Cruise Line Temporarily Closes Shopping Areas on One Ship

Virgin Voyages has reached out to guests booked on upcoming sailings of Valiant Lady to inform them that onboard shopping will be limited during their cruise due to a refresh of the retail area. This does not impact other operations onboard, nor are any itineraries altered or boarding times adjusted.

Guests aboard Virgin Voyages’ second ship, Valiant Lady, will only have limited shopping opportunities in the coming weeks, according to an email sent to booked guests.

“The High Street will be undergoing a refresh, and as a result, there will be limited onboard shopping available during your voyage,” the email explained. “Our VV Brand Shop and the Necessities store will be open for the first part of your voyage, but other areas will remain closed throughout your time onboard.”

The High Street is the Deck 6 shopping mall aboard Virgin Voyages’ ships, and includes luxury retail options such as jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, handbags, and other merchandise.

The Necessities store will remain open, which offer basic sundries such as sunscreen, bathroom supplies, limited pharmacy items, and other essentials. The VV Brand Shop will also be open with the cruise line’s branded souvenir items such as t-shirts, bags, mugs, coasters, and other fun items that can be great keepsakes or gifts.

The email does note, however, that Necessities and the VV Brand Shop will only be open “for the first part of your voyage.”

While guests who forget something essential at home typically pick up the item in the first day or two of a cruise, travelers who are interested in Virgin Voyages souvenirs may want to shop sooner rather than later during their trip, or they risk the brand shop being closed.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the email concludes. “We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you soon!” At this time, no date has been given for when the full High Street shopping area will reopen.

Shopping on a Cruise

Many travelers enjoy shopping on cruises for great bargains at duty-free prices. While Valiant Lady may not be able to offer as wide a range of merchandise onboard for the time being, guests will still have some selection as well as abundant in-port shopping at each port of call.

The 110,000-gross-ton Valiant Lady is currently homeported from Miami, offering a variety of Caribbean cruises. The ship is due to reposition to Barcelona for the summer, however, and will offer 7-night Mediterranean cruises through October. She will leave Miami on a 15-night one-way cruise to Barcelona on April 22, 2023.

While in the Mediterranean, Valiant Lady will visit such stunning ports of call along the French Riviera as well as in Italy and Spain, depending on the departure date.

Refreshing the retail areas onboard may be related to the ship’s summer sailing season, changing to merchandise that will better appeal to European cruisers, offering more exclusive items less widely available in the region, or stocking up on seasonal items better suited for summer cruises.

The refresh may also be related to the announcement earlier this year that Virgin Voyages has switched retail partners. This may now be the time when some of that switch is finalized and new stores debut. If that is the case, a similar closure may soon be coming for the cruise line’s other ship, Scarlet Lady.

No matter where she is sailing, Valiant Lady offers guests an adults-only, yacht-like atmosphere with plenty of amazing experiences, extraordinary entertainment, and more. As many as 2,770 guests can be welcomed aboard each cruise, with 1,160 international crew members to provide spectacular service.