Virgin Voyages has one small main pool (the Aquatic Club), a warm whirlpool-style Well-Being pool, and four hot tubs spread across the top decks. The pools are deliberately compact — they’re built for cooling off and socializing, not lap swimming. The best top-deck spots are actually the ones people overlook: the Well-Being pool for a warm soak, The Perch for quiet sunbathing, and the Athletic Club for sea views.
If you’ve read a few Reddit threads before booking, you’ve probably seen someone complain the pool is “tiny.” They’re not wrong — but they’re missing the point of how the top decks are designed to be used. We’re a Pixie Vacations First Mate team that has sailed Virgin, and this is the honest, no-fluff guide to every pool, hot tub, and sunbathing spot onboard, plus exactly where to plant yourself on a sea day.
Last updated: September 2026
Does Virgin Voyages have a pool?
Yes — but not the resort-style pool you might picture from a big-ship cruise line. Virgin Voyages built its ships around adults who want to lounge, sip, and socialize, so the top decks trade one enormous pool for several intimate water and sun spaces. Every ship in the fleet — Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and the newest, Brilliant Lady — shares the same top-deck layout, so this guide applies whichever Lady you sail.
The Aquatic Club: the main pool
The Aquatic Club is Virgin’s main pool, and it’s the one Reddit loves to gripe about. It’s shallow and compact — you can’t swim laps in it, and on a busy sea day it fills up fast. Here’s the thing though: that’s on purpose. Virgin made a conscious decision to skip the giant, splashy family pool because their sailors aren’t there to do cannonballs. The Aquatic Club is for cooling off, standing around with a cocktail, and joining poolside DJ sets and events.
If you come in expecting a place to actually swim, you’ll be disappointed. If you come in expecting a stylish spot to dip, cool down, and people-watch with a drink in hand, it delivers exactly that. Manage the expectation and you’ll enjoy it.
The Well-Being pool: the underrated favorite
This is the top-deck spot most first-timers walk right past. The Well-Being pool is a large whirlpool-style pool with a cross-shaped bench built into it, so you can sit submerged in warm, gently bubbling water. It sits on Deck 15 near the Gym & Tonic bar, and it’s usually calmer and warmer than the main Aquatic Club pool.
If your idea of a perfect sea-day hour is a warm soak with a view rather than a crowded splash, this is your spot. We send almost every Virgin first-timer here and they thank us for it.
Hot tubs: where to find all four
Beyond the pools, there are four hot tubs dotted around the upper decks. Two sit on the main pool deck (Deck 15) right in the action, and two more are tucked at the very aft of the ship on Deck 16 in the Athletic Club area, where you get incredible views of the wake trailing behind the ship. The aft pair are the quieter, more scenic choice — grab one near sunset.
The Perch: quiet sunbathing up top
The Perch is the open floor area on the topmost deck (Deck 17, at the aft), and it’s where the ship holds yoga, dance classes, and sunbathing — including a topless-optional area for those who want it. When classes aren’t running, it’s one of the quietest sun spots onboard, high above the pool-deck noise. There’s also a lookout bar nearby, so you’re never far from a drink.
“The Perch” is one of the most-searched Virgin Voyages venues, and for good reason: it’s the answer to “where do I go to actually relax away from the crowd?”
The Athletic Club and Sun Club: sea views and sunbathing
The Athletic Club on Deck 16 is an outdoor social space at the aft with swings, loungers, two of the ship’s hot tubs, and The Net — a netted hangout suspended over the water where you can lie back and watch the ocean rush by below you. It’s playful, scenic, and rarely as packed as the main pool deck. This is also where you’ll find the jogging track and basketball court if you want to move.
Perched just above the main pool and the Well-Being pool, the Sun Club is a broad open sunbathing deck for guests who just want to bask in the open air with room to spread out. If the loungers around the Aquatic Club are gone by mid-morning (they will be), head up here.
Top-deck venues at a glance
| Venue | Deck | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Club (main pool) | 15/16 | Small, shallow social pool | Cooling off, poolside events, people-watching |
| Well-Being pool | 15 | Warm whirlpool-style pool with bench | A warm, calm soak away from crowds |
| Hot tubs (×4) | 15 & 16 | Two mid-ship, two aft | Sunset soaks with wake views (go aft) |
| The Perch | 17 (aft) | Open sun/yoga floor, topless-optional | Quiet sunbathing, morning yoga |
| The Athletic Club & The Net | 16 (aft) | Swings, loungers, netted hangout over the sea | Scenic lounging, active sailors |
| Sun Club | Above pool | Open sunbathing deck | Overflow loungers, spreading out |
| Richard’s Rooftop | Top deck | RockStar-exclusive lounge | Suite guests wanting a private perch |
How to claim the best top-deck spot (a First Mate’s routine)
- Decide your vibe first. Warm soak → Well-Being pool. Quiet sun → The Perch. Social & scenic → Athletic Club. Splash & DJ → Aquatic Club.
- Get up top before 10 a.m. on sea days. The best loungers around the Aquatic Club and Well-Being pool go early — Virgin discourages all-day lounger hogging, but the prime shaded and rail-side spots still disappear first.
- Go aft for calm. The Athletic Club hot tubs and The Net stay quieter than the mid-ship pool deck almost all day.
- Use The Perch for the golden hours. Early morning (yoga aside) and late afternoon it’s often nearly empty.
- Port days are your secret weapon. If you’re staying onboard while others go ashore, you’ll have the whole top deck nearly to yourself.
Is the pool heated? Is it adults-only?
The whole ship is adults-only (18+), so every pool, hot tub, and sun spot onboard is an adults-only environment by default — no kids’ splash zones, no waterslides. The Well-Being pool is the warm one; the main Aquatic Club pool is refreshing rather than heated-spa warm, which is exactly what you want for cooling off in the Caribbean sun. For a warm soak, aim for the Well-Being pool or a hot tub.
Ready to sail?
Virgin’s top decks reward sailors who know how to use them — and that’s exactly the kind of detail a good travel advisor hands you before you board. At Pixie Vacations we book Virgin Voyages at no extra cost to you, and our First Mates sail these ships so you get the real intel, not the brochure version. Browse Virgin Voyages sailings and book with us here, or request a free quote and we’ll match you to the right ship and itinerary. Prefer to talk it through? Call our Canton, GA office at 678-815-1584.
Want more onboard intel before you sail? See our guides to things to do on Virgin Voyages, the Redemption Spa and thermal suite, and the full adults-only guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many pools and hot tubs does Virgin Voyages have?
Each ship has two pools — the main Aquatic Club pool and the warmer, whirlpool-style Well-Being pool — plus four hot tubs. Two hot tubs are on the main pool deck (Deck 15) and two are aft on Deck 16 near the Athletic Club, with views over the wake.
Why is the Virgin Voyages pool so small?
It’s by design. Virgin built its ships for adults who want to lounge and socialize rather than swim laps or do cannonballs, so it swapped one giant pool for several smaller, more intimate water and sun spaces. The Aquatic Club is meant for cooling off and poolside events, not swimming.
Can you actually swim on Virgin Voyages?
Not in the lap-swimming sense — the pools are shallow and compact. You can dip, cool off, and soak, but if serious swimming is important to you, Virgin isn’t the line for it. The Well-Being pool is best for a relaxed, warm soak.
Is Virgin Voyages adults-only, and does that include the pools?
Yes. Virgin Voyages is 18+ across the entire ship, so every pool, hot tub, and sunbathing area is an adults-only space. There are no kids’ pools or waterslides.
What is The Perch on Virgin Voyages?
The Perch is the open-air floor on the topmost deck (Deck 17, aft) used for yoga, dance classes, and sunbathing, including a topless-optional area. Outside of scheduled classes, it’s one of the quietest sun spots onboard.
Is Virgin Voyages a party boat?
Not exactly. The Aquatic Club pool deck has DJ sets and lively events, and there are signature parties like Scarlet Night, but the top decks also have genuinely calm corners — the Well-Being pool, The Perch, and the aft Athletic Club. You can make your sea day as social or as quiet as you like.
Written by the Pixie Vacations First Mate team. Pixie Vacations is a full-service travel agency that books Virgin Voyages at no added cost to you; our advisors have sailed the fleet. Facts on pools, hot tubs, and top-deck venues cross-checked against Virgin Voyages’ official Spa & Fitness page.
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