I cruised on Scarlet Lady out of Portsmouth in August 2021. And I cruised on Valiant Lady in March 2022. Here are the differences between the ships. Pretty much these ships are identical, if you partied hard enough you would swear you were on the same ship but here are some subtle differences that I noticed during my 3-night cruise on each ship.
Cabins:
The cabins are different from any other cruise line, with this day to night configuration. For the Sea Terrace cabins and Rock Star Suites, a hammock on the balcony was certainly original and received rave reviews.
Originally Virgin went with minimalist decor with hardly any storage space. Following the guest feedback regarding lack of storage, they have changed Valiant Lady’s cabins by adding more storage and adding these cool wooden beams and wood finishings.
I was disappointed to find that you still can’t play music. Remember in our 90s we used to play our favourite tunes while getting ready for a night out. Well, there is still no way of playing music through a speaker or choosing tunes on the TV. Come on Virgin, it’s Virgin why can’t we play music in some of the cabins?
To be honest Virgin have nailed it because who wants to be in the cabin when there is so much fun to be had in public areas?
Entertainment:
Wow, didn’t disappoint Pyjama party first night of the cruise instead of at the end, good move, got us all comfy, inhibitions out of the window the first night. I made a big mistake though and wore a Onesie with slippers, now I don’t regret the slippers, no sore feet the next day after dancing the night away. But my god the onesie was way too hot. Recommend buying a slinky nighty and silky dressing gown. I guarantee that wrap will be off and slung over your shoulder after a few boogies.
We went to the Untitled Dance Show Party Thing, – WOW never seen or participated in anything like it, so much fun.
Dual Reality was front and centre we saw them on Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, just mesmerizing, never seen anything like it. The talent and skill an absolutely must watch.
Of course, Scarlet Night where we Rockstars dress in red and party in the Manor yes baby like a RockStar.
Food:
All the same, restaurants have no difference. Not a big fan of the Galley but the names of the food stations are cool like, Noodling Around, Taco about it, Tap it Hot and Tap it Cold.
We ate in The Wake on the first night, a modern twist on Surf and Turf and it was delicious. We did the Test Kitchen 2nd night.
The food in the Test Kitchen I couldn’t complain but it was exactly the same surprise as Scarlet Lady. I wasn’t as surprised this time and I wished we had eaten somewhere else. Test Kitchen good the first time around but would have liked a different menu on Valiant Lady.
Last night we ate in the Extra Virgin, wow so good, we ate with friends and we literally ordered everything and passed plates around so we could try a bit of everything so glad we did that.
Gotta do Brunch in the Wake one day when you get up late with a bit of a hangover and need carbs and coffee, highly recommend it.
This was the best hot dog I have eaten in my life, I nearly went back and got another one it was so good but I resisted the temptation, looking at this picture I could go on a cruise again just so I could eat that again.
Around the Ship click on the images:
So there were things that were missing such as the swings I loved the swings on Scarlet Lady. There is nothing in this space on Valiant Lady there just isn’t anything there, kinda weird. Also, the Shuffle table was inside the Arcade and not in the corridor apparently it caused a bit of a bottleneck on Scarlet Lady I can see that happening actually.
Of course, the artwork was different on Valiant Lady they had Sea Horses instead of Ocotpussies.
Shops onboard:
Quite different, there is no MAC boutique or Bulgari Boutique on Valiant Lady instead you have a Sunglasses shop called Peek a Boo and extended Logo wear in place of Bulgari. Happy to say the Cosmetics and perfume section has been extended. Phew, what a relief we ladies need our Tax and Duty-free cosmetics and smellies. I did hear a rumour Valiant Lady may get a Chanel boutique but let’s see.
Loved that they still have the Vinyl Record shop and of course the Tatoo Parlour where the hubby got another tattoo, he’s started a trend new tattoo every time we cruise on Virgin Voyages.
Destination:
This time the Valiant Lady docked in Zeebrugge, so we made our way to Bruges. We took the free ship’s bus to Blankenberge then we walked around the corner and caught the train to Bruges.
The train runs every hour from Blankenberge to Bruges and every hour back. The lady who sold us the
return ticket seller was super helpful spoke great English and informed us of the train times back. We then found the platform, not a big station in Blankenberge the return ticket was €6.73. Our friends arrived late and didn’t have time to wait in the queue so they winged it and jumped on the train with us. The conductor on the train simply sold them a ticket but it was €12.00 return ticket for buying on the train. Still, a bargain when you consider the Ships bus transfer from Zeebrugge to Bruges was $60 (£45) crazy price.
All you have to do is get your timings right, the free shuttle bus runs on the hour and then the trains do. We had 45 mins to wait in Blankenberge on the way to Bruges and the same when we returned.
When we arrived in Bruges it is easy to find your way into Bruges in fact it is the highlight of walking into this beautiful city. I had never been before and loved every minute of it. We even found a reasonable cafe to have a Belgium waffle, some Belgium beers and don’t forget to buy yourself some Belgium Chocolates before you leave.
If you’re cruising on Virgin Voyages soon and need any tips or advice then get in touch I am happy to help you have the best time possible on your cruise.