Virgin’s promise of adult exclusive, luxury amenities aboard the Scarlet Lady lured a group of our college friends to get together for a Caribbean get-away from the winter weather. While my partner, Andrew, and I have enjoyed a number of voyages aboard Virgin’s Ladyships in the past, the other six members of our group were Virgin virgins before we embarked from Miami on our “Fire and Sunset Soiree”.

Here, you’ll get an honest review of Virgin Voyages from the perspective of experienced travel agents, frequent cruisers testing the waters with Virgin, and former cruise ship virgins whose expectations are now far too high to satisfactorily sail on any other major cruise line.

*The Scarlet Lady, Virgin's first Ladyship, docked in Key West.*

The Sea Terrace Cabins

All four rooms that our party stayed in onboard fall into the Sea Terrace category. Rooms of this design make up the majority of sailor’s cabins on board each Virgin ship. This room-type, as the name suggests, provides its two occupants with a spacious balcony complete with chairs, a table, and a comfortable handmade hammock perfect for morning coffee or afternoon naps.

The room itself wowed each of our Virgin virgins with its comfortable beds, which your cabin attendant can transform into a couch during the day. Virgin’s commitment to premium design extends throughout the ship, but the modern and cozy feel of our cabins was perhaps the most impressive example with ample storage, a desk/makeup counter, and plenty of seating for hosting your friends or family for a bottle of champagne.

The bathrooms are also quite spacious for a cruise cabin, with a comfortable rainfall shower that was large enough for everyone in our party, ranging from 6’3” to 4’8”, to enjoy. The bathroom and cabin are cleaned and restocked daily, and we never encountered a time when there wasn’t someone in our hallway ready to help with whatever we needed.

The semi-frequent cruisers in our party were impressed by how clean, modern, and spacious their rooms were compared to other cruise lines. Also, the red blanket. If you know, you know! Our cruise ship virgins were blown away, “For the size of the sea terrace room it felt both spacious and cozy. You can also control nearly everything, the lights, curtains, entertainment, room service, housekeeping, and more through the in-room tablet!”

Watch the video below for a sneak peek of the Sea Terrace Cabin and its amenities!

Sea Terrace Cabin Tour on the Scarlet Lady.

Onboard Restaurants & Dining

Say goodbye to the beige buffets! Virgin boasts more than 20 unique, all-included eateries on board each of their vessels, with several unique restaurant experiences designed by Michelin star chefs. From Extra Virgin’s handmade pasta, Pink Agave’s chocolate tacos, or The Wake’s sophisticated steaks, there are unique and delectable flavors aboard this ship!

In place of antique buffets that have become standard on other cruise lines, The Galley is the go-to place on Virgin’s ships for a meal, quick bite, or pick-me-up throughout the day. Featuring a mix of shops and food-truck-style carts, each spot has a unique concept with dishes that change to suit the time of day all included in your cruise fare.

The Galley boasts *deep breath* a dedicated bakery and pastry shop, a panini station, a burger grill, a taco shack, a sushi bar with bento boxes, a pasta bar, a soup and salad station, and a 24-hour American diner, all of which can be ordered table side with sit-down service or taken to-go. *And exhale*.

“The Italian restaurant was by far my favorite of all the fine dining on board,” said one of our former cruise virgins to nods of approval. Another of our sailors agreed that the Potato Gnocchi at Extra Virgin (pictured below) was her favorite bite on board, but aside from these two, everyone else in our party was divided on their choice of favorite restaurant. Our favorites list includes Razzle Dazzle, Gunbae, Pink Agave, and The Test Kitchen, but you really can’t go wrong when dining on Virgin’s Lady Ships. Unlike other cruise lines, these specialty restaurants are included in your cruise fair and you can visit them as many times as you’d like!

Though you can make a reservation at any of these restaurants, the ship holds several tables for walk-ins. Our party of eight never had trouble getting into the restaurant we wanted to eat at each night, and they could always accommodate us if we wanted to dine with additional people who were not part of our original reservation.

With unmatched flexibility and quality on the seas, Virgin’s stellar restaurants and food service staff do their best to always surpass your expectations with each course.

Check out the images below to see a few of our group’s standout dishes!

Booze while you Cruise

Would it really be a luxurious cruise without your fill of wine, beer, and fruity lil’ drinks? Virgin doesn’t dare to ask this question. (But no, the correct answer is no.) They’ve done away with traditional drink packages where everyone in your cabin is required to have the same high priced alcohol plan, even if they’re not a big drinker or totally sober.

On Virgin, each of us had our own “Bar Tab” associated with our wearable ID band that we could scan to pay for any drinks on the boat. Our group of eight chose to drink most often from Virgin’s signature cocktail menus scattered across the bars, event spaces, and restaurants of the ship for good reason. The mixologists on board Virgin’s ladyships are some of the best in the industry, crafting cocktails and mocktails from the finest, locally sourced ingredients found at each port of call.

Our group found ourselves for drinks most often at The Dock House, an adorable Mediterranean inspired small-bites spot at the aft (back) of each Virgin Lady ship. They offer an impressive list of classic cocktails as well as wine spritzers and blended beverages that are light and perfect for a day spent lounging by the pool or as a pick-me-up after shore excursions. Make sure to catch “Opa Hour” at The Dock House while on board for an exclusive and refreshing cocktail that blew us all away!

Virgin also offers an incredible feature called “Shake for Champagne” that our group took advantage of twice on our voyage. Using the Virgin app, you simply shake your phone and two servers will arrive at your location on-board with a bottle of Moet and as many glasses as you’d like. There really isn’t anything quite like sitting in the hot tub on the highest deck of the ship and having a bottle of high quality Moet arrive to set the mood for your evening!

One of our first-time sailors particularly loved the “K-POP Disco Water” at Gunbae, a watermelon juice and sake drink served in a disco ball and topped with watermelon pop-rocks. Another sailor in our group adored a caramel popcorn and tequila drink (pictured below) from Razzle Dazzle that tastes at least 10x better than you think it might with sweet, salty, and smoky flavors balanced beautifully.

Take a look below to see some of our favorite cocktails, wine, and bubbly onboard!

Onboard Entertainment

With a festival-like lineup developed by some of the world’s most-talked-about directors, choreographers, and artists, I’m positive you’ll never leave a show unsatisfied because no one in our group ever did.

While other cruise lines offer magicians, cover-bands, and off-Broadway musicals, Virgin is committed to innovation in the cruise industry from your cabin to The Red Room stage. The Red Room on the Scarlet Lady was the first ever transformational, multiform theater at sea! This means that they can shift the placement of the audience and performers to present art in new and exciting ways. The creators of Virgin’s entertainment fully utilize this flexibility to the extent that each visit to the Red Room is a wholly unique and immersive experience.

Our group particularly enjoyed Duel Reality, Produced by the 7 FINGERS. This show is a fast-paced retelling of Romeo and Juliet with an elaborate circus twist. We didn’t know it going in, but the audience is divided between the two families on opposing sides of stadium configuration seating and pit against one another to cheer for their respective sides. This show is thrilling, engaging, and in the end, deeply moving. I cannot recommend it enough if you sail on the Scarlet lady.

In addition to the shows in the Red Room, there is a wide selection of dinner theater, burlesque, “game shows”, drag shows, and themed dance parties in The Manor, a two story night club situated on decks 6 and 7.

The Manor kicks off each night with a show or two before transitioning into the best night-club on the high seas for the rest of the night. With fun themes, killer DJs, live bands, and friendly fellow sailors, we enjoyed our time in the Manor thoroughly and made several new friends on the dance floor! One of our travel companions said in comparison to cruises they’d taken with other cruise lines in the past, “There was always something to do (on Virgin) from spending time in The Manor, hanging out at the casino, singing karaoke, to hot tubbing on the top deck! Lots of great options!”

Our “Scarlet Night”

It wouldn’t be a Virgin Voyage without a Scarlet Night, and our group thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during our Scarlet Night on the second night of our voyage.

The Scarlet Night is an immersive celebration of the fabled love between the mysterious Goddess of the Sea and the Sailor who won her heart. Throughout the evening, the entire ship is transformed into a menagerie of delights and epic experiences. Through pop-up circus performances, interactive games, karaoke, myth-telling, and live music, the crew of each ship invites all sailors to come pay tribute to a love that washed the world scarlet — culminating in a drenched-in-red pool and dance party unlike anything you've ever seen.

Our party danced the night away in the pool on deck 16, but I won’t share anymore spoilers aside from the video and photos below, you’ll have to experience your own Scarlet Night to find out more! Just make sure to pack red clothing elements to wear for the festivities.

So, what are you waiting for?

Message us right now to book your own Virgin Voyage and experience the new age of cruising! Gone are the days of beige buffets, lack-luster entertainment, and inflated drink packages. Instead, sail the seas without kids, hidden fees, and cramped quarters.

Contact us today to set sail the Virgin way!

Set Sail the Virgin Way