Our Virgin Virgin Voyage

We recently had the opportunity to sail on Virgin Voyages during their inaugural year on their very first cruise ship, The Scarlet Lady! We did a quick 5-day cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico and Bimini, Bahamas.

When we first learned about Virgin Voyages Cruise Lines, we thought, okay, it's Richard Branson's brand--he's known for dancing on tables at parties, so it probably has kind of a party atmosphere and we got the impression the cruise line was marketed toward Millennials. We knew there were quirky things on the ship, like a tattoo parlor, and restaurants with names like "Lick Me 'Til... Ice Scream" (hello!). So, we weren't sure if we would like it. Well... we were so wrong! It seems like an understatement to say we fell in LOVE with this ship!

Richard Branson's dream of his Virgin Voyage ships was to have the "Luxe experience of a boutique hotel to the sea”. The Scarlet Lady is smaller than the mass market ships and is considered more of a superyacht. It is truly a beautiful ship with a well thought-out design and amenities that most cruise ships fall short on. We were surprised to see people of all ages and generations (except for no kids, because this is an adults-only cruise line). One of the things we loved the most is that the cost of a Virgin Voyages cruise is mostly inclusive. Included in the cruise cost are gratuities, internet, basic beverages, specialty restaurants, and fitness classes. Therefore, we didn't have to worry about paying extra for most things and felt free to experience whatever we wanted without being nickeled-and-dimed.

Here I want to break down some of the things we loved about the ship, and some things we feel could be improved.

The Ship:

If I had to pick one word to describe The Scarlet Lady, it would be mood. Around the ship there were hints of modern nautical and rockstar vibes, tastefully done. Plenty of 'gram-worthy spots, if that's your thing! There was even a live DJ who would play periodically in the main part of the ship. There were areas like the pool where we could enjoy an upbeat, yet chill party-like atmosphere, and all around the ship there were plenty of beautiful, quiet places we could relax, take a nap, or read. On the ship we felt like we could have the kind of vacation we wanted, and not subject to having to be a part of the party the whole time.

Our Cabin:

Upon entering our room for the first time, when we opened the door, the lights came up, the mood lights came on, the balcony curtains opened, and an angelic "aahhh" came through the speakers. I know it's kind of a gimmicky thing, but I still get goosebumps thinking about it! We had a balcony cabin, which the majority of the cabins on the ship are. Each balcony has a handmade hammock that is so comfortable that Jeff and I both seriously considered sleeping in it overnight! The rooms felt well-proportioned and comfortable. All cabins have beds that convert into a sofa during the day for more space (which can easily be done by you or your cabin attendant). The bathrooms are a bit smaller than we've seen on other cruise lines, but the shower was bigger with a relaxing waterfall shower head. In the cabin we had our own tablet which controlled the curtains, the television, the room temperature, and the lights. I was so comfortable in our cabin that I told Jeff, if we had to be quarantined in our cabin for a few days because of COVID, I wouldn't be mad about it! We also appreciated the abundance of outlets in our cabin, as that can be a bit of a scarcity on other cruise ships.

Our pretty cabin

Staff:

One difference we noticed with the staff on The Scarlet Lady is that they all seemed genuinely happy to be there! I didn't notice anyone with the blank stare of having to deal with people that one usually develops working in a customer service industry (I know this from personal experience). The staff were allowed to have their tattoos and piercings visible, and seemed less "buttoned-up", although not in a way where they seemed like slackers. Our cabin host and his assistant were very friendly and helpful for us. We had an issue with the partition on our balcony not closing and they took care of it right away.

As part of our cruise, we had access to the Virgin Voyages app. On the app you can make reservations for classes, restaurants, excursions, and shows, which was convenient. You can also shake the app to have a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne delivered to your cabin at any time of the day and night! We had some issues at first trying to get the app to work for us, so we went to the Sailor Help Desk and got it all sorted out. My only wish is that the app had a map of the ship on it and times for the scheduled activities, because you can get turned around easily on the ship, and you don't want to have to go back to your cabin every time you need to see the map and check the schedule.

Food:

The Scarlet Lady has 20+ dining options and to my delight, nearly every dining option had not just one, but a few vegan options! The food was truly exciting and delicious. All of the specialty restaurants are included, so we enjoyed getting to try a new restaurant every night. My favorites were The Test Kitchen, where they served exciting experimental dishes, and Extra Virgin, where they served fresh, handmade pasta. Jeff really liked the Wake with its romantic views of the wake from the ship, and Razzle Dazzle, which is a fun, plant-forward restaurant.

Virgin Voyages decided to squash the buffet concept long before COVID hit, so instead of a traditional buffet, they have an al-fresco area called The Galley, with multiple eateries showcasing global cuisine. Instead of standing in line at each eatery, we sat at a table, a staff member took our order and we could pick from whatever we wanted at any of the eateries. It was so nice not to have the usual stress at a buffet line, elbows out, fighting to the death, trying to get a staff member to fill your plate! They also had a few coolers around the Gallery where you could grab a salad or sushi on the go, if you want. And a popsicle cart, how fun!

The ship also has many different themed bars with craft beers, nautical-themed cocktails, and champagne. We purchased a $300 bar tab, which gave us an extra $100, and we felt this was a good deal for us. However, the prices of alcohol and specialty drinks are pretty reasonable - even cheaper than what you would find on most cruise lines.

Garlic black bowtie pasta at Razzle Dazzle

Entertainment:

We only saw one show during our cruise. We would have liked to have seen more, but there wasn't enough time. The show we saw was called Duel Reality, which was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, done with acrobats doing death-defying stunts. We felt like the show was a little lacking and kind of cheesy, although the acrobats were pretty dang impressive. I've seen a few rave reviews of the show, so maybe it was just us. They had a couple of other acrobatic shows, a sexologist show, plus an absurdest dance party called the Untitled DanceShowPartyThing (hmm...might have to see what that's about next time). On the last night of our cruise they had the Scarlet Night where everyone dresses up in red and there's a party until late in the evening to end the journey. I'm already looking for a red outfit to wear to the next one!

Activities:

One of our biggest regrets was that we didn't get to reserve any of the fitness classes because they booked up so fast! They looked like a lot of fun. Imagine having a yoga class on a gorgeous zen-like sundeck on the top of the ship, or joining a VHS 80s aerobics class by the pool! There was so much to do on the ship, and we wish we had more time to do more. We seemed to spend a lot of our time at the nautical-themed Loose Cannon Bar, since they had trivia night there every night and that's our jam. They also provided an extensive collection of board games for us to play at our leisure, and we tried some interesting nautical-themed cocktails.

On the Rocks Bar

Sustainability:

We know that cruise ships get a bad reputation for being harmful to the environment. That's why we were really impressed to learn about how Virgin Voyages has been working hard to achieve carbon neutrality from day one. Virgin Voyages does the obvious things, like banning single-use plastic and recycling onboard, but they don't just stop there. The Scarlet lady has Climeon, a technology that generates electricity from residual heat produced from the engine's cooling water, converting it to clean energy to power the cabins, restaurants, and other venues onboard, therefore reducing the need for fuel. The ship also has a wastewater purification system that converts waste into biofuel (gas) that can be used for heat or energy onboard, with the final products of this process being charcoal and purified water. We were also really impressed to learn that there are sensors in the cabin that detect when no one is in the room, and will close the curtains and lower the air conditioning settings to save energy! These are only a few examples of how Virgin Voyages is working to be the most environmentally-friendly cruise line at sea. They've taken everything into consideration, from the bracelets guests use as key cards, the coffee they serve onboard, and the vegan-friendly ink they use in their tattoo parlor. We haven't yet seen a cruise line that comes close to what Virgin Voyages does to help the environment, and we hope they set the bar for others to follow.

COVID protocols:

Overall, we felt pretty safe being on the ship during COVID. Everyone was required to be vaccinated and take a rapid test before boarding the ship. On the ship, all the crew members wore masks diligently and correctly. At a couple of the restaurants, we were encouraged to sit with strangers to "make new friends", which we were surprised they were doing during this time. However, we learned we could refuse, and they wouldn't force us. I know they only have so many tables to seat people at, so what are you going to do?

A few other things worth mentioning:

As far as excursions go (aka Shore Things), Virgin Voyages steers away from the large group tours, giving their guests a more inclusive experience, which we liked. They work with entrepreneurs and tour operators in each of the ports to help the communities create economic opportunity and growth.

Every Caribbean itinerary stops at Virgin's beautiful private beach club on Bimini, Bahamas, where the themes of the ship are carried out to their beautiful beach area with two swimming pools, plenty of hammocks, bars, and a live DJ. After doing a cultural tour of the island in the afternoon, we thought this was a relaxing and fun way to end the day.

And upon observation, I am happy to say Virgin Voyages is very LGBTQ-friendly and accessibility-friendly.

Fire pit during sunset at The Beach Club in Bimini, Bahamas

Needless to say, we were blown away with this cruise line. Sure, there are a few little things they will want to work out, but overall, the pros completely outweigh the cons. Virgin Voyages has two new ships setting sail this year and next, and they're adding new itineraries all the time. Not bad for a cruise ship company that launched in the middle of a global pandemic! We really can't wait for our next Virgin Voyages cruise. Next time, I'm gonna get Jeff to serenade me in one of their private karaoke rooms! And, we're gonna need some trivia partners-- wanna join us?

P.S. In case you're wondering, no we did not get tattoos on this cruise, although we seriously thought about it! They were a bit pricey, but I love the idea of it.

Wanna see a Virgin Voyages brochure? Click here: https://issuu.com/virginvoyages/docs/virgin_voyages_brand_brochure