Onboard the new Virgin Voyages cruise ship: Scarlet Lady
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It’s been a rough two years for the cruise business, and for those who love cruising. Thankfully, we are starting to see people traveling again and that means cruising is back baby!
When I heard Virgin were launching an adult-only cruise line, I knew instantly that it would be a hit. After venturing into multiple industries throughout the last fifty decades, Virgin has added commercial sea travel to their growing list of successful ventures. Naturally, I thought it was my duty to investigate this latest offering and report back on my findings!
Launched in the latter half of 2021, Virgin Voyages consists of three “Lady Ships” in its fleet, with a fourth one in production. The first ship, Scarlet Lady is stationed in Miami and is designed to be a “sanctuary at sea for the 18+ traveler”. Scarlet Lady has over 1,400 cabins that can accommodate more than 2,770 passengers on board and over 1,000 crew members.
Going a little stir-crazy from lack of travel in the past two years, I convinced Adam that we should book the 5-night Dominican Daze itinerary which starts in Miami and travels to the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and back to Miami. Our cruise was booked for the start of March 2022!
Skip to the summary of good and bad points of the Virgin Voyages cruise.
Day One – Embarkation
The first day of the cruise is all about embarkation at the new Terminal V at PortMiami. The registration process begins at 12pm and continues until 4pm. However, embarkation to the ship opens up at 2pm so the earlier you arrive, the more time you might have to wait around the terminal to board. As we are still in COVID times, we had to present a negative test before boarding. We had a scheduled registration time at 1:30pm, so when our boarding time came, we were instructed to walk over to the testing tent. We registered our information and got back in line to get a nasal swab. The results of the test come back in about 30-60 minutes, so in the meantime we went into the terminal and headed to the registration desk. At the desk, the team checked our passports and gave us a band to wrap around our wrist. The band is your key to get on and off the ship, into your room, and to pay for purchases on the ship. Once we received an email with our negative results, we were free board the ship! Once we were on board, we headed straight to The Galley to start our 5-day gluttonous journey.
As the cruising business is still recovering, the ship felt light on passengers (which I loved). Even though the ship can hold upwards of 2,770 passengers, a staff member mentioned there were “500-something” on our cruise. With less passengers, there is a slight dip in atmosphere, but it certainly makes up for not having to wait for a single activity while on the ship. Adam and I wandered around the ship and could walk right up to a bar, a restaurant, the arcade, and fitness equipment without being overwhelmed with crowds. Even the muster was painless.
The ship leaves from PortMiami at 7:00pm, which one of the later departure times a cruise ship leaves the port. The sun was setting as the ship was guided through the channel and out to sea, which was the perfect setting for a sail away party on deck 15 and 16. The DJ played modern hits as the crew served an abundance of sparkling wine (for free!).
The sun had set and we lost sight of the land which was perfect timing for our 8pm dinner at the Mexican restaurant, Park Agave. The cuisine served at this restaurant is slightly different to the Mexican restaurants you might be used to. There were no big plates of quesadillas and burritos. Instead, Pink Agave specialized in shared plates with smaller portions.
After dinner, we had plans to check out the “night life” on the ship, however, we both decided to call an early night after stuffing ourselves full with a delicious feast.
Day Two – At Sea
This was our first day at sea, which gave us an opportunity to explore the ship. And for us, that meant heading straight for the hot tub! There are four hot tubs on board (more available if you are in a Rockstar Suite). Since our cruise had limited passengers, we had no issue in finding an empty tub. After a quick dip, we headed to breakfast. The most popular option for a quick bite is The Galley, which offers a variety of food (similar to a food court, but still with table service). The other options for breakfast are The Wake and Razzle Dazzle. We decided to book a table at The Wake and see what the steakhouse offered for morning eats.
Admittedly, the breakfast options at The Wake weren’t our favorite, but it was a nice view sitting and looking through the window out the back of the ship. After breakfast, we headed back to our cabin to get ready for the day.
For lunch, we weren’t overly hungry as we had a late breakfast, so we decided to try out the mezze restaurant (The Dock) for some small bites. The Dock is located on deck 7 at the back of the ship and offers a relaxed dining experience. After lunch, we headed to the arcade (which offers old-school arcade games for free!). Adam and I also had a go at the air hockey and versed each other in the Daytona 500 racing game.
Now that the afternoon had rolled around, it was time to start drinking. We had signed ourselves up for Shot for Shot; a cocktail class that was being held in The Test Kitchen. This was not your typical cocktail class – we weren’t hands-on with the shakers and jiggers. Instead, we were taught about the science of cocktails and got to taste the creations of the highly skilled bartenders. Even though this class was an extra cost, we got to taste four incredibly unique cocktails, and was worth the cost in my opinion.
The ship was rocking a bit on this sea day. Not too much that it was hard to walk around, but enough to make motion sensitive people (like myself) a bit nauseous. Truthfully, it was probably not the smartest idea to eat at Gunbae (Korean BBQ) that night, but it was already booked and I love Korean cuisine so I was not going to cancel. As Gunbae is located at the back of the ship on deck 15, it is not the ideal place to go if you’re feeling queasy. When we arrived, we had the option to sit with other guests, but we decided to sit alone as I was not up for socializing. As soon as we sat down, our server, Meow, poured us a complimentary Korean shot, and taught us how to play a Korean drinking game – Three Six Nine, or Sam Yuk Gu in Korean. In Sam Yuk Gu, you take turns calling out the next number in a sequence. However, if the number has a three, six or nine in it, you are required to clap instead. If you say the number instead of clapping, you take a shot. Throughout the time we were dining, the restaurant was erupting with tables chanting “Gunbae” as each table played along with their server. Gunbae has a fantastic party atmosphere and would be great for bigger parties. Adam and I played along the best we could but felt bad we couldn’t give as much energy as Meow, who was so lovely and enthusiastic about Korean culture.
Again, we had plans to see the “night life”, but the nausea meant it was an early night for us again.
Day Three – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
We arrived in Puerto Plata at 8:30 in the morning. After eating some breakfast in The Galley, we headed down to the port (Taino Bay) to find the meeting spot for our tour. We had a buggy ride through the jungle booked, so we found the tour group and headed on out. After a short ride, it was off the bus and straight into the buggy’s. Not much information was given apart from how to go forward, backward and stop, before we were straight into it. The weather was on and off showers, so the result of our photos shows exactly what happens when you go buggy riding in the rain! The mystery still remains how the locals wear white and are squeaky clean while they scooter or bike through the mud. It’s a talent! Since we weren’t that talented, we showered and changed clothes when we got back to the buggy starting point. While there, we had the opportunity to taste a Dominican Republic beverage – Mama Juana. Mama Juana is a spiced alcoholic beverage made by infusing a mixture of rum, red wine, and honey with tree bark and herbs, and it’s delicious!
Our tour also included a trip to the beach, but unfortunately the high winds meant swimming in the water was off limits. The beach was a private beach owned by Blue JackTar Hotel and Golf Resort. When the bus arrived at the resort, we went for a walk along the sand and found one of the resort restaurants – Blue JackTar restaurant. We sat down and had a small plate of fries and some drinks. After about an hour we headed back to the bus to take us back to port.
We still had a few hours left in Puerto Plata, so we decided to drop off our muddy clothes to our cabin, grab a quick bite of tacos at The Galley, and head back out to Taino Bay. The Taino Bay port in Puerto Plata has been revamped to include multiple shops, pools and bars in which only cruise passengers are allowed to visit. We headed to a bar beside the pool and had a frozen strawberry daquiri while we floated the idea of walking to the historic part of Puerto Plata. We looked at our watch and decided we had time to fit it in so we walked out of Taino Bay towards Puerto Plata historic center, which took about 15 minutes. If you have the time to visit the historic center, it’s definitely worth the trip. We happened to be in port at the same time the Puerto Plata Carnival was in full swing. The town and and people were beautifully dressed in cultural attire to celebrate. Along with the Carnival, the Umbrella Street is a highlight of the historical center. As you walk through the center, an unexpected alleyway appears full of a canopy of umbrellas. It was only a quick walk-through visit for us, as we decided it was a good idea to head back to the ship.
After washing all the mud out of our clothes and hair (so much mud!), we headed to dinner at The Test Kitchen. The Test Kitchen is a must-do event while onboard Scarlet Lady. The restaurant is classified as “experimental” but ultimately offers a six-course set menu of unique experiences created by a Michelin-starred chef. We also decided to partake in the wine pairing for each course, which just elevated the meal even more.
Day Four – At Sea
This sea day was smooth sailing as the winds had died down from the previous days. We headed to The Galley to get a big breakfast of bacon, omelettes, hash browns and sausages. Feeling like we’ve been a bit too gluttonous, we headed up to deck 17 to do a 2.5 mile walk around the walking track. Each lap is equivalent to 250 meters, and six laps is equivalent to a mile. The track was quite popular at this time from other people with the gluttonous guilt!
After our walk, we headed to the Well-Being pool on deck 15. This pool contains jets and is larger and cooler than a hot tub. After 20 minutes, we decided we wanted to head to the hot tub again (which, or course was available). Feeling exhausted from our previous day adventures, we headed to The Dock for a sparkling water and a lay down on a day bed. With our mission of trying to fit all the food places in, we headed to the vegetarian restaurant, Razzle Dazzle, for lunch. Razzle Dazzle is classified as vege-forward, so they still offer a couple of meat options for those who shy away from an all-vege meal.
We had a bit of time on our hands after lunch so we decided to head back to the cabin to get ready for Scarlet Night, which is Virgin Voyages premium party night. Guest are encouraged to dress in red to get into the spirit, and take in the pop up decorations that start to appear around the ship. Before we headed to dinner, we went to a theatre to watch the show, Duel Reality. As soon as we walked into the theatre, we knew this wasn’t like other cruise ship theatre shows. The audience is sat on either side of the room (similar to bleachers on a basketball court) and all the action happens on the floor in between. The circus-inspired show will leave you wondering how the human body could possibly move that way.
After the show, we headed back to The Wake, but this time for a steak dinner. The atmosphere at night is definitely more amped and popular than at breakfast time. We ordered a bottle of wine but didn’t finish it with our meal so we decided to finish off the bottle on the balcony of our room while we waited for Scarlet Night to kick off.
We then ventured to The Manor, which is the nightclub on board Scarlet Lady. At this time it was yet to turn into a nightclub. Instead, The Manor was hosting a popular drag queen show. It was a bit hard to find a seat (this had to be the most passengers we had seen in one spot), so we went to the mezzanine upstairs which was a better view in our opinion. Afterwards, it was time to head to the pool deck for the parties of all parties. As we walked onto the deck, we could hear the DJ spinning modern dance hits. The crew were also out in force on the deck dancing around the pool and inviting passengers to dance with them. Finally, we were able to stay up late and enjoy the celebrations. If you pick a night to stay up late for, this is the night!
Day Five – Bimini, Bahamas
Waking up on day five while the ship approached Bimini was a surreal experience. Looking out from the balcony, you are awestruck with the tranquil aqua waters. After peeling ourselves away from our balcony, we headed out to meet our tour group. We did a Bimini Heritage and Cultural Tour in which the meeting point was a short 10 minute walk down the road from the port. After we boarded the tram for the tour, we drove around the small island of North Bimini. Our first stop was at a local market and a museum across the road. However, the museum owner forgot to leave the door unlocked so we didn’t actually get to go inside. We hopped back on the tram and headed towards a shipwreck towards the south of the island. This spot would have to be the most stunning place on the island. When they could pull us away from the beauty that stood before us, we got back on the tram and headed to the Dolphin House. This was an interesting stop. The house was built in 1993 by a local author and historian, Ashley Saunders. He built the house using recycled materials he found around the island. When we arrived, Ashley came out of the house dressed as a pirate and went through the history of the island and pirates. You can tell how passionate he is about the history of his island. After his speech, he invited us to walk around the house which is just as eclectic on the inside.
After the Dolphin House visit, we walked to the beach at end of the street to dip our toes into the water. We were offered a water or a local ginger beer while they taught us a local dance of the Bahamians. After a quick stop, we were back on the tram heading towards a local conch shop, Joe’s Conch Stand – which is apparently a popular spot for tourists and celebrities. We were invited to watch how the local harvest fresh conch and to try some conch salad and local bread. I was a bit too squeamish to try raw conch, so I opted for a conch fritter, which I recommend if you’re not ready to go all in on conch.
We then headed back on the tram to the end of tour drop off spot. But before they bid us farewell, they offered us some local punch to sample. After the tour, we waited for a free local tram to pick us up and take us to the Bimini Virgin Beach Club.
The Beach Club is located towards the north of the island along with other beach clubs on the island. As you walk in, you are greeted with the irresistible crystal blue water of the Bimini beach as well as two large swimming pools with a DJ and dancers at one end.
We decided to get some lunch which is an inclusion in the cruise fare. After we picked up our lunch we found a table amongst the ample seating options and dug in. Although, we had some uninvited guests with dozens of flies wanting a piece of our food too. We ate as quickly as we could, and headed down to the beach. We found a lounge chair on the beach and decided to go for a dip in the water. The beach is roped off about 100 meters out. I’m not sure if that’s to stop sea life from heading in or to create a boundary for the beach club. After a couple of hours swimming and lounging on the beach, we switched to the pool. We were eyeing off the swinging chairs next to the bar, but unfortunately everyone else was too and we didn’t end up snagging one. The sun was starting to set so we dried ourselves off and got changed to head down to the beach again. At 6:00pm there is a ceremony to light the bon fires on the beach. Some of the entertainers from the ships house band walked down to the beach with a variety of instruments. The firepit came alight as they sung a tune in front.
That was the conclusion of our beach club experience so it was time to head back to the ship on a tram. Our tram driver starting playing and singing along to “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Bahamian band, Baha Men. The tram full of cruises were getting into the spirit making it a great cap to the end of the day.
Once back on the boat, we headed to the Italian restaurant, Extra Virgin. If you like Italian food, I would highly recommend this restaurant. The décor wasn’t as fancy as other restaurants on board, but the food is excellent. After dinner, we headed to the On The Rocks bar to watch a South Floridian band, Artikal Sound System.
Day Six – Disembarkation
Sadly, it was time to return to reality. We nominated to disembark at 7:30am, which was the earliest timeslot. However, if you prefer to sleep in, the latest disembarkation time is 11am. Staying with the theme of trying to eat our weight in food, we headed to The Galley to indulge in one last hot breakfast before heading back to our cabin and grabbing our bags to disembark. The disembarkation process is fairly painless. It might be the disembarkation time, but we only waited about 5 minutes for passport control, before walking out of the terminal. After catching our Uber, we arrived home at 8am; right on time to shock us back to reality as we started the work day.
The Good Bits…
Overall, Virgin Voyages delivered with their promise of “doing things differently”. The upgraded modern cruising model has some notable improvements from traditional cruise lines.
1. Tech-forward cabins
The cabins are a step up from your typical cruise cabins. They were more roomier, modern, and the in-built tech was a great addition. As you enter your cabin, the lights fade up and a welcoming sound greets you. The cabin is equipped with a tablet which controls the lighting, TV and the curtains. Yes, you can control opening and closing the curtains from the comfort of your bed!
2. Food choices
Virgin Voyages decided to have multiple inclusive restaurants, instead of one big restaurant that rotates the menu. I find that entering a new space for dinner added to the excitement of the meal, instead of seeing the same dining room every night.
3. Free internet
This perk is becoming more common on cruise ships. Gone are the days where you have to pay a premium to be connected to the real world. The Wi-Fi is essential on Virgin Voyages cruises as you need the Wi-Fi to connect to the Virgin Voyages app to make reservations. The Wi-Fi is not only available on the ship, but also at the Bimini Beach Club. If you want faster Wi-Fi for streaming services or video calls, you can upgrade to their premium Wi-Fi for $50 for the whole cruise, or $15 for a day.
4. Adult-only
Obviously this is not a great feature if you are traveling with children under 18, however, if you are all over 18, this is a great cruise to go on.
5. Muster
I’m not sure if this is a result of the pandemic in which all cruise lines adopt this method, or if it’s Virgin thinking differently again. The muster presentation is included on the Virgin Voyages app, and you can view it in your own time during the muster period. Once you have watched the 6-minute video, you head down to the muster station and mark your name off. After a handful of passengers are at that location, a crew member moves through how to apply the life jacket (side note, you don’t need to bring your own life jacket to the muster station). After about 5 minutes, muster is done and you’re free to go. The procedure is repeated for each handful of passengers who arrive at the station. This means you don’t have to wait an hour for all the passengers in your station to be present.
6. Crew individuality
I noticed on the first day that crew members seemed to dress slightly differently, depending on their style. While we were in the Shot for Shot class, a bartender noted how he felt accepted by the company and he was free to show his arm tattoos, in which other companies require them to be covered. It seemed all crew members we interacted with had positive things to say about the company, and how they felt included and free to be themselves. The happiness they felt was ultimately passed down to the passengers as you can tell the crew loved their jobs, and weren’t forced to be someone they aren’t.
7. Modern music
In other cruises I’ve been on, a sail away party usually consists of hits like the Macarena, Don’t Stop Believing, and the Nutbush to name a few. While these songs can get the party started, they are songs that have been done time and time again. It was a pleasant surprise to have the DJ play more modern pop, R&B, hip-hop and rock songs. As there are no underage passengers, there is no need to make the music family-friendly.
8. Hammock on the balcony
I used the balcony more than I had on other cruises, and it was due to the hammock. It was so much more comfortable and relaxing on a hammock than a deck chair. The only complaint is I wish there were two hammocks so both cabin members can rock away to the waves!
The Not-So Good Bits…
There are no bad bits per say (how can there be when you’re basking in the Caribbean sunshine?), but perhaps some of my thoughts on what I thought could make this line even better.
1. The action starts later
As the ship caters to adults-only, the entertainment for the morning is lacking. As there’s no kids to keep entertained before lunch, all the organized activities (apart from the fitness classes), start around mid-afternoon. For early birds like Adam and I, we found the mornings a bit slow and wished more activities such as trivia or some acoustic music was available before noon.
2. Lack of communication
There was only one announcement I heard the whole cruise. In this announcement, they did specify that they are doing things differently, and they won’t be making many announcements. While I agreed with the sentiment, and enjoyed not being interrupted with PA messages, sometimes it’s nice to know when you can venture into port and what time you need to be back on board. Instead, you had to ask security as you left the ship, what time they needed passengers back on board. Additionally, we weren’t sure our tour was going to go ahead due to the weather and the tour being noted as weather dependent. We contacted Customer Service through the Virgin Voyages app and received a response a couple of hours later. While they did respond, it was up to us to follow up, and not the other way around.
We also heard one crew member say that there’s no cruise director on board, and instead there were 13 “dynamic characters” who specialize in different areas, such as the “Foodie”, the “Artist” etc. It’s great to diversify the role, but I did admittedly miss the PA announcements and the TV channel where the cruise director talks about what is happening during that day. I also would have liked some announcements on what to expect when you get into port. As I had never been to these destinations before, it would be nice for them to show what “Shore Things” are available to passengers prior to disembarking in port.
3. Sparse live entertainment
While the DJ’s on board are great, it would have been great to see more bands and live shows. It seemed the feature band only played an hour a day and usually at night time. It would be nice to have a band to chill out to in the middle of the day and for them to rotate around the ship with different material depending on the crowd. We also noted that there was a lack of a comedian or cruise director entertainment such as talent or game shows. For an adult cruise ship, it would be nice to have more adult live entertainment.
Even though I had some critiques, the overall experience was fantastic. I believe an adult-only cruise line is a great niche for Virgin and I can only imagine they will grow in the years to come.
To get $50 onboard credit on your next Virgin Voyages cruise, simply visit https://virg.in/4j4K.
