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The announcement mentioned new cabaret and game shows, new parties (80s Party, We Fancy), and more live music (by the hosted in The Red Room and The Manor program Festival Stage Acts/comedy shows rotating every 2 to 4 weeks). The announcement (initially for 3 ships) was made on June 23, 2015, in Miami, during a press conference (media event "making waves") for Virgin Group's new cruise travel brand. For the event, Richard Branson arrived on a helicopter, landing near Miami's Museum Park. He announced that the total building cost for the 3 ships is USD 2,13 billion (US$710M per unit). The announcement for the 4th ship was made on October 31, 2018, with order value ~EUR 700 million.
Overview of Scarlet Lady
The new station serves high-speed trains and connects PortMiami directly with the USA's intercity railway system and Orlando International Airport. Virgin Group's best-known brands are Virgin Holidays, Virgin Voyages, Virgin Megastores, Virgin Hotels, Virgin Care, Virgin Trains USA (Brightline), and Virgin Airlines (Australia, Atlantic, Connect, and Galactic/spaceflights). It didn't offer as much of a party vibe as Gunbae, but it still felt lively and served a solid selection of Mexican dishes. Additionally, you'll find casual spots that serve ice cream, pizza, poke bowls and more. You can also order room service; the food is complimentary, but there's a $5 delivery fee. As far as I'm concerned, cruises are for eating — and Virgin Voyages offers numerous places to dine on Scarlet Lady.
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If you choose to purchase "specialty liquors" in the ports you visit, you may bring these on board but they will also be held for you until the last night of the cruise. Make sure you adhere to customs regulations about how much alcohol you can bring back into the country from abroad. Virgin Voyages takes a reasonable approach to passengers bringing drinks on board. Each guest may bring on board a maximum of 12 sealed 12-ounce or smaller cans or cartons of nonalcoholic beverages (water, sports drinks, soda, non-alcoholic beer, etc.) and two 750mL bottles of wine. You may want to bring some cash to tip the porters who take your suitcases from the pier to the ship and any tour guides who lead your ship-sponsored or private excursion in port.
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Cruise fares include all meals, soda, basic Wi-Fi and crew gratuities, but it's not a luxury product filled with opulent decor, sedate travelers and a stuffy vibe. Onboard entertainment will include sexual innuendos, F-bombs and queer themes. One of the cruise ships' features is the advanced clean energy system provided by the Swedish company Climeon Ocean. The new technology allows reducing CO2 emissions by converting the generated by diesel engines' heat into electricity for shipboard use.
It's your "get dolled up and eat steak" venue, with a glam vibe and large windows overlooking what else but the ship's wake. Toast yourself with a glass of bubbly while you dine like a king on clam chowder, roasted bone marrow, filet mignon and lamp chops. Seafood lovers should splurge on the extra-fee towers of lobster, oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels and crab. No one tells you how the ship works, even though it's nontraditional for the cruise industry. If you don't know to get on board and immediately make reservations for all the restaurants, shows and fitness classes you want, you will find yourself locked out of meals and events you were looking forward to.
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The 4-night "Richard Branson's 70th Birthday Cruise" (originally planned for July 15, 2020) was rescheduled for July 14, 2021. In late-September 2020 were canceled all Scarlet Lady's November itineraries, and in late-October - the remaining (December 2020) departures. The brand's inauguration was rescheduled for 2021 (January 3, then for May 9). The ship's originally planned inauguration was for March 29th, 2020 (3-day "Sneak-A-Peek Cruise"). Virgin's private resort is located on North Bimini Island and at a short bus transfer from the docking pier.
Cruises
Scarlet Lady offers the usual cruise ship mix of windowless inside cabins, ocean-view rooms with large windows that don't open, cabins with private balconies and large suites. Cruise rooms sleep one to four guests, with twin beds that can be combined into queens and upper bunks. Scarlet Lady defies categorization when it comes to pricing, as well. Its cruise fares are more inclusive than your typical mass-market ship, and therefore more expensive than other mainstream lines.
Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages surprise some Delta SkyMiles Members with free vacation - Delta News Hub
Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages surprise some Delta SkyMiles Members with free vacation.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Although we didn’t stay in a RockStar suite, which are at least double in size, feature a bottomless in-room bar, and have marble bathrooms with Peek-a-Boo showers (and sometimes a bathtub), we did get RockStar VIP access. We had decided to make our vacay a week of self-improvement, promising to partake in the ship’s more than 100 free exercise classes. We also swore we would utilize the open-air track on Deck 17 called The Runway, join the calming morning yoga sessions on The Perch, and visit the ship’s gym, B-Complex. If you Google Virgin Voyages, you may find earlier articles indicating that adults-only cruises are meant for raunchiness.
Virgin Voyages Cruises to the Caribbean
In September, Nirmal Saverimuttu succeeded Michael McAlpin as the company's President and CEO. Along with the new appointment was announced a capital raise of USD 550 million (~EUR 512M/~GBP 440M) with funds managed by Ares Management's Private Equity Group. As of 2023, Ares had ~US$49,2 billion of AUM/assets under management. On December 13, 2019, was officially released the "Ship No. 1" perfume (aka "the fragrance of Scarlet Lady"). The sea lavender-based perfume was created by Air Aroma - a company specializing in scent marketing and fragrance systems (diffusers, Aropromo sale scenting devices). The perfume can be also purchased (only online - via ItSmellsLikeShip.com) for USD 50 per bottle.
Virgin Voyages operates a fleet of four fully-owned cruise vessels constructed by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri SpA (at Sestri Ponente shipyard/Genoa). The bed was also rather hard and uncomfortable for my personal tastes, so much so that by the last night of our trip, I was ready to return to my more inviting setup at home. The bathroom was quite small, to the point where it bordered on being a claustrophobic experience. Unless you splurge on a pricy RockStar suite, you'll be placed in a cabin that looks modern but otherwise seems fairly standard, other than the fancy mood lighting.
In-app room service ordering was glitchy, but my cabin attendant hadn't left me a printout of the menu, so I never tried in-room dining. Instead, you can make dinner reservations at one of its six restaurants, or make a more casual meal from the pizza parlor, food hall, snack bar (featuring wings and hot dogs) or the Dock and Dock House lounge with their mezze menu. I loved that every night I ate someplace different – one night filet mignon at the classy, upscale The Wake, the next experimental dishes at Test Kitchen or communal Korean BBQ at Gunbae.
Virgin describes the experience as a mashup of an old-school variety show and a late-night talk show, with dinner, comedy and music. You'll want to make your dinner reservations as soon as you get on board. One thing that surprised me was the ship requests you also make reservations for breakfast, brunch or lunch at sit-down restaurants, such as The Wake and Razzle Dazzle. Walk-ins are welcome at less busy times (such as right when the venue opens for breakfast), but I was lightly scolded for not booking in advance. It had one upright chair in the corner and a vegan leather stool under the table that doubled as desk and vanity. The table is next to a unit housing the mini-fridge and two small shelves, but there is no additional storage.
Sometimes you just need those steam-tray eggs, grabbable bagels and premade pancakes, and you don't want a waiter-served meal. The ultimate in casual dining, The Galley is Scarlet Lady's answer to the cruise ship buffet. It's more of a food hall with multiple themed stations (noodles, tacos, soup and salad, burgers, etc.) where you order by flagging down a waiter. The food was enjoyable, but it took forever to get served mid-afternoon after a tour. Scarlet Lady also has a supper club experience called It's a Ship Show, which takes place in The Manor.
Previous cruisers tell me Extra Virgin is a surprise favorite because Italian restaurants are so ubiquitous, but Virgin's version delivers with fabulous dishes. Everyone raves about the meatballs, the pappardelle pasta and the ricotta bomboloni (like Italian donut holes). The most highly sought after reservation on the ship is Gunbae, Scarlet Lady's Korean BBQ restaurant. Be prepared to make friends – all tables seat six, and your smaller party will be seated with strangers. That's OK because the communal dining and drinking games (you don't get the full experience if you don't play) aren't as much fun without a group. I prefer specialty restaurants with their individual menus, decor and vibe.
Back on Deck 15 by the wellness pool is another open-air workout space – especially good for show-offs since everyone lounging in that area can watch you sweat. Scarlet Lady doesn't overwhelm you with scheduled activities when the vessel is at sea. Instead, the ship becomes your playground for you to enjoy however you like. You will certainly have many opportunities to spend your Bar Tab on board, whether that's wine with dinner, a morning latte or a cocktail at On the Rocks while you listen to live music. Drinking is a key component of Scarlet Lady's nightlife, but as far as I saw, most people embraced the fun but drank responsibly.
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