Virgin is Spectacular

Scarlet Lady Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 82

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Scarlet Lady

5 Night Mayan Sol (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 26, 2021

Ship: Scarlet Lady

Cabin number: 13034Z

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 3 years ago

Review summary

Overall this was one of the best cruises I've ever been on. The ship is beautiful, the staff are helpful and seem happy to be there, and the food and drinks are beyond expectation. We were never bored and constantly impressed by the entertainment options. I will absolutely be back.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
It was very smooth. Covid test results took maybe ten minutes. The waiting time was indoors and seated, so no stressful time in the sun.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
It's another level. I'd heard that ahead of time so I was expecting high quality, but this was another level. And the drinks were strong and creative and beyond anything I expected.

Razzle Dazzle Restaurant

5 out of 5

We went for dinner and it was one of our best meals. We also went for brunch and loved it so much we went two more times after that.

The Manor

5 out of 5

The entryway was really something special. The venue is deceptively large and has lots of areas for sitting in addition to the dance floor. There was a DJ there on Scarlet night and they were great.

The Dock House

5 out of 5

The food was great. The octopus was delicious and good small portions for an afternoon snack.

The Test Kitchen

5 out of 5

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the experimental foods, but it was great. I'm glad I tried the eggs and peas once, but I don't think I would again. Every other course was great. I was very impressed by the meat. We did the cocktail pairing and they were good. I don't drink a lot so I didn't finish them, but they were interesting and very well paired.

Bento Baby

3 out of 5

The spicy tuna rolls were good, not great. The shrimp tempura rolls were pretty bad. I'd recommend skipping Bento Baby and getting Poke Bowls on deck 16 instead.

Gunbae

5 out of 5

The kolbi (I think) marinated beef was amazing. The Lucky 7 drink was also very good.

Lick Me Till...Ice Cream

5 out of 5

I tried four flavors and all were great. The key lime was my favorite.

The Wake

5 out of 5

We missed this for dinner but went twice for brunch and enjoyed it. The french toast lived up to the hype.

The Sweet Side

5 out of 5

The fudge and the peanut brittle were both really good.

The Pizza Place

5 out of 5

For cruise ship pizza, it was spectacular. It wasn't run of the mill toppings, but delicious and interesting combinations.

The Loose Cannon

5 out of 5

During the day we used their giant tables to play board games. In the evenings they made good drinks and hosted one stop each of the Grog Walk (bar crawl) and of the Scarlet Night event.

The Dock House Bar

5 out of 5

The drinks were strong and delicious. The daiquiri anise was my favorite drink all week, out of many good ones. They also make a great mojito.

Pink Agave

5 out of 5

I'm not a steak person but the steak at Pink Agave both made me love steak and ruined me for all other steaks. The appetizers and desserts were also excellent.

Extra Virgin

5 out of 5

We planned to skip this but heard so many positive reviews during our week on the ship we changed our plans to go on the last night and I'm so glad we did because it was one of the best meals we had. The meatballs with mozzarella, gnocchi, and braiaed pork cheek were all incredible.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
The private karaoke rooms, heated pools, and board game activities were highlight for me. The main pool is too small, but otherwise I was impressed.

Sailor Services

5 out of 5

We had an issue we went to sailor services for, unsure if they could resolve it, and the crew member was knowledgeable and resolved our issue in moments.

The Athletic Club

5 out of 5

This was a fun party venue. The PJ party was held there, and we loved dancing there.

The Dock

5 out of 5

I loved relaxing there. The seats were comfortable, and the tables were big enough to play bananagrams. loved that they served food and drinks there.

The Casino

5 out of 5

Non-smoking! I don't gamble but walking through to get to the Manor and the Red Room was pleasant and not smoky. There were always lots of people in the casino in the evenings, so it looked active and fun.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Duel Reality was exciting and impressive. The musicians were talented and seemed to be everywhere all the time in unexpected places. It felt like a fun treat Everytime they randomly showed up somewhere when we were doing other things.

The Red Room

5 out of 5

Duel Reality was an amazing show. The room is small, but the layout worked really well for the red vs. blue team theming where one side of the audience was on each "team." The acrobats and dancers were very talented and I was impressed the entire time.

The Groupie

5 out of 5

This was such a great perk to have private rooms for karaoke. we used this twice throughout the week, and had a blast both times. Their song selection was great.

Children's Programs

Ship is kid-free!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The crew seemed happy to be there. The entertainment staff would have drinks with us, and the waiters would give us food and drink recommendations of things they personally liked. One waitress brought us out an extra entree she wanted us to try when we didn't order it, just as an extra treat.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
It was clear and easy to navigate. The ship feels new and sparkling clean, and all of the whites are still bright white since the ship is so new. I loved where the shops were on the ship - easily accessible, but not in the way. The casino was smoke free, which went a long way in making the ship nicer to be on.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The hammock was the highlight of our sea terrace cabin, but the whole cabin was good.

Ship tip

When using the Virgin app it will work every time if you close every other app on your phone before you open it. It won't work at all with lots of other apps open.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5
We ate pizza at the restaurant Stanzione 87 in the Brickell neighborhood and it was some of the best pizza I've ever had.

The Beach Club (Virgin Voyages), Bimini Bahamas

5 out of 5
The beach club is great - both the pool and the ocean. The pool float party in the afternoon was a highlight. The curry for lunch was excellent.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
They allow disembarkation pretty late, so we signed up for an 11:45 departure. It took about 5-10 minutes from stepping off the ship to being in the shuttle to the airport. It was the smoothest disembarkation I've ever experienced, and and we even had time for a leaisurely restaurant breakfast beforehand.

Traveler Photos

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7 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe     4 months ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody    3 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your cruise

hollysmomtravel    3 years ago

izrgreen    3 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write a review

cruising2004    3 years ago

Thank you for sharing your experience

ElizabethOregon    3 years ago

Great review, much appreciated!

AuntPinkie    3 years ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

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