About a week ago, I returned from my 5-night voyage aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady. I had the opportunity to sail to Cozumel, Mexico, and Bimini, The Bahamas. This was my second voyage with Virgin, but my first journey was aboard the Valiant Lady. I wanted to see how much of a difference, if any, there were between the two ships. Besides some of the shows, a few decoration differences, and the ports I visited, everything was the same.



EMBARKMENT DAY

On my first Virgin cruise, I went solo while meeting other travel agents and solo travelers onboard. This time around, I decided to bring a friend to show her what the hype was all about.

We began our journey by flying to Miami the day prior. I decided to fly into Ft. Lauderdale this time as she flew into Miami. I’m a huge fan of exploring and trying new things, so I decided to try alternative transportation methods other than Ubering from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami for about $80. I took a look at Brightline, but it was a hit or miss for me to make it on time. I decided to try the Tri-Rail which required me to take a free shuttle from the Ft. Lauderdale airport to the Tri-Rail station. I then had to purchase a train ticket to Miami International Airport that cost me $5 one way – that sure beats $80.



Once I arrived in Miami, I hopped on, “The Mover” – a tram from the train station to the airport. It was a quick ride, but then it was a little bit of a walk to meet my friend at baggage claim. While I did take a look at booking a shuttle for $40, most, if not all, only ran until 1:30 or 2:00 pm. If you’re a budget traveler, the Tri-Rail is an option, but not quite as convenient or timely as a rideshare.

The next morning, my friend and I headed to Terminal V to check in our luggage so we could go explore the city until our embarkment time. While Virgin Voyages already includes your gratuity in the price of your booking, the people checking in your luggage are a third-party company that does appreciate tips – that was something I didn’t know the first time I went on my Virgin cruise. After we checked in our luggage, we went inside the terminal to check in and get our bracelets that were used as a key and a credit card - no more purse carrying! Within ten minutes of checking in our luggage and checking in at the terminal, we were ready to explore the city! The great thing about Virgin Voyages is that they have a free shuttle to take you to and from Bayside. If you’re not familiar with Bayside, it’s a great area to explore local shops, have amazing food, listen to live music, and even ride the Ferris wheel if you want a great view of the ocean and the city.



After breakfast and exploring many shops, my friend and I decided to head back to Terminal V and wait our turn for our 3:45 embarkment. Surprisingly, we were able to board at 2:45 as the boarding process was moving quickly and smoothly. The first thing we did on board was book The Ship Show as that’s one of the first things to fill up. I tried explaining to my friend to not worry if restaurants are booked (other than maybe The Wake & The Test Kitchen), as people always cancel or don’t show up. We headed to our cabin and were greeted by our friendly cabin attendant and our luggage. Kindly, we asked him to separate our beds into two twins so we could each have our own bed which he did within the hour while also getting us fresh blankets.

I had to show my friend the different mood lightings you could do in the cabin, and she got a kick out of the “Get it On” mood with the sexy music playing along with it. Thankfully, we never had to use the “Hangover” mood lighting during our journey, but we did utilize the “Cinema” mood at night while watching a movie (a very large selection by the way at no extra charge). The next thing I had to show her was the infamous red hammock that puts me to sleep within minutes! We had an amazing view of downtown Miami before departing.



A DAY AT SEA

Our first day of traveling to Cozumel, Mexico was a full day at sea through the Gulf of Mexico. While some may ask, “What is there to do?”, there were plenty of activities and shows to see on board. We did have to go to “Lick Me Til I Scream” for some ice cream and eat at Extra Virgin (an Italian restaurant) for our first night. It was amazing, and Daniell our server had his entire section cracking up with his fun sense of humor. I promise you, this is a ship that’s not like other ships. Come as you are and turn your cruise into a party cruise, a relaxing cruise, or a foodie cruise. Did I mention that no kids are allowed?

COZUMEL, MEXICO

My friend and I were excited to disembark and head to our expedition of snorkeling with sea turtles, starfish, and sting rays! I was a little terrified to go into the middle of the ocean, but the crystal blue waters were amazing to see! After getting into the ocean and getting myself to calm down a bit, I stuck my head underwater and saw a school of fish heading my way. We continued to follow the coral reefs when a massive sea turtle appeared. I have never seen one in its natural environment, so it was incredible for me to see! Not more than a few minutes later, a large starfish was on the floor of the sea. We continued to swim, and suddenly, four large sea turtles were swimming beneath me!

Next up was stop number two, and once again, we got out of the boat to explore. This time I was brave enough to jump out. It was incredible to not only see one starfish but to see over a dozen spread out all at once! I didn’t want to leave! Our last stop was Sting Ray Bay where were able to stand with the water going to our waistline and watch sting rays swim around us. It’s a very touristy area where several boats pull up, serve nachos in the ocean, and grab a drink or two. I felt like I was on Spring Break.

After about a 20-30 minute boat ride back to land, my friend and I went to grab a bite to eat at a place called, “Dick’s Dive” where we were served incredible food and margaritas the size of our heads. Overall, Cozumel was an amazing place to visit despite the construction and hot sun, but it’s somewhere where I would love to stay at a resort or venture over to Playa del Carmen via ferry.



BIMIMINI BEACH, THE BAHAMAS

Our final port was at Virgin’s private island in Bimini. My friend and I rented a golf cart and explored the beautiful beaches around the island while passing places where Ernest Hemingway would stop to fish and write. The water was a blue I’d never seen while at the ocean before, and if I weren’t incredibly sunburnt, I could have spent all day there relaxing and admiring the beauty. I’m always fascinated to learn how other cultures live differently than I do. While it’s a small island, it has incredible beauty and incredible food at Virgin’s private beach club. Thankfully, you are allowed to use your wristbands at the beach club if want to order a drink.



OVERALL

My final thoughts on the cruise were that I was satisfied and perhaps a little disappointed with a few things, but overall, I had a wonderful experience. There were some new shows, but most of them were the same as the Valiant Lady which I was just on less than three months ago. Not much of it was a surprise for me, but I did try Bingo with the Diva this time. Incredible prizes compared to other cruise ships! The Michelin star food was of high quality, and I won’t deny that I ate way too much. While many people rave about the Test Kitchen, I was a little disappointed that it was the same menu that I had on the other ship, and it’s more about the experience than the food.

The other thing I was disappointed with this time was the fact that our basic internet that comes with the cruise was not working. Many Sailors couldn’t do basic web browsing which left us no choice but to upgrade according to Sailor Services, but the premium internet worked wonderfully at sea. I hope this is something they will look into. This cruise isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. It’s a ship that’s about being open-minded, coming as you are, and enjoying pieces of luxury wherever you are. While there were some disappointments, that’s unfortunately a part of vacationing, and I would go on Virgin again. Gunbae was another restaurant that I was able to try for the first time, and it was incredible! If you can afford the $55 upcharge, I would HIGHLY recommend trying the Wagyu beef platter. It is cooked to absolute perfection!



 

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