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Busy Weekends Recap

Posted on October 4, 2026 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.

I keep falling behind on the blog due to busy Weekends so this is going to be another catch up post. First, I volunteered at our work booth at the Kansas State Fair a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t really get to enjoy the fair because Brian didn’t want to come up. That and we had Zoobile the prior weekend and a pickleball tournament in Overland Park on the second weekend. We had work in between so there wasn’t really any time to go.

I was so focused on getting to Hutchinson early that I prepared my bag the night before. However, I forgot to throw the most important thing in there–my ticket. I grabbed my bag when I walked out in the morning and didn’t realize that my ticket was still on my desk until after I parked. I figured that I would probably just have to pay for a ticket for the day but when I explained the situation to the gate attendant, she just let me in. I guess I have a trustworthy face. LOL.

Actually, she was like, “Just remember to bring your ticket tomorrow.” I wasn’t volunteering any other days, but I wasn’t going to argue so I just said, “Yes, ma’am.”

I didn’t want my ticket to go to waste so, on our way out of town the next morning, we gave my ticket to the drive-thru person at Mokas. I figured that even if they couldn’t use it, then maybe they’ll run into someone going to the Kansas State Fair who could benefit from a free ticket. We weren’t running into anyone else likely to go because we were about to get stuck in the car for two and a half hours.

We went up to Overland Park for the APP Dillons Overland Park Open. First, we weren’t planning on going up. I kind of toyed with the idea of going up to spectate and cheer for friends who were playing but wasn’t particularly committed. However, due to the low registration numbers, they were giving away free tournament entries to various clubs. I got an offer to play for free through TapNPaddles and also through the Chicken N Pickle ambassador team.

I could have played in multiple events for free but, because I was at the Kansas State Fair on Friday, I really could only play on Sunday. I decided to roll the dice and signed up for 4.0 mixed doubles without a partner. As luck would have it, a friend from Kansas City (Isaiah Peel) also did not have a partner so we agreed to team up. The down side for us was that we had never really played together before and we didn’t really get a chance to have any practice games. But I wasn’t really too concerned because I wasn’t counting on playing. I was just grateful that I could.

Brian and I caught another lucky break in that the Holiday Inn Express next to the tournament venue is pet-friendly so Saki could go with us. Here’s a view of the tournament venue from our hotel room window.

We arrived at the hotel early and our room wasn’t ready so Brian dropped me off at the tournament while he waited in the lobby with Saki. The concierge was nice and let him check in shortly after noon. After he got Saki settled in our room, he grabbed some lunch and then came out to tournament to watch our friends and hang out with me.

Dinner that night was at Nick & Jake’s. Credit to our friend Susie Ternes for organizing. The next day a bunch of us had to play against one another in mixed doubles. There were three Wichita teams in our division–Branden Stephenson (Susie’s brother) and Stacie Myers, Craig and Kelly Balzer, and Susie and Keith Lietzke. Then there’s my team which is half Wichita, half Kansas City.

Duane came by the tournament on Sunday.

There were nine teams total and so they divided the teams into two pools. The Balzers and Branden and Stacie were in the pool with five teams and then Susie and Keith and my team were in the pool with four teams. I was glad that we weren’t all in the same pool because I’ve actually had that happen in past tournaments. Anyway, the format was such that only the top two teams in each pool would advance into the playoff bracket. In the end, only teams with Wichita players got to advance so our four teams got to complete for medals. Wichita ended up sweeping the podium with the Balzers taking first, Branden and Stacie taking second, and Keith and Susie taking third. I think my team ended up falling short of the podium because we were only half Wichita. LOL.

All jokes aside, I had a fantastic time at the tournament. Our division started late so Brian and Saki actually drove back to Wichita without me because we had to check out of our hotel and the indoor venue wasn’t pet-friendly. I hitched a ride home with Susie and Branden so it worked out that we all finished around the same time.

The tournament was held AdventHealth Sports Park, a brand new venue in the Bluhawk area of Overland Park. The indoor sports facility also has an ice skating rink and a massive arcade. Naturally, we had to play some games before we left because the Stephensons (specially Susie and Branden) are quite competitive.

The following weekend our friend Tom Grace came to visit and we all got our nails done together: me, Brian, and Chris Townley (our usual group) plus Tom. Susie even joined us–which worked out great because then it gave me a chance to watch the Paddles for Plates benefit tournament for the Kansas Food Bank at Chicken N Pickle. And, then I rode with her to the nail salon.

After nails, Susie had Somewhere Fest. Tom, Chris, Brian, and I had the drone festival at Exploration Place but we grabbed dinner at the Monarch before that. On Sunday we had a surprise birthday party at TapNPaddles for Kelly Balzer. It was another fantastic weekend.

This weekend, I took my sister to the hospital on Friday for her colonoscopy. Her husband Adam works late so I agreed to take her. Anyway, I was documenting this occasion because I thought it was her first one. I was quite disappointed to find out this is actually her second because she had a colonoscopy before while in her 30s.

Our friend Laurie Adams came to visit for the weekend and we celebrated her birthday at Newport Grill. We got to meet her friends Lindsey and Doug, who also live in Wichita, and her boyfriend Cale at dinner.

On Saturday, I ran the first InPickle Nation mini tournament of the fall season (which was a little tricky as I had a couple of no shows–thankfully, Pam Browning and Branden Waldschmidt who were already there playing in Harvey’s ladder group agreed to stay and play to complete our group). Laurie and Branden got paired for bracket and took second.

Brian and I met Adam and Jenni at the movies after IPN. Jenni got us tickets to watch the Forgotten Island, a Disney animated film based on Filipino folklore. It was the first time Brian and I had been to the movies in nearly 10 years and it reminded us of why we quit going. We should be good for another decade. LOL.

All jokes aside, the movie was really good. We laughed. We cried. We were thoroughly entertained. Highly recommend you go see it. I think it’s especially relevant because there were many Tagalog words used in the movie and Brian had recently learned some of the words through his Facebook reels.

Today, we’re chillin’ at home watching Championship Sunday. Watching pickleball tournaments on the TV is one of my favorite ways to relax after a busy week.

That pretty much catches us up. Until next time!

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Sixteen Days, Four Countries, and One Epic Voyage: Our Valiant Lady Adventure

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Ching under Travel.

Sixteen days. Four countries. Nine ports. One solar eclipse. More food, drinks, games, dancing, comedy, sightseeing, and questionable decisions than I can possibly remember.

Our adventure aboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady was far from perfect—but somehow, that made it even more memorable. From missing a riverboat in Dublin to watching the sky turn dark in the middle of the North Atlantic, from highland cows and castles to breweries and cathedrals, this was one heck of a vacation.

And, without a doubt, the best cruise we’ve ever taken.

Day 1: Let the Voyage Begin!

After all the planning, packing, and anticipation, we finally stepped aboard the Valiant Lady!

We kicked things off with the voyage kickoff party before heading to dinner at the Wake. Then came some adult coloring, a comedy show, and finally the PJ party.

Not a bad way to start a 16-day adventure.

Day 2: Getting to Know Our Home

Our first sea day was spent exploring the ship and discovering all the nooks and crannies of the Valiant Lady.

It was on this sea day that Brian discovered Virgin beer. Contrary to what you might think, it is not a non-alcoholic beer. It’s Virgin branded.

We found the pickleball court, shuffleboard, and the pink karaoke room.

There is a LOT to see and do on this ship, and we knew we had barely scratched the surface. Next up: Dublin!

Day 3: Dublin… or How We Literally Missed the Boat

I’m not one to complain, but Dublin was a bit of a disappointment.

We had high hopes because we had booked a riverboat tour. Unfortunately, getting off the ship required tenders, and the tender operation was running WAY behind.

By the time we finally made it ashore, we were an hour late. And, well… We literally missed the boat. Instead, we got a bus tour.

After sitting on a bus for a couple of hours, my period cramps were making me miserable and my butt was officially over bus seats. Brian had hoped to find a local pub for a proper pint, but by the time the tour was over, we just wanted to get back to the ship.

I took some Tylenol and decided to sleep it off. And sleep we did. We napped so hard that we missed several lectures I had really wanted to attend.

Thankfully, we eventually dragged ourselves out of bed in time to listen to some music before joining our group for a super fun dinner at Gunbae.

Dublin, we’ll be back. Do-over required.

By the way, we found out later that the delay had nothing to do with the tenders. A technical glitch caused several passengers to disappear from the ship’s system just as sailors were trying to disembark. Everything had to stop until the issue was fixed. Because of a special passport process, the ship was holding everyone’s passports while we were in Dublin, and our wristbands were also needed to reboard. If guests left before the system was restored, they could potentially be unable to get back on the ship—or even return home. So, frustrating as the delay was, it was absolutely critical that they resolved the problem before anyone could leave the ship.

Day 4: Highland Cows, Loch Lomond & Bagpipes

Scotland more than made up for our disappointing day in Dublin. We started with breakfast and a view before heading out to see highland cows and Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest freshwater loch (I think we call them lakes) by surface area, surrounded by dramatic mountains, forests, and picturesque villages.

We rode a motor coach (we call them tour busses in the US) to Monty’s Farm Park at Ardardan Estate in Cardross, Scotland. We saw various farm animals like sheep and goats but the highland cattle (they look like shaggy cows with horns) and adorable belted galloways (shaggy cows that look like big dogs) were the main attraction. Or should I say “mane” attraction? I’m such a dork.

After exploring the farm and enjoying some coffee, tea, and biscuits in the Ardardan tea room, we went back on the coach to go to Loch Lomond. The Saturday market was happening while we were there so there were lots of vendors and people. Brian got to sample some whiskey from one of the booths and we also witnessed some wrestling. It was an interesting day at the loch.

Afterward, we stopped for drinks at Scott’s at the port for some bevvies (Brian wanted a pint) before heading back to the ship.

Our return was perfectly Scottish: we were serenaded by bagpipers as the ship readied for departure. We got to watch the performance from our port-side balcony (Virgin calls them sea terraces) as we got ready for our dinner reservation at Test Kitchen. I’ll write a completely separate post about Test Kitchen because it was a really interesting dining experience.

Day 5: Liverpool on Foot

We decided to skip a formal excursion and explore Liverpool at our own pace. And what a day it was!

We started at Royal Albert Dock before walking to Liverpool Cathedral, which was easily the largest and most impressive cathedral we had ever seen.

From there, we wandered along Bold Street, saw the entrance to Chinatown, stopped for photos at St. Luke’s “Bombed Out” Church, and walked to the Beatles Story Museum.

The line was long, though, and our feet were getting tired, so we decided to skip the museum. Sometimes the best travel decision is knowing when you’ve had enough.

Back on the ship, Brian enjoyed his favorite beer at the Dock while I had a sangria. Then we napped—hard (again).

Dinner at Extra Virgin followed, along with the Griffin and Jones comedy/magic show. Fantastic day overall.

Day 6: Belfast & a Game of Thrones Adventure

We spent the day docked in Belfast, exploring the city and Northern Ireland countryside on our way to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour.

It was another great port day, but the fun didn’t stop when we returned to the ship.

We celebrated our anniversary with a special dinner at Ariya, followed by Around the World with the Diva, one of Valiant Lady’s many entertaining shows.

After four consecutive port days—Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool and Belfast—we were MORE than ready for a sea day. And maybe… just maybe… I’d finally get to play some pickleball!

Day 7: Pickleball, Chess & Way Too Much Clam Chowder

Sea day! The highlights included pickleball, chess, and several rounds of “Go F** Yourself” before dinner.

But my favorite story of the day involves a reservation mistake. When I booked our brunch and dinner reservations, I apparently forgot that I had already booked the Wake. So we had brunch at The Wake…

…and then dinner at the Wake. Twice. In one day.

Honestly, though, I’m not even mad because I love their clam chowder, and yes, I had it at both breakfast AND dinner.

After dinner, we watched the Magnets perform in the Red Room. We figured the late show wouldn’t be as crowded. We were wrong. It was packed.

I also missed the official Scarlet Night dance lesson earlier in the day—but that didn’t stop me from learning the dance anyway.

Day 8: Halfway There—and Eclipse Day!

Somehow, we were officially halfway through the voyage. And this wasn’t just any day. It was solar eclipse day!

The skies were cloudy where we were, so we didn’t get the spectacular view we had hoped for. But there was still something incredibly cool about watching the day turn into night for about four minutes.

Standing on a cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic while the world briefly went dark? Pretty unforgettable.

And now it was time for Iceland. Three ports. Three days. Let the adventure continue!

Day 9: Siglufjörður

Siglufjörður was our first Icelandic port.

We spent the day exploring at a leisurely pace—checking out a bakery and brewery, walking around the harbor, visiting the Herring Era Museum and Folk Music Center, and taking in the scenery.

We also squeezed in a comedy show before wandering around the ship and calling it a day. Small town. Big scenery. A very Icelandic kind of day.

Day 10: Whalebones, Rainbows & Breweries

In Ísafjörður, we walked around the harbor and discovered the famous whalebone arch. Of course, we had to take pictures on the rainbow path. And, because apparently every Icelandic port needs a brewery, we found another one.

Back aboard Valiant Lady, we had dinner at Extra Virgin, caught the early show, and ended the evening watching the sunset. Iceland was definitely delivering.

Day 11: Reykjavík & Scarlet Night

Our final Icelandic stop was Reykjavík. We packed a LOT into this day: Rainbow Street, the cathedral, the Phallic Museum, the Sun Voyager sculpture, Harpa, and plenty of wandering around the city.

Back on the ship, we had dinner at the Wake before seeing the Miss Behave Show.

We also learned the story behind the mysterious octopus tentacles.

And then came Scarlet Night. Dancing, music, costumes, and all the wonderfully chaotic energy that makes Virgin Voyages feel different from any other cruise line.

Day 12: Astronauts, Ice Cream & Dirty Laundry

Sea day—and somehow I spent most of it at the Manor. We started with brunch at the Wake because, naturally, I needed more clam chowder.

They also serve a layered crepe cake at breakfast, so obviously I had to try that too. Brian doesn’t really care for breakfast at the Wake, but he was a good sport and humored me.

Later, Becca and I took a Dance Remix class with Christian “the Spark” while the boys got creative with some art. Jay was painting with coffee while Brian colored.

Then came one of the coolest experiences of the entire trip: a lecture about the construction of the International Space Station presented by actual NASA astronauts Tony Antonelli and Pam Melroy. I totally geeked out.

Lunch was at the Pizza Place, where I finally tried the pizza after nearly the entire voyage had passed. Brian was happy because they also serve Virgin’s beer—which has officially become his new favorite. Then we grabbed ice cream at Lick Me Till Ice Cream.

Later, we returned to the Manor for the “Pay Attention!” game show, which was hilarious. Then came Dirty Laundry at the Social Club with Happenings Cast members Caitlyn “the Gamer” and Sammy “the Hype.”

Brian even earned a free drink for spilling some personal tea.

We ended the night at Club Caliente with a salsa and bachata lesson led by Sammy in his alter ego, Captain Caliente, and Megan “the Glow” aka Mami Caliente.

Another sea day. Another ridiculously full schedule.

Day 13: Dancing, Games & Happenings Cast Magic

This sea day was all about dancing and games. After breakfast, I headed to Zumba with Danica “the Balancer,” who I believe is taking over for AJ “the Balancer” from Happenings Cast 11.

Later, I played trivia hosted by Caitlyn “the Gamer”—not once, but twice. We lost both times. But we had fun, which counts for something, right?

We also played “Ready, Set, Draw,” caught part of “Sink Oar Swim,” and joined Lili’u “the Flare” for Dancing Through the Decades.

That evening, Brian and I watched “Love, Love, Love,” a show centered around love languages.

One of the unexpected highlights of this trip has been meeting the Happenings Cast 12 cast members who are taking over for their Happenings Cast 11 counterparts.

Every cast member I’ve met has been absolutely fabulous, and future Valiant Lady sailors are in for a treat.

Day 14: Edinburgh!

We finally made it to Edinburgh. Our all-day excursion included a panoramic bus tour of the city, lunch at Twenty Princes Street with an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle, and a tour of the castle itself.

And thank goodness for that bus! Edinburgh was absolutely packed with thousands of people attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The streets were INSANE.

Our coach driver, Barry, somehow maneuvered those narrow streets like a professional.

Back on the ship, we had our final dinner at Pink Agave, watched a piano show and comedy show, and picked up a little souvenir. Another fabulous day aboard Valiant Lady.

And by this point, one thing had become very clear: This has been, hands down, the best cruise we’ve ever taken. Not perfect. But absolutely unforgettable.

Day 15: One Last Day

And just like that, our final day aboard Valiant Lady arrived. We weren’t going to waste it.

I played pickleball, squeezed in a workout class and a line dancing class, watched a comedy show, played games, listened to live music, and basically tried to absorb every last bit of the ship.

We finished with one final dinner at Extra Virgin. It was bittersweet.

This trip had been so much fun that we were already looking forward to doing it all again in February.

Day 16: Salisbury, Stonehenge & Goodbye

We disembarked from Valiant Lady—but our vacation wasn’t quite over yet. We took one final excursion to make the most of our last day in England.

First stop: the medieval city of Salisbury, where we visited the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral and saw the Magna Carta.

Then it was off to Stonehenge.

The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative. It rained for about half the time we were there. But hey—it’s England. You can’t have the full experience without a little rain, right?

After Stonehenge, we headed to our hotel and found a local pub for a quick dinner before finally calling it a day.

Sixteen Days Later… Looking back, this trip had pretty much everything.

We missed a riverboat in Dublin.
We saw highland cows in Scotland.
We explored Liverpool on foot.
We celebrated our anniversary in Belfast.
We watched the world go dark during a solar eclipse.
We explored three Icelandic ports.
We walked rainbow streets, visited breweries, chased sunsets, toured castles and stood among ancient stones at Stonehenge.
We played pickleball, danced, laughed at comedy shows, played games, listened to music, ate our way through the ship, and met an incredible group of people.
We even managed to eat clam chowder at The Wake for both breakfast and dinner on the same day.

And while not everything went according to plan, those unexpected moments became part of the story. That’s what I love about travel. The perfect days are wonderful. But sometimes it’s the missed boats, rainy afternoons, tired feet, wrong reservations, unexpected naps and ridiculous stories that make a trip unforgettable.

Sixteen days. One incredible ship. So many memories. And the best part? We’re already looking forward to doing it all again in February. We’ll be on Valiant Lady’s sister ship Brilliant Lady for the Sisters at Sea rendezvous. If you’re looking to sail on Virgin, follow this link to get $150 toward your bar tab.

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Our First Virgin Voyages Cruise

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.

We’ve been on five other cruises prior to our first Virgin Voyages sailing and we always thought we weren’t “cruise people” but, as it turns out, we just hadn’t found the right fit–until now.

Here are the five cruises we’ve done in the past in chronological order.

2002 Honeymooon Cruise – This was a 7-day Western Caribbean aboard the Carnival Paradise, which amazingly is still sailing Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries today. I think it was also the only smoke-free ship in those days. We boarded the ship in Miami and visited Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, before returning to Miami. It was the best cruise, or vacation in general, that we could afford at the time. Five years later we booked an all-inclusive vacation at Couples Tower Isle. It was an adults only resort and we absolutely love it. It was from this day on that we decided we were absolutely 100% not “cruise people” because we much preferred the freedom and relaxing environment of an adults-only all-inclusive resort. Besides that, we liked that all of our drinks were included at Couples.

2008 Halloween Poker Cruise – While we had written off cruises for good, we had the opportunity to cruise for free in 2008 by dealing Texas hold’em aboard the Carnival Conquest. This ship is also still actively sailing today. In 2008 we sailed out of Galveston but had a nearly identical itinerary to our honeymoon–Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel–so we didn’t even get off the ship in some ports.

First Ever Zumba Cruise in 2016 – For ten years we were steadfast in our opinion of cruises and still considered ourselves not “cruise people” but we went another sailing because Zumba decide to host the first ever Zumba cruise. It was way more expensive than a normal cruise but we jumped on the opportunity because I was worried that it may never be offered again. It was actually wildly successful so they continued to have one every year until 2019. Our ship on this sailing was Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas and our ports were Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee, Haiti.

2018 Zumba Cruise – It was during my Zumba era that I completely forgot that we hated cruises. LOL. We skipped the 2017 Zumba cruise because we had trips to Alaska and Great Exuma (Bahamas) already planned for this year and we just couldn’t work the cruise in the budget. However, by 2018 I was definitely rearing to go again. This sailing was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas and our ports were Grand Cayman and Costa Maya. We had an amazing time but, sadly, this would be our last Zumba cruise. We had two big trips in 2019 (Costa Rica and Cancun) so couldn’t swing the Zumba cruise in our travel budget–specially since pricing was way more than comparable sailings. Zumba cruises went on hiatus from 2020-2025 and returned in 2026 but, by then, I was no longer that crazy into Zumba and the timing wasn’t ideal–and also, it was just too expensive.

2025 Alaska Cruise – This was Brian’s post-cancer treatment victory tour. We were on the budget-friendly Carnival Luminosa and were joined on this trip by both of our parents, our friends (and travel agents extraordinaire) Jay and Becca, and another client of theirs, Sandy and Lorin Culver. While the scenery was breathtaking and the trip itself was amazing, this cruise did nothing to change our opinion of cruises. There were notably fewer children on this sailing, possibly because of the itinerary, but the ship was dated and the food was just okay and, while we had a balcony cabin, it just wasn’t that impressive. We were still very much not “cruise people” up to this point.

And how for our 6th, and most recent, cruise–the Iceland and British Isles solar eclipse sailing aboard Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady. Our 15-day itinerary brought us to Portsmouth (UK), Dublin (Ireland), Glasgow (Scotland), Liverpool (UK), Belfast (Northern Ireland), three Iceland ports (Siglufjordur, Islafjordur, and Reykjavik), and Edinburgh (Scotland). Besides the itinerary, we really enjoyed the more modern ship and delicious food.

While the trip wasn’t perfect–there were some issues, for sure–we really liked everything about how Virgin Voyages handles the their sailings and, of course, our most favorite part: there were absolutely no children on the ship. I think that in itself was worth every penny spent.

The embarkation process went very smoothly. We were scheduled to board at 2:30 PM and by 3:00 PM we were already having tacos at the Galley. The other thing that impressed us most is that our suitcases were actually waiting outside our cabin door by the time we got to our cabin upon boarding. In our previous cruises, our bags always took forever to show up–sometimes even as late as 9:00 PM or well after we returned from dinner or other activities.

We loved the dress codes (or lack thereof). You didn’t have to dress up for the dinners. Speaking of dinners, we tried all of the restaurants and liked all of them for various reasons but Gunbae was definitely our favorite.

The Wake is the ship’s steakhouse. Neither Brian nor I are particularly fond of steaks but we ate here several times for dinner and brunch. My favorite part of the Wake is that I could get the shrimp clam chowder at breakfast and dinner.

Ariya by Razzle Dazzle serves brunch in the morning and Indian food at night. I had fantastic muscles on our anniversary dinner there but this was Brian’s least favorite restaurant on the ship.

Pink Agave is the Mexican restaurant. They started you off with a bowl of warm nuts before multiple courses of delicious food. Brian and I really liked their elote and their rib-eye steak. We also had a slice of cornbread on one of our visits which was phenomenal. Pink Agave also serves the best and most flavorful shrimp of anywhere on the ship.

The Italian restaurant Extra Virgin wasn’t my favorite food-wise but it was the only place I could get an affogato, which is the way I liked to have ice cream/gelato. While the rest of our group frequented the Lick Me ‘Till Ice Cream shop everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, I saved myself for the Extra Virgin affogato.

Test Kitchen is the experimental restaurant. While the food there wasn’t our cup of tea, the experience was really cool. Here’s a highlight video of our dinner there.

Gunbae was my most favorite of all the restaurants on the ship. I’ve found that people either love or hate this restaurant. Some people hate it because it’s the only restaurant that requires you to sit with strangers. Each table seats 6 people so some people say they hate it because they have to make small talk. Others say the restaurant is just too loud, which I do agree with–it does get quite loud because of the drinking game. It was absolutely perfect for our group of 6, though. And, I loved playing the game. The food was fabulous but–even if it weren’t–I’d still want to go just so I could play the game. LOL.

These five restaurants required you to make reservations but–unlike with other cruise lines–did not cost anything extra. Although, there were premium items on the menu that did cost extra if you ordered them. Other dining options include the Galley, where you can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so it’s like the buffet on most cruises except they have staff serving the food so you don’t have everyone’s grubby germs all over everything.

On other cruises we’ve done in the past you either ate at the buffet or you dressed up and ate at the main dining room. If you wanted to dine at one of the specialty restaurants on the ship, that would cost extra. I really liked the flexibility of dining at one of the five restaurants or going to the Galley.

In addition, you could also get food at the Dock, the Pizza Place (open until 2 AM), Sun Club Cafe, and the Social Club or have food delivered to your cabin 24 hours a day via ShipEats. You really won’t go hungry.

You won’t get bored either. There are so many fun activities on the ship. We had two instances of back-to-back sea days that literally went by in the blink of an eye. I played some pickleball, competed in a chess tournament, took some dance classes, and played team trivia and other games. There were arts and crafts–just so many things to do that I sometimes had to pick and choose because I couldn’t attend them all.

The shows weren’t as fancy as other cruises we’ve done but we’re not really that big into shows. The shows on Valiant Lady were entertaining enough. I enjoyed watching the stand up comedians (we got to see several) and the musicians perform. Griffin & Jones were are fave, though. They combined comedy with magic tricks. And, Brian got to participate.

There was this “It’s a Ship Show!” thing that we didn’t get to attend. I think it’s kind of a dinner theater because you get served food, which I heard isn’t that great. I wanted to see the show anyway but all the events were sold out. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps I’ll catch it on our next sailing if it’s still part of their programming.

We also missed out on the behind the scenes tours of the ship. All of these events were completely booked in the app by the time we boarded. We’ll be on top of it on our next sailing though.

Something we didn’t miss–all the public service announcements because there were none. I actually really liked that part. I can’t speak for others but I find those announcements super annoying. They’re jarring and totally ruin the vibe.

I think some of the ships we’d sailed on in the past were much older, specially the Carnival Luminosa last year which started its life as a Costa ship before joining the Carnival fleet, so I really enjoyed the modern decor of the Valiant Lady (despite it being the second oldest ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet). The mood lighting in the cabin that you controlled via the tablet was particularly fun. I also really liked that all the different bars, lounges, and areas of the ship in general had their own unique atmosphere.

They also offered lots of arts and crafts type activities throughout the ship. My favorite was the collaborative adult coloring art piece. We actually got to take a piece of it home. I asked for the part that Brian worked on. My plan is to frame it and display it. Best trip souvenir ever.

So, all of the food (except for some premium menu items at the restaurants, specialty coffee, alcoholic drinks, and fresh-pressed juices) and basic bevvies (yes, soda is included so you don’t need to purchase a separate drink package for it), entertainment, and activities including group exercise classes are included in your fare but what else is included? Brian and I booked our trip before they changed the pricing structure last year so our gratuities were already included (you can opt to prepay gratuities in the new voyage fare structure but, before the change, it was automatically included and couldn’t be pulled out) but your standard cruise fare also includes basic Wi-Fi (extremely important because you have to do everything in the app–which some people hated but I actually liked).

I’m not one to exercise while on vacation so I can’t really compare this on our past cruises but, apparently, on other cruise lines you have to pay for the group exercise classes. On our sailing there were many options for exercise classes (from circuits to dance workouts to spin to HIIT to yoga, posture, and meditation) and they were all free. However, some classes filled up quickly so that was the downside. Since it doesn’t cost anything to attend, the more popular classes were often sold out. I did like that, rather than sticking to the workout studio, the dance classes were held in the Manor or the Red Room so there was lots of space for everyone to join so these were never sold out when I looked.

We don’t really like karaoke but the ship had a couple of fun options to get your karaoke fix. The Happenings Cast hosts regular karaoke in the evenings at the Social Club but, if you wanted to karaoke in private, you could reserve the blue, pink, and purple karaoke rooms at the Groupie absolutely free.

Besides all the activities and entertainment, they also had really cool science talks and presentations on our sailing leading up to and after the solar eclipse. The eclipse itself was kind of a let down because it was so cloudy. It did turn into night briefly for four minutes during the totality before it became day again but we couldn’t see the corona through the clouds. The science talks were really interesting, though.

We also really enjoyed Scarlet Night, the signature event. Here are a few pics..

Typically, on warmer sailings, they have the Scarlet Night party outside on the pool deck and everyone jumps in the pool after. I don’t know this from experience but just from doing research and watching lots of YouTube videos about Virgin cruises. On our sailing, we had our Scarlet Night party at the Roundabout on decks 6 and 7. The ship truly came alive that night. The main party was at the Roundabout but there were activations everywhere on the ship.

Another thing we really liked about Virgin Voyages is how they handle the drinks packages. It’s not like the unlimited drink packages on other cruise lines, which I really don’t like because they make you want to drink a ton to get your money’s worth. Virgin does a “bar tab” concept where you basically prepay for your drinks. If you prepay a certain amount, you get an additional credit.

For instance, Brian and I bought $300 in bar tab and got a $50 bonus. If you estimate correctly (as Brian and I did), you spend exactly what you planned. Brian and I had exactly $32 on our final night and we spent exactly that on three drinks and finished at $0. We absolutely nailed it. Anyway, the drink prices are actually pretty reasonable specially when you consider that tax and tip are already factored in the price of each drink.

In past cruises (except for the Zumba ones where lots of Zumba happened all over the ship) the ship was just pretty much a vehicle for getting to your ports where all of the fun happened. With Virgin, being on the ship was just as much fun as exploring the various destinations. We loved sailing on Virgin so much we actually booked our next sailing before even leaving the ship. We decided our next sailing will be on the Brilliant Lady for the Sisters at Sea first ever fleet rendezvous in February next year. Brilliant Lady sails out of Miami on February 8 and returns on February 18. Click this link if you’d like to join us and receive $150 in free bar tab.

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Another Day, Another Coffee Shop

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Ching under Travel.

Parker’s wedding weekend was an interesting one. We went up to Kansas City on Friday night and stayed for a couple of nights, checking out on Sunday. That same weekend, Brian had to fly out to Las Vegas for his ELEVATE conference. I have so much time off from work that we had initially considered having me go with him to Vegas. We thought it would we be convenient to fly to Vegas from the KC airport since we would already be there. That is, until we realized that Saki was with us that weekend. Whoops! Regardless of how much time off I had, I was definitely not going to be able to go because someone had to stay home and take care of Saki.

So then the next thing we considered was for Brian to fly out of KC to Vegas and then fly home from Vegas to Wichita at the end of the conference. But that would mean I would be driving home to Wichita from KC by myself — in Brian’s new vehicle no less — and he just wasn’t comfortable with that. So we ended up having to leave KC first thing in the morning on Sunday to make it back to Wichita for Brian’s noon flight to Vegas.

Brian didn’t want to feel rushed, so we left super early. So early that Messenger and Mildred’s weren’t open yet. And even the Roasterie coffee in our hotel lobby hadn’t been set up because Brian would have totally settled for that. He said it was good. I mean, you can’t go wrong with Roasterie. Anyway, we found this place nearby called Morning Rounds Bakery.

We might have been their first customers for the day.

The place isn’t big but super cute inside.

We made it back to Wichita with plenty of time to spare. We even squeezed a quick nap in our recliner before heading to the airport. It was much needed since we both go up super early that morning for the drive back to Wichita.

No joke, as we were leaving to head to the airport, Brian got a text from Cory that their flight had been delayed. I was supposed to stop by my parents’ house for some sinigang after dropping Brian off, we decided to just flip-flop it. We ended up eating some lunch at mom and dad’s before heading to the airport.

So Brian left that Sunday and didn’t return until Friday. He seemed to have a great time (and learned a ton) at the conference. I’ll let him tell you all about it. Hopefully he finds time to blog about it. The day he returned is also the day that I was taking mom and dad to their airport for their trip to Saint Lucia. It worked out because their departure/boarding time pretty much coincided with his return flight’s arrival. I surprised him by waiting at the bottom of the escalator by baggage claim and he didn’t even notice. LOL.

I guess this pretty much recaps our recent Kansas City weekend. Leave a comment if you want to hear about Brian’s Vegas conference. Maybe if enough of you ask we can get him to post about it. #peerpressure