Virgin Voyages Impresses with Valiant Lady

ITTN's Katie joined key travel trade on Friday for a wonderful cruise ship visit on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady as she docked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for the first time ever!

In June this year, Valiant Lady got a refresh and returned this summer with “even more glam, more vibes and a glow up that has made her ready for a Euro summer”. The second Lady Ship – originally launched in 2021 – now has new dining, redesigned spaces and a wave of 20+ new Happenings.

Valiant Lady accommodates roughly 2,770 passengers across 17 decks and offers a unique experience for adults (only) - there are no formal dining rooms, no buffet queues and no children onboard. In her recent refresh, all 1300+ crew completed a “Virgin Way” culture booster, resulting in a Lady Ship that is even more convivial and connected to the ocean.

Dining is at the heart of Virgin Voyages and there’s more than 20 places to eat onboard – the best part is they’re all included in the voyage fare and there are no set dining times, eliminating that usual onboard fuss around reservations. The choices range from steak and seafood to Korean BBQ, Italian cuisine, Mexican-inspired dishes, casual food and more.

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On Friday, travel trade had the opportunity to feast on a lovely Brunch at The Wake, that offers a fantastic menu that's included in every fare as part of Virgin Voyages' “Always Included Luxury” offering.Charismatic staff serve a range of pastries for your pre-course treat before you dig into chowder, prawns and salad for starter and brunch classics for mains that include a range of Eggs Benedict options, Steak and Eggs and more! In the evenings, the restaurant offers a glamorous steak and seafood experience with dramatic ocean views.

Italian food gets its own dedicated restaurant at Extra Virgin with fresh pasta and regionally inspired dishes take centre stage. For something more social, Gunbae puts Korean BBQ at the heart of the experience. Guests cook together at the table, making dinner as much about meeting fellow Sailors as it is about what's on the plate.

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With its recent refresh, Valiant Lady has lots of new updates onboard to impress your clients like:

• Ariya by Razzle Dazzle – this Indian restaurant is at the heart of Valiant’s recent transformation. The concept was developed by Indie Culinaire and acclaimed chef Maneet Chauhan and seats 220 Sailors in a striking space inspired by India’s spice markets, with a menu that travels the length of the country from lamb shank biryani to puffed rice and avocado chaat.

• The Athletic Club – guests can now enjoy new shaded daybed clusters and updated lounge seating oriented toward the ocean that bring more comfort, shade and room on deck.

• The Roundabout - replacing the traditional cruise ship atrium with a smaller space designed around movement, meeting up, and socializing, the Roundabout serves as the central hub aboard Virgin Voyages. In the Valiant refresh, they’ve added Virgin’s signature red with new furniture – making it a popular spot for Sailors across the day and night.

• Grounds Club Too - still serving Intelligentsia Coffee all day, Grounds Club Too now features a full bar from late afternoon onward.

• The Manor – Lady Valiant’s main late night entertainment venue that spans two decks has had its raised platforms removed, opening up the dance floor and giving the room a more spacious feel for late-night boogying.

• On the Rocks – one of the largest bars on Virgin Voyages, that features live music most nights and a broad drinks menu, including classic cocktails, premium liquors, and a selection of wines has had a relocated stage that improves sightlines across the ship’s centre bar, with additional seating..

• Retail - TAG and Pandora join the onboard shop lineup, while the VV Brand shop has moved into a bigger, more prominent space that reflects just how much the brand, and the love around it, has grown.

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With Valiant Lady’s refreshed entertainment lineup, Sailors will discover more than 20 new Happenings events led by their cast that aim to break traditional onboard entertainment expectations.

In the Red Room, Sink Oar Swim turns the theatre into a high-stakes game show where every decision pushes Sailors closer to reward or disaster, while Sports Smarts blends sports trivia with physical challenges for a fast, loud, highly participatory takeover. In The Manor, Pay Attent!on broadcasts unpredictable vintage TV game show vibes, and Nice Box! unpacks mystery retail.  After dark, concepts like Dirty Laundry turn strangers into teammates, while Off the Record is a high-stakes social strategy game of secrets and betrayal. These aren’t passive sit-and-watch moments: they aim to get your clients involved with character-driven, Sailor-led experiences built to help people loosen up, laugh harder and leave with new shipmates.

The new lineup also leans into Virgin Voyages’ food-and-drink credentials with flavour-first Happenings led by The Foodie that include:

• Extra Virgin: Aperitivo Club explores classic spritzes, premium olive oils, and the art (and science) behind pasta pairings.

• Trust Your Tongue tests unconventional culinary combos while rating and ranking these unusual flavours at Test Kitchen.

• Espresso Yourself pours three espresso martinis, live music, and coffee-inspired art into a tasting that becomes more than just a drink.

• Sweet Aft Matcha invites Sailors to get their whisk on while sampling the rich history, flavor pairings and versatile delights of matcha.

All combined, these new experiences aim to make the ship feel like it has a pulse, and ensures there’s something for everyone onboard.

It’s not all partying onboard Virgin Voyages. Their holistic, downtime offering at the Redemption Spa is the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon. The thermal suite includes a mud room, salt room, sauna, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools and heated marble hammam benches. There are also treatments ranging from massages to facials and other restorative experiences.

The result is a cruise where wellness doesn't have to mean giving up the fun. You can spend the morning doing yoga, the afternoon relaxing by the pool and the evening heading out for dinner and a show.

Valiant Lady’s upcoming seasons include her current Northern Explorer series that sails from Amsterdam through Iceland, with a special Total Eclipse of the Med this Wednesday. In October, she repositions to San Juan for six- to eight-night Caribbean sailings through April 2027.