Welcome to my sixth day on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady. Only three days left in this voyage and tonight is the big night: Scarlet Night. We spent all day at sea relaxing and preparing for an evening of festivities. Stick around as I go over my day including: brunch 2.0 at The Wake, getting laundry done, trying afternoon tea at the SIP Lounge, witnessing a magic show with The Charmer, dinner at The Test Kitchen, enjoying a comedy show, and finally experiencing Scarlet Night. Let’s get started!

Brunch 2.0 at The Wake

You’ll recall on my second day of the cruise I first had brunch at The Wake. I was tucked into a booth away from the windows and munched on pastries and eggs benedicts. This time, I was sat right in front of the beautiful window showcasing the ship’s wake in all its glory. It was mesmerizing to watch!

At The Wake, the same pastries were offered and I opted for the cruller. I also decided to order the avocado eggs benedict since I loved it so much the last time, and a small portion of the french toast. The french toast didn’t blow me away with its flavor or anything, but if you have a french toast craving this’ll scratch that itch for you.

I decided to get dessert again, and instead of the crepe cake I opted for the apple tatin – a classic French dessert of baked buttery caramelized apples. This was delicious! I loved being able to see all the individual layers of thinly sliced apples with gooey sugar in between. This was an indulgence for breakfast, but one that was well worth it. 

How Does Laundry Work on Virgin Voyages?

We’re six days in and I’m running low on clean clothes. Did I mention I travel carry-on only? I decided to try the ship’s laundry service and see if it’s worth the money. 

Hanging in the closet is a bag and a piece of paper I needed fill out to start the request process. I could request laundry service per piece, but that would be more expensive than opting for the bulk bag pricing. The cost is $55 for a wash and fold of anything that can fit into the bag. Let me tell you, it’s a huge bag! 

I notated on the paper all of the pieces of clothing I was putting into the bag before checking off the $55 wash and fold option. I stuffed all my clothes into the bag and left it on my bed before using the tablet to request laundry pick up. One day later (standard delivery time), the bag is back on my bed washed and folded. For those curious like me, there’s no scent to the laundry detergent they use. I think it’s a hypo-allergenic detergent without fragrance. 

Side Note: Your Experience is How You Make It

Even though I’m doing all these activities on the ship, I wanted to emphasize that you don’t have to do all of those things. In between all of the shows and dining, I’m either walking around or reading in my hammock. That totally works for me. 

In fact, the people in the cabin next to me are always there. I don’t think they left their cabin for any excursions or activities. They love to sit on their balcony and enjoy the views and that’s totally cool too. 

If you’re reading this thinking, “oh man, I don’t know if being on a ship with so much activity is for me” then I implore you to consider that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You’ll still reap the benefits of the amazing dining that Virgin Voyages is known for while enjoying their well appointed cabins and iconic red hammocks. 

Afternoon Tea at the SIP Lounge

I debated whether or not I should do this. I love afternoon tea, but do I want to pay $19 for an experience where the food should be included? I’d essentially be paying $19 for a pot of tea. This is for research though, or so I tell myself, and I take a seat in the lounge. 

No reservations are required for the afternoon tea, and guests can actually head down and see what the snacks and pastries will be before they decide if they want to do the experience. You can opt to have afternoon tea without bubbles for $19 or with bubbles (tea and a glass of Moet) for $35 per person. I went with the tea only option and selected from a variety of black, green, and herbal teas, ultimately landing on the the herbal mint tea.

What Was Served?

My 3-tiered afternoon tea snacks were brought immediately along with my cute pot of tea. On the bottom layer were 3 finger sandwiches: a brie and arugula sandwich, a charcoal black puff with goat cheese and cucumber, and toast with smokey chicken pate. I thought these were just okay, not very flavorful. 

The second tier contained the sweet treats that originally caught my eye: a gold glazed chocolate madeleine, a rainbow cake slice, a berry cream puff, a strawberry macaron, and a white chocolate dipped palmier. My favorites were the madeleine and palmier with the rest being just okay. For the premium pricing, I was expecting more remarkable flavors out of the food, but most of them were just meh. 

The top layer held two scones: one flavored with cheddar and scallions, while the other was a typical buttery scone. They were served with a ramekin of whipped butter and strawberry jam. I actually really enjoyed the scones, and it’s probably my favorite of the whole service. The scones were crumbly, buttery, fluffy, and the perfect texture. I wish they provided actual clotted cream instead of a whipped butter but it was still fine. The amount of strawberry jam they gave me could’ve smeared 10 scones even though I just had one. 

Was Afternoon Tea at the SIP Lounge Worth It?

Honestly, not really. Not to me at least. There were a lot of people around me enjoying the same service chatting and basking in the ambiance of the lounge. Maybe this is more of a social activity than a food activity. I’m glad that the wait staff go around asking if you want more pastries so you can get your moneys worth there, but I just don’t think the quality of the food justifies the price for one person. The pot of tea certainly doesn’t. 

Finally Seeing The Charmer

Throughout the voyage there have been scheduled magic shows offered by the ship’s Charmer. For whatever reason I hadn’t been able to make them until today. Our Charmer, Ashley, was cute as a button and knew how to hold the crowd. She spoke of Texas and pulled endless amounts of card decks from her bag of tricks. Most of the gig was her asking audience members to pick a card while she banters a bit before ultimately announcing the same exact card chosen. You know, magician stuff. I thought it was pretty entertaining!

Checking In at The Test Kitchen

This restaurant was the last on my list to try. I’m not one to jump for experimental foods as that’s my husband’s thing. Given that he isn’t here with me though, I took one for the team. The Test Kitchen is located on Deck 6 past all of the shops opposite to Extra Virgin. You’ll know you’ve reached it when you think you’ve entered a brightly lit sterile-looking laboratory. Seating here is mostly shared, meaning more likely than not you’ll be sitting at a long table shared with strangers. 

Upon checking in and entering The Test Kitchen, I was greeted by a “scientist” who said the culinary experience began with a small sip of hibiscus tea with honey and spices. She stared at me, observing if you will, while I took back the shot of tea. Surprisingly tasty! I was then sat at a table with strangers around me while I perused the menu. The Test Kitchen has a rotating menu, usually offering either Menu A or B. I’m not sure which menu I got that evening, but suffice to say the menus aren’t very descriptive anyway.

Dinner at The Test Kitchen

I opted to go the vegetarian route while choosing the first course and the dessert course from the non-vegetarian side. My first course was titled: Mushroom and I was indeed brought what looked like a mushroom made of cream on a plate. I’m actually a big mushroom fan and really enjoyed this dish. It was served with crostinis so you could smear the mushroom on the bread for that extra textural piece. This dish was full of umami and I would totally get it again.

The second dish was titled: Olive Oil Caviar. This was presented as an “egg yolk” sitting on a bed of peas with caviar made of olive oil scattered about. It was also served with crusty bread to scoop up that vegan egg yolk. While this wasn’t my favorite tasting dish, I appreciated the fun textures. I’d truly never had anything like it. The dish wasn’t bursting with flavor though, and for that reason I’d skip this one. 

The third dish was titled: Asparagus/Hazelnuts. This vegan dish was an asparagus panna cotta made of cashews and a sprinkle of hazelnuts, mushroom, and dill on top. Now this was flavorful! If you love asparagus, you’ll love this dish. This one had the texture of a thick soup that was rich and played well with the crunchy toppings. Yum!

The fourth dish was titled: Vegetable Tart. This was another vegan dish made of an almond flour crust, kale puree at the bottom, and a melange of beautiful vegetables on the top. It looked undoubtedly gorgeous. The flavor, though? It tasted like a bunch of vegetables in a tart shell. There were some bites that were better than others, particularly ones that included a bit of pickled cucumber or roasted spaghetti squash, but overall it was a form over function type of situation. I don’t know if I’d get this one again. 

The final dish was titled: Chocolate. This was a delicious looking chocolate dipped lamington with coconut sponge and a custard creme center. My hands down favorite dish of the evening. This was rich, flavorful, and decadent. I would 100% get this one again. 

Comedy Show with Magician Matt DiSero

After dinner I made my way down to The Manor to catch a comedy and magic show by Matt DiSero. Like with any event in The Manor, if you’re not lining up outside at least 30 minutes prior, you won’t have a place to sit. Luckily for me, I was able to find a place to stand with a good view of the stage and enjoyed the show. I liked the comedian’s raunchy humor and it played perfectly with his bits portraying to be an inept magician. I would definitely recommend catching his show wherever you are!

Scarlet Night: The Prelude

Starting in the afternoon, the ship crew started buzzing around the ship like flies blowing up sea creature inflatables and adding red lights and flair around the ship. In the evening, it becomes noticeable that everything is red. Even the hallway lights turned red and our balcony lights were all red. Prior to the main event starting at 9 PM (by this point, ship time lined up with regular time again) there were two pre-shows guests could catch: The Myth of Scarlet Night with the Charmer and The Octopus Garden: The Story of Scarlet Night with the Hostess. Each is a 15 minute show giving the back story of Scarlet Night. 

I went to The Octopus Garden in the Red Room and enjoyed The Hostess dressed as a sea goddess serenading the crowd with love songs while telling the story of a sailor she loved who died in the sea. She casted his soul up to the moon so when night falls his soul lights the way for safe passage. Something like that. It was whimsical and she sung a jazzy rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, so I was hooked. 

All around Deck 6 and 7, the energy was palpable. There was a glam station set up at the Shore Things desk where the Happenings Cast was applying glitter to guests. I happily lined up and asked for something cute and came away with silver freckles and the most adorable heart. Later, this table became a message board where you could write your wish or thoughts and hang them up on the net.

Scarlet Night: The Show Begins

By 9 PM, I was at the Roundabout on Deck 7 and secured a sweet spot looking over the glass balcony down onto the spiral staircase. The Diva was just finishing up her karaoke and answering wholesome questions about the art of drag, and the Happenings Cast were lining up on the stairs. A voice came on the speaker welcoming us to Scarlet Night, the room turned red, and the crew started dancing. They were so coordinated in their movements that it felt like they were under a trance. Scarlet Night, indeed. 

After the dancing, there was a fashion show in which the Happenings Cast pulled around 5 guests who they felt dressed the part. The crowd applauded to choose which person they felt won and then the crowd dispersed. For the next hour-ish, I walked around Decks 6 and 7 catching spontaneous acts like jugglers and hula hoopers. I was at The Dock looking at the Wake shining red when all of a sudden a dance breaks out with the cast holding glowing orbs. It was wild and I was giddy with excitement to people-watch all evening. 

At one point, I took a break to visit Deck 16 and see what the pool situation was looking like. After all, the Scarlet Night Pool Party was scheduled next and I wanted to sneak a peek before the crowds arrived. To my surprise, there was a huge blow up octopus in front of the pool, and it was wicked. I snapped a few pics and headed back down to the fun downstairs. Tip: The pool party is mega-crowded so after you’ve had your fill of indoor shenanigans, come up to the pool deck or Deck 16 to get a good spot by the pool. You’ll thank me later. 

Scarlet Night: The Pool Party

Guests started to migrate upwards just before 10 PM, and what was before a totally empty pool deck was now filled to the brim with a sea of red people. There was loud pop music, fog machines, staff handing out lemon drop shots, the Diva welcoming everyone, and most importantly, dancers. 

The Happenings Cast put on an amazing dance performance around the pool perimeter. Even the Duel Reality team made an appearance and did acrobatics and whatnot. It’s difficult to describe what the Pool Party was other than a dance performance with flair, but toward the end of the performance the cast began splashing everyone down by the pool and invited guests to jump in – clothes and all. I was thanking the stars I wasn’t down there because that’s the last thing I wanted to do. I can’t describe how nice it was to witness people letting loose, being themselves, and having the best time. That’s what Scarlet Night represents and why it’s so well regarded by Virgin Voyages fans. 

Pizza Break and After Party

I’m well aware of my limits being around a crowd of people, and when it gets to the point where I’m being smushed on all sides I have to tap out. That’s okay though, I had my fill and it was time to get some well-deserved pizza. The Pizza Place on Deck 7 is open until 2 AM so it’s the perfect place to get some night time munches. I got a simple pepperoni pizza and it was done in 5 minutes. Simple, crisp, not greasy. It was perfect. 

You’ll notice there’s little-to-no mention of the Scarlet Night After Party. That’s because I’m basically a grandma. Even a higher power couldn’t convince me to join a party starting at 11 PM full of loud music and excitable crowds. No thank you, hard pass. If the significant reduction of people walking around the next morning is any indication, I would say the after party was a big hit. 

I only have two more days of this voyage before we’re back in Miami! The next day is a sea day, perfect for recuperating and relaxing, while the day following is a stop at Bimini. Stay tuned for my next blog post to see what Valentine’s Day on the Scarlet Lady is like!