33. And Just Like That we went on a Virgin Voyage

I’ve just returned from my second Virgin Voyages cruise and I’m sharing with you the five compelling reasons why Virgin Voyages and the Greek Island Glow itinerary are a match made in TV heaven for the 2024 Sex and the City fan cruise I have planned. Get ready to immerse yourself in the glamor, sophistication, and excitement that awaits on this once-in-a-lifetime cruise experience.

Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Episode 19: Jet-Setting with the Girls: Our Ideal 'Sex and the City' Vacay

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Transcript

Hello, friends. I am so excited that you are here to join me today on this newest episode of Let Me Adjust My Ears. Because today, we are going to explore the 5 compelling reasons why Virgin Voyages and the Greek island glow itinerary are a match made in TV heaven for the Sex and the City fan cruise that I am planning in June of 2024. Get ready to be swept off your feet by the luxurious experiences, the breathtaking Greek island destinations, and the vibrant itinerary and energy of this unforgettable Virgin Voyage. 

Now before I talk about those five reasons, I have to tell you about my very own virgin voyage which I just returned from. So weI, meaning myself and “Mr. Let Me Adjust My Ears,” aka my husband. We embarked in Miami. We had a sea day. We had a day in the Dominican Republic. And we had a day at the Bimini Beach Club, which is private beach club for Virgin Voyages on the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, and then we returned to Miami. So it's a 5 day cruise, and I will tell you all about it. And then, I will tell you exactly the 5 compelling reasons why I selected Virgin Voyages to be the location for all the fans of Sex and the City and fans of Cindy, Molly, and Richard to gather and debrief and gossip and spill tea 24/7, literally for 7 days, for fans of both Sex and City and And Just Like That. 

So let me tell you a little bit about my own voyage that I just mentioned, we went out of Miami. So this was actually my 2nd Virgin Voyage. And again, in full transparency, see. I have to tell you that the reason I went on a second one is because my first one was within the first 2 months of when Virgin Voyages started sailing. So the terminal V for Virgin that they have in Miami wasn't even finished yet, like, that's how new it was. And they were just getting their sea legs, pun intended. And so I wanted to go back and make sure that I had made the best choice possible for all of you who are coming with me for this phenomenal once in a lifetime cruise that I have planned in June. And so I can say with a 100% positivity that I made the absolute right choice, and that this cruise was so fun. 

So first again, we went out of Miami. So that's a home port for the Scarlet Lady. So Scarlet Lady was the first Virgin ship at sea. We're going to be going on the Resilient Lady, which she's gonna have new ship smell. She just went to sea in the Mediterranean in 2023. I mean, she's gonna be barely a year old when we board her. Now we won't board at a specific terminal the way Scarlet Lady and those out of Miami do. Let me just tell you, Virgin Voyages now has embarkation down to a science. 

So first of all, as soon as you get on, your rooms are ready, unlike another cruise line, Disney, that I wouldn't mention out loud. So you can fill out your health questionnaire. You can upload your passport photo. You can do everything that you need to do on the app. And the cool thing is, as soon as you are in the terminal, even if you can't board yet, as soon as you can sign on to the ship's Wi Fi. You can start booking your on-ship and onboard things that you wanna book, like, your spa appointments and your exercise classes, and your excursions both onboard and off board. So all of those things you can book as soon as you are signed on to the Wi Fi. And I found out a cool secret. You want to be on airplane mode, because you don't want the digital and the Wi Fi to be fighting one another. So as soon as you can, you want to get on that ship's wifi, and then you can book your dinner reservations. Anything that you weren't able to get in advance, you can get at that time. Very cool. Very cool. 

We didn't wanna get there too early because the earliest boarding time was at 2. So we didn't really wanna get there too early in case they wouldn't let us on, but I would say we got there about 2:20, and we were on by 2:30. We got there a little early. We got right on board. Our room was ready, but we decided to go right to the dining reservations kind of center and make sure we had all the dining reservations for all the specialty restaurants that we wanted. And then we went to our room, and we were able to be on the ship's Wi Fi, and we just started booking our exercise classes. It was great. It was so easy. 

But what was really cool was The Happenings cast greeted us as we got on board. Now I have to tell you all about the Happenings Cast, C-A-S-T, because Virgin Voyages does not have a cruise director. It's really cool. This is what they say about it. It says we threw out the rule book when it came to the role of the cruise director. Instead, that role is spread out among varying personalities on the ship, our Happenings Cast. So rather than hoping that an entire ship can jive with one personality, you have the option of gravitating toward a leader and other folks more up your alley. So they have 12 personable, outgoing, confident, and exceptional humans to share their talent, passion, and knowledge with all of you, all voyage long. 

So I have to tell you who these people are because I definitely gravitated towards a couple of them. And it really did honestly make a difference because those people that I gravitated towards definitely knew who I was, looked out for me, acknowledged me when I came in the room for trivia. They're super fun. So we have the hostess who's kind of the glamorous songstress and storyteller. She even has her own cabaret. We had the gamer, he was my favorite. And ladies, I'm sorry, he is easy on the eyes. He's very young, so I feel kind of gross saying that. But, oh, he was so cute. Now I follow him on Instagram. He was an expert in both digital and old-school games. So he did our trivia for us. He also understood our necessity to watch football. It was championship weekend. Ohio State, Michigan was on was Thanksgiving weekend, not championship weekend.

There's a charmer who's a magician. There is a balancer. So this person is kind of the yoga guru. It's an epic motivator and wellness warrior that sees the balancers. There's the foodie. The foodie is the gastronomic guru who kind of does your tastings. If you sign up for any of the onboard tastings or cocktail mixology, or they did one that was like a mixology and photography class. The foodie does those.

The diva is the resident drag queen, the life of every party, playful wit, fierce vocals, dazzling dance, and oh my god, she is a beauty. She was so skinny. She was phenomenal, our diva. There's a spark, an artist, a flair, a hype, and a bounce. So all of those different creatives all come together, and they all are part of the Happenings Cast. Really really fun way to have a “cruise director.”

So The Happenings cast are all out and about, and they're greeting you, and they're cheering for you, and they're dancing, and they're playing great music, and it just made the embarkation process super fun. Definitely gets you hyped up and ready to go.

So then after we did our dining reservations, we went to our suite, which as I said, all the rooms were ready by the time you get on board which was really really nice. And in fact, our luggage was even there the minute we got to our room which was phenomenal. And I did take pictures of the suite. They are already on Instagram. You can find them there. The link to my Instagram is definitely in the show notes. If you are not already following me, you should because our 12 days of December, 12 days of fabulous giveaways is going on by the time you hear this. And if you're not following me on Instagram, you can't win prizes, so you should be doing that.

But I have to say that that red hammock that is so famous, that is so photographed on every Virgin Voyage ship, and almost every cabin has one. It's truly as awesome as the photos. I mean, in the morning, I would wake up and I would take my morning coffee out on the hammock, and I would take my phone because I had Wi Fi, which is included in the price of the cruise. And I would share on social and check out the sports scores. I tried to stay away from the news because I just didn't wanna, you know, I was on a vacation, no downer news, and it was so fun and so restful. And I would take pictures of the ocean, which was so smooth and quiet. It was just amazing.

I did a reel. It's already on Instagram about what my favorite part of the ship was. It was the social club and the grounds club. It's on 7, which is kinda like the main deck. The grounds club has the amazing intelligentsia coffee. I even did a coffee cupping class while I was on board. Super cool kind of an onboard excursion, and it's all about how to taste and evaluate coffee beans. So that was fun.

And the social club is where the big two TV's are with ESPN. It's where the best popcorn is. They have red vines. They have adult milkshakes. It's just a super fun place. And that's also where the game room is. You should have seen a reel that I did about power lad and Wade and the Carrie being too scoot to scoot because that portion of the ship just had her written all over. It was so fun. And it's all free. Like, all the games in there are free. They also have board games like Monopoly or Battleship, and you can pull out the games and you can play those, and it's just a really cute spot on the ship. 

And then, of course, I went to the spa, did a really fun reel with the ladies in the spa because Charlotte would be so happy to be there. It is not a naked spa, so she doesn't have to worry that she didn't grow up in a naked house. It's not a naked spa. So I did 2 excursions on the ship. I did a backstage tour one day, which was like 3 and a half hours. We got to see everything like the laundry and the galleys and where they do the recycling as well as the bridge. So cool, the bridge. It was really fun, and that's also posted on my Instagram. And then I did the coffee cupping class that I mentioned just a second ago. 

Then I did one excursion off the ship in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and it was exclusive to Virgin Voyage. Sure the only way that you could take this particular excursion was to sign up through Virgin Voyages. It was a cooking class with Chef Rafael Vasquez, who is a very well known chef. He actually did Epcot's Food and Wine for 15 years. And the reason he does this excursion is because he is a personal chef and friend Richard Branson. So that was pretty exciting. 

And as a special for all of you who are listening, he sent us all the recipes that we “helped make,” and that we tasted the lunch, and I am going to post all of those in the Making Memories Insiders group on Facebook. So there'll be a link to that group on Facebook in the show notes, and then you can get all of those recipes downloaded. 

So I had just the best time. And Mr…(I call him Mr. Michele visits Mickey because that's my Instagram handle). But Mr. Let Me Adjust My Ears, didn't do any of those excursions with me, but he had a great time too because he really rested. He spent a lot of time in the gym taking exercise classes. He spent time napping or reading and he also spent some time on the balcony. So we both had a lot of fun. 

So remember my quiz episode, episode number 19, it's called Jet Setting with the girls, our ideal Sex and the City vacay. If you haven't listened to that, you definitely should because it talks about how each of the archetypes of Carrie, Mirando, Charlotte, and Samantha all sort of have their own “specific” Disney vacation products, but the beauty of that is is that really and truly, they each have their own vacation product, and Virgin Voyages encompasses all of them. This cruise and these ladies and their new friends as well. So Che, Lisa Todd Wexley, Seema, and Naya, all would love this cruise as well.

So if you haven't listened to it, and you just want the Reader's Digest version, I claim Carrie. I wrote the quiz. I am Carrie. Some may say I'm a little more Charlotte now than I used to be, but I'm still Carrie. Molly, you and I are gonna have to talk about why you think you're a Charlotte because I really, really believe I'm Carrie. So, Molly Rogers, for those who don't understand what I'm talking about, says she is most like Charlotte. So we're gonna have to figure that out for me. 

Okay. The first thing about Virgin Voyages and really why this cruise is ideal for the type of vacation that we are gonna have in June folks, is there are no kids. That is right. Samantha, in a woman's right to shoes, is not gonna have still worried about getting pesto thrown on her…what had to be a $1200 outfit, because you have to be 18 or older to sail on the ship. So when I was single, Woman's Right to Shoes was one of my favorite episodes because I really truly was Carrie in that episode. I was always buying the gifts. I was going to every shower. I was always a bridesmaid, and I hadn't been married, so I didn't have those being returned.

So Cindy Schupic was an executive producer on this episode and I can't wait to hear if any of her life experiences were included in that particular episode. So we're definitely gonna have to debrief on why Molly is Charlotte, and if Cindy had any life experiences that went into a woman's right to shoes. I'm gonna die if anybody actually ever had a kid spill something on them. That's gonna be hilarious. But it's not gonna happen on our cruise because there's no kids allowed. 

Okay. Yet another reason that this cruise and Virgin Voyages and the Greek Island Glow is spectacular for this is the food. Our gals were always at the latest and hottest spots, even if they're making their own souffle at home, AKA Naya, if it means they're going to bed angry, if you know, you know. 20+ eatery options on the ship, include specialty restaurants like The Wake, Razzle Dazzle which has a secret menu item, Gunbae which is Korean barbecue, and a group eating experience, and you play drinking games. Oh my lord, it was so much fun. I did a shot people. I did a shot. Pink Agave, which won an award for being the best restaurant at sea, Extra Virgin, which is, I'm sure in Greece, it's gonna be even more phenomenal, because they have a selection of olive oils. Then there's the gastronomic eatery called Test Kitchen. There's pizza place, lick me till ice cream, in a beautifully designed food hall where you can get everything you want either by browsing the different food stations, or you can sit down in order using the QR code. Our foodie friends from Sex and City and And Just Like That would want to try them all every day, all day long. You will not go hungry on the ship. There is something you can eat 24/7. 

Another reason that I think Virgin Voyages is great for fans of this show is the diversity. Everyone from X, Y and Me has a place on this ship. You bring your transparent self, whatever pronouns you use, you joined chief television critic, Richard Lawson for a frank discussion on how Sex and the City missed the boat on diversity, and if it has made up for it in the reboot, or is it just for show? I can't wait to ask that question. I really hope Richard takes that on. I'm really eager to hear what he says about diversity. And also Cindy, who was a writer and content producer, creative content producer, executive producer? We're gonna have to look at what Cindy's bio actually says, but she was all of those things. And I'm eager to hear what her take is on the diversity issue. 

And the shore things, the excursions. So I talked about the excursions that I did both on the ship and off the ship. But let me tell you, Lisa Todd Wexley and Charlotte, and you are going to get your charity kicks on, because every city has an excursion that gives back to the local community. On my sailing most recently, it was in the Dominican Republic. On Puerta Plata. It was called The Recycled Art Project, and it was an exclusive tour, and the women's coop recycles paper and transform those pieces into crafts, like notebook covers, paper birds, necklaces, and you learn all the steps of the process of the recycling, and then create the crafts that these women bring to life. And then, of course, they hope that you will buy some, and stat helps give back to the local community. 

Also, our particular sailing of the Greek island glow does have a cooking class very similar to the one that I took in Puerta Plata. It's a garden cooking class and then lunch. The chef in Greece, just like the chef that I saw, is a personal friend of Richard Branson, but also her father owns a vineyard. And so they do a wine pairing with it, and you get to taste the wines, and you get the recipes. So something I'm definitely going to do, and I'm hoping I get to convince one of our guest stars, one of our VIPs to do it with me, so that I get to spend more quality time with my pals, with my new friends. And because these excursions are exclusive to Virgin Voyage, no other cruise line gets to have these. We all get to feel like the VIPs that our ladies and their men and women are. It's all included. Everything I just talked about except the excursions are included. 

So you are gonna embark on the ultimate voyage. This cruise experience caters to our desires and fantasies as it encapsulates the essence of our favorite shows. From the moment we step on board, we are going to be immersed in a world of luxury, sophistication, Sex and the City and And just like that with our friends. We're gonna indulge in inclusive dining options, which are reminiscent of our characters' favorite spots. We're gonna sip on handcrafted cocktails, stylish bars, which are welcome happy hour with Richard, Cindy and Molly is included in the cost of your voyage. You can channel your inner cosmopolitan.

You get to stay connected with the WiFi that is included in the price of your voyage. So you can document your glamorous adventures. You can selfie all the way. You can share with your friends who are going to have FOMO. Take part in those rejuvenating exercise classes, offering you the opportunity to Stay Fit and Fabulous, just like our ladies and gents, the he, she, and theys. Tips are included, so you can relax and enjoy the exceptional service provided by the crew without worrying about having cash to pull out every time you order a drink. The tips are included. 

With immersive entertainment options, exclusive shopping experiences, luxurious amenities and a complete package of inclusions for this sailing with Richard, Molly, and Cindy, a Virgin Voyages cruise truly embodies the spirit of Sex and the City and And Just Like That. I promise you are going to make unforgettable memories, and you are going to live out your very own glamorous adventures. And until then, I will see you real soon.