Dining & Restaurants

Dining is where Virgin Voyages goes the hardest at being different from every other cruise line, and we say that as people who used to eat at midship buffets multiple times a day on other ships. There is no buffet on a Virgin Voyages ship. There is no upcharge for the "specialty" restaurants because there are no specialty restaurants — every venue is included in your fare. Twenty-plus restaurants, all included. We're Joel and Erin, and dining is the thing we get asked about most often.

Pink Agave is modern Mexican done at a level you don't expect on a ship. The dining room was designed by Tom Dixon, the cocktails are named after crimes (the "Forgery," the "Embezzlement"), and the dishes — duck enchiladas with mole, smoked octopus, the tableside guacamole — would hold their own in CDMX. This is our most-recommended first-night reservation.

Test Kitchen is the most sought-after reservation on every ship and for good reason. It's part culinary lab, part chef's-table experience, and the menu is built around technique and seasonality rather than crowd-pleasing. The seared scallop alone has its own following. Book this the day you book your voyage.

The Wake is the closest thing VV has to a traditional fine-dining steakhouse, and the move is to book a late dinner so you're sitting at the floor-to-ceiling aft windows after sunset. Filet mignon, lobster, oysters, the works.

Extra Virgin is Italian, with housemade pasta you can watch being rolled. The cacio e pepe and the bolognese are the moves. Razzle Dazzle is maximalist vegetarian (with a "naughty" side menu that does have meat) — wildly fun room, wildly fun food, great for brunch the morning after a late night. The Galley is the food-hall-style spot for casual meals: tacos, ramen, burgers, pizza, all stations included. Gunbae is Korean barbecue with grills built into the tables and a drinking game tradition the staff will absolutely walk you through.

The Reservation Strategy Joel and Erin Actually Use

Here's how we book dining, and what we tell every First-Mate client. The moment your booking is confirmed and reservations open (typically 45 days before sailing, earlier for some fares), get into the Sailor app and book in this order: Test Kitchen first (it sells out within hours on a full ship), then Pink Agave (next most popular), then The Wake, then everything else. If you're traveling as a couple, aim for 7:30 or 8:00 PM windows — earlier and later both go quickly, but the mid-prime times have more two-tops.

If you don't get the reservation you want, check the app daily from the moment you board. People cancel. The night of, walk up to the host stand 15 minutes before opening — restaurants frequently seat walk-ups, especially solos and couples. The Galley is always walk-in, and the food is better than the "food court" framing suggests.

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