Virgin Voyages: A Ship Above for Adults-Only Cruising

Our Recent Cruise Aboard Scarlet Lady Was Epic!

Sir Richard Branson has done it again. Virgin Voyages, the irresistible travel brand which launched at the end of 2021, has cracked the code for delivering incredible cruise vacations… for adults only!

I was incredibly excited to sail on a Dominican Daze cruise aboard Scarlet Lady a few weeks ago. While I knew this cruise would knock my socks off, I was completely blown away! Nothing – including hours of training, You Tube videos and news articles about the experience – adequately prepared me for the incredible voyage I enjoyed on board!

From the moment I walked into Terminal V at Port of Miami to the moment I disembarked that beautiful cruise ship, I was totally impressed.

Hello Virgin Voyages!

The boarding process could not have been easier. Guests are welcomed into a gorgeous terminal that introduces the brand with splashes of red all around. The check-in process was seamless!

I presented my reservation number and my passport (although this was a closed-loop cruise, Virgin Voyages requires all passengers to have a passport).

I was then given a welcome card with my room number and my wearable for the duration of the cruise – The Band.

Sustainability is a core principle for the Virgin Voyages business model. In fact, the Virgin Voyages brand tagline is: “Epic Sea Change for All.”

The Band is a perfect confluence of the brand – both in its messaging and emphasis on sustainability. Designed around the idea of The Modern Romance of Sailing, The Band features a nautical rope design, maritime knots and an anchor.

The materials used to create this revolutionary bracelet/band – which serves as your room key and mobile credit card for the duration of your cruise – are made from recycled ocean plastic.

In fact, each band will remove 2 pounds of plastic from marine and coastal environments. That adds up to more than 2.2 million pounds of marine/coastal plastic removed from our waters over the next 5 years, thanks to sailors on the Scarlet Lady alone!

Cruise Ship Cabin Fever

On board, my next stop was our Sea Terrace stateroom. Let me just say… woah! The cabin was incredible – from the rain shower (which boasted a significant footprint for a cruise ship shower) to the roomy terrace and hand-woven red hammock to the fun mood lighting, I was stunned!

Even more thrilling was the fact that everything in the room may be controlled by the touch of a button – on an in-room tablet!

Spacious, sleek and modern, the cabin more than satisfied our needs. There is ample space for clothes storage – including a closet area for hanging clothes and plenty of drawer space.

The bathroom was perfect, featuring shelves and plenty of storage. Each guest room has a large carafe of filtered water that is refilled daily, or more frequently by request. Guests who drink a lot of water may even request a second carafe for their stateroom.

The beds are incredibly comfortable and there is plenty of space to store your luggage. There is even space underneath the beds for this purpose! Since I was rooming with a friend, our stateroom host separated the beds for us.

It was wonderful to see how flexible the cabin accommodations can be on board Virgin Voyages, which is totally dependent on the make-up of one’s travel party.

Did I mention Scarlet Lady (and her sister Virgin ships) offer complimentary WiFi as part of your cruise fare? We’re not talking about WiFi that just allows you to respond to email… we’re talking about full-fledged Internet connectivity!

Aboard the ship, you are able to respond to emails, surf the Web, post and comment on social media, etc. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the complimentary Internet available on board.

Seas the Days On Board Virgin

After dropping off our things, it was time to begin our epic voyage!

Whether competing in a speed puzzle challenge (you’re looking at one-quarter of the new record-holding team; Stephen the Gamer shows off our winning time!), enjoying sunrise yoga on one of the sprawling upper decks, participating in a round of food trivia, indulging in culinary treats at one of the many eateries in The Galley, or visiting your favorite bartender (make sure to visit Karla at The Dock House Bar!), all are awesome options for your days at sea.

If you prefer to relax in a lounge chair by the pool, visit the spa, enjoy an intense workout, outdoor boxing, or even read a book on a comfy couch at a quiet deck, those are choices as well. There is truly no shortage or variety of activities to occupy your time on board a Virgin Voyages cruise!

Ship Shape Nights on Your Voyage

The evenings can be exactly what you want them to be. If you want to enjoy a fabulous dinner at one of the ship’s incredible restaurants and then go to bed, that’s great!

If you want to enjoy that wonderful dinner, then dance the night away, there are plenty of options! If you prefer to grab a bite and jump over to an entertaining show, you can choose to do that as well! Virgin Voyages cruises have truly been designed with all of their adult sailors in mind.

One of my favorite evenings on the cruise was the culminating experience – Scarlet Night. The entire ship goes red and there is entertainment around every corner.

From scarlet decorations to an epic pool party and individualized “pop-up parties,” this night was amazing in a way only Virgin could design!

Sailors are encouraged to navigate their own path over the course of the evening, which may include dancing at the Manor or being invited to a private party experience with a talented musical performer or magician.

There’s no way to know exactly what this mysterious night holds, nor will the author of this article reveal too much about it!

My advice is this… make sure to pack a fun red outfit that makes you feel fabulous and be prepared for anything as you dance the night away!

Superb Shore Things

Virgin Voyages’ name for cruise excursions is “Shore Things.” These experiences, which are available to book 120 days prior to sailing (135 days for RockStar Sailors), are totally unique to this cruise line.

Not only are the excursions curated by local guides who know the geography, their goal is to share the unique culture of the place you are visting. Sailors may choose from a wide variety of experiences at each of the cruise line’s destinations.

In Dominican Republic, our port of call was Puerto Plata. Our fabulous tour guide took us walking around the city, where we saw everything from the city center and its beautiful Church to the famous pink alley (Paseo de Dona Blanca), to a local vendor carving coconuts for visitors to enjoy the delicious milk.

We even visited a local jeweler who taught us about larimar – a rare blue mineral/gemstone found only in the Domincan Republic. We also had the opportunity to taste Mama Juana (also spelled Mamajuana) a spiced alcoholic beverage originating in the Domincan Republic made from rum, red wine, honey and herbs.

Finally, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at Playa Dorada. Here, we feasted on a lunch of local specialties, such as fried plantains and ceviche with yucca chips. It was then time to relax at Blue Jacktar beach, where we soaked up sun and enjoyed the ocean’s pristine, clear water before returning to Scarlet Lady.

Bahamian Beach Vibes

Bimini, a small island in the Bahamas, is a destination on all of Virgin Voyages’ Caribbean sailings. The Beach Club at Bimini is an awesome private beach club experience available to all sailors.

Just as it is on the cruise ship, this experience was a perfect mix of relaxation and fun! Either you could relax on the beach, hang out by the pool – and enjoy an adult pool party with inflatable rafts, or nap on a hammock – as is the Virgin Way, there was truly something for everyone!

Included in the day is a delicious buffet lunch with several delicious options native to the Caribbean.

Bimini Beach Club, friends, will be a story for another day.

Please know this is the first in a series of articles about Virgin Voyages. I hope you’ll check back for more! In the meantime, please let us know what you are most interested in hearing about and we’ll do our best to share our experiences in a future article. As you’ll hear on Virgin ships…

…for now, Ahoy Sailor!

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Favorite Grampy( Digital Marketing Director )

My goal is to spoil my grandchildren and make memories that will last a lifetime. I don’t talk about the grandkids getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, or saving money. On the contrary, I share our adventures on staying up late, eating donuts and soda for dinner, and spending money on things they don’t need makes me the… Favorite Grampy