When Virgin Voyages splashed onto the cruise scene in 2020, it promised to shake up the industry. Richard Branson’s cruise line seemed like it was full of hot air, but when I sailed, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it lives up to the hype, especially when it comes to Virgin Voyages’ food options and restaurants on board.
Virgin Voyages’ dining is in a class of its own. It’s rare that a non-luxury (read: not all-inclusive) cruise line has such a wide range of complimentary food. In fact, passengers can dine at every single onboard restaurant for free — something you won’t find on other mainstream ships. (The only exception is a dinner theater-style dining experience, which takes place in the nightclub on Resilient Lady.)
Another dining element that makes Virgin unique is that its ships don’t have buffets. Instead, they have food court areas that house several counters and kiosks. Some are walk-up-and-order options, while others will send waiters to your table to ask what you’d like.
Beet pierogi from Razzle Dazzle on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
The variety is also impressive. Virgin Voyages’ restaurant menus feature a range of cuisines, including Italian, Mexican and Korean, plus vegan options and even a bit of molecular gastronomy. And don’t even get me started on quality; it rivals what you’d find at any upscale shoreside restaurant that requires you to “know a guy” in order to snag a reservation.
Here’s everything you need to know about each place where you can grab a bite on board.
Note: Dining at all restaurants is included in Virgin Voyages’ cruise fares unless otherwise noted. There are extra-fee “Treat Yourself” menu items available at most restaurants; items and prices vary. Specialty coffee, tea and alcohol also cost extra. Virgin operates on a bar tab system for drinks, rather than offering drink packages. All restaurants are available on all of the line’s ships unless otherwise noted.
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Restaurants on Virgin Voyages Razzle Dazzle
Brunch and dinner
An Impossible burger from the brunch menu at Razzle Dazzle on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Vegetarians, rejoice. Razzle Dazzle — named for the confusing black-and-white paint style found on World War I ships — is the veggie-forward brainchild of Eric Kim Haugen, a judge on Food Network’s “Big Restaurant Bet.” Offering brunch and dinner, the restaurant features menus with creative choices for cruisers who stay away from meat.
For brunch, try the avocado toast with sriracha, watermelon radish, finger lime and toasted seeds; the nutty gazpacho with cucumbers, peppers, marcona almonds and roasted garlic croutons; and the Impossible burger with poblano salsa, paprika veganaise, avocado and fries. (You can substitute a salad, but the fries are delicious and cutely served in a vessel designed to look like a crushed black Solo cup.)
For dinner, explore options like avocado green goddess salad, and fried green tomatoes and okra with chili-lime spice and chili-herb sauce as starters. Consider Nashville hot cauliflower with plant-based ranch sauce and beet-stuffed pierogi as mains. There are also not-so-secret meat and fish dishes on the menu, including snapper, slow-cooked lamb shank and an extra-charge seafood boil for $50.
Pink Agave
Dinner only
Guacamole with chips and chicken enchiladas at Pink Agave on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
What would a trendy ship be without a Mexican restaurant? You enter Pink Agave through a lit-glass archway to find a dark and swanky space that feels a bit like something out of old Miami. The eatery offers upscale Mexican fare with a mezcal-heavy drink menu, all designed by famed chef and Phoenix food scene legend Silvana Salcido Esparza of the Barrio Cafe.
The selections are divided into three sizes: small plates, medium plates and large plates. Start simple, and try the absolutely out-of-this-world guacamole. Then, move on to the black bean soup and chicken enchiladas while you wait for the cochinita pibil (marinated smoked pork with sour orange habanero pico de gallo).
Or, instead, opt for dishes like grilled corn with spicy aioli and lime, seared shrimp with mole and new potatoes, a vegan roasted corn- and russet potato-stuffed poblano pepper or roasted duck with mole and smoked yam puree.
Extra Virgin
Dinner only
A meatball appetizer from Extra Virgin on Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Extra Virgin, Resilient Lady’s Italian restaurant, is a cozy space with a slightly upscale feel. Make sure to show up hungry because, in true Italian style, there are five courses: antipasto, affettati misti (an Italian cured meat platter), secondo, pasta and dessert.
You won’t want to miss the braised miniature meatballs; they’re delightful, complemented by smoked mozzarella, tomato sauce and pancetta. Follow them up with the affettati misti cheese board of Parmesan, Romano and Gorgonzola and an order of vegetarian Brussels sprouts with polenta, chiles and hazelnuts. The potato gnocchi with mushrooms, spinach and truffle butter sauce is simply magical.
For dessert, waiters bring an affogato cart to each table, offering ice cream topped with espresso. There’s also an extensive drink list with various wines and cocktails, including the ever-popular Aperol spritz.
Gunbae
Dinner only
Starters at Gunbae, the Korean barbecue restaurant on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Gunbae is a Korean barbecue restaurant created by renowned New York City chef Sohui Kim. Tables can accommodate six to eight people with seating in circular booths, each of which surrounds a central grill where waiters cook your food right in front of you.
Options include small bites like nori rice crisps, seaweed salad, kimchi and mung bean pancakes, and a mixed seafood corn dog; bowls that feature rice or noodles mixed with vegetables or kimchi stew with pork belly; and mains that consist of grilled items like a mushroom and seasonal veggie combo, squid and octopus with shrimp, marinated beef short ribs and a chef’s combo of short ribs, pork belly and shrimp.
Soft serve in sikhye (a sweet flavor made with malt and rice) and black sesame varieties is also offered with black sesame granola, miniature marshmallows and miso caramel for dessert.
While you enjoy your starters — a series of small bowls of seaweed-style salad that everyone receives — your waiter will lead you in drinking games, complete with complimentary sake. Other specialty drinks are available for a fee. You can also pay to purchase elevated items, such as wagyu beef, which is delicious and comes with a $45 surcharge.
Related: Order Champagne on Virgin Voyages ships by shaking your phone
Test Kitchen
Dinner only
A beet dish that was one of six courses during dinner at Test Kitchen on Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Test Kitchen is a lablike restaurant that focuses on presentation with some molecular gastronomy elements mixed in. The two menus, which alternate to provide different experiences on each voyage, were designed by chef Matt Lambert of New York City’s The Musket Room.
Menus consist of just a few simple items like corn, salmon, beetroot, choice of shrimp or lamb, asparagus and strawberry — with a dish prepared around each. Examples include cornbread with spreadable garlic and onion-corn custard; sugar-marinated salmon with cucumbers; beetroot ravioli with pesto and cashews; lamb and eggplant with zucchini or shrimp tagliatelle pasta with jumbo shrimp and tomatoes in lobster broth; asparagus sorbet with a sauce made of egg yolk, cream and Champagne, topped with ginger; and a strawberry dessert.
Vegetarian substitutions are also available.
The Wake
Brunch and dinner
Avocado Benedict from the brunch menu at The Wake on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
For seasoned cruisers missing a more traditional main dining room experience, The Wake hits closest to the mark, offering a 1960s steakhouse vibe. Meat and seafood are on the menus for both brunch and dinner, although some dishes carry an extra charge.
For brunch, check out the brioche French toast with caramelized bananas, toasted pecans and whipped creme fraiche, as well as the avocado Benedict. Other menu options might include clam chowder, fennel and citrus salad, poached shrimp, steak and eggs, and other Benedicts featuring soft-shell crab and crispy pork belly.
For dinner, expect dishes like clam chowder, corn custard and black bean salad, and roasted bone marrow as starters; crispy polenta, shrimp and grits, roasted salmon, chicken, filet mignon and lamb chops for mains; and sides of roasted mushrooms with butter, asparagus, creamed spinach, french fries and more.
For an extra fee, cruisers can also purchase a tomahawk steak for $75 or items from the restaurant’s raw bar.
The Galley
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Desserts from The Galley on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
If you’re looking for other casual options or grab-and-go fare, The Galley is for you. Designed to mimic a food court, The Galley is the closest thing Virgin’s ships have to a buffet, minus the self-serve setup (excluding the prepackaged grab-and-go items). You’ll either belly up to one of several counters preparing selections like sushi from Bento Baby, salads from The Daily Mix and tacos from Let’s Taco Bout It or sit down so a member of the waitstaff can come to you to take your order.
Want breakfast all day? Your go-to will be Diner & Dash, which will cook up made-to-order eggs and omelets with bacon and other trimmings. Craving a noodle bowl, burgers, a panini, a for-fee specialty coffee or a dessert that’s as gorgeous as it is delectable? You’ll find all of that, respectively, in The Galley’s Noodle Around, Burger Bar, Hot Off the Press, Grounds Club Too and The Sweet Side.
Room service
$5 per delivery; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
For a nominal per-delivery fee, room service can be ordered to your cabin 24 hours a day via the Virgin Voyages app or by calling the ship’s room service number from your in-room phone.
Breakfast is available daily from 5 to 11 a.m. and includes items like scrambled eggs, frittatas, stuffed French toast, fruit, cereal, baked goods and yogurt.
The rest of the time (11 to 5 a.m.), passengers can choose from a range of starters, mains, desserts and snacks that might include chicken noodle soup, beet hummus, a charcuterie and cheese plate, roasted cauliflower steak, a cheddar cheeseburger, roasted bass, roasted chicken breast, grilled New York strip, cake pops, cheesecake, popcorn, gummy bears and chocolate-covered pretzels.
Drinks are also available, and they’re charged at the same prices as they are elsewhere on board.
Related: Why there are no drink packages on Virgin Voyages ships
‘Another Rose’
$50 per person; dinner only
The vegetarian celery apple bomb appetizer at “Another Rose” on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Resilient Lady’s only for-fee dining option is a dinner theater show called “Another Rose,” which takes up residence in The Manor nightclub on a couple of nights each cruise. For $50 per person, passengers can choose from one of three seating options: balcony, floor or floor near the stage. For that price, they receive a 90-minute show that unfolds all around them as they indulge in a four-course set meal (including three drinks).
The menu offers cruisers two appetizers (sweet potato chaat with tamarind, cilantro-mint chutney, yogurt and pomegranate seeds; and a tuna bomb with avocado green goddess dressing, spicy soy and semolina puri), a main course (a choice of pan-roasted sea bass with moilee sauce, basmati rice grit and roasted okra; or braised short rib with Kashmir chili-coconut sauce, basmati rice grit and scallions) and a dessert — the world’s tiniest piece of cheesecake.
There’s also a vegetarian menu available.
The Pizza Place
Lunch and dinner
Pizzas from Pizza Place on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
This late-night haunt is perfect for ordering a pie or two after some dancing and drinks. The pies are slightly larger than a personal size, and they come in varieties like a classic version with tomato sauce and mozzarella, chicken pesto with red onions and fresh tomatoes, a white pie with three kinds of cheese, pepperoni and a vegan option with “cheese,” black pepper and arugula.
However, the best by a mile is the white truffle with egg — a pie with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, cracked black pepper and truffle oil topped with a runny egg.
The Social Club
Lunch, dinner and snacks
Unlimited complimentary candy is available nearly around the clock on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
The Social Club, found near the ships’ board game area and arcade, doles out free popcorn, soft pretzels, hot dogs, fudge, cake pops, cereal bars, Swedish fish, gummy bears, saltwater taffy and other candy that’s enough to keep you on a sugar high for days.
The atmosphere is a bit diner-esque, evoking the setting of a high school date. It’s a great place to order yourself a milkshake, with or without alcohol. (The latter costs extra.)
The Dock House and The Dock
Lunch and dinner
Mezze plates from Opa Hour at The Dock House on Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Other great options for a light meal or between-meal snacks include small plates or grab-and-go sandwiches and salads from The Dock House and The Dock. At night, snag a drink and complimentary evening mezze plates here.
Sun Club Cafe
Lunch and dinner
This outdoor walk-up window overlooking the pool deck offers yummy bowls with a base of cauliflower rice or mixed greens and a choice of chicken, salmon poke and tuna. Diners can also opt for oyster mushroom or barbecue beef rib bao bun sandwiches or dips like maple carrot.
Grounds Club
Snacks
Iced coffee and a muffin from the Grounds Club on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
The Grounds Club is primarily a coffee shop where cruisers can purchase extra-fee specialty coffee drinks and teas. However, the cafe also serves free finger foods and pastries like cookies and muffins throughout the day.
Related: Every bar on Virgin Voyages ships, ranked
Lick Me Till … Ice Cream
Snacks
A cone of ice cream from Lick Me Till … Ice Cream on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
The ship’s cheekily named Lick Me Till … Ice Cream offers free scoops in flavors like espresso chip, butter pecan, key lime pie, raspberry beet and, of course, vanilla. Cones include classic, as well as chocolate and red velvet options.
Is all food on Virgin Voyages free? A salad from The Galley food court on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
All food on Virgin Voyages’ ships is free, with two exceptions. The first are “Treat Yourself” items, which show up on most restaurant menus and vary in price. The second is “Another Rose,” a for-fee dinner theater experience in The Manor nightclub on Resilient Lady; the cost is $50 per person. Otherwise, all food — even the line’s delicious ice cream — is included in the price of the cruise fare.
Do the menus change on Virgin Voyages? Fried green tomatoes from the Razzle Dazzle dinner menu on Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Menus do not change daily in the restaurants on Virgin Voyages’ ships. However, Test Kitchen does have two menus that alternate throughout each sailing, so you could eat there twice and not repeat a meal.
Otherwise, all menu items stay the same, but there are enough restaurants and enough variety to cater to cruisers whose palates are easily bored.
Is there a buffet on Virgin Voyages? Banana Nutella toast from The Galley on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
Virgin Voyages doesn’t have a buffet in a traditional sense. What it does have is a buffetlike food court area that’s divided up into several different restaurants that offer counter service. Either walk up and select something premade like boxed sushi, salads or desserts, or place an order for diner fare, burgers, noodle bowls, paninis and more.
What’s interesting is that, for some of the eateries, you choose a table and order from a menu when a member of the waitstaff appears. At others, you can sidle right up to the counter and place your order yourself.
Do I need reservations for Virgin Voyages restaurants? One of four courses served during “Another Rose,” a dinner theater show on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY
If you’re planning to eat at Razzle Dazzle, Pink Agave, Extra Virgin, Gunbae, Test Kitchen or The Wake, you’ll need to make reservations on the cruise line’s app to guarantee a seat. Reservations are also required for “Another Rose.”
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