One Year at Sea for Scarlet Lady

As the shiny and new ship on the block touched for the very first time, Virgin Voyage's Scarlet Lady marked its first anniversary of cruising with passengers on August 6, 2022. After over a year of delays due to the pandemic, the vessel made its official debut last summer with a brief series of U.K. sailings. It then repositioned to its home at Terminal V in PortMiami last October. 

Scarlet Lady has spent most of the past year welcoming passengers from all over the world to experience its new, innovative cruise ship, sailing 4- and 5-night voyages in the Caribbean. Most sailings include a stop at its new private destination, The Beach Club at Bimini in the Bahamas. 

Passengers have returned with rave reviews for the ship and the Virgin Voyages experience. In addition, our Cruiseline.com and Shipmate members have given high marks for nearly all categories of the ship and their overall time onboard Scarlet Lady. 

To celebrate Scarlet Lady’s first year at sea, we culled some of the top reviews and ship tips our members have shared for onboard experience, dining, cabins, and more.

Overall Shipboard Experience

Virgin Voyages is not your average cruise line, and Scarlet Lady is not your average cruise ship. The line stood apart with several unique selling factors, including no passengers under the age of 18 and (mostly) inclusive cruise fares. The vessel was designed with adults in mind, offering extensive health and wellness offerings, numerous bars and party venues, and many spaces to kick back and relax. Here’s what our community members had to say about their overall experience onboard Scarlet Lady:

Large group of us with 5/6 first-timers. Had a blast! 15th cruise and this is hands down the best so far. Ports were fun and the private resort was the bomb! - cliffh

The most relaxing cruise we have taken. no announcements no rushed dinner times. Best part is no children running around. The perfect adult cruise for all ages. - snowwhite74

Great boat, and a fun inviting atmosphere but the crew and the staff definitely made it a totally fun experience. Would highly recommend it. - 1carwashman

We enjoyed the Virgin Voyages so much, that we rebooked while we were on board. It's a totally different experience than any other cruise line that we have been on. The atmosphere was very upbeat yet laid back. - ToddTravel

Come with no expectations or preconceptions based on other cruises… it’s a completely different experience! - guardguybri

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Dining

Across the board, members have raved about the dining options they have found on Scarlet Lady. With more than 20 eateries onboard, the restaurants are uniquely themed, and the food quality and presentation are among the best at sea. Here’s what our members had to say: 

Our first meal confirmed that we were going to have great food for the next five nights. I should say great food is really not strong enough -- fantastic, some of the best you ever had food. - Cruiser60747674

Food. Can't even begin to compare it with other ships. Lots of options, great mid-day meals (from regular to just right bites (try the Dock for lunch and get a skewer), breakfast options (French toast at either Wake or Razzle Dazzle will keep you full until dinner), and unique dining choices. Every restaurant has the ability to serve just one or two, or an entire table of friends. Make certain you try all the options; you'll find most of them are just what you wanted. - WCF

Highly recommend Test Kitchen for a unique experience. Loved The Wake - did two brunches and dinner, was amazing and delicious! - snowwhite74

Every restaurant was wonderful. There is no buffet, just small food courts that have different specialties. The best advice would be to walk around and see them, then sit at a table and wait for a server to come and take your order. - Gramadeb1

So much variety. Everything seemed fresh and made to order. Excellent service. - milesen

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Onboard Activities & Entertainment 

You won’t find things like giant water slides and ropes courses on Scarlet Lady. Instead, you will find health and spa offerings, clubs and lounges, parties, and even a tattoo parlor! When the ship’s design was unveiled, some were skeptical of certain features, like a smaller pool size. However, Virgin Voyages has proved those individuals wrong. Following is a sampling of the great reviews that have come in from our members for onboard offerings:

You can do as much or as little as you wish. A lot of exercise options for beginners up to pro athletes. Huge gyms and also many options on the upper decks for outdoor workouts and just horsing around on the see saws and swings. - Cruiser83698649

Beautiful ship, very good entertainment, I thought the music selections by this DJ were great unlike those on the other cruise lines. - md90

Found lots of activities to keep us busy. We were never bored. The ship is gorgeous and very easy. The bartenders, entertainment staff, and blues singers were fantastic. You can make this cruise whatever you choose...romantic, partying, quiet, relaxing lounging, etc.....it all exists in this one ship. - Deesse

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Cabins

Virgin Voyage’s goal is for guests to ‘live like a rockstar’, and the cruise line appropriately has several of its suites to match this theme. Many exterior cabins with balconies feature red hammocks, perfect for guests to spend some solo time enjoying the waves rolling by. Here’s what our members had to say about cabins on Scarlet Lady:  

We had a Balcony XL and had plenty of room to move around and store our stuff. - adera68

I had a Solo Sea View forward-facing cabin that was a bit European in design but not far off from the norm. The room was very nice, the bed very comfortable, I slept like a baby. The shower area was large with both a wall-mounted handheld piece and a rain showerhead. - md90

The hammock was the highlight of our sea terrace cabin, but the whole cabin was good. - FrizzyAnya

We had a Terrace XL cabin - we thought it was a great size, very neatly laid out…Loved all the USB ports in the cabin - made the electrical outlets almost unused. - ruthsanzia

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With rave reviews across all categories, it’s clear that Virgin, you’re so fine and feel so good inside. We’re proclaiming the shiny and new Scarlet Lady a success!  

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