do on the ship, interesting activities like the Grog Walk (pub crawl) which is a must do and the SEAhorse race. Both were really fun and got me out of my comfort zone. Great sports deck, dedicated walking and running track. Small basketball court, but could work for 2-2 action. The music was good, high energy and there is a dedicated poker room! Which I will be hosting a poker cruise sometime in 2024! Hope to see you on board!
