To be honest – our group was really 70+. We were eight girlfriends, most of a group who have been gathering for a winter trip over the past 20 years. This year’s Virgin Cruise is our 16th trip.

Geographically, we live from Maryland to Miami, but we met during the past 25 years at our summer homes in the North Carolina mountains. Our trips used to center on golf, but those days have faded. Our getaways now focus on lots of talk, food, drinks, more talk, cards, and, most of all, laughter. We’ve been everywhere from Vegas, Jamaica, Santa Fe, Sea Island, and most resort areas in Florida. This was our third cruise, sailing on a 4-day voyage out of Miami to Key West and Bimini.

First, I have to report, the trip was fun. Yes, we were among the oldest on the Virgin Valiant Lady, but no one cared.

Virgin’s demographics skew young (but not too young, it’s adults only). They dine on trendy food, toss down assorted shots, and party like crazy. And they are technologically savvy. Most of our group are not.

There is, of course, an app you must have on your phone to check in or even board the ship. And, in the room, a tablet controls everything. There are no written instructions. It became a comedy to figure out if there were more than 4 movies available, any live news, a way to get hold of your cabin steward, or how to control the lights. I think I was the only one who knew you could change the ambient lighting to different “mood” colors.

The food in the restaurants was very good, and the Duel Reality show in the theater was extremely well done (Duel is not spelled wrong; it was a uniquely energetic interpretation of a Romeo & Juliet family feud). We enjoyed playing trivia, the campy show with drag queen “The Diva,” winning in the Casino (not me), complimentary Diet Coke, and some serious on-board jewelry shopping.

The Scarlet Night party and The Manor nightclub were fabulous for most passengers.  I was a voyeur for a while – observing all the fun at both locations. And those outfits! Everyone seriously dressed the part. The first night of the cruise, we skipped the big pajama party with surprise guest hip hop star Flo Rida. Believe it or not – I’ve seen Flo Rida, and I’m sure it was great. Watching young adults less than half my age party did make me feel younger – for just a little while anyway.

While in Bimini, we checked out the Beach Club just because we could. We might have been the only guests not wearing swimsuits (temps in the low 70s & breezy). It was very nice, beautiful in fact – but we headed back on the now deserted ship to get in a good, quiet game of canasta.

Sadly, through the years, we have lost three good friends, and four have lost husbands. We missed the gals who couldn’t join us this year and agreed we will do these trips as long as we can.  Being together is good for our health and sanity!

Don’t wait to spend quality time with your friends because you may never get the chance. Can’t wait to see where we end up next year.

Tips if you are a “mature” passenger on Virgin:

• Number 1: Find your Cabin steward and have them explain all the features in the room
• Try, try, try to make your dinner reservations in advance, if you have more than 6 in your group it’s not easy and you will have to make multiple reservations at the same time for parts of the group
• They don’t give you luggage tags, getting on and off the ship is super easy
• Don’t be shy about asking for what you need. You want ice – ask for it; prefer a printed version of the daily activity sheet, ask and you shall receive
• Accept the fact there will be loud music everywhere – after all, this is a Sir Richard Branson (of Virgin Records) ship
• Go to the Deck 15 food court to get your free morning coffee, they will charge you at other locations
• You can pick up a ship map at Sailor Services if the app isn’t working well (and it wasn’t)
• If you have status with another cruise line, Virgin will sometimes extend their basic status to you, but it must be arranged at least 2 weeks ahead of sailing
• Take your own salt shaker (food was often spicy, but never salty and finding a working shaker was a serious challenge)
• You don’t have to be off the ship until 10:30 AM, so it’s a much more relaxing final morning
• Soak up the vibe and channel feeling younger!