Valiant Lady

The Onboard Energy: If you love the concept of cruising — unpacking once and getting to enjoy five or six different islands or ports in a single week — but you find the onboard energy of most ships to be underwhelming, prepare to be overwhelmed. Virgin Voyages has packed an array of “Events & Gigs” ranging from immersive modern entertainment with an energetic twist to lineups of indie and rock performers into its four-to-seven-night cruises. And with bars and lounges featuring cocktail menus by top mixologists, the social scene shakes it up into the wee hours.

The Dining Options: With 20 eateries onboard (and not a buffet or main dining room among them), Valiant Lady offers passengers a veritable global smorgasbord of flavors and experiences. Options include veggie-forward dining, Korean barbecue, upscale Mexican, carnival-inspired eats, and even experimental, ingredient-inspired tasting menus in Test Kitchen. The food is exceptionally good for a ship of this size, and there are no extra fees for specialty dining.

The Cheeky Touches: The suites, known as Rockstar Quarters, feature Peak-a-Boo showers and Rockstar Agents at your beck and call, while standard cabins have free Wi-Fi, mood lighting, and bed configurations that pull apart and fold down to create social seating configurations as well as bunks that sleep four (with ladders).

Mega-yacht Style: Valiant Lady will definitely turn heads as she calls on ports in the Caribbean and along Riviera Maya and other coastal hot spots. Her sleek silver-gray hull channels those of the billionaires’ mega-yachts anchored offshore in these sunny playgrounds, and the onboard offerings have the uber-cool imprimatur of wealth and celebrity — but at prices affordable to the average traveler.

Rockstar Ambitions: Virgin Voyages aims to create a cruise experience for anyone who aspires to the glamorous lifestyle of their favorite music idol by providing high-design settings for theatrical performances (in The Manor), live music (in the Red Room), private karaoke parties (in The Groupie), and spinning some vinyl (in Voyage Vinyl, the onboard record shop).

Ink-Loving Millennials, Gen Xers, and Young-at-Heart Types: Like her sisters, Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady, this ship is purpose-built to appeal to travelers seeking a cruise ship that’s as cool as the dance and music clubs they’ve waited in line to get into. For the ultimate cruise souvenir, passengers can even head to Squid Ink, the ship’s tattoo studio.

You May Need a Vacation After Your Vacation: Imagine a chic beach club, a trendy urban cocktail lounge, and a clubby late-night music venue afloat for a week as it calls on sunny islands. If lack of sleep is your thing, party on, mate!

The Humor Can Be Cheeky: The double-entendres fly like Fourth of July fireworks, especially during entertainment hosted by the ship’s resident drag queen, The Diva. If you’re not a fan of risqué and ribald humor, you can still enjoy a sailing aboard Valiant Lady — you just may not feel well entertained.