MICCHECKJIM

Restaurants, Hidden Corners & What Most Sailors Miss

If you’ve ever stepped onto a Virgin Voyages ship and felt slightly disoriented within the first hour — this post is for you.

Deck 6 is one of the most important decks on any Virgin Voyages ship. It’s where food, nightlife, entertainment, and social energy all collide. It’s also where many first-time sailors get lost, double back on themselves, or completely miss some of the best experiences onboard.

In this walkthrough, I take you step-by-step around Deck 6 on Valiant Lady, pointing out:

• Where everything actually is
• What’s worth prioritising
• What’s different between ships
• And the small details most people walk straight past

This is not a glossy brochure tour.

It’s a real-world orientation — filmed in motion — so you can visualise the ship before you step onboard.

Why Deck 6 Matters on Virgin Voyages

Deck 6 is essentially the social spine of the ship.

This is where you’ll find:

• Signature restaurants
• Live music venues
• The casino
• The Manor nightclub
• The Red Room performance space
• The ship’s “High Street” shopping and lounge area

If you understand Deck 6 early in your voyage, everything else clicks faster — dining reservations, show timing, Scarlet Night, late-night wandering, and even how you move between decks efficiently.

Starting Point: Extra Virgin (Starboard, Aft)

We begin at Extra Virgin, Virgin Voyages’ Italian restaurant.

It’s one of the most consistently strong dining venues on the ship, and if you only eat here once, make it count.

Pro tip:

If you see the affogato cart — do not skip it. It’s interactive, boozy, fun, and one of the few moments onboard where staff, guests, and atmosphere collide in the best way possible.

The High Street: Shops, Layout & Ship Differences

Stepping out of Extra Virgin puts you straight onto The High Street.

This area subtly changes between ships:

• On Valiant Lady, Squid Ink (the tattoo parlour) sits here
• On Resilient Lady, it’s positioned further aft

That matters if you’re following guides filmed on a different ship — layouts are similar, not identical.

You’ll also find:

• The Virgin Shop (official merch)
• Casual seating
• A key visual landmark for navigation

This area acts as a mental reset point — once you know where the High Street sits, you’ll stop feeling turned around.

The Roundabout & On The Rocks

As you move forward, you hit the Roundabout — the circular heart of Deck 6.

Here you’ll find On The Rocks, one of the ship’s best cocktail bars.

• Excellent live music
• Surprisingly intimate seating pockets
• Strong cocktails (the Entertainer is dangerously good)

This space also transforms during Scarlet Night, when it hosts one of the ship’s most bizarre and entertaining rituals: the onboard wedding ceremony. Get a seat early if you want to watch.

Squid Ink, Casino & The Manor (Lower Entrance)

Continuing forward:

• Squid Ink (tattoos at sea — yes, really)
• The Casino
• The lower entrance to The Manor nightclub

Important detail most people miss:

The Manor has two entrances — Deck 6 (lower) and Deck 7 (upper). Knowing this saves queues and lets you dip in and out of shows without committing to the full crowd experience.

There’s also a hidden indoor smoking room connected to the casino — tucked away behind an unassuming door that many people never notice.

The Red Room (Deck 6 Entrance)

The Red Room is Virgin Voyages’ main performance venue.

On Deck 6 you’re entering at seating level, but there’s also an upper viewing entrance on Deck 7 — a brilliant alternative if you want to watch without being fully immersed in the crowd.

If you’re someone who prefers standing, leaning, or observing rather than sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, this is a key navigation hack.

Test Kitchen (Port Side Highlight)

Moving onto the port side of the High Street brings you to Test Kitchen.

This venue divides opinion — but if you’ve never done a tasting menu before, it’s one of the most accessible ways to try one.

• Structured courses
• Thoughtful pacing
• Non-alcoholic pairings that are genuinely interesting

It’s less about “liking everything” and more about experiencing something different — which is very on-brand for Virgin Voyages.

Small Details Most People Miss on Deck 6

These are the things that rarely make it into official guides:

• Carpet stripe codes on stairs (colour = ship location)
• Secondary venue entrances that bypass queues
• Quiet seating pockets near On The Rocks
• Ship-to-ship layout differences that cause confusion
• Hidden smoking rooms not marked clearly on maps

Deck 6 rewards curiosity — slow down and it reveals itself.

How This Deck Fits Into the Bigger Picture

Deck 6 connects directly into:

• Deck 7 nightlife and shows
• Deck 15 dining (via vertical flow)
• Scarlet Night movement patterns
• Late-night food and drink routes

Once you understand Deck 6, the rest of the ship feels smaller, calmer, and easier to enjoy.

Final Thoughts

This Deck 6 walkthrough is part of a wider series where I break Virgin Voyages ships deck by deck, in real time, without fluff.

If you’re sailing soon:

• Watch the video once
• Read this with a map open
• You’ll board calmer, faster, and more confident

And if I missed something you love on Deck 6 — genuinely — drop it in the comments. These ships are layered, and the best tips often come from other sailors.

Next up: Deck 7.