Honest Opinion of Virgin Voyages Vegan Options

In this vegan Virgin Voyages guide, I’m sharing my honest opinions about each restaurant on board, the Bimini Beach Club menu, and the overall experience of dining on a Virgin Voyages ship as a vegan. If you’re a vegetarian or plant-based person wondering whether or not to book a cruise with Virgin, this guide should help you decide. If you have any questions at all, leave them in the comments at the bottom of this article. Also, check out my other Virgin Voyages guides before your first sailing.

Before you read on, make sure to bookmark these other Virgin Voyages guides to prep for your sailing:

★ Virgin Voyages Dress Code + Scarlet Night Outfit Ideas
★ The Ultimate Virgin Voyages Packing List
★ Virgin Voyages Drink Package (Bar Tab) Review + Drink Prices
★ 7 Insider Tips to Enjoy Virgin Voyages’ Beach Club at Bimini
★ Virgin Voyages Spa Prices + Thermal Suite Pass Guide
★ Cruise Port Guides

Beautiful vegan lunch at Virgin Voyages’ Beach Club at Bimini

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Virgin Voyages: Best Cruise Line for Vegans?

Virgin Voyages is unlike any other cruise line. Their ships offer a lot of perks that other cruise lines can’t compete with, like all-inclusive food and adults-only sailings. Virgin also stands out as being markedly accommodating for vegans, vegetarians, and folks with other food restrictions like gluten-free.

All four Virgin Voyages ships—the Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and Brilliant Lady—have twenty dining options. Most eateries have clearly labeled vegan options, and the Virgin Voyages crew told me they can accommodate vegans at every restaurant. 

I found this to be 99% true. Some of the seemingly least vegan-friendly restaurants onboard had the most delicious vegan food. But not all Virgin Voyages restaurants are equal. Sadly, one place I was looking forward to (the Dock House) did not have any vegan options during my cruise. With all that in mind, I’m sharing my honest opinion of each spot based on my experience on an 8-night Eastern Caribbean Antilles cruise in 2023.

This guide includes an overview of the vegan options on Virgin Voyages restaurant menus, information about the Ship Eats delivery service and my favorite vegan meals that are not listed on any Virgin Voyages menus.

Lovely view from our table at Extra Virgin, one of our favorite Virgin Voyages restaurants

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Vegan Virgin Voyages Guide

I never thought I’d go on a cruise, but the new and supposedly vegan-friendly cruise line Virgin Voyages made me change my mind. With all-inclusive dining, no children, and an innovative approach, Virgin Voyages has convinced many others to take their first cruise. Overall, I was satisfied with the Virgin Voyages’ vegan options on my 8-night Caribbean cruise. Still, I also have quite a bit of constructive criticism for the Virgin team on improving their experience for vegans.

Before we go through each restaurant, I want to share a few quick tips for vegans, vegetarians, and other sailors with dietary restrictions. Virgin Voyages vegan tips:

• The in-app menus are not always accurate: Unfortunately, there were several discrepancies between the menus on Virgin’s app and in the restaurants. For instance, the Miso Udon bowl at Noodle Around is labeled as vegetarian on the app but labeled as vegan at the Galley. This made me distrust the app and check with servers before ordering anything. In addition, some menus were different on board as compared to the app—like the menu at the Dock House and the Sun Club Cafe, which both had completely different menu options.
• Vegan food is available at every eatery: As mentioned above, every restaurant has something for vegans, even if the menu says otherwise. I believe the same is true for gluten free options and other diets.
• Most crew members are very accommodating and understanding: I was impressed with the response of crew members when I mentioned being vegan. Most of the time, there was no confusion, just a confident “of course” response before they explained what they’d serve me. It’s clear that the crew is trained well to give folks with dietary restrictions a good experience.
• Plant-based protein is lacking: While Beyond Meat sausages and Impossible burgers are served at a few spots on the ship, and tofu is available at the Daily Mix salad bar, it felt difficult to get enough protein. I missed beans (which were available at the Daily Mix salad bar and almost nowhere else) and other wholesome sources of protein that I rely on at home. It felt like everything was carbs, carbs, carbs, and lots of oil. Near the end of my journey, I learned you can order a custom salad at the Daily Mix. If I’d known this before, I would have ordered a quinoa, tofu, and bean-rich salad with peanut dressing nearly every day.
• Meat eaters get so much more bang for their buck: Seeing other sailors ordering unlimited octopus, ribeye steaks, and other expensive meat, I felt a little ripped off. There is no way my meals of grilled vegetables, fried polenta, and avocado sushi even got close to matching the cost of the food served to meat eaters. I wish there were a way to pay less as a vegan, but I know that will never happen. Still, it’s something to keep in mind as you consider whether to book a Virgin Voyages cruise.

Dining at Extra Virgin on the Valiant Lady

Virgin Voyages Restaurants that Require Reservations

Virgin Voyages ships have six restaurants that require reservations. However, you can also show up and see if they can seat you. My husband and I could usually get a seat if we showed up for dinner around 6pm.

Extra Virgin

Our dinner at Extra Virgin was our favorite meal on board the Valiant Lady. The “main course” they served us was our least favorite part (mediocre pasta with red sauce), but everything else was delectable. Our absolute favorite was the crispy artichoke. You must try it! The online Extra Virgin menu had no vegan options, but please do yourself a favor and make a reservation!

Extra Virgin Menu Vegan Options: Fluffy vegan focaccia with olive oil and balsamic, Crispy artichoke (served with a vegan pesto instead of the caper aioli), wholesome Ribollita soup (served without cheese), Brussel sprout chile polenta with hazelnuts, and pasta with red sauce.

Extra Virgin Dining Experience: The restaurant space feels like a mix between a hole-in-the-wall Italian spot and an elevated restaurant. The atmosphere is joyful and relaxing. The staff were very happy to make a delicious vegan dinner.

Gunbae

Gunbae was another one of my favorite places to eat on board, and again, it did not seem to be very vegan-friendly based on the menu. Gunbae is a social dining experience where you’re seated with other people, and some (but not all) food is cooked right before you. There is also a lighthearted Korean drinking game involved. I was shocked when they brought out fresh oyster mushrooms and eggplant for my husband and me, and our table mates asked for grilled veggies as well because they looked so good.

The star of the show at Gunbae: grilled mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini

Gunbae Menu Vegan Options: Kimchi and mung bean pancake, freshly grilled oyster mushrooms and other veggies, seaweed salad, vegan bibimbap (without egg), and japchae stir fried noodles (without egg).

Gunbae Dining Experience: My husband and I (both vegan) enjoyed eating at Gunbae, but there are a few things to know beforehand. First, meat may be cooked in front of you. But the server asked us if this was okay ahead of time and made sure to cook our veggies first. Second, there is a drinking game involved. If you lose the game, you’re supposed to drink a small amount of soju. There isn’t any pressure to join the game if you don’t want to.

Razzle Dazle

Razzle Dazzle has a “naughty” menu and “nice” menu. Virgin describes the “nice” menu as options that “skew toward plant-based vegetarian dishes”. While Razzle Dazle had a few more options that other restaurants, it wasn’t significantly different. It’s open for brunch and dinner, but I prefer dining at Razzle Dazzle for brunch since there are a few more plant-based options in the morning. My husband and I like to custom order our food by asking for non-vegan menu items made vegan. For example, my husband’s go-to order at Razzle Dazzle is Razzle Dazzle Breakfast (typically served with eggs) made vegan. It includes a sage Impossible patty, roasted mushrooms, and potatoes. We thought the Impossible Burger was mediocre and the roasted cauliflower was too bitter. However, we loved the avo toast, mushroom tartare, nutty gazpacho, banana muffin, and vegan blueberry green tea cheesecake.

Razzle Dazzle Menu Vegan Options (Brunch): Fresh juices, avocado toast, mushroom tartare, banana muffin, nutty gazpacho, acai bowl (made vegan), Razzle Dazzle breakfast (made vegan), Impossible burger, sliced fruit, fries.

Razzle Dazzle Menu Vegan Options (Dinner): Mushroom tartare, nutty gazpacho, whole roasted heirloom cauliflower, Impossible burger, fries, blistered shishito peppers, and more if you get creative.

The Wake

The Wake was my least favorite restaurant on board, but it may still be worth visiting for its delicious vegan coconut panna cotta dessert. I only visited for dinner (the Wake is also open for brunch), but they served my husband and me several vegan-friendly brunch menu items at dinner. The Fennel and Citrus salad was refreshing but served without a salad dressing. The Crispy Polenta was difficult to eat because it was so oily (and not very tasty). Looking at their menu now, I wonder if the crew could make something different with the ingredients available—like their brown butter roasted wild mushrooms without the butter or asparagus without the non-vegan sauce. However, since they didn’t even offer us oil or vinegar to dress our salad, it felt like they were the least accommodating restaurant on the ship.

The best plant-based option at the Wake—the mouthwateringly delicious coconut panna cotta

The Wake Virgin Voyages Menu Options for Vegans: Crispy polenta (the same as the “egg” in a hole dish served at brunch), fresh fries, citrus salad (without salad dressing), and coconut panna cotta.

The Wake Dining Experience: Besides the disappointing food, a big reason why I didn’t like dining at The Wake was that everyone around us was sucking bone marrow straight out of bones. It seemed to be the most popular menu item. I don’t consider myself uptight about seeing other people eat meat, but this crossed the line a bit for me. I also felt like the dining area smelled a little off-putting—likely from the bone marrow and other non-vegan dishes served at the Wake.

Pink Agave

I was slightly disappointed with the Pink Agave menu options after eating incredible vegan Mexican food in places like Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Tulum. But for normal people who didn’t board their Virgin Voyages cruise after living in Mexico for several months, Pink Agave is a decent dinner spot. I enjoyed the guacamole with pomegranate seeds, esquites (without aioli), vegan chile relleno, and chocolate tamale. However, I found myself hungry later and had to grab a vegan pizza (thankfully, Virgin Voyages is all-inclusive!)

Vegan-friendly chocolate tamale dessert at Pink Agave on the Valiant Lady

Pink Agave Vegan Options: Relleno vegano (poblano chile stuffed with potatoes and corn), esquites (grilled corn; order without the aioli), guacamole, and chocolate tamale for dessert.

A Note About Pink Agave Drinks: I was so excited when I saw agua fresca on the menu. Agua fresca is typically fresh fruit (or herbs) blended with water and sugar. But the Agua fresca at Pink Agave was just an artificial fruit syrup mixed with water. I’d recommend avoiding it.

The Test Kitchen

The Test Kitchen serves a six-course tasting menu that usually switches halfway through the cruise. They always have a six-course plant-based option available. The servers and chefs at the Test Kitchen are incredibly friendly and happily explain each course as they bring them out. It wasn’t my favorite food, but eating at the Test Kitchen was an enjoyable experience.

The Test Kitchen Menu Vegan Options: The menu changes once in the middle of the cruise. The first vegan menu includes a bright, creamy gazpacho, smoked peas with olive oil “caviar,” asparagus panna cotta (pictured above), a vegetable tart (pictured above), mandarin sorbet served in orange peel, and coconut cake. The second vegan menu includes a tomato cake, smoked tofu, beet ravioli, barley risotto with pumpkin, and the same desserts from the first menu.

Related: Is Priority Pass Worth it for Vegans?

Virgin Voyages Restaurants Without Reservations

The following eateries do not require reservations. Although the dining experience is a bit better at the restaurants requiring reservations, it’s easier to grab a quick meal at these spots.

The PIzza Place

My husband and I each ate a whole personal pizza almost daily on our 8-day Virgin Voyages cruise. The vegan pizza is surprisingly delicious and can easily be customized beyond the menu’s basic (but delicious) version. My favorite way to enjoy their pizza was to order the vegan pizza—which comes with a delicious fluffy crust, flavor-packed tomato sauce, vegan cheese, and arugula—and ask for truffle oil on top. Then I’d add some chili flakes. It is heavenly! The Pizza Place does have a dining area, but I preferred to order pizza to go and enjoy it somewhere else on the ship—typically outside or in my room.

Delicious vegan pizza from the Pizza Place on Virgin Voyages cruises

The Pizza Place Menu Vegan Options: Vegan pizza, which comes with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, and arugula. Create a custom menu by asking for toppings on the other pizzas—like truffle oil, roasted garlic, etc.

The Galley

The Galley is basically a food court with nine different individual restaurants. You sit down and look at a menu with options at all the different Galley eateries. Then order from a server. It is nice to have a diversity of cuisines in one spot, but it really doesn’t feel like nine separate restaurants since the menu for each place is so limited. However, you can get several decent vegan options and some great grab-and-go meals at the Galley.

Overview of vegan options in the Galley
*My husband and I typically ordered several items from a diversity of eateries at once to create a full meal°

The Daily Mix Menu: Bagels with “non-dairy spread” (margarine), jam, peanut butter, or other toppings. Spinach and Quinoa bowl (highly recommended) or Mixed Green Salad. *Near the end of my cruise I realized that you can walk up to the Daily Mix and order a custom salad*

Burger Bar Menu: Impossible Burger made vegan (the menu says that the Impossible Burger is vegan, but it is not—it has Swiss cheese). Side of fries.

Dinner & Dash Menu: Side of vegan sausage (Beyond Meat sausage), hash browns, sweet potato tots, roasted tomato, toast.

Bento Baby Menu: Tropical fruit bento box, cucumber avocado roll.

Let’s Taco Bout It Menu: No vegan options (unless you order something off the menu like the avocado taco made vegan).

Noodle Around Menu: Miso udon (may or may not be vegan—there are discrepancies between the online and in-person menus, so I didn’t try it).

Hot Off the Press Menu: Avocado toast (my husband thought this was a mediocre avocado toast—the Razzle Dazzle avo toast is much better). Crunchy PB&J brioche and grilled vegetable sandwich.

Grounds Club Too Menu: Lattes, espresso, chai, and matcha lattes. All can be made with non-dairy milk.

The Sun Club Café

Located on Deck 16, above the pool, the Sun Club Cafe is a Hawaiian-style spot with casual seating. The menu on Virgin Voyage’s app and the menu at the cafe were significantly different, but we loved the vegan option they had (oyster mushroom bao buns).

Sun Club Cafe Menu: Oyster mushroom bao with pickled vegetables and peanut sauce (my experience on the Valiant Lady). Ahimi quinoa mushroom bowl (according to the Virgin Voyages app).

The Social Club

The Social Club is a fun part of the ship with tons of board games, an arcade, a foosball table, two air hockey tables, and other games. The menu is limited, but includes a vegan hot dog (Beyond Beef Sausage) with a vegan sauce, bun, and jalapeños.

The Dock House

I was very excited to try the vegan options at the Dock House. The menu on the Virgin Voyages app included some of my favorite Middle Eastern food like falafel, baba ghanoush, muhammara, and more. But once I was on board, I noticed that the menu didn’t have any of these options—only non-vegan dishes like octopus, shrimp, and more. However, I found muhammara (labeled as walnut and pomegranate dip) at one of the grab-and-go refrigerators near the Dock House.

Even though the vegan options at the Dock House were limited (or nonexistent), it was still a great hang-out spot with comfy seating, good vibes, and a more chill crowd than in other areas of the ship. During my cruise, the bar at the Dock House and a few other bars offered a selection of complimentary drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) each day from 4-5pm.

Virgin Voyages Vegan Food at the Beach Club at Bimini

All Virgin Voyages Caribbean cruises stop at the Beach Club at Bimini in the Bahamas. Lunch at the Bimini Beach Club is included, and there are several vegan options. It’s important to note that lunch is the only meal served at the Bimini Beach Club, starting around 11:30am (check with your cruise crew to be sure of the start time). My husband and I rushed to the beach club first thing when we docked at Bimini before getting breakfast, only to find out that food wouldn’t be available for a few hours.

Vegan lunch for two people at Virgin Voyages’ Beach Club at Bimini

Beach Club at Bimini Menu (Plant-Based Options): Vegan West Indian pumpkin curry (not super flavorful, but not terrible), rice and beans (honestly our favorite after getting so little protein on the cruise), grilled corn (order without the mayo), tropical fruit salad, salad, and crispy cassava with spicy mango mustard. Please note that the watermelon and jicama is not vegan.

Bimini Beach Club Tip: Arrive early to get a front-row seat by the ocean

Vegan Grab and Go Snacks on the Valiant Lady & Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages ships have several grab-and-go stations around the ship—namely by the Dock House and inside the Galley. Some of the vegan grab-and-go meals and snacks include;

• Overnight oats with fresh fruit
• Walnut pomegranate dip (muhammara)
• Date power bars (I loved these)
• Avocado and cucumber sushi box
• Tropical bento box
• Simple salad with vegan vinaigrette

Virgin Voyages Vegan Desserts

Most (but not all) restaurants on board have vegan desserts. Some of my favorites included:

• Vegan blueberry matcha cheesecake at Razzle Dazzle
• Chocolate tart with fresh fruit in the Galley
• Coconut cake at the Test Kitchen
• Chocolate tamale at Pink Agave
• Vegan sorbets at Lick Me Till Ice Cream

Vegan Virgin Voyages Ship Eats Delivery Options

“Ship Eats” is Virgin Voyages’ version of room service. Though the app, you can have a small selection of menu options delivered to your room or somewhere else on the ship. Although all the food is free, a delivery fee is added for Ship Eats unless you order a drink. To save on the delivery fee, just add a cheap drink to your order.

When I was on the ship, the only vegan options on Ship Eats were popcorn and a vegan blueberry matcha cheesecake from Razzle Dazzle (which is delicious).

Final Thoughts: The Virgin Voyages Vegan Experience

As I said at this guide’s beginning, I never thought I’d go on a cruise. I also thought my first sailing on Virgin would probably be my last—just an experiment where I’d try something. But somehow, I’m already itching to go back for more. As an avid traveler, cruising doesn’t feel like the type of travel I’m used to, but it is a nice way to relax, meet friendly people, and stop at a few new countries along the way.

While not perfect, Virgin Voyages’ vegan options made it easy for me to enjoy my first all-inclusive vacation. I hope to see Virgin expand upon their current menus in the future to create an even better experience for plant-based sailors. For now, I’m impressed with the cruise line’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment for vegans on board.

Check out upcoming Virgin Voyages sailings and deals on Cruise Critic