Did Virgin live up to the hype?

Item: Scarlet Lady
Rating: 4.5
Author: CuriouzTravels

Scarlet Lady Cruise Review

CuriouzTravels

Contributor Level: First Mate

1 Day Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 20

Helpful Votes: 213

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5

4 Night Fire & Sunset Soirees (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 13, 2023

Ship: Scarlet Lady

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 months ago

Review summary

As a travel agent who has sailed with Royal Caribbean for years, my goal this year is to explore other companies. Out of all the companies I have on my list, Virgin was the one I was most excited about sailing. I must say that there are some small things that I’m ok with over looking, and overall, I really enjoyed my experience with Virgin. Let me first say that I know that the cruise lines can’t control the weather. There was a complete itinerary change due to weather, and I think Virgin could’ve been a little more transparent about this. The disembarkation was terrible, and not solely because of the weather delay. It was obvious that there was no control, and many staff appeared to not know what they were doing. Other than the disembarking, and itinerary change, I thoroughly enjoyed Virgin Voyages. I’m going back on Scarlet Lady in 11 days, and I look forward to the XL Sea Terrace. The Manor is the place to be if you like to party, and the food was great. I actually like the food better on Virgin than I do on Royal… that should tell you something 😉. Their pizza is the best pizza I’ve had on a ship (hands down). Scarlet Night was a blast to see, and I love to see adults relaxing without kids. I will say that I’m surprised at the size of the casino on this ship (compared to other cruise companies), considering there are no kids. To sum it up, I like Virgin, and look forward to sailing with them again.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

The room was modern, and the convenience of controlling everything through the control pad was great. The bed and linens were exceptionally comfortable. The bathroom had a modern feel, but is a bit uncomfortable for someone my height (6’2”). I have to say that this feature is probably my least favorite thing about the whole cruise experience with Virgin. The do not disturb/make up room switch is located behind the main door, behind the curtain for the closet. The closet system had adequate space for hanging items, and the baskets were a plus. Overall, the room is pleasant, the balcony and hammock are great (if you are ok with seating the life boats).