Being a Rockstar with Virgin Voyages

For our mini-moon we spent 3 nights onboard Resilient Lady and stayed in a Seriously Suite cabin that gave us Rockstar status. Read about our life onboard as Rockstars including the perks, a review of the ship and our experience with our first Virgin Voyages cruise.

Rockstars are Virgin Voyages take on VIP guests. There are actually two tiers: RockStar and Mega RockStar, and both offer exclusive benefits. To become a Rockstar or Mega Rockstar you need to book a suite grade cabin, of which there are also tiers.

We booked a Seriously Suite cabin which is the entry level for Rockstar status.

So what does being a rockstar get you? Here’s the headline details:

1. Suite-Only Access & VIP Treatment:

• Exclusive RockStar-only areas, like Richard’s Rooftop – a private sundeck with loungers, a bar, and daily hosted happy hours.

• Priority boarding & early access to onboard events, restaurants, and Shore Things (Virgin’s excursions).

2. Dedicated Rockstar Agent (Butler-Level Service):

• Think of this as your personal concierge – they’ll unpack your bags, make all your reservations, bring you drinks, and generally pamper you.

3. Premium In-Room Amenities:

• Fully stocked, included bar in your suite (not just a couple beers).

• Exclusive toiletries, upgraded bedding, and mood lighting controlled from a tablet.

• A turntable with a curated vinyl collection in some suites.

4. Complimentary Add-Ons:

• Free laundry service, pressing, and daily garment steaming.

• Priority spa bookings and Shore Things.

• Free delivery from restaurants (room service without the usual delivery fee).

Our Virgin Voyages experience

We sailed on a 3 night round trip short cruise from Portsmouth to Zebrugge on Resilient Lady. 

Post booking, Pre Voyage

Once you’ve booked your cruise, (or voyage to use the Virgin lingo) and got your booking reference you can download the Virgin Voyages App. This is where you can manage your booking, set up your sailor profile and book Shore Things and dining reservations.

Setting all this up was easy, we had to fill in some personal details, upload a photo and add payment details. The Virgin Voyages app is notoriously slow and buggy, and I did notice it made my phone very hot when using the app and it drained battery life!

Being Rockstars meant we could get advanced access to book Shore Things (excursions) and dining. Any of the Shore Things we liked were already sold out unfortunately but we did manage to book our dining reservations.

It’s time to set sail - Rockstar Perk No 1 - Priority Boarding

We got married on the Saturday and our voyage began on the following Tuesday so we were definitely still in the wedding bubble. We were dropped off at the port in Portsmouth and got to experience our first perk immediately! As a Rockstar you get priority boarding so we were onboard by 1.30pm.

The ship was very close to the terminal but you still need to board a transfer bus to take you right alongside the ship as the port is very busy. The busses seemed very frequent and it took just 30 mins from entering the terminal to being onboard.

Welcome drink in Sip Lounge

As soon as we boarded we were directed to SIP lounge for a complimentary glass of champagne, another Rockstar perk.

Here we were greeted by our Rockstar agent who made sure we could get on to the WiFi (included as standard for all Virgin Voyages guests) and were connected in the app.

He got us booked in for lunch at Razzle Dazzle and suggested other activities to add to our itinerary.

Using the Virgin Voyages app you can chat with your agent day or night if you have any requests or questions.

Before we could check out our cabin we had to make our way to our muster point, check in with a crew member and then it was finally time to see the suite!

Our Seriously Suite cabin

We were in a suite with a balcony on deck 12 (Cabin no. 12237Z) and it was everything we had hoped for. We had the signature red hammock on the balcony, the turntable with vinyl selection and a bathroom that was bigger than our main bathroom at home! You can watch a cabin tour on Instagram @SophieAliceTravel

Rockstar Perk no. 2 - Our Suite

Our suite came with a fully stocked bar! Our Rockstar Agent swapped out any items we didn’t like for something else we would drink. We also swapped out some Red Bulls for some more tonic waters. We were also advised that we could take anything home that we didn’t use/finish on the last day. We made a small dent in the bar stock but as we are only onboard for 3 nights, our bags were clinking on disembarkation day!

The bed was also huge, it wasn’t the comfiest but we both slept well. It was quiet in the cabin and we felt at home immediately. It became very easy to get used to the Rockstar life!

Exploring the ship

We started to get our bearings by heading off to explore the ship. We stopped by one of the bars called the Social Club and discovered they have a small gaming arcade and game play is included for all guests so my husband played some Mario Bros.

By now we were hungry and we’d heard (and smelled) good things from The Pizza Place, so we ordered a Truffle & Egg pizza. This was cooked to order and we only waited about 5 minutes and this was also included in the cruise fare. It was a seriously good pizza. We got one to share but we could definitely have had one each as they were a sensible size. 

After the savoury we had to seek out something sweet and just along the deck was the ice cream parlour - Lick Me Til Ice Cream. This was also included in the cruise fare and was the best ice cream I have had at sea as it was smooth and creamy like Italian gelato. 

Rockstar Perk No. 3 Richards Rooftop - The Perfect Sailaway

We continued mooching about the ship and made our way up to the top deck as it was nearing sail away time. We found Richard’s Rooftop, which is an exclusive outdoor relaxation area with luxurious round daybeds/sunloungers and a private bar. 

As sailaway approached we were given a glass of champagne as we sailed out of Portsmouth. As we came past Old Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays and Southsea common people were out in their droves to catch sight of the ship as it was Virgin Voyages Maiden Season sailing out of Portsmouth.

One of our best friends was waving to us from Southsea seafront and the music was pumping out from the ship. The weather was glorious, a little breezy, but it made for the most perfect sailaway.

Dinner at The Wake

I’d heard really great reviews of The Wake and we were not disappointed.

All food is included in your Virgin Voyages fare, except for any upgrades or speciality items which are all clearly marked. The ambiance and decor felt very high end and there was a happy buzz around the restaurant.

We were brought some amazing brioche style bread just before our starters arrived - we both went for the clam chowder.

For our main course we opted for the Salt Baked Dorade which was melt in the mouth delicious.

Both starter and mains had a little touch of table side theatre as they were served.

For dessert we had the lemon cheesecake, which was the perfect end to what turned out to be our favourite dinner onboard.

The Galley & Razzle Dazzle 

We started the day with breakfast in The Galley, which is Virgin’s take on a buffet, but it’s so much more than that. The Galley is a collection of individual food outlets serving everything from diner style burgers to pastries, bagels and waffles. There is also a coffee kiosk, Grounds Club, but this is not included in the standard cruise fare.

To get some fresh air we took a stroll outside on deck and my husband managed to ace a trick shot on the basketball court which I managed to capture on video! After a few laps of the running track we laid out in Richard’s Rooftop, played some cards and soaked up the sunshine. We were luck enough o have incredible weather sailing through The English Channel in August!

We had lunch in Razzle Dazzle, a ‘Classic American’ style restaurant which was good but we were not blown away. After an afternoon of relaxation at sea we went back to the cabin to get ready for Scarlet Night.

Scarlet Night & Dinner at Pink Agave

Scarlet Night is Virgin Voyages answer to a Gala/ Celebration/Formal night.

The dress code on Virgin Voyages is always casual ‘come as you are’, but on Scarlet Night there is an encouragement to wear a splash of red.

We got dressed and headed to Pink Agave for dinner, which is described by Virgin as ‘upscale Mexican’.

We had a grilled corn dip with tortilla’s to start, and then shared some small plates that included seared shrimp, a stuffed poblano pepper and a fried fish dish, followed by a chocolate taco for dessert. We washed this down with an amazing margarita.

The food was really tasty but the portions were small, which was no bad thing, but it’s definitely worth ordering a few items from the menu. It’s all included in the cruise fare too.

After dinner it was time to party. We headed to the Roundabout (AKA The Atrium area of the ship) and watched a performance…well we tried too. A tip here is to get to entertainment venues early.

We arrived about 10 minutes before the scheduled time which meant we didn’t get the best view. The Roundabout is on multiple levels and we were at the top looking down but as there were a lot of people already in place waiting, some of the performance was obscured. 

Dancing the night away with Tubbs

We then made our way up to the top deck to the pool area as this was where the main action was taking place. The Happenings Cast (the entertainment team) put on a great show and Tubbs, the giant inflatable octopus provided a great backdrop for all the action.

After the main performances the DJ played a great set and we danced well into the night.

Virgin Voyages does have a reputation for being a party heavy cruise line but in our experience there were activities and events to get involved with if you wanted to, but you can take it or leave it, you are free to enjoy your holiday the way you want to, there is no forced fun.

During the party on the pool deck people were getting into the pool fully clothed but we didn’t experience any dangerous or disrespectful or rowdy behaviour. 

It was amazing to see everyone dressed up, some people were wearing amazing red themed costumes and we had the best night dancing, it was our favourite night onboard and we finally made it to bed at about 2AM.

Our final night cam around all too quickly, and after enjoying one last happy hour at Richard Rooftop we went to the Italian restaurant, Extra Virgin, for dinner.

We got chatting to another couple on board and we ended up sharing a table with them for our final dinner. We had a meat and cheese sharing platter, roasted artichoke and fried calamari as starters to share, followed by spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi for mains. We finished off the meal with ice cream and affogato.

The food was good but dining at The Wake on the first night, and the incredible food in The Galley really spoilt us for anything else.

So is it worth being a rockstar?

The highlights for us were access to Richards Rooftop and our amazing suite. The main pool area can get really busy, so having access to Richards Rooftop felt really special as it was very quiet and the circular sunbeds felt very luxurious. Our only niggle was that the bar waiter service was non existent, we had to go up to the bar for every drink which didn’t feel very Rockstar.

What perks didn’t we use?

We didn’t use the laundry service but we were only onboard for 3 nights, maybe if we had been onboard for longer we might have used this. We also couldn’t make use of the early access perk for Shore Things as they had already sold out by the time we had booked. 

Virgin Voyages also have a selection of fitness classes onboard, we were on our honeymoon so our cruise was all about relaxing. Being Rockstars we would have got priority to book these onboard but we chose to skip these.

Would we sail again with Virgin Voyages…and would we choose to be Rockstars?

We did get a really good deal on our trip, it was part of the Portsmouth maiden season and it was a special occasion. We felt like our voyage was good value for money, the only downside really was it felt like a very short trip and went by so fast! There is so much to see and do on the Lady Ships and we couldn’t get around to everything in just 3 days.

Compared to other cruise lines, the food and drinks on Virgin were very clearly head and shoulders above. We thoroughly enjoyed the Richard’s Rooftop Happy Hour each day, a lovely Rockstar perk.

We’ve had a taste of the good life and have priced up plenty of other voyages… but unless we win some money, we won’t be splurging on Rockstar Status again anytime soon but we’d love to sail again with Virgin Voyages.

You can check out our cabin and more from our trip over on my Instagram @SophieAliceTravel

Are you tempted by a voyage with Virgin? Does the Rockstar life appeal to you? If you’ve got any questions please leave a comment below or send me a DM over on Instagram @SophieAliceTravel