We just did Valiant Lady Feb 14. Valentine’s Day and my wife’s birthday. Honestly one of the best cruises we’ve taken. Crew was great, vibe was fun, food solid.
But we had two pretty wild moments.
First was before we even boarded. I had a sharp pain near my kidney and thought kidney stones. We almost canceled and would’ve eaten the cost since we didn’t buy insurance. Urgent care couldn’t confirm anything in time, so we rolled the dice and sailed. Pain never came back. Definitely getting medical cancellation coverage next time.
Second was on embarkation day and I still can’t believe it happened.
We were on our Deck 13 balcony watching sail away. Closed the sliding door behind us. An hour later we try to go back in… it’s locked. Completely locked. Ship is moving. Phones almost dead. Ship phone is inside. No one can hear us over the wind.
In a bit of panic I even called 911, which obviously didn’t help. Our kids tried calling Virgin from home and just got hold music. Finally someone on Deck 6 heard us yelling and sent help. Four crew members showed up including a mechanic who took the door apart. Apparently a small internal chain snapped and triggered the lock. They said they’d never seen it before.
We were fine, just shaken. They apologized a lot and sent champagne.
Still would sail Virgin again in a heartbeat. Just… maybe don’t fully trust the balcony door.
And to the woman who heard us and got help, thank you.
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