2024 Activities and Entertainment on Virgin Voyages

Updated December 2023. It’s a sea day and you’re worried that you may be bored and stuck in your room. Fear not, Virgin has you covered. Here are the activities and entertainment on Virgin Voyages that will keep you entertained throughout your cruise. 

From shows, games, classes, and other activities, here are your entertainment options on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady. 

If retail therapy is your definition of entertainment, we have also created a post on Virgin Voyages shopping on the Scarlet Lady. This post is a part of our Virgin Voyages series. Click on the links below to read more about our Virgin Voyages cruise. 

Our Virgin Voyages Cruise Series – The Ultimate Guides

• Why book a Virgin Voyages Cruise
• Virgin Voyages Restaurants Guide – what restaurants are there and where to eat onboard
• The ultimate guide to Virgin Voyages activities on the ship/What to expect during Scarlet Night
• Port Guide and shore excursions in Costa Maya 
• Port guide and shore excursions in Bimini/What to expect at the Beach Club at Bimini
• Virgin Voyages Shopping Options

Our Other Cruise Travel Series

• Two weeks in Alaska
• Rhapsody of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruise Review)
• Holland America Alaska Cruise Review (MS Noordam)
• Our First Ever Cruise (Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas Review)

The Virgin Voyages Live Shows Onboard

Instead of Broadway-type shows common on other cruise lines, Virgin has some innovative shows available on board. Here are the shows to expect based on our Scarlet Lady sailing from Dec 2021. We will update this post on other shows from our newer sailings whenever we can. 

How to get tickets to Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady Shows 

You need a reservation in advance if a show is extremely popular. The only way to reserve spots is by booking on the Virgin Voyages app starting on your embarkation day. 

Some really popular shows require advance reservations, like Never Sleep Alone, where you would not be allowed to enter without a reservation. Other shows have a standby queue available where you can just wait and see if there are any seats available. 

Shows to watch in Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady (ranked in order)

If you have limited time, here are the best shows (in order) of what you should watch onboard: 

1. Never Sleep Alone
2. Duel Reality
3. Around the World in 80 Minutes with the Diva
4. Ships in the Night
5. Scarlet Night (more on that later)
6. Untitled Dance Show Party Thing 
7. Phantom Folktales (no longer being performed)

Shows to Watch on Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady (in order)

1. Duel Reality
2. It’s a Ship Show
3. Miss Behave Show
4. Around the World in 80 Minutes with the Diva
5. The Variety Show (changes, so the ranking can depend on which act you’ll get)
6. Untitled Dance Show Party Thing
7. Scarlet Night

What is the Never Sleep Alone show on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady? 

If you see a time slot available for Never Sleep Alone on the date you need or want, book it on the app immediately. This is the show that gets filled the quickest, and the most popular of the onboard shows. Performances happen multiple nights a week during the sailing, with times varying from early to late evening. 

What’s It’s a Ship Show on Virgin Voyages About?

On the Valiant Lady, there’s a new dinner and show called It’s a Ship Show. Held at the Manor multiple times during the cruise, you’ll be seated at a table and you can order a meal that consists of appetizers, an entree, and dessert. 

It’s A Ship Show is considered a variety show, you should expect singing, dancing, and surprise acts. When I went on my Valiant Lady cruise, there was a rollerskating duo, a balancing act from Europe, a sword balancer, and a few other carnival-style acts in my show. 

There are two to three choices for the entree, appetizer, and dessert. It is a set menu, so you won’t have much choice, given that you are expected to finish your meal within the 2-hour timeframe of the show. If you are vegetarian or vegan, mention it to the server and they can make accommodations for you. 

The earlier you queue up to get inside the venue, the better your seats are. 

How long is It’s A Ship Show?

The entire experience is two hours long, including the dinner and the show proper.  The food will be brought out in intervals, and they will clear your plates to keep the dining flow. The act usually starts with the band and the singer, and the specialty acts are shown later on. 

Do you need a reservation to watch the Ship Show?

Ideally, yes, but you can also walk in if they still have any spots left for the show. You can book a spot for a show whenever you get onboard the ship’s Wi-Fi by using the Virgin Voyages app. 

What to expect from Never Sleep Alone show

This is an interactive and very risque show, which may offend other members of the audience. 

As soon as you get in, staff will ask how adventurous you are feeling that evening and will assign your seat for you. Those who are feeling more adventurous get a front row seat to the show, while those who are not may be seated on the bleachers on Deck 7. 

In front of you are masks and condoms. If you get selected to participate onstage, you get a golden ticket that invites you to a private party with free alcohol after the show. If you win one of the tougher games, you may get a free Never Sleep Alone book, or a bottle of champagne to enjoy. 

Try to be adventurous and step out of your comfort zone 

It is worth it to sit up front so you will get the full experience of Never Sleep Alone. We honestly would not have been able to enjoy it as much as we did if we were not part of the show itself. 

The free booze that you get on the VIP afterparty from participating was great. You get to interact with the nurse, the doctor, and the magician, and this interaction led us to be invited to an exclusive purple room magic show hosted by the Charmer. 

That’s the thing with Virgin Voyages. The cruise line philosophy empowers guests to interact with staff members and fellow guests alike. You’ll never know what opportunities will open up! 

Prepare to be entertained on Never Sleep Alone

No wonder this show is one of the most popular onboard the ship. It is just too darned fun. We are not going to spoil what’s going to happen for people who want to watch but it is very entertaining, albeit in an 18+ way! 

What is the Ships in the Night show about?

A new show on Virgin Voyages ships. It was there when I cruised with them in September 2022 and again in December 2022. However, this show was not part of our first cruise in December 2021. 

This is a sit-down show usually held once on a 5-night cruise. Reserve seats for it when you see it come up on the app since seats are limited. You can, however, try to get in on standby, but they usually have a different line for folks who have reservations than standby. The show is held in the Red Room, and there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. 

The show is a mix of music and dancing, with a story in the middle. Those who have full-time jobs can relate. The start is an ode to working and that time is always ticking by much faster than you think. Of course, the vacation aspect should be there since you are on a cruise ship after all. 

I was confused at first when I first watched the show, but looks like they toned the story down a notch and made it more cohesive. It is really entertaining and you have to expect to spend around an hour watching the whole show.  

What is the Duel Reality show? 

Duel Reality is a Romeo and Juliet-type story told through Cirque du Soleil-type acts. The performers jump, glide, juggle, hula hoop, and show incredible gymnastics performances. 

The venue is at the Red Room, and you get either a red or a blue band when you enter, and signals which section of the audience you will sit in. These bands represent the different families like in Romeo and Juliet. Even the performers are divided into two factions! 

It’s best to sit on one of the top-tier seats to get a better view of what’s happening on the stage. The show is performed twice throughout a 5-day sailing and lasts approximately 1 hour. 

What is The Untitled Dance Show Party Thing Show? 

This show is a bit odd. We have never seen anything like it. The Red Room is transformed and the seats have been removed, leaving a stage that extends on the floor. 

The audience gets to hang around on the dance floor area and then the show starts. There’s a lot of electronic music, so if you like to dance, then it could be a great show. 

However, the stage moves around a lot. You never know when the stage will end up after it moves around a bunch. If you have mobility issues then this show may not be for you. 

Is it worth watching the Untitled Dance Show Party Thing? 

We have heard different feedback about the show. It’s a bit weird, the stage moves around a lot for you to really have fun and dance, but if you go with the flow then you can have fun yourself. There are loads of talented dancers on the show and the dance party continues even after the show itself. 

The show lasts for around an hour and there is usually 1 performance on a 5-night cruise. This is one show you can skip if you don’t like to dance or stand. I would still recommend watching it, just to check out what it’s about. 

I honestly wouldn’t repeat watching it again, especially if I’m cruising on my own. It’s just a lot of moving parts and it’s a show that’s hard to enjoy when traveling alone. 

What is the Phantom Folktales Show? 

Update – as of December 2022, the Phantom Folktales show is not performed on any Virgin Voyages cruise.

This show is probably the hardest to track since the performers just appear out of nowhere. These are singers and musicians who perform acapella songs and have props to accompany the songs. 

The performers invite select guests to make it an interactive and intimate performance. We happened across two of them randomly on the ship but were not lucky enough to be selected, we just watched. 

If you see the schedule on the app, you can try to find them, but it’s harder than it looks to try looking for them. 

What is Scarlet Night? 

Finally, we come to the biggest party show on the ship. When I was looking online for Scarlet Night to prepare, there was nothing, so this is my way of explaining what Scarlet Night is about. 

Scarlet Night happens once during the entire sailing. The date just shows up on the app, with a time and where to go. On our sailing, it said to go to Deck 7 at 9 pm and to wear a splash of red. 

A few minutes before 9 pm, we headed to Deck 7. A few hours ago, a few decorations were set up, so you’ll find Octopus tentacles on the roundabout and other floating decorations throughout the ship. 

What to expect on Scarlet Night on Virgin Voyages

At 9 pm, dancers started dancing around the roundabout area, and the best spot would be to hang out close to the stairs. Then you’ll see the performers. 

From there, the crew will shout out instructions on a megaphone. It will tell you to go to the Dock House, or whatnot, just depending on who you want to follow. 

Performers show up in various areas of the ship: dancers, singers, the cast of Duel Reality, The Happenings cast, and other cast members too. We managed to see all of them and we headed quickly back to the room to change my shoes. 

Note: wear comfortable shoes during Scarlet Night. There is a lot of walking and moving around involved. I’m telling you this now so you don’t make the same mistake I did! 

The culmination of Scarlet Night happens in the Red Room or on the pool deck. It just depends on which sailing you’re on. 

There is a super secret Scarlet Night event that happens

I’m not going to spoil the experience for anyone but you have to find a certain Happenings Cast member who will then lead you to the crew bar and you’ll end up with a free drink. Another story of Scarlet Night will be told, where spoiler alert: the sailor is not actually a sailor but is a pirate.

How you get invited to the super secret event changes. In my case, we got invited by the Charmer to find another Happenings Cast member at a certain time and where to find him. There is no official invitation, but you just need to interact with the cast members to get an invite.

Follow cast members around during Scarlet Night

Alternatively, you can get inside the super secret event by following specific cast members around the ship. Some of them may be capped to a few sailors and not everyone may be able to come in. This whole super secret event may be a bit of a turn-off to other people since it is not really that inclusive. They should have just given everybody a chance to learn the alternate story at the rotunda and given drinks out so everybody has a good time.

We can understand that some people get really confused during Scarlet Night since it’s not exactly a structured party. They leave it open for people to find something that they like, be it a karaoke with the Diva (a must-watch if you’re an introvert ), or watching the impromptu shows around the ship. For introverts who don’t exactly feel comfortable interacting with cast members all the time, well, it may be harder to break through and get that invite.

What is the backstory of Scarlet Night

Apparently, a fisherman got lost in the night as he was looking at the stars to navigate. He then met and fell in love with an Octopus (hence all the octopus decorations and the theme) and that’s how their magic happens. The Hostess sings a version of the Scarlet Night backstory during Scarlet Night and there are now explainers that happen the afternoon before the event.

Is Scarlet Night Good? 

I honestly thought it was a bit disorganized and was a bit confusing at first. No one knew exactly where to go and what to expect, and I guess that’s part of the charm of it. However, I got a bit annoyed that they expected a few hundred people to know and understand what the crew were saying on a flimsy megaphone. 

They could probably organize Scarlet Night a bit better, where performers will go to certain areas at certain times so people don’t necessarily have to wander around aimlessly not knowing what to expect. 

But don’t let my thoughts stop you from going to Scarlet Night.  We went, it was confusing, but fun nonetheless. 

Trivia time on Virgin Voyages 

If you are a fan of trivia, like we are, there’s trivia time available on various hours at the Loose Cannon. If there’s only 2 of you in your group, you may get matched to other groups waiting to play, so you may get to meet new friends onboard! 

It is seriously so fun to play trivia. We only won once, and we got free drinks from the Loose Cannon! 

There’s also an ice cream trivia that happens during sea days at the Rotunda on Deck 7 but it is a bit harder to win. We did not get selected for that game since they only need less than 6 players at a time. We did do a game show of sorts like these at a Holland America cruise from our 2 week trip in Alaska and won! 

Bingo at the Red Room during Sea Days

On sea days, you can opt to play Bingo at the Red Room. The bingo tickets cost anywhere from $30 to $55, which cover all the games. 

The crew handling the bingo games were very fun and entertaining. Think of the ticket fee as an entrance fee to another show or a fitness class which will entertain you for 2 hours. Not too bad. 

We did not win during the bingo, but a few lucky people did! They win actual cash from the ticket sales pot. Some of the cash prices are enough to cover the price of the cruise (or your next one)!

Live Music Onboard

At the Rotunda and in various places on the ship, you can listen to a few bands performing live music. These bands play at the Athletic Club, the Rotunda, the Manor, and the Dock House. 

Sometimes, one of the crew would be singing and performing at the Dock House. Other times, you will randomly come across some of the musicians who performed Phantom Folktales play on one of the music venues. 

The schedules and who plays vary, so you will have to check the app for the exact performance time. Some seats are limited, so you may need to come in a bit early to secure seats. 

Clubbing at the Manor and Live DJs on Deck 7

If you prefer to dance the night away as your form of entertainment onboard, then late nights at the Manor are for you. 

DJs and bands perform late at night until the wee hours of the morning. The manor can get pretty packed, and we were not really comfortable with that many people in a crowd at the same time during the pandemic so we mostly skipped clubbing and dancing. 

Fitness, Yoga, and other Exercise Classes onboard

Finally, Virgin Voyages has a lot of fitness classes onboard. A few of them are paid, while some are complimentary. You will need to reserve spots on the app since they go fairly quickly. 

We did not take one single fitness class during our cruise. A lot of these classes start early in the morning but we mostly sleep in or have plans on shore days. I’m also not a big fitness buff so I can’t really comment on how good these classes are. Maybe my husband will attend one of these classes on our next sailing. We will get back to you then. 

How to get free alcoholic drinks on Virgin Voyages

Want to play a little game? Here’s a list of how to get free alcohol on Virgin Voyages without having to pay for it from your bar tab. Think of this as part of your entertainment onboard. Here’s a list: 

1. Attend the sail away party for a free bubbly 
2. Get a free shot of soju when you dine at Gunbae
3. Get a free aperitif when you dine at Extra Virgin
4. Your team should win the trivia game at the Salty Cannon
5. Participate in the extra games during Bingo
6. Participate during the Never Sleep Alone show and get invited to the after party 
7. Volunteer when the Diva asks
8. Your team should win the Bimini beach club game to get free drinks at the bar
9. Pre-pay a bar tab of $300 and get $50 loaded on your tab for free. 

Ok, a lot of these free alcoholic drinks do require a bit of effort where you have to win some of the games in order to get your cocktail or beer. 

There are some ways to get free drinks just by participating or dining in a restaurant, which is easier to do since they’re a relatively low barrier to entry.

Which entertainment options are you most keen to experience on Virgin Voyages? 

If we missed out on a show or an experience during this post, feel free to let us know. Which show or entertainment option are you most interested in experiencing during your Virgin voyage! See you on the next cruise!