Review: Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady entertainment and shows

Quentin Long has written a review of Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady, which is coming to Australia in December 2023. Here’s a detailed analysis of all the entertainment onboard.

The Virgin Voyages’ entertainment offering is a quite singular experience. More akin to a fringe festival than a Broadway production, the program is definitely not for everyone. It will divide audiences, but everyone will have an opinion.

To help you form your own opinion, here we review all the entertainment options onboard the Resilient Lady.

Scarlet Night

The signature party and evening that happens on all Virgin Voyages sailings, the Scarlet Night is far more successful than expected. As with all Virgin Voyages experiences, it’s all about the staff, who put their boundless infectious energy into creating a festival atmosphere in every space.

The party commences in the Roundabout atrium. (Image: Gina Joy Photo)

The party commences at about 9.30pm in the Roundabout atrium (what cruisers would call the lobby) and then spirals out with a series of games, pop-up performances, music and karaoke in every space. The energy is so irresistible that a rather placid 50-year-old in our party needs very little encouragement to show off what is hilariously his first twerk for a glass of champagne.

The party culminates on the pool deck towards 11.30pm. A giant octopus (or Kraken) is installed over the pool, and with a drag master of ceremonies directing the party, the dance crew put on a performance, splashing the cheering and dancing crowd.

Colourful laser beams illuminate the dance floor. (Image: Gina Joy Photo)

Persephone

The signature show on Resilient Lady, Persephone is an enjoyable hour of power. The Red Room seating is all neatly tucked away to create an enormous standing-room-only club, with two stages and several podiums, allowing performers to move through and around the crowd.

Watch Persephone in the ship’s Red Room.

At one stage, the dance crew are dressed in full-body mirrored jumpsuits, executing serious techno dance moves.

The dance crew go all out in Persephone.

Miss Behave Show

Another cracking but very different performance, the Miss Behave Show is a hilarious panto gameshow. The crowd members are the contestants; divided into two teams, they scream out answers (sometimes in the form of confessions), perform tasks on stage and show off their skills.

None of the questions are conventional: “What’s the opposite of Ellen Degeneres? Ellen De-selfish.”

The show’s genius is in the performance and delivery of the quiz master, as well as her talented offsider, who performs mimes and dances to the questions and music.

Another Rose

Another Rose is part cabaret, part circus acrobatic show.

As Another Rose includes drinks and meals, it’s the only entertainment option that has an additional charge: it’s US$55 ($80) for balcony seats, US$65 ($95.50) for booth/banquette seating and US$75 ($110) for the premium table seats. Be ready to raise your glass if you’re at the tables, as the performers do dance across the tabletops.

Another Rose is part cabaret, part circus acrobatic show.

The acrobatics and singing are good, but the story seems a little clumsy, and there are some things that still confuse me. The greatest example? During the interval between entrée and main, the premium-seat Sailors are taken to a lounge where they’re asked about their guilty pleasure. A crew member chooses a Sailor based on their declared guilty pleasure, then bounds them in bondage knots.

Watch diverse yet dynamic performances onboard. (Image: The Fraser James)

All guests return to their seats, the lucky Sailor still wrapped in their knotted accessories, to finish dinner and watch the final half of the performance. There’s no explanation for the rope and knots, which are removed at the end of the show.

Other entertainment options we didn’t experience include the PJ Party, which was exactly what it sounds like (a 70-year-old won the best PJs award for his onesie and loved it all), Lola’s Library, the cabaret entertainment area in The Manor, and The Groupie, a private karaoke bar.

The Groupie karaoke rooms are luxe and unique.