Virgin Voyages Debuts Inaugural Eat & Drink Month

Virgin Voyages is announcing a new experience that is sure to take its cruises to the next level.

Virgin is introducing its first-ever Eat & Drink Month and the event is being launched in partnership with some of the world’s top names in food and beverage, including Michelin star chefs, Matt Lambert and Brad Farmerie, as well as with James Beard Award-nominated, Silvana Salcido Esparza and Sohui Kim. The event also includes Miami’s Unfiltered Hospitality and Charles Joly, beverage designer for the most recent Emmy Awards.

Eat & Drink Month will take place in November onboard the Scarlet Lady and the Valiant Lady.

“When Sailors step aboard one of our ships, they’re immediately drawn into a sensory experience centered around making sure we’re offering everyone who joins us the vacation of a lifetime,” said Virgin Voyages President and Chief Experience Officer, Nirmal Saverimuttu. “We have made-to-order culinary experiences in intimate eateries rather than mass-produced banquet food in big dining halls. Our food and drink menus were put together by award-winning chefs and mixologists who have taken their land-based gastronomy experience to our restaurants and cocktail bars on-board.”

Foodies and cocktail connoisseurs will be able to taste and sip their way around the Caribbean and Mexico during four- and five-night voyages on Scarlet Lady as well as six- and eight-night voyages on Virgin Voyages’ newest vessel, Valiant Lady.

Sailors will be treated to specialty cocktails and menu items, as well as bookable events priced between $15-$125/ per sailor, including elevated dinner and wine pairings, cooking demos and a sneak peek at a new menu launching in 2023.

In order to make it easy to participate and experience the new event, every booking in November includes a complimentary $300 bar tab that can be used for specialty cocktails or the brand’s unique Shake for Champagne feature, delivering bubbles to Sailors anywhere on the ship. One simple shake of a phone and Moët & Chandon is delivered on demand.

“We have created an incredible, award-winning product, and our food and drink continue to be a standout part of the experience,” noted Saverimuttu. “Of all the feedback we receive from past guests on TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic, two things stand apart above all else: our amazing Crew and the food & drinks. Eat & Drink Month is a way for us to turn up the heat and celebrate Sailors’ favorite part of coming aboard with a recurring event our guests can look forward to for years to come.”

Most of the Eat & Drink Month events are between $15 and $25. However, two events come in at more than $100. These include the Flavors Uncorked at The Wake and the Behind the Scenes experiences.

Behind the Scenes is a three-and-a-half-hour peek behind the velvet curtain to see how Virgin “Makes Ship Happen.” The tour includes 22 stops, including areas reserved for Crew as well as top-secret spaces you never knew existed. It is available only onboard the Scarlet Lady for $150 per sailor.

Flavors Uncorked at The Wake was created by Michelin star chef Brad Farmerie and is a four-course meal and elevated wine pairing at the ship’s The Wake eatery. The evening is a fall-inspired celebration with handpicked labels from Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards.

The other events during Eat & Drink Month include culinary demonstrations, tasting menus, cooking classes, learning opportunities and more.