This is an article I wrote in 2020, but it was never published as the pandemic hit. Now that the 4th ship has been launched recently, I thought I would finally publish it.
Wow, this ship is impressive as we arrive at Dover Harbour; the brand-new Scarlet Lady is moored up, ready for our 3-day excursion to Liverpool. It looks like a massive tower block on the water from behind! With the recognisable Virgin branding, it will be our home for the next 3 days.
Virgin Voyages is Richard Branson’s latest venture, launching with paying customers on board the Scarlet Lady in April 2020. It will be cruising around the Caribbean with its base in Miami. This will most likely be the last time it is seen in the UK. There will be three brand-new ships, one launched each year, being built by Fincantieri in Italy. The next one is expected to be ready in 2021 and will sail around the Mediterranean.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages is taking a risk by opening up a new market segment, and it is an especially challenging time due to the current Coronavirus health crisis. They are targeting Millennials who are 18+ and also older people who are young at heart, with no children allowed, so you wouldn’t be disturbed by screaming kids. It’s the nightclub and the Instagram generation, people who love selfies. Additionally, the cruises will be brief, typically lasting five nights. It will accommodate around 2,700 passengers or sailors, which they like to call them, plus 1,100 crew.
I have dreamed of starting my own cruise line since I was in my 20s and I’m thrilled that moment has arrived
Richard Branson
Upon arrival, we proceeded through check-in and then entered the Roundabout on deck 6, featuring a beautifully designed staircase that led to deck 7. We were given a tour by Virgin Voyages of most of the main parts of the ship, which is massive.
Starting off at the casino and games area with all retro arcade games, there seems to be plenty of different things to do on the ship, from karaoke, DJs, tattoo parlour, yoga, spa, the theatre and plenty of chillout places for the necessary quiet times.
It’s 5am when I started writing this on the first day, as the wind is howling and whistling around the ship, which woke me up. We are heading through the English Channel, and there is a storm roaring outside! Gale-force winds are buffeting the ship with huge waves as we cut through the sea. I am sure this will be the first time the Scarlet Lady has experienced force 7 winds. I am on the 12th floor, and you can feel it rocking. Luckily, I don’t feel sick. But the wind did wake me up! I was hoping to do sunrise at 6.52am, but with all the clouds and the very windy, it was not worth it. The bed is very comfortable and it is calling me back….
Cabins
The cabins were stylish, with comfortable beds, even in the midst of the rolling seas. A nice desk that was easy to work on, with plenty of charging points. I love the muted colour scheme. Outside the window, there was even a hammock to lie in, especially when you arrive in the Caribbean and warmer weather.
Eating
The food aboard the ship was exceptional, offering a diverse range of options to suit various tastes. As we were the first people on board, we got to taste them all.
Bars
Well-designed bars and friendly staff to go with them. There are numerous choices available on the various floors.
Decks
If you enjoy running, you can head out to the running track at the top of the ship, which circles the entire area. Additionally, there is a variety of gym equipment available in several rooms that open up to the pool area. But don’t expect a large pol area as it’s only very small. There is also an amazing sauna and pampering area.
Environmentally friendly
Now, cruise liners have a reputation for being environmentally unfriendly, but Virgin Voyages is looking to change this perception. They use sustainability as a key selling point. They don’t have any plastic on the ship.
Design
Design is very important when introducing a new service, and the ship’s design is top-notch. They wanted sailors to travel in style with curated experiences and design-led spaces. They have accomplished this; whether they have over-curated remains to be seen. For example, the swimming pool, which is way too small for a Caribbean cruise, will be discovered when paying sailors arrive on board. It wasn’t exactly the ideal climate to test out the pool on a stormy British weekend.
The interiors were created by designers such as Tom Dixon and Roman and Williams; they have done a marvellous job. The adult-by-design ship gives its Sailors a lot to fall in love with, including an industry-first focus on Well-Being with a host of ‘Vitamin Sea’ offerings such as B-Complex gym programs to balance, build, burn and bike, as well as The Perch, designed for outdoor yoga.
Some of the designs hark back to the heyday of the cruise ship in the 1920s, featuring Art Deco styles, and even the Dazzle design, which was used on warships, has been incorporated into one of the restaurants. Below are a few photos of the ship’s parts that I love the design of, with many more photos available here and below.
Photographs
Above is a selection of the photographs that I took on the trip from Dover to Liverpool from 23rd to 25th February 2020; more can be found on the Flickr link below.
Disclaimer & Update (February 2021)
Virgin Voyages covered our stay on board from Liverpool, which included everything except alcohol. All views are my own. Thanks to IgersLondon & Virgin Voyages for allowing us to photograph the ship. This blog post was written before the coronavirus became a pandemic and was published in 2025. An end was in sight with the launch of vaccines around the world. All cruises were cancelled, and Virgin Voyages didn’t start their service on the dates mentioned in this blog. They hope to start service in May 2021 for the Caribbean and in November for the new ship.
Thanks for reading, leave a comment below on what you thought about the design and also if you went, what did you think of the service?
If you want to use any of my photographs for editorial purposes, use the Alamy link below.
Links
Virgin Voyages – https://www.virginvoyages.com
Alamy News Photographs – https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/alalchan/virginvoyages.html
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/alalchan
Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/alalchan/albums/72157713237490077
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/alalchan
