Cruise Control: Tips & Tricks
Today we thought it would be fun to share some rapid fire tips we have found helpful about Virgin Voyages to make our trip go as smooth as possible.
The safety video is a requirement to view before the ship can depart. We recommend playing it on your TV immediately while you drop your bags and get settled. This is also a great time to book any activities in your app that have to be reserved onboard (workout classes, Grog Walk, etc).
Make sure to close and latch your balcony door completely or the A/C won’t run. We learned this the hard way on one of our first nights onboard. Our door was closed but the handle wasn’t completely latched in the down position. The room heated up quickly and it took us awhile to figure out.
Tips are already included in your cruise fare and additional tips are not expected. The crew does an absolutely amazing job and they genuinely want you to have the best vacation. One great way to recognize them for great service is to mention them by name at the end of the day when you receive a notice in your app to complete a survey. Virgin tracks customer sentiment in real time with these daily surveys and crew are recognized by their team when you mention them by name.
Hair dryers, curling irons, and hair straighteners are permitted. Anything else with a heating element (like a steamer) is not permitted and will be confiscated for the duration of the trip. If you need a steamer for wrinkled clothes, you can request one from your room attendant to borrow for a few hours. Link to prohibited items list
If you prefer a softer bed, you can request a mattress topper from your room attendant. They are limited so we recommend requesting early if you are interested.
Need more hangers for your closet? Just ask, they will bring as many as you need.
Your room attendant will refill your water carafes every day. You can choose still, sparkling or both. If you need them refilled sooner or would like some ice, just let them know.
The tablet in your room controls lights, music, temperature, and you can also order room service. We made it a habit of placing a small “ship eats” order before bed each night to arrive first thing in the morning so we would have a coffee and a light snack without having to leave the room. It’s also a great way to stock your fridge with drinks you might like to have throughout the trip. You can order from the app on your phone too.
Remember that if you get hungry outside of any scheduled dining times, there is always food available! Some great choices for a quick bite are Social Club (hot dogs, wings, pretzels), Pizza Place, and The Galley which has options available 24/7.
Wash your hands often! Virgin does not have dedicated hand washing stations in the restaurants like some other cruise lines do, but there are bathrooms near all restaurants. Just ask if you can’t find one, some are tucked away and not always easy to spot. Remember that hand sanitizer does not kill Norovirus, so washing your hands with soap and water is critical before eating and drinking.
Virgin doesn’t print a daily itinerary for every cabin like some other cruise lines do. If you would like a paper copy of the day’s activities, you can pick one up at Grounds Club 2, Excursion Desk, or Sailor Services.
If you are prone to motion sickness, we like Bonine (generic is Meclazine) because you take one pill per day and it’s non-drowsy. The ship should be mostly calm because we are sailing slowly and overnight for the majority of the trip, but there’s always a chance for some waves.
In our next update, we will share a general schedule of what Michael and Robby plan to do each day so you can join if you’d like! Some of the events won’t be visible until closer to departure so we will be sure to share in the group chat too.
For now we will give an overview of Saturday and Sunday since the first day of the cruise will be action packed as everyone gets settled and learns the layout of the ship.
Saturday 10/11- Welcome to Athens! If you are free in the evening, please join us at hotel Grande Bretagne (7pm-?). This will be very casual- we plan to start in Alexander’s Lounge for food and drinks and then move to Bar 8 or GB Roof Bar for some awesome views of the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill.
Sunday 10/12- Embarkation day! Hotel Grande Bretagne has a pretty awesome brunch buffet. If you don’t have plans in the morning and would like to join, let us know!
Boarding the ship- make sure to arrive close to your assigned embarkation time. It’s fine to arrive a little early but they typically stick to the schedule pretty closely. Alternatively, you can drop your bags and get your sailor band as early as 9am and then explore the town of Piraeus until your time to board.
1:30-5:00pm - Once we get onboard at 1:30, we plan to go to our cabin, drop bags, and watch the safety video. Then we will head down to the Dock House on deck 7 at the aft (rear) of the ship for some food. They have a great tapas menu and outdoor patio with great views- meet you there!
4:00-5:30pm - Muster stations open for the required “safety drill” which just means you go to your assigned station (found in your app) and scan your sailor band. All sailors have to complete this requirement before the ship can depart. We will probably go do this right at 4 and come back to the Dock House or do it closer to 5 and then head up to the top deck for the Sail Away Party.
5:30-7:00pm - Let’s Set Sail! Join us on deck 16 above the pool deck for a champagne toast as we depart Athens and watch the sun dip below the horizon.
7:30-8:30pm - Persephone in the Red Room on deck 6 (can also enter from deck 7)
9:00pm - Michael and Robby first small group dinner at Extra Virgin