I’ll admit that I boarded Virgin Voyages with a few preconceived ideas.

I thought it might be too young for me. Too party-focused. Perhaps a little too much of everything.

And I really wasn’t sure it was going to be my kind of cruise.

Part of that is because expedition cruising is where my heart usually is.

I love the smaller numbers, the lectures and learning, the naturalists and expedition teams, the wildlife, conservation focus and the feeling that the journey itself has real purpose. I am happiest when I am learning something along the way and when the destination is very much part of the experience.

So Virgin Voyages is, on the surface, almost the opposite of what I would normally choose for myself.

Which is exactly why I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

By the time I got o􀆯 the ship, I was thinking something completely different:

I would happily sail with Virgin again.

I honestly did not expect that.

There was always something happening

One of the first things that surprised me was just how much there was to do.

There were fitness classes throughout the day, trivia, games, live music and entertainment happening in different areas of the ship. I stopped by a Zumba class one day just to watch and was genuinely surprised by how busy it was. There were people of all different ages and abilities taking part, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

The Social Club always seemed to have people playing games or joining in with something, and I found myself seeking out the different live music areas each day.

And then there were the shows.

I went to every one.

The talent onboard was fabulous, and the entertainment ended up being one of my favourite parts of the entire cruise.

But what I liked just as much was that you didn’t have to do any of it.

If I wanted music and activity, I could find it. If I wanted to sit somewhere quieter with a coffee and watch the ocean, I could do that too.

There was a real sense that you could make the days whatever you wanted them to be.

For me, that worked.

Food was another pleasant surprise

The food was very good, and there is a lot of choice.

Virgin doesn’t have the traditional main dining room setup, so you have several different restaurants to choose from instead. I really enjoyed that, but this is one area where I would recommend some planning.

Restaurant reservations open in advance, with timing depending on the category you have booked, and I would not leave it until you are onboard.

On our sailing, getting into one of the specialty restaurants as a walk-in was very difficult.

If you can’t secure everything you want, you certainly won’t go hungry. The Galley on Deck 15 had a great selection, and I heard very good things about the pizza restaurant too.

And yes, I found my specialty coffee. Priorities.

Service in a couple of the restaurants could be slow at times, but that was really one of the very few negatives I came away with.

Scarlet Night was a hoot

I wasn’t quite sure beforehand how much people would actually participate, but on our sailing almost everyone dressed in red.

If you didn’t, you were definitely the odd one out.

People really got into it, and I think that was part of what made it so much fun. There was a sense that everyone was joining in rather than simply watching from the sidelines.

Some were dancing, some were in the pool, others were standing around watching everything unfold.

You could take part as much or as little as you wanted.

That freedom was something I noticed throughout the cruise.

The adults-only experience does make a difference.

Virgin is adults only, and I wondered beforehand just how noticeable that would actually be.

It was noticeable.

Everyone I spoke with seemed to appreciate it, and I did too.

That doesn’t mean the ship is quiet — far from it — but it creates a different atmosphere. There are no children’s clubs, no family pool areas and no activities designed around keeping different age groups entertained.

The experience is simply built for adults.

For the right traveller, that is a real plus.

I was watching the sustainability side closely

Before I sailed, one of the things I particularly wanted to pay attention to was sustainability.

Cruise lines talk about it a lot, and I wanted to see what I could observe onboard rather than simply reading what was written in a brochure.

Virgin impressed me here.

There were no single-use plastics that I noticed, recycling was visible, housekeeping was excellent, and even the wearable bracelets used onboard were collected for recycling as we disembarked.

From what I saw, they genuinely seemed to be following through on many of the things they say they are doing.

There will always be challenges when we talk about sustainability and larger ships, and I don’t think any cruise line should get a free pass simply because the messaging sounds good.

But I came away feeling that Virgin was making a serious effort.

And then there was the spa

I toured the spa while onboard, and it was impressive.

What I enjoyed most, though, was hearing from people who were using it rather than simply being shown around.

A mother and adult daughter travelling with our group had purchased the spa package for all eight days.

They went every day.

That probably tells you everything you need to know.

Would Virgin suit everyone? No.

This is the part I think matters most.

Our sailing was a repositioning cruise, and we were told that the demographic was slightly older than Virgin’s average guest.

Apparently, some other Virgin sailings can have a much stronger party atmosphere.

That gives me some pause when thinking about which clients I would recommend Virgin to.

Not because one atmosphere is better than another, but because fit matters.

Someone who enjoys music, entertainment, choice, a social atmosphere and the freedom to do their own thing could have a great time.

Someone looking for a very traditional cruise experience, formal evenings or a quieter atmosphere throughout might not.

Would Virgin replace expedition cruising for me?

No.

They are completely different experiences, and expedition travel is still the style of cruising I am most drawn to.

But that was never really the question.

What Virgin showed me is that I can enjoy a very different kind of cruise for completely different reasons.

And that is exactly why matching the right person to the right cruise matters so much.

It isn’t simply a matter of asking:

Is Virgin good?

The more useful question is:

Is Virgin right for you?

The biggest surprise

We had three sea days on this sailing, and I really enjoyed them.

I never felt bored. There was always something I could do, somewhere I could go or something I could simply ignore if I wanted a quiet afternoon instead.

And when I got home, I said something to Ian that I genuinely didn’t expect to say before I left:

I think the two of us would have a really good time on Virgin together.

That probably sums up the trip better than anything else.

Sometimes trying something that sits completely outside your usual travel style is exactly what changes your perspective.

Virgin certainly did that for me.