Diary of Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady Cruise

Introducing a New Cruise Line & New Ship 

In February 2018, Virgin Voyages debuted its headquarters in Plantation, Florida. In November 2018, Virgin Voyages expanded its commitment to Miami by announcing it would build Terminal V, a new 100,000 square-foot terminal at PortMiami estimated at US $150 million, with a scheduled completion in November 2021, and also sail the cruise line's first two vessels from Miami through 2022. 

As of this writing, Scarlet Lady is sailing 4 and 5-night Caribbean voyages out of Miami and the new terminal, now overdue, is almost completed. In fact, when our ship returned to Miami, they did practice docking starting at midnight. 

Virgin Voyages is an adult-only cruise line with many innovations you won't find on other cruise lines. Most notable are the food venues, which are all included, and entertainment which has a unique spin. 

Scarlet Lady was awarded Cruise Critic's Editor's Choice award for Best New Cruise Ship in 2021. They cited "bringing new concepts to sea" and "transforming not just a cruise line but providing excitement for the industry overall" as reasons for the award. 

Is this ship for you? 

Whether you are a first-time cruiser or an experienced one, we highly recommend booking your dream vacation with a travel professional that has cruised on Virgin Voyages as well as other cruise lines. Virgin Voyages set out to transform cruising, and they have hit the mark. However, it's not for everyone, and it could impact your future cruising experiences if you don't have the proper expectation setting from a professional. 

Follow along with us on our voyage to the Dominican Republic and Bimini while investigating this brand-new entry into the cruise industry.

Bookmark this page and come back to read all about this award-winning new ship.  This will serve as the anchor post to his mini-series.  

Day	Port	Blog Posts (Hoover over link for description)	Photo Albums/Videos
Wed Jan 19	Pre-Cruise	xxx	Pre-cruise Hotels
Thu Jan 20	Pre-Cruise	xxx	Pre-cruise Hotels
Fri Jan 21	Miami	Scarlet Lady Embarkation Day Sea Terrace Cabin Lunchtime in The Galley What's for Dinner Pink Agave	Sea Terrace Cabin A or Z (Getting Around) Casino Entertainment Great Outdoors Places & Spaces Retail Shops Scarlet Lady (Exterior) The Galley Pink Agave Miami Sunset
Sat Jan 22	At Sea	We Dare You to Eat One for Breakfast Lick Me Till Ice Cream There's a Chair Waiting for You on Scarlet Lady Stay in Shape on Scarlet Lady Gunbae Korean BBQ	Well-Being Lick Me Till Ice Cream Great Outdoors Gunbae Test Kitchen Sunset Day 2
Sun Jan 23	Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic	Private Tour Puerto Plata Dinner at the Wake	Puerto Plata Pier Macorix House of Rum Walking Tour Puerto Plata Paseo de Dona Blanca Umbrella Street St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral Driving Around Puerto Plata The Chocolate Store Puerto Plata Beach Fortress of San Felipe Taino Bay Puerto Plata The Wake
Mon Jan 24	At Sea	You Wanna Pizza Me	The Pizza Place Scarlet Night The Dock (Lensball) The Dock (Sunset) Extra Virgin
Tues Jan 25	Bimini, Bahamas	xxx	Bimini by Golf Cart Bimini Beach Photo Op Bimini Shopping Stop Exploring Bimini Beaches Bimini Beach Club Bimini Beach Club Lunch Bimini Beach Club Sunset / Bonfire Bimini - Return to Ship
Wed Jan 26	Miami	xxx	yyy

New Ship Overview (Click Here)

Lensball Photography

Lensball photography is the act of taking a photograph through a glass ball also called a lensball. ... The ball uses refraction to bend the light as it passes through the glass, which is of denser mass than air. The lensball acts as a natural frame to capture the scene directly behind it, albeit upside down.

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Welcome Back to Norway

View our Norway Photo Albums

Now everybody can travel to Norway without having to quarantine 

(Norway, January 26,2022)  Today marks the first day since early 2020, where the Norwegian border is open to all visitors without having to quarantine. Due to COVID-19, the Norwegian government had to shut its borders and demand self-quarantine for all travelers without the EU COVID certificate. This practice ended at midnight, and now travelers from outside the EU are also free to visit Norway without a 10-day quarantine period. 

For Norway, this is great news. A joint Norwegian travel industry hopes this latest change in guidelines will have positive consequences for the entire tourism industry, as international guests are now finally able to visit again. 

Acting director for Visit Norway, Audun Pettersen, is excited about the border re-opening: “Welcome back! We have waited so long for this day to come, and we have really missed our visitors from around the world. Finally, people can start to plan their vacations and travel to Norway again. This means so much to us and the entire industry.” 

Travelers who come to Norway will still need to test and register upon arrival. This test is free of charge. If you don´t possess a valid, digital COVID certificate approved by the EU (documenting that you are fully vaccinated or have been infected with COVID-19 during the last six months), you will take have to take a test no more than 24 hours prior to arriving in Norway. If you arrive by air, the test can be taken during the last 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the first flight of your itinerary. 

Read more about traveling to Norway and the latest COVID-guidelines: https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/coronavirus-and-travelling-to-norway/

We've visited Norway several times.   Our most recent voyage was during winter where we had the opportunity to see Northern Lights multiple times during our coastal cruise.   You can read all about our journey to Norway in our Diary Hurtigruten Classic Voyage Bergen blog post.

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Cruising with Dietary Preferences and Needs

On a cruise, onboard restaurants cater to a variety of dietary preferences and needs, whether you’re lactose intolerant, sensitive to gluten, or looking for vegan options.  Celebrity Cruises is one line that is particularly favorable for vegetarian and vegan cruisers. Vegan cruise food can be found in nearly all onboard restaurants—if you know how to look for it.

Let Wait Staff Know Your Needs

If you have any dietary requirements, including food allergies, be sure to let your travel advisor know so that they can annotate it on your reservation.   For the best experience, you may want to select a traditional dining option so that you have the same wait staff for your meals.  However, you aren't locked into only eating in the main dining room.    The buffet is one of the best places to find vegetarian and vegan choices as well as other dietary choices. 

Check the Menu's Legend

Restaurants around the world, including those on cruise lines, are becoming more sensitive to diners'

needs by offering appropriate menu selections.  Many menus have a legend at the bottom of the page that makes it easier for diners to find what they’re looking for.

click image to enlarge menu

For example, on Celebrity Cruises, vegetarian menu options are noted with a leaf, and lactose-free choices are marked with a small blue cow with a line through it. If a menu item is designated with both a leaf and a blue cow, it’s most likely vegan. However, you should always check with your server to make sure there are no egg-based products in the meal.

Notice the legend in the menu above.  There are two vegetarian dishes, one of which is also vegan. Caprese is a vegetarian starter which could be ordered as a main dish as well.  Dal is a vegetarian dish that is vegan, since it has the blue cow and leaf designation.

If you’re on a cruise with ever-changing menus, the wait staff will be your greatest resource. Before each meal, let your waiter or maître d’ know you’re looking for vegan options on the cruise ship. They are well versed in the day’s offerings, the way food is prepared, and the ingredients used in each dish, so they will be your go-to experts to satisfy your dietary needs. Waiters have direct access to the kitchen, so if you have a specific question, they can get answers right from the source. We always ask them for their recommendations.

Find Your Choices on the Buffet

There are no menus on the buffet line, but there are signs by each food selection.  Many of them have the same symbols found on the bottom of dinner menus to help you determine how the dish is prepared and if it meets your dietary needs.   If you still aren't sure an item works for your diet, ask one of the servers.  If they don't know, they can get you an answer.

 

For example, many vegan cruisers find that the buffet is the easiest way to enjoy a meal without meat or animal by-products.  You could build your own salad at the salad bar, load up on vegetables at the deli, or fill your plate with an assortment of fresh fruits.

This Grilled Tilapia with Creamy White Wine Sauce is both vegetarian and vegan.   

For vegans, start with the vegetarian selections and explore further to see if it is something you can eat.

Whether you have food allergies or specific food preferences, cruise lines are committed to provide a culinary experience to meet your needs.  The staff are trained to  meet your requirements.  We've even seen executive chefs sit down at the table with guests to discuss menu options with them.  Don't be afraid to cruise fearing that you won't be able to satisfy your requirements.

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Hoffman Estates Chamber Welcomes New Dream Vacations Owners

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (January 14, 2022) – Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry President & CEO Tricia A. O'Brien welcomed new chamber members Christine & Gary Pappin Dream Vacations during this month’s Chit N Chat networking event. Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod, Village Trustees, and chamber members were on hand for the Ribbon Cutting ceremony held at Garibaldi’s Italian Eatery in the village. Mayor McLeod cut the ribbon with the business owners and presented them with the key to the village. 

 “Congratulations to business owners Christine and Gary Pappin of Dream Vacations for their ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Bill McLeod, Village Trustees and Chamber Members at Garibaldi’s Italian Eatery. The Dream Vacations travel team will handle every detail for you and ensure a vacation filled with cherished memories! We welcome Dream Vacations into our Chamber of Commerce here in Hoffman Estates!” said Tricia O’Brien. 

Dream Vacations Specialist and Franchise Owners Christine & Gary Pappin recently reinvested in their business, which was originally started in 2005 under the Cruises Inc. brand name, by purchasing a franchise from parent company World Travel Holdings. As part of World Travel Holdings, one of the nation’s top travel retail networks, Dream Vacations offers consumers the lowest possible pricing on cruise and land vacations through its relationships with every major cruise line and many tour operators.

“Gary and I have traveled personally and professionally for more than 40 years. That love has taken us across the globe and, above all, created some memories that we can cherish forever. Memories we hope we can share with you,” said Christine Pappin. “Whether you are planning a relaxing escape, a girlfriend getaway, a man-cation, a romantic honeymoon or a family reunion, your experience will be completely hassle-free and tailored to your wants and needs. We are travel memory makers, and we are here to handle every detail. The result is a custom travel experience designed personally for you.”

Christine has a Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) certification from CLIA, which is a testament to her commitment to continuing education and performance to provide the best knowledge and service to clients. Most recently the Pappins became Travel Safety Verified to assist clients in navigating the complex health and safety requirements. 

For more information or to book a trip with Dream Vacations, please call (630) 837-7295 or visit https://cpappin.dreamvacations.com. 

About Dream Vacations 

Travel agents with the top-ranked home-based travel agency franchise Dream Vacations have the resources to plan and create seamless vacation experiences for their customers while offering the best value. A member of the International Franchise Association, Dream Vacations is part of World Travel Holdings and has received partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines as well as national recognition for its support of military veterans. For more information on Dream Vacations, visit www.DreamVacations.com. 

About Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry 

We are the voice for business and represent the largest business organization in the Hoffman Estates area. The Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry provides leadership in creating a positive economic environment as the lead business advocate for Hoffman Estates. We are an important resource for our members for advocacy, information, and marketing exposure that enhances their business success. Chamber members enjoy connections to all the key economic resources in our community, from international powerhouses to home office entrepreneurs, from award winning governmental agencies to world class schools. We have committed, caring volunteers and large charitable organizations, we have it all! Welcome to Hoffman Estates and learn all the ways we are growing to greatness! For more information visit www.hechamber.com. 

### Media Contact: Christine Pappin, MCC 

cpappin@dreamvacations.com

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