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.

Connect With Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

These Are My Favorite Edge Things

Counting Down ...

As the days get closer to embarkation day for our 7 night Western Caribbean sailing on Celebrity Edge,  we reflected on some of our favorite things from our first look at her last November, when we sailed on one of the 2 day Trade & Press Preview cruises.   It just wasn't enough time to really enjoy our favorites of course.  Here we are again getting ready to depart and the anticipation builds. It's time to start plotting what we don't want to miss on our cruise.

Pamper Yourself on Celebrity Edge

At the heart of The Spa on Celebrity Edge is the SEA Thermal Suite and its eight distinct spaces. Complimentary for all AquaClass guests, it’s a playground for the senses and an incredible place to relax before or after your treatments at The Spa. Guests in other cabin categories can purchase a one-day pass or length of cruise pass to the thermal suite, subject to availability.

 We don't have an AquaClass cabin, so the Spa will be one of our first stops once we are onboard, so that we can purchase the couples pass for the entire cruise. We loved spending some relaxation time there each day during the preview sailing.

Celebrity Edge Resort Deck

Another adults-only retreat is located in the Solarium on the Celebrity Edge Resort Deck. Celebrity ships are known for their covered pool area.   Relax in one of the water lounge chairs, soak away your aches and pains in the hot tub, or simply lounge on one of the chairs.

The Solarium features a three-dimensional art wall that represents the beautiful colors and movement of the ocean. It’s the perfect complement to the serene atmosphere.

Magic Carpet

There's no shortage of innovation on Celebrity Edge. The industry-first Magic Carpet^SM is both the best way to take in spectacular views and the most exciting place to be. By changing function and location, it provides an incredible array of visual perspectives and a distinct experience on every deck it visits. We particularly enjoyed having a drink while enjoying a sunset during our past cruise. We are looking forward to some beautiful sunsets once again.

This is only the beginning of what awaits us on Celebrity Edge. Follow our social media channels and bookmark our anchor diary post for lots more live from Celebrity Edge.  We may be sailing to 4 ports of call, but there is a 5th destination awaiting to be explored further  - we can't wait.

Edge Mini-Series (click)

View Celebrity Edge Sailings

Celebrity Edge Infographic

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Hooray for Hollywood

Discover a Garden Paradise on Majestic Princess 

click images to enlarge

Hollywood Conservatory 

Stroll through the new indoor garden located 150 feet above the sparkling ocean onboard Majestic Princess. You're welcomed by the sound of chirping birds, a lush garden environment and plush resort furniture.

Listen to intimate musical performances by live musicians, and play a game of chess using life-sized pieces. A Wishing Wall, the first of its kind at sea, allows guests to share their dreams on a mosaic tile wall.

If you are looking for a sanctuary area onboard Majestic Princess, we recommend the Hollywood Conservatory and Pool Club.
 

Hollywood Pool Club

This covered pool offers a Hollywood chic-style environment day and night, year-round, surrounded by comfortable loungers, modern sculptures and topiaries. By day, relax in the freshwater pool or soak in the steaming hot tubs — the glass dome keeps both the water and the environment comfortable despite outside weather.

We spent a lot of time here on sea days during our cruise.   Since seating is limited, it was necessary to get there early.  One of us would go there and find a place to sit, and the other would go for breakfast.

We found a location in the conservatory that also had electrical outlets nearby.   The electrical outlets were useful so that we could plug in our computer and recharge our other devices.

On sea days we would typically stay there until early afternoon when we would go to the Enclave for our daily spa visit.  After our spa time, we'd return to use the pool and hot tub before returning to our cabin to get ready for dinner.

The video clip to the right was taken after we left  New Zealand heading back to Sydney.   The seas were rough due to a low pressure system in the area, which had caused us to alter our original course.

Some other cruise lines install wave pools at additional expense, but mother nature provided this one free of charge.  The pool had been closed earlier in the day because the waves were higher, if you can believe that.

Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page

Hollywood Pool Club
Hollywood Conservatory



Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Carnival Legend Gets a Facelift

Carnival Legend Serenity Area - Photos Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line

Warm Caribbean Breezes Calm Seas

Tranquility & Relaxation

Now on Carnival Legend

Carnival Legend emerged from a 14-day dry dock this weekend with a new look.   A variety of enhancements were made, including a renovated children’s pool area, and the addition of Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat.

Carnival Legend Serenity

Serenity Adults-Only Retreat

Carnival Legend became the 13^th Carnival ship to feature a Serenity area. Designed as an oasis for tranquility and relaxation, Serenity offers colorful, oversized umbrellas, comfortable chaise lounges and chairs, whirlpools, a full bar and breathtaking sea views.

One of the great benefits of a cruise vacation is there is something for everyone.  For adults, it is good to take some time and get away from the everyday routine and unwind.   There is no better place to do that on a Carnival cruise ship then in this adult-only area.   Whether you want sun or shade, there are comfortable chairs and chaise lounges.   Read a book,  sip your favorite beverage, take a dip in the whirlpool, or simply catch some Zzzzzzzzz's  - the choice is completely yours.   And, there are no kids to disturb you.

Carnival Legend Children's Pool

Pool Gets an Uplift

The ship’s children’s pool area now features colorful new tiles in vibrant sea-animal designs, while the casino has been reconfigured with additional slot machines and poker tables. Other enhancements include new upholstery and chairs in the Lido restaurant, dining room and dance club.

Carnival Legend sails to the Caribbean on year-round seven-day sailings from Tampa.

Carnival Legend - Itineraries & Pricing (click)

Carnival Legend Ship Facts & Itinerary 7- Night Western Caribbean - Tampa, Florida R/T
Total Staterooms - 1,062 Decks - 12 Passenger capacity - 2,124 Total crew - 930 Officer's nationality - Italian	Ship size - Large Tonnage - 88,500 Ship length - 963   Maiden Voyage - 2002 Registry - Panama	Sunday - Tampa Monday - At Sea Tuesday - Grand Cayman Wednesday - Cozumel Thursday - Belize Friday - Roatan Saturday - At Sea Ports & order may vary