A Virgin Voyages cruise helps grieving siblings reconnect

I am the youngest of a family of six. But now, we are three: my brother, Mike; my sister, Erin; and me. In the wake of our mother’s unexpected death last year, we decided the best way to honor Mom was to stay connected. The previous few years of supporting an aging parent had stressed our relationships, and with our matriarch now gone, we understood how easy it would be for us to drift apart.

One night while we and our spouses were preparing for Mom’s service, I was telling them all about my recent press trip on Virgin Voyages‘ “mermaiden” Caribbean cruise on the Valiant Lady. I told them all how I loved that it was adults-only, felt like a boutique hotel and that the price included almost everything. I loved the day drinking and the room service, dance parties, live music, edgy shows and churros dusted in rainbow glitter.

Virgin Voyages reminded me how to have fun, I told them. “When are we going?” asked my sister-in-law, Karen. At which point we all pulled out our phones to find a date, landing on the one-year anniversary of Mom’s passing.

Enter travel advisor Vicki Winters of Bucket List Travelers, an affiliate of Fora Travel. Winters understood the assignment: three cabins, six adults traveling together for the first time to bond and honor their mother.

But six months later, Virgin Voyages had to cancel our sailing. Fresh off the lesson that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, we settled on a five-day replacement in the same time slot, boosted by two days of pregaming in Miami. Winters rebooked our reservations, ensured all promised credits were in place, secured us adjacent cabins and added a bottle of bubbly to greet us in each cabin.

The day before departure, we were thrilled when we noticed our status on the app had changed to Rockstars, the VIP category for “Sailors” who book suites (although to be clear, our cabins stayed the same.) It was an unexpected courtesy extended by the Virgin media relations team, with whom I have a professional relationship. And we felt just like rock stars when our Lyft delivered us to the dedicated entrance where the coveted black bracelets, instead of the standard red, were clipped around our wrists and we sailed through security. 

First up was lunch and drinks at the Dock, a spacious outdoor lounge on the ship’s aft, to scroll through the daily schedule on the app and secure reservations for classes, shows and activities. I snagged a spot for the VHS Workout, an ’80s-themed exercise class, while others opted for a bungee class, personal quiet time and spa appointments. 

But when my sister suggested we meet up for Sip, Plate, Snap, a food styling and photography class, I about fell out of my chair when everyone, including my brother and brother-in-law, said, “Sign me up.”

For the Sail Away party, we started with the chill vibe at Richard’s Rooftop, exclusive to Rockstars. But as the Scarlet Lady glided through the channel, with the Miami skyline resplendent at sunset, we were drawn to the energy of the dance party at the pool deck. 

The metaphor of a ship casting off and leaving the world behind was not lost on me. At sea, I hoped we’d make new memories outside the well-defined lines of lifelong family roles. As I watched my big brother sidle up to a drag queen for a photo, I had a feeling we were off to a good start.

The next day, late morning, we met up at the Social Club for Salty Trivia, described by Virgin as “catering to the weird, the wacky and the nerdy among us.” The questions were certainly geared to our demographic, though I have to admit I was shocked by my brother’s savant-like knowledge of ’70s and ’80s pop culture and wondered what else I’d learn about him. When it was time to turn our answer sheets in with our team name on top, my sister wrote “Carol’s Kids” for the win. It felt good to be on that team.

We then headed for Test Kitchen, one of six specialty restaurants on the Scarlet Lady, for that Sip, Plate, Snap class, where our host, Ryan, kept our flutes full of sparkling rosé while giving us tips for using structure, color and sheen to craft visually appealing plates that look yummy and photograph well.

We felt like kids with an art project as we built our avocado toast masterpieces. The vibe was loose and fun; we made new friends and even took home some skills (my sister just texted a photo of her breakfast with a note, “Steve is practicing his plating skills that he learned on VV.”)

The writer with Richard’s Rooftop server and ambassador Mariana, who helped make the trip extra special for the Padilla family. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Megan Padilla

We locked in our daily ritual on Richard’s Rooftop, where we claimed the circular sofa in the starboard corner as our happy hour hangout to reconnect each day over free-flowing Moet Champagne. Our attentive server, Mariana, remembered who didn’t drink and kept their glasses filled with nonalcoholic bubbles. 

Mariana’s kindness and warmth quickly won us over, and we were delighted when she accepted our invitation to join us for dinner. Mom took an interest in everybody’s story and taught us that there is always room for one more at the table.

At dinner, we all leaned in to listen to Mariana share about her family in Brazil and life working on a cruise ship as we passed around the family-style charcuterie board and dug into plates of homemade pasta at Extra Virgin. It was fun to “host” a fancy dinner where no one had to pay the bill, since all specialty dining is included on Virgin Voyages sailings. 

In Cozumel, we cashed in our Christmas present from my sister, who had booked us an intimate, three-hour cooking experience from Josefina’s Cooking Con Alma (with soul) to learn about Yucatan cuisine. We met Josefina’s son Jeronimo at the municipal market, shopped for ingredients and then taxied together to Josefina’s to cook and eat.

The writer’s sister with the members of the Happenings cast. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Megan Padilla

The bright, tidy and cheerful front room — little more than a stove, sink and table festively set for eight — took Mike, Erin and me back to our Grandma Abigail’s. Our paternal grandparents are Mexican, and nearly all of our memories of visiting are centered around Grandma’s cooking and (too) long meals with many relatives speaking Spanish around the dining table. 

We took our seats, and Jeronimo got started at the head of the table, teaching, prepping and cooking his way through a dozen small courses. We learned how to safely remove the thorns from the skin of nopal pads and enjoyed it in a salad with grapefruit, papaya and Tajin seasoning. Butterflied prawns became ceviche, served on thin slices of crisp jicama. 

Jeronimo heated a clay platter over two burners, melted butter until it bubbled and then gently placed some marinaded snapper in to cook. We ate it on fresh tortillas with avocado, pickled red onion and salsa. It was a joyous feast, and none of us had to do the dishes.

We left in high spirits, and Mike said it was the best shore excursion of his 10 cruises. I think what he really meant to say was how special it was to be with his sisters and reconnect with our heritage.

Our Cozumel day was capped by Scarlet Night, Virgin’s blowout party. Half of us went to bed (though I suspect Mike slipped off to the casino), but Erin, Steve and I were among the first in the pool to dance on its shallow ledge, arms in the air, everyone kicking and splashing.

Our mom, whom we called Big Red, would have been right there, too. Dancing at midnight on the Scarlet Lady.