44 | SEAS THE DAY
www.nitravelnews.com
‘SEAS THE DAY’ ONBOARD SCARLET LADY...
BY ERIN ENGLISH
erin@nitravelnews.com
Widely circulated and snapped on social media, Virgin Voyage’s is one of the new kids on the block when it comes to cruising. NI Travel News’ Erin spent a week onboard Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady to evaluate what Virgin Voyage’s first ever ship had to offer. Scarlet Lady embarked on her inaugural sailing in October 2021 and was the first ever ship in the Virgin Voyages Fleet. Since then, Virgin Voyages have introduced two new members of their fleet, Valiant Lady, which embarked on her maiden voyage in March 2022, and Resilient Lady, whose maiden voyage took place back in May 2023. To truly get a feel for
Scarlet Lady and Virgin Voyages, the Itinerary I followed was the 7 nights French Daze and Ibiza Nights itinerary. Boarding on Sunday 4th of August from Barcelona World Trade Cruise Terminal, Scarlet Lady docked at Marseille, Cannes, Palma, and overnight in Ibiza all before returning to Barcelona. On this itinerary, there is also a day at sea on Wednesday, allowing you the perfect opportunity to experience wonderful port destinations and explore Scarlet Lady in full.
Upon embarkation, cruisers are given a wristband. This wristband acts as both the keycard of your cabin and your method of payment onboard, meaning ordering that poolside cocktail has never been easier. From the moment you step onboard, guests are encouraged to ‘Seas The Day,’ which after exploring the many different activities onboard Scarlet Lady, wasn’t hard to do!
Before boarding, cruisers must complete a check-in process available via the Virgin Voyages app. The check-in process is relatively simple, with general security and passport details being requested alongside details of your embarkation time and flight details. 24 hours prior to boarding your cruise, the Virgin Voyages app will prompt you to fill in a health survey to ensure you are in good health to embark on your cruise holiday. Unlike other cruise-lines, Virgin Voyages do not operate a speciality drinks package. Instead, Virgin Voyages operate a bar tab system where cruisers can purchase a selected amount of ‘Sailor Loot’, Virgin’s unique slogan for onboard spending, to dedicate towards purchasing speciality
drinks such as alcoholic beverages, cocktails, and barista made hot-drinks. When a cruiser purchases a bar- tab with Virgin Voyages. Available Bar Tabs to purchase are; $200, $300, $500,
packages
$750, and $950. These can
be purchased
up to 48 hours before your embarkation date. Although Bar Tabs are not required to purchase speciality drinks, but simply to make your cruise as seamless as possible. Without a Bar
Tab, any speciality drinks will be added to your wallet via your wristband and the price will be attributed to your chosen payment method upon disembarkation.
Speciality drinks are reasonably priced on
Virgin Voyages, with average cocktail prices between $11 and $16 dollars, and other alcoholic drinks vary. The cost of a speciality coffee is also good value, costing roughly around $4 depending on any alternative milk options and syrups.
Freshly
pressed juices are also priced at around the $4-$8 dollar margin.
September/October 2024
Cabins Over the course of the week, I resided
in Virgin Voyage’s Central Sea Terrace. This provides cruisers with a spacious cabin with a balcony area. Space within the cabin is well adapted to suit everyone’s needs. There is
allocated
space both underneath the bed and in an open-plan wardrobe to store your luggage, making the steps between
unpacking and
beginning your week-long adventure even easier. Furnishings in the cabin
are simplistic yet sleek, with the iconic Virgin red incorporated into many areas of the interior. Floor space is wide, allowing room to maneuver and storage is optimal. Be warned, a majority of the outlets fit a USA plug, meaning that a UK to US adaptor is best suited for your cruise on board Virgin Voyages. The cabin also had a spacious vanity, alongside plenty of storage space beside the bed. Cabin bathrooms are decently sized with access to a rainfall shower.
Almost everything within the cabin is adaptable, with an option to turn the bed into a sofa-bed or into two single beds available upon request. Most impressive is the fact that everything within the cabin is controlled by a tablet. From lights, to curtains, to requesting ice for the cabin,
almost everything is available within the touch of a button. Cruisers can request for their cabin to be cleaned, laundry to be collected , fresh towels, and a refill on both still and sparkling water from this tablet.
The tablet also controls the TV, in which you can enter
‘cinema mode,’
and enjoy the expansive list of TV and films that are available to stream directly into your cabin. Once in cinema mode, the lights will dim and the curtains will close making it an amazing way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day
of cruising.
Don’t forget the popcorn! Cruise cuisine has taken a leap into the 21st century onboard Virgin Voyages, straying away from the typical regimented room service. Ship Eats offers a way for cruisers to enjoy meals and snacks from around the ship direct to their cabin. You can offer coffees, snacks, cocktails, or even a burger to your room at any time you please. Snacks include popcorn, chocolate pretzels and gummy bears. Bear in mind, that this does come with a charge of $10 dollars for a delivery fee, but if you order a speciality drink, this cost no longer applies! Being able to lounge back and enjoy the heat on your skin, while The Balcony is spacious, with a table and two chairs
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
