Scarlet Lady

With a cool name like that, there was no way this ship could be anything but great

It must be some kind of rule that everything with the name Scarlet has to be awesome. We have the Scarlet Witch, Scarlet Overkill from Minions, and Scarlett Johansson. Okay, I’m cheating a bit with that last one, but what I want to say is that the Scarlet Lady continues the tradition of making everything with the name Scarlet great.

The Scarlet Lady is, of course, one of the most popular ships in the Virgin Voyages fleet, having set sail in 2021. If we’re talking about Virgin Voyages, you probably know the drill by now: this is an adults-only cruise line that loves to party, is renowned for its amazing dining options, and even offers great perks like free basic Wi-Fi. They like to be edgy as well. How edgy? Well, you can get a tattoo-on-board-edgy.

What we like about the Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages©

The name.

Okay, we like more than just that. Can I just say how much I love the look of this ship, especially its interior? When you're onboard the Scarlet Lady, it doesn't feel like you're stepping inside a typical cruise ship. This vessel looks like it was designed and built by someone from Apple or Nvidia. It’s sleek, with a great use of colors and edgy tones that give it a rockstar vibe. They even have a music store on board, complete with a DJ playing live music, where you can grab a pair of headphones and dance to Taylor Swift or David Guetta.

The food is exceptional. While that's a hallmark of Virgin Voyages, the Scarlet Lady, in particular, has some of the best restaurants ever seen on a cruise ship, all included in your cruise fare. We’re talking about Pink Agave, Gunbae, Extra Virgin, and Test Kitchen - each one is worth at least a visit, and all of them receive rave reviews from guests around the world.

Virgin Voyages©

The entertainment options are also pretty good. Duel Reality is considered by many one of the best shows on a cruise ship. It’s a riff on Romeo & Juliet with some of the best acrobatics you will ever see, at least if you are on the high seas. Let’s not forget that Scarlet Night and the PJ Party also take place on the Scarlet Lady (and, indeed, on every Virgin Voyages ship) and are considered some of the best cruise parties out there.

The rooms are quite nice and have a sleek design. A fun feature is that every balcony comes with a hammock - a great idea for those who want to relax with the wind in their face. It’s definitely better than any chair or lounge on your verandah. However, some guests find the beds too close to the floor, which can make it difficult to store luggage underneath. On the bright side, the wardrobe space is above average compared to other cruise lines. One drawback, as we’ll discuss shortly, is the small bathroom.

What we don’t like about the Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages©

There are a few downsides to the Scarlet Lady, and the first one that comes to mind - common to many of Virgin Voyages’ ships - is the small bathrooms. They tend to be very compact, especially on the Scarlet Lady, which is Virgin's first-ever cruise ship. Virgin is addressing this issue on its newer ships, and we expect to see improvements over time.

The pool is also quite small. In fact, there is only one main pool on the entire ship, and it’s not big enough to accommodate all the passengers. Some guests even describe it as “handkerchief-sized,” and I have to agree with them.

However, the biggest complaint from many guests is the lack of a traditional buffet restaurant. You know how the Disney Wish has something like Marceline Market, and Royal Caribbean’s newer ships offer plenty of buffet options? You won’t find that on the Scarlet Lady. This can definitely be a downside when all you want is to fill your plate with pizza and hamburgers and head back to the pool. All of their restaurants are either sit-down or quick service, which means it can take some time to get what you want, especially if you’re in a rush.