Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady Launch at Dover Cruise Terminal
The food and restaurant concept I love, rather than having one main dining hall with smaller speciality restaurants (usually at a charge) like other cruise ships, Scarlet Lady has 20 smaller eateries around the ship (6 the equivalent of a speciality restaurant and others more casual) and they are ALL included in the price of your cruise. We dined at Pink Agave which is a Mexican restaurant and the food was really very good (and plentiful!). The service was excellent and we learned from our waiter that Virgin Voyages want the crew to be themselves, so our waiter, who had worked on other cruise lines before, for the first time was able to wear his earrings and face piercing and show his tattoo on his arm. All the crew are kitted in uniform for comfort so most wear trainers.
Also included in the cruise fare are tips/gratuities, unlimited WiFi, group workouts and basic bevvies (still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices, soda, teas and drip coffee).
We saw most (if not all) cabin types. The décor is clean, modern and I think it’s fair to say in the mainstream cabins no-frills. The bathrooms were compact but the showers were a reasonable size (for standard cabins on a cruise ship) and worked well. Apart from the suites, the cabins weren’t carpeted. The suites were definitely a step up from the other cabins and there seems to be a great choice on board – definitely worth it if the budget can stretch.
The focus definitely seems to be on music and evening entertainment with shows starting past midnight and live bands and entertainment in various locations throughout the ship (although we didn’t get to experience this side of the entertainment). They want the feel of a festival where it’s impossible to see all of the acts. The theatre (The Red Room) is a completely different lay out to any other theatre I have seen at sea and is relatively small, almost guaranteeing being up close and personal with the performers.
Virgin Voyages wanted their ship to have the glamour of a boutique hotel at sea and took inspiration from yachts to make it feel different to other cruise ships. It is an adult only ship and they used designers who have never worked on cruise ships before to make it elegant and sophisticated. They want their crew to say “it’s the best gig they have ever had” and so give them added benefits that are not available on other cruise lines. They want “eager explorers who want to play hard” on their ship and they want them to enjoy a voyage not a cruise. Virgin Voyages want their ship to be glamorous and luxurious but for nobody to feel out of place and for it never to feel so cool or exclusive that you don’t feel at home, they don’t wish for it to be stuffy or formal
They have a focus on wellness throughout the cruise, not just in the spa. Group classes are included on board and they have vegetarian and vegan options in all of their restaurants, they even have a vegetarian restaurant.
Alcohol is not included but in every bar you can buy a beer, glass of wine or cocktail for under US$10 – they don’t add on any extra like tax or tips – the price you see on the menu is the price you pay. They don’t have drinks packages but you can pre-pay a bar tab if you wish to have alcohol ‘included’.
They also wanted to be carbon neutral from day one so will be off-setting fuel usage from the start. They have no single use plastic on board and encourage you to fill up a reusable bottle at the water stations around the ship. They also have no buffets on board which results in less food wastage (and also means everything is cooked to order so generally of a better and consistent standard).
What did I think? I loved the ship and contemporary design but I’m not sure its for me, However, the customers they are looking for will LOVE it, they’ve definitely found a gap in the market and I love what they have done to make it anything but a traditional cruise.
If you’d like more information about Virgin Voyages or wish to book, please do get in touch, I’d love to help.