Our Mediterranean Cruise on Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady
Three weeks ago, our manager Chris set sail on his second ever cruise, more than 15 years after his first one. Based on his reaction walking back into the office, this definitely won’t be his last as well. Other than various superlatives, the first thing he said to me is that it’s totally changed his attitude toward cruising and that he would endeavour to book a Virgin Voyages cruise as soon as possible. He booked the first one after mine and his visit to see Valiant Lady in Liverpool back in March. As he’s busy working on your enquiries and booking your holidays, it’s my job to tell you what he got up to and inspire you to sail on one of these magnificent ships.
Day 1: Arrival
When he arrived at the port, the boarding was very smooth as most of the paperwork is able to be filled in weeks before the departure via their app. The bags were taken up to the cabin for them, and then they made their way there. They settled into their cabin, which having been on the ship myself are perfect for solo travellers, couples and any type of group, as their numerous cabin types can suit all. After settling in, it was announced over the tannoy that there would be free champagne for the evening as the embarkation party took place.
Day 2: Toulon
Valiant Lady sailed from Barcelona port overnight to Toulon. Upon arrival in Toulon, they decided not to get off the ship and instead explore the joys of Valiant Lady. Chris said “Rather than get off the ship we decided to partake in the Spa treatments on board. The massages we received were definitely on par with a good 5-star hotel, so much so we booked again for later in the week”. There are many Spa treatments onboard and the facilities are excellent, these include steam and salt rooms, saunas and hot and cold tubs.
The redemption spa onboard Valiant Lady
Day 3: Portofino
From Toulon, the ship sailed through the night onto Marina di Carrara, a beautiful area of northern Italy near Genoa and Pisa. From here they went on one of the ‘shore things’ excursions to Portofino, a place which Chris had always wanted to go. Shore Things are bookable, unique experiences which are available at all the ports that Virgin stop at and offer customers trips to nearby places or classes, workshops and much more so that you can get the full experience of the destination. Whilst in Portofino they wandered around the village taking in all the beautiful sights and eating the wonderful food. Enamoured with Portofino, they headed back to the ship where they had booked a spot at Gunbae, the Korean BBQ restaurant onboard. This is one of over 20 restaurants and eateries on board, serving fresh a la carte food at all times of the day. All restaurant bookings can be done via the app or if you want to be more spontaneous you can turn up. There is also a feature where if you go and there is no space, you can go around the ship and they’ll let you know when one becomes available and hold it for you, so you're never wasting time.
Portofino
Day 4: Ajaccio
Turning southwards the ship sailed towards the city of Ajaccio on Corsica. Chris describes the day on CT4N Travel's Facebook page by saying “Bonjour Corsica! What a beautiful place this is. After an early spa treatment and breakfast we took the open-top bus tour for €9 to see what the city of Ajaccio looked like”. Unfortunately, spa treatments aren’t included in the cruise, but they are one of only a few things that aren’t. With Virgin Voyages, there is over $600 of value included in every cruise like all food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as there being no tips or hidden fees. These are included in the prices of spa treatments and alcoholic drinks for example so if you see a drink for $6 then that's what you'll pay, this is all factored into your cruise price. What is also included is all the entertainment, and arcades as well as gyms and fitness classes if you're feeling active. Fancy a view and a run? Take a run on the Perch, a running track around the ship.
Ajaccio
Day 5: Cagliari
Valiant Lady then left Ajaccio in the evening and continued its journey south overnight to Sardinia where it stopped at the city of Cagliari. The weather when they arrived was lovely and sunny reaching temperatures of around 32˚C. They got off the ship and walked around the beautiful old town area of the city which is full of narrow streets lined with shops and cafes. These streets open into small, picturesque squares where you can sit and have a drink or a bite to eat in a local restaurant. To make the most of their time in the city, they took an open-top bus tour which took them around the major sights of Cagliari. This cost them €15 per person and Chris reckoned that with a bit more research you could have done it cheaper another way. Nevertheless he still thoroughly enjoyed the city. That evening as the ship left Cagliari and sailed towards Ibiza, it was Scarlet Night on board Valiant Lady. This is where the ship’s top decks are dressed up in even more red and everyone is encouraged to do the same. The whole gives the ship a great look and they reckoned it was one of their favourite nights on the ship.
Cagliari
Day 6: Ibiza Overnight
Day 6 and Valiant Lady sailed into Ibiza town in the morning after its scarlet theme the night before. Chris says of Ibiza “Not at all what I expected, and the old town was really nice”. Virgin Voyages prides itself on allowing you to make the most of your time at each destination, which is why they ensure they stay later at each place and include overnight stays in their itineraries. Once it got dark the side of the ship is lit up with Virgin Voyages’ greeting to its sailors ‘Ahoy!’.
Valiant Lady anchored in Ibiza
Day 7: Ibiza
The ship didn’t leave Ibiza till 6 pm the next day so you’ve got almost two days to explore Ibiza. Chris spent this time meeting friends who lived on the island. Once it leaves Ibiza it makes its way back to Barcelona overnight where it arrives at 6:30 am the following morning, giving you plenty of time to catch flights back the same day.
We hope this has given you an insight into what a cruise by Virgin Voyages is like. I think Chris’ reaction when he came back into the office shows how good it was and speaks for itself. If you want to go on the same itinerary, it is called The Irresistible Med, mention that when you enquire and it’ll make it even quicker for us to book it for you. If you want more information on this or any other cruise just give us a call on 01157843388. If you already know where you’re looking to book, call us, email enquiries@ct4ntravel.co.uk or fill in our contact form with what you’re looking for. Don't forget to follow us on social media to find out what the next Destination of the Week will be, when we return to it next week and for all your other holiday needs and inspiration. If you've been on Valiant Lady or another Virgin Voyages cruise, where was your favourite place? What was the best thing you did, or do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments or on social media, just click the buttons below which take you to our social pages.