Key Aspects:
- Virgin Voyages has announced its first-ever True Crime Cruise, which will coincide with the 2025 Halloween season.
- The 5-night Caribbean sailing will be hosted onboard Valiant Lady and will embark from Miami on October 10, 2025.
- During the cruise, true crime fans will get to enjoy live podcast recordings, meet-and-greets with top podcasters, and more.
Virgin Voyages has a real treat in store for fans of the strange, dark, mysterious, and downright scary.
During the upcoming Halloween season, the premier adults-only cruise line will offer its very first true crime-themed sailing through a collaboration with iHeartMedia.
While other cruise lines have offered true crime sailings before, such as the upcoming themed cruise on NCL’s Norwegian Joy in 2026, this is a first for Virgin Voyages.
Valiant Lady will host the special 5-night voyage, which will embark from Miami, Florida, on October 10, 2025.
The 2,770-guest ship will sail to popular destinations like Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and Bimini Island, Bahamas – but the real excitement might be found onboard for this trip.
“We’ve tapped into a massive fandom and paired it with our uniquely elevated product,” said Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer and head of sales at Virgin Voyages.
“We designed the True Crime Voyage to tap into something people are already passionate about,” Nathan continued.
The experience onboard has been inspired by some of iHeartMedia’s most popular true crime podcasts, such as “Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know,” “Betrayal,” and “Buried Bones.”
Considering iHeartMedia reaches over a quarter of a billion listeners in the US every month, it goes without saying that shows like these have an absolutely massive following.
The podcasters behind these shows will be onboard to participate in live podcast recordings, meet and greets, and to join guests in savoring signature cocktails and snacks that have been inspired by famous cases.
There will also be “How to Podcast” workshops led by top podcast hosts who have found success and special giveaways.
More true crime personalities may still be announced as the cruise approaches, and knowing Virgin Voyages,’ there are likely plenty of exciting surprises still to come.
Halloween Onboard Valiant Lady
One element of the True Crime sailing that Virgin Voyages has absolutely nailed for fans (like me) is the timing.
Scheduling this cruise to take place during Spooky Season (as the kids say) is a great way to help true crime lovers get into the spirit. But, what can cruisers expect from a Halloween cruise?
Virgin Voyages describes these sailings as “The Halloween Voyages: No Kids. Just Treats is the answer to your Halloween prayers.”
The fact that kids won’t be onboard also likely contributes to the brand’s ability to launch a sailing with content that is usually meant for mature audiences.
“We’re doing costume contests, themed food & drink, and more,” the cruise line’s website states.
Read Also: Who Owns Virgin Voyages and How It All Started?
In the midst of the true crime deep dive, guests will also be able to participate in a costume party and contest and to enjoy specialty spirits and treats that are only onboard for the duration of the season.
There will also be a special assortment of eerie meetups, such as themed trivia, skull-painting, and “haunted” grog walks.
Additionally, the onboard entertainment is revamped with a never-before-seen show by the Happenings cast and live music from a decked-out band.
Meanwhile, the festival stage will feature a variety of comedy, music, magic, and dance performances that all feature a Halloween twist.
But if the spooky vibes aren’t for you, you might prefer being onboard for one of the cruise line’s special New Year’s, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day cruises.
In 2025 and 2026, the cruise line will also be hosting other themed cruises like “Eat and Drink Festivals,” Comedy Fest Voyages, and Red Hot sailings – during which founder Sir Richard Branson is onboard for the fun.
