Live from Valiant Lady 8/21 Fire and Sunset

[Steelers0854]

I debated doing a Live from in this trip. It’s only 4 nights and the shortest cruise we have done. But figured I would continue the tradition as I’ve done Live Froms on all our prior cruises.

 

 

We got in the day before and stayed overnight as is typical. It’s a muggy morning at Miami Beach today but you can’t beat the view.

 

 

We are going to head to the port and try and arrive about 1 since we have DBE. We also booked on MNVV so have a healthy OBC to use this trip. We haven’t booked any excursions and just want to play things by ear. It’s our first time to Key West (our Disney cruise from Galveston was fogged in a few years ago and we missed KW). We have been to Bimini before but on another line so this will be our first Beach Club trip.

 

Dining is all booked. Just need to grab Razzle Dazzle breakfast on disembarkation day when we get on board.

 

Looking forward to this quick trip and hoping we won’t be too sad with only 4 nights. But hey any day not in the office and in a cruise is a good one!

[Steelers0854]

Early checkin appears to end at 12:30. So it seems it may be best to get here before then. We got in line at 12:50. We waited 5 minutes and they let us into the terminal.

 

 

Checkin in took another 5 minutes as we walked right up to an agent. Walked right through security and now waiting in the embarkation area. It’s pretty nice. Lots of plugs for power and comfy seats. Now we are just waiting to board!

 

[Nightingaile]

Looking forward to your posts! Hubby and I are doing this cruise next April and appreciate getting a sneak peak!

[Steelers0854]

37 minutes ago, Nightingaile said:

Looking forward to your posts! Hubby and I are doing this cruise next April and appreciate getting a sneak peak!

That’s awesome. We have a B2B booked with the 4 and 5 day in April so we may see you onboard!

[Steelers0854]

I will say, for a cruise line that prides themselves on no announcements I’m getting a little tired of every 30 seconds hearing about the ability to buy an additional bar tab credit before boarding.

 

That said boarding started at 1:48 for the separate lounge area I’m guessing is for Mega rockstars?  We started boarding at 1:56.

 

We headed to the spa to reserve the thermal spa for the week. $229pp, a little pricey IMO but it’s a good way to use our OBC and we like using the facilities.  They either raised the prices or they charge you more per day on a shorter cruise. Our 7 day was about $47pppd. This comes out to about $57pppd.

 

Went to the Galley to grab lunch. DW has an allergy to Gluten, Dairy and Egg. She grabbed a burger, which she says are the best at sea, and fries. I grabbed sushi and this delicious mango tree leches cake.

 

 

 

 

After lunch we went to the room, did our safety video and DW grabbed a Blackberry sorbet. This is by far her favorite flavor.

 

We relaxed around the ship as the weather went downhill pretty quick today. We have dinner at 6:45 at Extra Virgin tonight.

 

[Steelers0854]

Here is the activity list for today. I honestly dont know what they call these things on Virgin, Dailies?

 

Day 1.pdf

[Travel-and-See]

I was almost on that cruise with you - it was a good price and I debated. 

 

I'll look forward to seeing how your trip goes - I need to book one soon. 

 

Make sure to catch Duel Reality - the circus show in the red room. 

[SongsInMyHead]

4 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

Here is the activity list for today. I honestly dont know what they call these things on Virgin, Dailies

Thanks for sharing this!

[Steelers0854]

1 hour ago, Travel-and-See said:

Make sure to catch Duel Reality - the circus show in the red room. 

Yes it’s a great show. We were onboard a few months ago and saw it. Fantastic performers!  Miss Behave was also wonderful. 

[reedprincess]

Thanka for the Live 

We're doing this one (followed by a 5 night also( in February.   

Looking forward to seeing your tiro and learning more about VV .

[Sherry84]

6 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

I will say, for a cruise line that prides themselves on no announcements I’m getting a little tired of every 30 seconds hearing about the ability to buy an additional bar tab credit before boarding.

 

That said boarding started at 1:48 for the separate lounge area I’m guessing is for Mega rockstars?  We started boarding at 1:56.

 

We headed to the spa to reserve the thermal spa for the week. $229pp, a little pricey IMO but it’s a good way to use our OBC and we like using the facilities.  They either raised the prices or they charge you more per day on a shorter cruise. Our 7 day was about $47pppd. This comes out to about $57pppd.

 

Went to the Galley to grab lunch. DW has an allergy to Gluten, Dairy and Egg. She grabbed a burger, which she says are the best at sea, and fries. I grabbed sushi and this delicious mango tree leches cake.

 

 

 

 

After lunch we went to the room, did our safety video and DW grabbed a Blackberry sorbet. This is by far her favorite flavor.

 

We relaxed around the ship as the weather went downhill pretty quick today. We have dinner at 6:45 at Extra Virgin tonight.

 

@Steelers0854 I am on this cruise as well and I completely agree about the announcements, I was like enough already! Hope you have an awesome time!

[Steelers0854]

10 hours ago, Sherry84 said:

@Steelers0854 I am on this cruise as well and I completely agree about the announcements, I was like enough already! Hope you have an awesome time!

You as well!  So far it’s been fantastic as expected!  Hope to see you around. 

[Steelers0854]

We also booked our next VV cruise onboard. It’s too bad they nerfed the OBC for MNVV, but to be honest I was surprised that you could get $600 on a 4 day cruise, so while disappointing this change makes total sense to me. We do have a B2B in April booked using the old promotion so that’s good.

 

We got our luggage by 3:30, unpacked and then went to our muster station when they opened because cool kids follow the rules and the sooner everyone checks in the sooner those station attendants can leave.

 

Dinner was at Extra Virgin tonight. Since we had been here before and given we are coming back 3 times in the next year I wanted to try some different options from the menu. We started off with the best bread service on any cruise ship I’ve been on. The focaccia is amazing and that balsamic vinegar is like liquid gold. DW got her bread which she says is some of the best she has ever had as well.

 

 

 

DW got a salad with oil and vinegar and I got the calamari. The calamari were lukewarm warm and tough. I wouldn’t get them again. DW did enjoy her salad even though it was just basically lettuce and dressing.

 

 

They offered DW a charcuterie board sans the cheese but she declined as she had a lot of food coming. I took them up on it for myself. They have a great board here.

 

 

DW got her gluten free penne and marinara and the New York steak. Last trip her pasta wasn’t cooked well but tonight it was spot on. Her steak was perfectly cooked and she enjoyed it as well. I ordered the pork cheeks.  I’ve never had them before and they were….. ok. They were kinda tough but had a good flavor. Overall wouldn’t get this dish again.

 

 

We were so full after dinner we skipped dessert but DW did grab another Blackberry sorbet an hour or so later. Service was excellent and the food came out really fast. Kuddos to the team in Extra Virgin.

 

 

After dinner we actually headed to the thermal spa for a little R&R to get our monies worth. DW and I are kinda introverts. Also since we have been on the Valiant before we have seen all the shows so we aren’t stressed about catching them this trip. We will also be back on this ship 3 more times in the next year so plenty of time to do everything.

[Sherry84]

21 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

You as well!  So far it’s been fantastic as expected!  Hope to see you around. 

Same 😀

[Steelers0854]

Day 2 At Sea

 

It was a hot muggy mess out this morning already. But ya can’t beat the view!

 

Here is todays planner. And a quick premium internet speed test. Not great but manageable. And kind of surprising given our positioning. But then again the weather is not great at the moment either. 

 

Day 2.pdf

 

[jon81uk]

19 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

That said boarding started at 1:48 for the separate lounge area I’m guessing is for Mega rockstars?  We started boarding at 1:56.

The rockstar boarding area is for all rockstars, but Mega have reserved seating within it.

 

19 hours ago, Steelers0854 said:

Here is the activity list for today. I honestly dont know what they call these things on Virgin, Dailies?

 

Day 1.pdf 3.19 MB · 23 downloads

It’s called “a glance at the day”.

[Steelers0854]

1 hour ago, jon81uk said:

It’s called “a glance at the day”.

Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue lol

[Steelers0854]

We got up today and went to grab coffee and a quick breakfast bite. One of the best parts of Virgin are the grab and go options they have in the coolers. DW can eat the overnight oats which she loves. After we had been caffeinated we headed to the thermal spa. While there are certainly things I would change (heated loungers to replace the flat benches and an actual spa that isn’t a foot and a half deep) we love the sauna, steam room and mud treatment options. Plus the small pool is great.

 

We headed up and got ready for the day to get out of the room for our steward. The weather quickly turned and it was pouring rain outside. So we sat inside the dock house area and I grabbed a juice and we read until lunch.

 

We booked noon reservations at the Wake to take advantage of their lunch menu. IMO this is the best deal on the ship. Filet at lunch. Sign DW up.

 

She didn’t want a starter and continuing, somewhat, the goal of trying new things I got the wedge salad and the poached shrimp. I had gotten the poached shrimp last time but they were so good I had to get them again. Neither disappointed.

 

 

DW got her filet which was perfectly good and seasoned with a great chimichurri and her favorite French fries at sea. I got the soft shell crab Benedict which was very good. I was side eyeing the French toast it looked so good but figured I would get that on our next trip.

 

 

 

 

After lunch we swung into the ice cream shop and DW grabbed the beet raspberry sorbet and I got the cookies and cream and espresso chip, all of it of course delicious.

 

We relaxed for about and went and saw the comedian at 2 pm. He was fine, it was something to do.

 

It was way too hot to be outside IMO and the pool deck was a hot mess with so many people in the pool you could hardly tell there was water in it. So we opted to lounge in doors and enjoy drinks and music before it was time to get ready for Scarlett Night and dinner.

[Steelers0854]

Dinner tonight was at Razzle Dazzle, our second favorite restaurant on board.

 

DW loves the wings from here and she said tonight’s were delicious as always. I got the tuna tartare and the pork belly. The tartare was fantastic and the tuna really shined. The pork belly was as delicious as last time.

 

 

 

For mains DW got the pastrami which she really enjoys with that delicious cabbage. I got the bleu cheese burger, it was so good last time I caved and got it again. It was excellent.

 

 

 

For dessert DW had asked the night before if she could get the cheesecake from the brunch menu as it’s the only dessert she can eat and they offered course said no problem. She said it’s her second favorite dessert on board only second to the chocolate tamale from Pink Agave. I had the waiter surprise me and told him I got the apple tart last time. He brought the vegan chocolate cake which was wrapped in a white chocolate wrapper. It was excellent!

 

 

 

We made excellent time with dinner and caught the 7pm Miss Behave show. We love this show and love that every performance is a little different.

 

After the show we sat on our balcony and enjoyed a beautiful thunderstorm off in the distance before calling it a night.

 

[Steelers0854]

It’s a little muggy out but much cooler than it has been with a nice breeze. But it’s an absolutely beautiful arrival into Key West. 
 

[KKB]

@Steelers0854 Thx for the review!

We sail the Valiant Lady next month--our 1st VV cruise, so following along!

[Steelers0854]

52 minutes ago, KKB said:

@Steelers0854 Thx for the review!

We sail the Valiant Lady next month--our 1st VV cruise, so following along!

You’re going to love it. Seeing your history we have been Princess fans for years. It was our preferred line til we tried Virgin a few months ago. Now we have 3 more Virgin cruises booked. 

[KKB]

Just now, Steelers0854 said:

You’re going to love it. Seeing your history we have been Princess fans for years. It was our preferred line til we tried Virgin a few months ago. Now we have 3 more Virgin cruises booked. 

My only question...it seems like the activity offerings don't change. Am I wrong?

And admittedly, their Caribbean itineraries leave something to be desired.

Have a good deal for another one on Radiant Lady. 

Is it just going to be the same thing again?

[Eric&Pam]

7 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

You’re going to love it. Seeing your history we have been Princess fans for years. It was our preferred line til we tried Virgin a few months ago. Now we have 3 more Virgin cruises booked. 

 

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who's left Princess for Virgin. We sailed with Virgin 6 times since October of '22, and have 5 more on the books so far. I don't think I could ever eat at the Crown Grill or Sabatini's again after experiencing the Virgin's dining options.

[Travel-and-See]

49 minutes ago, KKB said:

My only question...it seems like the activity offerings don't change. Am I wrong?

And admittedly, their Caribbean itineraries leave something to be desired.

Have a good deal for another one on Radiant Lady. 

Is it just going to be the same thing again?

The musicians and guest performers will change - the main shows don't change as much as other lines but they are much better quality and I personally look forward to seeing them again.  

 

And even shows like Duel Reality Circus - the cast changes so you will see different tricks even though the basic show is the same.