• Part 1: Planning & Pre-Cruise Athens - September 28-October 1, 2022
• Part 2: Embarking Norwegian Jade, Ephesus & Patmos - October 2-3, 2022
• Part 3: Rhodes & Mykonos - October 4-5, 2022
• Part 4: Argostoli & Corfu - October 6-7, 2022
• Part 5: Santorini & Disembarkation - October 8-9, 2022
• Part 6: Prague: Arrival, The Augustine & Old Town - October 9-10, 2022
• Part 7: Prague Castle, Cold War History, & Musical Evenings - October 11-14, 2022
• Part 8: Barcelona: From the Vltava to the Mediterranean - October 14-15, 2022
• Part 9: Embarking Valiant Lady, Ibiza & Day at Sea - October 16-18, 2022
• Part 10: Virgin Voyages: Malaga Heights & Madeira Green - October 19-21, 2022
• Part 11: Virgin Voyages: Crossing the Atlantic & Miami Arrival - October 22-30, 2022 (Coming Soon)

The Long Journey to Miami

Our 14-night transatlantic itinerary consisted of a fascinating mix of Mediterranean culture and long stretches of open ocean. We would stop in Ibiza first, followed by a sea day then an overnight stay in Malaga. After another sea day, we would reach Funchal, Madeira. Then, the real test of our sea legs would begin: eight straight days across the Atlantic before reaching Miami.

Prior to this, the longest stretch I had ever spent at sea was four days during our 2019 Transpacific crossing on Celebrity Millennium. Eight days of nothing but blue horizon would be a new experience.

Boarding the Valiant Lady

After breakfast at the Hilton, we checked out at noon and took a Welcome Pickups transfer to the Barcelona World Trade Center cruise terminal. Our arrival time slot was set for 1:30 PM. The port was very well-organized, with dedicated queues for baggage drop and specific time slots, which made the initial arrival process quite smooth.

The Status Match: Deep Blue Extras

While Virgin Voyages was a relatively new player in the cruise industry (launching in 2021), they were already building a loyal following. Though their official “Sailing Club” wouldn’t debut until 2023, they offered a temporary suite of perks in 2022 called Deep Blue Extras.

These benefits were available to those who had sailed on Virgin during the inaugural year, those who sailed twice in 2022, or—more importantly for us—to those who status-matched from another cruise line’s elite program. Kaleb, my parents, and I all successfully matched our status from other lines. The benefits were impressively generous, including a free “Shake for Champagne” and a $10 daily coffee credit per cabin, and expedited boarding.

The expedited boarding worked perfectly. A staff member verified our Deep Blue status against their clipboard, and we were given cards to use during the boarding process.

Settling into the Sea Terrace

We began the boarding process right at our designated time and were inside our rooms within 25 minutes. We booked a Sea Terrace cabin, which featured the same layout and signature red hammock we enjoyed on the Scarlet Lady earlier this year.

Lunch at The Galley

With our bags dropped, we headed straight to The Galley for lunch. For those used to traditional cruise buffets, The Galley is a significant departure—it’s more of a food hall. Everything felt familiar from our Scarlet Lady experience: QR codes to view menus, servers to take your specific orders, and various stations for fresh fruit, salads, desserts, and pre-packaged bento boxes. I recommend walking around to each station to see the daily specials as they are not listed on the QR menus.

Dinner at The Wake

For our first dinner on the Valiant Lady, we headed to The Wake, the ship’s traditional steakhouse located at the very back of the ship. The experience was very similar to our time on the Scarlet Lady, though noticeably more crowded post-pandemic. The atmosphere is grand, with the staircase entrance making it one of the most visually impressive dining rooms on the ship.

Ibiza: The White Isle

Exploring Dalt Vila

The next morning, the Valiant Lady arrived in Ibiza. Since it was a Monday in October and we were there during the day, the island’s famous “party” reputation was nowhere to be seen. It was surprisingly quiet and peaceful. After having breakfast and lunch in The Galley, we headed off the ship to explore the local area on our own.

We made our way toward Dalt Vila, the historic Old Town. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its massive stone fortifications are incredibly well-preserved.

We spent a few hours exploring inside the walls and climbing to the top of the fortifications. The effort was rewarded with some truly beautiful views of the city, the crystal-clear Mediterranean water, and our ship in the distance.

Afternoon Scoops & Evening Invitations

After our hike through Dalt Vila, we headed back to the ship for a well-deserved treat. We stopped by “Lick Me Till Ice Cream” for some hand-scooped cones, included in the cruise fare (and dangerous for the waistline). The many varieties of ice cream are handmade on board, paired with different flavors of crispy cones (or in a paper cup).

Once back in the cabin, we found an invitation to a cocktail party on the sports deck, part of the Deep Blue Extras benefits. It looked like a fun event, but unfortunately, it clashed with our dinner reservations.

Dinner at Pink Agave

For tonight’s dinner, we visited Pink Agave, the ship’s upscale Mexican restaurant. We let the server decide which small plates to serve us, and ended up with way too much food, with hardly enough stomach space left to eat our entrees. Surprisingly, the ribeye steak with cheese on top was a standout—it sounded like an odd combination, but it was really delicious.

Pro-Tip: Booking Your Dining

Making dining reservations for a 14-night cruise can be overwhelming. While most guests use the Virgin app, I found the interface a bit clunky for such a long itinerary. I ended up making my arrangements through the travel agent booking engine. Being able to see all the information on a large monitor versus a phone screen made the puzzle much easier to solve. If you’ve booked through a travel agent and the app is giving you trouble, don’t hesitate to ask them for help!

After dinner, I noticed on the Virgin Voyages app that reservations for “It’s a Ship Show!” dinner and variety show opened up, so I booked it for next week. This offering was relatively new and was not available for advanced dining reservations.

Fun and Games at Sea

The next day was a sea day, so we took my parents around to explore the ship. We ended up having a little too much fun on the sports deck—there’s something about a four-person seesaw that brings out everyone’s inner child.

Lunch at The Dock

For lunch, we stopped by The Dock, which serves excellent Mediterranean-inspired small plates. We ordered a spread of grilled octopus, grilled shrimp, and chicken skewers. For dessert, I tracked down the fruit popsicle cart in The Galley for a refreshing finish.

Valiant Lady reached Malaga in the late afternoon, staying overnight.

Test Kitchen: Menu A

Dinner tonight was at Test Kitchen, the ship’s laboratory-style dining venue. When Kaleb and I ate here on Scarlet Lady, we thought it was a fun concept, but I was worried about it being repetitive.

Pro-Tip: The Menu Rotation

Test Kitchen now offers three distinct menus (Menu A, Menu B, and Menu C) depending on the ship. The menus rotate every 3-4 days. As long as you time your reservations at least 4-5 days apart, you can experience different menus during a long crossing like this one!

Tonight was Menu A, which we had enjoyed previously. The presentation is always striking, and while I still really enjoy the mushroom and venison courses, I have to admit that the “bleu cheese mousse” course does not work for me. All in all, it was a nice meal and a great way to introduce my parents to the more experimental side of Virgin’s dining.

We didn’t have plans tonight in Malaga - leaving the ship just to take a picture of Valiant Lady all lit up in red.

Tomorrow, Kaleb and I go hiking on the “world’s most dangerous walkway”, the Caminito del Rey…stay tuned!