06/03/2026
Thinking about booking a Virgin Voyages transatlantic but not sure if it's right for you? Just did one with JC, our top Virgin Voyages travel agent, and we are sharing the real experience: the good, the not so good, and what to actually expect before you book.
For context, we sailed Brilliant Lady's friends and family crossing from the UK to New York, 14 nights at sea. We have also booked a lot of clients on transatlantics, so we are pulling in their stories too.
The good: a transatlantic is the best chance you will ever get to truly learn the ship. We were on for 14 nights and still did not get through all the food and Happenings cast events until the final days.
You also get unique ports you would not normally hit. We stopped in the Azores (which I had honestly never even heard of) and a surprise port in La Coruña, Spain. Both were beautiful.
Another underrated perk is the people. Because everyone is on the ship for so many days, you keep running into the same sailors and actually get to know them. If you love being social, it's a great way to make real friends onboard.
Now the honest stuff. The weather. Virgin Voyages strategically schedules transatlantics in April and October because those are the smoothest weather windows. Ours was in August, which is not standard, because they were launching a new ship. We had a hurricane way offshore that still affected our sailing, and we got rerouted from Dublin to La Coruña.
One important thing to know: itinerary changes can happen on any sailing. If you booked a Shore Thing with Virgin Voyages, they handle all of that for you. If you booked independent excursions, you are on your own to rebook.
Real talk on rough seas: I get seasick easily. There were two days where my laptop slid off the desk in the middle of the night, and a Rockstar suite next door had glasses fall and shatter. I was wearing patches on both sides plus Dramamine. JC was totally fine. Seasickness affects everyone very differently.
One thing to know about cabin choice: your room location really matters. The front of the ship (where the XL Terraces are) feels the most movement. Central rooms on lower decks feel the least. If motion is a concern, choose carefully. We can help guide you on that.
Another helpful tip: the time zone changes are not a big deal at all. You move forward one hour at a time, slowly, across multiple days. No jet lag. Honestly, it makes you feel even more on vacation because you stop caring what time it is.
Worried about internet? Virgin uses Starlink. Fun fact: there are only 15 satellite receivers on the ship (yes, really), but service was solid out at sea because fewer people are fighting for bandwidth. I took video calls without any issues.
Will you get tired of the food? No. The menus are bigger than people think, and you can get creative. My favorite combo at The Dock is the shrimp mixed into the beet hummus with chips. The Galley also runs one-off specialty dishes that only show up once per sailing, so always check what they're making that day.
One thing to know about the crowd: transatlantics skew older. Not exclusively, but that's the reality, because not everyone can take 2+ weeks off plus the flight home. The Happenings cast adjusts the programming, so you'll see things like knitting classes, bridge, and earlier showtimes pop up.
This also means nightlife is more chill. The Manor will still open, but it will be quieter. One of our favorite nightlife sailors, John, did his first transatlantic and said his best day on Virgin Voyages was actually spent in his room doing ship eats and watching the ocean. That should tell you something.
Price wise, transatlantics are significantly cheaper per night than something like a Mediterranean sailing. They also book out early (people are reserving a year in advance), so if you are interested, do not wait.
Final thing to know: a transatlantic is best for people who love the ship itself, want to disconnect, and are okay with mostly sea days. If you live for non-stop ports and partying every night, this is probably not the one for you. But if it sounds dreamy, it really can be one of the best vacations you ever take.
Watch the full video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/HS3Zsq19N9c
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🏆 Top 10 Virgin Voyages First Mate Jason Carter
🔗 Learn more at www.BookWithCL.com
