When Virgin Voyages launched its first cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, the thrill was all concerning the eating places. While cruise ship meals is all the time a sizzling subject, Virgin Voyages actually reinvented cruise eating with modern ideas, scrumptious meals, and distinctive choices. Here is an outline of the Virgin Voyages eating places to your subsequent cruise.
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Virgin Voyages Restaurants You’ll Love
Virgin Voyages has actually innovated all the cruise expertise, together with the eating choices. Unlike different cruise strains, there are not any principal eating rooms. Instead, visitors could make reservations prematurely for six completely different signature eating locations with among the greatest meals at sea. There’s no additional value for these specialty eating places – they’re included in your cruise fare.
In addition, there isn’t a actual cruise buffet onboard. But that doesn’t imply that your choices can be restricted. Virgin Voyages presents the Galley, a meals hall-style venue with varied sorts of delicacies.
Servers will take your order and ship your meals proper to you. Indoor and out of doors seating is accessible on the Galley.
Like different points of Virgin Voyages, suggestions are included. While you gained’t have the identical server workforce throughout your trip, the service is all the time nice.
Dining reservations will be made 45 days prematurely on The Virgin Voyages Sailor app if you’re in an ordinary stateroom (not in Mega Rock Star or RockStar Quarters). I like to recommend that you just make the reservations when the reserving window opens as a result of they’ll ebook up in case your crusing is full.
You’ll be capable to make dinner reservations one time per restaurant. Brunch reservations are additionally really useful, however you’ll be able to’t make them till you might be onboard the ship. Do that as quickly as you might be on the ship’s WiFi.
The Wake
To me, the Wake seems like essentially the most “cruise” of the Virgin Voyages eating places. It’s a traditional steak and seafood restaurant and is essentially the most formal of the eating places (though all the ship is informal).
The Wake presents each brunch and dinner. For brunch, anticipate finding a big number of benedicts, together with a fully scrumptious soft-shell crab benedict. The fennel and citrus salad, in addition to the poached shrimp, are wonderful starter choices. If you need to have brunch right here, be sure you ebook it whenever you get on the ship as a result of it’s extremely popular.
For dinner, the menu is full of each seafood and steak choices. The clam chowder starter is scrumptious, and I actually loved my filet mignon. There are additionally uncooked bar choices on the menu which might be out there for an upcharge.
Razzle Dazzle
I completely love the Razzle Dazzle. While I get pleasure from all the meals on Virgin Voyages, the brunch on Razzle Dazzle is without doubt one of the meals that I all the time take into consideration once I’m at dwelling. It’s a must-do. Book it whenever you get onboard for one of the best availability.
While the Razzle Dazzle presents some wholesome vegetarian and vegan choices, it’s undoubtedly not a vegan restaurant. Instead, the menu presents each a naughty and good part, with choices for everybody.
There are so many scrumptious choices for lunch, together with avocado toast, watermelon and sesame cream, and the Razzle Dazzle breakfast (with Impossible patty, eggs, mushrooms, and potatoes). Don’t miss the smoked bacon, which is among the greatest bacon I’ve ever had.
Dinner on the Razzle Dazzle can also be scrumptious. Starters embrace mushroom “tartare”, Impossible burgers, fried hen, and extra. Be positive to ask about any secret menu gadgets. During our most up-to-date cruise, there was a butter hen and steak dish on the key menu.
Gunbae
Gunbae is the one Virgin Voyages restaurant that I, sadly, haven’t skilled. It’s a energetic Korean BBQ restaurant providing communal eating, ingesting video games, and scrumptious meals. Tables seat 6, and also you’ll in all probability be seated with strangers in case you aren’t a bunch of 6.
Gunbae’s menu contains small bites in addition to BBQ and noodle dishes. A Wagyu beef platter is accessible for an upcharge. Each desk has a big spherical grill within the middle. Typically, visitors are handled to a spherical of Soju, which you’ll use for the ingesting recreation.
Extra Virgin
If you like Italian meals, you’ll undoubtedly need to make a reservation at Extra Virgin. This scrumptious Italian restaurant presents handmade pasta, antipasti, and delicious desserts.
There are appetizers together with mini meatballs and calamari, in addition to a chef’s number of antipasti. Entrees embrace both handmade pasta (together with my favourite, spaghetti alle vongole) or a secondo dish. Vegetarian dishes can be found.
You’ll need to avoid wasting room for dessert, nevertheless. There are a number of distinctive Italian desserts, together with a chocolate olive oil cake and a castagnaccio.
But, my favourite choice is the tableside affogato cart. Your server will convey alongside a cart with a number of gelati and sorbetti. You can select no matter taste(s) you’d like, in addition to any topping. Once you’ve made your choice, it’s topped off with espresso. The affogato cart is in contrast to anything I’ve seen on a cruise line.
Pink Agave
Pink Agave is the Mexican restaurant on board Virgin Voyages, and it’s in all probability my favourite dinner choice. It isn’t a big restaurant, so that you’ll undoubtedly need to make your reservations prematurely if that is one in all your prime selections. During my final crusing, I booked prematurely and nonetheless noticed a restricted number of time choices for this restaurant.
The Pink Agave restaurant presents so many improbable menu choices, that will probably be arduous to decide on among the many nice entrees. Some of my favourite small plates embrace the esquites (grilled corn) and the aguachile (tuna with avocado). If you might be eating with others, it’s possible you’ll need to order a number of to share.
Entrees are additionally scrumptious. One of the most well-liked choices is the bistec, which is a ribeye steak. It’s in all probability top-of-the-line entrees aboard the ship. There are additionally enchiladas, striped bass, and shrimp entrees amongst others.
The desserts at Pink Agave are in all probability my favorites. The tacos de chocolate might be essentially the most distinctive and can also be scrumptious.
Test Kitchen
If you like molecular gastronomy and different experimental cooking strategies, you’ll love the expertise at Test Kitchen. This fashionable restaurant presents a set menu, the place you’ll select between venison and beef to your principal course (with the identical preparation). A vegetarian menu can also be out there.
The decor at Test Kitchen is supposed to appear to be a science lab, so it’s a bit sterile wanting with metallic and clear strains in every single place. There are additionally many shared tables, though you gained’t essentially be seated subsequent to others on the similar time.
Each of the six programs is a small plate, so when you’ll undoubtedly get your fill, it is possible for you to to strive every thing. Some of the programs are served with fanfare, together with the egg and pea dish that’s served in a domed, clear dish. As the servers elevate the highest, the smoke from the dish fills the air.
While among the dishes at Test Kitchen aren’t what I might select off the menu, it’s a enjoyable expertise. On one other ship, it might in all probability be an costly add-on.
On longer crusing, there’s a second menu at Test Kitchen. That method, you gained’t must duplicate the identical tasting menu in case you dine there twice.
The Galley
The Galley on Virgin Voyages replaces the buffets on different cruise strains. It’s a meals hall-style house providing a wide range of completely different cuisines, from paninis to sushi.
When you might be seated at The Galley, you’ll be given a menu or can scan a QR code. A server will take your order and can ship the meals to you. There are additionally some grab-and-go gadgets by the door that you may take with you to the pool or again to your stateroom for a fast chunk.
The present kiosks within the Galley embrace:
- Bento Baby (sushi in bento containers)
- Diner and Dash (American diner meals, together with breakfast all day)
- The Burger Bar (burgers, together with an Impossible burger)
- Let’s Taco Bout It (road tacos and a scrumptious breakfast burrito)
- Hot Off the Press (paninis)
- Noodle Around (noodle dishes)
- The Daily Mix (salads)
- The Sweet Side (pastries and desserts)
- The Grounds Club (premium coffees, out there for a further charge)
This can also be the place you’ll discover sodas, juices, free espresso, teas, and different drinks. There are additionally wine merchandising machines in case you’d like one thing stronger.
I really like the Galley as a result of there are undoubtedly loads of selections, but it surely by no means feels as crowded and overwhelming as a cruise ship buffet usually does. It’s the right spot for a fast breakfast in case you don’t need to spend time at brunch.
The Dock and the Dockhouse
These indoor and out of doors eating areas provide the identical food and drinks menu. It’s extra of a lounge and chill out kind space quite than a restaurant. One day, I grabbed a ebook and sat in a chair on the Dock whereas having fun with some mezze-style bites.
Menu stands on the tables exterior have somewhat flag on them, so you’ll be able to point out whenever you’d prefer to order. If you might be simply there to chill out, you gained’t be approached by servers.
The meals on the Dock and Dockhouse is superb – a few of my favourite on the ship. I believe it’s an ideal choice for lunch throughout a day at sea, or for a fast chunk earlier than seeing a present.
Options embrace hangar steak, Spanish octopus, and grilled shrimp. If you like shrimp, you’ll undoubtedly need to do that model on the Dock.
No reservations are required. You’ll simply want to search out an open seat.
Other Food Options on Virgin Voyages
In addition to the Virgin Voyages eating places listed above, there are a number of different quick-serve places the place you’ll be able to seize a snack or a fast meal.
The Pizza Place
The Pizza Place presents a number of complete pizzas all through the day. I actually love the pizzas right here – I believe they’re higher than pizzas on different cruise strains that I’ve had.
Lick Me ‘Til Ice Cream
Located off the primary foyer space (known as the Roundabout on Virgin Voyages). This ice cream store presents a wide range of flavors.
The Social Club
This carnival-style quick-serve location has pastries and desserts in a show case, in addition to a small menu of snack gadgets. You can get pretzels, wings, and a number of other completely different sizzling canine all through the day.
The Social Club, because the identify would point out, is a superb place to hang around. There’s additionally a number of board video games that you may borrow. You’ll discover lots of passengers hanging out on this space, particularly on sea days.
The Sun Club Cafe
The Sun Club Cafe is an out of doors fast service restaurant. It presents poke bowls, with a number of 4 or 5 choices.
Room service
Room service on Virgin Voyages is named Ship Eats. It’s out there 24 hours a day, and a $5 supply charge applies. There are lots of completely different choices on the menu, making it an ideal alternative if you wish to keep in your room (perhaps having fun with that hammock on the balcony).
If you might be crusing on Virgin Voyages out of Terminal V in Miami, see the map beneath (together with affiliate hyperlinks) for close by resorts.
FAQs
While walk-ins could also be out there, you’ll undoubtedly need to make your reservations as early as doable for one of the best availability.
The solely additional fees are for alcohol and for the few premium gadgets on the menus.
Virgin Voyages does have some drinks, like delicate drinks and juices, included within the cruise value. There isn’t any drink package deal, nevertheless. Instead, you’ll be able to pre-purchase a bar tab which is a set amount of cash put aside for drinks. It’s optionally available and you may all the time pay for drinks individually.
Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady and Valient Lady have the identical eating places and menus.