Not a Cruise. A New Way to Sea.

Earlier this month, I found myself standing on the deck of the Brilliant Lady docked in Long Beach, sipping something sparkling, wondering how I'd gotten so lucky. Then I remembered: Fora Travel. They have this quietly extraordinary habit of placing you exactly where the future is happening before the rest of the world catches on.

That's the thing about Fora. Like Richard Branson, they didn't set out to do what everyone else was already doing. They set out to do it better, more boldly, more intentionally. So it made perfect sense that these two brands found each other.

Because Virgin Voyages is not a cruise. They'll tell you that themselves. It's a voyage. And their ethos makes that distinction impossible to ignore: adults-only, judgment-free, and elevated in all the right ways, for their Sailors, their Crew, the communities they visit, and the ocean that carries them there.

The staterooms and suites come stocked with a full bar, turntables, and hammocks on private balconies. Those hammocks are from Yellow Leaf, handwoven by artisan women in rural Thailand. The bath products? Red Flower, biocompatible and cruelty-free. The coffee? Intelligentsia, sourced through a direct-trade model. Nothing on this ship is an accident. Your keycard doesn't exist either. Instead, you wear a sleek wristband made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, packed with more tech than it has any right to hold.

The galley reinvents everything you thought you knew about cruise food. No buffets, no cavernous dining halls, no waste. Instead, 20+ intimate, made-to-order eateries with menus shaped by Michelin-starred chefs, each space designed to match your mood rather than your boarding group. The best food at sea. And if you want bubbles? A shake of your phone and they're coming to you.

Bubbly rolled up, coffee checked in, and the hall of mirrors gave the walk to The Manor a little drama.

The environmental commitment runs just as deep. Their ISO 14001 crtified Environmental Management System isn't a talking point, it's the infrastructure. Three of their four ships connect to shore power. Lower-carbon fuels are already in rotation on select Mediterranean itineraries. Ninety-seven percent of the water onboard is made right there on the ship. Forty percent of domestic waste is recycled. And in the 135+ places they sail, they don't just pass through. They partner locally, spotlight small businesses in the Sailor App, and volunteer alongside community organizations.

Their ships are red. But how they voyage is green. The vibe is happy and innovative. The whole ship felt less like a vessel and more like a boutique hotel that happened to float. Branson built his entire career on asking why does it have to be this way? Every corner of the Brilliant Lady whispers that question back to you.

Ready to change the way you sea? Discover Virgin Voyages.

Let's talk. 🌊