Virgin Voyages does food authenticity better than any other cruise line we’ve been on. We noticed the servers in each dining venue are from the region the restaurant is based on. On Virgin, there are no “specialty” restaurants which means everything is included in your fare!
All food is included but you are limited to how many times you can reserve a table at each restaurant. Per Virgin Voyages: One dinner reservation per eatery for 1-5 day sailings, and three dinner reservations for 6+ day sailings. They say they reserve some walk-in space but we didn’t find that to be the case for dinners.
The downside of having so many venues is making reservations. Reservations for everythingggggg got tiresome. Even brunch! I don’t like scheduling out my vacation weeks in advance, heck months in advance. Book dining and shows 45 days in advance on the Virgin Voyages App. The reservations are always cancelable with no repercussions.
The Wake
This is the classic steak and seafood joint on board. We had a really bad experience here but it didn’t completely have to do with the food… The couple sitting next to us were complainers to say the least…
Amber had a filet mignon and Brad had the salmon, both pretty classic dishes with nothing spectacular added to them. I wouldn’t say it was the best meal we’ve ever had but one of these venues was…
Pink Agave
The most authentic mexican food outside of Mexico, handsdown. Our favorite dinner venue onboard, also hands down. It was also a beautiful, comfortable venue with deep mood lighting with a dash of glitz. They also boast largest selection of tequila and mezcal at sea. I venture to say this is the best tasting meal we’ve ever had.
Gunbae
This korean barbeque experience is something not to be missed. If you’ve never been to a Korean Barbeque restaurant, it is family style where your food is cooked in front of you on a grill in the center of your table. There are several courses that you eat the moment they are ready, wasting no time! Virgin makes this experience special by playing a drinking game with a free bottle of Soju for the table. Soju is korean drink made by the distillation process. It tastes almost identical to Vodka, just half the proof.
Test Kitchen
This is a laboratory based food EXPERIANCE. If you go in thinking you will get a nice dinner with standard foods, you will be sorely mistaken. During our one week sailing there were two menus swapped in the middle of the week. The menu is preset with the main course being an option between two dishes. When I say dishes, I really mean one word because honestly, you have no clue what you are going to be eating until your “culinary guide” tells you.
And yes, I said culinary guide. They are not waitresses or waiters. They are guides going through this strange 6 course menu with you. They will explain the dishes to you as they set them out and help you describe the flavors you will experience.
The closest restaurant I can compare this to is Wonderland on Royal Caribbean ships. Brad absolutely loved this restaurant and we both agreed that the second menu was better than the first.
Extra virgin
I have to say Virgin does authenticity very very well. This venue was one that showcased that. The menu includes simple classic italian dishes from Wagyu Beef Carpaccio to Bucatini Carbonara. We enjoyed the meal as it offered a lot of small dishes to share. I was very unimpressed by the decor within the venue but that may just be me.
Razzle Dazzle
After eating here once for brunch, we didn’t return for dinner. Although it is supposed to be Virgins’ signature restaurant…it wasn’t our cup of tea. The menu is mostly vegetarian with a sprinkle of meat options. After looking at the dinner menu, we would have rather went to one of the other venues twice, so we did.
The Galley
This is Virgin’s take on a buffet and I wouldn’t say it was the best move. In fact, it was the thing we hated the most about the experience on board. The Galley has 8 food stalls and a popsicle stand. The galley and Razzle Dazzle are the only venue for breakfast and honestly, both were bad for their own reasons.
Let’s start with the way the Galley is organized. There are 8 total stalls, some of which are go up and get what you want like fruit bowls, parfaits, and breads. Others are ordered via a waitress/waiter that takes your order. Drinks are self service but the waitress could put specialty coffees in for you. The menus are located via QR code of paper copies located around.
The breakfast foods at the Galley were the worst food we’ve ever had for breakfast across every cruise we have been on. The eggs were out of a carton, the omelettes were soo bland, the food takes fiveever to get to your table. Oh ya, and you have to be waited on….
I hope you are not in a hurry at breakfast time….because there’s nothing to do all day -_- (exit sarcasm) Although, I saw plenty of people standing at the stalls asking for their items bypassing the waiter service. I’m sure Virgin will eventually realise people just want their breakfast fast and want to pick exactly what they want and nothing else.
The DockHouse
Hands down, the place we hung out the most and ate the most of too. Ahhhhmazing mediteranean food made is small dishes and the service was the best! Apart from the amazing outdoor seating area on the aft of the ship, the inside area was very comfortable and a great working spot. Everyday, between 4:30-6:30, the Opa Hour is held which offers an even more extensive menu. I’m not sure why they do this but it was something to look forward to while we were enjoying the aft views.
The outdoor space has several daybeds with umbrellas, chairs, long couches, circular shared tables etc. making it an awesome venue for sailaway!
The Pizza Place
The pizzas here are very delicious and made when ordered! You also get the whole dang pizza and can take it to go or eat it sitting in their terrace area.
There’s 5 pizzas on the menu but they were pretty darn good!
The Social Club
This is the carnival eats, trivia hosting, board game playing, craft hub on board and a little known fact; they serve food.
They serve hot pretzels, hot dogs, popcorn, candy (yep gummy bears!!) and chicken wings. They also serve up boozy milkshakes and floats for an extra charge. A lot of sailors didn’t even know they had food!
Sun Club Cafe
Serving up Poke bowls in a hidden little area of the pool deck is Sun Club Cafe. We didn’t know this even existed until half way through our cruise. It wasn’t anything to write home about but it was quick and filling.
Lick Me Till Ice Cream
Ice cream!! Ohh so much ice cream was eaten on this cruise, it’s embarrassing. There’s about 15 flavors every day, some of which get swapped throughout the cruise. Brown butter was by far my favorite! They also have flavored cones!
overall thoughts
The food was the best part of Virgin Voyages. I would say it was the best cruise food but if you are picky, you might have some regrets! They don’t do classic food really at all so don’t expect “normal” american dishes. Certainly don’t eat dinner in the Galley! That would be a sin! Checkout the menus before you board; they are linked here.
Enjoy your cruise and we hope to hear your thoughts on the food! Let us know with a comment or on our instagram!
Click here to read more about our overall experience on Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady.
