The party is pumping at Virgin Voyages' beach club

The sun was high, and so was the energy at the Virgin Voyages Beach Club at Bimini. A DJ played dance music as a group known as the Happening Cast both entertained and amped up the crowd with their tireless moves to songs like Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love.”

Meanwhile, “sailors” (Virgin Voyages’ name for its guests) looking for a more laid-back energy had various places to choose from. There was a freshwater pool close enough to hear the music but away from the party vibe; the beach, where they could unwind on one of the many lounge chairs to hear both the music and the crashing of the waves; or a cabana in the 360 Beach Club, a place to enjoy a massage.

Virgin Voyages wanted the Beach Club at Bimini in the Bahamas to provide a little something for everyone, said Nicole Huang, general manager of the Virgin fleet and associate vice president of sailor experience.

“The Beach Club at Bimini really is the extension of our ship. Whatever we do on the ship, we want to bring a little flair of it to the beach club,” she said. “Find your own path, which is always what we believe. … Even on our ship, you can find very different experiences, which is why when you come back you can actually have a completely different experience.” 

The process of deciding what a beach club for Virgin Voyages should feel like took a bit of research, Huang said. After weighing the trends at European beach clubs, resorts and cruise lines’ private islands, the brand decided to create an aesthetic that embraces nature and the ocean. To do that, they purposely built the entryway slightly higher than the 10-acre club itself so guests can see more of the ocean. They also decided to build two pools, which were also installed at that higher level to take advantage of the view. 

Pools are important for the U.S. market, Huang said. While European travelers prefer to settle right on the beach, American travelers like the option of taking a dip in a pool. 

At one pool, a DJ makes sure there’s a dance club vibe made more exciting by the Happening Cast; while some dance, others playfully fling colorful inner tubes and floaties into the pool, including a massive white swan, a unicorn and a giant pink cellphone. From time to time a member of the crew would suggestively shoot a neon squirt gun into the pool.

The scene is quite different at the second pool. While the music is easily heard, the volume lends itself to a more chill vibe. At the end of this pool is a bar with chairs that hang from the edge where guests can sip drinks while dangling their feet in the water.

This is just one of six bars at the Virgin Voyages Beach Club at Bimini. There’s one at each pool, two where Caribbean-inspired food is served, another at the main entrance and one in the 360 Beach Club exclusively for sailors staying in one of the ship’s 78 premium Rock Star cabins. 

Boozy slushies seem to be a popular choice among the sailors, but many were also seen strolling along the beach with a hollowed-out coconut that is often served with a shot of rum. On the side of those coconuts is the cheeky phrase, “A dose of Vitamin Sea.” 

Amenities in the 360 Beach Club include access to a private sitting area and loungers, a dedicated bar, table service and private golf cart transportation to the beach club. Guests here also have access to private cabanas for a fee. 

Last year, the line introduced a cabana massage program after receiving feedback from guests who said they were interested in couples’ massages on the beach. Virgin Voyages then turned two of the cabanas into a massage area, and it is looking to build more as it eyes an expansion that could happen toward the end of the year, Huang said. 

There’s no shortage of places to just sit and relax at the club. To combat the annoying practice of people dropping their belongings on a beach chair and then disappearing, Virgin Voyages puts out nearly 3,000 loungers, which is more than their ships’ maximum capacity of 2,770 guests. Tip: grab a seat at the volleyball court for some great entertainment while sipping from your coconut.

The finishing touch at the club is the lighting of two large iron globes that sit on the beach. Virgin Voyages used to be one of the few cruise lines that stayed into the night at its beach club, hosting a bonfire as the sun went down — a ritual that didn’t last long. In August, the line decided to close its evening program, according to Huang, because most guests were back on the ship by 5 p.m. to change for dinner. They continue to light the globes anyway. 

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