Set sail for luxury with Virgin Voyages – for your next meeting or vacation

Northstar Meetings Group’s Lizzie Wilcox recently cruised along on an exciting Virgin Voyages FAM. Transported by Valiant Lady to the Dominican Republic and Bimini, Lizzie enjoyed its luxury amenities and notable services along the way. Here she shares trip highlights and reveals why Virgin Voyages’ cruises are ideal for meeting and group planners. Key reasons include:

•Award-winning, adults-only modern ships •Unmatched dining options •Exciting and diverse shore excursions •Daytime shipboard happenings •Themed evening celebrations •All-inclusive pricing

Meet At Sea

Let your meetings set sail with Virgin Voyages. Founded in 2021, the new cruise line currently has four ships: Valiant Lady, Scarlet Lady, Brilliant Lady and Resilient Lady. Virgin Voyages sets itself apart by being an adults-only line, meaning that no one under the age of 18 is allowed on their lady ships. Last month, we climbed aboard the Valiant Lady to see what hosting a group at sea would look like. Spoiler: It’s pretty spectacular. 

Day One: Departure and Inclusive Dining

Our five-day itinerary, Dominican Daze, sailed from Miami on a Friday evening. The earliest embarkation time available is at 1:45 p.m., but we were allowed on board before the other sailors for a tour of the ship. Valiant Lady is equipped with 1,404 cabins and suites, accommodating up to 2,762 sailors. 

Although the outer bands of Hurricane Milton made for a damp departure, the energy at the Sail Away Party was still high. The Happenings cast danced in the rain while free champagne flowed for the first 45 minutes of the trip. 

Our first meal of the voyage was at Extra Virgin, the ship’s Italian eatery. We indulged in pasta Bolognese, eggplant parmesan and, of course, Italian wine. The restaurant is far from the only food option; there are a total of 20 onboard dining outlets. Furthermore, all restaurants are available to everyone. As part of Virgin Voyages’ all-inclusive model, sailors are not required to purchase additional food packages or pay à la carte at certain eateries. 

There is also no shortage of entertainment. After dinner we attended the Miss Behave show, followed by a ship-wide pajama party that went into the earlier morning hours. 

Day Two: Event Venues Onboard and Free Time Options

The next day, we met in The Manor for an overview of the cruise line’s group offerings. 

A meeting space by day and club by night, the venue can hold 150 people on the main floor, plus another 50 on the balcony level. The largest event area is the Red Room (where we saw Miss Behave the night before), which can accommodate up to 450 attendees in theater-style. The layout of the room is also flexible and can be arranged in a variety of formats.

In addition to food, WIFI, gratuities and meeting spaces are all part of the flat rate. While Virgin Voyages cannot currently privatize the dining venues, they are planning to soon offer restaurant buyouts to groups. Their “sweet spot” is between 100 and 200 people to maximize the experience, but they have hosted events for around 900.

For brunch, we headed to The Wake for steak and eggs and mimosas. At the back of the vessel, the restaurant gets its name from the windows that overlook the ship’s wake. 

We had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves, which was spent lounging at the pool, grabbing a bite at The Galley and visiting the fitness center on deck 16 for a workout with a view. 

Dinner was held at Pink Agave, which serves craft cocktails and Mexican cuisine. After sampling dishes like street corn, guacamole, chicken enchiladas and duck, we returned to the Red Room for the show du jour. Duel Reality can best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets Romeo and Juliet meets West Side Story. If you still have questions, you’ll just have to see it for yourself (mostly because photography is not allowed during performances).

Day Three: Port-of-Call Adventure and Evening Fun

On Sunday, we woke up in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. We booked a tour of the city that took us to the Macorix House of Rum, the Amber Museum and Umbrella Street. Other excursions (known as Shore Things) included zip lining, a food tour and horseback riding on the beach. The charters, meetings and incentive team can also customize excursions for groups. 

Back on board, it was Scarlet Night! We kicked off the evening at Gunbae, the only Korean BBQ restaurant on a cruise ship. The meal consisted of kimchi, wagyu beef and soju drinking games. Scarlet Night is a ship-wide activation that invites all sailors to wear red. Performances take place sporadically across the common areas, culminating in a raucous party on the pool deck (bonus points if you jump in).

Day Four: Relaxing at Sea

The fourth day was spent at sea as we sailed toward the Bahamas – and recovered from Scarlet Night. We dined at Razzle Dazzle for a casual brunch, sipped on champagne as we watched the sun set over Cuba in the distance and returned to The Wake for a feast of lamb chops, lemon cheesecake and Chilean red wine. 

Day Five: Sun & Fun on the Beach

Bimini was the second and final port call of the voyage. On land, we were whisked away in a golf cart to the Bimini Beach Club, an exclusive venue for Virgin sailors while the ship is docked on the island. Hang out by the pool for spring break vibes or enjoy a lazy afternoon on the beach with a rum cocktail in a coconut. 

For the last supper, we ate at Test Kitchen, a six-course experience where the menu lists only one ingredient for each dish. The lineup for us was eggplant, scallops, cheese (our favorite), chicken, watermelon and yuzu. 

We ended the trip on a high note (metaphorically and literally speaking) at the Valiant Lady’s karaoke night. By the time we got back to our cabin, we could already see Miami glimmering on the horizon, and we were back on dry land before we knew it. 

Key reasons why Virgin Voyages is the perfect cruise host include:

• Group Rates & Great Deals: For every 10 cabins booked, receive 1 complimentary cabin voyage fare
• Sailor Loot: Enjoy up to $200 in Sailor Loot per Cabin*
• Flexibility: Change the name on your voyage up to 72 hours before you head out if you can’t make it, or want to change whoever is sailing with.
• The Hook Up: CMI sailings are provided with AV equipment, meeting space with refreshment stations, and a dedicated operations team.