Cruising in Croatia and more

It being an adult only ship was a big selling point for me, as well as the itinerary, with calls to Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor (Montenegro) and Corfu.

We flew into Athens, and were transferred to the port of Piraeus, where the ship was leaving from. Having completed the check in process on the Virgin Voyages app, the embarkation process was smooth and straight forward. We were given a wrist band, which is used to open your cabin door and to charge for any drinks that aren’t included in the price, such as alcohol and speciality coffees. A glass of wine cost me $9 or $12, depending which one I chose, and a latte was $4 (Water, tea, normal coffee, and sodas are included).

We had a sea view terrace cabin, which was a good size and would please anyone into their tech, because they provide you with a tablet that can open and close the curtains, adjust the lighting and select a film on the tv. The balcony had a small table and two chairs, as well as a comfortable hand-woven hammock, which I had to try and surprisingly didn’t fall out of.

You can do as much or as little as you want on the ship. There is a spa, a large gym, a couple of pools with sunbeds, and daily activities, including yoga, HIIT classes, trivia quizzes, dance classes and much more. There was normally music playing around the pool areas, but there were quieter areas on the ship to relax if preferred.

On the days when the ship was in port, we got off to explore. Split was about a 10 minute walk from the ship, which was handy. In Dubrovnik we were taken on a short shuttle bus ride, which took us to the gates of the old town. In Kotor, we needed to get a tender, and it was advisable to pre-book it if you wanted to get off the ship before midday. Finally, Corfu was a shuttle bus to the town as well, which like the Dubrovnik one was complimentary. I noticed other cruise lines were charging for their shuttle buses.

It was lovely to walk round all the towns, and in Dubrovnik, we walked round the old city walls, went up the cable car for some amazing views, and took a ferry to the small laid-back town of Cavtat, where we had lunch. You can pre-book excursions with Virgin Voyages, but we chose to do our own thing.

In the evenings, there’s live music or you could go to one of the shows, which are not the usual Broadway type shows you get on a ship. We went to see a magician/comedian, who was very good. There is also a nightclub on board, but we didn’t make it to that!

There are six speciality restaurants that can be pre-booked and even more casual dining venues, which are mainly set out in a food court type area, although your orders are still taken at the table. There are no buffets on this cruise! Our favourite restaurants were The Wake, which did a mean fillet steak and lamb chops, Extra Virgin (Italian) and Razzle Dazzle, which was a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes. We didn't have any problems getting a table for two each time. There were some that we didn’t try, such as the Mexican, a Korean and ‘The Test Kitchen’, which offers a 6 course innovative, fine dining menu.

The guests on board were mainly a mix of British and Americans, some on their second and third Virgin Voyages cruise.

Gratuities and basic wi-fi are included, and possibly more importantly, so is ice cream!

We had a great time, and I can highly recommend it to anyone thinking of going on a cruise.

If you would like any more information or would like me to check availability on a cruise for you, just let me know.