For dinner on Thursday, we dressed to the nines and hit The Wake, the steakhouse on the ship. Let me start by saying I am a SNOB when it comes to clam chowder. As a New England native, I have incredibly high expectations. So, believe me when I say that the clam chowder at The Wake was, without a doubt, the best dish I ate on the entire cruise. I mean, seriously, this shit was good. The presentation elevated a typically lackluster-looking dish. Served in a shallow bowl, you are presented with chunks of potatoes, pieces of razor clams, bits of bacon, and drops of chive oil.
Then, the creamy, luscious broth is poured over the top to complete the dish. Additionally, I got the hamachi crudo, which was delightful: light and thinly sliced fish topped with a bright and zesty drizzle. It was a beautiful counterpart to the chowder.
After my mouthgasm was done, we moved on to the entrees. I decided to get the salmon while my cruise mates all got steaks. To be frank, the salmon was simply ok. It was well-cooked, but by the time I dug in, it was a bit cold. The grilled leeks and yogurt sauce were a delicious pairing, but it did not compare to the New York Strip my friend got.
For dessert, we split a variety of options. The baked Alaska came with pistachio ice cream, so I was a big fan of that. The Meyer lemon cheesecake had a beautiful presentation, but the texture was much more of a thick foam than a proper cheesecake. Additionally, we sampled an apple pie of sorts, which was good but nothing to write home about. The winner for me, though, was “The Wake” – a chocolate mousse over a shortbread crust with a salted caramel drizzle.
The chocolate was not overbearing, the caramel was deliciously balanced, and the crust added the perfect amount of texture. Paired with a port wine, which I am typically not the biggest fan of, the sweet treats ended the night perfectly.
Friday morning, we grabbed brunch at Razzle Dazzle, a contemporary American restaurant. The Nutty Gazpacho was an interesting dish, a chilled soup filled with tomato, cucumber, and, oddly, no nuts. We split the breakfast pizza, which was a large circle of watermelon topped with fruits, granola, nuts, and tofu cream. It was light, sweet, and quite refreshing.
For my real meal, I got the avocado toast because I am indeed a basic bitch. The presentation was beautiful, with thinly sliced watermelon radish on top. The avocado was delightfully creamy, and the bread was crispy. We then made our way to bingo with the diva. It was not your typical bingo, but the queen hosting kept the energy up and had a wonderful stage presence.
After brunch and bingo, it was time to prepare for our biggest night yet: Ibiza. We acquired tickets to see Calvin Harris at Ushaia and needed to be off the boat as quickly as possible to see the show. We got ready, pre-gamed a bit, and mentally prepared for a crazy night. Now, bear with me when I say this: I was underwhelmed. Well, more correctly, I was overwhelmed. The venue was oversold, drinks were overpriced, and in short, the night had been overhyped. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun evening with good music, but I’m not typically a fan of feeling like a sardine stuffed into a tin. Drinks were absolutely asinine in cost, but we made the most of it and made memories to last a lifetime.
Saturday morning, we slept in and tried to avoid our hangovers for as long as possible. However, our hunger eventually outweighed the headache, and we made our way to the Wake for brunch. I, of course, had to start with the clam chowder again. Paired with some sparkling wine, you wouldn’t imagine that creamy plus alcohol would be the perfect combination to ward off a hangover, but it did the trick. For my real breakfast, I indulged in steak and eggs – opting for the New York Strip that was delectable the last time we went. A hearty breakfast and the hair of the dog set us up for a successful rest of our day, and we lounged by the pool, soaking up the sunshine for the afternoon.
For dinner, we decided to keep it simple and hit the dining hall so everyone could get a bite of what they wanted. I, of course, had to hit up the sushi station again because I physically could not say no to a spicy tuna or cucumber avocado roll.
That evening the boat hosted their Goodbye Party and we had to go all out. The drinks were flowing, the music was bumping, and I was dancing. However, we did decide to be responsible and call it a (slightly) early night to make sure we were packed and would be able to disembark on time the next morning.
Sunday morning was a sad one, with final goodbyes to the boat, crew, and the trip as a whole. After catching a cab, we made our way to the airport and headed back home. My overall takeaway from the trip was that Virgin Cruises are incredible, and I mean that wholeheartedly. Having only been on one Norweigan Cruise prior to this (which I had an immense amount of fun on), this absolutely blew my expectations away. The staff were incredible and even remembered our name by day three; the events were over the top, and so was the food. The food was easily the highlight of the trip. I strongly recommend cruising with Virgin and checking our Barcelona if you’ve never been before.
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