Everything I Hated and Loved About Scarlet Lady – Photo Review

We need to talk about Scarlet Lady. She was the first cruise ship for Virgin Voyages, and she was always designed to be different.

In February 2020, I spent a night on the ship and shared the following review:

There were certain things about this ship that I loved, and there were others that I really thought Virgin had made massive mistakes.

My 2020 Review:

Virgin specifically hired people who hadn’t worked in the cruise industry before to design this ship, and it is really obvious.

The ship is beautiful, but in the pursuit of style, some cruising basics have been completely left out.

I was so ready to fall in love with this ship and the Virgin brand. Unfortunately, I came away more convinced than ever that Virgin isn’t the right cruise line for me. I’m sure they’re for somebody, but it just isn’t for me.

Sea Terrace Cabin Review

We’ve got to by talking about the Sea Terrace Cabin.

This cabin has been seriously controversial because it features a converting bed.

I didn’t have any problems with the bed itself, it was fairly comfortable. I personally don’t really see the point of it converting, but I do see how others would enjoy the extra space.

It is just a lot more work for the cabin stewards, though, and I’d probably end up just asking to have it left as a bed.

I had my cabin set up as a double, but the bed can also be twins.

If you do have the bed as twins, though, you have to sleep head to head or feet to feet, and I don’t think I would want to do that…

There are a few things about this cabin that I find very annoying.

Bedside Tables and Storage

There are no bedside tables at all; there’s nowhere to put your phone or your drink.

I put my drink on the arm of the sofa, but it did feel very, very dangerous. Putting it on the floor makes it feel like you are sleeping on a friend’s sofa.

There are some plug sockets by one side of the bed, but if you’re staying on the other side, you won’t be able to charge your phone while lying in bed.

I know that these are small things, but I imagine that they would get annoying very fast.

Cabin Design

I personally like the design and the look of the cabin. Many people have described it as looking like an IKEA showroom, but I do love IKEA, so maybe that’s why I like it.

I love that Virgin have tried to do something different with the cabins. I really think that Virgin Voyages are what the cruise industry needs, just to shake things up a little.

That said, I feel as though some things have been changed just for the sake of being different.

They didn’t really need to be changed, and in some circumstances, it has made things worse.

Lack of Storage 

The cabin, for example, has no storage. There are no drawers or cupboards anywhere in the cabin apart from the closet by the door.

I would like to have a few drawers by the bed and, at a minimum, a drawer for chargers and cables over by the desk.

I pack very lightly, and I still think that I would find the lack of storage a problem.

The closet itself is a good size, there are lots of shelves and there’s space for hanging clothes.

Realistically, you’ll probably have your suitcases in here too, because they won’t fit under the bed, which is what most people do with their suitcases.

If you have a particularly small suitcase, it might fit under the bed, but anything bigger than a size small is not going to fit, and it’s going to have to go in the wardrobe.

Light Switch/Do Not Disturb Button

There is something interesting in the closet, though. It’s the main light switch to the cabin, and the Do Not Disturb button.

I had friends who stayed on this ship who actually never managed to find the button. I did, but it took me about 20 minutes.

I’ve been cruising since I was a child, and I’ve been on many cruises. I’ve never seen such a ridiculous placement of a light switch. It makes no sense to me at all.

You literally have to push your clothes out of the way to find the light switch. I hadn’t even unpacked; I didn’t have anything in the closet, and it still took me 20 minutes to find the light switch.

Virgin has said that the lights will be controlled by an iPad in the room which wasn’t present during my visit. 

Virgin Voyages Demographic

I’m in my 20s and I should be the perfect Virgin Voyages passenger, but honestly, I don’t know who I’d recommend the cruise line to.

The cruises seem to be marketed at younger passengers, but for a four-night cruise in this cabin, you’re realistically looking at at least $1,300.

This does include all your tips, all your dining onboard, and basic drinks, which is really good – but I just don’t know anybody who can afford these prices. I definitely can’t.

Bathroom Design

The bathroom is very well-designed and looks very modern.

That said, it is the smallest bathroom that I’ve ever had on a cruise. I’ve literally stayed in concrete wigwam, which had a bigger bathroom than this cruise ship – which is just crazy.

That said, I love the way that they’ve changed the shape of the toilet.

On all other cruises that I’ve ever been on, the toilet is exactly the same shape, and this one definitely is better.

I do worry about the size of the bathroom, though, specifically for larger cruisers. I struggled a bit to get in and out of the shower and change in this little space.

The shower has the most amazing waterfall showerhead, and it’s really, really nice when you get in there.

I did have to shower with my foot on the door, though, because it kept opening into me, and the water was going everywhere.

Usually, there’s a magnet or a latch or something to keep the shower door closed on cruise ships, but mine didn’t have anything like this.

I’m not sure if this is an example of non-cruisers designing a cruise ship, or maybe it’s just one of those little things that Virgin needs to work out.

Balcony and Hammock

This is their first cruise ship, and they’ve taken on a massive task. The cabin had a pretty big balcony compared to other cruise ships, which is definitely a plus point.

There’s also a hammock on the balcony, which I imagine is amazing in warm weather.

A-Z Cabins

Another thing I liked is that the cabins are split into A and Z. This makes it really easy to know which side your cabin is on, so you’ll have your cabin number, and then it will say A at the end, or it’ll say Z.

I spent ages looking for my room, and this definitely helps.

You do have the same numbers on each side, as far as I’m aware, so this could cause some confusion with people trying to get into their room, but on the wrong side.

Hopefully, that won’t happen, but I can see people making that mistake.

I love how signs like this are labelled, though, with Forward, Mid, and Aft. It makes it so much easier when you’re walking around the ship to know where you actually are.

Larger Cruisers

Speaking of larger cruises, a lot of the chairs on board are really impractical. I know this makes me sound incredibly boring, but things still need to be functional – even if they’re pretty.

There are a number of seats where you’d have to scoot all the way around, and if you’re at the back and you want to get out to go to the toilet, you’re going to have to make four or five other people file out.

A lot of the seats have a very fixed design, and I’m not really even sure what to say about this one.

Dining

I think that restaurants like this do look amazing. All dining is included on Virgin Voyages, which is fantastic.

There are over 20 places to eat on Scarlet Lady, and there are loads of vegan options on their menu, which I love.

There is soda included in the cruise fare, and soda machines are in the buffet, which is brilliant.

Buffet (Or Lack of)

Virgin Voyages don’t call their buffet a buffet, but to me, it looked and acted like a buffet.

It’s a very, very nice buffet, don’t get me wrong, but nevertheless, I don’t really understand Virgin’s need to not call it a buffet.

I sat down at the buffet to eat, and I almost got stuck. I’m not overweight, but I really struggled to get my thigh through the gap to sit at the table.

To get out, I had to swing my legs around and stand up this way. It isn’t a problem for me, but I definitely worry about larger cruisers.

Generally speaking, I like the design of the restaurants, the bars, and the public spaces onboard.

The Red Room (Theatre)

The Red Room is what other cruise lines would call the theatre, and I loved the way that the seating is split over both sides.

We watched an acrobatic show, and because the seating was like this, we felt very close to the action. It was almost like watching some kind of sporting event.

Main Swimming Pool

An area that has received a lot of negative comments online is the main and only swimming pool on board. The below is the only pool, and it is tiny.

You would be lucky to get four people in the actual pool. The outer part does get filled with water, but this is more of a splash pool than a swimming pool.

The raised edge around the pool means that it would be impossible to get into if you’re not very steady on your feet.

I don’t really know what else to say about this, it is just tiny. Smaller cruise ships with other cruise lines, like Princess, have four or five swimming pools. This one is just so small.

Outdoor Spaces

There are loads of amazing outdoor spaces on board, but unfortunately, I was on the ship in the UK, and all we saw was grey skies.

I love the exercise area with a jacuzzi, and I’m sure the dock at the back will be amazing.

It definitely is a shame that I visited when the weather was so poor, but I do think that it’s important that spaces on cruise ships work regardless of the weather, because the weather isn’t always sunny.

Ship Design

Speaking of grey, the cruise ship is very grey. I’m sure it will look much better against the blue skies of Miami, but against the grey backdrop of Dover, the ship doesn’t really stand out at all.

The only parts that do stand out are the red lifeboats that hang off the edge. I think it’s very interesting to see that the lifeboats actually stick out of the edge.

On a lot of modern cruise ships, they try and kind of hide them by fitting them into the side of the ship.

Scarlet Lady’s lifeboats can be seen from most of the cabins, as well as some of the bars and public spaces. It just seems like a bit of an odd choice.

Virgin Voyages Crew

The crew who work for Virgin Voyages are brilliant. They’re so friendly, they’re so happy, they’re just generally nice to be around.

This is partly why it was quite difficult to make my video . If you’ve ever watched any of my videos, you’ll know I’m usually really positive about everything, but I do believe that honesty is the best policy, and Virgin Voyages aren’t for me.

I really did wanna fall in love with Scarlet Lady. I liked the general design of the ship, and there were definitely some things that I loved. That said, I didn’t feel as though the quality was there to justify the prices they wanted to charge.

I don’t think I’m hard to please. I’ve cruised on a range of cruise lines, from luxurious lines like Viking, right the way down to really cheap cruise lines like Costa, and I’ve enjoyed them all.

If Virgin Voyages’ cruises were similarly priced to Norwegian or Royal Caribbean, I definitely would consider taking one. But at the moment, I’m not sure who I would recommend Virgin Voyages to.

I Later Booked A Proper Cruise On Scarlet Lady…

I am pleased to say that the ship was far better once all the tech – like the tablets to control the room lights, etc was fitted. They have done away with the black hand soap too!

They no longer change the cabin backwards and forward between a seating area and a sleeping area. That must have been SO much work for the crew, I am glad they did away with it.

To find out what other improvements Virgin have made, and see what I thought of my first cruise on her, watch the video below:

Before You Go

Can you feel a cruise ship moving when you are onboard? Find out here:

Can You Feel The Cruise Ship Moving When Onboard? 

A cruiser found A BAT in his Virgin Voyages cabin! Find out what happened next here:

This Shocked Cruiser Found a Live BAT in His Cabin