Like A Virgin, Fremantle for the very First Time!

Not quite Madonna’s words.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin’s cruise ship Resilient Lady – which we recently mistakenly advised was going to miss Fremantle – is on her maiden voyage to Fremantle; she arrives for the very first time at around 7am this Tuesday 2 April.

Her last port was Sydney, where our spy spied her tied up at Circular Quay. She’s hard to miss with her red trim standing out against all the white.

Resilient Lady, Sydney. Credit Fremantle Shipping

Resilient Lady was launched on 8 March 2022, International Women’s Day, to symbolise the spirit of ‘Lady’ ships, and to celebrate women and their achievements, strength, leadership and resilience. The singer Jennifer Lopez is her godmother.

She was the third ‘Lady’ ship, joining Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. Since then a fourth ship ‘Brilliant Lady’ has joined the fleet. These ships were apparently inspired by super yacht designs and the idea of bringing glamour to the high seas.

Virgin Voyages offer Adult Only cruises. Grey nomads step aside – this is a raunchy bougie ship with a sexual undercurrent and not your average cruise. Virgin Voyages has been referred to as the ‘cruise line for millennials’. The average age is actually closer to upper 40s. The guest atmosphere is diverse and welcoming: adult cruises are LGBTQ+ friendly and popular among veteran sailors as well as first-time cruisers.

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So, if you were to embark on this giant playground for adults – what should you expect?
• You must be an adult – over 18.
• You’ll be known as a sailor – not a passenger.
• The cruise comes with a Virgin Voyages app, to order drinks, food and view activities.
• It’s a festival at sea – live music every evening at the Rock’s Bar.
• Some of the entertainment is risqué, cutting edge for adults – so is best not to be too prudish. Entertainment includes: an 80s themed night club and workouts, Drag Queen Bingo and a BDSM workshop.
• Lots of darkly lit bars and intimate spaces.
• If you are a swinger, you put a pineapple sticker on your door.
• No stuffy dining halls – there are 20 different casual eateries – think Bento Boxes and Poke Bowls.
• No overcrowded waterparks.
• You need to pack something red to celebrate the famous Scarlet Night deck party.
• You will have a bar tab.
• You can get a tattoo at Squid Ink – the tattoo parlour.
• Self Care: fitness classes, yoga, boxing. There’s a huge pool and a basketball court.
• Treat yourself to a massage, mani-pedis (manicure and a pedicure) or brow shaping.
• And you can book an appointment with the onboard sex therapist.

It’s no wonder children aren’t allowed; the gelato stand on deck 7 is called ‘Lick me ‘Till…Ice Cream’. On the first night, singles can attend a ‘mixer session’ where they are invited to share their most adventurous sexual encounter.

There’s a late night interactive cabaret called ‘Never Sleep Alone’ where sailors are asked to embrace their sexuality. Everyone gets a condom and a Carnival Mask and brave sailors play onstage dating games and do X-rated things to fruit.

This is a transit ship which means Fremantle is a day stop for the sailors already on board. There are 1184 sailors onboard along with 1088 crew. 8 sailors are disembarking in Freo and 24 will join the fun!

This Lady ship will set sail the Virgin Way again at 5pm on Tuesday, her next port of call Mauritius.

Resilient Lady’s arrival and departure should be fun, don’t miss her!

STORY by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey. Jean is our Shipping Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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