Virgin Voyages’ first ship, Scarlet Lady, was in New York City last week for a media preview and Travel Agent was onboard to get a first-hand look.
Our first thought was that this ship seems very fun. From the vibrant interiors and plenty of lounging spaces (including a net seemingly hanging over the water on the top deck) to the games (like table shuffleboard and cornhole) scattered around the public spaces and services like champagne-on-demand, everything about the ship seemed a bit different. We were told on our tour that the Virgin Voyages fleet was designed to be the most “Instagrammable” at sea and if nothing else, the ship is definitely photo-worthy.
Our second thought? We can’t wait to sail with Virgin Voyages.
About the Vessel
Scarlet Lady accommodates 2,770 guests (called sailors) and will homeport in Miami in 2021 for its "inaugural" sailing season to the Caribbean and Mexico. Note: For the time being, the ship will be operating at 50 percent capacity. This summer, it sailed a short series of “sailings to nowhere” for the U.K. market; that said, the ship was designed to sail in warm waters.
During its full inaugural season, Scarlet Lady will sail five-night “Riviera Maya” sailings to Cozumel/Playa Del Carmen; five-night “Mayan Sol” voyages to Costa Maya, Mexico, five-night “Dominican Daze” voyages to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and four- night “Fire and Sunset Soirées” sailings, including a stop at The Beach Club at Bimini, Virgin Voyages’ private beach club in the Bahamas.
Eat and Drink
There will be 24 food and beverage venues, as well as numerous event venues, a smoke-free casino, an arcade, a dual-space fitness center and more. The variety of smaller spaces was intentional; each has a slightly different feel, so that way guests have plenty of options to find what setting fits them best. It also made the ship (in a good way) feel much smaller than a 2,700-passenger ship. Pretty cool: Audio engineers made it so that music never overlaps between spaces to help create distinct vibes in each venue.
During our preview, we dined at Test Kitchen, touted as a “laboratory-like eatery.” Only a list of ingredients will be provided to guests before they dine; our menu was Mushroom, Egg, Scallops, Beef, Blue Cheese, Chocolate—each a separate course. Everything was fantastic and it's definitely worth an evening on board.
A standout space is Razzle Dazzle, a vegetarian-forward restaurant (although not exclusively vegetarian). Dishes can be made “naughty” with meat add-ons or boozy shots while the “nice” menu puts a flip on traditional dishes by offering plant-based alternatives to classic dishes. The Red Bar, located in Razzle Dazzle, is—as you might guess—very red; it also serves up over-the-top cocktails. Good to know: Razzle Dazzle is home to the ships’ drag brunch.
Sip is the champagne lounge, where guests can opt for a glass or a vintage bottle. It will also offer an afternoon tea. Pretty cool: Using the Virgin Voyages app, you can summon a glass of champagne on-demand to anywhere on the ship (except for the other bar spaces). Gunbae is a Korean barbecue venue located on the top deck (since every table needs its own ventilation). In the center of each table is a specially engineered flameless grill, so guests can prepare their own dishes. The Galley is a food hall with eight different eateries, offering burgers, pastries, tacos, paninis, sushi, noodles, salads and diner fare.
Guests can also use the app to order “Ship Eats” to their room or a variety of other spaces onboard.
Good to know: All dining is included with the fare. “Basic Bevvies,” such as coffee, tea, water and soft drinks are also included. Virgin Voyages, for alcoholic drinks, uses a prepaid “bar tab” instead of a drinks package. (Currently, Virgin Voyages is offering an extra $50 to spend onboard or at The Beach Club at Bimini with the purchase of a $300 bar tab.)
Events and Gigs
The Red Room is the focal point of the Scarlet Lady’s events venues. The theater has the ability to transform its seating to allow for a myriad of show styles; these include a traditional Proscenium stage, an alley stage used in fashion shows, a dance flat-floor configuration, and “reverse stage” setup. The Manor is a two-story nightclub with a dazzling (if not dizzying) entrance with mirrors and plenty of sparkling LED lights. The space will offer shows in the evening and will then convert into a nightclub afterwards. (Tip: The entrance is perfect for an Instagrammable photo shoot.)
Shows will include late-night cabarets, a fast-paced retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” (with a circus twist), an “Untitled Dancepartyshowthing” (touted as a “hype music-video-meets-club-scene”), an acrobatic dinner party and more. Media onboard were privy to a showing of “Phantom Folktales,” a series of song-driven “micro-plays” that pop up throughout the ship. Think of it as a show you might find in the most hipster bar in Brooklyn. They were great.
There’s also a selection of private karaoke, gaming and movie rooms (called The Groupie), as well as a record shop.
Health and Wellness
On our tour, everyone was seemingly very impressed with the Redemption Spa (a spokesperson for Virgin Voyages later told us this was a common theme among comments she had received). The space comprises a hydrotherapy pool, mud room, salt room, hot and cold plunge pools, quartz beds, a sauna, steam room and more. As for treatments, guests can expect “a cross between a week spent in Bali and two hours at a cafe in Amsterdam.”
Feeling a workout? On the top deck, there are two separate workout spaces—Build & Balance (offering weights and a yoga studio) and Bike & Burn (home to plenty of cardio equipment, as well as a room for spin classes). The entire “B-Complex” uses Technogym equipment. Pretty cool: Group classes are included in the cruise fare.
Guests will also find a variety of fitness equipment scattered around the outdoor spaces of the ship. Such options include a mini-boxing ring with a punching bag, built-in gym equipment for pushups, pullups, crunches and more. A miniature basketball court is also found on the top deck.
There are also two outdoor pools—the Well-being Pool and The Aquatic Club—both on the top deck, each offering a different vibe (one designed as “an area of restoration” with a juice bar, the other a place to lounge with a cocktail).
Other facilities include a salon and barber shop, a manicure and pedicure spa and Squid Ink, touted as the first-ever permanent tattoo studio onboard a cruise ship. There will be in-house artists, as well as a rotation of guests announced before sailings. During our tour, some stakeholders who were also on board were making use of the space. If you’re interested in getting inked up (or a piercing), be sure to make a reservation before you board or as soon as you do.
Staterooms and Suites
Scarlet Lady offers a variety of staterooms and suites (of which, there are 78)—and these are broken down into three larger categories: Cabins, Rockstar Suites and Mega Rockstars. We saw one of the two Massive Suites (the top accommodation). The 2,147-square-foot room has its own vinyl turntable, “music room” complete with four guitars hanging on the wall, ready to be played, a living space and bedroom. The marble en-suite bathroom has a shower with a window that looks through the bedroom and out onto the private terrace and beyond. Outside, there is a private hot tub, dining table for six (with its own built-in staircase, so guests can dance on the table), day bed and outdoor shower.
Good to know: Guests can connect the ship’s two Massive Suites, or each can be connected to an adjacent smaller suite.
We also saw an XL Sea Terrace cabin, which is the top of the standard “Cabin” categories. They were complete with a 43-inch 4K TV, minibar, flexible wardrobe, and bathrooms with a rain shower head. The terraces all have their own hammock facing the water. Virgin Voyages also touts its “transitional Seabeds” (patent-pending), which allows for guests to transform their bed into an L-shaped couch should they have guests over. You can also adjust the lighting in the room via a tablet with settings for a hangover, dance parties or “getting it on” (hint: it’s pink).
Overall, 86 percent of the staterooms on Scarlet Lady have a balcony; 93 percent have an ocean view.
What Advisors Need to Know
During our tour, Travel Agent had the chance to speak with John Diorio, associate vice president, North American sales at Virgin Voyages.
First and foremost: Virgin Voyages pays a 16 percent commission on the voyage fare, along with a 10 percent commission on all pre-voyage sales—this includes anything that a guest may buy through the app ahead of sailing. There are no non-commissionable fares, Diorio says.
Beyond food, “Basic Bevvies,” and group workout classes, also included with the fare (called the “On Us” value proposition, estimated to be worth $600) is Wi-Fi, entertainment and gratuities. Good to know: The “bar tab” used for alcoholic drinks (all priced a la carte) is also commissionable.
Diorio tells us that the “sweet spot” for their target demographic are travelers who are in their mid-30s to mid-60s. “It’s really those that have that zest for life; they like to try different things and have that passion for wanting to get out and explore,” he says, adding that if you’re under 35 or over 65, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the product. (We can vouch for at least one of those.) The No. 1 reason why people are booking Virgin Voyages is because they’re an adults-only line.
Seventy-five to 80 percent of their booked guests have cruised before, although Diorio does note that most of the people who are booking cruises across the industry right now are veteran cruisers. The people booking voyages for the fall and winter, as Diorio says, are the die-hards who can’t wait to get back on a ship. For the time being, he is pleased with the high number of experienced cruisers booking with Virgin Voyages, but he adds, “When we built our brand, all the things that were included, we really did feel in the beginning we would target first-time cruisers—because we do things very differently.”
“I do believe that the way we created the product, the way we include more in the voyage fare, and that it’s adult-only, first-time cruisers are going to love us—I just think they’re going to come in about six months,” Diorio says.
Currently, Virgin Voyages has sailings open for reservation through April 2023. By that time, two more ships will be sailing, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady. Diorio says the line has a mix of American and U.K./European clients. Scarlet Lady, sailing out of Miami, is heavily favored by the American market, while Valiant Lady, which will begin sailing out of Barcelona, and Resilient Lady, which will sail from Athens, skew towards the U.K. market. Current travel restrictions also play a factor in where cruisers are traveling to but Diorio said these trends are the same for the bookings further out as they are closer in.
Details on the line’s yet-unnamed fourth ship will be announced next summer.
For more information, visit www.virginvoyages.com.
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