The beautiful Scarlet Lady sat in the port of Miami on January 10th, 2024, waiting for her next round of sailors. As the sun rose on that Wednesday Morning, the previous guest disembarked, and it was finally our turn to embark onto this simply breathtaking ship. Our check in time was scheduled for 2:45pm and we were not able to get Splash of Romance for this sailing, so we were set with a standard check in time. This was our first-time sailing Virgin Voyages and didn’t know what to expect.
Embarkation
Arrival at the port was smooth. The porters took our luggage, added a room tag with our cabin number and sent us off to the waiting area. Our luggage was on the ship well before we were, and our luggage was delivered to our room before early afternoon the first day.
The arrival lines were set with timecards. There were lines for each check in line. Splash of Romance and Deep Blue Extras lined up on one side of the entrance and the early times along the other side of the entrance. As a 2:45pm time, our signs were not up on our arrival. However, things quickly changed at check in. They began allowing the splash of romance (SOR) and deep blue extra (DBE) sailors to check in around 1pm. Right after this group checked in, they began sending other groups through the check in process. As a 2:45pm check in, we were through security and ON THE SHIP before 2:45pm. The check in process is smooth and well put together, from getting your band (room key) and processing through security. The whole process was one of the best I have seen.
Once on the ship, we were greeted by the high energy Virgin staff. Let me tell you, not having a cruise director was something new, but Virgin knows how to have a party without a cruise director. Another huge difference with Virgin Voyages is that your rooms are ready at the time of embarkation. We were able to go right to our rooms, change, drop off our bags, check out the space, etc. After settling in, the galley was open for business and the food options were plentiful.
Sailing
The evening was upon us, and we were sailing out of Miami. We have finally made a trip on the stunning Scarlet Lady. Throughout the next week, we will continue to review the room, the dining, the ports, the shore excursions and more. Our week at sea on Scarlet Lady has been one of the best cruises we have been on. Sailing through open waters to Key West and the small bohemian island of Bimini leaves anyone feeling refreshed and renewed. From the mesh net swing on the balcony, to sitting by the pool or the hot tub or even sitting on the aft deck watching us sail by, you won’t want to go back to work. We highly recommend sailing with Virgin Voyages. If you are considering sailing with Virgin, give us a call to schedule your next vacation.