Gay Friendly Cruises with Virgin Voyages: After my very first cruise, I immediately fell in love with this alternative holiday style. Over the last few years, I have continued to travel on both gay and gay-friendly cruises, exploring a number of different cruise lines and operators.
When I saw the launch of Virgin Voyages – a new cruise line under the Virgin Group – my attention was immediately grabbed!
From what I could see from their marketing, everything I knew about cruising from past experiences seemed to be done differently onboard Virgin Voyages.
Dining, entertainment, onboard activities – Virgin Voyages seemed to put their own spin on everything, and I couldn’t wait to get onboard to experience for myself just how unique and niche this cruise line was.
Luckily I didn’t have long to wait, and this year I embarked on a 7-night Mediterranean sailing, ‘French Daze and Ibiza Nights’ – and quite simply, my cruise with Virgin Voyages took any pre-conception I had of traditional cruises and threw them away.
Every second onboard was incredible, and whilst I would be hard-pressed to choose what I enjoyed the most, I wanted to share my top reasons as to what makes Virgin Voyages different from other cruise lines I’ve travelled with.
I was also especially keen to see how Virgin Voyages compared as a gay-friendly cruise to other companies I have sailed with.
Are Virgin Voyages gay-friendly?
In a nutshell, ABSOLUTELY!
During my sailing I had many people message me asking if I was on a gay cruise with Virgin Voyages – clearly what I had been posting gave that impression.
The answer in this case was no, I was not on an all-gay cruise. However, I loved that I was asked this question because it speaks volumes about how Virgin Voyages was not just “gay friendly,” but truly gave me a sense of belonging and inclusion.
The things that stood out to me that made me feel inherently welcome as an LGBTQ traveller include:
- Gender-neutral toilets available all around the ship – a simple signal that everybody is welcome here.
- The entertainment, including some incredible drag artists.
- Not one member of staff ever asked “are you brothers” — I didn’t give “being a couple” a second thought, which I only realised afterwards.
- The staff onboard were able to dress and express themselves and their gender identity as they liked – the diversity was beautiful to see.
- I felt confident to dress how I wanted without second-guessing myself, as I’ve done in the past. The environment onboard genuinely allowed that.
- And finally, there were far more gay travellers onboard Virgin Voyages compared to most other mainstream cruises I’ve done (excluding all-gay cruises). Considering the Virgin brand, its inclusive marketing and adults-only angle, maybe this shouldn’t have been a surprise — but either way, I made a great group of friends.
What makes Virgin Voyages different?
Virgin Voyages ships are sleek, modern and full of thoughtful finishing touches that show they are truly market leaders right now.
It’s not just about being “better,” but being different and better. Here are three things that stood out to me.
1. Virgin Voyages are Adult Only!
Without a doubt (and no offence to kids – I have plenty in my family!) this was one of the things I loved most about my time onboard Virgin Voyages.
All cruises are exclusively adult-only, with a minimum age of 18.
This makes a huge difference to your holiday experience and creates a genuinely relaxing getaway at sea.
But not only are the sailings adult-only — the ships themselves are designed for adults.
No kids’ pools, no playgrounds… meaning more space for what I actually want on a holiday: restaurants, bars, lounges, and stylish areas to unwind.
2. The Dining
I am a total foodie.
I love eating out, trying new cuisines and discovering great restaurants, especially when travelling.
So I was thrilled that Virgin Voyages ditched the traditional main dining room in favour of multiple unique eateries.
Each ship has 20+ dining venues, covering a huge range of cuisines — Italian, Korean BBQ, Mexican, steak and seafood, and so much more.
And the best part?
Whereas other cruise lines charge extra for speciality restaurants, every single one is included in your cruise fare with Virgin.
A few of my favourites:
Gunbae – The Korean BBQ restaurant based around social dining. You share a table of up to 8, cook on a hot plate, and yes… expect drinking games.
Pink Agave – Fine-dining Mexican. I went three times. Enough said.
Extra Virgin – Fresh homemade pasta and some of the best Italian food I’ve had at sea.
3. Shows, Entertainment and Activities
There is never a dull moment onboard.
On port days you can explore ashore, but on sea days the schedule is packed. And in the evenings, the entertainment shines.
Virgin Voyages fully embraces the “adult-only” theme — no classic Broadway shows here. Instead, expect:
- modern immersive productions
- drag shows
- acrobatics
- bold, creative performances crafted by world-class directors and choreographers
Each ship also has a Happenings Cast — an entertainment team where each member is themed around a topic or speciality.
One role in particular stood out: The Diva, the ship’s resident drag queen.
This is incredibly rare in mainstream cruising and was such a joy.
I attended The Diva’s drag show (I laughed nonstop) and even did “Bingo with The Diva,” which is definitely not your nan’s Saturday bingo.
Another favourite was Never Sleep Alone — a wild, interactive cabaret/seminar about embracing your $exual destiny. Not for the shy, but unmissable.
And of course… The Manor — Virgin’s own multi-level nightclub. Expect late nights.
Which Virgin Voyage ship did I sail on?
I spent 7 nights onboard the beautiful Valiant Lady, the second ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet. At the time, she was almost brand new, having launched in March 2022.
She holds up to 2,770 passengers.
Other Key Points
A few more differences I loved:
Wi-Fi Included – Most cruise lines charge extra, but Virgin includes it. Perfect for posting how gorgeous the ship is.
Overnight Stops – My sailing included an overnight in Ibiza… on a Friday. Iconic.
RockStar Treatment – If you book a suite, you’re treated like absolute royalty: daily spa access, Richard’s Rooftop (members-only sundeck), priority boarding, a dedicated agent, and more.
It truly was a week of pure luxury and relaxation from start to finish. Cruising continues to be one of my favourite ways to travel, and my week onboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady only solidified that even more.
I can’t wait to get back onboard again soon!
This trip was gifted by Virgin Voyages; all opinions remain my own.