I have mixed feelings about traditional cruise ship dining. I was once assigned to a “sharing table” in the main dining room on a Carnival ship with two older gentleman with opposing political views who argued non-stop through three courses for seven nights. If I’m being totally honest, I was kind of relieved because, as an introvert, I didn’t have to say a word! I just sat there chewing uncomfortably and occasionally smiling at the two wives who kept shrugging and trying unsuccessfully to change the subject to something more benign: “How about this apple pie Richard! Everyone loves apple pie!”

And traveling even further down memory lane, ten years ago and new to cruising, my husband and I were seated in some very awkward configurations on our honeymoon onboard a Princess ship. On the first night we were assigned a four-top in a prime location by a window. Figuring we lucked out to get a table large enough to sneak under for a quick make out session between courses (young love can be so gross), we were stunned when another, much older, couple was seated with us. Total strangers. At a four-top. On our honeymoon. They turned out to be lovely people and we made the best of if, but it wasn’t what we envisioned for a romantic honeymoon dinner. So I was intrigued to learn there are no traditional main dining rooms with confusing and occasionally unwelcome dining protocols and configurations on Virgin ships.

But I was also concerned to learn that there are no buffets. My favorite activity on a cruise is to compete against myself to see how many calories I can eat at the buffet in a single sitting (no point in competing against anyone else – that would be like LeBron James hooping with my nine-year-old who’s scored zero points in two seasons of his Boys and Girls Club league). My record is 15,000, but I’ve been training for a cruise I have scheduled for Saturday and think I can break 20,000.

Then I learned about The Galley, which is basically a mall food court at sea where everything is free, and I ping-ponged back to intrigued. Plus I’m a vegetarian and I’ve heard good things about the vegetarian options on Virgin ships. And as a bonus, no kids on Virgin, so I won’t have to feel any mom guilt about leaving my kid behind: Sorry bud, no kids allowed or you know I would (maybe, but probably not).

I think I’ve sold myself on trying a Virgin cruise at least once.

What about you? Booked on or considering a cruise on Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, or (coming soon) Resilient Lady and curious about dining?

How Does Dining Work on Virgin Voyages Ships?

Dining on land at sea. That’s basically how it works on the Scarlet Lady, the Valiant Lady and (soon) the Resilient Lady. With a wide variety of both upscale and casual restaurants, all included in the cruise fare (with the exception of a few premium items you can choose to pay extra for as indicated on the menus below), sailors (AKA passengers) can make some reservations in advance for dinner (one reservation per restaurant can be booked in advance of your cruise via the app and it’s recommended you do that) and brunch (once onboard) and can just show up for breakfast and lunch.

Virgin Voyages Restaurant Menus 2022

So, who’s eager to see the menus? I know I was (thank you to my contact at Virgin who passed these along). But now I’m starving. Time to hit Golden Corral to commence my training. 20,000 calories here I come! And time to book myself on a Virgin Voyages Cruise!

Extra Virgin Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Italian, deck 6.

Gunbae Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Korean, deck 15

Lick Me Till…Ice Cream Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Ice Cream, deck 7

Pink Agave Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Mexican, deck 5

Razzle Dazzle Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

American (I guess), deck 5

Room Service Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Note there is a $5 Ship Eats delivery fee per order

Sun Club Cafe on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Hawaiian, deck 16

Test Kitchen Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

The menu is a list of main ingredients the chef will use to create a tasting menu. There’s vegetarian option in addition to the regular menu. Deck 6.

The Dock House Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Mediterranean apps and grilled skewers, deck 7

The Galley Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Casual food court, deck 15

The Pizza Place Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Pizza, deck 7

The Social Club Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

American diner, deck 7

The Wake Menu on Virgin Voyages Ships in 2022

Upscale steakhouse, deck 7

Need something to wash down all that delicious food with? See:

Virgin Voyages Bar Menus and Drink Prices 2022

which will also answer all your questions about how beverages work on Virgin Voyages. And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Today’s Cruising Pro Tip:

Never purchase cruise insurance through a cruise line. You’ll pay more and get less than if you purchase it on your own. Use a site like TravelInsurance.com* to compare rates and plans and get exactly what you want for the least amount of money. Savings can be significant and mean more to spend onboard, at port, or on another cruise!

Don’t forget to PIN so you can refer back to these menus later!

Homework (10 points): Have you cruised on the Scarlet Lady or Valiant Lady yet? If so, share your favorite foods or restaurants in the comments. Haven’t sailed on Virgin yet? Which foods or restaurants are you most looking forward to onboard the Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, or Resilient Lady? Be sure to also ask any questions you may have about dining or anything else so we can all learn from each other!

And be sure to subscribe to the blog to receive new course materials directly to your e-mail (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on your favorite social media sites:

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*I earn a small commission on items and services purchased through links on my site at no extra cost to you. All funds are used to maintain the blog. Thank you for your support!

Prof. Cruise

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