Up next in 10
We sailed Brilliant Lady from Los Angeles to Vancouver and this was a very different side of Virgin Voyages than the warm-weather Caribbean image many sailors know.
In part one of this trip report, we cover the start of the voyage: planning the trip, spending a few days in LA, embarkation at the Port of Los Angeles, Catalina Island, sea day life, dining, shows, Scarlet Night alternatives, and our unexpected DIY day in San Francisco after an excursion cancellation.
This cooler-weather West Coast sailing taught us a lot about packing, port planning, tender logistics, and how Virgin Voyages feels when the weather is greyer, colder, and less pool-deck focused.
If you’re considering Brilliant Lady, a Pacific Coastal itinerary, a repositioning voyage, or a future cooler-weather Virgin Voyages sailing, this should help you know what to expect.
🚢 Book your Virgin Voyages cruise with VV Insider:
https://vvinsider.com/book/
We can help you plan your voyage as your First Mate / travel advisor, and your booking helps support the guides, news, tools, and videos we create for Virgin Voyages sailors.
👇 WHAT WE COVER
🚢 Brilliant Lady’s LA to Vancouver voyage
Why we picked this sailing, what made it different, and how it compared with the usual Virgin Voyages experience.
💸 Trip planning and pricing
What we paid, why this type of sailing can offer good value, and what we considered before booking.
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0:00
Just about a week ago, we got back from
0:02
one of the most memorable Virgin Voyages
0:04
trips we've ever been on. But also, it
0:06
was one of the coldest temperature
0:08
voyages we've been on as well. And
0:09
because it was Brilliant Lady's last
0:11
time leaving LA for the season, she's
0:13
heading to colder climates for a long
0:15
time. We managed to pick up some really
0:17
practical tips for making the most of
0:19
Virgin Voyages during colder
0:21
temperatures. So today, I'm going to
0:23
talk you through the first half of our
0:24
journey from Los Angeles to Vancouver on
0:28
board Brilliant Lady. I'm going to tell
0:29
you all the fun stuff that we got up to,
0:31
as well as some regrets that I want to
0:33
let you know about as well, so you don't
0:35
make the same mistakes we did. If this
0:37
is your first time with us, my name is
0:39
David from VV Insider, which is a
0:41
website all about Virgin Voyages,
0:44
including all the information, the
0:45
guides, the news that you're going to
0:47
need if you're sailing on board the
0:49
Virgin Voyages vessels. We literally
0:51
help millions of sailors every single
0:54
year plan their perfect Virgin Voyage.
0:56
But despite the fact that we have sailed
0:59
lots of times with Virgin Voyages in the
1:00
past, every voyage is unique, and even
1:03
we make mistakes sometimes. So I'm going
1:05
to be really honest as I walk through
1:07
this trip and let you know the things
1:08
that we didn't get quite right, so you
1:10
don't make the same mistakes. So we
1:12
started planning this trip a long time
1:14
ago. We originally planned to be on the
1:16
Panama Crossing, which started from
1:18
Miami and ended up in LA. But that was a
1:21
16-night voyage, and because we're quite
1:23
busy, we prefer a shorter voyage when we
1:26
can. So we had a quick look at all the
1:27
different itineraries that Brilliant
1:29
Lady was doing on the West Coast of
1:30
America, and saw that this one is
1:33
perfect for us. This is a repositioning
1:35
voyage from Los Angeles all the way up
1:37
to Vancouver. And because it's a
1:39
repositioning voyage, the price was
1:41
great. You can often find really good
1:43
per night prices on these repositioning
1:45
voyages. All in all, for me and my
1:47
husband in a Sea Terrace category cabin,
1:50
this came to less than $3,000 for the
1:53
entire trip, including the shore things
1:56
and port excursions that I'm going to
1:57
walk you through as well. So really it
1:59
wasn't that bad at all in terms of
2:01
pricing. So we started our journey on
2:03
the 28th of April giving us a few days
2:05
in LA before we set off on the ship. As
2:08
we live in the north of England, we have
2:10
to connect somewhere and we decided to
2:12
connect in Heathrow. We fly with British
2:14
Airways a lot and we know terminal 5
2:16
quite well. We flew in economy class
2:18
from Heathrow to Los Angeles, which is
2:21
around about a 10 and a half hour
2:22
flight. Because the flight is through
2:24
the daytime, I didn't get a wink of
2:25
sleep and I'm terrible at sleeping on
2:27
the plane anyway. So it did feel like a
2:29
very long flight I will admit. But it
2:31
was all worth it cuz we knew exactly
2:33
what we wanted to do in LA. One of our
2:35
very first vacations ever, which was 13
2:38
years ago now, was to California. We
2:41
flew to LA and drove up to Yosemite and
2:44
then went to San Francisco. So actually
2:46
returning to California was very special
2:48
for us, but we knew exactly what we
2:50
wanted to do in LA because we wanted to
2:52
relive some of those experiences we had
2:54
when we were younger. So when we landed
2:56
in LA, we hired a car and drove all the
2:58
way to Anaheim. And if you know anything
3:01
about Los Angeles, that is the home of
3:03
Disneyland. Now of course there are many
3:05
many things to do in the Los Angeles
3:06
area, but we knew we wanted to do those
3:09
tourist traps that we loved so much from
3:11
when we were younger. So it was a
3:13
no-brainer for us to return to
3:14
Disneyland. We went to Disney California
3:17
Adventure, which is the sister park to
3:19
Disneyland on the first day and we had
3:21
an incredible time. We did so many steps
3:23
that my feet were already aching after
3:25
the first day. But then on the second
3:27
day we headed over to Disneyland Park
3:30
and in Disneyland there was a special
3:31
Star Wars themed event, which meant the
3:33
park was booked out by Star Wars fans.
3:36
And because they were more interested in
3:38
meeting characters and doing things that
3:40
were Star Wars specific, it meant we
3:42
could get on the rides pretty easily and
3:44
the wait times were quite low. So it was
3:46
a little bit of a hack, although the
3:47
ticket price was quite expensive. So
3:49
after we had a great couple of days in
3:51
Disneyland, we then drove to our next
3:53
tourist trap, which was Universal
3:55
Studios Hollywood. And again, we had a
3:57
fantastic time there. There was an event
3:59
on called the Fan Fest night, which
4:02
again, because it was a special night
4:04
meant for people of fans of particular
4:06
TV programs and movies, it meant that
4:09
the rides were a walk-on, and we didn't
4:11
have to queue so much at all. So, again,
4:13
if you're looking at these amusement
4:14
parks or theme park, have a look to see
4:16
if there's any of these special events
4:18
on, and it means that the locals are
4:20
more interested in the special event
4:22
than the rides and attractions. So, you
4:24
can actually have a much easier time of
4:26
things if you decide to do it that way.
4:28
Now, of course, Brilliant Lady does use
4:30
Los Angeles as a home port for quite a
4:32
lot of the year now, and there are many
4:34
other things to do in LA. We simply
4:37
decided to do these two tourist trap
4:39
attractions because we've been to LA a
4:41
few times, but there is so much to do in
4:43
the Los Angeles area. In the past, we've
4:45
done things like visiting other movie
4:47
studios. We've also been to Griffith
4:50
Park and Observatory, the Los Angeles
4:52
Zoo, we've been to Santa Monica Pier.
4:54
So, make sure you do have a look if you
4:55
are sailing from Los Angeles. There are
4:57
many, many things that you can get up
4:58
to. I recommend if you're traveling a
5:00
fair distance to at least have a couple
5:03
of days, if not more, to explore the
5:05
area before you head on board. So, come
5:07
embarkation day, we needed to drive from
5:09
our hotel at Universal Studios Hollywood
5:12
all the way down to the Port of Los
5:14
Angeles. This actually was only about an
5:17
hour drive, but there was lots of
5:18
traffic on the way. So, let that be a
5:20
lesson. Sometimes LA traffic can get the
5:23
better of you, so do plan ahead. We did
5:25
set off about an hour earlier than we
5:27
really needed to. So, it ended up after
5:29
we returned our rental car and got an
5:31
Uber back to the port that we were just
5:33
right on time for our embarkation. When
5:35
we arrived at the port in that Uber, we
5:37
left our luggage with the luggage
5:39
porters. Because this was an American
5:41
port, tipping the luggage porter is
5:44
always expected. So, try and factor in
5:47
around two to three dollars per bag when
5:49
you're leaving your luggage with them.
5:52
After that was done, we headed into the
5:53
terminal and grabbed our wristbands to
5:56
then head on board the ship. We were not
5:58
waiting around for too long and were led
6:00
onto the ship pretty much 15 to 20
6:03
minutes after we arrived. Getting on
6:05
board the ship the first time is always
6:07
one of the most exciting part. We've
6:09
been on over 20 voyages now and it's
6:12
still very exciting when you get on
6:14
board. And there's always that lovely
6:16
hustle and bustle on board the ship
6:17
while everyone's getting their bearings
6:19
and discovering the ship for the first
6:21
time. Because this is Brilliant Lady's
6:23
first season on the West Coast, there
6:25
were many first-time sailors on board
6:28
this voyage. And we got chatting to a
6:30
few of these first-time Virgin Voyages
6:32
sailors and they were telling us of the
6:34
difference that they found between what
6:36
they used to in LA and we found most of
6:38
them are used to Carnival ships to the
6:40
new Virgin Voyages experience. And it
6:43
was really interesting to hear what they
6:44
thought of Virgin sailing for the first
6:46
time. One of the first things we do when
6:48
we get on board the ship is to head
6:50
straight to our cabin. And with Virgin
6:52
Voyages, this is super easy because
6:54
every cabin is open immediately as you
6:57
step on board the ship. This is
6:59
different from a lot of other cruise
7:00
lines where you might need to wait until
7:02
say 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. before you can go
7:05
to your cabin. On Virgin Voyages,
7:07
everything is ready for you. So, you can
7:10
just take all your bags up there, your
7:11
backpack, drop everything off and you're
7:13
ready to get on with the rest of the
7:15
day. So, after we dropped our bags, we
7:17
headed to the galley for a spot of
7:18
lunch. We hadn't had any chance to get
7:21
anything in the morning, so it was a
7:22
perfect time to have a look to see what
7:24
lunch specials there were at the galley.
7:25
Then there was a nice opportunity to
7:27
catch up with some friends that we knew
7:29
from a previous voyage and then it was
7:31
time for sail away. Sail away is always
7:34
super fun on Virgin Voyages and it's
7:37
always a really great opportunity to get
7:39
to know who is going to be leading the
7:41
voyage in terms of the Happenings cast.
7:43
This, of course, is always weather
7:44
dependent, but luckily as we were
7:46
leaving LA, we did have nice weather.
7:48
So, the sail away party was hosted
7:50
outside, and it meant that everyone was
7:52
in that very celebratory mood. We stood
7:55
on deck 16 to watch the toast from Abby
7:57
the Hostess and Kara Kuture the Diva.
8:00
Then, we grabbed some of those free
8:01
bubbles that are on offer at every
8:03
single Virgin Voyages sail away before
8:06
we headed down to deck 15 around the
8:07
pool to meet some of the other
8:10
Happenings cast members. And I just
8:12
think the vibe on board was absolutely
8:14
immaculate. This was a fantastic sail
8:16
away, and I think in general the vibe on
8:18
board and the energy that everyone was
8:19
bringing was absolutely sublime. I just
8:22
feel like every sailor was so lovely and
8:24
there to have a really good time, and it
8:26
makes all the difference when the people
8:28
that you meet on board the ship are just
8:30
fantastic. We met some absolutely
8:32
fantastic people on board this voyage
8:34
that leads just such interesting lives.
8:36
I don't know if it's something to do
8:37
with the brand, but it seems to attract
8:40
really interesting people with really
8:41
interesting stories to tell. And meeting
8:44
people on board is one of my favorite
8:45
parts of every single voyage. So, if
8:48
you're watching this now and we said
8:49
hello on board the voyage, I just want
8:51
to thank you so much and apologize for
8:53
being so much of a chatterbox. I will
8:54
talk all day, and you know it. With this
8:57
being the first night, we were pacing
8:58
ourselves. So, we just grabbed some
9:00
dinner at the galley. I always tend to
9:02
enjoy the evening special menu at the
9:05
galley. If you go to Diner and Dash,
9:07
they will often have different dinner
9:10
items. So, sometimes it'll be inspired
9:12
by Chinese food or Indian food.
9:14
Sometimes it's just mashed potato and
9:16
prime rib. On the last night, it's beef
9:19
Wellington. But sometimes it is a really
9:20
good option. Don't look at it as just a
9:22
fallback option. Sometimes it can be
9:24
very much the meal of the evening. You
9:27
don't always need a sit-down dinner. A
9:29
more casual vibe sometimes is exactly
9:31
what you're looking for. And that's what
9:33
I needed on the first night cuz I
9:34
decided had a little nap before PJ Party
9:38
got started. And I absolutely love PJ
9:40
Party. So after my nap, I got ready to
9:43
party. I have this incredible cat-themed
9:45
pajama set, which I have not released
9:47
yet on YouTube. You're going to have to
9:49
see it in real life. Keep sailing, you
9:51
might see me at some point. But just
9:52
know PJ Party was fantastic. And this
9:55
was the first indication this sailing
9:57
was going to be a little bit more of a
9:58
cold weather vibe because the PJ Party
10:01
was inside in the Manor rather than
10:04
being outside on Deck 16 on the Athletic
10:07
Club. And personally for me, I do like a
10:09
Manor PJ Party. It just feels a lot more
10:12
intimate and a lot more fun. And
10:13
certainly when the night draws on, the
10:15
nightclub style vibe is a lot better in
10:17
the Manor than it is outside cuz it
10:20
always just feels a little bit sparse
10:21
outside, especially when people start
10:23
leaving to go to bed. Now, I tend to be
10:26
a little bit of a night owl and do stay
10:28
out quite late, but we did have an
10:29
excursion the next day. So I was trying
10:31
to be a little bit more sensible. As we
10:34
were heading to Catalina Island. This is
10:36
just a very short jump from Los Angeles
10:38
port across the ocean a little into the
10:41
Channel Islands. And I didn't really
10:43
know what to expect from Catalina
10:44
Island, but it was a lovely surprise. We
10:47
started the day by meeting with our
10:48
Shore Things group, which is our port
10:50
excursion. You get given a laminated
10:53
card with a number on it. And then when
10:55
that number's called, you then follow
10:56
the Shore Things representatives to the
10:59
tender. So with some ports, you might
11:01
find that the ship is not able to dock,
11:04
which means that you then need to anchor
11:06
out from the land, and then you need to
11:08
get what's known as a tender boat or
11:10
effectively one of the lifeboats over to
11:13
the land instead. Ports that require a
11:15
tender aren't usually that prevalent in
11:17
itineraries. Virgin Voyages when they're
11:19
setting itineraries up, they prefer
11:21
ports where they can dock, and it means
11:24
that it's a much more comfortable guest
11:25
experience. Sometimes those tender boats
11:28
can get quite rocky. And in this
11:29
instance, the tender boat was a little
11:31
bit rocky, and especially if you've
11:33
enjoyed PJ Party the night before,
11:35
sometimes you just have to keep your eye
11:37
on the horizon and get some fresh air,
11:39
and that was certainly my experience.
11:41
But, after we got off the tender boat,
11:43
it was a very short walk to the tram,
11:45
and the tram journey was going to take
11:46
us on a 50-minute journey around Avalon,
11:50
which is the largest settlement on
11:51
Catalina Island. We then went for a very
11:54
lovely, albeit quite short, tour around
11:56
Avalon, and we saw some old buildings,
11:58
including one of the original and
12:00
largest houses on the island, which
12:02
belonged to the owner of the Wrigley's
12:04
chewing gum fortune. We then went along
12:06
the coast and up to a viewing point
12:08
where we got a lovely panoramic view of
12:10
the vista across Avalon, and we could
12:13
see the ship in the distance as well. It
12:15
was a really nice introduction to this
12:17
place we'd never been before. After the
12:19
tour came to an end, we had a lovely
12:21
little walk in Avalon and saw some of
12:23
the gift shops, the souvenir shops, and
12:25
then we stopped for some food at the
12:27
pier. There was a hut that sold fish and
12:29
chips. Of course, they're never going to
12:31
be as good as real fish and chips that
12:32
you'll get here in Britain, but never
12:34
mind. We then had a lovely little walk
12:36
up to Catalina Casino, which isn't a
12:38
casino at all, but is a theater. There's
12:40
a little bit of history there, but it
12:42
cost like $28 to get in, and we decided
12:44
against it. But, then the weather
12:46
turned, so we headed back to the ship,
12:48
but that is a lesson learned because it
12:50
did turn a little bit cold in the end,
12:52
and I definitely didn't have enough
12:53
layers or anything waterproof, and it
12:56
did start to rain a little bit as we
12:57
were in the line to get back on the
12:59
tender. So, maybe you can learn from my
13:01
mistakes and make sure that you are
13:03
prepared before you head out on land.
13:05
Not least because sometimes the queues
13:07
to get back on the tender boat can be a
13:09
bit lengthy. So, just be prepared for
13:11
that as well. When we got back on the
13:13
ship, it was time to relax a little bit
13:15
before dinner. And dinner this evening
13:17
was very special indeed. We went to the
13:20
test kitchen. The test kitchen is the
13:22
experimental restaurant on board with a
13:24
menu inspired and designed by a Michelin
13:27
star chef. We often hear from people
13:29
that have been to the test kitchen a
13:31
number of times, those that have maybe
13:33
sailed a number of times in the past,
13:35
that it does get a bit samey. And
13:37
although we do agree to an extent, we
13:40
had a fantastic server this time. She
13:42
was called L'Oreal. She was from France,
13:45
and she had the most incredible
13:47
knowledge of everything that we were
13:48
eating, and she was able to tell us
13:50
things about the dishes that we had
13:52
never heard from any other server
13:54
before. She did an incredible job and
13:56
turned what could have been a fairly
13:58
mundane evening meal into something that
14:00
we remembered for the rest of the trip.
14:02
So, thank you very much, L'Oreal. After
14:04
dinner, it was time for everyone to get
14:06
ready for Electric, which is one of the
14:08
themed club nights on board Brilliant
14:11
Lady. The last time we went to Electric
14:12
was way back last year during the launch
14:15
of Brilliant Lady. So, I must admit this
14:17
felt quite fresh to me because so much
14:19
has happened since last year. But,
14:21
needless to say, we had a really great
14:22
time at this party. And we heard from
14:25
many, many other guests that this was
14:26
one of their favorite club nights on
14:28
board Brilliant Lady. They really do a
14:30
great job of transforming The Manor into
14:33
this electric neon themed party. There
14:36
were special dance numbers and really
14:37
fun activations from The Happenings
14:39
cast. Then, Abby, the hostess, comes out
14:42
looking incredible in her neon costume
14:45
to sing an incredible song that is
14:47
matched up to the theme of the evening.
14:49
This is a really special moment cuz it
14:51
does stop the party in its tracks. But,
14:53
everyone stops to hear her sing, and
14:55
quite rightly so. It's really easy to
14:57
see why Electric is becoming a real fan
15:00
favorite among sailors when it comes to
15:02
the different theme nights that are
15:04
offered across the Virgin Voyages fleet
15:06
of ships. Now, because the Electric
15:08
party is so high-energy and so fun, it
15:11
does tend to attract those that like to
15:14
stay out a little bit later than they
15:15
should, including myself, which meant
15:18
that the next day, thankfully, was a sea
15:21
day, and that gave us plenty time to
15:22
turn ourselves around. So, after a
15:25
much-deserved lie-in, we managed to
15:27
emerge in time for the galley opening up
15:30
for lunch. And like I say, I'm a big fan
15:32
of the galley specials. I ended up
15:34
having some lovely chicken with noodles
15:36
and pak choi. It was a really nice
15:38
lunch. There are tons of options
15:40
available for lunch across the galley,
15:43
and we found the quality of the food and
15:45
the service in particular was exemplary
15:47
on this voyage. And in general, it's
15:49
always pretty good, but it was really
15:51
exemplary on this voyage. I can't put my
15:53
finger on exactly why, but everything
15:55
was hot and fresh, and all of the staff
15:57
that we came in contact with were just
15:59
absolutely lovely. So, after our lazy
16:01
lunch, we then headed downstairs to do a
16:03
spot of shopping in the Virgin Voyages
16:05
brand store. We didn't buy a lot, but I
16:07
do always like to look to see what new
16:09
stuff there is. And I did notice they've
16:11
got a whole new range of glassware,
16:13
which are branded with the octopus
16:15
tentacles on. They look amazing, but I'd
16:18
get in trouble for buying far too much
16:19
kitchen ware, so I left them on the
16:21
shelf this time. Then before dinner,
16:23
there was just time to catch cabaret
16:25
with the hostess, and I'm very glad cuz
16:27
I very rarely miss an opportunity to
16:29
hear Abby sing. Not only is she an
16:31
incredible singer, but she's also
16:33
absolutely hilarious. You'll know if
16:36
you've been along to any of Abby's sets
16:38
that she injects this incredible level
16:40
of comedy into her shows, and this was
16:43
no exception. You would not believe this
16:46
was just a mundane Wednesday afternoon.
16:48
And trust me, I've seen Abby show and
16:50
heard Abby speak a lot, but it still
16:52
makes me laugh. I think she's an
16:54
incredible performer. So, if you're ever
16:56
on board where Abby is the hostess, do
16:59
not miss a cabaret or any of what she
17:01
does. She's just an incredible
17:02
performer. Then it was time for dinner,
17:05
and this was our first time back at
17:06
Rōho, which is the Spanish-themed
17:09
restaurant on board Brilliant Lady. We
17:11
absolutely loved Rōho from back last
17:13
year when we first went on Brilliant
17:15
Lady during her launch season, and I was
17:17
so excited to get back. So excited that
17:21
I totally forgot to record any of the
17:23
food until we'd already eaten it all.
17:25
So, here's the only footage that I've
17:27
got. Just take that as proof how good
17:29
Rhow really is. We love the food there.
17:32
But, despite how good the food is, you
17:33
need to leave room for dessert. The
17:36
Basque cheesecake on the dessert menu is
17:39
possibly my favorite thing to eat across
17:41
all four ships, across any restaurant,
17:44
across any eatery. So, do always save
17:46
room for dessert when you head to Rhow.
17:49
Then, after dinner, it was our first
17:50
time to see Red Hot. So, when we first
17:53
stepped on board Brilliant Lady last
17:55
year, Red Hot wasn't ready to go. We're
17:58
still in rehearsals. We managed to see
18:00
Out of Time last year, which is the
18:02
other show that's available in the Red
18:04
Room on Brilliant Lady, but this is our
18:06
first time seeing Red Hot. And the
18:08
performances, dancing, and vocals that
18:10
we saw in Red Hot were absolutely
18:13
incredible. And it's really easy to see
18:15
why this show in particular makes the
18:17
Virgin Voyages brand team very, very
18:20
happy indeed. The show gives a potted
18:22
history of the Virgin brand, and there's
18:24
nods to Atlantic to record, and
18:27
particularly there is a nod to Virgin
18:30
Voyages, which is the moment where the
18:31
audience really, really respond. I will
18:34
say, bizarrely, the show then ended with
18:36
the Spice Girls medley. It felt to me
18:38
like it would have been nicer if they
18:40
ended on the Virgin Voyages note, cuz
18:42
that's where everyone was applauding and
18:44
really responding.
18:45
And then it went into Spice Girls. I
18:47
found that a little bit jarring. But,
18:48
perhaps that's just me. I am a fan of
18:50
Spice Girls, but maybe I'm more of a fan
18:52
of Virgin Voyages. I don't know. But,
18:54
after Red Hot, it was time for an early
18:56
night, because it was a big day. We were
18:57
heading to San Francisco. And this in
19:00
particular was one of our absolute
19:02
favorite days. Now, as I mentioned
19:04
earlier, we have been to San Francisco
19:06
before. So, many of the tourist
19:08
attractions we'd already done. And we
19:10
are incredible nerds at heart. This
19:13
entire company, VV Insider, only got its
19:16
start because we are techy people and we
19:18
like building things. And I built a
19:20
website about Virgin Voyages, and that
19:22
turned into vvinsider.com.
19:25
But we've always been big fans of
19:26
technology. And we'd originally planned
19:28
an excursion through Virgin Voyages that
19:31
was going to take us on a tour of
19:32
different sites in Silicon Valley,
19:35
including the headquarters of Google and
19:37
Apple. But unfortunately, not enough
19:40
people had booked this excursion, so it
19:42
ended up getting canceled. Well, we
19:44
didn't want to waste the opportunity, so
19:45
instead of the excursion, we hired a
19:47
car. Now, I just want to set the context
19:49
that I'm from the UK and I drive an
19:51
electric car that effectively drives
19:53
itself. Well, you can imagine my
19:54
surprise and horror when we were given
19:56
this massive Jeep from the rental car
19:59
company. It only cost £45 for the day. I
20:02
was not expecting this huge behemoth
20:05
vehicle. What's more, it didn't even
20:06
have as much as lane assist, and we were
20:09
having to drive hour down to the Apple
20:12
headquarters. Needless to say, it was a
20:14
little bit hair-raising, but we managed
20:15
to get there in the end. The Apple
20:17
headquarters were really cool. There was
20:19
a visitor center that you could go to,
20:21
and there were souvenirs you could buy.
20:23
We had a little bit of lunch in the cafe
20:25
there as well, before exploring the
20:28
Apple campus on this massive aluminum
20:31
model that you could walk around with an
20:32
iPad to see an augmented reality version
20:36
of the campus. Now, of course, this is
20:38
not a normal San Francisco or tourist
20:40
trap, but exactly what we wanted to do
20:42
with our morning. Also, the weather was
20:44
absolutely lovely in San Francisco, so
20:46
in great conditions for driving, and it
20:48
was just a really nice place to walk
20:50
around. So, we decided to get back in
20:52
the car and ended up driving back to the
20:54
center of San Francisco, and then
20:56
crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, which
20:58
in itself is such a fantastic
21:00
experience. When you're driving, you of
21:02
course can only look at so much, but
21:04
even then, it was just an incredible
21:06
experience to know that you're driving
21:08
on such an iconic piece of history.
21:11
After we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge,
21:12
we then went up to this viewpoint called
21:14
Hawk's Hill. Now, it's well worth the
21:17
drive. It's a little bit further than
21:19
some of the other Golden Gate
21:20
viewpoints, but the view we got from
21:22
here was spectacular. And we could
21:24
actually see Brilliant Lady peeking
21:26
through the Golden Gate Bridge. We tried
21:28
to zoom in to get as much of a picture
21:30
as we could of it, but you can just see
21:31
the scale of this panoramic view is
21:33
absolutely huge. But we got sweeping
21:35
views of the bridge and the marina.
21:37
Absolutely incredible. I would really
21:40
recommend taking the trip to Hawk Hill
21:42
if you can. Well, after that lovely
21:43
view, I thought I'd had enough of
21:45
driving. So, we ended up handing the
21:47
hire car back in. And that's where our
21:50
journey today at least is going to end
21:52
because I want to save some tales for
21:54
next week, including a taxi that we got
21:56
in which terrifyingly had no driver
21:59
whatsoever. I'm going to tell you about
22:00
the incredible experience of sailing
22:02
under the Golden Gate Bridge as we left
22:05
and the terrible calamity I made of
22:07
trying to film that moment. And one of
22:09
you lovely YouTube viewers came to my
22:11
rescue with your own videos. So, you'll
22:13
see that next week as well. As well as a
22:15
far more exciting whale watching
22:17
experience than I ever thought possible
22:19
where there were moments I was sure we
22:21
were all going to be killed. As well as
22:23
our incredible experience at Vancouver
22:25
where we were lucky enough to try our
22:27
very first seaplane flight. We had the
22:30
most incredible time on this journey and
22:32
I can't wait to fill you in with more
22:34
details next week. In the meantime, if
22:36
you're looking to catch up on all the
22:38
latest Virgin Voyages news, we put out a
22:40
video last week talking about the new
22:43
Valentine's Day sailings next year as
22:45
well as all the new stuff that's coming
22:47
to Brilliant Lady for her Alaska season
22:50
which she's on right now. I've linked
22:52
that video at the end and in the
22:53
description as well. If you want to come
22:55
back next week to hear about all our
22:57
escapades as we headed up to Vancouver,
22:59
then make sure that you stay subscribed.
23:01
And of course, if you're looking to get
23:03
on a voyage yourself and you'd like to
23:04
support the work that we do here, then
23:06
we'd love to help you plan your next
23:08
voyage. If you head to
23:09
vvinsider.com/book,
23:12
you can find out about all the ways that
23:14
we can help you plan your next voyage
23:16
and act as your first mate or travel
23:18
advisor for when you're planning your
23:20
next trip. Not only does it help support
23:22
the content that we produce here, but
23:24
also it's well worth you having the
23:26
number one Virgin Voyages expert at your
23:29
side when you're booking your next trip.
23:31
Thank you so much for coming along. I
23:32
can't wait to tell you more next week.
23:34
And until then, happy sailing.
23:39
>> [music]
#Travel & Transportation