Jan Vilaca Sailed the Greek Islands on Virgin Voyages and Everything She Thought She Knew Was Wrong

It started with Korean BBQ chicken. Not a sunset over Santorini, not the turquoise shimmer of the Aegean, but a plate of food on a cruise ship that stopped Jan Vilaca mid-bite and made her reassess everything she thought she understood about modern cruising. "The Korean BBQ chicken at Gunbae Restaurant is absolutely off the charts delicious," she says, with the kind of conviction that only comes from being there. "This is a must try on your menu." For Vilaca, a travel advisor with years of firsthand experience under her belt, that single dish became the centerpiece of a trip that defied expectations at every turn.

Vilaca had booked herself onto a Virgin Voyages sailing through the Greek Islands, one of the most storied and sought-after cruise routes in the world. The combination of ancient history, sun-drenched coastlines, and legendary hospitality makes the Greek Islands a perennial favourite among travellers. But it was what happened onboard, not just ashore, that would shape her entire perspective on the voyage.

Myth-Busting at Sea

Before she even stepped onto the ship, Vilaca carried the same assumption that many travellers do: that Virgin Voyages is, at its core, a party cruise line. Flashy, loud, skewed young, and perhaps not entirely suited to someone who simply wants a comfortable, well-run holiday. What she found was something far more nuanced. "There is a misconception that Virgin is a party cruise line," she explains, "and although there are lively nightly activities, I didn't find it much different than many other cruise lines, except that the dining specialties were delightfully curated to suit all palates." The myth, it turned out, was louder than the reality.

That is not to say the ship was subdued. Virgin Voyages delivers on its promise of energy and entertainment, with silent discos, acrobatic shows that unfold up close and in the round rather than from a distant theatre seat, and an atmosphere that is consistently upbeat and alive. But Vilaca discovered that lively and overwhelming are not the same thing. The ship was seamless and easy to navigate, the cabins were genuinely comfortable for two travelling companions, and perhaps most liberating of all, there was no pressure to dress up for dinner. For Vilaca, that last detail mattered more than she had anticipated. She had not expected to feel so entirely at ease.

A Table Worth Crossing an Ocean For

If the entertainment was a pleasant surprise, the food was a revelation. Vilaca is direct about where the experience peaked for her. The dining on Virgin Voyages is not an afterthought or a buffet-line obligation. It is a carefully considered culinary programme that draws from global influences and takes the onboard restaurant experience seriously. Gunbae, the ship's Korean BBQ concept, became the standout. The ease and variety of dining options meant that every meal felt like a considered choice rather than a compromise, and the quality held across the board.

For clients who travel for food, or who have been burned before by cruise ship dining that feels institutional and bland, Vilaca's enthusiasm here carries real weight. She is not describing a meal from a brochure. She is describing a meal she ate, at a specific restaurant, on a specific ship, sailing past some of the most beautiful islands in the world. That kind of detail is impossible to fake and invaluable to pass on.

Is This Trip Right for You?

Vilaca is equally candid about who will love Virgin Voyages and who might find it a stretch. Casual cruisers, food lovers, and travellers who embrace a relaxed dress code will feel immediately at home. The atmosphere is fun, interactive, and constantly in motion, which for the right traveller is a tremendous draw. But she is measured in her advice: "For those who don't love a lively vibe, not just loud, but lively, this might not be for you. It is fun, upbeat, always something happening, and not many quiet pods or libraries to be found."

One of the most important things Vilaca took away from the experience is the question of age assumptions. Virgin Voyages is adult-only, welcoming guests over 18, and carries a reputation for skewing younger. Vilaca, who is over 60, pushes back on that narrative with characteristic warmth. "I am over 60 and loved it," she says, "but you need to know it's uniquely for all to just be themselves." The ship does not ask you to perform a version of yourself. It simply asks you to show up, relax, and be open.

The Insider Edge

Beyond the dining and the atmosphere, Vilaca came home with practical, actionable knowledge that no travel brochure could have given her. Chief among her recommendations is a simple but significant tip about boarding. Getting on the ship early, she explains, is one of the best investments a first-time Virgin Voyages traveller can make. It allows guests to get their bearings, meet the crew, settle in with food and a drink, and begin exploring before the crowds find their rhythm. "Always book to board early," she advises. "The earlier you can book your boarding time the better."

This is the kind of insider knowledge that separates a travel advisor who has lived an experience from one who has only read about it. Vilaca can now walk a client through an entire day on the ship, from morning excursions, bookable onboard or directly through her as their agent, to evening dining and late-night entertainment. She can tell them what to eat, when to board, what to wear (or not wear), and what to expect when the ship pulls into a Greek island port. That level of specificity builds the kind of client confidence that turns a hesitant enquiry into a confirmed booking.

Embrace What's Different

The broader lesson Vilaca draws from her Greek Islands sailing is one she intends to carry into every future client conversation. Virgin Voyages is not Celebrity. It is not Princess. It has its own rhythm, its own personality, and its own very particular pleasures. Trying to map it onto a familiar cruise template will only lead to disappointment. "Embrace what's different," she says simply. "If you expect a Celebrity or Princess vibe on a Virgin Voyages, you might be surprised. They aren't all the same, and Virgin brings dance music, silent disco, even acrobatic up-close and connected shows. This is not a theatre-style ship. It is interactive, fun, and absolutely delicious."

It is a philosophy that extends well beyond any single cruise line. For Vilaca, the willingness to meet a destination or an experience on its own terms, rather than filtering it through expectations, is at the heart of meaningful travel. It is also, she would argue, at the heart of great travel advising.

With the Greek Islands now firmly in her professional repertoire, Vilaca is already looking ahead. Next month, she heads to Spain and Portugal, ready to taste Europe's finest one city at a time. The curiosity that led her to that plate of Korean BBQ chicken in the Aegean is very much intact, and her clients are all the better for it.