Best Things to Do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady

Scarlet Lady is the maiden vessel for the new cruise line, Virgin Voyages. This 17-deck, 110K gross ton ship can carry up to 2,700 passengers. Adult by design, Virgin Voyages features many unique venues, dining experiences, and entertainment concepts. If you are considering a cruise on this ship, we share our list of the best things to do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.

Best Things to Do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady

Indulge in All the Complimentary Dining

Virgin Voyages has re-imagined cruise ship dining. On Scarlet Lady, there is no main dining room; instead, there are several “specialty” restaurants and causal dining spots. In fact, the ship offers 20+ dining options that are all included in the cruise fare.

In our opinion, dining is where this new cruise line shines. From the Wake upscale steakhouse, to the tapas at Pink Agave, and the Italian classics at Extra Virgin, you can’t go wrong with any of these complimentary dining rooms.

In terms of casual spots, the Pizza Place serves up some of the best personal pies at sea, and the Dock features mezze bites and skewers from the grill which are a big hit.

Further, the Galley is not your traditional cruise ship buffet. Instead, it features smaller, freshly prepared dishes from stations more akin to a food hall. We love this concept and the high-quality food selections.

So, if you are cruising on Scarlet Lady, come hungry and be prepared to indulge in all these complimentary offerings.

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Check Out the One of a Kind Entertainment

Virgin Voyages has also bucked the trend when it comes to cruise ship entertainment. The entertainment on Scarlet Lady is certainly unlike anything you have ever seen before at sea. This might be a good thing or a bad thing for you. Nonetheless, you will need to check out this one of a kind entertainment to decide for yourself.

The Red Room is Virgin Voyages transformational theater. This venue adapts for each of the performances to keep sailors close to the action. Currently, Scarlet Lady hosts three main theater shows, Duel Reality, Untitled DanceShowPartyThing, and Ships in the Night. Each of these shows is very different, but Duel Reality is the clear winner for us.

Not to mention, the Manor also hosts a variety of entertainment. From the signature show Never Sleep Alone, to late-night dance parties, to the new drag show, you won’t find these offerings on other cruise lines. We particularly enjoyed the newly added drag show featuring the Diva from the Happenings Cast.

Of course, there is also more traditional live music during the cruise from performers in the Happenings Cast, an acoustic guitarist, and a house band.

Attend the Scarlet Night Party

One event that you can’t miss on Virgin Voyages is the Scarlet Night Party. Literally, you can’t miss it unless you are in your cabin the entire evening!

One night of the cruise, Scarlet Lady transforms for a ship-wide party. From decorations around the ship, to flash mob style performances, to an unforgettable pool party, the Scarlet Night Party is definitely one of the best things to do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.

Perhaps the most outrageous event of the evening is the pool party, complete with a giant inflatable octopus. Members of the dance troupe and Happenings Cast start the party with dancing around the pool, and before long, sailors take to the pool themselves for some wet and wild fun.

Even if you don’t want to jump into the pool in a dress, it’s still fun to people watch and dance on the sidelines.

If this doesn’t sound like your thing, maybe the Pajama Party is more your style. One night of the cruise, sailors also don their favorite pj’s for a party up in the Athletic Club with the Hostess herself.

So, don’t forget to pack your red attire (and pajamas) to join in on all the fun.

Lounge in Your Sea Terrace Hammock

After all the partying on Virgin Voyages, you might need a day to just relax. The balcony hammock is the perfect spot to do so! Who would’ve thought that this was the one thing missing from cruising all along?

Surprisingly, the Sea Terrace cabin balconies are roomier than we expected. In fact, there is enough room for two upright chairs, a small table, and the hammock.

In our opinion, the hammock is a great addition! It is the perfect spot to lounge and admire the scenery. Although, the getting into and out of part does take a little practice.

Now, we wish all cruise lines had hammocks on their balconies.

Related Post: Virgin Voyages Riviera Maya Cruise Review

Rejuvenate at the Redemption Spa

If you don’t mind spending a little money for some rest and relaxation, head to the Redemption Spa. Here, you can book your traditional spa services like massages and facials. You can also purchase passes to the Thermal Suite.

Currently, you can reserve a 3-hour time block for $39 per person to enjoy the thermal suite on Scarlet Lady. You can head to the spa on embarkation day to sign up for one of the designated time slots. Each time slot is limited to a small number of guests, so you will have plenty of room to spread out.

The thermal suite in the Redemption Spa includes a pool, mud room, salt room, steam room, sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, and heated marble benches.

During our visit, we felt the 3 hours was just enough time to take advantage of all the offerings. We left our morning session feeling completely rejuvenated.

Relax at the Dock

Perhaps our best thing to do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady is relaxing at the Dock. This outdoor spot aft on deck 7 is a quiet, beach-inspired lounge. It feels more like you are at an upscale beach resort than on a cruise ship.

With day beds, umbrellas, and other furniture, you can enjoy the fresh air and wake views away from the party scene at the Aquatic Club.

This venue also serves up Mediterranean inspired bites from a mezze cart and skewers from the grill, alongside a bar with some of the best drinks on the ship. Don’t miss the steak, octopus, and shrimp skewers! The grapevine and sangria are also our go-to drinks here.

Act Like a Kid Again

Just because Virgin Voyages sails kid-free, no one said you had to act like an adult. In fact, Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady offers a number of amenities where you can let loose and act like a kid again. After all, you are on vacation.

Outdoors on the portside of deck 16 near the Athletic Club, there are some hammocks, adult swings, and even see-saws that are just waiting for you to try them out. The see-saws are definitely fun for a few laughs and photos.

Additionally, the Social Club is home to complimentary shuffleboard, air hockey, and foosball where you can challenge your friends to a competition. Right next door, there is also an arcade with retro games that will take you back to your childhood. These are complimentary too. If that’s not enough, the Social Club also hosts other activities like the Gamer’s Lab, art classes, and scavenger hunts.

If you are in to karaoke, you and your friends can even reserve private karaoke sessions in the Groupie. These rooms are complimentary, but you do need to sign up for a session on embarkation day.

After you’ve had your day of fun, don’t forget to reward yourself with some ice cream. Lick Me Till Ice Cream serves complimentary scoops of homemade ice cream throughout the day.

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Take Advantage of the Fitness Offerings

Virgin Voyages places an emphasis on fitness and well-being by offering a number of complimentary group fitness classes and several venues to get in a workout.

At the top of the ship, The Runway is the metallic red halo jogging track to take a morning run. There is also The Perch offering morning yoga sessions with a view.

Nearby, there is also the Sports Court. This small basketball court is open for free play throughout the cruise. There are scheduled activities here as well like dance classes, dodgeball, and more. Of course, the Athletic Club is home to a Boxing Ring and other outdoor workout equipment too.

Heading inside, there is the Training Camp. This is a group fitness area offering classes like HIIT (Don’t Quit), bungee classes, and more. Additionally, The Build and Balance Gym is dedicated to strengthening and stretching with a balance studio, weight machines, and free weights. Next door is the Bike and Burn Gym. This fitness space is dedicated to cardio equipment and has a cycle studio.

Drink Around the Ship

If you have seen the advertising, then you are probably considering a cruise on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady for its party vibe. Hence, you will be happy to know that the ship offers a number of unique bars and lounges each with signature menus and handcrafted cocktails.

Outside, you will find three midship bars. The Aquatic Club Bar will be your go-to spot while lounging poolside on a sea day. This bar serves up some great frozen cocktails like the skinny pina and the frosé all day. While the Sun Club Bar is located one deck above.

The Gym & Tonic Bar is situated right near the well-being pool and not far from the B-Complex gyms. This bar offers smoothies, fresh pressed juices, and “reset cocktails”, in addition to a full bar. Not to mention, the aft located Athletic Club also has two bars.

Moving indoors, you will have even more options for carefully crafted cocktails. The Sip menu features a few signature cocktails along with a wide selection of wine and champagne. Sip also hosts an up-charge afternoon tea experience with or without the “bubbles”.

The Draught Haus features a wide variety of beers on tap. In addition, you will find plenty of bottled and canned beers and even shots, like the jellyfish. While the Loose Cannon is a nautically inspired bar featuring a signature drink menu with hits like the El Capitano’s Gun Powder or the Shoctopus (shots for 5 people).

As we’ve previously mentioned the Dock, and its indoor counterpart the Dock House, serve up some of our favorite drinks on the ship. On the Rocks is another popular bar featuring martinis and cocktails with an emphasis on aged spirits served “on the rocks”.

Not to mention, many of the restaurants have their own bars as well. The most notable is the Red Bar in Razzle Dazzle. Located at the back of the restaurant, you will definitely want to sample some of these crazy concoctions. Perhaps, the goldfish or the popcorn old-fashioned.

Take Your Instagram Photos

Scarlet Lady is a glamourous and photo-worthy ship. It seems like there is an Instagram shot around every corner. So, be sure to grab a few of these iconic selfies to make all your friends back home jealous.

As a side note, Virgin Voyages has some of the best WiFi at sea, so you will be able to load these photos to social media in real time.

If we had to pick the top three Instagram photo spots, they would be the entrance to the Manor, the Net at the Athletic Club, and the Virgin logo at the top of the ship. The glitzy Manor entrance is just stunning and makes for a great photo opportunity. However, the Net is rather uncomfortable, so getting the photo might be a bit harder than you think.

Some other iconic spots around the ship include the Save Water Drink Champagne sign, the vintage lounge chairs in the Sun Club, and the Pink Agave entrance. How many of these photos will you take?

Get a Tattoo

Located in the Roundabout on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady is the Squid Ink tattoo parlor. Yes, that’s right, Scarlet Lady has a tattoo parlor at sea and it’s quite popular. While this is not our thing, I guess a nautically themed tattoo would be the perfect souvenir from your cruise on Scarlet Lady.

All tattoos in Squid Ink are created with original vegan ink. The shop also offers body piercings and permanent makeup treatments. This studio allows guests and employees alike to express themselves.

So, if tattoos are your thing, getting some ink is certainly one of the most unique things to do on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.

Explore the Beach Club at Bimini

The Caribbean itineraries on Virgin Voyages provide a few different options. These shorter cruises are the perfect length for sailors to test out this new cruise line.

Luckily, all Caribbean itineraries visit the Beach Club at Bimini with extended time in port. This exclusive 4.5 acre resort in the Bahamas overlooks the ocean and offers expansive lagoon-style pools.

There are plenty of complimentary hammocks, beach loungers, and comfy furniture to relax, as well as private poolside and beach-side cabanas to rent.

Like most cruise line private islands, the Beach Club offers complimentary food options and three bars as well. The energy at the Club also transforms throughout the day from relaxing and rejuvenating, to DJ-led pool parties, to beach bonfires to close out the evening.

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BONUS: Upgrade Your Accommodations

Scarlet Lady just might have some of the most lavish suites at sea. With 78 Rock Star suites in total, there are 8 different suite categories. All suites include fully-stocked bars, peek-a-boo showers, and access to Richard’s Rooftop.

This VIP sun deck and bar is an exclusive area for suite guests only. Here, you will find plenty of loungers, day beds and other comfy furniture, as well as a whirlpool.

The most luxurious suites on the ship are the Mega Rock Star Suites. These suites include complimentary unlimited cocktails, bottle service, and daily access to the thermal suite in addition to all the other suite perks.

If you have the finances to do so, you might want to consider upgrading your accommodations to truly party like a rock star on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady.

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