Squid Ink on Virgin Voyages: Tattoos, Piercings, & What to Know
Getting a tattoo at sea was one of the experiences I was most excited about before sailing on Virgin Voyages.
Squid Ink is Virgin Voyages' onboard tattoo and piercing studio, and during our five-night sailing aboard Resilient Lady, I decided I was going to add a new tattoo. My travel partner also decided to get a piercing, so between the two of us, we got to experience both sides of Squid Ink.
I had tattoos before this one, although it had been a very long time since I'd gotten one. This experience was different for me, though. I wanted this tattoo to mean something, and getting it aboard a cruise ship made the experience itself part of the story.
There are also a few things I learned along the way that I would do differently if I were planning another tattoo at Squid Ink.
Schedule Your Squid Ink Appointment Early
One of the biggest things I recommend is going to Squid Ink as soon as you can after getting onboard to schedule your appointment.
Appointments can fill up, and even if they still have availability later in the sailing, the particular days and times that work best with your plans may already be taken. That's especially important when you're trying to work your appointment around port days, beach days, excursions, dining reservations, and everything else you want to do during your cruise.
There is an important difference between scheduling a piercing and scheduling a tattoo, though.
If you're getting a piercing, you can simply go to Squid Ink and schedule your appointment. You'll choose your jewelry and take care of the rest when you return for the piercing.
If you're getting a tattoo, you need to have your design selected when you schedule your appointment. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to bring your own custom design. Squid Ink has pre-designed tattoos you can choose from as well. But whether you're choosing one of their designs or bringing your own, you need to know what tattoo you're getting when you make the appointment.
That's why I think it's especially important to do some planning before you board if you're considering a custom tattoo. You want to get to Squid Ink early enough to have a good selection of appointment times, but you also don't want to be standing there trying to decide what you want permanently tattooed on your body because you weren't prepared.
Getting a Piercing at Squid Ink
If you're getting a piercing rather than a tattoo, the process is much simpler from a planning standpoint.
My travel partner selected the jewelry she wanted, completed the necessary paperwork, and then had her piercing done.
From beginning to end, her appointment took around 30 minutes, including choosing her jewelry, completing the paperwork, and getting the piercing itself. Her piercing was also only about $45, including the jewelry she selected.
Of course, the amount of time and cost can vary depending on the piercing you're getting, the jewelry you choose, and your individual appointment, but hers was a relatively quick and inexpensive experience.
We had intentionally scheduled our appointments back-to-back rather than at the same time because we wanted to be able to take photos and record video for each other. Her piercing ran a little longer than we had planned, but while she was finishing up, I was going through the preparation for my tattoo.
By the time my artist was ready to start the actual tattooing, she was finished and could come over to help capture the experience.
Have Your Tattoo Designs Ready Before You Board
If you're planning a custom tattoo, have your design ready before you board. Better yet, based on what I learned, have more than one.
I don't mean that you need four variations of the same tattoo. I mean give yourself options. If you have two, three, or even four different designs that you've already thought about and would genuinely be happy with, bring them with you.
You may get onboard and go with your first choice exactly as planned. But if something makes you hesitate once you're there, you'll have alternatives that you chose when you had plenty of time to think about them rather than trying to create something permanent in the moment.
And remember, if you want a custom tattoo, you'll need to have your design selected when you make the appointment. The artist takes that design and works with it so it can be prepared for your tattoo. When you return for the appointment, you'll review the digital version before the stencil is printed.
Having several options doesn't mean you need to decide among them before you ever leave home. It simply means you're giving yourself choices if, for whatever reason, your first choice no longer feels like the right one once you're there.
I learned that one firsthand.
Why I Changed My Tattoo Design at the Last Minute
I originally had a much more complex tattoo planned, and I really wanted that design.
Let me be clear, though. It wasn't a large tattoo. This wasn't something so extensive that I would have needed multiple appointments or repeated visits to complete it. It was simply a more detailed and complicated design than the small, delicate tattoo I ultimately chose.
I wasn't completely sure I was even going to get the tattoo until I got onboard because I wanted to see examples of the artist's work first.
Once I did, I saw some really good examples. But this was still an artist I'd never worked with before, and I started getting a little skittish about handing someone I didn't know a more complicated design and hoping he would interpret it exactly, or at least very close to, what I had envisioned.
The problem wasn't that I stopped liking my original design. I still really wanted it. I just wasn't sure I was comfortable taking that chance with an artist I'd never worked with before.
The problem was that I'd only brought that one design with me.
Once I decided I wasn't comfortable moving forward with it, I didn't have a second or third option I'd already spent time thinking about. So, I came up with something simpler on the fly.
I decided that for my first experience getting tattooed at Squid Ink, I wanted to do something smaller, simpler, and more delicate.
I ended up creating a Taurus design surrounded by stars.
I really like my tattoo. What I regret isn't getting it. It's that I hadn't prepared other options ahead of time.
That's an important distinction because I don't look at the tattoo now and wish I hadn't gotten it. Part of what I love about it is the experience attached to it. I got it aboard Resilient Lady, at sea, during my first time personally experiencing Virgin Voyages.
I've started thinking of it as more of a foundational piece. It doesn't necessarily have to be the finished design. I can add to it later, build around it, and let it become part of something larger over time.
Why This Tattoo Was Different for Me
I'd had two tattoos before this one, but I got them when I was much younger.
One of them, on my right arm, is partially through the removal process. I started having it removed years ago while I was living in Ohio, then moved to Tennessee and never got around to finding someone to finish the job. It's much lighter now, and I know I need to go back and finish having it removed.
A couple of the artists at Squid Ink actually talked with me about whether it could be covered because it has faded so much and now has a lot of gray in it. But because of the way it wraps around my arm, I decided I didn't want to try to turn it into something else. I'd rather finish removing it.
The truth is, it wasn't a meaningful tattoo to begin with. It was a poor choice I made when I was young.
At that age, I thought getting a tattoo would make me look cool and a little badass.
I figured out later that I didn't need a tattoo for that.
I went on to serve as a combat medic, become a nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner, work in corrections, and build my own travel agency from scratch.
So, when I decided to get this tattoo, I approached it very differently. I didn't want another tattoo that I would look at years later and wonder why I'd gotten it. This time, I wanted it to have some meaning and to be connected to who I am.
The Taurus symbol gave me that, and getting it at sea during my first personal experience aboard Virgin Voyages made it even more memorable.
What to Wear & What Happens at Your Tattoo Appointment
Once you arrive for your tattoo appointment, there are several steps before the actual tattooing begins.
You'll review the design and complete the necessary paperwork, including approving the tattoo design.
My artist showed me the digital version of my design before printing the stencil. Once I approved it, the stencil was printed, and he prepared and cleaned my skin so it would apply properly.
Then we worked on placement.
I wanted the tattoo around my shoulder area, and my artist talked with me about exactly where it should go. I initially considered placing it a little farther forward, but that would have put more of the tattoo on the softer area beneath my collarbone.
My artist recommended moving it slightly onto the firmer part of my shoulder, which he felt would give us a better overall result.
Once the stencil was applied, I looked at it in the mirror and approved the exact placement before he started tattooing.
This is also something worth thinking about when you're deciding what to wear to your appointment.
I knew I was having my shoulder tattooed, so I wore a T-shirt with a tank top underneath. I could take off the T-shirt and simply pull the tank top strap down off my shoulder, which gave my artist easy access without requiring me to undress any more than necessary.
The same idea can apply to a piercing depending on where you're having it done. Think about the area your artist or piercer will need to access and wear something comfortable that can easily be moved out of the way while still allowing you some modesty.
It's also worth considering what you'll be wearing afterward. Mine was covered with second skin, so ordinary contact with my clothing wasn't a major issue, but I still wouldn't choose something extremely tight that would put unnecessary pressure on the fresh tattoo or its covering.
Getting Tattooed at Sea
Once everything was approved and the stencil was exactly where we wanted it, it was time to start tattooing.
My entire appointment took about an hour and a half, but that wasn't an hour and a half of continuous tattooing. That time included reviewing and approving the design, completing the paperwork, printing and applying the stencil, approving the placement, getting the tattoo itself, and going over the aftercare afterward.
The actual tattooing was only part of that time.
And that was really what I had wanted from this experience.
Yes, I wanted the tattoo itself, but I also wanted the experience of being tattooed at sea. Being aboard a cruise ship, walking into an actual tattoo studio, and leaving with a permanent reminder of the experience is pretty damn cool.
How Much Does a Squid Ink Tattoo Cost?
My tattoo cost $500.
That might sound high when you look at the size and simplicity of my tattoo, but you're not just paying based on the physical size of the finished tattoo. You're also paying for the custom artwork, the artist's time, and, of course, the experience of getting tattooed aboard a cruise ship.
Prices are also set by the individual artists, so there isn't one universal price you can expect to pay.
For comparison, one of my clients had a dolphin tattoo done at Squid Ink that was considerably larger and much more colorful than mine, and hers was around $800.
Could I possibly have tried to negotiate mine down a little considering how simple the design ended up being? Maybe.
But frankly, I didn't care enough to try. The experience itself was a big part of why I was doing it, and I had already decided I wanted the tattoo.
The important thing is to go into it knowing that you're paying for more than the amount of ink that ends up on your skin.
Second Skin & Tattoo Aftercare
Once my tattoo was finished, my artist covered it with second skin and explained how he wanted me to care for it.
He told me to leave the second skin in place for approximately two to five days and to keep the tattoo out of the sun. If the second skin came off before I got off the ship, he told me to come back and see him so he could reapply it.
When it was time to remove it, he recommended getting into a warm shower and allowing the warm water to help loosen the second skin and adhesive rather than simply pulling it off dry.
After removing it, he recommended using Lubriderm or Aquaphor for about a week.
Those were the instructions given to me for my particular tattoo, so if you get tattooed at Squid Ink, follow the specific aftercare instructions your own artist gives you.
Don't Panic if Your Tattoo Looks Smudged Under the Second Skin
This is something I didn't talk about in my video, but I think it's worth mentioning because it can look a little alarming if you don't know what you're seeing.
At one point, my tattoo started looking almost like the ink was smearing or blurring underneath the second skin. You can see it particularly well around some of the stars in this photo.
Before I got off the ship, I went back to Squid Ink to have my artist reinforce a small area of the second skin. Since I was already there, I asked him about what I was seeing.
He explained that it was normal.
As a fresh tattoo begins to heal, serous fluid and excess ink can collect underneath the second skin. As that mixture spreads beneath the covering, it can make portions of the tattoo look blurry or smudged even though the tattoo itself hasn't actually smeared.
Once I understood what I was looking at, it made a lot more sense.
After I eventually removed the second skin, that smeared appearance was gone, and the tattoo itself looked fine.
Think About When During Your Cruise You Want Your Tattoo
One of the other decisions I put some thought into was when during the cruise I wanted to get tattooed.
I didn't want to do it immediately after boarding because I didn't want to spend the entire cruise thinking about caring for and protecting a fresh tattoo.
I also knew we were going to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, where it would be hot, and I didn't know exactly what we would end up doing there or how much time we'd spend outside, sweating, or around water.
But I didn't want to wait until the very end of the cruise either. Part of the fun for me was getting tattooed aboard Virgin Voyages, and I wanted to have some time to enjoy it while I was still onboard.
So, I chose an appointment between Puerto Plata and Bimini.
That meant I did have to think about protecting a fresh tattoo while we were in Bimini.
I wore a T-shirt at the beach to help protect my shoulder from the sun. And frankly, I'm not exactly someone who minds having an excuse to wear a T-shirt over my bathing suit, so that part worked out just fine for me.
Plus, this shirt was new, I thought it was really cute, and I'd been waiting for a chance to wear it.
The only issue was that it didn't have much of a sleeve, so as the shirt shifted throughout the day, I occasionally had to readjust it to make sure it was covering the tattoo. If you're planning to protect a shoulder tattoo the same way, I'd probably choose a shirt with just a little more sleeve coverage.
I did get into the water in Bimini. I even dunked my head, but I tried to keep my tattooed shoulder out of the water. I'm sure it got wet briefly at times, but I wasn't intentionally submerging the tattoo or leaving it underwater.
To date, the tattoo still looks really good.
For me, scheduling it where I did gave me the balance I wanted. I didn't spend the entire cruise caring for a brand-new tattoo, but I still had time to enjoy having it while I was aboard Resilient Lady.
The bigger takeaway is to look at your itinerary before choosing your appointment day. If you have beach days, snorkeling, swimming, or other activities planned, think about how a fresh tattoo and the aftercare instructions you're given may affect those plans.
Would I Get Tattooed at Squid Ink Again?
Yes.
I like my tattoo, and I don't regret getting it.
A big part of what I love about it is tied to the experience itself. This was my first time personally experiencing Virgin Voyages, and I got this tattoo aboard Resilient Lady, at sea. That's always going to be part of its story.
Would I plan differently next time? Absolutely. I'd board with several designs I had already thought through rather than only one. But that's something I learned from the experience, not something that makes me regret it.
I've started thinking of this tattoo as more of a foundational piece. It doesn't necessarily have to be the finished design. I can add to it later, build around it, and let it become part of something larger over time.
And I actually like that idea.
I still ended up with a tattoo I like and an experience I'm glad I had. If I decide to add to it in the future, this first piece will always be the one that started aboard Resilient Lady.
If you'd like to see more of what the experience was actually like, I recorded both my tattoo appointment and my travel partner's piercing at Squid Ink. You can watch the video below to see more of the process and what it was like getting tattooed and pierced aboard Resilient Lady.
If getting tattooed or pierced at sea is something you're considering for your own Virgin Voyages sailing, hopefully our experience gives you a better idea of what to expect and a few things to think about before you get onboard.
Dreamverse Travel can help you choose the right Virgin Voyages sailing, navigate your pre-cruise planning, and work through all those little details before you ever step onboard.
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