Virgin Group’s new adults-only cruise line is hitting the high seas in summer 2020, and the travel industry is buzzing with anticipation. Virgin Voyages has promised to rip up the cruise rule book and throw it overboard, and from what we know so far, it looks set to deliver in a big way.
You won’t find garish casinos, kid-filled creches, cruise ship crooners or stuffy dining rooms on board its new ship, Scarlet Lady. Passengers will be offered a pared-down sailing experience – a unique take on decadence the company is calling ‘rebellious luxe.’
What does this mean? It means you can get a tattoo at sea, go to a drag show for brunch, cook-up a Korean barbecue, shop for vinyl, and dance the night away at an exclusive Caribbean beach club, with performances from Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning artist and producer Mark Ronson.
Forget what you think you know about cruise holidays; a trip on Scarlet Lady will not be your average cruise experience, which is why it’s the hottest ticket in cruising for 2020. There aren’t many agencies in the Channel Islands able to offer packages for summer next year, but ASMALLWORLD Travel, has availability for the exclusive Mark Ronson July 2020 sailings.
Here are nine reasons why Virgin Voyages is blowing cruise conventions out of the water:
1. An exclusive beach club on the Bahamian island of Bimini
Itineraries will feature a stop at The Beach Club, an exclusive Virgin Voyages experience on the seven-mile island of Bimini in the Bahamas. Mornings at the club will begin with yoga and meditation, giving way to DJ-led pool and flotilla parties in the afternoon.
2. Not a cruise ship crooner in sight
Mark Ronson, in his role as the ship’s ‘Minister of Music,’ will be making select performances and has also created playlists and curated collections for the ship’s very own vinyl shop. Scarlet Lady also has a resident drag performer, and the ship will host six original shows set to push the boundaries of traditional theatre and entertainment.
3. No gratuities, please
Cruisers will not need to budget for automatic gratuities as the line has revealed it will be gratuity-free, which means no daily service charges and no automatic tip additions on extras like cocktails or spa treatments.
4. Forget about traditional cruise dining
Don’t bother packing that dinner jacket. There is no forced formal wear, no main dining rooms, assigned seating and dining times, buffets or traditional up-charges in specialty restaurants. There are no hidden surcharges for grub on board Scarlet Lady and doors stay open until the early hours, offering guests total freedom.
5: Eclectic and cosmopolitan cuisine
There are 20 plus dining choices on board, bringing all the vibrancy of a city-like culinary scene to the sea. There’s a Korean barbecue restaurant, where guests can cook at the table. A venue called Razzle Dazzle will offer vegetarian and vegan fare and a juice bar, and if you have a hankering for Mexican, head to Pink Agave, which will offer authentic and stylish dishes, plus a large collection of mezcals.
6. Get a dose of Vitamin Sea
The ship’s on board wellbeing programme, Vitamin Sea, offers group fitness classes, as well as a running track, rooms for spin, yoga and cardio, and a boxing ring and gym equipment. The ship’s spa has hydrotherapy pools and quartz beds, and you can always hit the ship’s own tattoo studio or enjoy treatment at the barbershop, if you want to try a new look.
7. Cleaning up cruise travel
Virgin Voyages is committed to having one of the cleanest fleets at sea and has banned single-use plastics on board, including straws, bottled water, other beverage bottles, condiment packets, shopping bags, food packaging, stirrers, and take-away coffee and tea cups.
8. Promoting women in the top jobs
According to Virgin, women account for only 3% of technical professions in the cruise industry. The company is actively trying to change this by promoting women within technical roles on board, including the appointment of Captain Wendy Williams, who will be at the helm of Scarlet Lady.
9. Bringing a fresh aesthetic to the sea
Keen to avoid cruise cliches, Virgin Voyages put together a creative collective to give the ship a fresh new look and feel. The team comprised of some of the most sought-after interior designers, artists and architects, including Roman and Williams, Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio, Concrete Amsterdam, Softroom of London and more.
If this sounds like the cruise for you…
Book quickly. It’s predicted all 2020 Virgin Cruise will sell out by Christmas.
ASMALLWORLDTRAVEL is offering an exclusive package departing from Jersey on 4 July 2020, including BA flights and Miami accommodation before and after the cruise. Scarlet Lady will sail from Miami on 5 July to the Yucatán Peninsula, culminating in a private beach club experience in the Bahamas, with performances from Mark Ronson.
For more information, telephone 01534 710956 or email gary@asw.com.