Our Mega Rockstar Vacation - Part 2: The Cruise!
Sailing as Mega Rockstars on Virgin Voyages
Embarkation Day: Mega Rockstar Mode Activated
This might be the most excited we’ve been for a vacation in a long time. We were about to sail in Virgin Voyages’ top suite category: Mega Rockstar! Here’s the post about how we got this suite if you're curious. And here are our previous Virgin cruise posts: Standard Balcony - November, 2024; Rockstar Suite- April, 2025
After a short lounge wait, we were the first group allowed to board the ship. Straight to Deck 15 we went, heading for our Gorgeous Suite.
The suite…
Once inside, we spent a good chunk of time oohing and ahhing over our home for the next seven nights. Then it was time to start exercising our free bar tab. Mega Rockstars not only get an in-room bar that’s restocked daily, but any drink under $25 anywhere on the ship is included. Off we went to begin Shawn’s mission: completing his Rum Challenge punch card. (Complete it and you get a special pin. We’re easily motivated by shiny objects.)
Naturally, our next stop was The Dock for tapas and cocktails. My personal favorite drink here is the Bees Please - mostly because it comes with a tiny clothespin holding the dried pear garnish. (I may have a collection of these now)
We also popped by Sip Lounge to try a couple of new cocktails before heading back to the suite. That’s where we met Dino, our butler, and our two fantastic housekeepers, Mamita and Aurora. They were a blast and didn’t bat an eye as we awkwardly discussed our laundry and bedding preferences like we were royalty on Downton Abbey.
Next up: the Sail Away Party! I love the energy of the Happenings Cast as they dance on deck while the ship pulls out of port. Although, I’ll admit this crowd felt a little more subdued compared to the US-based sailings we’ve done.
After that, it was off to one of the theaters to see Persephone, a show inspired by Greek mythology. The dancers, acrobats, and singers were ridiculously talented.
For our first dinner onboard, we were escorted to a window table just in time to watch the sunset as we sailed out to sea. Pretty perfect.
Day 2: At Sea (And… Fuzzy)
Our day started with Dino bringing our requested coffees, which we sipped on the balcony while listening to the waves. Then we walked the ship to get our steps in, showered, got ready, and had brunch.
Do I remember the rest of the day? Not really. Were there more cocktails? Absolutely.
Day 3: Kotor, Montenegro (And Cats)
We woke up early to watch the ship navigate the stunning channel leading to Kotor. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful places we’ve seen. Shawn squeezed in some hoop time and deck lounging while I took a million photos.
We wandered straight into Kotor’s old town, which is famous for its large feral cat population, a legacy from the plague years. Much like the cats in Athens, they were aloof, clearly well-fed by locals, and generally unimpressed with tourists wielding iPhones.
After a solid cat-spotting session, we joined a food tour (because… of course). It kicked off at the local market where we sampled meats, cheeses, and olives. Then we sat down for a classic Montenegrin lunch: charcuterie, roasted pepper and salted fish spreads, local mussels cooked in wine and garlic (amazing), and squid ink risotto. I was nervous about that last one - it looks like it should taste like asphalt - but it turned out mild and delicious.
By noon the heat was pretty intense, so after lunch we headed back to the ship. First though, we grabbed a stash of potato chips from a plaza shop, not for us, but for Dino, Mamita, and Aurora. They rarely get to leave the ship, but when they do they said they always try and find potato chips. Their faces when we handed over the snacks made it totally worth it - take care of the people who take care of you!
Back onboard? More cocktails, of course. That night we had dinner at Razzle Dazzle, the bistro-style restaurant. We had never had dinner here on previous cruises, only brunch, but this ended up becoming our favorite place due to the variety and outstanding service.
We ordered blue cheese burgers off the secret menu, Shawn got their caramel corn cocktail, and I had a lemon drop. We also gifted a bottle of bubbly to the couple at the next table. Mega Rockstars get two bottles a day, so why not spread the joy?
Day 4: Dubrovnik, Croatia (AKA King’s Landing)
We pulled into another jaw-droppingly gorgeous port, where most of the King’s Landing scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed.
A quick bus ride got us to the walled city. It’s incredibly well-preserved and just plain beautiful. It was also, yet again, hot enough to fry an egg on the cobblestones. We got there early to beat the worst of the heat and skipped the long walking tour in favor of exploring on our own. Bonus: more cats.
We grabbed drinks at a cafe overlooking the port and then hightailed it back to the air-conditioned ship for frozen espresso martinis.
Later, we grabbed pizzas (Virgin makes a solid pizza) and took them to The Dock for afternoon cocktails. My top pick: pepperoni, well done, with a drizzle of pesto.
Day 5: Corfu, Greece (And Too Many Kumquats)
Sunrise over the Greek Islands was stunning from our balcony.
Video taken from our balcony:
Shawn said this was his favorite port. We wandered through the old town and local markets. Corfu is all about kumquats, and they use them in everything. We bought some at the farmers market, and I may have eaten way more than necessary while cooling off with drinks.
Once again, the afternoon heat drove us back to the ship where I ordered a Miami Vice (half strawberry daiquiri, half piña colada). I drank it on our balcony while quietly feeling sorry for the people on the much older ship docked next to us.
That night was Scarlet Night, Virgin’s signature red-themed party. We dressed up and headed to dinner. Sadly, this was the one night I wasn’t feeling great. Too many kumquats? Possibly. So we had a cozy movie night in the room after dinner instead.
Day 6: At Sea (Also Fuzzy)
Did we start the day with brunch at the best table in The Wake? Yes.
Do I remember much else? No.
Were there cocktails? Without question.
There may have also been a secret magic show… but we’re not allowed to talk about that. 😉
Day 7: Mykonos, Greece (White Walls, Pink Pelican, and More Cats)
After brunch, we took a tender boat into port to explore Mykonos, a true Greek beauty with iconic white buildings and tiny winding streets.
This is where the ultra-rich come to play. Think Beverly Hills with ocean views. The shopping was… well… let’s just say, out of our league. Still, the town was a picturesque maze and we enjoyed wandering. It’s probably not a place we’d return to; it’s a little more glam than our usual vibe. But it’s undeniably gorgeous. Plus, cats. And a locally famous pink pelican.
Back onboard, we had a late lunch of tapas at The Dock while enjoying live music. Virgin never disappoints with musicians.
For our last night, we asked Dino to set up a private dinner on our balcony at sunset as we sailed away from the Greek Islands. Before dinner, we squeezed in one final round at On The Rocks with our favorite bartender, Nemanja.
Back at our suite, dinner was set and a surprise bottle of champagne was waiting on ice. Shawn ordered the special Beef Wellington, and I had a filet from The Wake with asparagus and a wedge salad. I can’t fully describe how special this dinner was; it’s one of those moments that stays with you forever.
Mega Rockstar vs. Regular Rockstar: Was It Worth It?
Since we’ve sailed as regular Rockstars before, we were curious how different the Mega Rockstar experience would feel. Here’s my totally subjective breakdown:
The Butler (Dino):
Dino could do things a Rockstar agent couldn’t:
Bring us specialty coffee at a set time
Arrange / set up the special balcony dinner
Get us any restaurant reservation we wanted
He was lovely, but honestly, we didn’t utilize him as much as we could have. Our Rockstar agent on our last cruise was fantastic, and with a little effort on our part, we could’ve replicated most of this.
The Booze:
Unlimited drinks were fun! We tried cocktails we normally wouldn’t and didn’t stress if we didn’t love one. The in-room bar? Barely touched it. Richard’s Rooftop? We only went a couple times. The free drinks during rooftop happy hour? Skipped them, because free drinks were everywhere already.
We (loosely) kept track of how many drinks we had, and calculated that if we were in a regular cabin we’d have to pre-purchase about $1,000 in bar tab to get a similar experience. If we were regular Rockstars, it would be a bit less than that because we would have spent more time at Richard’s Rooftop during the free cocktail hours and utilized the in-room bar.
If we were travelling with another couple who were not Mega Rockstars, this perk would have been fantastic (for them). We could have utilized our in room bar extensively, bought them drinks around the ship (we could each buy up to two drinks at a time), and shared bottles at dinners.
Unlimited Laundry:
Glorious! We did laundry almost daily, (if we got it in by 10am we had it back by 5pm), which was perfect for our two-week, carry-on-only trip. Plus, Dino made sure special washing instructions were followed (we wanted some things hung to dry.)
On a regular cruise, our loyalty perks give us two big bags of laundry for free, with extra bags at $50 each. If we were in a regular cabin we would have just been more strategic about laundry and made the 2 bags work.
Preferential Treatment:
We noticed a slight difference here. We got pulled out of restaurant lines, seated at prime tables, greeted by name, and managers checked in with us regularly.
That said, as Rockstars, we were still treated very well. We didn’t always get the best table, but we usually got a better than average one.
The Gorgeous Suite:
Size and layout were the big wins here. More living space, a proper sitting area, a huge balcony with cushioned lounge chairs.
We loved all the extra room, especially on a longer trip, but truthfully, we were also perfectly happy in the Seriously Suite as Rockstars.
Transportation:
Private luxury car service to and from the ship was a big perk. Virgin arranged pickup from our Airbnb in Athens and later from the port to the airport. It saved us hassle and felt fancy.
This could be replicated for $300–$400 with a little planning.
Would we go Mega Rockstar again?
Yes, but only if we scored a crazy good upgrade bid. Rockstar feels like a fancy enough upgrade for us. The difference between sailing in a standard balcony cabin and as a Rockstar is significant. The difference between Rockstar and Mega Rockstar was slightly less significant for us.
For any future cruises we book on Virgin, we’ll probably book a standard balcony and toss in an upgrade bid when we can. The only time we’d book Rockstar from the start would be for a bucket-list itinerary, like we did for our 2026 Panama Canal cruise.
Final Thoughts: We continue to be impressed with Virgin Voyages and haven’t grown tired of them yet. They’re jokingly referred to as the cruise line for people who hate cruising, and I can see why. They mitigate or eliminate almost every annoyance that you see on a typical cruise. The service, food and vibes are outstanding. We’re already looking forward to our next one!
You're always mega rock stars in my opinion, regardless of which cabin you're in 😘