Kim’s take on Virgin Voyages-Scarlet Lady. I’m an avid traveler and have been on many cruises, but mostly on Royal Caribbean. This was my first experience with Virgin Voyages. Each cruise line has its pros and cons, and it will vary from person to person and what they want to get out of a cruise. So here are my take aways. 

• No kids! If you want to get away without any kids, this is the ship for you!! 21 and older only.
• Foodie heaven! The food on the Scarlet Lady, and I would presume all the Virgin ships, was by far the best I’ve had. The presentation was like you were at a 5-star restaurant! The Test Kitchen menu is presented by a 2-time Michelin chef. I can’t tell you enough about how good the food was. But, on the flip side, if you are not an adventurous eater and only like a few things, you might be a little disappointed. 
• All the food is included! Sodas are included! There are no extra costs for specialty dining. It’s ALL included!!!
• Gratuities included! There’s no tipping! So, when you get a $11 drink, that’s it. It’s $11. No added tips, not signing and giving a tip line to add in. It is what it is.
• Lots of selfie spots and no one is trying to take your picture and sell you prints. 
• Every part of the ship has hangout areas where you can sit and chat with a friend, read a book or take a nap. 
• The drinks were reasonably priced! Most drinks (cocktails, beer, wine by the glass) were $6-$14. 
• They make ice cream on the ship! And boy is it good!
• They are a green company and encourage recycling. Your keycard is made out of recycled plastic taken from ocean trash. There are no plastics used on the ship. They replenish your water in the cabin. They recycle their waste and make sure they are doing what they can for the environment. Many features are sustainably sourced and they do donations to the local areas when you book certain excursions. 
• Finding restrooms can be challenging. They need better signage, so just ask a crew member and they will point you in the right direction.
• The pretty screens that look like a screensaver for your computer are actually touchscreens that tell you where events are and other good info. Don’t be afraid to touch it and find your way around. 
• The legend as you get out of the elevator needs arrows, but if you know the key, it makes sense. The locations on the left mean go towards the left. The locations on the right mean go towards the right. I didn’t find that out until the last night! 

Overall, I really liked my first sailing on Virgin Voyages. I will definitely sail with them again!