46 | AHOY SAILORS
www.nitravelnews.com
PAINT THE TOWN RED ONBOARD SCARLET LADY
September/October 2024 The great news is you can revisit your favourite
restaurant more than once, when sailing on an itinerary of 6 nights or more! So let’s look at some of my favourite restaurants in depth. ‘The Galley’ offers casual
and flexible dining day and night with a 24-Hour American Style diner. Individual kiosks, shops and food truck style carts bring a vast variety of options including a bakery and pastry shop, a panini shop, a burger grill, a taco shack, a sushi bar with bento boxes, a noodle bar, a soup and salad stand.
Whether it’s a meal or a lite bite you are after,
‘The Galley’ replaces traditional single dining halls and is filled with mouth watering eateries! ‘Pink Agave’ (for Mexican lovers) This is a must try - it goes far beyond the usual taco and has the largest selection of tequila and mezcal at sea! With offerings of small,
medium and large plates, you will not be judged by ordering one of everything! I opted for Enchilada de
Pollo and Bistec Marinero en Escabeche (enchiladas and steak), paired with an authentic Margarita! Dessert just had to be chocolate tacos
– when in Mexico! ‘Extra Virgin’ is a strong contender for my
number one spot of the speciality restaurants on board Virgin Voyages with a menu and taste sensations to die for! Starting
with recommendation a from
numerous crew and sailors, the Braised Mini Meatballs did not disappoint! Followed by Pappardelle Al Ragu for the main course, I have to be honest and say there was no room left for dessert and could just about finish my delicious glass of Pinot Noir. A big
regret not trying some homemade gelato from the Affogato cart! If pasta is not your thing, or you want to venture
further and order both, there are grilled meats and seafood options. ‘Wake’ is a steak and seafood restaurant with a modern twist and the one that stole my heart! Breakfast, Brunch and Dinner – I visited the Wake 3 times during my 1 week voyage. And yes, being a steak lover, I had steak and eggs
A statement that sticks with you from the moment you step on board a Virgin Voyages cruise. NI Travel News’ Christine recently embarked on Virgin Voyages’ beautiful Scarlet Lady to experience a 7-night itinerary; French Daze and Ibiza Nights. Scarlet Lady, the first ship
in Virgin Voyages’ growing portfolio, was originally scheduled to debut for her maiden voyage in 2020 in the Caribbean seas, but, along with many things, was paused due to the global pandemic. I however, was lucky
enough to get a small taste of this stunning ship and brand-new Virgin Voyages concept before the world closed its doors and spent one night onboard in February 2020. I knew from then that one
day I would have to return for the full experience! Embarkation Day Fast forward to August
2024 and here I am standing at Barcelona’s World Trade Cruise Terminal staring up at this jaw dropping ocean liner with excitement to get back on board and explore all that I experienced in my first and very short stay in 2020. My travel journey to Barcelona was simple,
as I was able to fly locally and direct from Belfast International airport on an early morning flight of just 2 hours and 15 minutes, giving me a few hours before embarkation to tour Barcelona City. A taxi from Barcelona
airport took just 15 minutes to the port where I was able to avail of Virgin Voyages’ luggage drop service. You can also choose to conveniently drop your luggage at Terminal 1 in Barcelona El-Prat Airport and your luggage will then be waiting at your cabin when you board – effortless! The cruise port is
situated at the foot of Las Ramblas, and with my chosen embarkation slot of 2:45pm, a short walk allowed me to explore the iconic streets, lively atmosphere and architecture of Las Ramblas.
Now excited for the main event, another short walk back to the port and it was time to embark. The check-in process was seamless, and with wrist
band attached I was walking on board within 20 minutes where I was greeted immediately with ‘Ahoy sailor’ by an energetic crew and a sea of red attire. Eager to get any formalities over, I prioritised confirming dining and show reservations before making my way to my cabin. The Virgin Voyages app is a must for all sailors both
pre and during sailing. Allowing you to plan your voyage in advance, and book your dining reservations from 45 days before you sail. Don’t panic if you don’t get your chosen dining venue available on the app, there is extra availability to book onboard! The app also allows all sailors to connect to free Wi-
Fi for unlimited browsing! Cruise Dining - ‘Get a lil taste of the (very) good life
at sea’ With over 20 eateries on board and menus by Michelin-starred chefs, there are no buffets or main dining halls. The culinary offering onboard Virgin Voyages really sets cruise dining apart from other cruises I have experienced. Each of the 4 Virgin Voyages
ships have 7 speciality dining restaurants onboard! These include, Pink Agave,
Gunbae Korean BBQ, The Test Kitchen, The Dock, Extra Virgin, Razzle Dazzle and Wake These 7 restaurants can be pre
booked on the app, at Sailor Services, and also accept some walk-ins.
by day and filet mignon by night. The flavours of every bite will be hard to replicate anywhere else at sea. The menu of course offers so much more than
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
