virgin voyages adults only reviews

I went on a luxury cruise for the first time. It was worth the $6,000 price tag for 5 reasons.

• Last summer, I embarked on my first luxury cruise with the adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages.
• I booked a seven-day Mediterranean sailing in a cabin with a balcony for $5,900.
• The ship's unique design, VIP-worthy cabins, and surprising activities made it worth the price. 

I've had my fair share of luxury travel experiences, from staying at celebrity-loved hotels to spending one night on the Orient Express of the 21st century .

If I've learned one thing from these lavish trips, it's that some high-end offerings are worth the cost — and some are not.

In 2023, I took a luxury trip that was completely worth the high price tag — a $5,900, adults-only Mediterranean cruise with Virgin Voyages , a cruise line that's already received multiple awards for everything from cabins to ships after just three years of operations.

I took the seven-day cruise from Barcelona on the Valiant Lady ship , which has a maximum of 2,700 guests. We sailed to ports in Italy, France, and Spain.

Six months after my cruise, I'm still thinking about the luxury details that made it worth the price.

I took a luxury, adults-only cruise with Virgin Voyages last summer.

It was my second-ever cruise, following a seven-day voyage aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas .

After that first cruise, I wanted to experience an upscale version of the vacation style. And I booked with Virgin Voyages because it's an adults-only cruise line.

From the moment I stepped on board, I marveled at the cohesive, modern design with artistic features.

The 912-foot-long ship was stacked with 17 decks full of staterooms, venues, restaurants, and activities.

Every room felt thoughtfully decorated with sleek furniture, unique sculptures, and multicolored lights.

I noticed design themes throughout the ship. The brand's signature bold red color was always in sight. Often, it was contrasted with other bold colors, from pinks and greens to blues and purples. Most spaces also featured iridescent panels, adding a rainbow glow that made me feel coated in luxury.

Exploring the ship felt like wandering through a work of art — or being in a movie about the ultrawealthy. There was no shortage of Instagram-worthy photo ops to take selfies while feeling like a true VIP.

Even the cabin was sleek in style and packed with VIP details.

I booked a mid-tier cabin with a sea terrace that cost $5,910. It was a step above a stateroom with just a window and a step below a suite.

As soon as I stepped into the 225-square-foot room, I was blown away by how spacious it felt. Modern furniture matched the design style of the communal decks, and the cabin was full of space-saving hacks.

A sectional couch transformed into a comfy, queen-sized bed. A closet hidden behind an iridescent curtain revealed drawers and empty storage bins.

There were also high-end details that made me feel wrapped in luxury from morning to night, like a rainfall shower head and a tablet for controlling mood lighting, curtains, and TV entertainment.

But the best part of the room was the balcony . When booking the cabin, I simply hoped for a wide-open view to stand in front of while feeling the breeze in my face.

It was much more than that.

On the terrace, I found a small table with two chairs and a large, cozy hammock. Spending time in the outdoor space watching sunsets, spotting passing islands, and getting a preview of each port stop before disembarking made the room worth the price to me.

On communal decks, I experienced top-tier relaxation thanks to the lack of children.

Virgin Voyages cruises are only for guests who are 18 or older. Since I was traveling with a partner — and I don't have kids — I was excited to lounge on quiet, calm pool decks, dine at relaxing restaurants, and have access to a range of activities for grown-ups.

And that's exactly what I got.

The ship's activities geared toward adults were surprising and fun.

The ship was packed with indoor and outdoor activities for adults. An indoor game room was full of long tables, board games, and puzzles. An arcade had virtual racing and retro machines, igniting a sense of nostalgia.

Outdoors, there was a deck with two large pools as well as several plunge pools.

All of these offerings were delightful yet unsurprising to me.

But on a cruise ship with no kids, I never expected to find a playground for adults .

On one of the ship's top decks, I found grown-up-sized swings and seesaws, a foosball table, a basketball court, and a giant chess set. I had so much fun playing like a kid with no child in sight.

Next to the playground was a slew of 1920s-inspired athletic equipment, from a boxing ring and punching bags to benches and bars for strength training.

While I steered clear of the ship's indoor gym because I don't like working out on vacation , I enjoyed kicking and punching boxing bags. It was so unique to exercise I do at home that I forgot I was working out at all.

Each port stop was unique and memorable.

Sailing through the Mediterranean, there's a wide range of port stops. We stopped at four — and each had standout features that set it apart from the rest.

Perhaps the most unique stop was Marina di Carrara, Italy. I took an excursion through a marble mountain range to see quarries where artists like Michelangelo traveled for the finest materials.

But the port that surprised me most was the last — Ibiza.

I expected nothing but a nightclub scene from the " party capital of the world ," so I was amazed by the city's vibrant buildings and ocean views while wandering up and down hilly streets. I was mesmerized by Ibiza's old town, where I saw cobblestone streets, Renaissance cathedrals, and 16th-century walls lined with canons.

Standing over the Bastion of Santa Lucia in Ibiza during the final sunset of my trip, I felt like I was in a storybook. As I soaked up the island view, I thought about how special the entire voyage felt — from the destinations to the ship itself.

Looking back, it was totally worth the price tag, and I can't wait to sail with Virgin Voyages again.

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Adult-Only Experience on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady

Posted on Published: 10/23/2023

When Virgin Voyages announced their brand-new, industry-changing adult-only cruise line, I was intrigued. Although I do love cruising with my kids, I often cruise with friends. The prospect of an adult-only cruise line sounded exciting, and I’m always interested in whatever Richard Branson creates. If you are interested in sailing, this Virgin Voyages review should help you make your decision.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, we’ve reviewed all of the differences below between Virgin Voyages and other cruise lines. These differences include the adults-only aspect, dining (no main dining room and all specialty dining is included), and the included tips.

Recently, I embarked on my first Virgin Voyages cruise on the Scarlet Lady – their first ship. This cruise ship currently leaves from PortMiami’s Terminal V , on various itineraries including Bahamian and Caribbean cruises. We booked the four-day Fire and Sunset Soiree, which stopped at Nassau, and the private Beach Club at Bimini .

Since my first sailing on Virgin Voyages, I’ve sailed two other times on the Scarlet Lady. One of these was the five-day Dominican Daze itinerary, with stops in Puerto Plata and Bimini.

This post contains affiliate links and a purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, or if you are just reading the title of the blog, you probably know this isn’t our usual content. Instead, it’s the start of a new category here called Gen X Travel. This new category will focus on travels beyond family travel when you are ready to progress into mid-life travel.

Virgin Cruise Review: Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady

Check out prices and itineraries on Virgin Voyages here .

Virgin Voyages Differences

Virgin Voyages’ new cruise line has really changed the cruising paradigm. Some of the differences are very obvious from the start. The traditional key card has been replaced by The Band, a bracelet-style wearable that can be used to get into your room and charge purchases.

The main dining room and set dining times are gone. Instead, there are included specialty restaurants on board. Guests are able to reserve these in advance and can make one dinner reservation per venue.

The traditional cruising buffet is also gone. Instead, you’ll find the Galley, a food hall-style venue with lots of options. Servers bring your order directly to you. Options at the Galley include ramen, sushi, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and tacos. Soda, filtered/sparkling water, tea, regular coffee, and standard juices are also included.

Instead of a cruise director, Virgin has the Happenings cast. Each one has its own role, with unique titles such as “The Hype”, “The Glow”, “The Hostess”, and “The Bounce”. The amazing crew was all fantastic, and unlike other cruises, tips are all included in your cruise fare.

It took a day or two, but I realized that Virgin Voyages also doesn’t have any ship photographers. As someone who never purchases photos and never wants to take them, I really appreciated this.

Wifi is also included. There are higher speeds available for purchase. I definitely noticed that the included free WiFi was pretty slow, but it served its purpose of keeping me in contact with home. If I had work to do that required WiFi, I would have purchased the upgrade.

When booking your stateroom, you won’t have the option to choose your specific room. Instead, you’ll be assigned one. You can, however, upgrade to a central location when booking your cruise for a slightly higher fee.

Virgin Voyages also doesn’t use single-use plastics. There are no water bottles for sale on the ship, and you’ll have a carafe of water in your room each day. Refill stations are also available around the ship.

Before the Cruise

We registered for a May cruise in March, so we paid in full right away. Restaurant reservations were available in the Virgin Voyages app several weeks later. I tried to time our dining times with the show schedule and ended up being pretty successful. Our sailing was at less than half capacity, so there were plenty of openings.

Check-in can be done in advance on the app, and you’ll be able to provide a payment method, a selfie, health information, and your passport, making your first day a bit easier.

Embarkation Day

Virgin Voyages allow guests to stay onboard longer than other cruise lines on the last day. Therefore, check-in times tend to be a little later on embarkation day. We received the 1:30pm time, which was the earliest offered. Guests that are part of their loyalty program and who purchase the “Splash of Romance” package are able to get onboard in the first group.

It was an easy process to check in, get our wearable, and get on the ship. Our cabins were all available when we arrived, and our luggage was delivered within two hours.

Staterooms on the Scarlet Lady

We booked a sea terrace cabin, which includes a king bed that can be split, as well as a balcony (called sea terrace). The room was very comfortable, although a bit smaller than other cruise rooms I’ve been in recently.

The balconies include bright red hammocks, which is a fantastic addition. I loved reading on the hammock while we were at sea. While most of the Virgin Voyage balcony staterooms have this hammock, a few don’t.

Rooms include mood lighting, which can be controlled by a tablet over the desk. Lights, blinds, and the tv can be individually controlled, or there are also presets that help set a mood.

Hairdryers, mini refrigerators, a carafe of water, a chair, a small table, and bath toiletries (refillable pumps including body wash, conditioner, and shampoo) are all offered in the room. Stateroom service is done once per day, but special requests can be made through the app or the tablet.

Unlike other cruise staterooms I’ve been in, there is no couch. The bed does split into an L position if you are traveling with a friend and want your own bed.

Before our sailing, we received an offer to bid for an upgrade to a suite. We decided, however, to save money and stick with the room we had booked.

Virgin Voyages Restaurants

There are six main restaurants on board, in addition to the Galley, the Dock, the Social Club, the ice cream shop, several coffee shops, and other dining options. Room service is also offered. There was also a display at the entrance of the Galley offering packaged food to go including charcuterie plates, crudite, and salads.

We dined at five of the restaurants – four for dinner and a fifth for three breakfasts. Reservations for these sit-down breakfast meals need to be made in advance, on the app.

Razzle Dazzle: This stylish vegetarian restaurant does have a “naughty” section of the menu including meat dishes including a chicken sandwich and unbelievably delicious bacon. They also have a gorgeous Red Bar. I absolutely love Razzle Dazzle for brunch, but dinner is delicious as well.

Extra Virgin: This Italian restaurant offers a selection of antipasto, appetizers, main entrees, and pastas. We ate there on our first night and really enjoyed it. The highlight of the meal is the affogato cart, which includes a selection of gelatos along with toppings.

Gunbae: We didn’t have a chance to dine in this Korean BBQ restaurant, but we had heard great things about it.

The Wake: The Wake is an upscale steak and seafood restaurant. The decor is closest to the main dining room decors on other cruise lines, and it’s the most upscale of the restaurants. However, like every venue on Virgin Voyages, there is no dress code.

Pink Agave: We loved the food at this upscale Mexican restaurant. We ate there on our last night, and it was my favorite meal of the sailing. In my opinion, this is one “don’t miss” restaurant on Virgin Voyages. In many people’s opinions (including mine!) Pink Agave has the best steak dish onboard.

The Test Kitchen: The Test Kitchen is an experimental restaurant offering a set, six-course menu. It’s definitely an experience, and it’s fun to try food prepared in these different unique ways. If you are on a longer sailing, there’s a second menu so you can try the restaurant twice.

Shops on the Scarlet Lady

With a nod to her British heritage, most of the shops on the Scarlet Lady are located on High Street. Shops include two Virgin Voyages watch shops, a resort-wear shop, a duty-free shop, a cosmetics shop, an essentials shop, a jewelry shop, and a watch shop. In addition, there’s a small display selling vinyl records.

Like other cruise lines, the shops are only open when the ship is not at port. In our experience, they were never too crowded. However, I would have liked to see more branded merchandise. The shops, in my opinion, are definitely an area to improve.

Tattoos on the Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages launched with the first tattoo studio at sea – Squid Ink. Squid Ink offers some of the best tattoo artists around the work, on the ship for a limited engagement. You can’t book your tattoo or piercing appointment until you are onboard, but you can look at their Instagram stories to see which artists will be on the ship during your sailing.

Once you are on the ship’s WiFi, you’ll be able to view the schedule for the ship events. Included will be the open booking hours for tattoos. Squid Ink offers some flash tattoo options, and can also accommodate custom requests.

You’ll need to book your time in person. Squid Ink has become very popular, so you’ll want to line up right at opening (or even before).

I got a small wave flash tattoo, and it was a great experience onboard. I’d definitely recommend it if you are considering a tattoo. I did find that the prices were higher than those at shops at home, but the experience is worth it.

If you look at the Squid Ink Instagram page, you can see the various visiting artists for the different ships. Look through the artists’ Instagram pages to see their different styles and examples of their work.

Shows on Virgin Voyages

As you’d expect, the shows on Virgin Voyages are different from those you may be used to on other cruise lines. While the selection may vary depending on voyage and ship, expect to find several different shows playing. Most have several different showings, so you can work them into your dining schedule.

During our sailing, there were several options including a 2-part drag show hosted by “The Diva”, a beautiful dance/singing show called “Ships in the Night”, and a Romeo and Juliet-inspired acrobatics show called “Duel Reality”. Bingo on the ship is also hosted by the Diva, along with another member of the Happenings team. There are other show options, including some limited options specific to individual sailings.

Reservations are required for these shows, and they can be made in the app. For Bingo, you can purchase your cards before the actual games start.

There are several show venues on board, and they are beautiful and unique. The Manor is a two-story venue with a bar, stage, and seats around small tables. There’s a gorgeous mirrored hallway leading to it.

There’s also the Red Room, a multi-use room with stadium-style seating. Both venues are intimate and fairly small.

Parties on Virgin Voyages

There are fun ship-wide parties held every night of your sailing. The most popular of these is Scarlet Night, which was held on day two of our sailing. Be sure to pack your best bright red apparel.

Other parties include a PJ party (held on the first night of our sailing) and a pool float party (held at the Beach Club at Bimini). The parties are all optional but are definitely fun to attend.

Additional Experiences

There are some additional experiences that can be booked on board, in addition to the Shore Things (shore excursions). We signed up for three of them – both at an extra charge.

Shot for Shot – a mixology seminar hosted in The Test Kitchen. In addition to learning how to mix four drinks, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn how to photograph these best for social media postings.

Afternoon Tea – hosted in the Sip Lounge, afternoon tea is an elegant affair with your choice of teas, as well as a selection of scones, pastries, and mini sandwiches. Your tea is offered with or without bubbles (champagne).

Plate, Snap, Eat: Foodie Photo Workshop – In this class, you’ll learn to plate food and take some great pictures, then you’ll enjoy eating your creations.

There’s also a paint night-style event where you’ll learn how to create artwork with the Artist. We didn’t do that event, however. Over my three sailings, I’ve noticed that some of the offerings have changed, and new ones are added regularly.

One very popular activity is the Grog Walk. This is a paid activity that you’ll have to purchase in advance. It books up quickly so you’ll want to reserve it as soon as you get on board.

During the Grog Walk, you’ll travel with a group to different bars and lounges on board. You’ll sample a drink and participate in different fun icebreaker activities.

There’s no beverage package offered on Virgin Voyages. However, you are able to pre-purchase a bar tab. Currently, you’ll get extra money added to the top of your bar tab when you purchase it in advance.

Other Amenities on the Scarlet Lady

In addition to the parties, events, and shows, there are other things to do on Virgin Voyages. There’s a fitness center, as well as a full array of group fitness classes that are included. You do need to sign up for some of these in advance. They are very popular and are a great way to stay fit while on vacation.

The top deck of the ship has a jogging trail loop, and there is also fitness and recreation equipment, like a basketball court, punching bag, boxing ring, swings, and more, on the outdoor decks.

The ship has two pools in the pool area, including one with seating all around the edges. There are also hot tubs on the pool deck.

I loved the arcade, which includes old-school games like Tapper and Donkey Kong. There are also board games that can be played in the Social Club. The Gamer is around at times to show you various games.

Like karaoke? There are several private karaoke rooms that can be booked for small groups. These are completely private.

The Beach Club at Bimini

Although Virgin Voyages does not have a private island, guests do have access to a private beach club when sailing to Bimini. The Beach Club at Bimini is located in the Resorts World area in Bimini, in the Bahamas. During our sailing, our ship was docked at Bimini starting at 8 am and ending with a ship return time of 7:30 pm. This will vary based on your sailing.

As you exit the ship, you’ll see containers of towels that you can bring with you to the beach. Bring along the essentials you’ll need, like your phone charger , sunscreen, reading materials, etc. Shore things excursions are available, including cabana rentals at the Beach Club. However, there are plenty of beach and pool chairs and umbrellas available.

The sand and seawater at the Beach Club at Bimini are absolutely amazing. The water is a beautiful light blue and the sand is incredibly soft. The resort includes bars, restrooms, two pools, lots of waterfront space, and more.

Unfortunately, during our first day at Bimini, a thunderstorm interrupted our plans. While we did have the chance to spend some time at the beach and the pool, we didn’t get the opportunity to eat there.

Luckily, on our second and third sailings, we had gorgeous weather at Bimini. We were able to enjoy lunch, which is really fantastic.

For adults looking for something a little different, Virgin Voyages is a fantastic option. After three different sailings, I keep wanting to book another one. The food, fun activities, and fantastic service really make it a great vacation option.

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Saturday 8th of October 2022

Hi! My husband and I are interested in this cruise line but we are not interested in a "Las Vegas vibe" cruise (seeing as how we live in Las Vegas, we can get that anytime) We want to go on a cruise and be able to relax. For example, read a book on the lido deck or enjoy an intimate dinner. Do you feel like we could have a "chill" experience and not a "spring break" type experience on Virgin cruises? Thank you

Thursday 13th of October 2022

@stacey, You can absolutely make it a chill experience. My husband and I just got off the ship last Sunday and really enjoyed ourselves. We are not big party people. We were easily able to find plenty of quiet spots to sit up on deck and enjoy our books. At dinner we always had a table for two. We did not have a chance to eat at Gunbae, but our understanding is that it is a shared table experience (which would have also been fine with us, we are not antisocial. Lol). We enjoyed the trivia games, the arcade, and the couple of small venue shows we saw. The cruise really is whatever you want it to be. We had a lovely time together. We visited Key West, just walked around awhile and then did the Jet Ski tour around the island. Finished the port visit by sharing a slice of Key Lime pie. In Bimini my husband did the Scuba excursion and then met up with me on the beach. We loved it so much we booked 2 future cruises while on board because we knew we wanted to come back and they offered a pretty good incentive.

Jodi Grundig

We found that it was really what you make of it - you could definitely spend more relaxing time if you'd like.

Monday 3rd of October 2022

I'm so glad I saw this review on MSN, I first started seeing ads and info online about the new Virgin adults only cruises and have been curious ever since. I loved your info, it's very well detailed and gave me a great overview of your cruise with them. I have a few questions ... I may do a solo cruise if I can't get any of my friends to go with me, do you think this would be a good cruise for a solo cruiser? Also are all of the restaurants included in the price of the cruise? I very much appreciate your reply.

Hi Arlene, the restaurants are all included. There are some premium items on the menus that aren't but we were very happy with the standard items. It's also a great line for a solo cruiser, and there are even interior rooms perfect for a solo cruiser.

I've been on more than 150 cruise ships; here are my first impressions of Scarlet Lady, the first-ever Virgin Voyages vessel

I expected to hate it. I really did.

But four days into my first sailing on Scarlet Lady , the hot new cruise ship for adults from start-up line Virgin Voyages , I am finding that I am not hating it all. In fact, I'm sort of loving it.

It turns out that this flashy new brand, which initially filled its marketing messages with so many images of the young and the hip that some people thought it was just for millennials , might be the perfect cruise line for someone like me: A somewhat balding, 52-year-old father of three who is starting to look back wistfully at the fun of his younger, more carefree days.

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I'm not sure what that says about Virgin Voyages' prospects. It may not be what they want to hear. If too many people like me start booking Scarlet Lady, the line's chances of drawing twentysomethings and thirtysomethings may be lost forever.

But maybe this is all part of the plan. People my age do have more money to spend than the youngsters.

The allure of Scarlet Lady

Designed as a no-kids zone , Scarlet Lady is filled with stylish, adult-oriented nightspots and bars promising a hopping scene late into the night as well as such hipster venues as a tattoo parlor and a colorful karaoke lounge . There's onboard entertainment that is innovative and sometimes edgy in a way that you don't normally see on cruise ships. There's staff that are there in part to encourage you to let loose a little -- or a lot.

In short, it feels like the sort of cruise ship that young people would want to sail on, even if, in the end, it doesn't draw as many young people as some might have expected (early word is the average booker is in her or his 50s ). And that may be what makes it the perfect ship for somewhat older people like me who miss the wilder and crazier days of their youth.

If we can't be young again, at least we can pretend for a few days, right?

I expected to hate Scarlet Lady in part because of the way it was initially marketed, as a place for the young and the hip and the beautiful. That clearly isn't me.

I also was put off a bit by Virgin Voyages' "we know better" attitude toward cruising. It has been a cruise company that has talked itself up at times in the lead-up to Scarlet Lady's launch by pooh-poohing the things that other cruise companies do . This seemed suspect to me given how incredibly successful these other cruise companies have been.

RELATED: Why you've got it all wrong if you think Scarlet Lady is just for millennials

Could Virgin Voyages and its backers at Richard Branson's Virgin Group really know better?

Now that I have been on board Scarlet Lady for a few days, I am starting to think that maybe, in a few areas at least, they do.

Here, some of my first impressions of the vessel, which is on its maiden voyage out of Miami (I will post more of my initial thoughts on the experience in the coming days):

It's a ship for adults like no other

It's taken me a few days to fully appreciate what a difference it makes that this is an adults-only cruise vessel -- one where nobody under the age of 18 is allowed on board.

The fact that there are no kids on board means Virgin Voyages can offer a far more adult array of entertainment from one end of Scarlet Lady to the other than you'll find on the ships of Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line and other big cruise brands, even during the daytime, and even in public areas such as around the pool. The line even can be a little naughty.

A couple of days ago, during an impromptu wedding event at the base of the swirling staircase in the center of the ship, an emcee loudly quizzed one of the two women getting married about their favorite sexual positions, much to the delight of the crowd of passengers looking on. You probably wouldn't see that on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas .

Naughty sex talk also was the theme of a one-woman cabaret show called Never Sleep Alone that took place last night in the ship's The Manor nightclub (transformed into a cabaret lounge). Raunchy and heavy on audience participation, it involved "resident sexologist" Alex Schiller, who claimed to have slept with more than 4,000 people, offering up tips on how to make sure you're never lacking for a partner in bed at night.

In a playful hint at what we were supposed to do with the information, there were condoms on every table in the room for us to take away. And just to sexy it up a little more, Schiller (who some may know from her sex-focused podcast, also called Never Sleep Alone) stripped down to her bustier and stockings at the end of the show.

The kicker here is that I was watching this performance at 8 p.m., before I even had gone to dinner (there was another showing at 10:30 p.m.). This is a time when pretty much every other big ship at sea is running PG-rated entertainment in its showrooms to cater to a family crowd.

Virgin Voyages isn't the first cruise line to tout adult-focused ships where no kids are allowed . A handful of other lines such as Viking and the U.K.'s Saga Cruises have similar no-kids policies. But those lines offer a more traditional cruise experience aimed at older travelers. They are lines for sixtysomething and seventysomething retirees looking for late-in-life "enrichment" in the form of onboard lectures and educational touring in ports.

As you can see from the image above, Virgin Voyages is offering a whole new type of adult cruise.

The entertainment sets a new bar

Virgin Voyages promised to shake things up when it comes to cruise ship entertainment, and -- in my opinion, at least -- it has delivered. Big time. The entertainment that you'll see on Scarlet Lady is edgy and experimental and really pushes the boundaries of what entertainment at sea can be -- and not just because it includes a sex-themed show with a "resident sexologist."

For starters, the line has done away with the traditional, Broadway-style theater with rows of fixed seats that you'll find on most big cruise vessels as well as the traditional, Broadway-style shows and Las Vegas-style musical reviews that you'll typically find playing in them. In its place is a soaring, box-like entertainment space called the Red Room that can transform into all sorts of configurations to allow for different types of unusual performances.

The Red Room, notably, is home to what is surely the most avant-garde "show" ever on a cruise ship -- an energetic, dance party-meets-performance extravaganza called UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING. Created by the well-known choreographers Sam Pinkleton and Ani Taj, it takes place in the Red Room configured as a flat dance floor, with a rolling stage in the middle and several other platforms on which dancers perform and interact as showgoers stand on the dance floor around them. The music is blasting, and the walls are lined with video screens projecting an ever-changing kaleidoscope of often incongruous images, including a giant cat head that exclaims "don't be an a**hole" to the crowd as assistants push the stage around the room, ushering showgoers out of the way. At times, the dancers encourage the crowd to join in with the dancing, and many do.

The line has described the show as "a hype music video disguised as an absurdist style dance party," and that pretty much sums it up. I absolutely loved it.

Reconfigured to have two rows of stadium seating with a performance area in the middle, the Red Room hosts another wowzer of a show called Duel Reality that is a modern take on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" told through highly choreographed, music-infused acrobatics.

Other entertainment on board is more subtle but no less avante-garde. Throughout this sailing, small groups of performers have appeared as if out of nowhere in lounges and bars to perform short "micro plays" lasting just a few minutes before disappearing. I was sitting in Sip, the ship's Champagne bar, a few nights ago with my TPG colleague Madison Blancaflor (stay tuned for her take on Scarlet Lady in the next few days) when a seemingly crazed man wearing a poncho and carrying an umbrella began asking me if I had "seen her." He then launched into a tale that I think was about some sort of rogue sailing ship of old.

Madison and I were both so stunned by this odd intrusion into our otherwise quiet conversation that neither of us really caught what he was talking about. But in retrospect, it was kind of delightful (at least for me. Madison seems to still be a bit traumatized by the whole experience).

The entertainment on Scarlet Lady also includes a lot of party-like events such as the everyone-wear-red-and-be-prepared-to-dance Scarlet Night Pool Party that happens on the second night of this itinerary. There are performers dancing on the pool deck and part-way through the event, they encourage passengers to jump into the water with them.

There also is nightly dancing in the ship's two-story-high nightclub, The Manor.

In general, it's a ship where there's always a party going on somewhere at night, and there's always music playing in almost every venue, even in places where it probably shouldn't be (often at a sound level several twists of the speaker dial too high -- at least for a 52-year-old like me; by the time you get to my age, you like to actually be able to hear the people with whom you're talking in bars and restaurants).

The dining sets a new bar, too

The days of cruise ships having one big main dining room where everybody on board eats in fixed seatings is long gone. These days, you'll find a wide choice of restaurants on most big cruise vessels, and even smaller vessels offer at least a few choices.

But the idea of a main dining room hasn't completely disappeared from the cruise world. On many ships, even when there are a lot of restaurant choices, there still is one or more "main" restaurants that is notably bigger than all the rest and where you will eat the bulk of your meals.

Often, these big main dining rooms are included in the fare, whereas the smaller "specialty" restaurants, which typically offer a more intimate and upscale experience, come with an extra charge.

Virgin Voyages has done away with this sort of main vs. specialty restaurant arrangement completely on Scarlet Lady. There really is no main dining room on the ship. There is no default place where you will eat on most nights. Like a resort on land, Scarlet Lady is home to an array of eateries, none notably bigger than another, and there is no differentiation between "included eateries" and extra-charge venues.

The cost of going to any of the restaurants on Scarlet Lady is the same: nothing.

My take on this is one word: finally. Longtime cruisers are accustomed to the idea of the main dining rooms vs. specialty restaurants split on cruise ships. But to anyone who isn't a regular cruiser, it can just feel weird -- and outdated. I suspect it's a major hurdle for many non-cruisers (still the majority of Americans) to give cruising a try.

Virgin Voyages hypes the fact that it has more than 20 eateries on Scarlet Lady. But the reality is there are just six restaurants. The line gets to the higher number in part by counting all of the many separate food stations at Scarlet Lady's buffet-like food court . There are about a dozen of these stations, depending on how you count them.

But six restaurants for a ship the size of Scarlet Lady still is impressive (at 110,000 tons, Scarlet Lady isn't nearly as big as the biggest ships from some other lines).

I've tried four of the six eateries so far, and I've enjoyed them all, even if I quibbled a bit about the quality of a 'secret,' off-menu steak that is available at one of them.

I particularly loved Gunbae, a Korean barbecue eatery with circular tables built around specially engineered flameless grills where servers cook Korean-style seafood and meat in front of you. These same servers also lead you in Korean drinking games (the first round of shots of Korean soju is on them).

I also was impressed with the pasta dishes at Extra Virgin, the ship's Italian eatery. I ordered a side of carbonara to accompany my main course, a porcini-rubbed New York Strip steak, just to test it. I was pleasantly surprised to see the dish was made with bucatini, the long, narrow tube-like pasta that is considered proper for carbonara but often isn't used at Italian restaurants.

The pasta, notably, is hand-made on site.

It's inclusive in a wonderful way

The fact that none of the restaurants mentioned above come with a charge is a big deal.

There are $2,000-a-night luxury ships such as Crystal Cruises ' new Crystal Endeavor that include the cost of dining in all of their restaurants in their fares. But you don't see this sort of thing on the bigger ships operated by the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

And it's not just the restaurants that are included in the fare on Scarlet Lady. So are gratuities for the ship's staff, a line item that can cost $15 a day per person or more on many lines, and onboard Wi-Fi (for a basic Wi-Fi connection that is relatively slow; a faster connection on this sailing came with a $40 per person, per cruise upcharge ).

In addition, a wide array of wellness classes, including spin classes and yoga classes, are included in the fare. That's not something you see on many lines.

A common complaint about Virgin Voyages that I have heard from cruising regulars over the past year as it has prepared to debut is that its pricing is too high. And, indeed, it's not an inexpensive line. The starting rate for four-night Scarlet Lady sailings out of Miami over the coming months is $650 per person. That's more than four times as much as the $151 per person starting rate you'll find for some four-night sailings out of Miami on what many cruisers consider the port city's best short-haul ship: Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.

But you'll pay a lot more in "extras" if sailing on Freedom of the Seas, where specialty restaurants, gratuities and Wi-Fi are not included in the fare.

Bottom line

I'm not blown away by everything that I am encountering on Scarlet Lady. While much of the ship is well-designed, with stylish, contemporary spaces, there are a few areas that are so minimalist as to appear almost unfinished. The elevator hallways, in particular, are so plain, unadorned and brightly lit that they give off the air of a hospital ward. There also is a noticeable lack of signage around the ship, to the point that it took me two days to discover one tucked-away bar called The Loose Cannon. Virgin Voyages' app isn't much help when it comes to getting you around, either (nor is it particularly intuitive).

But, for the most part, I am impressed by what I am seeing on Scarlet Lady -- and that's coming from someone who has sailed on more than 150 different ships during 20-plus years of writing about cruising. Virgin Voyages clearly has spent a lot of time rethinking what a cruise can be, and it has come up with some wonderful new ways of doing things.

That doesn't mean that I'm sure Virgin Voyages is going to be a success. It's possible that, despite the line's best efforts, the ship is still not cool enough for the young and the hip crowd that some have thought would be its natural market. Maybe no cruise ship can be. It also may be too pricey for a younger crowd. At the same time, Scarlet Lady may turn out to be just a tad too cool for many people in my generation, even for those of us looking to have some fun.

It's a fine line that Virgin Voyages is trying to walk. Whether it's a hit with the younger generations, older generations, both groups of people, or none at all, remains to be seen.

Gene Sloan is part of a three-person team from TPG and sister brand Lonely Planet reporting live this week from Scarlet Lady's maiden voyage out of Miami. You can find all of his dispatches on his author's page .

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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Is Virgin Voyages the cruise for cruise haters?

--> BY Quentin Long

Last updated . 15 November 2019

A cruise for adults with a tattoo parlour onboard are just two of the differences that Virgin Voyages is betting will attract a different cruiser. Quentin Long sat down with two of the people responsible for bringing this vision to life to find out just how different Virgin Voyages will be.

The human headline, Sir Richard Branson, has just necked Moët from a bottle to a cheering and adoring crowd of Australian travel agents and media. In about 30 minutes he will be dancing on the bar.

This is how Virgin Voyages tells the Australian travel industry it is open for business – and it doesn’t even have a ship yet. Virgin will take delivery of the first of four new ships, the Scarlet Lady, on Valentine’s Day 2020.

Any product that is badged Virgin comes with hype and high expectations thanks to the 70-year-old founder’s zest for the risqué and racy, and Virgin Voyages is staking its future on its ability to differentiate true to the Virgin brand.

Virgin Voyages CCO Nirmal Saverimuttu tells me he thinks he may just have cracked the code to open cruising up to a new market.

The Scarlet Lady

“There is a whole group of people we spoke to when we did our research that said ‘in my everyday life I am at boutique hotels, at cool restaurants and bars, places with high-end design and I would love it if you could marry that with a cruise’.”

The real secret ingredient, according to Saverimuttu, is that it’s adults only. “As we did more and more research we saw significant preference and rate premium from people who wanted an adults-only product.”

How does this translate onboard?

The inspiration behind the onboard experience is – ironically – based on terra firma, Shane Riley, assistant vice president of international sales, tells me as more glasses of Moët are delivered to our table.

Inside the Razzle Dazzle red bar

“We have taken what happens in the best cities in the world and curated that into an experience that will allow people to live their life onboard as they do there.”

Which could explain why Squid Ink, the tattoo parlour onboard, was included in the mix.

As with any brave reimagining of a product, the language of the established industry has been discarded to make a statement: guests are ‘sailors’, entertainment is referred to as ‘events and gigs’ and the service ethos is described as ‘rock star’, as in you will be treated like one.

A sure-fire rock star favourite will be the Shake for Champagne on-demand service. Sailors can get a fresh bottle of Moët delivered to them within minutes if they open the Virgin Voyages Sailor app and shake it.

The Wake is one of the most upmarket places onboard

But that’s not the most ‘Virgin’ of talking points – the ice-cream parlour is called Lick Me Till Ice Cream and the dining table in the RockStar suite comes with a set of stairs for rockers to get on the tabletop more easily for some grooving.

With 20-plus eateries, the volume of places to eat is on par with most cruise ships, although the lack of buffet could be considered different.

Razzle Dazzle is a vegetarian restaurant where one can be ‘naughty’ and add some animal protein and is probably the most off-the-cruise-script outlet. ’50s steak, seafood and martini-styled The Wake is one of the most upmarket places onboard.

Razzle Dazzle is the onboard vegetarian restaurant

The cabins are said to be roomier than a standard ship’s cabin thanks to the innovative German design of the Seabed. Virgin is claiming the first of its kind at sea with a bed and lounge that can be rearranged to make space to entertain people in your cabin.

The renderings show a very sleek sop modern design. It could be compared to the Celebrity Cruise aesthetic.

The RockStar suites are so on brand – a hot tub on the huge balcony, an outdoor shower, the previously mentioned table with stairs and guitars.

Rooms feature a bed and lounge that can be rearranged to entertain

A new show by infamous producer and playwright Randy Wiener (founder of NYC’s out-there ‘theatre of varieties’ The Box) has been commissioned along with circus acts and micro pop-up plays.

At Voyage Vinyl a collection of old classic vinyl can be found and purchased. But it is the on board karaoke at The Groupie that will probably be the scene of many a crimes against music.

The launch itineraries are decidedly old world cruise – the Caribbean, but with a stop at the exclusive, for Virgin Voyages Sailors, The Beach Club at Bimini in the Bahamas.

With the launch of the inaugural sailing of Lady Scarlet still months away, we’ll have to wait to see whether Virgin Voyages can deliver on its promise.

But Saverimuttu is confident. “I think people will love everything we have come up with… because everyone deserves to be treated like a rock star once in their lives, right?”

Virgin Voyages Details

Scarlet Lady sets sail in April 2020

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