What to Expect on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, 2021
Summary
This ship is absolutely GORGEOUS! We thoroughly enjoyed the Mer-Maiden Voyage (mermaid-themed first voyage!) and all the experiences we had onboard. There was not one experience that did not have us ready for the next.
The best thing about this sailing was the FOOD.
OMG we cannot stress enough how good the food is on this ship!!! There was not one instance where we were wanting something to be improved.
For the first sailing, there are, of course, some improvements that can be made to the service, the app, and the flow of some things. But, there are a few things that Virgin Voyages has done that other cruise lines should take note on and copy.
We cannot wait to sail on this ship again in a few weeks to see what things, if any, have changed. We also can’t wait to try more of the restaurants and experience other parts of the ship that we weren’t able to get to.
Ship
As I said before, this ship is absolutely GORGEOUS. There isn’t one part of this ship that isn’t functional or beautiful. The whole ship is instagrammable!
The entire ship is made for comfort, for lounging, and for socializing. There are loungers, daybeds, and cozy seating available everywhere, indoors and out.
This ship does not have a lot of artwork, like some ships, but the decor on the ship makes it so that artwork isn’t really necessary. Everything is very colorful but not in a tacky or gaudy way.
Some people feel as if the decor is too much like “IKEA” or too modern. But we feel like this look works for the cruise line. It adds to the fact that Virgin Voyages wanted to be different than other cruise lines.
Itinerary
We did the Fire and Sunset Soirées Itinerary for the Mer-Maiden Voyage. This took us to Nassau, Bahamas and the private Beach Club at Bimini. It was originally supposed to make a port of call in Key West, Florida. But to respect the government issues going on with the community, they decided to do Nassau instead.
We were ok with the change in itinerary but decided not to make any plans to do anything in Nassau. We originally were going to take part in one of the “Shore Things” (what Virgin Voyages calls their excursions) but 1., they were really expensive, and 2., they all got booked up anyways.
Highlights
The biggest highlight of this trip was not only experiencing this brand new ship and brand new cruise line for the first time, but meeting the new friends that we have while onboard. While onboard, we got to meet fellow YouTubers, Rich and Jazzy from A Rich and Jazzy Life, Jay from The ShipLife, and Kyra and Aaron from AK Adventures. We also got to hang out some more with Billy from CruiseHabit.
Another highlight of the sailing was Scarlet Night. This night was amazing. It is not necessarily a formal night and not necessarily a raucous party either. Just a good time had by all where everyone kinda let loose and had a GREAT time.
This started as a pool party that just gradually moved into the nightclub, the Manor. From there, we ended up staying in the nightclub until they had to kick us out so they could clean at 3 in the morning!
What’s Missing
As fun and relaxing as the Beach Club at Bimini was, there needs to be more.
The Floatie Pool Party they ahead scheduled was kind of a letdown in the sense that they only provided about 3 pool floaties for the entire party.
The Bonfire was not a big party but more of a relaxing change of pace to reflect on the sunset. Beautiful but not what everyone was expecting.
And sadly, there was no party at night on the beach.
We did not get to experience any of the food on Bimini as it shut down early (around 5 p.m.), but we were told that the BBQ ribs and other snack items were delicious.
We also did not experience any of the other activities at the Beach Club. Many of the activities were only accessible for reservation through the app, which was not always functional. So, we basically played in the pool all day long.
Main Takeaways
Once Virgin Voyages get the app fully functional and provides all the entertainment that they promised will be on the ships, this will be one of the best cruise lines for adults.
Again we can NOT wait to sail again, purely for the food alone. Virgin Voyages has hands down won the food category from us and we didn’t even try all of the food options.
This is a great ship for couples. A great ship for a girl’s trip or guy getaway. A fabulous ship for foodies. A great ship for those wanting to incorporate wellness in their vacation. And a wonderful ship for relaxing. All the thoughts you think you have about Virgin Voyages are wrong. This cruise line is for those that want to have fun, eat well, and be accepted for just that.
