Our CEO James Bacon, was invited to join Virgin Voyages for a cruise out of Miami in October. What he'd planned on being a great post IMEX trade show trip, proved a little treacherous due to Hurricane Milton's appearance prior to arriving into Miami.
Thankfully the only real impact was some heavy rain as we set sail from port. It was not enough to dampen the departure party - "We were certainly Singin' in the Rain!"
Can we really put our corporate group onboard a cruise ship?
A new face among traditional and established cruise lines - Virgin Voyages began in 2021. It currently boats four ships: Valiant Lady, Scarlet Lady, Brilliant Lady and Resilient Lady. Where the brand sets itself apart and it should come as no surprise with the Virgin brand. It is purely an adults-only line, meaning that no one under the age of 18 is allowed on their ships. Now that certainly has to appeal to meeting and incentive groups right?
There are a variety of itinerary lengths, depending on where you sail from. Ours was a five-day trip from Miami, departing on a Friday evening. Boarding is simple and stress free as long as you stick to your allotted time to board. The earliest embarkation time available is at 1:45 pm. For groups if you stick to your timings you can all be on board pretty rapidly and not be stuck in queues with luggage.
As we set sail from Miami around 17.45 where we were invited up to the pool deck for a welcome reception. DJ's, dancers and free flowing drinks of all kinds were in abundance as we left the grey rainy skies of Miami. A great way to start any event, we were off to the Caribbean and the last remnants of the hurricane was not going to dampen spirits.
**Valiant Lady is equipped with 1,404 cabins and suites, accommodating up to 2,762 sailors.
How does it work hosting your events on board?
Event Spaces:
If you're really willing to get creative (something we love at We Are MEaT) then you can literally use and turn any space on the ship into a meeting / event space. It may not look like your standard boardroom or conference area. But don't let that distract you from the fact it is fully capable to host all your meeting and conference needs. You're choosing Virgin as a brand for it's uniqueness, so by embracing that it will open up into a range of possibilities for meeting and event spaces.
There are some classical features - The Manor. A meeting space by day and club by night, the venue can hold 150 people on the main floor, plus another 50 on the balcony level. The largest event area is the Red Room which can accommodate up to 450 attendees in theater-style. The layout of the room is also flexible and can be arranged in a variety of formats.
Dining Options:
There are a total of 20 onboard dining outlets. Furthermore, all restaurants are available to everyone. As part of Virgin Voyages’ all-inclusive model, sailors are not required to purchase additional food packages or pay à la carte at certain eateries.
In addition to food, WIFI, gratuities and meeting spaces are all part of the flat rate. While Virgin Voyages cannot currently privatize the dining venues, they are planning to soon offer restaurant buyouts to groups. Their “sweet spot” is between 100 and 200 people to maximize the experience, but they have hosted events for around 900
What about team building activities and entertainment?
We had two offshore days, the first being in Puerto Plata, Domincan Republic. We awoke to beautiful sunshine and warm weather. There were a variety of excursion activities to choose from. Cultural tours, rum tasting to name a few. But if you have one day on the island, let's go all in and do the "Zip, Dive and Drive" activity. For those members of the group seeking adventure, adrenaline and memorable instagram experiences - this is for you!
We set off around 10.30am and headed into the island and up the mountain region. It was around an hour transfer maximum? We then set off on foot on a steep hike into the mountains where we saw some stunning views, zip wiring across the treetops, sliding and diving from waterfalls before heading back down for lunch.
After lunch it was out in ATV buggies through a variety of terrain to enjoy more sites of the island. Note - this activity you will need a level of fitness for. But you don't need to be super sporty to be able to enjoy this and it was a stunning memorable day!
Our second offshore day was in Bimini, Bahamas at Virgin's exclusive beach club. It was certainly a change of pace from the Dominican day! It was an amazing beach resort that had everything. Cabanas, sea, beach, DJs and a poolside area (for those who wanted to party a little more. What struck me with this activity is that it was a great blend between those who wanted to relax and chill around the beach, to those waiting to have a pool party. But even then, it wasn't a crazy Ibiza vibe pool party. More relaxed and fun times with everyone around.
What isn't there to love about a beach club day? With more and more requests from delegates attending events and incentives for more free time. This is a perfect option to experience all together and give the space and freedom to those wanting to relax and decompress.
When on ship, there is also no end of entertainment that is all included within your event. From high end shows similar to Cirque de Soleil, to comedy performances and some amazing bands. For those looking for something less formal, there are a range of bar areas where you can relax, maybe do some karaoke, or simply play on shuffleboard and retro arcade machines.
You can even just relax and enjoy a good book or a board game!
If you're needing something more lively, then every night from 11pm The Manor has a range of club nights to dance the night away. But the jewel in the crown for VV is their Scarlet Night.
From 19.30 onwards, each area of the ship gets transformed and everyone dresses up in their best hint of scarlet outfits - yes that means you too. Each hour the ship changes, impromptu acts appear across ship before it all culminates on the top deck. Here the party really begins with a club night style pool party, complete with DJs, acts and dancers. This night is so special and fun, especially how everyone really buys into this. It makes for an amazing evening for any group.
Key takes: Why Virgin Voyages for your next incentive or conference event?
Group Rates & Great Deals: For every 10 cabins booked, receive 1 complimentary cabin voyage fare
Sailor Loot: Enjoy up to $200 in Sailor Loot per Cabin*
Flexibility: Change the name on your voyage up to 72 hours before you head out if you can’t make it, or want to change whoever is sailing with.
The Hook Up: CMI sailings are provided with AV equipment, meeting space with refreshment stations, and a dedicated operations team.
And here are additional reasons why your cruise attendees will enjoy a Virgin Voyages trip:
Award-winning, adults-only modern ships
Unmatched dining options
Exciting and diverse shore excursions
Daytime shipboard happenings
Themed evening celebrations
All-inclusive pricing
With more corporate groups focussed on budgets and more attendees wanting free time and experiences. An all inclusive cruise is a perfect way to blend both needs when it comes to planning your next conference, meeting or incentive.
Do you want something different, current, memorable, instagramable, engaging and fun for your next event? Then you should really consider a cruise option. At the very least get it in the planning discussions when looking at options. Virgin Voyages rips up the rule book and your perception of cruising.
Let's discuss how an all inclusive cruise can work for your next conference, forum or incentive event. Get in touch, we’d be more than happy to talk through it with you.
Follow the We Are MEaT team across our travels and experience via posts on LinkedIn. Facebook and Instagram (@WeAreMEAT)
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