Introduction: Please take this guide seriously. Extremely seriously.
Doing nothing is an art form. A discipline. A lifestyle choice that requires preparation, commitment, and a very deliberate relationship with sunscreen. And yet, Sailors arrive every day wildly unqualified to relax.
They bring calendars. They bring ambition. They bring the deeply misguided belief that they should “make the most of it.” This guide exists to help you unlearn all of that.
Welcome to The Very Serious Guide to Doing Absolutely Nothing on a Virgin Voyages cruise, a rigorous, no-nonsense framework for rest, indulgence, and unapologetic leisure at sea. Follow it closely. Or don’t. That would also be correct.
Step 1: Cancel your internal calendar
Time works differently at sea.
Minutes stretch. Hours soften. Suddenly, it’s afternoon, and you’re not entirely sure how that happened. You’re holding a cold drink, though, so you decide not to investigate.
On Virgin Voyages, there is:
- No rush to make breakfast
- No pressure to attend anything
- No child yelling your name from across the deck
Your first assignment is to mentally delete your schedule. If you find yourself thinking:
“At 2:00 we should...”
Please stop. Take a breath. Lie down immediately.
Virgin Tip: If someone asks what time it is, the correct answer is “pool time” or “spa o’clock.”
Step 2: Aggressively ignore productivity (beginner to advanced levels)
Many Sailors struggle here. Years of hustle culture have trained you to feel guilty for resting unless it is “earned.” We regret to inform you: You’ve already earned it.
Beginner level
- Leave your phone in the cabin
- Forget where you put it
- Decide you don’t care
Intermediate level
- Check email once
- Laugh gently
- Close it forever
Advanced level
- Respond to nothing
- Feel nothing
- Achieve enlightenment somewhere between the pool and the hammock
By day two, you might feel a brief moment of disorientation when it hits you that you haven’t really “done” anything, and yet you feel better than you have in a long time. This is progress.
Step 3: Choose your nap location like a professional
Not all naps are created equal.
On Virgin Voyages, naps are strategic, intentional, and deeply personal.
Popular nap zones include:
- A shaded daybed (for elegant drifting)
- A hammock (for dramatic swaying and unexpected self-reflection)
- Your cabin (for blackout-curtain excellence)
- Somewhere you absolutely didn’t plan to nap (this is the premium experience)
When selecting a nap location, consider:
- Breeze factor
- Distance to cocktails
- Whether you will wake up confused but delighted
If you wake up unsure of what day it is, congratulations. You’re doing it right.
Step 4: Master the art of “I might do that later”
Virgin Voyages offers plenty of things you could do.
Shows. Fitness classes. Dinners that feel like events.
Your job is not to reject these things. Your job is to consider them casually.
Say things like:
- “Maybe.”
- “We’ll see.”
- “I love that for us.”
Then return to doing absolutely nothing.
Sometimes you will attend something spontaneously and have an incredible time. At other times, you may not move for three hours and still feel equally fulfilled.
Both outcomes are correct.
Step 5: Eat when you feel like it. Repeat.
Without fixed dining times or buffets demanding decisions, Virgin Voyages dining exists in a beautiful gray area known as whenever.
You may find yourself:
- Having brunch late
- Skipping lunch early
- Ordering dessert because you walked past it
With this, you’ll find no chaos, only freedom. You do not need to justify your hunger. You do not need to explain your third espresso. You do not need to apologize for ordering one more thing “just to try it.”
Sailor Snapshot: Many Sailors report reaching peak relaxation somewhere between the second bite and the realization that they’re not full yet — they’re just content.
Step 6: Dress for vibes, not expectations
On this cruise, your outfit has one job: support your mood.
Some days that looks like:
- Swimwear and sandals
- Linen and sunglasses
- Something you brought “just in case” and suddenly love
Other days it looks like:
- Nothing structured
- Nothing tight
- Nothing that requires a belt
If you change outfits three times because you feel like it, excellent. If you never change out of the same comfortable ensemble; also excellent. There is no wrong answer.
Step 7: Learn what to say when people ask what you did today
This is important. People will ask. Suggested responses:
- “Very little.”
- “Honestly? Not much.”
- “I don’t want to talk about it.” (said peacefully)
- “I rested.” (said confidently)
If you feel tempted to embellish, resist. Doing nothing deserves respect.
Step 8: Allow luxury to happen to you
Luxury on Virgin Voyages doesn’t shout. It casually appears. It’s:
- The design details you didn’t notice at first
- The service that feels intuitive, not interruptive
- The way everything seems to work without you thinking about it
Your role is to receive. Sit. Sip. Let someone else handle it. This may feel uncomfortable at first. That’s okay. It passes quickly.
Step 9: Beware of accidental joy
Side effects of doing absolutely nothing may include:
- Smiling for no reason
- Forgetting your stress entirely
- Saying “we should do this more often” unprompted
You may also experience a sudden urge to book another voyage before this one ends. (This is normal. We call it relaxation clarity.)
Final reminder: You are not wasting your vacation
If a small voice in your head whispers: “Shouldn’t I be doing more?”
Please thank it for its concern and gently escort it off the ship.
This is your permission slip to:
- Rest without guilt
- Indulge without explanation
- Float through your days with no agenda
You didn’t come all this way to be busy. You came to do nothing, and you’re doing it beautifully.
