Caribbean Cruises Are Cool Now and I’m Ready to Prove It to You
Well, friends, I never thought I’d say this. But it turns out, I’m a cruise person. I know. I’m just as surprised as you are. But I don’t even feel an ounce of shame in admitting this.
Growing up, I was always *so* jealous when my classmates spent spring break aboard a cruise ship with their families, coming back to school with tan lines and photos of themselves with parrots perched on their outstretched arms. My mom has struggled with motion sickness her entire life (just ask the employees at Universal Orlando who had to carry her off the 4D Harry Potter ride while teenage Hannah hid in the gift shop in embarrassment), so my family never went on cruises. We were a crew that stayed on dry land, and I came to accept that.
But my curiosity about cruises never really went away, despite the stigma that sometimes they can be, well…tacky. I disagree though. I mean, (a) I love boats, (b) I love traveling, and (c) I love the idea of food and entertainment being mere steps away at all times. Knowing all that, wouldn’t a cruise be everything I could ever dream of?! These points all ran through my mind when I was given the opportunity to board a Virgin Voyages five-night cruise to the Caribbean at the end of June. I accepted the offer and brought my BF along with me (yes, he’s aware of how lucky he is).
(Heads-up: The editor received a comped cruise and flights for ~researching~ this trip.)
As a longtime lifestyle editor, Virgin Voyages has been on my radar for awhile now. It truly shook up the cruise industry when it announced the debut of its first ship, Scarlet Lady, in early 2019, which I’ll share more about in a minute. It now has three other vessels, one of which you’ll soon see on this season of The Bachelorette when the cast takes their love options out on open water.
Virgin Voyages stands apart from other ships by being all-inclusive (minus alcoholic beverages) and adults only (18+, bay-bee), not having dress codes, banishing buffets, and removing tipping from the equation (tips are completely built into the price of the cruise itself). They’re also a little more quirky and progressive than other, more classic cruise lines. Case in point: There’s a tattoo parlor on board, and you can book onboard activities via the Virgin Voyages Sailor App. The app also has a “Shake for Champagne” function where you simply open the VV app, shake your phone, and a bottle of champagne will be delivered wherever you are on the ship. That’s the kind of top-notch service you can expect.
While Scarlet Lady has several sailings across the Caribbean (each starts and ends in Miami, but they venture to different stops across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas), the sailing I went on was called the Dominican Daze. There were four-ish days at sea, along with a day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and a day in Bimini, Bahamas (which is actually only 50 miles from South Florida). Lemme walk you through my experience.
Where You’re Staying
As mentioned, I’ve never been on a cruise before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I think the best way to describe the Scarlet Lady is to picture a giant adult playground. It has l-i-t-e-r-a-l-l-y everything you could think of on board (but actually, I tried to think of things they should add and I came up with nothing) and was built specifically for child-free fun. Every space on the ship is super luxe and looks brand-spankin’-new. Every surface and space is also spotless, which is all I could have hoped for in this casual-third-year-of-Covid era (FYI: you have to be fully vaxxed to board the boat).
The Ship Spaces
Scarlet Lady has 17 decks—most of which are packed with things to do and see. In addition to the many bars and restaurants, which I’ll discuss in depth later (because…important), other ship spaces include areas dedicated to wellness, fitness, and just plain fun. Highlights include:
Redemption Spa: Aka the place I got probably the best Swedish massage of my life. There are also separate spaces on the ship to get mani-pedis, blowouts, eyelash extensions, and more self-care-esque treatments.
The Manor: The two-story nightclub on board! I danced my booty off here at midnight on my birthday (yes, I spent my birthday on the cruise, and yes, I’d do it again).
The Casino: Pretty much as the name describes. You’ve got all the regulars: slot machines, poker, roulette, craps, lots of alcohol…you know the deal.
High Street: Basically a floating mall! It took so much willpower to walk past the adorable Marc Jacobs bags every day on my way to dinner, but here I am surviving. There’s also a store that sells everyday essentials in case you happen to forget something on dry land.
The Groupie: Private karaoke rooms. Need I say more?
The Arcade: A room full of arcade games, no quarters necessary.
Voyage Vinyl: Hipsters, this one’s for you. It’s a floating record shop.
Aquatic Club: Every cruise ship needs a pool, and this ship’s got two. One is more relaxed, while the other basically turns into a Vegas-style day party. Pick your poison.
The Athletic Club: I actually can’t explain how nice the gym is. It’s honestly pristine. And by “gym,” I don’t mean one little area dedicated to workout equipment, because there are several. There’s also a boxing ring, basketball court, group fitness area (did I mention all classes are included?), outdoor playground, and more.
The Perch and The Runway: Located on the tippy-top deck, The Perch is a designated yoga spot and The Runway is a running track, both overlooking the ocean below.
Squid Ink: The aforementioned tattoo parlor on board. Sign up quick if you want to get inked because appointments book up fast.
The Net: A massive suspended catamaran net that lets you lie high above the wake below. Kinda terrifying, not gonna lie, but also super cool and ’grammable.
The Cute Lil Cabins
Scarlet Lady has 1,330 regular cabins and 78 suites (which are referred to as Rockstar Quarters, naturally), most of which have a terrace with a hammock overlooking the open sea. While the standard cabins aren’t huge (you are on a boat, after all), they do make quite efficient use of the available square footage. For example, our room (and most rooms) included a queen-size bed that can transform into a couch if you want to host friends, a “glam” area with a big mirror and great lighting, a minibar with a wine and bottle opener, a bathroom with separate pods for the toilet and rain shower, and a tablet that controls the lighting, entertainment, and temperature in the cabin. The crew was also available 24/7 to bring anything you needed to the room—whether it be water, ice, towels, food, or booze.
What You’re Eating and Drinking
I’ve always heard that cruise ship food is pretty meh. Like, the same menu for an entire week kind of meh. But that is so far from the case on a Virgin cruise, it’s not even funny. Scarlet Lady has more than 20 different eateries on board, each with full menus, so you’ll never have to eat the same meal twice (unless you want to…which you might).
As I mentioned, alcoholic beverages come at an extra cost, but you can find them damn near everywhere onboard. Craving an ice-cold piña colada or beer? Staff will serve you your desired drink in mere minutes. A few things will cost you some extra cash: fancy coffee beverages (regular coffee and tea are available for free) and a menu item or two at each restaurant, like the gigantic seafood towers or tomahawk steaks.
Here’s where you’ll be treating yourself:
The More ~Casual~ Eateries
The Galley: Basically a food court at sea, but everything is free. There are eight different shops ready to take your order, including a noodle bar, panini shop, taco joint, sushi spot, American diner, and more. The Galley is also where you can find alllll the free hot and cold drinks, including a touch-screen soda fountain with Coca-Cola products.
The Dock House: A Tulum-esque indoor/outdoor area with plenty of Insta ops and cute seating. Come here to graze the day away on shrimp skewers, mezze, and other Mediterranean goodies.
The Pizza Place: Personal pie on demand, pretty much any time of day. The white pizza with a fried egg and truffle oil on top…chef’s kiss.
Lick Me Till…Ice Cream: Numerous flavors of ice cream and numerous flavors of cones. Need I say more? (Get the malted strawberry.)
The Social Club: If you were looking for me on the ship, my BF would probably tell you to head to the Social Club. Not because I was being social (although I did play some foosball and air hockey in there) but because it has snacks on snacks on snacks. And GOOD ones. Think: soft pretzel with cheese dip, freshly popped popcorn, chicken wings, fancy hot dogs, and a stocked candy bar.
The Sit-Down Restaurants
The Wake: A surf and turf restaurant that I swear rivals some of the best steakhouses in New York. This was hands down my favorite place we ate on the ship, open for both breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, order the French toast. For dinner, go all out and get the seafood platter, filet mignon, and alllll the sides, like creamed spinach, twice-baked potatoes, truffle fries, and the super-poufy buns. Finally, Baked Alaska for dessert.
The Test Kitchen: You shouldn’t expect a big, bountiful meal here, but it definitely is one of the most unique restaurants on the ship. Designed to look like a laboratory, the Test Kitchen is half cooking school and half eatery, with just a list of ingredients provided to you before you dine. Did I eat asparagus ice cream? Yes. Did I love it? Not really. Would I tell others to check it out? Absolutely. Live a little.
Pink Agave: With a focus on the cuisine of Mexico City, this isn’t your standard taco shack. They’re slinging elevated versions of classic Mexican dishes, from tortas to tamales and all of the tequila in between.
Extra Virgin: My BF considers himself to be an Italian food connoisseur, and even he said this was some of the best Italian food he’s ever had in his life. The apps were all to die for—still thinking about the fried artichokes and charcuterie board—and the pastas were clearly super fresh. The bomboloni (Italian donuts holes!) for dessert really tied it all together.
Razzle Dazzle: This is the place to go if you wanna go all out with a meal but your cruising companion wants to eat something healthy (or vice versa). You’ll find a menu full of vegetarian and vegan meals as well as a juice bar. However, in classic Virgin fashion, each of the items can be made “naughty” by adding meat or booze.
Gunbae: The first Korean BBQ restaurant on a cruise ship! The meal starts with a complimentary round of soju for the table (sipped during a waiter-run drinking game) and includes many more rounds of delicious meats served on each table’s flameless grill. Prepare for lots of pork belly.
While all of the sit-down restaurants and some of the casual eateries offer alcoholic bevvies, there are also six dedicated bars on the ship: The Dock, an outdoor oasis with Tulum vibes; The Draught Haus, a cozy pub-style bar with eight beers on tap and growler service; Athletic Club, an outdoor bar outside the gym with games and cabanas for relaxing; Sip, a dedicated champagne lounge that offers an afternoon high tea; The Manor, a nightclub-style spot; On the Rocks, a “cave” bar in a cute lil nook; and Richard’s Rooftop, a secluded outdoor lounge reserved for suite guests. Cheers!
What You’re Doing and Seeing
Honestly, if you get bored on a Virgin Voyages cruise, it’s probably your own damn fault. There’s so much to do, there’s a good chance you’ll never even get to try it all…which, of course, is a great excuse to book another trip ASAP.
Here’s what you can expect:
The Ship Events
There’s also a whole schedule of events planned for every day of the cruise, which you can find on the app or printed out and presented throughout the ship. On the sched, for example, you’ll find all the shows (which I’ll get to soon), any pop-up experiences, game nights where you can meet and play with new friends, musical performances, late-night themed parties, and more.
The biggest event of each sailing is called Scarlet Night, in which everyone dresses up in the color red. The entire night is basically one big performance full of surprises, which concludes with a dance party into the night. (Think: an actually fun middle school dance but with alcohol.) The dance party normally takes place around the main pool, but ours was held in the Red Room theater because it was raining. Still fun!
The Shows
It’s not a cruise without a some late-night entertainment, right? Every Scarlet Lady sailing features six original shows, most of which include some fun audience participation. My favorite two were Duel Reality, a Cirque du Soleil–style production with some mind-blowing acrobatics, and Never Sleep Alone, a hilarious and risqué interactive show run by a “sex therapist” named Lady A (I would very much recommend not seeing this one with your parents).
The Excursions
The Virgin Voyages app will show you the different excursions you can book in all the locales in which the ship docks—and you should absolutely try at least one. While they’re an added cost, they let you actually get out and experience the city you’re docking in for the day, and there are plenty to pick from.
We chose to do a jungle buggy ride during our stop in Puerto Plata, and all we had to do was leave the boat and follow the flags to meet up with our group. From there, a tour company drove us to the jungle, where they set us up in a go-cart-style buggy (news flash: we got hella muddy), then later brought us to a nearby beach to cool off in the clear blue water. Other options in Puerto Plata included a boat ride with an open bar, snorkeling, a downtown walking tour, a cave-diving experience, and more.
There were also excursions available for both Miami (the day before and after the cruise) and Bimini, but we chose not to participate. Mainly because we’ve done all the Miami Things™ before and because we were dead set on spending our one day in Bimini at Virgin’s highly anticipated Beach Club at Bimini.
The Beach Club
Which brings me to: the Beach Club at Bimini, which is essentially a private slice of paradise built exclusively for Virgin Voyages guests. (Yes, “exclusive” sounds obnoxious, but sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere where you know there won’t be a million little kids running around.) After taking a quick little tram ride from the boat, sailors can decide whether they want to lounge by the lagoon-style pool or grab a chair on the beach, which overlooks water so perfectly turquoise, people definitely think I overedited my Instas.
In the morning, the club offers waterfront yoga. After that, the vibes gradually get amped up throughout the afternoon, with a pool party full of floaties led by a killer DJ. An evening beach bonfire with acoustic musical performances brings the day to a close before sailors head back to the ship and seek out aloe for their sunburns (just me?).
And don’t worry—there’s lots of eating and drinking to be done at the Beach Club as well. In addition to various bars (including a swim-up option), there are also a couple of onsite food spots. Good news: The meals are all included in the all-inclusive package and include locally inspired dishes like conch and mango salad, corn on the cob, BBQ ribs, and Bahamian rum cake. Drool, baby, drool!
The Final Verdict
If I were one for dad jokes, this is where I’d say, “So, yeah, we hated it!” But I’m not. And we frickin’ loved it. If you’ve only ever thought of cruises as vacations for the retirees in your life, I hope you rethink that notion. Because cruising is cool now, baby!
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