After its inaugural season in Athens, Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady is set to arrive in Australia to begin the season Down Under with her new homeport of Melbourne. 

This vessel is the third addition to the Virgin’s fleet and among the first adult-only cruise ships to sail in Australia. 

Resilient Lady made her debut in Greece in May 2023 via a seven-night voyage featuring the “Greek Island Glow” itinerary. 

Ship facts

Resilient Lady is a 17-deck, adults-only (no one under 18 years old) cruise ship with a gross tonnage of 110,000. 

This lady, which is capable of carrying a maximum of 2770 passengers and is serviced by 1160 crew members, is about one-third the size of the largest cruise ships on the high seas. 

Measuring 277m (909 feet) in length, Resilient Lady has 105 inside cabins and 1303 outside cabins. 

The ship’s largest and most luxurious staterooms are called the Rockstar Suites and were designed by Tom Dixon Design Research Studio. 

Suites and staterooms

• Resilient Lady staterooms are divided into 21 categories. They range from Solo Insider Cabins that measures 16 square metres with a maximum capacity of two passengers to the Massive Suite which measures 79 square metres and can accommodate up to six passengers.  

• The ship has a total of 1408 passenger staterooms including 78 of Suite, 1030 in Balcony, 95 Oceanview and 105 Interior. Meanwhile, the ship’s crew are housed in 813 cabins. 

• The “smart staterooms” that have mood lighting and sensors that automatically adjust the cabin’s lighting according to guests’ movements. 

• Most cabins have private step-out balconies and are serviced by the ship’s personal assistants called “Rockstar Coordinators”. 

• The ship also has accessible cabins specially designed for wheelchair users or those who have mobility limitations. Guests who do not need accessibility features may, at any time, be transferred to a standard cabin to accommodate guests with disabilities.

Live like a Rockstar

• Resilient Lady “Rockstar Suites” consist of Brilliant and Gorgeous Suites that measure 37 square metres. In addition, here are Posh Suites of 53 square metres, Fab Suites measuring 64 square metres and Massive Suites that neasure 79 square metres. These suites have a standard capacity of four passengers. Additionally, all these suites have balconies ranging from 16-24 square metres in size. 

• Guests booked in the Rockstar Suites have exclusive access to the VIP sundeck and bar called the Richard’s Rooftop.

• Other cabin options include Seriously, Cheeky and Sweet Aft Suites that can accommodate a maximum of two passengers. These suite areas range from 22-30 square metres and all have balconies. 

• The 1130 Sea Terrace staterooms range in size from 17-21 square metres, and can accommodate 3-4 passengers. Each cabin has a balcony that measures 4 square metres in size.

• The 89 Sea View Cabins also house three guests and each is an outside stateroom featuring a large porthole window.  

• The ship also has Insider cabins under three categories namely: The Insider measuring 17 square metres that can accommodate a maximum of 3 guests; the 2-passenger Social Insider with an area of 16 square metres; and the Solo Insider that can accommodate two guests also with an area of 16 square metres. All these Insider cabins are without windows or balconies. The Solo Insider is, though, bookable without a single supplement.  

Dining and culinary experience

Resilient Lady restaurants are all free with food included in the fare – even in specialty restaurants, counter service spots and in the main dining hall. They include: 

Pink Agave

From Frijol, Enchilada de Pollo, Relleno Vagano, to Cochinita Pibil, this Mexican-inspired restaurant serves different regional flavours of Mexico. 

Gunbae

For guests who are into grilled meat and soju drinking, this Korean restaurant hits the sweet spot. Gunbae’s menu includes small bites like Miyeok Muchin (seaweed salad, cucumber and shiitake mushrooms) , Japchae (stir-fried vegetables, egg ribbons and vermicelli noodles) and Korean BBQ. 

Razzle Dazzle

Vegetarian guests who long for classic American comfort food must not miss this place. Razzle Dazzle serves Mushroom “Tartare” and Nutty Gazpacho for starters, Heirloom Squash Ravioli and the Impossible Burger for mains, plus they also serve Black Garlic Bowtie Pasta. For meat-eaters there is fried chicken with buttered cholula hot sauce. In addition, Blueberry-Green Tea Vegan Cheesecake, Razzle Cake, and the Rainbow Churros comprise their dessert selection. 

Extra Virgin

This Italian trattoria serves regionally-inspired food with handmade pasta a highlighted. Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass and the Spatchcocked Grilled Young Chicken are part of the mains selection. Moreover, there’s an array of pasta dishes to choose from, like Potato Gnocchi and Spaghetti alle Vongole or the Nero Gemelli Seafood Pasta (mussels, shrimp, chili, with sea urchin sauce).

Resilient Lady also offers unique dining experience to its passengers like the one offered by The Test Kitchen which is both an eatery and a cooking school. There’s also the Dock where guests could enjoy a rosé menu and mezze bites. 

Onboard activities

Guests are in for a treat with a number of onboard activities and places to explore. 

There’s always the Aquatic Club, a pool deck created with the glam of a contemporary yacht. Pools at Resilient Lady are one of the ship’s chill-out hubs.

Being a good-times cruise ship, there’s no such thing as less spots to drink onboard Resilient Lady. Guests could even have their drinks delivered to them by just simply using the Virgin Voyages app. 

The two-deck, three-bar night club, The Manor, is one of the main performance venues of the ship. It provides events such as Another Rose and Lola’s Library. 

Another performance venue in the ship is the Red Room that has traditional theater seating design. It showcases ancient Greek tale acts like Persephone.

Guests shouldn’t also miss the Scarlet Night which consists of interactive games, pop-up circus performances, karaoke, and live music. The show culminates in a party at the main pool.

The Dock House also provides drag entertainment.

Resilient Lady deck plan

Being an adult-only cruise ship, Resilient Lady deck plan is designed to foster interactions be it among guests or between crew and passengers. 

The ship’s deck plan layout keeps high traffic areas from the staterooms. Although, at decks 5 and 15 there are staterooms situated together with some public spaces. 

The Razzle Dazzle, Redemption Spa, and the Pink Agave in deck 5 are together with the Insider staterooms. On the other hand,  the Aquatic Club, The Galley, and Gunbae resto are deck 15 with some of the “Rockstar Suites”.

Performance venues like The Manor and the Red Room are spanning from  decks 6 and 7. The Den, On the Rocks cave bar, The Casino, The Test Kitchen, and the Extra Virgin resto and wine bar are also housed in deck 6. 

Moreover, The Pizza Place, Ground Club, The Groupie Private Karaoke, and The Social Club are part of deck 7’s featured spots. 

Majority of the staterooms are located at decks 8 through 14. Additionally, only 6% of the total staterooms are interior which means that in almost any room, guests have a view of the sea. 

Deck 16 houses Richard’s Rooftop, a VIP sundeck and bar exclusive only for guests staying in Rockstar Suites. Additionally, this deck also features Sun Club Cafe, The Athletic Club, The Cabanas, and the Training Camp. 

Deck 17 houses The Runway (jogging track) and an outdoor yoga studio called The Perch. 

Resilient Lady’s deck plan can be viewed here. 

Why Resilient Lady?

Resilient Lady is in keeping with the Virgin brand where its adults-only vibe is reflected in the entire duration of the cruise journey. 

This lady caters to adults across generations be it the Millenials, the Gen Xs or even the Baby Boomers. It also targets the LGBTQ+ market which fosters fun, entertainment, and inclusivity. 

Onboard, almost everything is for free. Aside from a relatively fast free WiFi access, what sets Resilient Lady apart from others is its all-inclusive treat to creating a memorable cruise experience for its guests.