SCARLET LADY

The first ‘ladyship’ from new cruise line Virgin Voyages is stylish and innovative

- Liz Jarvis

From the moment you walk into the atrium of Scarlet Lady to be greeted by a DJ spinning vinyl, you know this isn’t going to be a usual cruise experience. The vibe is laid-back beach-lovers cool, and the crew are all ready to give you the time of your life, with super effusive welcomes at every turn. Reserved Brits may find it a little unsettling to be greeted with so much enthusiasm, particularly after a heavy night, but you soon become used to the fact that this is no ordinary ship.

All the restaurants on Scarlet Lady are high concept and beautifully designed. My dining companions, all carnivores, seemed to enjoy cooking their own meat at Gunbae, the Korean BBQ, which also serves excellent Soju cocktails; I was very impressed with my vegan breakfast at the ‘veggie-forward’ eaterie, Razzle Dazzle, where everything was freshly made, delicious and instagrammable. This is where you will also find the drag brunch, where you can be roasted (with comedy insults) by the ship’s resident drag queen.