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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2021 Together Mini-Series

November 12 - 20, 2021 

Dream Vacations’ National Conference is held annually aboard a cruise ship during a weeklong cruise. This years conference was held on Celebrity Apex. We learned about the newest offerings from cruise and land, as well as new business techniques from the Dream Vacations corporate team and other Dream Vacations colleagues. It was great being "Together" at sea on one of the newest ships in the industry.  Bookmark this post to read all about our conference and what it's like cruising again.

BLOG POST LINK (click title)	Hover over link for Description
Get Ready to Sail on Celebrity Apex
Pre-Cruise in Fort Lauderdale

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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? 

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Expedition to Galapagos

Ahoy Mates!  Batten down the hatches and secure your booty in a comfortable seat.  We are about to embark on an adventure on the high seas and land that takes us to distant shores to a Land Beyond Expectations.

This is the captain, gather ‘round to learn about our vessel, Celebrity Flora®, before we depart on our expedition to a land beyond expectations, Galapagos Islands.  She is a beauty, the first of its kind built specially to traverse the Galapagos archipelago.   Alas, only 100 souls can make this journey on this ship along with the naturalists that are familiar with the terrain and its inhabitants.

Each of your suites provide an outward-facing view of our surroundings.  Be vigilant throughout our journey so you do not overlook anything.   When we stop to go ashore, we will board landing craft while our ship remains stationary without even weighing our anchor.  This way the natives will not even hear us coming.

Over one hundred sixty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.  We are about to follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.  Sit back, relax, and watch this briefing. 

Captain, Isn't travel here dangerous now?   

No Mates, we have safety & health protocols in place:

(Click images to enlarge)

Why Visit Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands contain a unique combination of land and oceanic ecosystems, with many distinct habitats found in each. The Galapagos are located at the point where major ocean currents meet and the islands straddle the junctions between several shifting tectonic plates. This area is truly unlike any other place on earth.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the world's largest protected areas, has more than 2,900 reported marine species and over 18% of those live nowhere else on earth. Some of the best-known coastal animals of Galapagos include sea lions, fur seals, flightless cormorants, albatrosses, three species of booby, two frigatebird species, sea turtles, the marine iguana, and penguins.

 

Behind the F1rsts - Norwegian Prima

On May 12, 2021, Norwegian Cruise Line opened for sale the first of six ships within its highly anticipated next class of vessels, Prima Class, the Brand’s first new class of ships in nearly 10 years. With voyages beginning in summer 2022, Norwegian Prima, the first of the six ships, will be 965 feet long, 142,500 gross tons and able to accommodate 3,215 guests at double occupancy. The vessel will be a game-changer for NCL, offering guests exciting itineraries, more wide-open spaces, thoughtful and stunning design, a variety of new experiences as well as Norwegian’s exceptional service.

“Despite not having sailed in more than a year, we never stopped working and innovating, we never once pressed pause,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. “In fact, we doubled down on our brand investment in order to deliver unforgettable guest experiences that go well beyond expectations. Not only will we begin cruising this July, we’re so proud and so incredibly happy to announce the start of an exciting new chapter as we introduce the Prima Class and the first ship in a line of unrivaled vessels with Norwegian Prima.”

“The name ‘Prima,’ which means “first” in Italian, is a natural fit that ties into our legacy of firsts in the industry and a fitting tribute to our new Italian shipbuilding partners at Fincantieri,” added Sommer.

 

WIDE-OPEN SPACES AND ELEVATED EXPERIENCES THAT GO BEYOND EXPECTATION

Norwegian Prima will offer the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories, delivering an unrivaled guest experience. She will offer the largest variety of suite categories available at sea with 13 suite categories as well as the largest three-bedroom suites of any new cruise ship and the Brand’s largest-ever inside, oceanview and balcony staterooms, including the Brand’s largest-ever bathrooms and showers for standard stateroom categories. 

click to enlarge images

Norwegian Prima will also offer the most outdoor deck space of any new cruise ship including more total pool deck space than any other ship in NCL’s fleet as well as multiple infinity pools and vast outdoor walkways allowing guests to take in the sea, the ocean breeze and a variety of elevated experiences.

THE ELEVATED HAVEN ON NORWEGIAN PRIMA 

To provide guests with an unrivaled experience in luxury cruising, The Haven by Norwegian on Norwegian Prima has been elevated to offer the Brand’s most exclusive and centralized suite complex. Spanning eight decks of suites and public areas, the ultra-premium keycard only access ship-within-a-ship concept provides guests with private amenities, dedicated services and the most luxurious accommodations on board. For the first time, the Cruise Line relocated all 107 Haven suites to the aft (the rear of the ship) within close proximity of private elevators exclusively reserved for Haven guests.


OUTDOOR LIVING ON OCEAN BOULEVARD

Furthering the elevated experience that places guests first and understanding the important connection they have with the outdoors and proximity to the sea, NCL reimagined its industry pioneering The Waterfront by doubling the space and adding a greater variety of experiences and dining options than ever before by introducing Ocean Boulevard. 

Located on deck eight, Ocean Boulevard at 44,000 square feet long, wraps around the entire deck, allowing guests to walk around the entire ship and experience amazing ocean views while having the choice to partake in numerous exceptional outdoor activities.

BUCKET-LIST ITINERARIES ON THE INDUSTRY’S NEWEST SHIP 

• Summer 2022: Northern Europe and The UK 
• Fall/Winter 2022: Bermuda and The Caribbean 
•  Fall/Winter 2022-2023: Western Caribbean Voyages Homeporting from Orlando, Fla. (Port Canaveral) 
• Spring 2023: Bermuda 
• Spring and Summer 2023: Northern Europe 

CRUISE WITH CHRIS 

NY TO ICELAND

MAY, 2023

There are some amazing repositioning cruises including an 11-day transatlantic journey from New York City to Reykjavik, Iceland, visiting Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia, before making calls to several immersive Icelandic ports, including Akureyri, which resides on the longest fjord in Iceland and Isafjordur, where guests can take in Icelandic Viking history and unspoiled natural marvels. 

We are booked on this cruise, so call us to join us on this amazing itinerary.

We have just scratched the surface on this amazing new innovative ship from Norwegian Cruise Line.  Explore Norwegian Prima by viewing these videos.  Not only will you get your first glimpse at the innovations, but you'll also here from the designers who made this happen.

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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 night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat