Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Ship Tour

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The Scarlet Lady has recently set sail! Back in September 2021, I had the pleasure of touring her from top to bottom, spending an incredible day aboard this new, adults only cruise ship. Last week, I finally got to sail on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady on a 5-night Dominican Daze itinerary. I was super impressed with all the staterooms, suites, food, and amenities on board the Scarlet Lady and cannot wait to share my full review with you.

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Ship Tour

 

A New Adults only Cruise Line: Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages is an all new cruise line, looking to change the way we sail. The line is designed for adults (age 18+) ONLY and the brand aims to be a floating boutique hotel catering to sophisticated adults.

The spaces on board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship highly reflects this as all areas on board are designed for adults! Tons of sitting spaces, countless bars, hot tubs and lots of fitness space – indoor and outdoor. This ship is truly an adults playground.

After my showcase day on board, I wrote a whole article introducing Virgin Voyages and their new cruise concept. The Scarlet Lady is their first ship, with the Valiant Lady debuting in Summer 2022 and the Resilient Lady set to hit the scene soon after. I had such an incredible five nights on board, so let’s take a closer look at this new cruise ship!

If you are new to the Virgin brand, Check out my other article where I go over more about what makes sailing Virgin Voyages different from sailing other cruise lines – but in a nutshell it’s a more inclusive cruise, and designed for grown-ups who are looking for a high end experience, but not in a stuffy atmosphere.

I mean, there is a tattoo parlor on board if that tells you anything! Day drinking, hangover brunch, great DJ music pumping (but not loud and obnoxious, just creating a chill vibe) this is the scene on the Scarlet Lady!

 

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Cabins

The cabins are located on decks 8-14 and are labeled with a floor number, cabin number and A or Z for port or starboard. If you are in an M cabin, that is an inside.

We stayed in a Sea Terrace Room – which is a standard balcony cabin. The rooms are well appointed with mini fridges, a hammock on the balcony, two twin beds which can be converted to a king, a small desk, flat screen TV, a chair (no couch though), a closet and bathroom with stand up shower. There is also an iPad that controls everything in the room like the TV, lighting and curtains.

I did love our cabin, (12-074Z) but the bathroom was VERY, VERY, VERY small. For that reason alone, I would highly recommend guests upgrade to the XL Sea Terrace – which not only has a larger balcony, but a larger bathroom.

Of course to really travel like a rock star, upgrade to one of the many fabulous suites. I toured every suite on my showcase day in New York and made a full video of all of the rooms.

Personally, I loved the cheeky corner suite, this had lots of space and a great balcony! Suites also come with so many perks like access to Richards Rooftop (where the champagne is flowing nightly), private airport transfers, liquor in your room, and private golf cart shuttle service at Bimini Beach Club.

Choosing a cruise can be tough. There are so many different lines and itineraries, different ships and room categories. Some lines have better food, more drink options, and more entertainment than others. Of course, there is your budget to consider as well!

For those reasons, it’s always best to book a cruise with a travel agent. I can help find the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you next vacation. And the best part? My services are free!

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Dining

The food on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady really shines! First of all, EVERY restaurant is a specialty restaurant and its ALL included! There were a few upcharge dishes I saw (like tomahawk steak) but pretty much everything you would like to eat is included with your cruise fare.

There are so many great eateries on board, they were great for vegetarians like myself (Vegans too) and my traveling companion had gluten and dairy allergies and they were very accommodating for her.

 

Breakfast on the Scarlet Lady-

I loved waking up, working out, and then heading to the Galley with my computer, for coffee, breakfast and to get some work done. The Galley is a large food hall, with service where you can pretty much get anything.

For Breakfast there have pretty much anything you would want! I loved the avocado burritos and chia puddings!

If you are looking for something else, the wake has a nice fancy brunch until 1 PM every day! Razzle dazzle has breakfast also – with lots of healthy and plant based options.

For what it’s worth, you can get all day breakfast in the galley!

Lunch on Scarlet Lady-

Again, the Galley has a lot of options – you can choose from sandwiches, burger bar, noodles, sushi, Mexican and salads.

The wake for is also open for brunch, as is Razzle Dazzle, the pizza shop, and if you head up to deck 16, there is a spot to get poke bowls.

 

Grab a snack on Board Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

Yes, all I did was eat on my Virgin Voyage! In between meals, there were so many great spots to grab a snack. Again the Galley was open all afternoon and they had this great grab and go fridge where you could get salads, sandwiches or charchuterie.

If you are looking for a snack, check out the Ice cream shop (named Lick Me Until Ice Cream), the soda shop that has milkshakes and snacks like hot pretzels, popcorn and hot dogs.

And be sure to check out The Dock, at the back of the ship on deck 7. Here you can find small bites, a full bar, and amazing views!

Dinner on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

A cruise on the Scarlet Lady means specialty dining every night! There are so many great restaurants to choose from, and you can make advanced reservations on your app. We did get a chance to try them all, and honestly every meal was unique and delicious!

Here are the restaurant options on the Scarlet Lady:

Chef’s Table – here you will enjoy a seven course tasting menu. The chef can handle all dietary requirements. I had a great vegetarian meal and my friend had dairy/gluten free plates. You can also add a wine or cocktail pairing to your dinner.

Pink Agave – Mexican

Extra Virgin – Italian

PRO-TIP: On Sea Days, Extra Virgin hosts apertivo, an Italian Happy Hour with charchuterie and a menu of special small plates. Additionally, the bartender makes a mean aperol spritz! Throw back to my trip to Milan and Northern Italy!

The Wake – Beautiful views at the back of the ship, this is the fancy/steakhouse type restaurant.

Gunbae – Korean BBQ. I had never had this before and it was super fun!

Razzle Dazzle – Eclectic, veggie forward cuisine

Note, the Galley not open for dinner (Just all day breakfast).

Things to do on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

A day at sea on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady left no shortage of things to do! We started each day in the gym or one day we took a spin class. They also had yoga, an 80s work out, HITT, and some bungee class that unfortunately we got shut out of.

PRO-TIP: Book a spot in your favorite fitness class as soon as you get on board.

If eating/drinking is more your style, definitely try #SHOT4SHOT their mixology class! You mix drinks, then they help you take incredible instagrammable pics of your drinks. I did this on the first sea day and it was super fun.

They also have a food & gram class – where you take pictures of all the wonderful food you are eating.

The pool, although small, is the daytime hang out spot on board. I loved the music and vibe out there everyone drinking, hanging out and just having a great time.

There are four hot tubs on board, including in the back of the ship up on deck 16.

If you need a break from the sun, head down to deck 7 to check out the arcade (all included my kids would be so jealous!) or the foosball/shuffleboard/air hockey tables. If you want something more active, the 16^th deck has a basketball court.

If you have time be sure to check out the spa – book a treatment or just do a hydrotherapy day pass.

Down on Deck 6 there is also a tattoo parlor, salon, casino and some great shops. Something for everyone to enjoy.

And honestly, if you just want to find a quiet spot (indoor or outdoor) to hole up and relax – there are PLENTY of those.

 

Nightlife on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

As you can imagine, there is some great nightlife onboard The Scarlet Lady.

The signature shows on The Scarlet Lady are Never Sleep Alone, and Dual Reality. I will admit, I only saw Dual Reality. There was so much to do we could not fit it all in.

In other venues, there were different shows each evening. On the first night, we saw the interactive dance performance. On Scarlet Night, there is an amazing performance out by the pool deck (No spoilers, I promise). In a few spots around the ship there were singers and bands playing live music.

Late night there was DJ music and all evening, you could sign up for private room karaoke.

Between eating, drinking, shows, entertainment, we were wiped each night but had a great time.

Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Deck Plan

As a travel agent who books a ton of cruises I always get asked about deck plans for ships. The deck plan is a good way to get a feel for the offerings on board!

Here is what you can find on The Scarlet Lady:

Deck 5– Spa, Razzle Dazzle, Pink Agave, and sailor services

Deck 6– Chef’s Table, Retail Shops, Casino, The Manor, Red Room, On The Rocks Bar, Tattoo Parlor, Salon

Deck 7– Ice cream shop, Pizza Shop, Entrance to The Wake, The Dock, Sip champagne bar

Deck 8-14 Sailor Cabins

Deck 15– Gym, Pool, Galley, Gunbae

Deck 16– Sports equipment, HIIT room, Basketball Court, Richard’s Rooftop, hot tubs, Bar in the back, Cabanas

Deck 17 – Walking Track

Tips for Sailing Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

Before sailing, download the Virgin Voyages’ App. This will allow you to complete all pre-boarding forms and check in for your sailing. You will be given an arrival time.

Don’t show up at the port until your arrival time. You will not be accommodated early. For our January 2022 sailing, we were tested at the port upon arrival. This was a different health protocol then my November 2021 Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam sailing, so be sure to keep in touch with your travel advisor for current sailing requirements.

When you arrive, scan the QR code to enter your email and info. This is how you will receive your test results in order to board.

The ship does not board until 2:00 PM, so there is no reason to arrive early

You will be given a bracelet that will be your ship access, room key, and what you will use to pay for anything on board and at Bimini Beach club. If you don’t receive your bands before you depart, they will give you one at check in.

When you arrive on board, you might have to re-download your app. The app will not property work until you put your phone on airplane mode and connect to the ships wi-fi.

You can do everything on the app – see the daily schedules, book fitness classes, book shows, see menus, but worth noting that if you want a paper schedule, we found those daily on deck 7 near the big TV screen in the roundabout area.

They have free champagne at the sail away party – be sure to take advantage of that!

You can pre-book dining reservations before sailing, but as soon as your arrive on board book your shows and fitness classes. Those are included, but also consider one of the events with a small charge. I did shot 4 shot and it was great. People I talked to enjoyed the Grog Walk on night one as well!

Where is Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Now?

In 2022, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady is sailing round trip out of Miami. All itineraries include a stop at Bimini Beach Club, the private beach club owned by the cruise line on Bimini in the Bahamas.

Check out my full tour of Bimini Beach Club:

I did the Dominican Daze 5-night itinerary. We stopped at Bimini and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Other 2022 itineraries include: Riviera Maya (Bimini, Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel), Mayan Sol (Costa Maya and Bimini) and Fire and Sunset (Bimini and Key West).

What to Pack for your Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Cruise

I have a full cruise packing list, but since Virgin does things different, there are a few cruise staples you really don’t need and a few things you might want to have since its Virgin Voyages!

What you Need To Bring on Virgin Voyages’:

Fun Pajamas for the PJ party – I love these!

An outfit for Scarlet Night

Sexy, trendy clothes (the dress is more NYC nightclub then resort wear)

 

What Not To Bring on Virgin Voyages:

Unlike my recent cruises on Disney Cruise line, Norwegian or Holland America, there is no cruise card, so no need for a lanyard or anything like that.

Extension cords – again, unlike older cruise ships, there are plenty of outlets (and USB ports) in your cabin.

Pool floats – you may have seen the pics of the awesome pool float party at Bimini Beach Club, but don’t worry, they provide a ton of floats for everyone to enjoy!

 

I love cruising and I loved sailing on The Scarlet Lady – I cannot wait to try the new ships and European itineraries. Have you been on Virgin Voyages? When do you want to set sail?

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