Scarlet Lady - PART TWO
There is one more after this - PART THREE in which I will share my top tips for sailing with Virgin Voyages
There are some shops on board, including Duty Free and a Virgin Voyages Store (great for some last minute gifts or take home memories) there is also a Spa, Hairdressers, Make Up/Beauticians, Nail Parlour and even a Tattoo Shop. Entertainment on board is different to your normal cruise, acrobats in Duel Reality, Dance Offs in the Red Room (theatre) Never Sleep Alone Show and much more, look out for the secret magician show – if you are lucky, you might just get an invite. They really involve the audience, and I found all the shows very entertaining.
There are lots of bands and entertainers in various locations around the ship, rock and roll, blues, one-man bands singing their stories, folk bands there is always something going on and most people finished off their night in The Manor which is the Nightclub with a star setting entrance.
The Casino is large with its own bar, lots of tables and slots, it is also non-smoking, however there is a “secret” door that will take you to the smoking room (which also has slots in) and you can smoke freely in there or up on deck 16 by Richards Rooftop.
The outside areas of the ship wowed me ... so many many places to sit and watch the waves, lots of sunbeds and then loads of massive sunbeds (like double beds) there are even private cabanas if you fancy one. The main pool area has music playing, I didn’t find it too loud and the only thing I would say is that might get a busy on a sea day with a full ship of sailors, just behind the main pool is another quieter area with massive beds and a giant hot tub and don’t forget there are tons of other places on board where you can go and chill out.
There are a few different Itineraries you can do on Scarlet in the Caribbean but they will all at some stage in the voyage call at Virgin Voyages private beach club in Bimini – Virgin literally take over the whole beach club, the crew come, the bars come, the food comes … its exclusive to all Scarlet Lady sailors and its beautiful – gorgeous white sandy beaches with even more of those double bed size sunbeds (can you tell that I really liked these yet?) 2 pools, one with a DJ and a quieter one with hanging chairs around the pool – your bar tab is valid here too so no need to bring cash or anything.
What absolutely amazed me is the amount of things onboard that are available at no extra cost to you – all the different food and snacks that are available throughout the day, boxed salads, wraps, pretzels, hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream, cakes, even gummy bears for your sweet tooth. There is an arcade on board with lots of 80’s games like Super Mario, Space Invaders etc, Air Hockey, foosball and lots more. Board Games and daily meet ups to play them, Private Karaoke booths, which you can hire (for free) by the hour. There was even a massive colouring in board that you could complete and then take your part away at the end of the cruise.
Group Exercise classes like Yoga, Pilates and even an outdoor boxing ring if that takes your fancy and of course do not forget that Virgin always include your basic bevvies – such as soft drinks, drip tea/coffee etc. Wi Fi is also included and it works really really well, I could read emails, use Facebook, make facetime calls, use what’s app all of that – if you want to stream videos or download lots of stuff then you may have to upgrade the package but the “basic” Wi-Fi is plenty good enough to do all that you mostly need on holiday.
Lastly – something that does seem to cause issues with us, Tips ... Tips are also included for free and the crew do not expect or look for extra tips, speaking of the crew... they are all amazing, nothing is too much trouble and they remember your drinks/name so fast – I spoke to a lot of crew and its clear they love working for Virgin Voyages and this then comes across in the way they look after you.
Virgin don’t do All Inclusive Drinks as such, what they offer is the opportunity to buy a “Bar Tab” this works so well because you don’t have to buy one for everyone in your cabin (for example if someone doesn’t drink at all or so much as the other) I purchased a $300 Bar Tab and with the current promotion Virgin gave me an extra $100 free so I ended up with $400 to spend on drinks. Drinks prices are really very reasonable around $8-9 for a Vodka (double for us) $6-8 for a bottle of beer and $9 for a large glass of wine and around $10-$15 for a cocktail depending on which one.
People often ask me ... is this cruise line just suited to young people? Is it a Party Ship? I find it quite hard to place it really, I don’t think its about age, I met people aged from 20 up to 80, I think its more about your attitude to life, there is a vibe on board that is hard to explain, you could liken it to an exclusive beach club, or a really luxurious hotel and with regards to a Party Ship I guess it depends on what your view of Party is .. I really think that because its not all inclusive that is the reason you do not get loads of drunk people, yes people have a drink and yes there are sail away parties, pyjama parties and even a bar crawl but its not in your face – people are simply happy and enjoying themselves. It most definitely is not all loud music and nightclubs, its way more sophisticated than that.
The Dress Code on board is relaxed, there isnt a Formal Night as such but they do have a Scarlet Night where most people wear something red, but you dont have to if you dont want to, most nights you will find a mixture of how people dress - most are smart casual, some dress up and a very small amount dress down - the only rule is no swimming costumes etc in restaurants so its really what you are comfortable in, really just what you would wear on a night out here.