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Explore this sailing ↗Opens Virgin Voyages’ search for this departure date from San Juan. Check the ship and dates in the results; availability and itineraries can change.
🎃 Valiant Lady • October 31 to November 7, 2026
Come for the ports.
Stay for the
misbehavior.
Turtles, beach bars, French pastries and a sunset worth putting your phone down for. Briefly.
THE HALLOWEEN EDITION • VOYAGE 01 / 09
Come sail along on Instagram
Which island would get you off the ship?
Curaçao, Aruba, Martinique or St. Kitts? Tell me your pick on Instagram. Follow along for the port days, the shows, and the people who make me keep coming back.
Your ports, with a plan
Explore this voyage.
Tap a port on the map or choose one below. See my ideas, jump into the port guide and check the forecast for your planned day ashore.
Loading the route. The port guide links below work without the map.
Choose a port
Where shall we go?
The map connects directly to my plans in this guide.
Read the port guide →Weather for your visit
Forecasts appear when the planned visit is within range. Port dates must be confirmed before relying on a forecast.
Data from MET Norway · CC BY 4.0. Temperatures converted to °F; forecast sample selected by local time.Approximate port locations. Dashed lines connect the guide’s listed stops, not the ship’s navigation track. Port order and dates remain subject to confirmation in the Sailor App.
Ahoy, Sailors! 👋
Some people decorate their house for Halloween. I’m moving back onto Valiant Lady. Nine voyages through New Year’s, and a very generous interpretation of “just one more cruise.”
Why do I keep coming back? My people. The crew who make it feel like home, the friends in the front row at Miss Behave, and the Squid Ink artists who have made quite a few of my memories permanent.
Now let’s make some memories ashore. Here’s what I’d consider, what I’d eat, and where I’d leave room to simply enjoy being there.
Hundreds of nights aboard Virgin Voyages. Nineteen voyages in a row on one stretch. More than 50 Squid Ink tattoos. A lot of love for this line, and enough experience to know that the cheapest excursion isn’t automatically the best day.
Port dates and arrival/departure windows below are carried over from the supplied itinerary. Confirm them in the Sailor App. Departure time is not all-aboard time.
🧭 Pick your kind of trouble
| Port | Go exploring | Take it easy |
|---|---|---|
| Curaçao | West-coast beach tour | Willemstad + local lunch |
| Aruba | Snorkel cruise | Beach time + sunset sail |
| Martinique | Boat trip OR distillery outing | Fort-de-France + accras |
| St. Kitts | Confirmed cruise-compatible tour | Cockleshell Bay + lunch |
Choose a lane. Trying to do both columns is how a vacation becomes a group project.
Monday, November 2 • listed window: 9 AM to 7 PM
🐢 Curaçao: turtles don’t take direction
The buildings are colorful. The water is ridiculous. Your camera is about to earn its keep.
The adventure: west-coast beaches
A beach-hopping tour can take you beyond Willemstad toward coves such as Kenepa and the turtle waters at Playa Piskadó. Confirm the actual stops, pickup point, return time, entrance fees and equipment before booking.
Let wildlife come and go. No chasing, touching or feeding turtles. They did not sign up to be your supporting cast.
The relaxed plan: lunch with a side of color
Explore Willemstad, photograph the Handelskade waterfront, then look for a local lunch at Plasa Bieu. Ask which stalls are operating and what’s cooking that day. Look for karni stoba, a comforting beef stew, or keshi yena, a stuffed-cheese dish.
Want the blue-bottle moment? Landhuis Chobolobo offers distillery visits. It’s a separate taxi outing, so check tour times rather than trying to squeeze it into a full beach day.
One colorful waterfront shot and one picture with you actually in it. Caption option: “My Halloween costume is someone who might return to land.”
Let’s hear it, Sailors
Team turtles or team town?
Curaçao: are you choosing turtles and beaches, or colorful streets and a local lunch? Tell me your pick.
Comment on the planning reel ↗Tag @vv.sailor.mark in your port-day Story so I can see your version.
Tuesday, November 3 • listed window: 9 AM to 10 PM
🌅 Aruba: sunset is the headliner
A long port call is permission to slow down. It is also permission to spend the afternoon discussing where to watch the sunset.
The splashy option: catamaran snorkeling
Delphi Watersports lists snorkeling cruises from $65. Check your date, route and check-in time. Their Palm Beach meeting point requires a transfer from the cruise port.
The golden-hour option: sunset sail
The operator lists a two-hour sunset cruise from $50, with drinks and snacks. You board from the beach, so expect wet feet. Exact departure and return times still need checking for November 3.
Eat something worth leaving the ship for
Zeerovers in Savaneta is a seafood option from the original shortlist. It’s in a different part of the island from Palm Beach. Make it a dedicated lunch outing, confirm opening hours, and agree taxi arrangements before you go.
If you’re sailing twice, keep lunch near your meeting point instead. Add transfers, check-in and an actual break before congratulating yourself on fitting everything in.
Film five seconds before the sun disappears. Then watch the rest. Caption option: “I dressed as a responsible adult. The costume lasted until Aruba.”
Let’s hear it, Sailors
One boat or two? Be honest.
Aruba with a late departure: snorkeling, a sunset sail, or a beach chair with my name on it?
Comment on the planning reel ↗Tag @vv.sailor.mark in your port-day Story so I can see your version.
Thursday, November 5 • listed window: 9 AM to 7 PM
🥃 Martinique: bonjour, beautiful
French pastries, Caribbean flavor and rhum agricole. This is a very convincing argument for getting off the ship.
Choose water OR rum country
For a snorkel outing, confirm the departure harbor before paying. “Martinique pickup” does not necessarily mean the cruise terminal. A boat elsewhere on the island may require a substantial transfer.
For a distillery visit, arrange a driver and a return pickup. La Favorite and Depaz were on the original shortlist, but opening hours, tours and tastings need confirmation. Don’t assume you can add either after a boat trip.
The easy pleasure: explore Fort-de-France
Keep the day local with a town stroll and accras, the island’s salt-cod fritters. Add a pastry stop. A warm pain au chocolat is a perfectly respectable cultural activity.
Ti’ punch brings together rhum agricole, lime and cane sugar. Ask how your bartender serves it, then take your time. “Ti’” is not a promise about strength.
Bring some euros, check card acceptance, and start with “bonjour.” For current places to visit, use the Martinique tourism directory.
Choose your winner: pastry, fritters or the first sip of ti’ punch. Caption option: “Bonjour. That is the extent of my French until lunch arrives.”
Let’s hear it, Sailors
What are you ordering first?
Martinique first stop: accras, a pastry, or ti’ punch? I need to know your priorities.
Comment on the planning reel ↗Tag @vv.sailor.mark in your port-day Story so I can see your version.
Friday, November 6 • listed window: 8 AM to 4 PM
🏝️ St. Kitts: beach yes, pier sprint no
The shortest port day deserves the simplest plan. Save the dramatic entrance for Miss Behave.
The easy choice: Cockleshell Bay
Arrange a taxi from Port Zante, agree whether the fare is per person or per vehicle, and book the return pickup before settling into your beach chair.
Reggae Beach Bar and Spice Mill are food-and-drink candidates from the original guide. Confirm opening hours and beach-chair arrangements. The view toward Nevis is part of the appeal.
Tempted by Nevis?
The original guide suggested a beach-and-snorkel trip. Don’t book on departure time alone. Get the return-to-Port-Zante time in writing, allow for disembarking and the walk to the ship, and compare it with the actual all-aboard deadline. No clear answer? Choose a different outing.
Take the Nevis-view photo before lunch. Caption option: “The only thing haunting me is the thought of missing this ship.”
Let’s hear it, Sailors
Are you a beach-chair person?
St. Kitts: give me a beach chair and a view of Nevis. What is your perfect port day?
Comment on the planning reel ↗Tag @vv.sailor.mark in your port-day Story so I can see your version.
💸 A little less scary at checkout
Compare current quotes for your exact date. Include transfers, admission, equipment and cancellation terms before choosing an independent outing or a Shore Thing.
Availability for our date and Virgin’s sailing-specific prices still need confirmation.
- Door-to-door time, including pickup, check-in and return travel.
- Taxes, transport, meals, equipment and beach admission.
- Cancellation terms if the ship misses or changes the port.
- The exact return point and confirmed all-aboard deadline.
When I’d choose a Shore Thing: a tight schedule, complicated transfers, or an outing where ship coordination is worth paying for. Check the current Shore Things terms for the specific booking.
A bargain that requires a frantic taxi ride is a very expensive personality test.
🎃 Your Halloween side quest
Collect one colorful photo, one local bite and one good conversation in each port. Ghost sightings optional. Being kind to the people welcoming us is compulsory.
On embarkation day: pack your costume essentials in your carry-on if you want them before your bags arrive. Check the app for the actual Halloween events and Scarlet Night schedule. Red still deserves a place in the suitcase.
🛂 The paperwork plot twist
Virgin currently requires a passport book for San Juan sailings, with at least six months’ validity after the voyage ends. For this November 7 return, that means May 7, 2027 or later. If you’re staying aboard for later voyages, calculate from your final voyage’s end date.
Check nationality-specific visas and the latest Virgin travel requirements before leaving home. Follow voyage-specific instructions for any destination forms.
If you’d like a personal recommendation for planning help
My friends Samantha Robichaud and Kelly Roma at Fabulous Adventures Travel are people I’m happy to recommend if you’d like help arranging your own trip.
💜 The part I keep coming back for
After the turtles, the pastries and whatever happened to my beach hair, I get to walk back onto Valiant Lady. That’s where my people are. The crew, the cast, the friends, the familiar faces who turn another voyage into another memory.
Go have your adventure. Leave room for a surprise. Then come home in time to find out what trouble we’re getting into tonight.
See you at sea,
Sailor Mark ⚓
Send this guide to the friend you’d share a beach chair with. On board too? Come say hi. I’m usually easier to find than my good judgment.
The complete series · Updated October 17, 2026
Nine voyages. More ways ashore.
Before booking: compare the complete cost, including transfers, admission and equipment. Confirm pickup at your actual berth, the operator’s cancellation terms if the ship changes its call, and a return time that leaves room before all-aboard. Ask directly about mobility and swimming requirements.
All nine planning guides are now available. Repeating a port? Browse another week for a different way to spend the day.
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