My Partner and I Cruised to Paradise on Virgin's First True-Crime Sailing—Here's How It Went

Leaving from sunny Miami, the two of us sailed aboard Virgin's Valiant Lady for five nights, stopping in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and at Virgin's Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas. The sailing included spooky offerings, true-crime podcast recordings and enough theme parties that we each had to check an extra large bag.

Here my review of the Valiant Lady and Virgin's True-Crime Voyage.

The pools are gorgeous, the deck is spacious, the lounges are roomy and comfortable. In short, the Valiant Lady is a great ship.

Just strolling around the ship (it took about a day before we were no longer getting lost), we stumbled upon live entertainment, lively bars featuring craft cocktails and eye-popping architecture (like the grand, mid-ship center staircase).

A few favorite spots? Sip is a swanky Champagne lounge with ample seating and an even more ample drink selection. We spent several nights sipping a glass of bubbles pre-dinner or pre-show at Sip.

The Manor, the ship's nightclub, is also a very cool space. Whether you're there to dance the night away or take in a drag performance, it is the place to be each night. And save time for a photo in the twinkle lights-mirror hallway on the way in.

I loved the way that Virgin dealt with food. Most cruise ships feature a generic restaurant with timed seating or the option of a crowded buffet upstairs. Not Virgin. There are only specialty restaurants, which are included in the sailing. Simply make a reservation and show up in your flashiest cruise attire.

The food is varied and quite good. There's a chop-house called The Wake, a Mexican spot called Pink Agave and Korean BBQ at Gunbae. All of it is spectacular. But my fave has to be Extra Virgin, where you can wine and dine Italian-style.

Oh, and in place of a buffet upstairs, the Valiant Lady has a food hall featuring everything from spicy ramen to specialty burgers. And in perhaps the most genius of moves, there are plastic to-go containers so you can grab and go, taking a snack or a meal with you to a different location on the ship (no balancing awkward cafeteria trays here).

And our sailing included some spooky-inspired desserts that tasted just as good as they looked.

I have to say, we really leaned into the onboard activities and I'm so glad we did. There are a ton of options and each one we participated in was a hit.

We loved doing a sip and paint class where we showed off our "art skills," Halloween-style. (Maybe we won't win any awards, but the bubbly was flowing and we got to go home with a unique souvenir.)

Allow me to also recommend the bar crawl. For the true-crime sailing, there was a spookier theme to it, with all of the bar crawl attendees wearing masks. We bounced around from lounge to lounge, enjoying a unique signature cocktail at each one. (We obviously dressed up for the occasion. Who doesn't love a sequin blazer?)

And for those looking to meet people or make friends on the ship, the bar crawl was a great opportunity, as we were "required" to work with a stranger in a fun "get-to-know-you" scenario in order to earn each of our drinks. Trust me, it was fun and a stellar icebreaker.

Of course, I also highly recommend hitting up the shows, which are way different than your average cruise ship show. Do not miss Miss Behave (a wild comedy/game show).

I don't need a theme as an excuse to dress up (see my sequins above), but if there is one, I will participate.

On my sailing, we got pajama night, which was a spectacular choice in my book. We donned our comfiest loungewear and hit up the nightclub where The Diva (the ship's resident drag queen and entertainer) hosted a dance party.

Then, there was the famous Scarlet Night, where everyone wears red. The evening included a poolside performance by the entertainment team and ended with my fellow guests getting in the pool, clothes fully on, to take part in a dance party. While my partner and I stayed dry poolside, we absolutely took part in the dancing.

And since it was a true-crime sailing, timed with Halloween, there was a costume night. And people showed up with their looks. There was even a fun walk-off costume contest (I think my husband—who dressed as a Venus flytrap—was robbed of the win, but I may be biased.) The evening culminated with a Halloween dance party with spooky and festive costumes abound.

For this special themed sailing, three incredible podcasts joined us on board, and we were able to attend live tapings of each. We got to enjoy tapings from Buried Bones, Betrayal and Stuff They Don't Want You to Know.

The line to get into the theater was long to attend the tapings, so I recommend showing up to performances (with or without your cocktail) a bit early.

Full disclosure: My partner and I don't cruise for the destination. We cruise for the, well, cruise ship. So, sometimes (as with our stop in Dominican Republic) we don't exit the ship. We'll stay aboard and enjoy the fab amenities while the rest of the crowds head out for the day.

However, we never miss a beach day, and we were happy to disembark for The Beach Club at Bimini, a stunning beachfront property in the Bahamas. After a short shuttle ride, we arrived for all the fun and sun. There are multiple pools, loungers galore and every kind of frozen drink known the man. And, as with the onboard meals, the food is unique, tasty and far from "buffet style."

So, even if you're like us and you love a boat day, do not sleep on Bimini.

I know you're already splurging on a vacation, but if you can manage to splurge a little more, I highly recommend three upgrades to truly spoil yourself.

First of all, sail like a Rockstar. Not only do you get an upgraded room with this VIP status, but you get exclusive access to one of my favorite spots on the boat, Richard's Rooftop. This private lounge area and bar on the top deck offers relaxation in style. There are plentiful, uber comfy loungers, lots of umbrellas for the sun-averse and—most importantly—the vibes are much chiller than the party-centric main deck. (I like a party, but I also like a little time to read my book in peace.)

Rockstar status also means you board the boat early (and you avoid all the lines), get a private area at The Beach Club at Bimini and you get access to the free daily happy hour at Richard's (yes, Moët is on the HH menu—cheers!).

My other two upgrade recommendations include treating yourself to cabanas—one on the ship and the other at The Beach Club at Bimini.

The ship's cabana was spacious, comfy and shaded—and it came with a private server of course. One note: do not get a cabana while you're in port. The lack of movement by the ship means little-to-no breeze...which means it gets quite hot in the cabana. Instead, opt for one during an at-sea day.

And then, if you still have the urge for one more upgrade, book a cabana at Bimini. It was so lovely to sip Champagne in the shade while watching the lively game of pool volleyball in the distance. The cabanas are super close to the action for when you want to join in, but far enough away that you can relax with a capital "R". My partner and I loved it.

To avoid the stress that comes with flying into Miami on the day of your cruise, allow me to recommend arriving one day early. It will alleviate any worries about flight delays and get you into "vacation mode" a night before the ship departs.

My partner and I opted for the Kimpton EPIC, a gorgeous downtown Miami hotel with a huge pool area and a lively nightlife scene. We were treated like royalty, even receiving a bottle of bubbly and a little dessert in our room to help us kick off our anniversary trip. And we were able to enjoy all the comforts and perks we've come to expect from a Kimpton, like the free daily wine happy hour in the lobby.

And the EPIC was just minutes away from our cruise ship so we didn't have to wake up super early in order to commute to the Valiant Lady.

In case you couldn't tell, my partner and I had the best time sailing with Virgin, and we can't wait to do it again.

Learn more about Virgin Voyages' specialty cruises here.